Lemon Basil Tini

Delicious little summer sprizter to get us through these *(crossed fingers) last few dog days of summer!

Lemon Basil Tini

Only the freshest, straight-from-the-garden, ingredients will do....  ;)

Three Lemons by David Boyd

Pour 2 oz lemon vodka, a few squirts of lemon juice, a tini bit of simple syrup, and ripped up basil, over ice in a shaker (or in a pint glass).  Shake and pour into a chilled martini glass!

Thai Grilled Hangersteak with Spicy Peanut Sauce and Cucumber Salad

My favorite dish from one of my favorite restaurants in Chapel Hill, Jujube.

just a little sampler from their menu above.  needless to say, everything they serve is to die for!

But I've been craving their Hangersteak and Cucumber salad (and I don't even really like cucumbers!).  2nd row, 3rd column.

Here is my version as it panned out this lovely Sunday:

Thai Grilled Hangersteak:  (adapted from here)

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup fish sauce (warning...smelly)
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil (I used peanut oil)
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2-3 Tbs grated fresh ginger root (I couldn't find lemongrass so I used ginger and cilantro and citrus instead)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 2 pounds flank steak or hanger steak
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1. In a large bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, fish sauce, lime juice and sesame/peanut oil. Stir in onion, cilantro, garlic, ginger, jalapeno.
2. Layer flank steak with marinade. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium high heat.
4. Depending on the thickness of the cut, cook on one side for ~5 minutes and on the other for ~3 until desired doneness.

Spicy Peanut Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
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• Serve on the side, no cooking required.
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• Thai Cucumber Salad:
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• 3 large cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into thin slices (or just sliced thin)

1 Tbs salt
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup shopped peanuts (I didn't use)


Directions:
Toss the cucumbers with the salt in a colander, and leave in the sink to drain for 30 minutes.  Rinse with cold water, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Whisk together the sugar and vinegar in a mixing bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cucumbers, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro; toss to combine. 

Serve on plate with jasmine rice and enjoy!

Pensacola Recap!

Better late than never....  Proof again of the fabulousness of P-cola... and the efficacy of the skimmers keeping that oil OFF our beaches {our heroes!}!  

Fourth of July with the Yonges and company off White Island in Pensacola Bay.

en route

Amelie, Aunt Anne, Molly, Mom

Kee and Fred, always up for a relaxing party

Me, Amelie, Melissa

Aunt Anne

Troupe and Molly

Chandler and Matt

Cover and Jeff

............................................................................................................................................

where are the boiled peanuts?  (and our hubbies??)

Sister Dear.

....yes, Mom is still under the umbrella.  She takes her skin care very seriously

Rendevous after showers for fireworks over the bay

:)

Cover, Mom and I earlier in the week

last night of risky business...

Dear friend of mine, Laura, thoughtfully put this thought into my head via email last week:

I was just perusing your blog, and as I watch way too much law and order, I have some extremely legit concerns about the info you post on your blog.  First, you have pictures of your house and a general description of the location.  Then you list the hours you are at home by yourself/nights Jimmy is gone on night float.  Basically, you are setting yourself up to be the story line for law and order season 18.  I don't want to see that happen . . . . some creepy patient could google you, find your blog, stalk down you house.  The next thing you know, he's coming in Piper's doggie door!!

Needless to say - that email prompted me to remove my last name from the blog, as if that helps.  But sadly I can't find myself willing to not make this personal with names, photos, details, etc..!!  So now I sleep with a butcher knife underneath Jimmy's empty pillow (hear that, burglers?!?)

However..... get excited, tonight is my last of the single life of blogging and going to bed around 8:30!  Jimmy is done tomorrow with an enforced 1 week vacay, so maybe soon he will be bringing ME dinner!

Now, unless my "patient stalker" is also an avid follower, I am nearing the carefree life of someone with a protector again, and the casting crew of Law&Order won't have to find an actress that meets my resemblance for the episode....

Mr. Mom

So.... I went to Savannah last weekend - fabulous time with Amelie and her fun friends for Amelie's bachelorette!  Pictures are in the works...

However, with this trip I left little Pipes with her sweet daddy for three nights.  And, I think most of you remember his love of pampering.  His philosophy is "one sandwich for me, one sandwich for Piper...." etc.  I'm sure they had a big time.

When I got home Sunday, I wasn't really sure what state the house would be in, but of course prepared for the worst.  Jimmy was at work but I chatted with him on the phone.  Uncharacteristically, he said "I've got two things to tell you."  Uh-oh.

#1.  ants, marching up and down our windowsill above the kitchen sink.  zillions of them.  Jimmy had put out "ant killer" but really it had just attracted more.  There were assembly lines with moving parts.  I took care of them, and actually had noticed them way before we talked.

#2.  Jimmy - "Well, the refrigerator light is out.  Both the freezer and fridge lights, actually."
       Me - "there isn't a light in the freezer."
      Jimmy - "Oh.  Well...  I thought there was.   So I actually thought that the whole fridge was broken."
      Me - "no problem, we can replace the light."
      Jimmy - "Well, I thought that it was broken.  I thought I shouldn't waste the food so I tried to eat it all."

      Me - {wow}


He had definitely gone through some food.

Something caught my eye a little later in the day.  Underneath the curtains in the guest room, on the floor.  Upon inspection, I realized it was the upsidedown lid to the BlueBell vanilla.... seems Piper helped Jimmy with his attempts to not be wasteful!  Caught red-handed.  He admitted he had been looking for the lid for quite some time and assumed she had eaten it!

summertime sister dear

A few oldies of the sister duos prancing the beach!  I'm guessing this first one of Cover and I was when we lived in California based on the waves and the sand....

And this great one of Aunt Anne and Kee (Mom) obviously on the gorgeous beach in Pensacola!

Wish I were there now!

Actually, that was a lie - I wish we were here instead....  enough of the blasted heat and mugfog everytime we step outside of the house!