Pool House Updates

I think it actually might be Spring in Alabama.  Finally.  I almost hate to jinx it by putting it in writing, but everything is in bloom (my sinuses confirm) and temps today are reaching 80!!  WOOT!

Which means I'm getting antsy to get this bad boy FINISHED and start partying in there!

Can you believe how much they've gotten finished in all of this rain?  The structure itself is 90% done and the stone masons are finishing up this week.  It was a lot of effin stone and these guys are amazing.  I really love it.

The only thing left to do inside besides the flagstone on the floor is the cabinets and appliances.  I met with the cabinet maker last week and there's really not a lot of cabinets, so that shouldn't take long.

I get giddy every time I go out to see the pizza oven!  I can hardly wait to get that thing fired up.

Isn't she gorgeous?  I think I'm gonna name her.  I'm not sure what yet.  Has to be Italian, right?

That strip of dirt is going to be an herb garden!  What grows best with just a little morning sun??  Must research.

Freaky right?  When you walk out on that deck is like you're floating.  I can't get many people to walk out there without the railing!  

That view is your reward for being brave!!  

So we've made a bunch of progress, but I'm ready for it to be finished!

Or at least for some of the mess in the driveway to be gone!  Jeesh.

TWD - Coconut Lime Tea Cake with a Lime and Rum Glaze!

I made hubs watch Dancing With the Stars last night.  Since he's retired, I've dragged him into my reality television pergatory.  He moans and groans but never gets up to go watch one of the other kazillion tv's in the house, so he secretly must love it.

So, that Pussycat chick, Nicole starts dancing.....and pardon me for a minute while I rant, but puhleeze, is it really fair?  Isn't this girl like a professional dancer???  How can psycho Kate, (I do miss her crazy angry pineapple haircut) compete with her?  And, yes, I agree that Pamela Anderson is also a professional dancer, but I've never once seen a pole used on DWTS so I don't count her as having an advantage.

Anyhoo, back to Nicole.  So in the middle of her dance, hubs says, "How can you criticize that performance?"  Me..."You're watching her performance?"  Hubs...."Yeah, both of them."  Typical.

This week's TWD selection was the Coconut Tea Cake.  I seriously thought about skipping this because between Barefoot Bloggers and TWD, there seems to have been a lot of coconut selections recently, and not many people I usually pawn these things off on are coconut fans.  But, I had nothing better to do, so I decided to make the cake into cupcakes.  And I went with the lime "playing around" option.

When they came out of the oven, they looked so plain and lonely, so I made a glaze with some powdered sugar, a little key lime juice and well, the Malibu Rum was sitting there staring at me so.....

These were just ok for me.  They were moist and coconuty, but nothing about them blew my socks off.  Thanks to Carmen of Carmen Cooks for hosting this week.  Make sure you check her blog for the recipe.  Her cake looks beautiful, btw!

Seared Tuna Over Mixed Baby Greens with Wasaaaaaaabi Vinaigrette

This was so freakin easy I'm almost embarrassed to post it, but so delicious, I have to!!

Tuna is my favorite fish to cook and to eat.  It's so rich and meaty that I always feel like I'm eating a steak but with healthy benefits.  Win-win, right?

These were Yellowfin steaks and looked so good that all I did was drizzle a little olive oil on them and salt and pepper.  I used a lot of pepper.  Cause I like it.  I used my cast iron skillet but you could just as easily grill these outside or on your indoor grill pan.  Whatever floats your boat.  Just get it smoking hot first.  Throw the steaks in and sear on both sides to your preferred doneness.  We like ours rare around here, so it's just about 90 seconds on each side.  Fast and easy!!

The salad was just as simple.  Packaged mixed baby greens dumped into a bowl!  I added some shredded carrots (also from a package!) and a peeled and cubed cucumber for a little crunch.

The real star here is this Wasabi Vinaigrette.  I used it to dress the salad and also drizzled some on the hot tuna.  Since this was a Rachel Ray recipe, I think it's only appropriate to insert a "yum-o" at this point.  I really just did that didn't I??  Sorry.  You can regulate the heat in this vinaigrette by adjusting the amount of wasabi.  I probably tripled the amount in mine...just kept adding until I liked it!

Here's the recipe:

Wasabi Vinaigrette

Rachel Ray

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons -virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine wasabi, vinegar and soy sauce in a bowl and slowly whisk in the olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste!


Now the next time I hear someone say that grabbing fast food for your family is easier than cooking them a healthy dinner, I might just throttle them!  It doesn't get any easier...or healthier for that matter.....than this, people.

And if you need further encouragement, watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.

TWD - Two-fer!

I've been AWOL for a couple of weeks.  I've been a little under the weather and just can't seem to completely shake it.  An annoying, lingering cold.  And the weather here has been the same......cold that's been lingering for about four months and it's really getting annoying.  NOT why I live in the South.  

I made both of these desserts on time but haven't had the interest or the energy to post either one of them.  This week's selection was Dulce de Leche Duos chosen by Jodie of Beansy Loves Cake.  Simply amazing.  And I only had two bites.  Be warned....these are complete diet busters.  

As you can see from the picture, I opted for the "playing around" by dipping one half of the sandwich in bittersweet chocolate.  I thought it helped cut down on some the overwhelming sweetness of the dulce de leche.

Initially, I was really disappointed because I thought I wasn't going to be able to make these......no dulce de leche to be found in Birmingham.  So I checked the TWD website for substitutions and found out that it's not rocket science to make your own.  The bad news is......now I know how to make my own.  

Simply remove the labels from two cans (or however many you want to make.....it keeps for some time in the fridge) of sweetened condensed milk, set them in your slow cooker, fill cooker with water to cover cans by at least two inches, set on low and let cook for 8-10 hours (mine was in there for 11....shoot me, I slept in), shut off cooker and let the cans cool in the water for at least another hour.  Open them up and you have dulce de leche!!!  Which is basically thickened, caramelly, sweetened condensed milk.  See what I mean about diet buster!!  But OMG is this stuff delicious.  I can see hubs pouring this over ice cream, and well just about anything you can think of.

This got "the best thing you've ever brought me" award from Blake, my trainer and he get's a taste of every week's TWD (because I want it out of the house and he can afford to eat it!!)  Pretty high praise!

Last weeks choice was the Soft Chocolate and Raspberry Tart as picked by Rachelle of Mommy, I'm Hungry.  

Hubs liked this one better than I did.....he ate all but two slices (yes, one to Blake!).  I thought it was ok.  I'm not really a huge fan of fruit and chocolate.  Love fruit.  Love chocolate.  Not so much together.  This does make a really pretty presentation, so if you're looking for a dinner party impresser, this would be a great choice.

I'm now all caught up with my TWD posts, so hopefully I won't get kicked to the curb!

Make sure you check out the links above for the recipes for these two!

Not Really Barefoot Bloggers........Southwestern Turkey Meatloaf

The Barefoot Bloggers made Ina's Individual Meat Loaves last week. I wanted to participate, but I'd been in Lake Tahoe the previous week and let's just say, I may have participated in a little too much apres skiing......if you know what I mean.

Champagne and martini's tend to pack on the lbs. Even if you are working your butt off trying to avoid snowboarders and trees the rest of the time. Just sayin.

So while I wanted to try Ina's recipe, I really needed to lighten things up a bit. The only thing I looked at Ina's recipe for was to consult on proportions.....wet vs. dry ingredients/binders, so I can't say this is actually based on her recipe. I don't want The Contessa mad at me!

I was sooooo happy with this. We all know how dry things made with ground turkey can be but this came out very moist and flavorful with a nice Southwestern flavor without being too spicy. Just right. Hubs and I both loved it and it was even better the next couple of days in sandwiches.

I served this with a creamy parmesan polenta which was just perfect.

If you're looking for a lighter, less caloric meat loaf, give this one a try!

Southwestern Turkey Meatloaf

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup onion, chopped (I used 1/2 large onion)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb ground turkey
1 lb spicy chicken sausage
1/3 cup oats
1/3 cup whole wheat panko
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp pimenton (smoked paprika)
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 large egg
1 egg white
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Chili Sauce

Preheat oven to 350.

Saute onion in olive oil over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add in garlic and saute for another minute. Remove from heat and cool.

Combine remaining ingredients except Chili Sauce into a large bowl. Add in cooled onion/garlic mixture. Combine ingredients (using your hands works best). Don't overdo it! I formed mine into two mini loaves so that they would cook quicker but one large loaf would work also.

You can either free form these or use your loaf pans.

Top with Chili Sauce. (You could also use ketchup if you prefer.)

Bake for approx. 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches about 165 degrees.

Let cool for a few minutes before cutting.

Barefoot Bloggers - Baked Shrimp Scampi

I know that this week was supposed to be the Individual Meat Loaves and I made them.....just not exactly Ina's version. More on that another day! On to the Scampi.

Just one little thing to get off my chest about this recipe.....12 tablespoons of butter? Seriously, Ina? For six servings? Did you do that math on that? Jeesh!

Obviously I cut back on the butter. I only used three tablespoons and a tablespoon of olive oil. It was plenty and the dish came out delicious. I was also lazy on the shrimp and purchased peeled and deveined so there were no tails on mine! I served this as an appetizer to Hubs to enjoy with his wine the other night while he watched me make dinner! It keeps him out of trouble when I do that.

Thanks to Jill (great name!) of Insanely Good Food for this pick. It's easy and scrumptious and I know I'll be making it again and again!

Here's the recipe:

Baked Shrimp Scampi

Barefoot Contessa

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell
3 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature (I used three tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp olive oil)
4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 extra-large egg yolk
2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes) (I used whole wheat panko)
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture.

In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined.

Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish.

Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges.

Exclusive Resorts - Lake Tahoe

THIS....

...is the beauty of Lake Tahoe. Just in cast you haven't been there!

In March you get snow covered mountains...

a lot of them. I had never been there before and I really had no idea what to expect. I've only been skiing in Colorado and, to be frank, I had low expectations. Some of them were met and some were exceeded!

Let's start here.....with these guys! Chad and Jenny! Travel companions extraordinaire. We drank, ate, skied, shopped, drank, laughed, complained about the time zone, drank, ate, etc.......together!

So much fun.

The first morning, I woke up to this.....

Exclusive Resorts homes at Lake Tahoe are at the Trailside development which I can only assume are part of the new Ritz Carlton....which is fabulous, but we'll get to that in a minute.

The homes are all on one street that's about 50 yards from the Ritz. They are technically "ski in - ski out", but depending on what unit you're in, you may have to walk a few yards to hit the slopes. We were in unit 14008 and were about the furthest away from the run that took you to the gondola.

Homes are bright and open with tons of space.

A great patio out back.

With amazing views.

Ample room to put all of your ski gear and a nice space to remove the boots and store them.

If you're coming to Tahoe with chitlins, this is a great place for them. A spacious game room upstairs....

Master bedroom...

The upstairs bunk room has two bunk beads with the bottom beds being doubles. You can store lots of chitlins up there!

There are three bedrooms in the basement. A jr. master.......

one with a queen....

and one with two queens.

And an outside patio with a fire pit and a hot tub. We didn't fire up the pit, but we did fire up the tub!

So let's get to the skiing. The weather was great! A few days of snow and then a few days of 45 degrees and sunny! Can't beat that, right!

And Chad and Jenny's boys loved the terrain park.

Tons of jumps and pipes and ramps and.....whatever all those things are called. Ask Shawn White!

They also spent some time at the Northstar Village skating rink.

They preferred the slopes!!

I have to say that compared to the Colorado ski villages, this one was quite dead. No one around. So if you're looking for a lively apres ski.....this ain't your place!

No lines for ice cream.

And we kept trying it. Several times!

However, if the weather is nice, the place to hang out is the Ritz patio! Lots going on there! It's a fun place to grab lunch.....or a muffin....

Hang out with your kids.....

Or your best friend!

Listen to some music.....

Or go inside to the bar and order an adult beverage. Like their Tomatillo Martini....

Or my favorite....

We may or may not have spent a few hours there! I can't remember.

TWD - Thumb Prints for Us Big Guys

Those are cookies. Not eggs. The fact that they look like eggs didn't even enter my mind until I looked at the pictures. Oh.....and they're way better than eggs. And they don't even contain a single egg. I thought that was weird for cookies. Actually, this recipe only called for a whopping 8 ingredients (and I managed to leave one of them out!). Easy peasy!

I didn't have any hazelnuts in the house so I ground up almonds instead and used a Peach Amaretto jam. The combination of the Amaretto in the jam and the almond extract in the cookie was delunkshus! As you can see, I left off the powdered sugar because I was out, but I didn't miss it at all.

Thanks to Mike of UglyDudeFood or UglyFoodDude (I'm not sure if it's Mike's food that is ugly or Mike himself??) for this week's pick. These are super easy to put together and really, really good! Check out is site for the recipe.