Easy Artichokes

Cooking whole artichokes is a relatively new thing for me.  Previously I would just buy the canned artichoke hearts but I was always left a little dissapointed at how rubbery they can be.  So on a whim I bought I few at the grocery store and have been using this no fail recipe to cook them.  It is so easy and it adds a classy and fun element to the vegetable portion of dinner

You need:
Artichoke or two
1/2 a lemon
2 to 3 garlic cloves peeled
2 bay leaves

To Cook:
Trim artichokes by cutting off the stem so they can sit up in the pot and cut off about 1/2" of the top of the artichoke.  It helps to use a serated knife to do this.
Place about an inch of water in a large pot and sit your artichokes in the water.  Then throw in the lemon, garlic, and bay leaves.
Boil water and then put a lid on the pot and reduce the heat to simmer.  Let cook for 45 minutes. 
So freaking easy.  My favorite is the artichoke bottom in the very center.  Just be sure to peel off the fuzzy stuff that covers it.

Summer Salsa

Are your tomatoes coming in yet?  Mine are starting to so that means one thing and one thing only.  Commence the salsa making!  I am pretty sure I have a salsa fetish. I could put it on just about anything and be happy (my favorite it eggs).  If you aren't growing tomatoes or they haven't started rippening yet check your local farmer's market or grocery store.  Yesterday I noticed how cheap they are!  Tonight we are having a belated birthday party for Bradley so I made a giant jar of salsa.  I have tried a lot of salsa recipes but this is hands down my favorite.  Sadly you need a food processor if you want a "salsa" consistency.  If you don't have one just finely chop and combine for a more chunky pico de gallo consistency.



6 medium to large fresh tomatoes (or two 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes)
4 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno
1/2 white onion
1 medium carrot
2/3 c. cilantro or 1/3 c. parsley if you dislike cilantro
3 green onions
2 tbs. lime juice
2 tbs. vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
ground pepper to tast

Place 3 tomatoes (or 1 can of the diced tomatoes), garlic, jalapeno, and white onion in a food processor and puree.  Yes, puree.  I thought it was weird at first too but this gives it a good base of flavor and the salsa consistency.

Peel carrot into long strips with your peeler and chop shavings.   Rough chop the cilantro (or parsley) and the green onions.  Add carrot, cilantro (or parsely), the remaining tomatoes, green onions, lime juice, vinegar, and salt and pepper into the puree.  Pulse in the food processor untill you get the consistency that you like.  Becareful though.  If you pulse to much it will just be the puree consistency.

Zombies and Caramel Corn.... Oh MY!

Happy Halloween!

We did our celebrating Friday night at a friends house so tonight we are laying low and having a few people over to watch The Walking Dead on AMC.  Now I have always had a really vivid imagination as well as intense and life like dreams.  So watching any sort of horror movie is usually a sure to result in a intense life like dream of my friends and family running around being attacked my zombies or aliens or psycho killers.  It should be fun.   My plan is to keep myself busy baking in the kitchen.  Here's what is on the menu:

Lemon Mint Cake with Simple Syrup

Black Bottom Chocolate Cupcakes

Crunchy Carmel Corn

Things To Remember

I guess this post is more for me than anything else.  Living with my parents has been nice but I am missing the comforts of my own belongings, computer, cooking, crafts and camera cord.  Here is a collection of things I am excited for and I don't want my little pea brain to forget in two weeks.

Recipes
Potato Rosemary Bread
Curried Couscous Salad
Salmon Cakes with Lemon Caper Yogurt Sauce
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Shrimp and Grits
Homemade Apple Wine (I guess this counts as a recipe)

Household Items

Umbra Wall Flowers in black

Dandelion Wall Decal

Music

Dead Man's Bones

Dr. Dog

Edith Piaf

I have a weird love of French music and I have been meaning to download this forever

Crafty Crafts

Design*Sponge

Holy crap this site is amazing. Various projects I would like to do

Faux Staghorn Ferns

Spool Hooks

Framed Paper Flowers

and.....


a baby

but we will see if that happens