Hello November

Hello November, my sweet friend, who brings to me the anticipation of :

rainy day
warm comfort food
small gatherings
shopping
fall vintage markets
super moon viewing

My body clock starts the tempo of yearning to wear boots, flannel shirts with age, jeans, leggings, always my go to turquoise jewelry and road trips.  I can always find an excuse to go on a road trip just about any season of the year.

The crisp cooler air mixed with the aromatics of fall.  Heady earthy scents wrap around me.  I stop for a moment...ahhh...one more glorious fall that I will thoroughly embrace for the treasured gifts that I will receive.

I am planning a trip to go to view the fall leaves that turn here in Texas.  Yes, we have leaves that actually give to us the beauty of the jewel tones of fall.  The southwest region has a beautiful drive peppered with hills that give us the beauty of the maples, rich henna colored rock walls, famous apple town of Texas , and the reminder that life is grand in small towns. I will be remote..no T.V. no computer.

Rejuvenate
Reconnect
Relaxtion

I have already started to anticipate my trip.  I have a plan on paper for my Thanksgiving.  I have  a "no-plan" for my non-work days.  Adventures are waiting.  Find your adventure!

I will cook, sit by a fire, look at the wide open sky that twinkles with stars and be grateful.












Take a moment to find your fall adventure.  A gathering with friends would be a great start to kick off the adventures of  November.  How about a Super Moon Viewing on November 14th?

Sparkling Cranberry Drink

2 bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon
1 bottle of Cranberry Sparkling Water
1-2  cans of cranberry or bottles of cranberry drink
ice in star shapes ( if you have a star ice tray) or cranberries frozen in ice

Mix all together.  You can adjust the amount of the cranberry juice to your liking or be creative to add a bottle of pomegrante juice instead of 2 cranberry.  Add the ice cubes just before serving.

This is a lovely drink in a glass drink dispenser.

Cheesey Bread

1 can of crescent rolls in sheet form
1 package of cheddar cheese* only use 4 ounces of cheese
2-4 T  flour
1-2 T butter
pastry brush
paprika
italian seasoning
baking sheet

Preheat oven according to directions on package
roll out sheet on floured board
cut  out shapes with leave cutter or by hand
place on parchment paper on cookie sheet
sprinkle with cheese
dust with paprika and italian seasoning for color

Bake
Remove
Serve hot or cold

Make a beautiful tray of red grapes, walnuts,  cheeses, hummus

Happy Super Moon Gazing!

The Art of Gourmandizing

I am a gourmandizer...yes I admit that I am a gourmandizer.  I love to create, to explore different cuisine to expand my palate, to nosh with friends, to nosh while researching, to nosh with family...yes I love to gourmandize!

Do you find yourself seeking a new way to prepare a favorite dish?  Do you seek to improve the dish for a healthier option?  Maybe partake more of a plant based lifestyle?  Enjoy fruits and vegetables?  I am forever seeking new ideals or simply to look at fruit, vegetables, grains, bread, tofu, greens as a wide open canvas of deliciousness.

Summer is here....grilling food will be more readily adapted to our lifestyle of preparing meals.  Let's explore grilling.


Appetizer

Rosemary Bruschetta
Yield 20 servings (possibly more depending on how large you cut the slices)

1 Boule of Rosemary Sourdough  * cut on bread slicer if available to 14
Grill to the side of hot coals.  Brush with light olive oil. Turn till grill marks show
Remove slices of Rosemary
Cut into 4ths
Place on a treated driftwood platter or a favorite platter

Surround the platter with fresh herbed goat's cheese, heirloom tomatoes marinated in sea salt with olive oil and cut in half , caramalized red onions, bowls of lemon hummus, fresh arugula, olive medley,  small slices of sweet red marinated peppers .


Lemon and Cilantro Grilled Chicken
Yield 6 servings

6 free range chicken breasts
You may place your breasts in a plastic bag to roll to 3/4 thickness if you like a thinner chicken breasts.
1 cup  of lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic (mashed)
1 cup of olive oil
sea salt and tri colored peppercorns to taste
Fresh sage to taste.  Be bold with your herbs!  Choose more like thyme, lemon grass..

Let marinate in a glass dish for at least 1 1/2  hours to marry the flavors together. NO METAL to be used when marinating with acidic marinades.

Have your coals ready or gas grill to medium heat.  Cook at 350 degrees to 375 degrees is the key  Oil the grates to prevent sticking of meat always!   Cook your chicken breasts on each side for a few minutes.  Be sure to use a meat thermometer!


Grill until done internally 165 degrees.  Some cooks pull at 150 degrees to keep the moisture and full flavor.

Enjoy!


Zesty Arugula Salad
Yield: 6 servings

1 container arugula salad
6 sliced radishes
2 to 3 roma tomatoes
Grilled Asparagus
Grilled Red Peppers
Grilled onions

Crumbled Black Pepper Feta cheese

 Make a bed of arugula on a salad plate, lay the grilled asparagus, red peppers and onions over the salad greens, lay slices of  spicy radishes or radish sprouts then top of with juicy slices of romas with cracked black pepper feta cheese.

Dressing:  Delicious lemon vinaigrette

Summer Breeze

The beginning of summer...the crisp delightful sunny days greet us as we set off on adventures that will take us to places that we love or new explorations.  The summer glimmering across the waters, the cool of the mountains in their majestic views, countries with their rich culture and roadtrips to surrounding towns with treasures to unfold.  You hold the key to the boundless journey of adventures.

Adventures can be as close as your backyard.  The gaiety of parties abound with twinkling lights, friends, family, laughter, great music, farm table of  mouth watering bites to eat, and libations!  A beautiful moon kissed with the stars.....

Imagine a whimsical setting for your summer parties.  Choose a fun string of lights, take mason jars filled with battery operated lights, round pieces of treated driftwood platters to arrange a lovely cheese platter, fresh vegetables, fruits and desserts.  

Create your table with mismatched china, mason jars for drinks or  mix and match bright colored  or one color of non breakable plates to paint a colorful background for the table.  Paint the background with lights to glow all around, a mix of tunes to tap a toe to then step off into the darkness to have a star gazing party.  

Give life to the essence of summer that is waiting for you!

Happy Hour Is Really More Than An Hour

Happy Hour an event where we gather with friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances or possibly striking up a conversation with a new person enjoying their "Happy Hour".

I am drawn to definitions of words or terms that we apply to possibly justify celebrating any event or to possibly just use for us to wind down, amp up or collect our mess of a self to rally on throughout the week.

Happy:  feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.  synonyms:  cheerful, cheery, merry, joyful, good spirits, in a good mood, lighthearted, buoyant.  Also fortunate, lucky, favorable, advantageous, opportune, timely, well timed convenient

Hour:  a period of time equal to a twenty-fourth part of a day and night and divided into 60 minutes.  a less definite period of time.

Wow, I can see the benefits of the Happy Hour!  I am encouraged to show pleasure with a cheery, merry good spirit to celebrate a well timed convenient period of time or a less definite period of time. Who wouldn't be in a good mood as the opportune less definite period of time is most definitely fortunate  in a timely advantageous period of time dedicated to a joyful outing!   Whew, did I use my adjectives with my noun to paint the vision?????

I choose happy hours any time of the day.  You can turn any 60 minutes to a celebration at the table with coffee, morsels of sweet ooey goodness, rich savory noshes, warm or sweet wines or create your own cheery joyful less definite period of time to shake off the ol' arm of stress, celebrate a milestone or goal, special occasions or how about celebrating you?  Yes, you read that correctly, buttercup..celebrate you!

I love "Happy Hours"!!  After all...being happy, by definition, seems to be a perfectly awesome way to approach your journey.  Don't you agree????

Bruschetta is an Italian dish with crusty bread, olive oil, tomatoes and basil.  I love to step out into the creative culinary delight by creating toppings that can be included with the Tuscan Tomato Bruschetta recipe listed below.

Bruschetta Bar

French Baguettes, sourdough mini boules -
Proscuitto
Sopressta
Salami
Rare sliced steak
Salmon
Shrimp
Hummus
Artichokes
Olives - visit your
Cheese - goats, bleu cheese, gorgonzola, aged cheddar
Brie
Nuts
Roasted vegetables
Roasted peppers
garlic buttons
sweety peppers
tapenades

Slice your french baguettes into rounds - toast  with parmesan, garlic/olive oil, or leave natural.  For larger bruschettas you can slice a mini sourdough boule or a flavored sourdough like rosemary into a larger slices.  For the larger slices considering toasting to turn into a mini pizza or larger bruschetta.

Arrange breads on a large platter.  Surround the platter with small ramekins filled with any of the suggested toppings or select your own.

Tuscan Tomato 
Yield:  12- 20 servings
Prep Time:  15 minutes

6 Organic large roma tomatoes
Sweet peppers * I love the sweety peppers from Whole Foods located on our olive bar
1 jar of organic artichoke hearts
Lemon Pepper
Sea Salt
Fresh Spinach Leaves
Fresh Basil
Pinch of garlic salt
Cracked pepper feta cheese

Slice firm roma tomatoes into chunks- think small not large.  Combine with artichokes, sweet peppers, sea salt and lemon pepper.  Remove stems from spinach and fresh basil.  Chiffonade the spinach and basil.  Mix all together to let flavors marry.

Be sure to add the Cracked Pepper feta cheese to the bar mix as it is delightful with the Tuscan Tomato topping.  This topping is also fun when creating grilled pizzas!

Lemon and Blood Orange  Zinger Wine
Yield:  12 servings
Prep Time:  10 minutes

2 bottles of Savignon Blanc
1 bottle of lemon sparkling water
1/2 to 1  bottle of Blood Orange  Italian Soda
2 large lemons
2 small oranges

Mix all the wine, sparkling water and italian soda  together.  Slice the lemons and oranges into rings add to the pitcher of wine mixture.  Save some lemons and oranges for drink garnishes or freeze in ice cube trays! Be creative with italian sodas for the flavor can change your zinger wine.  I love blood orange, pomegranate, cherry, strawberry, orange, lime, chili infused!!!


So..what are you waiting for?????  Let's gather at the Gypsy's Table to celebrate a cheerful, good time, joyful less definite period of time..aka Happy Hour

Yummy goodness

Morsels of sweet peppers, basil and vegetables