Peaches and Herbs...

It may be a semi drought in the Midwest 

and tomorrow may be hot enough to fry an egg 

on the Bean in Millennium Park, 

but the warm spring did jump start the foliage... 

My herb boxes are off and running 

and I am trying to put them to full use...  

The rosemary is healthy 

and a brilliant green... 

It's so good with roast chicken 

with lemons and rosemary...  

Italian parsley just tastes better 

when grown at home... 

I love it in Paula's Marinated Tomatoes...  

The dill has gone to flower, 

but it's still fresh and tasty... 

Who doesn't crave a cucumber sandwich 

with dill this time of year?  

Say a prayer to Mother Nature, 

I have about six tomatoes on the vine...  

Tommy will have to hold guard with his bb gun 

to keep those ratty squirrels at bay... 

Last year they gnawed every last one of my tomatoes... 

Make me want to say things like *$#@!!!  

Okay, I feel better now... 

It's a bad memory....  

The mint is going nuts... 

I'm going to have to rustle up 

some mojitos, pronto.... 

There is a truckload of thyme growing....  

It's so tasty sprinkled on roasted potatoes 

just out of the oven....
   

The best of summer includes basil... 

Last year I made a passle of pesto 

and we enjoyed it well into the fall...    

Not sure if cabbage is in our future...

Some rodent type creature 

made a meal out of its leaves....  

I just planted onions 

around the Senor Cabbage to try and save it....  

Oregano pairs so well with tomatoes....  

This is one of my stand by recipes.  

In fact, it's what's for dinner tonight...  

  

Last night I combined the herbs 

to make Herb Roasted Pork Loin 

with Parsley Shallot Sauce....  

It was soooo tasty 

and very quick and easy to make...  

Hope your herb boxes are full of abundance...  

Use them, share them, enjoy!  

Oh, and to my neighbors, please come and pick!
 

 P.S..... There are no peaches in this post.
 It just sounded good....

Herb Roasted Pork Loin with Parsley Shallot Sauce

Copyright 2005, Ellie Krieger, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

15 min

Cook Time:

1 hr 15 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

8 servings (serving size is 4oz of meat and 1T of sauce)

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (2 1/2-pound) center cut boneless pork loin, trimmed of all visible fat
• 1/2 cup Parsley Shallot Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mash the garlic and salt together with a fork until it forms a coarse paste. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the oil, fresh herbs and freshly ground pepper. Rub the garlic-herb paste all over the pork. Transfer the pork to a roasting pan and roast for 1 1/4 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the roast to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the pork into slices and serve with the sauce.

Parsley Shallot Sauce:
1 1/2 cups lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped shallot
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree.
Yield: 1/2 cup

Un-Sperry-Licious

Okay, I am a real dork this time.... 

But I can't help it...  

Today, on my way to the kitchen section of Target, 

I passed the shoe department... 

I stopped,  (big mistake) 

thinking I might find some sport shoes 

that resemble Keens for my daughter... 

No luck on that one, 

but then I spied the Un-Sperrys...  

They were these metallic gold boat shoes 

that spoke to me...  

I am way behind on this coastal preppy chic thing, 

as usual.... 

Heck, who can afford the Lilly Pulitzer,

Vineyard Vines 

 

or Kevin's clothes anyway?  

Not me, so I am always on the lookout 

for the next best thing... 

I have been jonesing for some cute boat shoes 

ever since I laid eyes 

on the ones my mother in law wears... 

She has some adorable Sperrys that are silver metallic.  

They are more versatile than you think 

and darn comfortable... 

My eyes locked on those Un-Sperrys at Target and I knew they had to be mine... 

And at $24.00 a pair, you can bet I snapped those puppies 

up faster than you can say 

"The Prepster Paid Peanuts for the Paisley Printed Pulitzer"...  

Please ignore my overly dry, wrinkly skin on my legs... 

Sorry to have exposed you to that unpleasantness...  

All right.... 

Now back to your regularly scheduled day....  

Ciao!

Goin' Solo....

The school doors flew open with only 

the joy and glee singular 

to the last day of school...

Kids burst outside with wide smiles 

and report cards...

They turned west, not into the sunset, 

but toward the school picnic at Hamlin Park...  

Armed with water balloons and squirt guns 

rivaled only by those brandished in "Men In Black 3", 

it was pure battle between bites of grilled dogs and Doritos...  

Parents set up camp, by grade level, 

along the perimeter, tables of veggies, dips, 

cubed fruit, salads, chips, brownies, 

cookies, burgers and dogs...  

Juice boxes littered the ground, semi drunk...  

Parents shared whose what where next fall 

and what's up for summer...  

I am an outsider in the fourth grade parent crowd, 

having joined school when Jack 

was halfway through first grade...  

By then most parents 

have bonded during kindergarten...  

Becoming part of the group

can be a challenge, 

even for grown ups... 

So, I did what any little kid would do, 

I brought candy... 

The adult kind...  

I brought Sangria...  

It was a risk, given that, 

A: alcoholic beverages are prohibited 

at city parks and, 

B: that some parents might not find humor 

in an adult beverage at a kid event...  

My feelings on the subject are, 

A: some rules are meant to be broken, 

B: It's Friday and the last day of school, and 

C: if they can't take a joke, then tough noogies.    

The key was to offer said Sangria 

in perfectly concealed containers; 

Solo cups... 

I am not an innovator... 

Earlier in the week at the kindergarten picnic 

at the same park, 

a group of parents were cradling Solo cups 

in such a way as one does while drinking booze.  

It was telltale; a sure giveaway 

that they were shunning authority.  

They were drinking rose'!  

Oh, we were jealous, 

us water bottle toting people!  

And that is when I decided 

to throw caution 

to the wind 

and bring the good stuff...  

I first offered the fresh, fruity drink 

to one of my friends whom I knew 

was up for more than a can of Coke... 

She gratefully accepted the Solo 

and would have drunk more if she didn't have 

to corral her three kids 

and drive them six hours up north 

for the weekend...  

I then became more brave 

and offered the Sangria to a mom 

I am getting to know... 

Her surprise and elation at the thought 

of an alcoholic bevvie 

was pleasantly refreshing....  

So far so good...  

I finished my half filled Solo 

and was feeling almost reckless 

as I offered Sangria to the PTA president, 

no less!  

She almost looked relieved 

as she sipped from the Solo.... 

It felt good to hang with the moms 

for more than the five minutes 

at pick-up each day...  

I felt a little bit like the nerdy kid, 

trying to score with the popular crowd, 

but who cares?  

We had some fun 

while the kids ran themselves ragged...  

I have a bunch of this tasty Sangria 

left over and the sun is setting....  

Time to go share with some neighbors....  

Summer is here!

This Sangria is from Aldi and cost only $4.99.  
I juiced it up with 1/2 C orange juice, one small jar of maraschino cherries, sliced limes, lemons, apples and oranges.  
Chill and serve over ice.....

Armed and Dangerous...

Two more days until school is out...  

Teacher let the monkeys out....  

Oh, the addled anticipation...  

Oh, the distracted minds and fidgeting bodies....  

I purchased squirt guns for use 

at the Friday end of school picnic...  

All the boys will have 'em...  

Jack could NOT WAIT 

to break out the squirt guns 

after school today 

and the neighborhood appeared from nowhere, 

wearing swimsuits in preparation to commence battle... 

 

Of course, with Kate in the mix, 

it was only a matter of time 

until she dissolved into tears 

from being squirted in the face...  

She is not my tough one, to be sure...  

 Tomorrow is the kindergarten graduation, 

followed by another picnic in the park...  

My submission is Mama's Potato Salad... 

She has made it to raves for decades...  

If you are looking for a good, 

no fail basic potato salad recipe, 

this is a keeper....

Mama's Potato Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients:
5 good sized russet potatoes, peeled, diced large
4 hard boiled eggs
1 T white vinegar
1tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 dill pickles, minced
2 tsp pickle juice
2 T parsley minced (or 2 tsp dried parsley)
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp celery seed
2 tsp minced dried onion
2 T yellow mustard
1/2 C Hellmann's Mayonnaise

Place diced potatoes in large pot of cold water.  Add raw eggs, if they need to be hard boiled, too.  Boil potatoes and eggs until potatoes are fork tender.  Drain and let cool.  In a large bowl add the rest of the ingredients through the mustard.  Stir well.  Add cooled potatoes and gently combine.  Coarsely chop two of the hard boiled eggs and add to the potato mixture.  Add the mayonnaise until the mixture is almost creamy.  The potatoes soak up a lot of moisture, so you may need to add a little more if it becomes dry.  Slice the remaining eggs and decorate top of salad with the slices.  Sprinkle top with more paprika and parsley if desired.  Can be made the day before and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Up on the Roof...

Sometimes you just have to be front and center.....

Sometimes it's good to watch from afar....  

Sometimes you are up for the party....

Sometimes date night is what the doctor ordered....  

Friday night Tom and a buddy were front and center 

for the Roger Waters concert at Wrigley Field....  

He played the entire The Wall album to rave reviews....  

Tom texted me that certain songs 

were so powerful he cried....  

Or maybe it was because the beer line was too long... 

Anyway, he had a great time 

among the Pink Floyd throngs...  

Now I love going out to see live music 

with my music loving husband, 

I really do... 

But I draw the line at Pink Floyd...  

Way back when, in my high school days, 

my first boyfriend knew his way around a guitar, 

so we listened to bands that featured guitarists, 

Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Jeff Beck, 

Stevie Ray Vaughn, Pink Floyd, etc. 

  

However, into our second year of dating, 

his father passed away and he tumbled into depression, 

bringing Pink Floyd along to soothe him...  

It was too much for my sixteen year old psyche.....

Too much real life 

and way too much Floyd...  

Since then, when I hear the first few bars 

of a Pink Floyd song 

and I quickly change the channel....  

Of course, Tommy LOVES Pink Floyd. 

He is a closet Floyd listener 

and turns the stereo up to twelve 

when I am out of the house...  

I can see the house vibrate with "RUN RUN RUN" 

as I come home from the grocery store, 

kids jamming along with Dad....  

So Friday night was Tommy's night 

to rejoice The Wall.... 

Saturday night was our night to escape 

to a little corner of paradise... 

My sister in law's rooftop deck...  

It was a perfect evening 

and Part II of the Wrigley Field experience 

was Country AND Western night....

Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert 

with a surprise appearance by Carrie Underwood.  

Now we are not fans of Country Western music....  

I have no idea who most of these Nashville stars 

are and I could not hum a single tune... 

But it didn't matter...  

We had a bird's eye view 

of the show from far left field...  

We watched all the fans milling about....  

It appeared the dress code 

was short dresses and cowboy boots...

Tommy was most impressed 

with the seventeen motor coaches 

parked like dominoes in the parking lot...  

Scarey when your man can identify 

what companies drive whom around on tour...  

All we had was Budweiser and some Wheat Thins 

as we watched the country spectacle 

unfold as the sun set...  

We had room to roam, a place to sit 

and a bathroom not twenty steps away...  

It was perfect and just what I needed...  

The next time we will be on that roof, though, 

it will be a PARTY....  

Bruce Springsteen plays Wrigley at summer's end....  

Now HIS songs, I know!

Uncommon Grounds...

School is winding down around here.  

Perhaps your little ones are finished for the year, 

and hopefully not moaning 

that they are bored already...  

If, however, you are scrambling for that thank you gift 

for the teachers, 

here is a quick, simple and easy gift 

that should be a keeper...  

Most ladies I know love a good shower scrub 

and this one has a bit of a theme....

Coffee....  

Teachers and coffee are 

practically synonymous, right?  

I found this sugar coffee scrub, 

on, you guessed it, Pinterest.  

You need just a few ingredients
you most likely have in the pantry: 

ground coffee, 

sugar, 

olive oil, 

nutmeg 

and cinnamon....

That's it!  

 Mix together 1 cup ground coffee, 

1 cup of sugar, 

1/2 cup olive oil, 

1 tablespoon of cinnamon 

and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg.  

I doubled the recipe to make eight 

4 ounce canning jars of the scrub... 

The aroma is heavenly....
Makes you want to dig in a finger
and take a bite....
Kids...don't try this at home...

Add your own favorite label

and tie with a pretty ribbon.  

I gilded the lily and tucked in a ten dollar gift card to Starbucks, 

so the teachers may not only drink a good cup of Joe, 

but then she shall exfoliate 

to her heart's content, too.  

Simple, easy, inexpensive but unique.  

I love sucking up to teachers....