I feel like all I did today was cook.  Hopefully there are leftovers as tomorrow painting starts.  It has been a very busy time.  Friday was the spring show.  This is the one that Jim and I have been training for the last 8 weeks.  We had to be there at 1:30 for rehearsal and the show started at 7.  It was over and we could leave by 11:00.  I was fairly nervous the whole day.  I screwed up during rehearsal, so I was extra nervous.  The floor in this hall was polished concrete, not wood and I nearly fell on my but.  They served dinner, pizza and salad.  I was a little nervous about the kind of pizza so I just brought carrots, peas and and broccoli to nibble on.  We both brought protein shakes and I brought an apple.  I drank a ton of water.  I was right about the pizza; greasy looking NY style   After my dance I drank wine.  I think we got home at 11:30 PM.  We watched the news and went to bed.  The next morning I got up to go to arm class and then I didn’t even pretend to swim.  I floated and slept in my pool lounge chair until time to get ready for Opera on the Mountain.  

Saturday was a beautiful day.  It was sunny with no humidity.  We took veggies, hummus, deviled eggs, sausage and crackers.  Our friends brought home made bread, butter, homemade jelly, more veggies and dip.  We of course all brought wine.  The music was wonderful.  Home again, I crashed.  

This morning, and yes, I got up before noon, we just had bacon and scrambled eggs.  I put blue cheese and salsa mixed with Greek yogurt in them.  I also chopped a little fresh basil.  They were out out of this world good.  

Next I made another different kind of pesto.  This one was from the Tupelo Honey Cafe cookbook.  This was pesto made with cashews.

Ingredients:

1/2 C firmly packed fresh basil

1/3 C roasted, salted cashews

2 cloves garlic

1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/8 t sea salt

1/8 t black pepper

1/3 C EVOO

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in the food processor and pulse a few times.
2. Drizzle in the EVOO with the food processor running.  Blend until smooth.  

I froze it.  I will do a taste test with the gnocchi that is in the freezer with the other pesto.  

Today is Jo’s 8th birthday.  I made him special treat I found in messenger from my sister-in-law Mary.  For breakfast I made him a whole piece of bacon.  After his dinner, I gave him the first of 8 frozen treats.  After a couple of loud sniff, sniffs, he ate it.  So let us assume it was good.  

Ingredients:

1 C yogurt

1C blueberries

1/2 C strawberries, chopped

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  
2. Divide between 8 rubberized freezer molds.
3. Serve in a bowl on the floor.

Happy birthday Jo!

Continuing on.  At the end of August we will be hosting our wine club.  I plan to make roast beef tenderloin and roast turkey.  All the others will bring sides, desserts, and appetizers.  I have wonted to make this peach infuse turkey from Little Big Town’s Kimberly’s cookbook for a long time.  Georgia peaches are here now, but turkey’s are not.  They had Butterball brand, but I generally don’t like them.  So I bought a large roasting hen to test the recipe on.  i will have to make more sauce and freeze it as the Georgia peaches will be gone by August if we like it.  So this is a test.

Ingredients:

Peach Sauce

2 T butter

1 C chopped yellow onion

4 fresh peaches, roughly chopped (or 4 C frozen peaches)

2 t mustard powder

1/2 C apple cider vinegar

1 C orange juice

1 T salt

Turkey

1 (12-14#) whole turkey

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 peaches, peeled and quartered or 1 C frozen

2 lemons quartered

10 thyme sprigs

10 rosemary sprigs

Directions:

1. Make the peach sauce:  Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the peaches, mustard powder OJ, salt and vinegar.  Reduce heat , cover, and simmer until the peaches are soft and cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Puree the sauce in a food processor until smooth.  
2. For the Turkey:  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
3. Generously season the inside cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper.  Stuff it with the peaches, lemon quarters, thyme, and rosemary.  Tie the legs together with twine.  Tuck the wings back and under the body to keep them from burning.  You can also cover the wings with foil as they begin to brown, if needed.  
4. Fill a meat injector with peach sauce and inject the sauce into the turkey, making sure to hit every part to distribute of the sauce evenly.  The turkey will start to plump up and you’ll see the sauce ooze out a bit.  Wipe it off, as it can burn.  You’ll have some leftover sauce, but use as much as you can to get that flavor in there.  
5. When all the parts are injected, generously season the outside of the turkey with salt and pepper.  
6. Roast the turkey until the skin is browned, about 45 minutes.  Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to roast until a meat thermometer reads 165 when inserted deep into the thigh, 2- 2 1/2 hours.  The juices in the thigh should run clear when pierced with a fork.  remove the turkey to a carving board and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.  

Then I made Spicy black bean, Jicama and Mango salad from Fine Cooking.  

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz.0 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 C jicama

1 C diced mango (unless you live in Hawaii, substitute peaches)

2 T finely chopped fresh cilantro, 1 1/2 T fresh lime juice, 1 t Sriracha

1/2 t Asian sesame oil

3/4 t kosher salt.  

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients.  Toss season to tasted with salt, and serve.  

Serves 6

If that wasn’t enough, I found this broccoli recipe on the Food Network app.  iIt is from the show called Down Home with the Neelys.  It says serves 4-6.  Remember I am hoping for leftovers.  

Ingredients:

2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets.  (I have florets from a Costco veggie tray)

2 C cherry tomatoes

1/4 C plus 2 T EVOO

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 1/2 oz.baby arugula

4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

1. preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Add the broccoli florets and cherry tomatoes to a rimmed sheet tray.  Drizzle with 1/4 C EVOO and season with salt and pepper.
3. Toss to coat completely.  
4. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the broccoli is tender and lightly golden brown.  
5. Toss with arugula and crumbled feta cheese.  
6. Drizzle with remaining 2 T EVOo.  Season with salt and pepper and toss. 
7. Serve immediately.  

Well that is all I made today.  The chicken was very food but Jim announced even if it is the day before he will not deal with turkey in August.  God, the older he gets the worse he gets.  So I will come up with a great salmon recipe.  I want something for those who don’t eat beef.  

The finality is we do have enough for leftovers for tomorrow after painting.  The side salads were great.  Jo had a great birthday with food.  We didn’t get a toy as he just doesn’t play with them.  Poured rain during dinner. Great day at home.  Jim served a Veansa Pino Noir.  

The cartoon will be presented in a series in the next few days.  The ending is very funny.