Fanciful Cucumbers

How many ways can you cut a cucumber?

Let's see, you have your regular standard slices... for a garden salad,
just to snack on, add to water or to place on your eyes.

Then you have the longer cuts, either in half,
in quarters or even match stick,

You can also slice them multiple times or even dice them,
for a good pickled salad with some radishes or carrots.

Shredding them is also another option many cold
Asian noodle dishes have.

You can also slice them with a cheese slicer or vegetable peeler
length-wise and simply pour some Italian dressing on it to make
a really simple cucumber salad or side dish, great with almost anything.

I saved the best for last.  It is more of a garnish
rather than putting them into salads and such. 
Are you ready to see?   Now, close your eyes....
just kidding.  
                     
                                    

Now, that is a fanciful cucumber. Excellent for garnishes. 
Let me say that this cucumber is one piece.  (In the picture...
there are 3 cucumbers) but, they are not 2 pieces placed next
to each other.  hmmm....
how can I cut it that way?  It is almost like a puzzle. 
If you are interested in the puzzle and are not sure of the answer...
email me. (last tab on top of the page...  "Contact Us")

If I Were To Pack...

If I were to pack a lunch each day...
I would want to pack a bento lunch like this one.
They say stressed backwards is desserts... but
opening your little lunch container and seeing this lunch
would make all the worldly stresses melt away too....?

Rice pandas with seaweed and ham for the faces. Go figure.

So healthy and well proportioned and healthy!
I probably wouldn't want to eat the cute little pandas tho.

Black Eyed Peas...Fried?

Just like the way you should never judge a book by it's cover-
which was originally:  "you can't judge a book by its binding"

then later used in 1946 in the murder mystery novel:
Murder in the Glass Room by  Edwin Rolfe & Lester Fuller
as: "you can never tell a book by its cover."

-Until you've tasted it. Sometimes even more than once.
 Take some  Black Eyed Peas

 
and soak them in water (the longer the better) overnight
preferred. start with maybe 1 cup of dried black eyed peas.
Once you've rinsed them and soaked them,

Drain the water out with a strainer and pour them onto
a paper towel to collect any excess water. Then you want to take an
onion and dice it into large pieces along with 1 jalapeno pepper
sliced with the seeds carefully taken out. Fry the onion and pepper
with a drizzle of oil in a frying pan first while adding your
black eyed peas. Add 2 tsp of Old Bay seafood seasoning
or season salt if you don't have Old Bay. Lastly, you want to
deep fry the peas in the deep fryer or pan with oil so that the
peas are completely submerged in oil for 4-5 minutes.
(they will quickly rise to the top of the hot oil when
they are done)  Dry any excess oil on a paper towel,
salt slightly and enjoy.They can be quite addictive.

You Can Zest Your Carrots

I always like the idea of double duty or just the
simple idea of using something in a different way than intended.

So, as I was shredding carrots the other day, I wondered...
what if I tried it with a zester...  so I took the peeled carrot
and took the zester (typically for getting citrus zest) and zested
in length-wise. Then I had another ah-ha moment and realized that's
what Sangkee Asian Bistro in Wynnewood does with their carrots.
They enjoy garnishing their dishes with a zested carrot nest.

Sweet Grilling Is In the Air...

Banana boats....
not sunscreen... but sweet dessert.

Summer is when the air is filled with strong scents
whether it is the smell of fresh cut grass, smoky
charcoal or the scent of burgers.
Grilling meat and veggies is awesome BUT....
you can also grill bananas.
Take a ripe banana- not a brown one but not a
green one either, cut it in half-length wise and shove
some chocolate chips in there- peanut butter morsels as well.
Place it carefully on the grill on medium low heat and
just grill it long enough until the chocolate or other
toppings melt. Then take your favorite spoon and scoop
away. A scoop of vanilla ice cream doesn't hurt either. Yum.

Cutting Herbs

I was cutting scallions the other day
and got slightly annoyed by the rubberbands
that are always around them.

After a long day- taking a simple rubber band off,
can seem like a hassle.
And then of course cutting them- can be a hassle
to keep the scallions lined up.
Then... I had an ah-ha moment!
I did take the rubber band off, BUT
after washing the scallions I but the rubber band
back on, yes off and then on again.

The rubber band actually kept them lined up
and nicely together making it very simple to cut.

Now, I will be nicer to the rubber bands for they serve a
good purpose! No more of trying to hold and line up the scallions,
chives, or any herbs for that matter.

Do Eggs Make A Difference?

Have you ever wondered if a certain type or brand of
something tastes better?  People have taste tests all the time,
especially companies. I was making egg salad and realized
that there is actually a superior egg.  Yes, they do taste different.
I have discovered that Eggland's Best Organic Brown Egg is
by far tastier hands down.  I made egg salad with  regular
non-organic white eggs and with the organic eggs.
There truly is a difference.  I've also fried both types as well.

If you think about it...  it makes sense....
when a hen is fed strictly grain with no animal by-products
and when they are not given any hormones, antibiotics or
steroids along with not being stuffed in a cage...  they would
be healthier and have less stress.  It is slightly a few more cents
than regular eggs but by far worth it!   Hands down.