It’s time to play “What the Heck is That?!?”   Here is a refresher of how it works – I post three closeup photos of items found in my kitchen. You leave a comment telling me what you think one, two, or all three of the items are.  And remember, a wrong guess is immensely more fun for everyone than no guess at all!

As with Round 1, there is one small restriction. Marissa, you may not post your guess or guesses until after 6 PM (Pacific Time). I am fearful of your knowledge of my kitchen. Connor, you can play whenever you want, I have no fear of your observation of my kitchen, nor do I believe you will even see this – until weeks from now… if ever.  Sigh…

I will post the answers and full photos of the 3 items tomorrow. Let the game begin!

“What the Heck is That?!?” Round Two – “Unique Tools”

Object #1

Object #2

Object #3

Although it has taken me much longer than usual to get into the Christmas spirit this year, here is what finally motivated me to just “do it!”  It is an essay written by my daughter, Marissa, when she was in elementary school. It used to hang in my bedroom, but was taken down quite a while ago.  Luckily, I ran across it yesterday, just in time. I hope it warms your heart, it certainly did, mine!

A Christmas Kitchen

    At Christmas time my mom’s kitchen is gorgeous.  There are frequently pots, pans, plates, and food on the counters but it still looks pretty.

    When you first walk in you feel the warmth from the oven. You look up and see minature cloth people all bundled up on rolling pins or holding cookies.  The smell of cookies baking and beef roasting makes your mouth water.  You better be careful though because there is mistletoe at the entrance.  There is a little Christmas tree with glistening glass fruits and sparkling silver teapots hanging on it.  On the window sill, above the sink, you will see dozens of silver and copper cookie cutters.  You will hear pots banging and timers beeping.

    My mom’s kitchen is the best place in the house at Christmas. I love my mom’s kitchen at Christmas time and I bet you would too.

By Marissa Hopkins
December 1998
11 years old – 4th grade

Thank you for the inspiration, sweet girl.  It is exactly what I needed. Can’t wait to have you and your brother home with me for Christmas! xoxo

Happy 24th Birthday to my gorgeous, talented, loving, conscientious, kind, beautiful, wonderful daughter, Marissa!

I’m hoping you won’t mind all these pictures I’m going to post here. From this top one taken during the last months of your senior year at the University of Arizona… to this one when you were the only ballerina in black tights – when you were just over four years old.

Then there is this next picture, taken on your fourth birthday. You were obviously NOT happy that there was snow on the saguaros on December 1st in Arizona! Some things don’t change – you’re still always saying it’s too cold.

Look how pretty you and your girls are for your 2006 High School Senior Prom – (Marissa’s the second one from the right – just in case some of you readers can’t tell one beauty from the other!)

I can not begin to tell you how much I LOVE this picture of you in your Belle – Beauty and the Beast dress that our neighbor, Kathy, made especially for you…. along with the, always present, naked Barbie next to you on the couch.  Oh, how I despised dressing Barbies!  At the time, I thought those days would never end, and here they are, so long gone!  But now… I can honestly say… I don’t miss even one minute of dressing Barbies!!!  Some mom’s just aren’t cut out for that stuff… but I do miss playing Barbies with you!

And now you live in beautiful and exciting San Francisco. A city you first visited when you were only 8 months old and then again along with your brother and us back in…. I can’t remember what year this was, but there you two are, posing in front of  the bridge. Funny – you look cold, as usual.

I will end this “Happy Birthday” pictorial with one of my more recent favorites – one of the many photos with you and your senior-year college roommates, taken for your Christmas cards that year. There were prettier ones, but somehow, this one, is my favorite – too cute of each and every one of you beautiful university girls! (hopefully, sweet Paige will miss this post – even though I love her face in it!)

And by telling you … in the immortal words of one Miss Kelly Clarkson – “My Life Would Suck Without You“!!!

xoxoxoxoox  I love you, Marissa Lynn Hopkins!

Everyone has their favorite way to eat up their leftover Thanksgiving turkey. I’d guess that a good old turkey sandwich would be the hands-down winner for most of us. I like my sandwich one way and one way only – on white bread that is slathered in Miracle Whip with sliced turkey breast only. I don’t eat any of the leftover sides, I just relish that sandwich and I am as happy as can be. If I haven’t remembered to purchase a jar of Miracle Whip before Thanksgiving so that it is ready to be cracked open on the Friday after… well, someone (someone who is not me!) is going to the store to get me my Miracle Whip! Mayo will not do! I buy the smallest jar because this is the only thing I ever use it for, leftover turkey sandwiches.

Connor, on the other hand, makes a sandwich that looks like this…

He’s got the required white bread, but tops it with turkey (white or dark), then spoons on the gravy and the stuffing, tops that with the other slice of bread and heats it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Interesting, but not to my taste.  Marissa also must have the breast only and tops her’s with cranberry sauce and eats some stuffing and maybe some gravy on the side.  Finally there is Dave, he will eat it all and will eat it any and every way, sandwich or a full redo of the Thanksgiving plate.

After a couple or three sandwiches, I am through with the turkey, then it is time to remake it into an entirely different meal, such as this lasagna. Now this is how you get rid of leftover turkey!

Five-Cheese Turkey Lasagna

Turkey and Turkey Sausage Red Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sweet or mild turkey Italian sausage
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups finely peeled and minced onions
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup peeled and minced carrot
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 large sprig of fresh basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups diced cooked turkey breast

Lasagna
2 cups fresh ricotta cheese8 ounces grated provolone8 ounces grated mozzarella
8 ounces grated Asiago
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup chiffonade fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Turkey and Sausage Red Sauce, recipe follows
2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano1 package no-cook lasagna noodles

Turkey and Turkey Sausage Red Sauce:  Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add the oil. Add the sausage, use a spatula to break up and cooked until brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

Add the garlic and tomatoes, continue to cook for 3 minutes. Fill one of the tomato cans about 3/4 full with water. Whisk the tomato paste into the water and add to the pan.

Stir in the thyme, bay leaves, basil sprig, oregano, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes.  Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and basil sprig; stir in the diced cooked turkey, cover and let sit for 15 minutes before using. Makes about 8 cups of sauce.

Lasagna:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, provolone, mozzarella, Asiago, egg, milk, basil, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread 2 1/2 cups of the meat sauce on the bottom of a  13 by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle 1/4 of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano over the sauce. Cover with 1/4 of the noodles. Spread 1/4 of the cheese filling evenly over the noodles. Repeat the above process with the remaining ingredients. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet that is covered in foil to catch any drips or spills. Place in the oven and bake until bubbly and golden, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serves 8 to 10

I had flown in a day early to prepare the food. Dave’s brother, Tom, picked me up at O’Hare and took me to my usual haunts - Costco, Trader Joe’s, and a grocery store. Then he took me back to his house to “get cooking”.  Tom retreated to the basement to work while I set up my own work station in his kitchen.  About halfway through the day he came up to find me struggling with about 3 dozen hard boiled eggs.  I had forgotten to ask someone to buy the eggs at least a few days ahead of time… fresh eggs are nearly impossible to peel! Poor Tom and I spent a good hour at it, it was awful!  Otherwise, the party was a wonderful success, and not one soul mentioned the seriously beat up looking deviled eggs.

I believe that the one and only reason no one said a thing was because my recipe for Spinach Deviled Eggs is one of the best deviled egg recipes around. That may sound like bragging, but I’m just telling you the truth! They would be perfect for the upcoming holidays… so check them out by CLICKING HERE.

Happy Birthday, Mom! xoxo

This final photo was added after this post was posted. This is almost the entire family at Mom’s 85th birthday dinner. Missing are newlyweds, Katie and Eddie and my two kids, Marissa and Connor. Great-grandson Greyson (great-nephew to me) is up front, looking as cute as he can be, he was the life of the party!

We had our friends, Steve and Tram, over for dinner on Sunday. Well, golf and dinner for the boys and antiquing and dinner for Tram and I.  As an added bonus, Marissa arrived home at about 5:00, just in time for dinner. She had been in Tucson for UofA’s Homecoming and was able to drop in on Scottsdale for a whirlwind 22 hours.

This was a new sort of dinner party for us, I had a co-chef in the kitchen! Steve is a fabulous cook and he actually ended up making more dishes than I did. Plus he and Tram provided the main ingredient – halibut – that they caught themselves, in Alaska last summer. So Good! Steve and I each took half of the halibut and cooked it our own way.

To top off the perfect day, Tram brought THE MOST gorgeous and delicious angel food cake that I have ever seen or have had the pleasure of eating. She made it from a recipe recently given to her from her mother-in-law. It was divine! If she decides to share it with me (I didn’t even ask yet – I mean she just got it from her MIL!), and if she gives me permission, I will share it with you. Until then just drool over that picture above! Oh my!

Today I am sharing with you Steve’s recipe for halibut with limoncello sauce. If you were smart enough to make the homemade limoncello I taught you how to make last year, then you are ready to crank this out. If not, purchased limoncello is perfectly wonderful to use too.

Thank you Tram and Steve! xoxo

Steve’s halibut with it’s luscious sauce is front and center. Clockwise around the plate we have; cauliflower puree, pecan crusted halibut, Brussels sprout salad, and sauteed julienned potatoes.

Steve’s Pan Grilled Halibut with Limoncello Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for brushing fish
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 medium shallot, peeled and minced
3/4 cup white wine
1  1/2 pound halibut fillet
Tram’s Mom’s Special Seasoning (see note below)
1/4 cup limoncello liqueur
3 tablespoons half-and-half or heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1  1/2 tablespoons cold water to create a slurry

Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat and a grill pan over high heat on the stove top. Add the olive oil to the skillet swirl to coat add the shallot and garlic, slowly sweat the shallot and garlic and then stir in the white wine. Increase the heat to medium-high and reduce the wine by about half.

Meanwhile, pat fish dry, and brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle the halibut on both sides with Tram’s Seasoning; then place the halibut on the hot grill pan and grill fish, turning once, until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes total.

When the wine is reduced in the skillet add about 1 teaspoon of the limoncello and whisk vigorously. Pour in the remaining limoncello and reduce slightly, while whisking.

Stir in the half-and-half and whisk while the sauce reduces a bit more, for a minute or two. Season with pepper.

Stir the cornstarch slurry and then add it to the skillet, reduce the heat and continue to whisk constantly until the slurry is completely incorporated and the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat, taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.

Spoon the sauce over the grilled halibut and enjoy.

Serves 4

… One more dessert picture and the seasoning mix!

Tram’s Mom’s Special Seasoning is a wonderful mix that Tram and Steve use on just about everything as a substitute for plain old salt and pepper. It is 1/2 part Kosher salt mixed with another 1/2 of equal parts granulated garlic, granulated onion, and freshly ground black pepper. 

Make as much or as little as you would like. A small amount that would work for this recipe with plenty left for another dish or two would be: 1 tablespoon Kosher salt mixed with 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon granulated onion, and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Dave and I at our neighborhood Halloween Party on Saturday night.

It was always our Halloween tradition to make grilled pizzas before the kids went out to trick-or-treat. It didn’t matter if it was just the four of us, or if each of the kids had a dozen friends over, each person present made their own personal-size pizza. Dave and I and any of our friends who pop over will be making pizzas tonight out on the grill.  I’ll share the recipe and pictures with you tomorrow.

Hope you all have a safe and fun HaPpY hAlLoWeEn tonight!

This picture is of Laura and I visiting my Aunt Beverly in Del Mar, CA back in the summer of ’78 or ’79. Laura and I were just high school girls standing there all awkward – while Bev poses all sexy… too funny! Bev’s birthday is Sunday, so I’ll take this opportunity to say Happy Birthday, Aunt Bev, I love you too!

I shared with you yesterday that my mom is the oldest of 8 kids, well Bev is the second youngest and is only 9 years older than me (and of Laura too, for that matter), so we’ve always been close. Kisses and Hugs to you both! xoox

Weekly Tip #3

Don’t waste those little bits of condiments left clinging to the sides of jars and bottles.

• Pour hot water into the empty bottles of honey, syrup, or molasses, shake vigorously , then use the liquid when making yeast, quick breads, or dressings.
• Pour a little vinegar into those empty bottles of ketchup or mustard, shake vigorously and use in your homemade vinaigrette and salad dressings.

It’s no secret, I love my birthday. You know that person who complains that they are another year older? Yeah, I am the complete opposite of that person. Birthdays are a gift unto themselves.

I love October, I love the 27th, I love that I was born in a year ending with zero, what can I say, I just love my birthday. In fact, when I schedule posts in advance on this very blog, I set them up to post at 10:27 AM. So there you go, now you know.

I was going through old photos of my childhood birthdays and came across these pictures. Isn’t it funny how my dresses are both black and white patterned? Actually, my mom never liked black on little girls, so they’re probably navy and white. The first photo is of my 4th birthday with me proudly standing beside a stack of gifts (Score!). That is my 12 year old Aunt Patty beside me. My mom is the oldest of 8 and Patty is the youngest, so Patty and I are only eight years apart.

I think I was turning 11 or 12 in this second photo. It’s hard to be sure, but that’s what I’m guessing, by looking at my siblings, and trying to figure out their ages. That is Sloane, standing on the far left, and Andy is sitting to the right, between the two girls.

The funny thing I distinctly remember about this particular birthday party, is that my friend, Jayne, was not in that group photo. Once my mom realized it, she was sure to take a picture of the two of us after everyone else had gone home. I guess I remember because back then, it was a big deal to take photos, you didn’t want to waste (and have to pay for) the film and developing of bad pictures. So strange to think of that now we are digital and can take as many photos as we wish without worrying about waste or cost.

Anyhow… I’m off to read my birthday horoscope, it’s sure to be a good day! :-)

photo courtesy of http://www.verdecanyonrr.com/

On Saturday, Dave and I drove 25 miles from Sedona to Clarkdale to ride the Verde Canyon Railroad through the Verde Canyon along the beautiful Verde River in Northern Arizona. The train passes by ancient Sinagua Indian dwellings carved into the mountainsides and ends up in Perkinsville, a deserted ghost ranch, and then turns around and comes back.  In the 1960’s a few scenes from the classic western “How the West Was Won” featuring George Peppard, Debbie Reynolds, and Eli Wallach, were filmed in Perkinsville.

There are three types of accommodations on the train; coach, first-class, or the private caboose, which may be rented for $600 for up to 6 people.

photo courtesy of http://www.verdecanyonrr.com/

We went first-class, and the treatment and seating were just that – first class!

This is a fully restored vintage train, powered by FP7 locomotives, two of only 12 remaining in North America. The cars are climate-controlled and each has a restroom.

In addition there are open-air cars, complete with benches, shade structures, and a knowledgeable guide to tell you about everything you are passing by.

photo courtesy of http://www.verdecanyonrr.com/

It was the prefect way to spend a relaxing and gorgeous Arizona fall afternoon… with my bum foot, iced and elevated. ;-)

I am done whining, back to a recipe! I am certain you are thinking, “It’s about time!”

At the request of a kind follower, Dagmar, I am also putting up a few more pictures of Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon.  Tomorrow, I’ll share a few photos from our trip on the Verde Canyon Railroad, along the the beautiful Verde River.

The recipe may have a long name, but it couldn’t be easier to make. Tri Tip is a classic cowboy beef cut that is thick, nicely marbled, and very flavorful. It is the triangular cut at the tip of the sirloin.

Roasted Poblano Chile Pepper & Pomegranate Molasses Marinated Tri Tip

2 pounds tri tip
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 poblano peppers; roasted, peeled, cored and seeded
1/2 cup pomegranate molasses
Fresh cilantro, garnish

Generously season the tri tip with the salt and pepper on all sides.  Place on a plate.

Set aside 1 of the poblano peppers. Place the 3 remaining peppers in a blender or food processor. Add the pomegranate molasses and blend until smooth.

Pour the puree over the tri tip and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Coarsely dice the reserved roasted poblano pepper and set aside for garnish.

Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Remove meat from marinade. Discard marinade. Grill meat to desired doneness, about 10 minutes per side for medium-rare (about 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Transfer to cutting board. Tent with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Place on a serving platter and garnish with the diced poblano and cilantro.

Serves 4

What the heck, people?!?  I pour my pain, my suffering, and my heart out to you people about my serious ankle injury and the one and only empathetic comment I get is one from my mother-in-law!?!  This just makes me sad. Not sad because my MIL commented – that made me happy and it was very kind and very sweet of her!  No, I am sad because none of the rest of you had anything nice or funny or even sarcastic to say. :-(

OK, I’m going to give you all another chance. Maybe I didn’t post nasty enough pictures of my foot. It’s actually looking worst now, so to get the sympathy I deserve… more photos for you to “man up” and comment on!

A few disclaimers about the photos.  It is way more difficult than I would have ever expected to take photos of your own feet… especially your injured foot.  Also, yes, I am well aware that I have pasty white skin… but I’m putting it out there because the photo shows just how swollen and club-like my entire right foot and calf are. Yes, I know I am overdue for a pedicure, feel free to tell me so. It’s just for comparison purposes, but here is also my left foot and leg for your viewing pleasure. Yes! Those two limbs belong to the same person – weird!  I’m just sitting here with my leg up, icing, compressing, and waiting (waiting on you, that is) – so let the commenting begin…

Isn’t this view, oh so pretty!?!

And how about this one?

Yeah, not so much… this is my sprained ankle.

Photo taken only about 30 minutes after the first two above. Dave, Connor, and I were hiking the Devil’s Bridge Trail in Sedona. On the way back… on flat ground, mind you, my right foot just went all crazy on me. I fell to the ground, in tears, accompanied by a plethora of cursing.  Connor, who was behind me, said that while I was going down, I looked exactly like one of those wooden toys, where, when the button on the bottom is pushed, they immediately collapse. That pretty much describes what it felt like.

It takes quite a bit to bring me to tears of pain. Quite. A. Bit. Emotional tears, that happens at the drop of a hat, but tears of pain … it hurt! It still hurts. I limped back to the car and came back to our condo and got directly onto the web to self-diagnose. Here is what I have found and how I am treating what I believe to be, my “grade 2 sprain.”

Grades of Severity for Sprained Ankles

Sprained ankles, as with all ligaments sprains, are divided into grades 1-3, depending on their severity:

Grade 1 sprain:

• Some stretching or perhaps minor tearing of the lateral ankle ligaments.
• Little or no joint instability.
• Mild pain.
• There may be mild swelling around the bone on the outside of the ankle.
• Some joint stiffness or difficulty walking or running.

Grade 2 sprain:

• Moderate tearing of the ligament fibers.
• Some instability of the joint.
• Moderate to severe pain and difficulty walking.
• Swelling and stiffness in the ankle joint.
• Minor bruising may be evident.

Grade 3 sprain:

• Total rupture of a ligament.
• Gross instability of the joint.
• Severe pain initially followed later by no pain.
• Severe swelling.
• Usually extensive bruising.

Treatment of a Sprained Ankle

Treatment of a sprained ankle can be separated into immediate first aid and longer term rehabilitation and strengthening.

Immediate First Aid for a sprained ankle:

Aim to reduce the swelling by RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) as soon as possible.

• R is for rest. It is important to rest the injury to reduce pain and prevent further damage. Use crutches if necessary. Many therapists advocate partial weight bearing as soon as pain will allow. This is thought to accelerate rehabilitation.
• I is for ICE or cold therapy. Applying ice and compression can ease the pain, reduce swelling, reduce bleeding (initially) and encourage blood flow (when used later). Apply an ice pack or similar immediately following injury for 15 minutes. Repeat this every 2 hours.
• C is for compression – This reduces bleeding and helps reduce swelling. A Louisiana wrap bandaging technique is excellent for providing support and compression to a recently injured ankle.
• E is for Elevation – Uses gravity to reduce bleeding and swelling by allowing fluids to flow away from the site of injury. So put your feet up and get someone else to wait on you!

That very last sentence is my favorite part! Taken word-for-word from the internet, no less. Connor has driven back to Flagstaff for a work shift, so that leaves Dave to wait on me.

Perfect! He is the one who wanted to go hiking. So far he has had to ply me with Advil.  Set up my ice-pack and elevation station. Go to Walgreen’s to buy the compression wrap. Place said wrap on my foot, twice, the first time he had it so dang tight that my foot turned blue within 3 minutes. Get me lunchtime food and drink. Listen to my whining at regular intervals. Order take out for dinner and go pick it up, along with a Red Box movie (Bad Teacher). And get me up and down the stairs to bed. Gosh, Im tired just thinking about how I’m running him around!

But come on – we’ve been married for 26 years, you would think that he would know by now that I am an “indoor girl” not an “outdoor nature girl”. Payback’s a &#@*!