Chili Lime Mango Smoothie (a variation of this recipe by Matchbox Kitchen)

• 1 mango, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1/2 cup limeade
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp paprika

In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend into a smooth puree. Add more pepper if you want it spicier but be careful, the heat builds up as you drink it. Serves 1.

Want to support your local economy?

Want to eat pesticide free?

Want to know where you food actually comes from?

Shop at your local farmer’s market! Don’t know where to find a farmer’s market near you? Check out this website! In the Lexington area, check out this link.

The gorgeous bread pictured below is from the Berea Farmer’s Market. Photo credit to my friend, Beth.

Pomegranate Margarita (from Confections of a Foodie Bride)

• 2 cups homemade margarita mix (see below)
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 1/2 cup silver tequila
• 16 oz bottle 100% pomegranate juice
• Salt or sugar, for rimming
• Lime wedges

Mix all ingredients in a pitcher. Pour over ice into salt or sugar-rimmed glasses.
Serve garnished with lime wedges.

Margarita Mix

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (~8-12 limes)

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool then add the lime juice. Store in a refrigerator until ready to use.

Sorrel and Strawberry Salad with Pistachio Dressing

• 1 to 2 cups sorrel leaves
• 6 strawberries, washed and sliced
• 1/8 cup feta cheese
• 1/4 cup shelled pistachio nuts, plus more for garnish
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, optional
• About 1/4 cup hot water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• Splash good extra-virgin olive oil, for dressing

Purée the dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth. Place greens, strawberries, and feta on a plate. Top with pistachio dressing. Enjoy!!

Lavender Lemonade for the Grownups

• 1 1/2 cup prepared lemonade
• 1 to 2 shots of lavender liqueur
• Sugar for rimming the glass

In a shaker, combine the lemonade and liqueur.  Pour into a sugar rimmed glass. Enjoy!

Our Favorite Coconut Cake (an old Kraft recipe from my grandmother’s recipe box)

Rigatoni with Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce (from Spoon, Fork, Bacon)

• 1 lb. mezzi rigatoni
• 2 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, microplaned
• 2 sprigs thyme, minced
• 1 lb morel mushrooms
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• Salt and pepper to taste

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt to the water, followed by the pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain into a colander and toss with a dash of olive oil. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onions for about 3 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and mushrooms and continue to sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and allow the liquid to reduce by 2/3. Lower heat to medium-low and stir in cream and butter, if using. Add pasta and stir together until well coated. Top with Parmesan and fold together. Adjust seasonings. Top each plate with extra Parmesan and cracked black pepper and serve.

They are a special culinary delicacy, going for as much as $50 per pound fresh. As a child, my family and I used to hunt for these special woodland gems. Each family has it’s own secret tricks. In an old apple orchard. In an elm stand, a cedar grove. My grandfather insists that you must place the mushrooms in an old paper sugar sack so they don’t sweat or break down.

The City of Irvine hosts the annual Mountain Mushroom Festival each spring. I went with my good friends, David and Kathryn, and met up with some of their friends. We walked through the booths and looked for goodies.

Gotta love the cheese dip on the chin!

We discovered the typical fair concession food, including corn dogs, cheese steak sandwiches, and lemonade. And some locally ground grits and cornmeal…. We saw some interestingly dressed people. And a llama. Emu eggs. Random junk sold as treasure.

The Mushroom Festival also featured an Agate Hunt/Gem & Mineral Show. (For those who don’t know what agates are, check out this link.) Aren’t they just lovely?

It was a wonderful little weekend trip. It was great to spend time with some awesome people celebrating an equally awesome fungi. (Recipes using morels to follow later this week).

Kathryn and I in front of a giant wooden morel.

*The first and fourth photos taken by Kathryn. The rest by me.

]]> http://annashortcakes.wordpress.com/2013/05/08/mountain-mushroom-festival-2013/feed/ 9 annashortcakes morel Gotta love the cheese dip on the chin! DSC_0634 agate Kathryn and I in front of a giant wooden morel. http://annashortcakes.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/27-things-to-do-before-i-turn-28/ http://annashortcakes.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/27-things-to-do-before-i-turn-28/#comments Mon, 06 May 2013 23:40:58 +0000 annashortcakes http://annashortcakes.wordpress.com/?p=3777 Continue reading »

Remember how far you’ve come, not just how far you have to go. You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be. ~ Rick Warren

Last year I published 26 Things to Do Before I Turn 27.

Here is what I accomplished on that list~

• Eat a food I have never previously tried  7/18/12 – Jack fruit
• Make pizza on the grill  8/3/12 – see post here
• Go to a wine tasting  9/12/12 – Breax Winery in Loudon County, VA
• Run another 5K – October 2013, Komen 5K, Lex KY
• Make homemade pasta 9/15/12 - gnocchi 
• Repair a relationship. If not able to repair it, heal from the loss and move forward.  
  

Not nearly as successful as I thought I would be. I have a lot of things in the works. This next year, I want to keep on track. Accomplish more. And have as great a year next year as I did this year!

27 Things to Do Before I Turn 28!

1. Travel outside of the country. Canada counts. (this Sept vacation!)
2. Red presidential biographies through President Martin Van Buren. (stuck at Jefferson)
3. Finish the cross stitch project I started last year. 
4. Go to Thunder Over Louisville. (I MISSED IT in 2013!!!)
5. Get a professional massage.
6. Purchase new furniture for my house.
7. Paint my kitchen.
8. Go out on a fancy date with the hubby.
9. Buy a bookshelf for my National Geographic collection… Yes, I am a nerd!
10. Start a compost pile.
11. Buy a decorator kit and make gorgeous cupcakes.
12. See Niagara Falls. (trip planned for September)
13. Go canoeing/kayaking.
14. Volunteer at a worthy charity/organization.
15. Buy a pair of chopsticks and learn how to use them.
16. Mail a secret to PostSecret (my most favorite blog).
17. Go to IKEA.
18. Dye my hair red (or a shade of red).
19. Be able to do 10 push-ups without a break.
20. Work on my flower beds.
21. See something in the Southwest.
22. Make my own homemade sausage.
23. Figure out my religious views.
24. Complete 25,000 words on my novel.
25. Read 50 books in 2013.
26. Make all this year’s Christmas gifts.
27. Get Michelle Obama arms. (I have no idea how to measure this but I am gonna try!)

 

 

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With that said- here are two great dips that maybe tend more toward north of the border… But they taste amazing… Who really cares where something is from as long as it tastes DIVINE?!

On a trip to Texas a couple of years ago, I ate at Chuy’s and loved their creamy jalapeno dip. I have been trying to recreate it ever since. When I found the recipe below, I was absolutely tickled to death. I love it’s fresh flavor and that it can be served with chips or veggies for those low carbing. Try it! I know you’ll love it!

Creamy Jalapeno Dressing

• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup mayo
• Juice and zest of 1/2 lime
• 1 green onion, chopped
• Small handful cilantro
• 1-2 jalapenos, seeds and stem removed (use gloves!)
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend for 10 seconds. Check consistency. If too thick, add a bit of buttermilk. Store in an air-tight jar in the fridge.

Who doesn’t love a good queso? With delicious, creamy cheese. Just enough spice. The American cheese melts amazingly well and is about $6/lb at the deli counter. You will be so in love with this dip that you won’t want to eat anything else. 

Queso Blanco

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/4 cup white onion, diced
• 1 large jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed, using gloves
• 12 oz white American cheese, shredded
• 4 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1/4-2/3 cup cream, depending on the consistency
• 1 roma tomato, seeds removed and diced
• 1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

Heat the oil in a saute pan. Cook the onion and pepper until softened and reduce heat to medium-low. Add the shredded cheese and 1/4 cup of the cream. Stir until mostly melted. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, and additional cream a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. Serve with chips.

Both recipe are from Confections of a Foodie Bride.