Summer Daze Pasta Salad

A special treat for my lens. ♥ N

The best time to think about dinner is in the morn-

ing. It's my favorite time to cook, both in winter and summer, but especially on the hottest of 

dog days.

A stroll to the garden to snip some chives reaped a special reward, by way of the prettiest, bluest, most delicate dragonfly I've ever seen. I thought of Jennifer Diamond. Ike was already watching from his perch, as Mambo sniffed the air for the scent of carrots. Ah, a summer morning. 

I digress, big-time. Here's the recipe:

Undercook the pasta a bit, quick rinse it (and the pot) to cool down, and return to the pot. Add about 1/4 c. milk (per pound) and ground pepper; give it a stir. Let it sit while you prepare the remainder of the recipe. It will finish "cooking", as it absorbs the liquid. This also keeps it from absorbing all the final dressing, allowing the end result to stay moist. Mom's old trick.

Whisk together Chobani Plain Greek F-F, dijon mustard, lemon juice, a hit of EVOO, pepper and chives. To that, add cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, carrots and sliced pimiento-stuffed olives... and/or whatever you like. Then, the cooled, cubed chicken. Give it a stir, add the pasta, and finish stirring.

Refrigerate till dinnertime. I keep the bowl upright for a few hours; then I give it a stir, seal tightly with plastic wrap and the cover, and return to fridge, upside-down. Another stir and wipe-down of bowl's edges brings it to perfection. My trick.

Serve with salad greens on the side and a couple of those Best Blues that are in the freezer. YUM. Joe's gonna be a happy camper, tonight, regardless of 90-something-degree temps.

Mangia al Fresco!

Jurors In Jeopardy?

Did you hear that death threats are being made against jurors? This is turning out to be criminal on multiple levels. Personally? For starters, I think a potential Caylee's Law should include Part 2, a stipulation to ban the media from courtrooms and surrounding areas, in the event the missing stay as such (or worse), and in all cases. Also, the death penalty should be abolished in all of our United States. Or, at the very least, reverse the order of presentation, when trying to convict... lesser first, building to a "possible"... that might reduce the psychological burden felt by jurors. And Nancy Grace should find a new hobby. She was pleading "my" case on GMA, each morning, against Dan Abrams. Nonetheless, I wanted to agree with the gentlemanly Dan, simply based on NG's piranha approach. Um, let someone else finish a sentence, Ms. Grace, as painful as it might be to you. Even seeing it your way is tough.

While I agree with the majority in the Court Of Public Opinion in that the devil has been freed, I still respect the jurors. They lived together for a month. They did not, in my opinion, arrive at a verdict in eleven hours. They'd been deciding on a daily basis. Oh, and one more thing, a prosecutor who laughs while a defense attorney is speaking should be recused from the case. A turn-off, regardless of the side you've taken. 

Is this child ever going to rest in peace? Never-ending is the heartbreak for those who hold her in their hearts.

Chicken Cheeseburgers

Process boneless chicken breast, carrots, Vidalia onion, quinoa, pine nuts, eggs, mustard, garlic powder and pepper in the bowl of the Cuisinart. Form burgers by shaping each around a wedge of Laughing Cow Light. Sprinkle on both sides with paprika. Pan-grill till thoroughly cooked in a light coating of EVOO. Serve on toasted whole wheat sandwich thins, with a dressing made of yogurt, mustard and fresh lemon juice. Garnish further with caramelized onions or whatever you like. Endless possibilities.

These can be prepared and refrigerated, early in the day. Be extra careful when handling raw chicken. Unlike beef burgers, they are delicious cold-sliced, too. As usual, the yogurt is Chobani Greek Plain F-F; the mustard-of-choice is Grey Poupon Deli w/Horseradish.

Buon Appetito

Captain 3000 'n' Christian Lopez

FOX Photo

Of course, I'm partial to the name of the fantastic young man who caught the Captain's historical hit. That aside, I must say that this family will be remembered for a father's guidance and a son's decision:

"You’re a grown man," his proud father said. "You make your own decisions." 

It's not every day that we are treated to a story so very heartwarming, on multiple levels. Ya know, I think my Christian would make the same decision; I must ask him. It's Derek's ball to keep, in my opinion. As for the young man, I so feel that he'll be rewarded in more ways than we can count... effect from cause... karma. Hey, season's seats at the Stadium are a pretty good start.

GO YANKEES!

POSTSCRIPT: My naysayer is sitting in his chair, telling me about "The Fan" (WFAN) and all the reasons Christian, known as C-Lo to his family and friends, should have hung onto that ball. As though this information isn't enough, he's just added that the trophy is headed to Cooperstown, where its value will be somewhere in the range of a million dollars. What would YOU do? Derek, are you reading? Time to step up to the plate in a different capacity, according to Joe. Sigh.

Why Cook?

This would serve me well for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner, during the beautiful month of July... it is scrumptious. More importantly, it's gorgeous, with layers of pure Chobani Greek Plain Fat-Free, healthy whole wheat Trader Joe's O's, and succulent fruit. 

Scusimi - Lunchtime! 

Displaced

Sunday Sun

Doctor-The-Decadence Cupcakes

Had to have something rich and decadent, tonight. Scrounged around and found an off-brand devil's food cake mix. You know the drill - add water, oil and eggs.
I kept the water, subbed an individual cinnamon applesauce and small Activia for oil, and added 2 whole eggs/1white. Baked cupcakes and iced with 86% fave chocolate, nuked with fat-free half 'n' half. Not much damage done and sweet tooth satisfied. YUM! A keeper.

Pretty-ful

Watermelon-Yogurt... YUM!

A Match

Day Lily Beauties

Real Time Breaking News

Photo by Dawn ♥

 With a home run!

USA TODAY Photo

Uncanny Connection - The Bang Years

Coincidences abound amongst my ND friends et moi. Maybe they connect to the belief established during The Bang Years. Who's to say? All I can verify is yet another happening, wherein I no sooner wished one friend a fantastic time at the O2, received a life-sign e-mail from another, and found land mail with... well... some bang-up wishes. Is there some mystical, white and fluffy cloud floating above, uniting us from our respective, distant spaces? Pondering that...

PV, you've clearly made my day, in kicking off an early birthday and, more importantly, in the celebration of trust and friendship. Thank you from the bottom of my ♥.

I'm A Believer.

Friday's Faux-Fry 'n' Fish Feast

We had this just a few nights ago and chose a repeat over our traditional Friday Chinese fare. First time 'round, I made it with Mahi Mahi and served with baked potato chips. This time, I scrubbed and cut one medium-sized potato, for all the resulting legal "fries" you see. What a calorie bargain! Just spray the pan and taters, sprinkle with paprika, garlic powder and pepper, and bake in a hot oven, while you do the fish.

Tonight, I'm using halibut, at only 220 calories per 6-ounce serving. On a light coating of EVOO, I placed the fish and sliced Vidalia onion, then topped with a spritz of oil and a sprinkling of spices. When cooked on one side, I turned and topped with mustard, lemon juice and cheese. For mine - Laughing Cow Light, at only 35 calories. Halibut cooks fast... I covered for a few seconds to finish melting the cheeses and then removed from pan, leaving onions to caramelize. When done, I transferred them to paper towels and wiped pan dry. 

Last step was to top fish with tomato and onions and wrap. Be sure to choose low-calorie, whole grain wraps. Returned to spritzed pan, seam side down; browned both sides.

♥-Healthy, Delicious and Nutritious
For Bonus Benefits - Use Sweet Potatoes
 Next Round - Salmon 'n' Sweets

Buon Appetito

Ooh La La

Today

Artist or Super Model?

Aubs tells me that she's abandoning thoughts of a career as an artist for that of a super model. We shall see. It matters not, as long as she retains her enormous capacity for kindness. As promised in (link) Plan B..., here is the surprise that she made for Michelle. When I asked if she'd make a birthday card, she said, "How about a pair of Flippers, G'ma?" A texting session with M ensued, to explore favorite colors. Then, Aubs went to work.The gift was well received; and now, I can share with you. That's my Sugar. ♥

Workin' The Crowd... Seriously

Second time 'round for posting this pic...
but it makes a point!

This picture was taken at Bri 'n' Kell's 2010 Eve-Eve party. Mom was not-too-shy of 92. Ah, she's still charmin' them. Case In Point: T.J., an exceptionally nice friend of the kids, went in for a hug. They'd never met before. A good night. Just look at that foxy lady making that man smile. 

Seriously, though, at her age there are issues. It upset me a tad, recently, when Aubs didn't want to visit with Big Nan. "Why, Sugar?" "Because, G'ma, she keeps asking me the same question, over and over." It's true. You've all dealt with it, I'm sure. It's the plague of the elderly, when they run out of things to say. I explained to my Girl that this can be tough to deal with for all of us; and it's not really Nan's fault. With words, I gently marched Aubs through Nan's younger days, pointing out that she was eight years old, too, at one time. "How 'bout trying to steer the conversation to something else, when this happens?" asked I of Aubs. And so, we went for the visit. I'll be darned if I didn't get knowing looks from that sweet child, as she did just that. I helped her out a little, the problem seemingly solved. And Nan was happy to  have some fresh chatting fodder. Bringing me to yesterday....

For a change of scenery, I brought Mom back to the Old Homestead. It was just she and I, without the normal flurry of her Grands or Greats. After she made the same comment multiple times, I recalled my own advice. Thus began an exploration of her early memories. I learned a lot. It's not that we'd not shared before... I'd heard many of the stories. But this was different. It was like a Barbra Walters interview, with specific queries, and moi in the role of Babs. Watch out, Cousins, 'cause I've got the dirt. We had fun.

♥

The Culprit

It's Cape Time, once again. All those cutesy stories about the lovable seals are distant memories, here on CMI. Nonetheless, as a reminder, I dug up this picture. I took it last summer, isolating this big guy from scores and scores of others, whose favorite past-time was to stare at the aliens on the beach. That would be us. He's not looking so cute to me now, 'cause our predictions came true and great white sharks are becoming regulars in our (link) 
Cape Space. Seals are shark bait. Their growing numbers could only guarantee one thing. Jaws. 

No swimming for Mambo, this year. Or for moi.
Just look... don't touch.

I Rest My Case - Clicker Wars 2

Yep, and here's Hunter, all comfy in Grandpa's chair, practicing for future Clicker Wars (please see previous post). I rest my case.

♥

Truly Bloody Clicker Wars

Now, THIS is romance!

Y'all know about Mars and Venus and remote control possession, right? Well, I'm here to tell ya that True Blood, Weeds, The Big C and LD are back just in time to prevent a living-room homicide. We kicked off with some truly bloody Sook 'n' Bill, the other night. It's SO over the top, this year... it's actually funny. And for those fang-banging scenes that require looking away, I simply glance down at my latest project, fondly named Summer TV On The Needles.

Now, excuse me please, while I do some shape shifting, so as to fit in my comfy chair. The clicker is in my possession, for now. Ta-ta.

Best Blues Revisited & Revised

Today, in finding the recipe for (link) Best Blues, I was surprised to see that it was posted over two years ago! Wow! Thank you, all, for your encouragement and readership. Now, on to some exciting news.

Instead of oil, I employed an old Weight Watcher's tip and subbed two individual portions of cinnamon applesauce... you know... the kind we keep on hand for Grand snacks. I reduced the sugar by a bit and piled in the FRESH berries; they are abundant and delicious, this year. The batter was actually like mousse, instead of heavy and oily. It was enough for eighteen muffins of far fewer calories. I love the resulting consistency... chewier and drier... that is, if you can find the crumb in between berries. No butter necessary. 
You get the gist.

One tip: In lieu of cooking spray and for easy clean-up, use tin liners. Allow muffins to cool completely, 
to avoid sticking.

Savor Summer 'n' All Its Blessings

Buona Notte, Sun

Bella Begonia

The flowers-of-choice in the window box have taken off, to be noticed from many perspectives; they are beautiful to behold. This photo was taken from inside, through glass... a perfect blossom. Long ago, I removed the two orchids to find more sheltered spots, in which they can thrive. Unusually excessive amounts of June rain threatened them. But remaining varieties are hearty and loving whatever Mother Nature throws their way. Today? Ninety and sunny. We'll take it... 

right, Bella?

Team Michelle ♡

Just spreading a little lovin' here, from none other than my sweet pal, Michelle. You know her story; and I sure do hope you're still sending out prayers and good vibes for her. She still needs them. In spite of her struggle, she recently participated in Relay For Life and raised a ton of money, to help fight cancer. Always thinking of others, she sent two commemorative shirts from the event to my mailbox - one for me and one for Aubs. Mine was sized along the lines of a nightshirt; but this baby needs exposure. So, I did a little remodeling. Do you like? 

The How To:

Tee-shirt material doesn't fray; don't be afraid to cut away. I eye-balled the length I wanted and proceeded to cut fringe, a neckline and sleeves to roll. Then, I washed the shirt, allowing the flat fringe to curl itself, for the end result. When I tire of the look, some beads and knotted fringe shall be in order. Meanwhile, I'll make a pair of matching Michelle's Flippers, 

with the remnants.

Have fun... and think good thoughts for Michelle. ♥

Tragedy

Beautiful Lost Child

A shocking verdict in this tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. My heart bleeds for parents who now need to pick up the pieces of shattered lives, in an attempt to rebuild a family... all while they deal with haunting possibilities of how this precious baby died. The pundits will discuss the media as the thirteenth juror. I'm rehashing the ongoing mystery of Nature vs. Nurture, at the same time wondering: How does one salvage good memories to then rebuild some semblance of love and trust...
and life? 

Summer Daze

Moonglow on Clematis

The Fourth turned out to be spectacular, after the previous day's epic rains. I aspire to capture every minute of perfect July days... from crisp, cool, dewy mornings till darkness, when flowers seem to adopt a nighttime glow. Moonglow? Ah, perfection. 

"Doing Nothing" is an art form, not so easy to master, in today's rushed society. We did it! YIPPEE to summer days and becoming dazed enough to resist moving our bodies from Point A to B. The fireworks display happened without us. Now, to figure a way to bottle "Dazed", an elixir to be relied upon in mid-January....

I hope you enjoyed your holiday.

Old 'n' Glorious - Happy 4th

Not Millie's Coleslaw

Prepare per amount needed... this will darken
and look unappealing, as a leftover

Million Dollar Millie made the best coleslaw. It wasn't the dressing so much as the thinness of the almost-transparent shred. I think of her, whenever I make the dish. I always asked if she used a razor, a la the garlic scene from "Goodfellas"; she'd just laugh me off. Today, I was obviously impatient, as can be seen by the chunkiness of the veggies. If you're over my shoulder, Millie, I'm sorry... and I love ya. That's not the only memory that brought a smile to my face, as I sliced.

In making the Good-Mistake Avocado Dressing, I peeled the fruit with my fingers. This helps to keep it from reacting with an implement blade and blackening more quickly. Smushy, green pulp set me into a laughing fit. You see, back when we built The Old Homestead, Avocado Green and Harvest Gold were "the" colors. Don't ask. I swore I'd never look at them, again, after remodeling... and here I am on an avocado kick. But I digress...

Back to the recipe. I added a healthy dose of white balsamic vinegar to the dressing and tossed with cabbage, carrots, more scallions and pine nuts; garnished with a vine-ripened and taste-tested. I like. Creamy and nutritious. Joe won't touch this one, but he'll have crudites with the original dressing. Seriously... he's clueless. Just ask him if he likes avocado. I'm bad. Did I ever say otherwise? Hey, I worry about proper nutrition, for my loved ones. One day, we'll talk soup s'more. Smile.

Buon Appetito. ♥

RainGlow

Boom-Boom-Pow

Thanks for pic, Bri ♥

No fireworks quite yet; I'm talkin' thunder, here. Radical change in the weather... hey, this is New York. Just hope my campers are celebrating the Fourth, all
safe, sound and dry. 

Good To The Last Drop

Today's brilliant sunshine set on the lake with true lovin'. Look! It formed a heart-shaped glow. 
How incredible... ♥
(polka-dot outline with a little help from Adobe)

Show Your Colors

Breakfast At - Oh, Mary... Oh, Maria

'Tween Mary's endless, annoying commentary and Maria's grunts, the sound effects are takin' over the breakfast. Guess I'll have to wait for Mac 'n' The Men, tomorrow. Just gimme back the good ole days and the fierce, ongoing rivalries. Yeah, yeah, I know... I'm livin' in the past. Thoughts of Rocky. Ta-ta. 

That Kiss - Neil Diamond - Muah

Imagine a Grinder :-)

At first I was con-

cerned about his health, thinking That Kiss  was spontaneous, to buy some resting time. Uh-huh. That was till a few fans pointed out his amazing agility in rising from his scrunched up, Frenchie :-) position, with nothing to lean on... after which, he strolled to the other side of the stage and planted a few more wet ones. Whew. That was a long sentence. I'm breathless. Ha, ha.

Fan comments range from seriously pissed to hilarious. And Mr. D? I should have remembered that spontaneity is rarely a part of his schtick, as with, let's say, my Long Island guy, Billy Joel. Planned. Yep. Staged. Bringing me to another fan's comment that he couldn't stand watching a powerful, sixty-something-in-sequins kissing young uns many moons ago, during Girl. Um, well now we're watching a seventy-year-old helping that young Girl to become a Woman... SOON. 

The Real Deal

Joe posed the question over dinner, last night, "Would I like to be that Girl?" This, of course, was using the term very loosely. NO. Absolutely not. Twenty years ago, I didn't want to be Girl. It's why I never aspired for first row... no risk-taker, here. I'd be mortified. Just give me a seat third-to-fifth, center. But, YES, YES, I loved my own Neil moment, when he sang to me... Play Me... sure I'll play ya, Mr. D., 'cause I'm safely ensconced in my fifth-center cocoon. Eye contact. A tune. PERFECTION. A keeper. I can draw on it, still, in replay of the mind. I'm forever grateful to Joe for capturing that moment in time with the zoom ND comically commented on.

I've always disliked the sappy Girl segment. Yuck. One time, after seeing it in a show, I willed him to drop it before our second round of that tour. He did. How's that? See? Girl power.

But, what is REALLY wrong with the other night's display is not That Kiss... it's the fact that he dropped his signature song to do the deed. I AM... I SAID upset. I hope that tonight, in Glasgow, he'll make it right. Supposin' it's a dream-come-true-only-show-ever for a fan? 
Can you hear me, Neil Diamond? MUAH.

UPDATE, UPDATE... GLASGOW SHOW, TONIGHT...

IAIS was back in - the girls of GIRLS were out

YAY, ND

We Noticed

Joe and I each possess a way of parroting aloud what the other is thinking. Unbeknownst to him, I'd captured this adorned, riverside deck, while he was phoning customers. As we approached the car to leave, it came into view, once again. Silently, I appreciated it, as he said, "Nick, look at the flowers suspended 
over that deck..." 

Hang a pot... we'll notice... in sync. ♥