APRIL 29Th, 2008: Free cone day at Ben and Jerry’s.
Consider this your personal reminder…hurry, before it’s all gone! I am hoping they dish out this flavah:
Monthly Archives: April 2008
Our Baby Blue Beta…
Until we live in a larger home and get a dog, we welcome the new addition to the Zinke household. He’s a bundle of joy. He currently sleeps on our dining room table. And he won’t eat. Stubborn lil’ guy. His brother, Pasha, is living in Salt Lake City, Utah.
4-Minute Tomato Basil “Broo-SKET-ta!”
I don’t know about you, but I love fresh tomatoes off the vine during the summer; big, plum, red and juicy. Tomatoes are the only food Rick doesn’t care for. However, he’ll eat them if they are in non-tomato form, like tomato soup, non-chunky salsa and pureed in marinara. Anyway, my first run in with this tasty spread happened one afternoon at the local Price Chopper (nice name for our local market, eh?) a few months back. I was delightfully surprised! (Truthfully, I am tired of seeing this recipe stuck on my fridge with a magnet, so I am officially tossing it after this post is over.)
I love bruschetta and I always want to order it when I eat at Italian restaurants, but never feel justified spending over $4-8 bucks for some bread, tomatoes and spices. Here is an easy-make-at-home recipe. It makes a great appetizer for parties!
Bruschetta
6-8 Roma tomatoes, diced or 14 oz canned petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 can (2.5 oz) sliced black olives
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon basil or 2 tablespoon fresh basil, julienned
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Sea Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 loaf Italian Bread
Grated Parmesan cheese
In a bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, garlic, basil, 6 tablespoons EVOO, oregano, salt and pepper. Let it marinate. Meanwhile, preheat your oven (or you can use your bread toaster) and lightly coat one side of the bread with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Then place it on a baking sheet and toast it until it is slightly golden brown.
Spread the tomato mix over the oiled side of the bread, covering almost the whole surface area, and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
I like mine drizzle some balsamic vinegar over the bread just before serving.
RICK PASSED HIS BOARDS!
Some of you were asking for the status of his exam….sorry I left ya hanging! We are both relieved it’s over. Thanks for all your prayers and support!
Cycling, Herbs and Tuna, oh My!
The weather here in Vermont has been nothing but perfect this past week. We had a high of 78 this past weekend and the forecast brings nothing but more good news! Rick and I found ourselves in shorts and t-shirts, asleep on a blanket in the park yesterday. It was incredible! On Saturday, I attended a bar-b-q and nothing says “Summer” like chicken on the grill and potato salad on the table, chips in the bowl, buns all lined in a row, John Legend on the stereo and a little girl slipping on a plate of chicken bones! (They also grilled crab…seriously? It was awesome!) I am so glad the Winter boots are out of sight and Spring has sprung!
Ode to Megan!!!
Megan: HAPPY 26th BIRTHDAY, BABE! I had such a great time picking my favorite pictures of you for this post. You crack me up. You are one of the funniest, most beautiful gals I have ever known and I am so lucky to have you as my sister. I miss you, terribly! I hope this day is filled with wonderful memories and time with family. Gosh, you are wonderful!
Ode To Morgan!!!
My wonderful sister, Morgan, turns 32 today! Morgan, we love you, we miss you and we are so grateful you are alive. I can’t imagine not having you as a sister. You have so many lovely talents and fans world wide. We hope it’s a memorable day for you!
Disneyland and my grandma Betty’s old house…check out the belly shirt!
The Greatest In-Laws of all time!
It was September 21st, 2007 when we last saw Rick’s parents and it was so great to have them in town this past weekend. Their visit was so quick, and I am sad they’re gone already. We had a great time visiting Dakin Farms in Ferrisburgh, the Vermont Folk Rocker in Starksboro, and Vermont’s very own Ben and Jerry’s in Stowe, where it all began. (Speaking of Ben and Jerry’s, be sure to stop by their store for a FREE cone on April 29th. Click HERE for locations.)
I think Rich and Janna fell in love all over again, as we encouraged them to participate in some very cheesy pictures. Deep down, we know they loved it! 😉 What great sports they were! Continue reading
It’s 4:34 a.m.
And my husband is sleeping. I know this is the start of what’s to come: early mornings! He’s on his pediatric rotation at the hospital and I need to go wake him up at 5. I feel like making gingerbread pancakes. Ahh, breakfast rules. I seriously don’t know how to sleep in, and I guess it’s a good thing because I hate alarm clocks (they are so evil) and that’s the only way Rick can get up (so I am his alarm clock). I need to work on getting 8 hours of sleep. 6.5 hours of sleep? Seriously? We went to bed at 10 o’clock last night, hoping to get 7 hours. Ah, gee. The next three weeks he’s got to be at the hospital between 6:30 and 7 a.m. Give me the strength. I know I am morning person (there is something really awesome about being up before the sun rises…and most peeps are still asleep) so I don’t mind it, but when I start yawning at 6 p.m., I know I am in trouble.
Kitchen Knives 101
A few weeks ago Rick and I dropped in William Sonoma to exchange two kitchen knives. A SHUN representative was standing in front of a large maneuverable chopping block. I asked her a few questions and then she handed over her collection of knives to test my chopping/slicing/mincing capabilities on a pile of carrots. What we learned that day has changed how we use of our knives and I deem that information worthy of sharing. I believe the kitchen knife is the single most important kitchen gadget to own. Having said that, I know it’s worth a little extra money to have a great knife that will perform well and last a lifetime!
First things first: The Anatomy of a knife.
Penny Cluse Lemon-Cornmeal Waffles
It’s Conference Weekend and that means WAFFLES! I grew up in a home where hot Belgian waffles (coated with strawberries and whipped cream) were served on Sunday morning, along with a multitude of other breakfast foods. I have since carried that tradition into my new marriage. I share with you an incredibly delicious waffle recipe from our local Penny Cluse Cafe. (I have heard wonderful things about this cafe. I have yet to frequent the cafe, but I will soon.) This recipe is filled with all things delicious: lemon, cornmeal, and maple syrup. It’s so tasty, this recipe made its debut in The Official Vermont Maple Cookbook. (More maple recipe coming soon…)
Penny Cluse Café Lemon-Cornmeal Waffles
Makes A LOT
A hearty waffle with a nice toothsomeness from the coarse cornmeal. These waffles are especially delicious in June and July when native strawberries are available to put on top with whipped cream.
Mix Dry
2 cups flour
2 cups medium coarse grind cornmeal
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs baking powder
2 tsp salt
Mix Wet
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup Vermont maple syrup
2 tbs lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
Mix the wet and dry, then add 1 cup of melted butter.
Pour into a lightly coat hot waffle iron and cook until done. A good sign of a thoroughly cooked waffle is when the steam starts to die off. Once the waffle iron is opened (and your waffle is still not done) it’s hard to continue cooking it and have it still be light and fluffy. I halved the recipe and made 4-5 round waffles. Good luck and enjoy this recipe!
It’s Sugarin’ Season in Vermont!
Pure Maple Syrup. Those 3 words make my salivary glands perk right up! As previously mentioned, I could live off maple syrup alone. It is the queen of all things sweet! I knew maple syrup pretty much leaks out of trees in Vermont, it is so abundant. However, I had no clue how maple sap ends as syrup. Before moving here, I pictured a burley man sitting next to his maple tree, “collecting” his syrup. (“Collecting” is a loose term, since I really had no idea how it was collected.)
It’s a Girl!-April Fools!
UPDATE: I have been receiving emails regarding the baby that isn’t coming…so I had to completely delete the post, since it’s no longer April 1st and that joke, I suppose, isn’t funny anymore. Although, come to think if it, the idea of baby gifts arriving on our doorstep is a novel idea, I mean granted, we’ll have kids sometime….
This video is for keeps, though. I haven’t laughed this hard in a long while…
Rick + Vanessa + Bridgette + August 
