Pictured above:  Oven Roasted Lemon Shrimp Tacos with Black Bean Salad

Summer is almost here.  Visions of lazy days reading, popsicles and lemonade stands, crabbing, sandcastles at the beach, and late afternoons at the pool dance through my head, teasing me of days to come.  Although the kids still have a few days left of school, mentally we have all clicked over to slower days and summer time fun.

I will be working most weeks at the farmers market, but I must admit I am looking forward to slowing down a bit and preparing more meals for my family.  Food is so important to me and our lives, and not just the eating part, but everything it encompasses.  I want to share the fun I have preparing and choosing ingredients with you, and of course the stories and adventures that often seem to accompany them.  So, drumroll please… this summer I am going to be blogging my way through with recipe ideas and menu’s of what I do at home and on vacation.  Best part is, I will focus on meals that are easy ones to inspire you and not daunt you!

Like the other night, I needed a quick dinner before a birthday party.  I had one last ziploc of SC shrimp I bought late last Fall then froze to get me through the winter until this summer’s shrimping season.  Can you think of a better excuse for Oven Roasted Lemon Shrimp Tacos?  Not sure I can, but if you need a little nudge enjoy this simple recipe you can pull off in no time.  Better yet, the shrimp will be swimming, nice and sweet, so take advantage of fresh summer shrimp.

I welcome you to share your ideas, recipes and summer stories with me as well.  Stay safe, stay cool, and I look forward to cooking with you soon!

Until then, enjoy the best of food and life and these beautiful summer days.

Oven Roasted Lemon Shrimp Tacos (Served with Black Beans topped with Fresh Avocado, Tomato & Cucumber Salad)

1 1/2 pounds peeled shrimp

1 tablespoon of your favorite taco seasoning ***click here for a great easy homemade taco seasoning recipe, you might never buy that little envelope again!

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon Adobo

one lemon, cut into 8 wedges

olive oil

Place shrimp in medium sized bowl, being sure to leave enough room to stir without the shrimp falling out!  Sprinkle the first four seasonings over shrimp and stir well to coat, be sure to adjust if you want more or less seasoning based on your preferences.  Get creative- a nice addition not listed is fresh cilantro or fresh herbs in place of dried.  Finish by drizzling shrimp with enough olive oil to lightly coat.  Let sit in fridge 30-45 minutes to marry flavors, covered with saran wrap.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400.  Line a baking sheet with foil & spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Cut the lemon into 8 wedges, taking time to remove the visible seeds but don’t worry about every single one.  After shrimp has sat for 30 minutes or so, spread evenly in one layer on prepared baking sheet, tucking the lemon wedges in between.   Bake at 400, uncovered on middle rack, for about 15 -20 minutes.  Check shrimp for doneness based on their size, but they should be close to done unless you have really big shrimp!  Let lemons cool enough to handle, then squeeze a few wedges over shrimp with all that yummy, warm lemon juice.  Serve with your favorite tortilla’s and toppings.  I like to keep it simple so the flavor and pop of the shrimp comes through…such as salsa verde, slivered red onions, and chopped tomato.

Leftovers, what to do with that shrimp the next day?  Toss the prepared shrimp with black beans and veggies, squeeze lime juice over all, a touch of salt and pepper and quick drizzle of nice olive oil  for a fabulous lunch salad the next day!

Every sunrise is a new journey.  This is not my original phrase, but one I wanted to use because I love it enought to share.  Every sunrise is a new journey, a new day ahead of you with fresh beginnings and life to live.  There are meals to prepare, jobs to work, people to love.

If there is anyone who can wake up and think of a reason to have a party and entertain, I am among them.  The art of planning a menu, thinking of fun little touches, and preparing an event large or small, holds all the fun for me.  Wrapping it up with friends, family, and a good meal are the icing on the cake.  Like other Holidays, Memorial Day is filled with fun celebrations everywhere.  Yards across America will be firing up their grills, flippin’ burgers and hot dogs, and hanging American flags.  And yes, my family will be doing the same with yummy grilled pimineto cheese &   caramelized onion burgers and Annies’ Deviled Eggs. 

And, in the midst of it all, I will pause to remember why we have this day off.  I will remember why banks are closed, flags fly high, and why we are able to share the freedoms that make us proud to be  American.  For a moment  today I will close my eyes and picture the quiet serenity of Arlington Cemetery, and imagine I am there.  I will envision the faces of those who are there to remember, to honor, to miss the ones they have lost.  I hope you will also pause to do the same.

As I drove home this weekend through country roads in the mountains, I passed a small country church whose sign out front said it all: “In memory of some, in honor of all.”  Because of them I am able to enjoy the best of food and life, I hope you do the same.

Generically speaking, people can be broken down into two categories, which is a pretty broad spectrum across the world.  Morning people, and not morning people.  I wonder which you are?

I love mornings and typically I make the most of them, in different ways dependent on where I am.  At home, I love the color of the sun peeking through the sunroom blinds, as I scurry around getting everyone ready for the day ahead, breakfast made and lunches packed.  The birds seem to enjoy it too as they chirp and tweet all around.  Morning is my “get it done” time.

There are quiet mornings, too.  Those beginning in the mountains by enjoying the beauty of a blanket of fog in the field, waiting for the sun to burn it off and reveal the grass and life underneath.  Or perhaps, that certain quietness felt only in a tent, with dew all around and the smokiness of last nights campfire still fresh on your skin.

Then there’s the rumble of waves as they crash against the sand, bringing the dawn of a new day with each moon driven tide.  If you stop to think about it you’ll quickly realize what a miracle this is.  Fresh new shells, coral, sharks teeth, and pieces of the sea strewn across the sands, creating a natural treasure hunt for those who seek the fun.

Rise and shine also means coffee… a cup of joe… java…morning brew… one of the planet’s most universal and popular drinks.  And it means breakfast, literally fuel for your body after a night of rest.  Some argue it is the most important meal of the day, while others are lucky to grab a granola bar or bowl of cereal and go.  Breakfast varies a lot in our house, from breakfast sandwiches and French toast to precious baby quail eggs hard boiled like a breakfast candy.  I find leftovers create some of my favorite and yummiest breakfast, such as “Rise & Shine” breakfast potatoes with scrambled eggs, or the Huevos Mexicanos we had yesterday.  A delicious fried egg nestled on a perfectly toasted English muffin half topped with strips of roasted poblano peppers that I roasted from a friends produce box leftovers, then topped with last night’s leftover guacamole and salsa.  The only thing missing was a Mexican beach and fuzzy memories of the night before.  I will share the recipe at the end, but basically you have all the information you need to know to create your own version.  One of my favorite things about breakfast is that unless I am making bread, it is a quick and thought free menu.  The longest process of it is the amount of time it takes me to stare into the fridge and take inventory of what is there to “play” with!

Except today…today is Mother’s Day and I am not allowed out of bed yet.  Unless I am sick or on a kid free vacation, it is probably the only day this happens.  And I relish it.  I relish the sound of the kids in the kitchen with their dad making me a cup of coffee.  Their precious tradition is to go out the day before and buy fresh croissants, to be paired I imagine with fruit and eggs.  Utensils cling against dishes and it’s fun to be “on the other side” for a moment.  This morning I am not getting it all done first thing, but in a way I am doing more.  The accomplishment on their faces and joy in doing something for me that I usually do for them is such a great feeling.  Soon to come is the joy of home made cards and surprise gifts made at school.  That is all I need.

The love of a mother is a challenge sometimes, and any woman knows this even if not a mother.  As women, and especially moms, we are providers, care givers, lovers, chefs, nurses, chauffeurs, teachers, magicians, police, coaches, and more.  We are housekeepers, schedulers, gardeners, waitresses, referee’s, bankers, and handymen.  This morning a few moments ago I opened a handmade Mother’s Day book from my daughter titled “My Mom Wears Many Hats”.  It produced a tear or two and brought a smile to my face and my heart.  I don’t know, maybe it was reading the words written by my child that said “thank you for making me feel better by kissing my “boobose”, or this one: “My mom is a teacher.  She taught me how to be who I am now and I can not thank her enough.” It is then that every minute of feeling like you want to throw in the towel because you think you’re doing it wrong pays off.  It is then that the nights you go to bed exhausted from running a million different directions are worth it.   It is then that you realize once again through your own children how much your own mom and dad did.  It is then, and just then, that wearing many hats is a blessing and a privilege at the same time.  Taking it for granted is part of life, but relishing the moment when we can is what really matters.

Enjoy it today, and every day, these moments are the best of our life.  Happy Mother’s Day to all…

Huevos Mexicanos

Ingredients: (one of each per serving)

fresh eggs                                                         guacamole

English muffin half                                        salsa

roasted poblano peppers, warmed             cilantro or sour cream if desired

Directions: Have all ingredients set out and ready to assemble.  Toast English muffin half to a golden brown.  While toasting muffin, prepare your egg in your favorite way.  I prefer mine lightly fried so the yolk creates a yummy sauce when cut, but if you like your eggs scrambled then go for it!  Place warmed roasted poblano’s on top of toasted English muffin, about three strips according to their heat and your preference.  (You could use roasted red peppers or green chilies as a substitute.)  Place egg on ‘nest’ of peppers, top with guacamole and salsa, sour cream and garnish with a sprig of cilantro and serve hot!  **Get creative with this…if your family loves cheese, melt cheese over the English muffin while toasting.  I had some salsa verde I used as well, and of course a dash of hot sauce will really wake up your morning!

Sunday after church was almost always the same growing up.  A quick change out of church clothes if I was lucky, then my mom would load up her platter of deviled eggs and we would be off on a short drive to Grandma’s for Sunday dinner.  All five of my uncles, their wives and all the cousins would be at my grandparents farm, throwing horseshoes and letting kids jump out of the hayloft at the top of the barn.  Ruby, my grandmother and amazing Southern woman, fried chicken and prepared dish upon dish of Southern comfort food for her family like it was her religious duty every Sunday afternoon.  As a young child, I recall looking up to her tea ‘pot’ perched on the front corner burner of the electric stove.  However, her tea pot was a stock pot full of sweet tea, enough for all.  Only the adults sat in the dining room, kids were lucky to get a seat at the small red kitchen table or any other open seat, to enjoy the meal before us.  Trust me when I say I can taste the squash fritters and fried okra to this day, and Ruby’s chicken which was like no other, so much that I still crave it.

The art of Sunday supper, or Sunday Dinner, seems to be slowly be fading into one of “those old Southern traditions”.  Traditions from the past, fading but not forgotten.  Just like the farm of my childhood, which is now a strip mall covering the areas where we played barefoot as a kid.

Traditions, old and new.  Change is good, although hard at times, we carry on.  Tonight at our house we are enjoyed one of our family traditions, Grilled Carolina Treet Chicken, (that is not a typo either).   Years ago a neighbor introduced my parents to this fabulous marinade made in Wilmington, NC.  Carolina Treet really is a “treat” you should try.  Tonight and many more nights to come, we will relish the art of Sunday supper and get ready for the week ahead.    Our Sunday Supper menu is below. And in case you did not grow up here and are scratching your head about the whole supper/dinner thing, Sunday dinner means lunch and Sunday supper is what we commonly refer to as dinner.

Sunday Supper…

Sunday Supper- night on the Grill

Carolina Treet BBQ Chicken…

We like to marinate our chicken in a Ziploc bag with about 1/2 cup Carolina Treet marinade and plenty of apple cider vinegar to well cover all pieces of chicken.  I swear the vinegar just makes magic with the chicken in that bag!  Marinate overnight, then grill your chicken low and slow instead of a hot grill where the meat tends to not finish cooking before the skin is charred.  We slowly begin to baste ours about 3/4 of the way trhough cooking.  All said and done, we grilled the chicken for about 45 minutes flipping often.

Carolina Treet while grilling

Rice with Avocado & Pickled Red Onion

Grilled Zucchini & Squash with Fresh Thyme & Lemon, Chopped Tomatoes-

Drizzle with chunks of zucchini and squash with  olive oil, grill to your preference.  When done garnish with chopped tomatoes that have been sitting in their juices while you’ve been grilling and serve.

BBQ Bread on the grill–

Another family tradition that is old school “oh so good”.  I like to butter each piece of bread and then grill it until golden brown on each side.  Tonight I used some garlic herb butter (a Julia’s Take away Gourmet specialty) and it was divine!

The one and only BBQ Bread by Bunny!

Just a few things I wanted to share of the simple pleasures in my life.  I hope it helps inspire you to enjoy the best of food and life, too.

Are you hungry today?  I hope so.  I hope you are hungry for many things in life like the love of family and friends, nature, and the simple joys that make our world a better place.  I hope you thirst for the taste of what each day holds.  This can be many different things for each of us, but like the saying goes, that is what makes the world go around.  True indeed, now I just need to remind myself of this about five times today.

Let me ask the question again though, are you hungry, really hungry?  This time however, I hope your answer is no.  I hope you are not truly hungry for many things: nutrients, energy, food that nourishes our body and keeps it healthy.   Sadly, there are many around us who are hungry.  Unlike me, they can’t hop in the car and drive to the store up the road to choose fresh produce for dinner.  There is no car, there is no store down the street with selections of fresh vegetables to choose from.  There is no money to buy it, either.  This makes my heart hurt, it makes my eyes well up with tears, it makes me want to run from the safe and comfortable walls of my home with a basket of food.  It makes me sad, heartbroken, to think of children in my own city who are going to bed hungry, crying because they have not had dinner.  Again.  In Forsyth County, Winston-Salem has the most severe problem with this situation, known as food deserts, and NC is now among the top states in the US with this problem.  The USDA defines a food desert as “a part of the country without access to fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas. This is largely due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and healthy food providers.”

Doesn’t this stop you in your tracks and make you ask “Why?”  “How?”  How can someone who might live 3 miles away from me suffer like this?  Yet, this is what is happening every day to children and their families in our community.  As I write this I am fighting back tears.  I think of my own children, and your children and grandchildren, who come home from school asking what is for snack.  Children who grow up knowing a home filled with the smell of freshly baked cookies at Holidays and the smell of dinner in the oven each night.  Children who know the simple joy of smelling a fresh peeled orange, or who know the crispness of an apple in the Fall, a strawberry in May, or blueberries and corn in July.  Children who run in after sports hungry, asking what is for dinner without even giving pause that there is no option.  Thinking about this makes the word fair seem to have no meaning at all.  How can it be fair that there is another 8 year old girl in this city, perhaps another girl with beautiful curls and dark passionate eyes, but she is hungry every weekend?  How can this be fair, and what can we do?

Fortunately,  a lot of light has been shed on this problem recently and things are being done.  A wonderful organization called H.O.P.E. (which stands for Help Our People Eat) is going into the food deserts in Winston-Salem each weekend and feeding children.  They do not simply hand out meals to be taken home where the children often have to give them away, but the children eat at the HOPE truck.  It is a growing and magnificent program, and just like the name it gives me hope.  There is also Hope du Jour, sponsored by Crisis Control Ministries, that supports fighting hunger in our area.  Founded in 1990, this program now has over 125 participating restaurants and other small businesses (such as your very own Julia’s Take Away Gourmet).  When you dine out at a participating restaurant at least 10% of proceeds on Tuesday, May 6th will be donated to Hope du Jour.  So mark your calendars and dine out for a cause on that day, or by ordering from Julia’s TAG next Weds, April 30th.

So you see, every now and then, eating out is more than a meal.  Every now and then you know you are doing some good, helping in some small way.  It isn’t often I find irony by closing with a simple saying about enjoying the best of food and life, but tonight I do.  I wish everyone knew this joy.  My hope is that even if my contribution is small, it does matter.  That choosing the best of food and life today, means choosing to help someone else know this joy, too.

Working while at the dentist office has it’s advantages- and disadvantages! Sorry for the typo on my nifty little iPhone, but I desperately am trying to maximize time with an unexpected haul to the dentist! Just what I needed in an already packed afternoon…#justrollwithit

Freezer pleasers is tomorrow, Thursday, April 17- not the 18th. Please note correct phone number is 336-681-0675.

Freezer pleasers- tomorrow, April 18, while it lasts! I’ll be open from 10:30-1:30, no orders needed or taken, and have made some of the following goodies to help you out. Small batches, but big flavors! Text 336-681-0676 for details.

Available:
-Tex Mex Pies
-Chicken with Wild Rice and Broccoli
-Cheddar and Chicken casserole with Peas
-Salem Stew – if Brunswick stew married a stew from Arizona this would be their child! A thick, almost fork worthy stew with pulled pork, Lima beans, black beans, corn and onions and celery! $12-quart
Garlic -Ranch Dressing to go and a couple of other items, too!

All casseroles/pies serve 4-5, $20 each. Cash, checks and credit cards accepted!

Hope to see you at the kitchen!

Bloomin’ peach tree in the Spring

If I had to choose two seasons, they would be Spring and Fall.  I love the crisp air, tailgates, and fall colors as leaves change each Autumn.  Fall is “Boots and Patagonia” weather as I like to call it, and each Fall I hope my old black Patagonia vest can make it one more season.  I have to say, I am simply amazed at Spring though.  The daffodils emerge and bloom each year, just as the azalea’s are bursting with buds amidst a background of the green grass and lime green leaves popping out on tree’s above.  Hosta’s, deep green, white and purple, poke their spear like heads out of the ground from having been buried in some cold dormant place, just waiting for the sun to bring warmer days.  Kind of like us sometimes, we can lay dormant until inspired to wake up and live.  The peach and cherry tree in my yard are covered in blooms, promises of things to come, fruits waiting to be picked.  I can’t help but find so many ironies in this season of new life, hope and promises.  For those of you who share my Christian beliefs I’m sure you will agree this is no accident.  And for those of you who aren’t quite sure of your religion, I hope you find religion in the beauty of nature around us.

With the arrival of spring comes promises of…warm sunny days emerging from cool mornings, bright blooming fields begging for blankets and picnics, and farmers markets spring back to life with full speed.  I can just picture the baskets of fresh picked spinach piled high on a table at the Dixie Classic Fair Farmers market; not to mention the baby leeks; asparagus so slim and tender; artichokes; crisp lettuces… it isn’t fair to stop the list here.  What about ramps, garlic, strawberries, mushrooms and Vidalia onions & new potatoes so sweet my Dad would say to eat them like an apple.  Can’t you just taste it, too?

These are the things that inspire me, that bring energy to my life.  I get so excited I have about a hundred recipe ideas I want to share with you right now.  I want to share the little things I enjoy that make a simple life, well, not so simple.  Too much for a post!  I want to tell you all about what I call “fun finger food”, Steamed Spring Artichokes with Lemon Garlic Butter.  My children enjoy pulling the leaves off the choke and popping it in their mouth.  Truly, fun food, whole food, healthy food, and a great starter for dinner guests, too.  I want to tell you about sautéing garlic scapes, but better yet go to a market soon and purchase some and explore on your own.   And asparagus, not imported from Peru, but tender, slim, local and oh so delicious.  And for those of us living in this beautiful  City of the arts we named Winston-Salem, how can you resist the strawberries when you drive by the Children’s Home late spring?  I’m not sure the setting can accurately be described, not many places have an amazing farm of acres upon acres tucked in amongst the skyline of downtown?

These are the things that make me want to jump for joy, do a cartwheel in the grass, get my children from school early to go on a surprise outing just because… life is short.  Don’t postpone it.  So many things to relish in every day, every season.  Enjoy the best of food and life, and the amazing foods Spring serves us.

I wrote a blog last year titled “Live hard, love hard, eat well“.  It was actually one of my most popular posts for the year and is among my personal favorites, be sure to check out the link.  The title itself really captures a lot of what I believe in, and definitely is a good summary of my past month.  As spring break comes to an end and I gear up for a busy couple of months ahead while school is still going, the excitement I feel is similar to what it was like starting a business again.  I can’t wait to be “back on the line” in kitchen speak!

Next week’s menu includes some of my popular items, including a twist on the traditional roast chicken which is fun not to mention yummy.   You can choose which cooking method you will employ in your own kitchen, and when your house is filled with the delicious aroma you can take every bit of the credit while you enjoy not having to cook, or clean up.  New meaning to the phrase living hard and eating well, right?  Enjoy the best of food and life, and thanks to all of you for sharing in my journey.  I hope to see you at the kitchen soon.
Dinner Pick up April 9th, 10:30 am -1:30 pm.

1.  “Faux-tisserie” Chicken…why haven’t I prepared this sooner?
One natural chicken with directions for how to
roast one of two ways, it’s up to you:
“Faux-tisserie” style which is a slow 2.5- 3 hour roast that yields a fall off the bone bird; or “traditional” roasting time with juicy meat & crisp skin.

Choose your flavor- Cajun rubbed or Italian Country with lemon, rosemary, garlic and olive oil; $18 per order

2.  Creamy Parmesan Orzo-  this is kind of like the “pasta cousin of risotto”.  Orzo with parmesan cheese, cream, lemon zest and light seasoning.  One small side, 2-3 svgs, $10

3.  Italian Stuffed Loaves– pizza dough stuffed with Italian meats and three cheese blend, then rolled up and baked.
All you have to do is re-heat, slice and serve!
Quickly becoming a blue moose favorite…one roll, $18

4.  Classic Caesar Salad– crisp romaine with ciabatta croutons, grape tomatoes and Caesar dressing, serves 2, $12

FROZEN THIS WEEK:

5.  Deep Dish Chicken & Broccoli Pie, a yummy twist on the traditional chicken pie…$18

6.  Cheddar Biscuits, $8/half dozen