Got to spend the day with Angelina at the Veterans Memorial Wall and the Veterans Parade.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Angelina and Grama
Got to spend the day with Angelina at the Veterans Memorial Wall and the Veterans Parade.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Artichokes...
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Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 35 minutes Right!! (all day to figure it out!)
How to Cook an Artichoke
2. Slice about 3/4 inch to an inch off the tip of the artichoke. See above.
3. Pull off any smaller leaves towards the base and on the stem.
4. Cut excess stem, leaving up to an inch on the artichoke. The stems tend to be more bitter than the rest of the artichoke, but some people like to eat them. Alternatively you can cut off the stems and peel the outside layers which is more fibrous and bitter and cook the stems along with the artichokes.
Artichokes may be eaten cold or hot, but I think they are much better hot. They are served with a dip, either melted butter or mayonaise. My favorite dip is mayo with a little bit of balsamic vinegar mixed in.
1. Pull off outer petals, one at a time.
2. Dip white fleshy end in melted butter or sauce.
Discard remaining petal.
Continue until all of the petals are removed.
The top is the Heart I ended up with. (See below also.)
So I ended up with one little, tiny artichoke heart, which isn't enough to make anything with. Not artichoke dip, not caesar pasta salad, not a thing!! But sometimes, I've discovered, it's not the destination but the journey that is important. You learn a lot along the way, have a few laughs with your friends and pass a long hot summer day inside where it is cool. In conclusion, I wouldn't suggest you try this at home. Artichoke hearts, I found out, can be purchased already chopped and ready to use in a jar!!!
How to Cook and Eat an Artichoke
Posted by Elise on Apr 16, 2007
I can imagine, that if you didn't grow up eating artichokes (I didn't) and if you were encountering them for the first time, (I did) they might seem a little intimidating. (You think?) How one cooks and eats an artichoke is not obvious from its appearance. (That's an understatement.) If you've always wondered how to cook and eat the darn things, here are the steps:
Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 35 minutes Right!! (all day to figure it out!)
How to Cook an Artichoke
1. If the artichokes have little thorns on the end of the leaves, take a kitchen scissors and cut of the thorned tips of all of the leaves. This step is mostly for aesthetics as the thorns soften with cooking and pose no threat to the person eating the artichoke. See below.
2. Slice about 3/4 inch to an inch off the tip of the artichoke. See above.
3. Pull off any smaller leaves towards the base and on the stem.
4. Cut excess stem, leaving up to an inch on the artichoke. The stems tend to be more bitter than the rest of the artichoke, but some people like to eat them. Alternatively you can cut off the stems and peel the outside layers which is more fibrous and bitter and cook the stems along with the artichokes.
5. Rinse the artichokes in running cold water. 
6. In a large pot, put a couple inches of water, a clove of garlic, a slice of lemon, and a bay leaf (this adds wonderful flavor to the artichokes). Insert a steaming basket. Add the artichokes. Cover. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 25 to 45 minutes or until the outer leaves can easily be pulled off.
How to Eat an Artichoke
Artichokes may be eaten cold or hot, but I think they are much better hot. They are served with a dip, either melted butter or mayonaise. My favorite dip is mayo with a little bit of balsamic vinegar mixed in.
1. Pull off outer petals, one at a time. |
| My steamed petals. |
2. Dip white fleshy end in melted butter or sauce. Tightly grip the other end of the petal. Place in mouth, dip side down, and pull through teeth to remove soft, pulpy, delicious portion of the petal. 
Discard remaining petal.
 |
| My discarded pieces |
Continue until all of the petals are removed.
 |
| The Heart and the "Choke" |
3. With a knife or spoon, scrape out and discard the inedible fuzzy part (called the "choke") covering the artichoke heart. The remaining bottom of the artichoke is the heart. Cut into pieces and dip into sauce to eat.
The top is the Heart I ended up with. (See below also.)
The bottom is the fuzzy part call the "Choke"
 |
The Heart |
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Beautiful Sunday...
What a beautiful day! Dinner with the Family, the Symphony, a walk with the Hubby, and sitting around the fire on the deck with loved ones! Hope yours was just as amazing!!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
tranquility du jour: spring cleaning: handbag
tranquility du jour: spring cleaning: handbag: " 1. contents of my purse spilled onto table 2. organize and reshuffle contents in spring handbag
my bag is feeling lighter, fresh, and well-organized
handbags are good metaphors for life.
what are you carrying around that you no longer need?
can you let it go to make space for something new?
are there things in your life simply taking up space and providing no benefit?
what begs for space and reorganizing?
let the spring cleaning begin.
my bag is feeling lighter, fresh, and well-organized
handbags are good metaphors for life.
what are you carrying around that you no longer need?
can you let it go to make space for something new?
are there things in your life simply taking up space and providing no benefit?
what begs for space and reorganizing?
let the spring cleaning begin.
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