by Suzanne on September 28, 2010
Before we get to Salt Lake City, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a couple of places where we left off in/around Duchesne, UT. First, there is Cowan’s Cafe. Great little place to stop for a meal. Not really “homemade goodness”, but decent food. And about the only place in town to eat out. Nice people, hot food. Kinda nostalgic in a small-town way. The other place is Starvation Lake, just on the west side of Duchesne and surrounds the Camperworld RV Resort where we stayed for a couple of days. It is only about 3500 acres, but truly reminded me of a mini Lake Powell. The water is so blue, even my camera can’t describe it. Our understanding is that Starvation Lake, named perhaps for a couple of old legends, has trophy walleye and trout. Next time we will have something more than our lightweight fly-fishing rods with us! Other beauty unfolds as we wind our way to Salt Lake City. We arrived in SLC on Saturday evening and were greeted by the nicest lady, Jen, at the KOA in SLC. She was more like a tour guide than camp hostess and told us all about the Temple Square and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir that perform every Sunday at 9:30 a.m., a program called “Music and the Spoken Word” which is broadcast throughout the world. MM and I had already discussed going to The Square and hearing The Choir. This was PERFECT! MM had been to hear them when he was about ten years old. Me, this would be a brand new experience. I couldn’t wait! Rather than taking the guided tour ($55 including lunch and a tour of downtown), we decided to embark on our own adventure. We got up at Dawn’s Crack the next day, fired up GW – The Great White – our C4500 Chevy hauler, and headed downtown. Wasn’t too difficult as the KOA is on North Temple which feeds directly to Temple Square. With just a couple of construction detours, we had it made in the shade. Oh, BTW, did I mention we brought a “heat wave” with us? Ugh. Ten to twenty degrees HOTTER than normal. Great. Well, that’s OK. It’s a ‘dry’ heat. And the A/C is working, so no worries. We got to Temple Square just in time, seated ourselves and prepared for a real treat. And were not [...]
by Suzanne on September 26, 2010
With the advent of fall in the Colorado Rockies, the aspens turn their better-than-24ct-gold, scrub oaks, sumac, and whatnot show their flaming orange and reds, and the evergreen evergreens are, well, ever green! This is my favorite time of year. Just knowing that the amazing colors are going to show themselves like a streaker at a ball game is almost more excitement than I can stand. Also, knowing that the weather will be getting cooler rather than warmer puts the fall season well ahead of spring in my book. As we were traveling the other day, I was on the phone with Gabbers, our oldest daughter. I told her that we were still traveling, headed toward Salt Lake City and would probably start back EAST in a couple of weeks. Hmmmmm . . . . . EAST? I’ve always thought of my self living WEST, or at the very least, SOUTHWEST. Only Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Arkansas are EAST. Not Texas! Seems really odd that we are so far west that we will need to head east to go home. I never really thought about being an easterner. Don’t really think I have the accent for it. Now our youngest, Jens, she was born with a New York accent. Not kidding. But that’s a whole nuther story. Anyhoo, without further adoo, I wanted to share some of the beautiful colors with you that we have seen on our trip so far. Oh, BTW, there is a recipe for East-West Slaw at the end of this post that I hope you will like. If you can’t wait that long, then skip on ahead. But you’ll miss out on the scenery that only the Colorado Rockies can bring! BTW, highly recommend this RV park. Very nice facilities, beautiful huge Cottonwoods and sits right on Starvation Lake. However, it is pricey unless you have a “membership”. Prepare to pay $42 a night and if you want internet access, that is another $5 a day! Internet, however, was very fast. Nice host couple and everything was beautifully maintained. Just west of Duchesne on the south side of US Hwy 40. Only thing for miles that we found that was decent. KOA in Vernal just wouldn’t do. It was crowded. All of the spaces were not only short but so narrow that I started having a claustrophobic attack and we didn’t even pull into the space. [...]
by Suzanne on September 17, 2010
We are out on the road again, thus the infrequency of my communication. This time we are in beautiful Breckenridge, Colorado. Yeah, I know. But someone has to do it. May as well be me and Mountain Man. This time it is really a vacation. And it is a great one! First stop. Los Alamos, New Mexico for Mike and Grammy’s birthday celebrations. We had fourteen family members that were able to attend! Only missing about nine – and we really missed them being there!! I have traveled I-40 to New Mexico too many times to count and I never, ever tire of the beautiful landscape. The vibrant colors of the plateaus, buttes, and mesas to the golden grasses of the plains and the sage and mesquite green that dot the landscape. And this time of year the Chamisa is in full bloom. Aaaaaachoooo! Then, just about the time you think you’ve seen enough grass, mesquite and buttes, someone shouts, “Queue the Antelope!” and herd after herd of Pronghorn Antelope show their amazing ability to run like the wind or stand by the side of the road – still as a fencepost. In case you aren’t from around these parts, antelope are also known as “Speed Goats” because, well, they kinda look like and goats and they’re faster than all gitout. As if that isn’t enough, the elk is abundant! If you have never met one of these magnificent beasts, then a trip to New Mexico’s Valles Caldera National Reserve is in order! “The Valles” (pronounced “VI’yay” and means “grass valley”) is only about 15 miles into the Jemez Mountains from MM’s folks’ place in Los Alamos. This once active volcano is home to much wildlife. But it is the elk herds that always make it a heart-stopping treat. The cows, calves and the big bulls roam the expansive valley like they own the place. The Valles is a very famous place for movie making, too. Films such as “The Gambler” with Kenny Rogers, “Buffalo Girls” with Angelica Huston, “The Last Stand at Saber River” with Tom Selleck, “Wild Hogs” with John Trivolta and Tim Allen, and “The Missing” with Tommy Lee Jones have continued to promote the beauty of this endearing location. Today was a day of rest for me. I mean, it’s my vacation, too. So I can do whatever I want. Right? The guys went for a [...]
by Suzanne on August 24, 2010
There is no question about it. Tomatoes, squash and good, sweet onions are just a few of the delicious bounty this time of year. There is also great bounty that is “in season”. Hatch Green Chiles from Hatch, New Mexico! Yes, that is in the United States. Just right next door to Texas. I’m still amazed at the places I call that think New Mexico requires international shipping rates. . . . *eye roll* . . . I never knew what a Green Chile was until I met MM. He’s from New Mexico, if I haven’t mentioned that before or lately. He grew up on green chiles. I grew up on beef, being from Hereford, Texas, and all. Cattle outnumber the people 50,000 to 1 there. Still. And the aroma of all those steers . . . . well, it’s the smell of money, so my mom always told me. I like the smell of roasted green chiles, better. Ahhhhh . . . . . . . This year we are NOT going to run out. Nor will I need to ration them like I’ve done this past chile season. You see, last year we bought two bushels, which caused us to have to start being frugal about 6 months ago. So this year we bought four boxes which, amazingly enough, holds 1 and 1/9 bushel each. How do they figure that? One-ninth? Really?? So now we have 4 and 4/9ths bushels (give me a break) of roasted hot green chile in the freezer. With that many, roasting them yourself is just not an option unless you own a chile roaster. Which we don’t. I could borrow a bingo basket from a church just down the road, but then I’d have to clean it after. But they do work in much the same way. Would just need to get my flamethrower fired up. We stood in the 107 degree heat on Saturday, thankfully there was shade, at Central Market and let them do the roasting for us. We, too, were pretty darn roasted by the time we got home. While there, a guy was buying a box of roasted mild green chile. Wuss. Anyway, he started following me around in the store asking how we used our green chile and what we fixed with them. He was nice. Not really a stalker. He just couldn’t imagine two people eating 4 [...]
by Suzanne on August 21, 2010
I hate to admit that this is yet another recipe from leftovers. I told my daughter that I was going to pretend that I made this recipe from a “just grilled” chicken breast because the word “leftovers” was an extremely overused term on this blog. She told me I was cheating. . . . . *sigh* . . . . I’m not much on cheating. I’m not much on lying and deceiving, either. Talk about overused these days. So, I’m ‘fessin’ up. Yep, leftover chicken. You know, it really never hurts to throw an extra piece of chicken on the barbie. Right? Same amount of prep time. Same amount of cook time. And every time you do I’ll be there for you. Just waiting with another recipe for a leftover something-or-nuther. So, here we are. Knowing that I had this great chicken breast, I headed to the store to get a few poblano peppers to make this recipe. When I got there, I really wasn’t sure these were labeled correctly. I swear, I’ve never seen poblano peppers this size. They should have been labeled “Humongous Poblanos” or “El Super Grande Poblanos”. These babies are gigantor! I really should have put a yardstick next to them for the picture. No one is going to believe they are really this big. We’re talking six or seven inches long and four inches across at the top. And those are the two smaller ones that I bought! The big ones are still in the refrigerator. If yours turn out to be this big, you may want to double the recipe! In the meantime, one large chicken breast should do for four “normal” sized peppers. Now, there is something for you today that is not a leftover. It’s brand-spankin’ new. And that’s my first ever giveaway! . . . *sound effects* . . . *and the crowd goes crazy* . . . Woooohooooo! Yay!!!!!!! . . . *thunderous applause* . . . Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is your lucky week! Well, one of you, anyway. We all love to shop. The thrill of finding the perfect item for your dining table at the perfect price is exciting. But do you ever wish you could find everything you’re looking for, all in one store? Well if so, then this giveaway will be right up your alley. Cookware.com, a CSN store, wants to give one Thru [...]
by Suzanne on August 14, 2010
There is no doubt about it. I used to be afraid of crust. Yep, making my own pie crust was pee-in-my-pants scary. Even before I joined the Over 50 Girls Club. Was it as scary as fixing fish? Depends. Sorry, couldn’t help myself. Actually, I was scared of both. But I have overcome. And conquered. And you can, too. This is a tasty, flaky pie crust that only takes minutes to prepare. I don’t care WHO you are. You can do this. Easy peasy. Promise! But just like my Mountain Man always says (especially when he wants to buy a new/different type of power tool), every job is easier with the right tools! For years I used a fork and knife to “cut” a.k.a. blend the flour, salt, and shortening. Why did it take me so long to buy one of these? That’s one of my grandma’s cup towels. She and I (starting at the ripe old age of 5) embroidered more cup towels and pillow cases than Carter has pills. They all got ironed, too, after drying on the line, then sprinkling with water and putting them into a big plastic bag for a while. So did the pillow cases. . . and sheets. Amazing how many memories a little cup towel can conjure. And, you need some of this: And one big round bowl. My three big secrets to perfect pie crust each and every time. No fail. No kidding. So, here’s the scoop. You know, I’ve never used butter, I’ve always used shortening. I love to cook with butter, just not this time. And, I have no idea where I got the recipe, it’s been too long. So my apologies to my mom, or Crisco, or Betty, or whomever for not giving them credit. Patience is short. Memory is shorter. Perfect Pie Crust 2 cups flour 1 tsp salt 2/3 cup +2Tbsp vegetable shortening 5 Tbsp COLD water (this is sooooooo important) In a small bowl or glass, put a few ice cubes. Fill with water and set aside. In a large bowl, put in flour, then salt and stir around a bit. Add shortening and use pastry cutter to incorporate the shortening with the flour and salt. Continue to “cut” until you have really small, almost uniform in size, little clumps. Using a measuring spoon, measure 5 tablespoons of ice water into the flour mixture. You [...]
by Suzanne on August 8, 2010
This is the case of the Missing Orzo. It happens ALL the time. Well, almost all the time. I’ve had this little package of Orzo for a while now. It sits in my pantry on a shelf that is eye-level to a 2.5 year old boy. It never ceases to amaze me where I find the Orzo each time this same 2.5 year old boy leaves to go home. His name is Justin. He’s our grandson. He’s just the most precious thing on God’s green earth. Well, him and his sister Abbie. And our daughters and son-in-laws . . . But, I digress. He thinks I’m weird. And we are likely to find the Orzo under our pillow when we go to bed at night. Or in my closet or under my chair. Of course it is never in plain sight. I’ve decided it is a game. He is testing me. Keeping me sharp and thinking. He laughs at me when I’m not looking. That’s what grandkids are for, right? Keeping us young! Especially since their parents are the ones that made us old. Come on, I know you know I’m right! Now, on with the Orzo! MM grilled us up some larapin (LOVE that word!) good wild caught Sockeye Salmon the other night. Probably about THE best salmon ever! But alas, we couldn’t eat all of it in one settin’. There was about a half pound that I needed to make into something, so I decided on this Grilled Salmon and Orzo Salad. It’s summer. It’s H.O.T. here in Texas. I don’t know what the weather is like where you live, but here, it has been as close to Hades as I want to get! When it never gets below 80 degrees for a low, and is 106 at 5pm and still 100 at 10pm, well, pardner, that’s just toooooo dang hot! A cool, refreshing salad is in order! This can be a full-on dinner meal, lunch or a side. It is the perfect picnic food. I think even the Scamp may like it. Grilled Salmon Orzo Salad Serves 10-12 8 ounces Grilled Salmon 16 ounces package of Orzo pasta, prepared according to package directions 1 small bottle of Capers (3.5 oz) 1 large Shallot bulb, chopped 20 Cherry Tomatoes, halved Juice of 2 large Lemons 1/4 cup diced Red Bell Pepper 2 tablespoons fresh Dill, chopped 1 tablespoon [...]
