Lemon Drop Martini and How To Be A Grown Up

In our busy lives, it is a rare occasion that we get a half hour to sit, relax and find a television show that we enjoy.  (You would think with 300 channels that would be easy...not so much)  We came upon a new series on TruTv called "How To Be A Grown Up".  It is 30 minutes of pure laughter that sometimes puts me in uncontrollable happy tears...true comic relief for me once a week.

It is a group of comedians that make fun of who we were in our 20's and how we evolve into becoming (or trying to be) the perfect grown up.  They really have a great time telling the truths that everyone goes through and all you can do is laugh at yourself because you know exactly what they are speaking of.  Viewer warning though...make sure younger (especially teenager) ears are out of the room, their truths can get on the crude side that even make me blush sometimes.  If you have this channel and need a really good laugh, I highly recommend this one.

As we all have learned, when you become a grown up, you really shouldn't drink, dress and act the way you did in your 20's.  The nights of Kamikaze shooters and Long Island Ice Teas while dancing scantily clothed on a bar table is no longer acceptable (unless you are celebrating your 40th birthday in Las Vegas...then anything goes).

This martini is a very grown up and respectable drink.  Just don't drink 6 of them in one night, as you may end up dancing on your dining room table during your kids' birthday sleepover party.

Lemon Drop Martini

(makes 2 martinis)

3 oz. Vodka

1 oz. Triple Sec

2 tsp. superfine sugar

1-1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place martini glasses in freezer for 15 minutes.  Mix the vodka, triple sec, sugar and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice cubes. Shake well to make sure sugar is blended.  Remove the chilled martini glasses from freezer and take a lemon wedge and rub the drinking surface of the glass so it is barely moist. Dip the edge of the glass into sugar.  Pour strained liquor into the sugar-rimmed martini glass and garnish with a twisted peel of lemon. 

Crepes for Cranky Mom

The new year celebration is now over.  The Rose Parade was beautiful and football games exciting. It is now back to reality.  Today we will take down our Christmas decor and pack them away for another 11 months and it will be very sad.  I have been spoiled with 5 days off of work and next week will feel tremendously long. Starting Monday it is back to school, volleyball practices and prepare for traveling tournaments next weekend, but not before we get through all the laundry and housework this weekend.  (Let us not forget the homework assignments that have sat for a week and a half that also need to be done before Monday!)  I am already starting to feel my crankiness set in...

Before I realized all of this though, yesterday we spoiled ourselves by making New Years brunch items for the family.  My husband and I started off with a quiche and a side of raspberry-cream cheese coffee cake while my youngest daughter wanted to make crepes.  It was a quite a feat so early in the morning, but why not...we only do this once a year.

Theo also approved of the crepes.

She immediately got on her phone and searched out a crepe recipe for us...and found the perfect rendition that took no time at all to accomplish.  Delicious!!

Basic Crepes
Courtesy of Martha Stewart

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups whole milk, room temperature, plus more if needed
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 1/2 ounces (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet    

Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture, whisking to combine. Whisk in butter. Strain mixture into a medium bowl, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 1 day)   **(I am certainly not that organized to plan out crepes 24 hours in advance.)  We stirred, we poured and we ate all in 1/2 hour and they were great.  Batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; add more milk if needed.

Heat an 8- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, and brush with butter. Ladle or pour 3 tablespoons batter (for small crepes) or 1/3 cup batter (for large crepes) into pan, turning and tilting skillet to coat bottom evenly with batter. Cook until top of crepe appears set, bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, and center is lifted by pockets of air, about 1 minute.

Run a spatula around edge of crepe to loosen. Slip spatula under crepe, and gently flip in one swift gesture. (If it doesn't land quite right, that's okay; use the spatula to unfold or rearrange it.) Cook until bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a plate, and cover. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with butter as needed (every 2 or 3 crepes). Serve immediately.

**Recommended serving...drizzle with a few drops of fresh squeezed lemon juice and powdered sugar.  Fold and top with sliced strawberries.  (Keep your dog from stealing it.)

One Year Ago: S'More Dip

Cherry-Cheese Galette and Cherished Memories

My mom, hands down is one of the most great pie makers out there.  In fact everyone I know in Alaska (excluding me) knows how to make great pies.  My friends Felicia and Toni are incredible bakers and can whip out any kind of pie out there.  I never picked up the knack for it, and through the years have take the "semi-homemade" approach when it comes to pies.

My fondest memory of my mom making pies is the leftover pie dough.  She would gather all the extra dough pieces, let nothing ever go to waste and put them together in a little crust dessert for me.  My mom would shape it like a calzone, fill it with butter and sprinkled it all over with her special cinnamon/sugar blend.  She would bake it off and I couldn't wait to eat it.  Did your mom or grandma ever make this? 

This dessert (which my husband is now debating with and telling me that it should be served as a breakfast pastry) brings the warmth and goodness of my mom's cherry pie and blends it with my favorite...cheesecake.  So, whether you have it with breakfast or as a dessert, I hope you enjoy the comfort that it gives me.

Cherry-Cheese Galette

(1) refrigerated ready-made pie crust (like Pillsbury)

1/2 can cherry pie filling

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature

1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

pinch of grated nutmeg

Cinnamon/Sugar Blend

1 part - cinnamon

3 part - granulated sugar

(Put both ingredients in a resealable container, like Tupperware and shake well, until completely mixed). You will have leftover blend, depending on your proportions.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. 

To make the filling, whisk the cream cheese, lemon juice, sugar and nutmeg in a bowl.  Set aside.

Roll out the pie crust on the parchment paper into a 12-inch round. 

 Spread 3/4 of the cream cheese filling over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border.

Top with the cherry pie filling.  

Fold the edge of the dough over the filling.

Drizzle the remaining cream cheese filling over the cherries.

Sprinkle about 2 Tablespoons of the cinnamon/sugar mixture, 

all over the crust, cherries and cream cheese topping.

Put an inverted baking sheet in the lower third of the oven.  Put the baking sheet with the galette directly on the hot baking sheet in the oven.  Bake until the crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve slightly warm.

One Year Ago: Pasta E Fagioli Soup

Rosemary Lemon Grilled Shrimp with Marinated Tomato and Polenta Stacks

I know that I am getting old and showing my age when my children are gone for the evening and instead of getting all dressed up and hitting a night on the town with my husband, we would rather get into our comfy clothes, open a nice bottle of Zinfandel and make a gourmet meal at home.

I never thought we would be one of those couples (you know, like our parents).  I have to say though, I would take it over any other date night at a restaurant.  There's just nothing like being in the comforts of your own home and creating a new meal together.

This one was supposed to be Traeger recipe, but I was too lazy to go out and get bacon that I forgot, so it morphed into a completely different dish.  Then, I decided it needed a little color, so I made marinated tomatoes.  As I was working on the two pieces of the meal, I took it one step further and added the stacked element.  Now my husband has never been a fan of polenta, but he is hooked now. All the flavors melded together so beautifully.  Can't wait for our next date night!!!

Rosemary Lemon Grilled Shrimp with Marinated Tomato and Polenta Stacks

Dedicated To Date Nights

For the Marinated Tomatoes: 

1 pint red grape tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 teaspoon jarred pesto

1 clove garlic, pressed

pinch of salt

pinch of pepper

Halve the tomatoes and add them to a gallon plastic zippered storage bag.  Add the olive oil, vinegar, parsley, pesto, garlic, salt and pepper.  Seal the bag well and give a little shake to get all the flavoring around the tomatoes.  Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

While the tomatoes are marinating....

For the shrimp:

1 pound cleaned large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails off

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Rinse shrimp well under cold running water and dry thoroughly on paper towels and set aside.

Make the shrimp marinade.  In a large bowl combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and rosemary.  Add the shrimp and coat well.  Cover bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the polenta, I just purchased the pre-made tube of prepared polenta and cut it into half inch slices. Heat saute pan to medium heat with a teaspoon of olive oil.  Add polenta slices and sear until fully warmed through and golden brown on each side.

For the shrimp, heat a grill pan to medium-high heat and let it get very hot.  Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook about 3-4 minutes on each side, until fully cooked and pink.

When ready to plate, place one slice of the cooked polenta, add a small spoonful of marinated tomatoes and repeat.  Top with a little crumbled gorgonzola cheese.  Place the grilled shrimp and remaining tomatoes around the polenta stack.