I was wracking my brain yesterday trying to come up with a post for today and I suddenly remembered that we haven’t talked about food for a while. I’ve tried two new recipes in the last week and they were good enough to share. So I’m sharing.
The first is a summer salad that I made for last Saturday’s excursion to the alpaca farm. Sharon and I have a pretty sweet deal when it comes to outings like this. She drives. I bring lunch. I wanted to bring a salad but not a potato or pasta salad. I searched through Tastespotting and I found this August Garden Salad. I don’t have pictures of the one I made but it looked pretty much just like that one. I used 4 ears of corn, one can of beans, some grape tomatoes and a green pepper. I used some gorgonzola cheese instead of goat cheese because I think goat cheese is pretty disgusting. For the dressing I followed the recipe exactly. It made quite a bit and I shared with Kim and Manise and they both loved it, too.
The other recipe is from Real Simple and it’s for Cheesy Baked Shells and Broccoli. I found this one on Dine and Dish and that’s another great food blog, if you’re a food blog reader. Anyway, I changed this recipe a little bit by using fresh broccoli, which I steamed while cooking the pasta, and I used some half ‘n half instead of milk because I had it. Oh, and for the cheese I used a combination of cheddar and monterey jack. I made it ahead of time and stuck it in the fridge so I had to actually bake it for a bit rather than just sticking it under the broiler. For the topping I used some more of the cheese blend along with corn flake crumbs because we love a crunchy topping around here. I served it with some baked salmon and it was delicious. It’s really just a variation on mac ‘n cheese but that’s fine by me.
I enjoy trying new recipes and I do enjoy cooking but this weekend will be for eating out. Tonight we’re going to the Greek Festival — lamb, dolmathes, loukamathes!! — Friday night we’re going to the Scallop Festival — fried scallops and clam chowder! — and Sunday we’ll be dining at my favorite restaurant to celebrate my birthday.
It’s going to be a real challenge to not gain any weight this weekend.
Thanks for the links! Lucky duck with all those festivals. Especially the Greek one tonight! Hot dolmathes with avgolemono sauce (egg lemon sauce) is my favorite. And galactobouriko too! Have a super time.
An early happy Birthday to you!
OK, it’s not even 6:00 a.m. and I’m starving!! Yum, and yum!! You’re inspiring me to think about cooking – I’ve been off my game for several weeks.
If you eat things standing up, or accompanied by Diet Coke, they have no calories. Didn’t you know that?? 😉
Good grief – I think you’ll be victorious if you can escape without gaining 10# this weekend! All that food sounds fabulous!
Laughing here – when your page loads, the first thing that appears is the photo, which floats in space for a sec or two before the rest of it shows up. So I was already salivating before I started reading your words – mmmmm, floating cheese/mac/broccoli. 🙂
Happy Birthday, sweetie!
Is it too early to start dinner? That looks so good.
That corn salad was scrumptious….and here I thought I wouldn’t like it!
Happy Early Birthday!!
Our Greek festival had lines so long we never did get any good food. Have a super birthday weekend!!!!
Yum, yum! Keep those recipes coming. Technically I’m still on the Infernal Diet, but I’m discovering that a lot of things don’t bother me. (I’m still shunning tomatoes, though. They’re too acidic for me to risk it.)
Sounds like a fabulous weekend! Live it up, and dance the night away. Burns calories, don’t you know.
Weight…..Schmeight……Enjoy and Happy B-day!! Men love curves!!
And me sitting here with a Pop Tart! Enjoy it all – food eaten with good friends never adds weight!
A birthday weekend only comes once a year…enjoy yourself and splurge!
Carol –
What a beautifully designed blog! I love it!
Thanks for mentioning my site. The scallop festival sounds wonderful. Enjoy!
Happy Birthday!
Oh man! I want to hang with you this weekend! Do you realize I haven’t eaten Mexican since JUNE?!?! (I know you’re not eating Mexican, but that’s my indulgence food, so that’s my point of reference). *sigh* Have fun and happy early birthday!
Our Greek festival was 2 weeks ago. Delicious! I can’t stay away from the pastries and Greek coffee.
Happy birthday! I hope you have a fantastic celebration. Today is S’s birthday and we’re taking him out for dinner, too.
I think our Greek festival was the weekend I went to DC! 🙁
I WISH we had a seafood festival…but it would no doubt be for Mountain Oysters.
(sorry, couldn’t help myself!)
have a GREAT time! and happy b’day in advance!
(((hugs)))
mmmm…gyros. Yum!
btw, not *all* goat cheese is disgusting, the stuff you buy at the grocery store is, but if you get fresh stuff it’s not that bad. We have a goat farm here that makes the best chevre ever, I’ll have to bring some to Rhinebeck. ;o)
Thanks for the reminder. I need to find out when our Greek Festival is. And thank you so much for making me hungry when lunch is still days away. :p
I’m so glad you’ve got yummy plans in place for your birthday weekend.
xo
Both of those dishes look yummy!!!! Have fun eating out this week-end…
Yum. That broccoli dish sounds great. Happy early birthday. Treat yourself really well.
i’m with jess — not all goat cheese is disgusting.
Looks good…hubby is a broccoli fanatic so I might have to try this one day. And…I think you are crazy for thinking goat cheese is gross 😀
sounds like a great birthday weekend!
I looooove scallops. Let me know how the festival is. I might have to put it on my calendar for next year.
Happy Birthday! Eh, don’t worry about the extra food, it all sounds delicious. Just take a more vigorous walk, or some other more vigorous activity (ahem).
Happy birthday, and thanks for the recipe links!
okay… I have the whole mouth-watering thing goin’ on here right now………
note to self: read Carole’s blog after dinner. (giggle)
Happy almost birthday and thanks for sharing the cool food links.
I’m making this pasta tonight!