Almond-Crusted Halibut with Lemon Garlic Butter...."Fire...Fire"

Yesterday was my xx birthday.  I recently saw this article from Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

This is my new mantra for life...I love this quote!

My husband and I were going to go out for some light appetizers to celebrate my birthday, since we already had dinner with our daughters the night before.  It was 9 degrees when I got home and I just wanted to be in my warm home and not go anywhere.  I figured I would just make a simple salad for us and call it good.

I walked into our house.  All the kitchen lights were on and my husband was feverishly cooking, chopping and measuring away.  He surprised me by making the most amazing 5-star dinner for my birthday with candles and a wonderful buttery Chardonnay to celebrate.

Just as he was getting ready to plate our dinners, apparently the parchment paper the halibut was broiling on, got a little too hot.  Smoke filled the kitchen and before I could get all the doors open, our smoke alarm went off! 

I have never heard an alarm like this.  A women's voice says "Fire", then there were 2 loud beeps.  It kept going so long, that it sounded like a rap dance song.  "Fire"...Woop Woop", "Fire"...Woop Woop".  We laughed so hard and started dancing to the tune, until the freezing air took over, cleared out the smoke and the alarm stopped.  This will definitely be a birthday to remember!  Dinner was out of this world (I ate every last morsel) and a great memory to go with it!!

Almond-Crusted Halibut with Lemon Garlic Butter

Courtesy of Ahead of Thyme

Lemon Garlic Butter

1/2 Tbl garlic, minced

1/2 Tbl fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 ground black pepper

1/4 cup butter, unsalted (at room temperature)

Halibut
2 fresh halibut fillets

2 Tbl lemon garlic butter (as per recipe above)

salt and pepper, to taste

3 Tbl ground almonds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place the halibut fillets on a lined baking tray and set aside.

For the Lemon Garlic Butter:  In a blender or food processor, blend together the garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper until pureed.  Add the butter and continue to blend until fully combined.

Spread 1/2 tablespoon of the lemon garlic butter on top surface of each halibut fillet, covering the surface completely.  Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on to.

Sprinkle 1-1/2 tablespoons of the ground almonds on each fillet and carefully spread over the butter to full cover it.

Bake the halibut for 5 minutes

While the halibut is still in the oven, change the oven to broil on high.  Continue to cook for 5 more minutes.

Remove from oven and serve hot with a teaspoon of the remaining lemon garlic butter on top.  Enjoy!

The other great thing about birthdays, is that all those annoying-soliciting-marketing emails that you forgot you signed up for, finally pay off.  I must have received twenty birthday coupons yesterday (and we all know that I live for my coupons)!

I received a free birthday bundt cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes.  Dear Heaven, if you have not experienced one of their cakes, go now!!!  If you don't have one of their stores near you, order from them now!!!  I decided to have their White Chocolate Raspberry bundt cake! WOW!  I may have to go back and keep celebrating my birthday the rest of this month.

One Year Ago: Creamy Penne Pesto Chicken
Two Years Ago: One Year Older
Three Years Ago: The Birthday Flirtini
Four Years Ago: Purple Potion #49
Five Years Ago: Chocolate Layered Pudding

Good-Bye Angus

This week we had to say good-bye to our chocolate Labrador retriever, Angus.  Our hearts are so heavy and unbearable at times.  It is a loss that we knew was coming, but you're still never prepared for it and never makes it any easier.

God brought Angus into our lives when he was two years old.  He came to us from a family that just had their first baby and wanted him to be in a home that could give him the full attention and love that he deserved.  He was brought to the perfect home.  

He was an angel sent to us and such a love.  He enjoyed his patio time with us, an afternoon at his spa with the full royal treatment and more than anything, just being with his family.

I  pray that he knew how much he was loved and missed!  He was the size of a brown bear, and had an even bigger heart.

Good-bye sweet boy...see you in Heaven.

Strawberry Tiramisu Bites For The Love of Your Life

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day.  A day of chocolates, cards, flowers...and strawberries!

One of my all time favorite love-rom-com movies is Sleepless In Seattle.  One of the classic scenes is known as "The Tiramisu Talk".  Here's how it all goes down...

(1993) follows widow Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks) as he begrudgingly attempts to re-enter the dating world a year after losing his wife.  It's been a long time since he had to date anyone, so he consults his pal Jay (Rob Reiner) for advice.  Jay explains the way dating dynamics have changed since Sam was last on the scene (Jimmy Carter, 1978) - women ask men out, they have to be friends first, they split the check, and having a cute butt is a requirement.

"I don't think I could let a woman pay for dinner, " Sam says.

"Great, they'll throw a parade in your honor.  You'll be man of the year in Seattle Magazine", Jay replies.

Then, they engage in a discussion about tiramisu....

"Tiramisu," Jay says, randomly.

"What is tiramisu?" Sam asks.

"You'll find out." Jay responds.

"Well, what is it?" Sam questions.

"You'll see!"  Jay says.

"Some woman is gonna want me to do it to her and I'm not gonna know what it is!"  Sam exclaims.

"You'll love it." Jay announces.

If you are planning on staying in tomorrow night, such as ourselves, these are the perfect little sweet treat bite.  If I was being completely honest, I could just eat this mascarpone filling with a spoon right out of the entire bowl, and not apologize for it!

Strawberry Tiramisu Bites
Adapted from Paula Deen

1/2 cup strawberry preserves, at room temperature
1 1/2 (6.3 ounce) packages miniature bite-sized phyllo tart shells
1 (8-ounce) package mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup lemonade
2 Tbl fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. lemon extract
2 quarts fresh strawberries, halved (or quartered, depending on size)

Place about 1/2 teaspoon strawberry preserves in bottom of each tart shell; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, lemonade and lemon juice.  Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.

In a medium bowl combine cream, sugar and lemon extract.  Beat at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until medium peaks form.  Fold into mascarpone mixture, stirring until combined.

Spoon about 1 Tbl mascarpone mixture into each tart shell.  Top each with a strawberry half.

One Year Ago: Creamy Penne Pesto Chicken
Two Years Ago: I'm Back
Three Years Ago: The Flirtini
Four Years Ago: Raspberry-Lemon Dump Cake
Five Years Ago: Chocolate Layered Pudding

Chocolate Caramel Cracker Bars and The Cool Parents

When I was in high school, I wasn't one of the "cool kids".  I didn't play sports (I was however, manager of the swim team), I wasn't in band (had to give up the clarinet in jr. high, when I got braces...way too painful), however, many of my friends were the cool kids, so I lived vicariously through them.

Growing up in Fairbanks, Alaska, there were not many clothing store options.  There was Nordstrom and Fred Meyer and not much else in between.  Many of my friends got to do their clothes shopping in Anchorage or even Seattle and they always came back with the coolest clothes!

Recently I was visiting my colorist to get my "highlights" fixed (a.k.a. taking care of my grays).  She had the cutest Adidas tennis shoes on.  Of course, she is in her mid-twenties and she looked absolutely adorable in them...and I couldn't get those stupid shoes out of my mind.

When my husband and I went Christmas shopping for the girls we went into a skate/surf shop to find a pair of Vans that one of our girls had on her wish list.

My husband walked over to the wall and saw a pair of men's Adidas with the navy blue stripes.  He said, "Wow, I used to have a pair of these in high school, I loved those shoes".  I'm thinking....of course, you were one of those cool kids!!!  I then turned around and saw my colorist's same Adidas.  They were on clearance.  I tried them on.  I fell in love.  I made my husband "surprise" me with them for Christmas.  I then in turn "surprised" him with his favorite high school shoes for his Christmas present.

We wore our new cool shoes that weekend.  Our daughters both said how adorable we looked and that we were such cool parents.  After all these years, my time had finally come...I've arrived!  Mama's still got it going on!!

Speaking of cool...I could kiss whoever thought to make ready-to-go graham cracker crumbs for sale!!  It's not that I'm lazy, it's just every time I buy a box of graham crackers to crush for a recipe, the rest of the box goes stale.

These chocolate caramel bars are perfect for upcoming Valentine's Day, or if you want to be the cool co-worker!  I love how quickly they come together and taste unbelievable!  It's that beautiful salt/sweet addiction all in one bite.

Chocolate Caramel Cracker Bars

Adapted from Pillsbury.com

54 - Club crackers (or any buttery, flaky rectangular crackers)

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 Tbl milk

1 cup peanut butter

2 cups pecan pieces

Greast 13x9 glass baking dish.  Place half of the crackers in bottom of greased pan.

In medium saucepan, combine sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, butter and 1/4 cup milk.  Cook over low heat until butter is melted, stirring frequently.  Increase heat to medium-high; bring to boil.  Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Stir graham cracker crumbs into caramel mixture.

Pour half of caramel mixture over crackers in pan.  Arrange remaining crackers over caramel.  Top with remaining caramel mixture.

In small saucepan, heat chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons milk over low heat until chocolate is smooth, stirring frequently.  Stir in peanut butter.  Spread over bars.  Sprinkle pecan pieces over chocolate.  Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set.  Cut into bars.

One Year Ago: Apple-Cinnamon Money Bread

Two Years Ago: I'm Back

Three Years Ago: Mexican Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad

Four Years Ago: Sweet Dreams Cake

Five Years Ago: Mediterranean Chicken & Sausage