Thursday, June 12, 2008

Good Things

Cody got a bath outside today. It was hard for both of us. Me because he acted completely put out and him because soap was involved.

When he and Rocky were younger we used to put the pool out for them to jump in. Cody would actually lie down in the water and even dunk his head under. Bring out the shampoo though and BLAM they were gone.

Nothing has changed in that respect.

The good news is that Cody no longer smells like way too many dirty feet and is now sporting 'whiff of wet dog'. I dried and dried and dried him and hours later his coat is still damp. Tomorrow is brush out day. He's going to be wicked fluffy.

No matter, it perked him something new. He was all butt dragging today but after his bath he was all ready to do whatever came next.

Cute monkey.

I also got some household stuff done which has been driving me crazy for a month.

*Note to self - you want to wash the exterior of your windows with the hose and windex the screens are filthy!*

Tomorrow I clean the house. I hadn't bothered vacuuming for the past bit because Cody smelled so cleaning up all the fur wasn't working. So everything gets de-furred tomorrow. (Also, Amber has a spot that she goes to when she needs comfort and whenever I go to vacuum she's sleeping there so I don't bother. However, gentle time is over, the chair is supposed to be grey-green not orange and furry.)

AND, tomorrow the ladder to the pool may finally be put in. That concrete with the killer re-bar is the piece that needs to be put into place so that the ladder can go in the pool. Our pool was made by the former home owner and the water level is a foot below where the top of the pool is. Now, try and heft your body a foot straight into the air with nothing but your arms and wrists? Only one person (oldest Godson) is able to do it. I figure it's not worth breaking my wrist over.

So I think tonight I may be able to take my inaugural swim for 2008.

I told Bob I would wait for him but he said he wants me in the pool. Get this, this weekend is fairly nice (rain here and there) so we'll get out with the family etc. Starting Monday the long range forecast shows rain everyday for 10 days. I think it's funny that Bob may not be the only person not swimming while his wound heals!

I also finally made my homemade hamburgers again.

Just in case, here's what I do:

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1/2 a chopped onion
1/2 bag of lightly seasoned croutons crushed with a roller
1 egg
2 Tbsp of milk
1 Tbsp of mustard
Shake in some steak spice

Mix it all up and make into patties.

Tonight I did 2 lbs (doubled everything but decided to add another egg) - made nine patties.

The seasoned croutons pack a wonderful flavour punch that you don't get from the 'seasoned bread crumbs'

I can't wait for Monday next week. We have so many plans over the next few days but on Monday, the house will be clean, all family and friends will have been for a swim and I can totally veg with my current book.

Since I'm not there yet, what do you do to pump up the flavour in your BBQ foods.

What is your favourite summer time dish?

Don't be shy about leaving the recipes in the comments. Seriously.

Chicken breast help would be greatly appreciated! It's either plain or BBQ sauce - I just want more flavour!

7 comments:

Jenster said...

Yea for a clean dog!!!

Your burgers sound yummy. I'm going to have to try that next time we grill burgers.

My favorite summertime dish is broccoli salad. It's easy and so yummy!!

Broccoli florettes
red onion
raisins
peanuts
sunflower seeds
coleslaw dressing (mayo,sugar & vinegar)

I have no idea how much of each because I just throw stuff in.

As for grilled chicken, we punch holes in the chicken breasts and soak them overnight in the cheapest Italian dressing I can buy. It just makes them good and moist and adds a little bit of flavor.

LinnieGayl said...

The burgers do sound good, I've never thought of that. My favorite summertime dish is:

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

1 1/2 cups quinoa
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed, if canned
1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups cooked corn (cut from about 2 large ears)
3/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 pickled jalpeno chilies, seeded and minced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

For dressing
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
1/3 cup olive oil

In a bowl wash quinoa in at least 5 changes cold water, rubbing grains and letting them settle Before pouring off most of water, until water runs clear and drain in a large fine sieve. In a saucepan of salted boiling water cook quinoa 10 minutes. Drain quinoa in sieve and rinse under cold water. Set sieve over a saucepan of boiling water (quinoa should not touch water) and steam quinoa, covered with a kitchen towel and lid, until fluffy and dry, about 10 minutes (check water level in kettle occasionally, adding water if necessary). While quinoa is cooking, in a small bowl toss beans with vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and cool. Add beans, corn, bell pepper, jalapeno, and coriander and toss well.

Make dressing: In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, salt, and cumin and add oil in a stream, whisking. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well with salt and pepper to taste. Salad may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before serving.

CindyS said...

Thanks Jenster - my family has had the broccoli salad at a cousins house and was looking for the recipe!

Chicken is such a pain for me - I have tried light caesar dressing (which is not creamy but a vinegar base) but the vinegar smell was overwhelming - I'm trying the Italian next!

LinnieGayl - I didn't know what Quinoa was - I thought maybe it was a green but I'm happy to see it's a grain - definitely going to try this recipe!

Cindys

Holly said...

YAY for a clean CODY! That's so exciting, though I'm sure he'd disagree. LOL

I never would have thought to put croutons in burgers. I use the bread crumbs, but I'm going to try it and see. Thanks!

I'm totally stealing that Quinoa salad recipe, too.

I don't really have a favorite for summer. Potato salad, I guess.

CindyS said...

Holly - Cody is super fluffy now and so perky. Bob said I should bathe him once a week!

I would put almost a whole bag of croutons in - I crush them with a rolling pin. I added a whole bag to the two pounds I made but they weren't as tasty as the first batch - so probably should have put in two bags.

I was at a friends last year and she had put Caesar sauce in her potato salad - talk about a breath of fresh air. She told me she just put a bit in - when I did it you couldn't taste the caesar - I tell ya, if you used ONLY the caesar dressing tell me so I can make it like you dammit!!! I was thinking adding ranch dressing instead of mayo might be a fresh change also.

CindyS

Holly said...

Actually Cindy, I prefer the Italian Potato Salad to the mayo type. It's just better all the way around, IMO. But then, I'm Italian. LOL

This is the recipe from Cooks.com that I generally base mine off of. Although I substitute here and there, this is a good place to start.

3 to 4 lb. new red potatoes, sliced thin
8 oz. pepperoni, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced (I use less..I'm not huge on garlic)
2 Italian tomatoes OR 1 regular; cored, seeded, diced
4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
4 oz. provolone cheese, cubed
1/4 c. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil OR 2 tsp. dry
3 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
Spinach leaves for garnish

DRESSING:

4 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 c. olive oil

Dressing: Combine vinegar and mustard. Slowly whisk in oil until thick. Add garlic and mix.

Salad: Bring 2 quarts of salted water to boil; add potatoes, cook 3 minutes or until just about tender. Add pepperoni, cook 1 minute longer. Drain in colander. While still hot, toss with the dressing. Add tomatoes, eggs, cheese, basil and parsley and toss together. Garnish edges of plate with spinach leaves; place salad in center. Serve warm.

If I do make regular potato salad I do half Caesar and half Miracle Whip. I know a lot of people don't like Miracle Whip, but for potato salad I think it gives it that little extra kick, esp. w/ the Caesar.

Rosie said...

My summer favorite is marinated green beans. I love green beans and instead of having them hot I steam them, ice them, add kalamata olives, feta cheese, diced tomatoes, garlic...yum. The whole recipe is too long to put here, if anyone (I'm so late posting this!!) wants it let me know.