#2 Friday Food: Lemon Saltimbocca

What is Saltimbocca? Besides being Simply Delicious. Taken from (WizeGeek).

In Italian, saltimbocca means “to jump in the mouth,” which is supposed to be a reference to the fact that the dish is so good that it literally jumps into the diner's mouth. It is made by wrapping the meat of choice in thinly wrapped prosciutto, adding some sage leaves, and then marinating the meat in a mixture which varies, depending on the nation where the dish is being prepared. Then, the saltimbocca is sauteed, and served with its own drippings; capers may be added as well, in some regions.
As a general rule, the meat is pounded, to make it extremely tender. Pounding also softens the meat, allowing it to absorb more of the marinade and more of the drippings during the cooking process. As you might imagine, saltimbocca is not by any means low in fat, and the fats are part of what make the dish so rich and flavorful.


Lemon Saltimbocca (serves 4)

4 skinless chicken breast
4 sliced prosciutto
4 slices lemon
1 Tbls Flour
1 1/2 Tbls Olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
2 Tbls unsalted butter
1 Tbls chopped parsley

Season the chicken with salt & pepper, use a rolling pin pound the chicken breasts to flatten slightly. Wrap a piece of prosciutto around each breast. Top with a slice of lemon, secure with a toothpick. Sprinkle chicken with flour to lightly coat.
Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat.
Add chicken and cook 4-5 minutes each side until cooked through. Remove & Place chicken on a plate. Add wine to the skillet and simmer over high heat until reduced by half. Add butter and parsley and stir until butter is melted. Drizzle sauce over chicken. Remove toothpicks and serve with vegetable or salad leaves, if desired. I steamed yellow wax beans from the garden.
Bon Apetite!

Diary of my long short day

Exhaling! ahhhhhhhhhhh

Ever had one of those days when you start something late and it takes all day to accomplish? After getting a late morning start this morning (8:00) Yes I slept in... drank my morning coffee and looked over the list of things I hoped to accomplish today... Checking them off as I completed them. Wondering do you do this? Well any ways, I managed to jump right into my domestic goddess apron, Yes I changed from my pajamas to shorts & top first, it was kinda hot today. Brushed my teeth and went to collect eggs (6 today.) Fed the girls & the quail, and returned to read my email... Of course it was on the list.

Then I put a load, no two loads of laundry in to wash & hung to dry. I love to hang my clothes.

Back to the list.... sat for 15 minutes and drank a iced coffee while thumbing through recipes for the calimari I plan to cook tonight, and eggplant... Pickled the beets I cooked yesterday, boy the house smells nice.... then decided to rearrange my cookbooks, since a new one came today Thank you Mr UPS, and Amazon used books..."Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home". Quickly thumbed through it marking a couple pages.... continued checking off the list, discarded old spices and rearranged them in my cupboard moving into the pantry re arranged all my canned goods on the shelves when I realized its nearly 4Pm and its hot inside & outside, turned on A/C and fan.. Checking if I smell as bad as I think I do or if its the combination of cumin and garlic powder spilled in the drawer... My goodness how did I get on that subject?... I hurried outside took all the laundry off the line & folded it as I did... hauled the huge over flowing basket of Fresh air scented clothes & towels in and put them away... and now my followers I am sitting with my list almost all checked off... gotta get the dinner started and realized I didnt eat breakfast or lunch.. I only had a few bits of cheese & a few bites of summer sausage. ( took them off Clays lunch plate.. am I running on fumes from dinner last night? It has a long busy short day and I still have 6 hours before my bedtime... do I have time to shower? I think that would be a good idea... It's kinda hot & smelly here....and shoot maybe I will put on my jammies early they are sunshine fresh.... and have a glass of chilled wine, and a snack before dinner..... yes, thats what I am thinking.....

Summer is ending.

There is a definate sign of fall coming. The weather is cool in the mornings and the midgies are here.. pesky bugs that arrive this time of the year. They are only here a month and then gone but at night fall, I cannot leave my windows open as they love to squeeze through even the smallest screens....
This morning as I drank my coffee, I saw from my kitchen window a visiting doe that wandered by in search of breakfast. The fields around our house are turning golden brown & she blends in quite well with the dry grasses, Soon it will be hunting season and she will be hiding in the taller grasses. I really do not like the idea of hunting season, although I know all the reasons it exists. Fortunately, this doe if she stays around these parts will be relatively safe. I have seen her sisters with their babies gleaning from the fields as well.

As the early morning hours passed, I went out to the garden and picked a few things ready myself. I do love this time of the year when the garden produces its fruit & veggies. I get anxious to can & freeze the bountiful supply. My 10 chickens are also contributing to the feasts, laying 5 -6 eggs a day now. My days will be filling as the harvest time approaches quickly but first we will take a short road trip to the Oregon coast in a couple weeks.. and I do hope my tomatoes will be ripening by the time we return ... I have no more salsa and that is first on my list to do along with my dilly beans. Yes, Summer is fading and Fall is not far away. Time to bring out those sweet vanilla & spice candles too I am thinking...

Shelter in the Corn...

This morning when we managed to get out to the garden bundled in my sweatshirt and warm pants, socks & shoes.* it was mighty cold for us here in Klamath Falls ..... only 43 degrees and windy.* The sun had just cleared the mountain as it has been doing by 7:30a each morning.. I have hurt my back and slowly managed to work my way to the back door to go to the chicken coop. As I counted my "girls" all 10 were in sight... and also to my surprise were about 40 quail in my garden gleening anything the chickens had scared their way. I managed to get this picture of a few that didn't see me approach. Look close they are sheltered under my corn rows. I have noticed a bit more activity throughout the day as frogs and many different birds have found shelter here... also to my surprise and I am as greatful as the birds that My garden has flourished nicely having ammended it with topsoil & manure this spring. I have corn & squash, yellow wax beans *galore * beets and potatoes. I managed to pick a few of those beans for dinner carefully squatting instead of bending as instructed by my masage therapist.. Again today I had an appointment with her and tonight I must say Hurt worse than I did when I went there this morning. But that was to be expected after the work over she gave me.. So its back into the hot tub to soak, I think I shall have a glass of wine..*medicinal purpose* and hopefully tomorrow will be feeling better.. at least the birds will be happy... because I threw some extra treats their way into the shelter of the corn. There is a frost warning...can you believe that? And its going to be upper 80's next week... I do hope my back is better so I can get out and enjoy the warmth for a bit longer....Clay wants to go boating...

#1 Food Friday Shrimp & Scallops with Sweet Peppers

As promised My first entry in the Friday Food Chapter.

Living in the Pacific Northwest again I am aware of fresh seafood which my husband & I both love. Sweet Bay Scallops and Shrimp are probably our favorite tied with Dungeness Crab. The recipe I created is a blend of one I found in a Northwest cookbook (creator
unknown) and adusted to my my liking and it is printed below. The
cooking time was under 30 minuites. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Please feel free to leave your review in my comment space.













Recipe:

Northwest Scallops & Shrimp with Sweet Peppers.

1 lemon
12 oz spaghetti

1/2 cup salted butter
1/4 good olive oil
1 each-small green, red & yellow sweet peppers
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1-pound large raw shrimp, peeled & devained
3/4 lb petite bay scallops
1 can chicken broth
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup fresh grate dparmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste

With zester, cut the peel from lemon and slice into fine shreds
Reserve zest & juice
Cook spaghetti in water for about 9 minutes until al dente
Drain, rinse and drain again
Heat butter & olive oil in a 12 inch skillet on med-high heat
Add all sweet peppers, garlic & hot pepper flakes
Cook stirring about 1 minute. Remove peppers and add scallops, shrimp and lemon zest and shreds to the empty skillet.
Stir for 2 minutes, add chicken broth cover and leave for about 5 minutes until shrimps have cooked, they will turn pink and the scallops will be opaque. Be careful not to over cook the seafood.
Return Pasta to the pan you cooked it in and top with the scallops, shrimp and peppers and lemon threads.
Toss with cilantro and salt & pepper to taste.
Turn heat to low to heat intil hot.
Serve immediately topping each serving with parmesan cheese.
Bon Apetite!
I pared this dish with a Barefoot Pinot Grigio.

Fired up the grill....

Yes, I know I said I was going to Blog about Food on Friday's but what's a farm girl to do when her husband plops a package of frozen hamburger on the counter shortly after breakfast & states he would like a" juicy" burger for dinner? While the meat thawed I spent part of my morning looking through cookbooks for something "special" to do with this request. Coming to the conclusion that all he wants is a nothing special burger except it must be "juicy"I marked a few pages for future reference, in various cookbooks and returned them to the shelf. With, no recipe required I stared at the thawed raw ground mass of beef, pondered over simple spices, sprinkled it with a mesquite pepper, reached in my spice cupboard for "Emerils' Essence" which I had prepared a month ago from his recipe given on the Food Network. I love the stuff, & sprinkled heavily I must admit. I formed two rather large 1/2 lb patties and as an after thought gingerly dusted each with garlic powder, covered these with a sheet of saran wrap & waited for the "hubby chef" to fire up the grill... the first challenge I could see (because I hate huge burgers that you cannot get your mouth around and thought I had really screwed up in building of the designer juicy burger).. knowing full well the "Juicy" part would be dripping down the front of my shirt, but to my surprise the fresh and soft Kaiser rolls I purchased for deli sandwiches was the perfect touch. I laced my burger with tomatoe, lettuce, sliced dill pickles, and the chef had toasted the "bun with the cheddar cheese to perfection. The only condiment needed was a spread of mayonaise, and ketchup. I was truely amazed at the creation, it was indeed juicy and squished down (when patted) to a perfect size to put in my pie hole.. Yummy! So my dear readers, I do plan on a bit more creative palate pleasers come Friday, but this burger was darn good and the bun was very light and flakey. Bon Apetite!

Good Movie

Ok so I am no Julia Childs or Julie Powers but at my daughters suggestion Clay & I went to see the movie late this afternoon. We found it very entertaining and I could relate to Julie on several occasions trying new recipes. I would never take on a J & J project but would like to start a Friday Blog about Recipes I find challenging. I do love to cook and Would find it very worth my while to try a few new recipes.. Clay of course will be my official taster... So starting this Friday My Blog shall consist of a recipe I find. I have many cook books to choose from so as it has been said many times "Bon Apetite!"

Sure is Quiet....

This was a quiet 2 minutes, Second picture is of the boys climbing on the dirt mound, just before getting in the car to head home.. and then buckled up for the ride home. Pj is armed with a gallon of ice tea and cheese sticks, first stop will be the corner grocery for more road snacks and a few "potty stops" a very long 7 hours with two active kids in the car... A good thing she is young and has patience and a Good working CD player in the car. We loved seeing them and we will miss them. ... Really.. Yes we will.

Entertaining the boys

They arrived and we had a few surprises for them. One being they got to paint the family picnic table. Quite a project and it turned out pretty darn good. Mom (Pj ) & I stand watching the young artists at work. Peyton 8 and Mason 6 added their signatures to the finished work. Tomorrow we go to the fair, ( the poor chickens & Buster need a few hours of peace & quiet,) Mason wanted to know if he could "watch the chickens lay their eggs" Of course we said sure....thinking that will keep him in one place for awhile...... But he couldnt wait in the coop for more than 5 minutes, quickly he joined his brother to racing each other in the driveway on their scooters. Grandpa Clay will accompany us tomorrow for sure, since it was his idea.... These kids take a lot of energy, and this grandma is trying hard to keep up.....More pictures to follow....

Magic in many forms.

Like magic, Mother nature has had her hand in making the morning cool temperatures of 58 degrees to 100 degrees as it is right now on my porch. I find it quite comfortable however sitting inside with the air conditioner humming away. Today is August 1st. Summer is here until maybe mid September.

I just got word that the Denver Post has an article about my son in it today. That is really "hot" News. http://www.denverpost.com/lifestyles/ci_12969078 That is my magician son performing today.

I promised to blog what's going on and right now that is it. I was off my feet all week with awful back pain. But, after Ice treatments ( including those in a glass with vodka & tonic) I am much better today. I must also give some credit to the help of my massage therapist as she magically had her hands on a few tricks to relieve my sore muscles this morning. Next week, We have company coming and I have lots of things to do to get our home ready for my daughter Pj and her two youngest grandsons . I must feel well enough to work some of my own "grandma magic" with entertaining them. I will be posting pictures of their visit for sure. Right now though, a tall glass of that magical " Ice tonic" would taste good, and I can't help but wonder

if my wonderful husband will make dinner magically appear?

Summer is here! Blogging is slow

To all my followers:
I must explain what's going on with my blogging.
It is Summer, I am extremely busy and not at my computer like in the spring but I will be be again in the fall again. I have been gardening, boating, fishing, camping, traveling nearly every week somewhere for fun just spending time with family and friends along with the duties of Blue Sky Farm.
My grandson Alex is here right now and he will be celebrating his 16th birthday with us. We just returned froma really nice weekend at Cresent Lake. Amazing what goes on in the mind of a teenager these days, Clay has enjoyed him as much as I have. Alex is a good kid and very helpful. Of course he knows he is earning money doing all these chores we have declared his responsibility.. He has even had a couple driving lessons with Clay. Driving the boat and both of our cars.. and now on a sad note, After great debating a decision was made to give Auggie to another family, He was just too rough and too
big to play with Buster. He required more than Clay or I could give him. We are sure he will be happy running and playing with bigger dogs on a busy ranch.
We do have some nice pictures of him and funny memories. Buster does seem to be happier again in his own space.
I will try to pop on here weekly to update the blog. Have a great Summer and Play safe.

From Buster's viewpoint

My dad hooked up the boat and told me to get in the car, I never miss this opportunity.. when he says "Go I GO... but

Of course we had to take Auggie too.. Let me tell you about our ride.
"So we got this boat to go boating in.. I am not afraid cuz I have been in a boat before with my dad... Here I am sitting down up in the bow area..* thats the front " of the boat and my spot.

The water in Lake Klamath looks deep but it isn't...this time of the year it is really green from yukky algie my mom says. and nobody swims in it.. we didn't go really fast but of course Auggie is a fraid, my mom picked him up and put him in the back. (that's where he sits) Then our mom took this picture of the boat moving. Auggie did eventually move to the front by her and went to sleep.

He missed out on this pretty view and the birds that we saw on the lake. Next time maybe he will like it better. It sure was a pretty day to take our first ride. My dad said we are going to bring along a bed for Auggie next time, to sleep on..and He said we would be going fishing... (I wonder if Auggie will like that?) What is fishing any way?

Created A special quiet place..ahhhhhhhhhhh!

The perfect Spot for sitting on a hot summer day... My own "girlie retreat" for sipping afternoon tea or early evening wine...I do not know why I never thought of this spot before, It is perfect for a quiet place to read, thumb through magazines, outside with the birds, flowers. The edge of the pond is right there, Singing Red winged black birds, meadow larks, pretty butterflies & dragon flies flutter and cat tails & juniper shade me . I want to build a small bridge walk way down the 4 feet to the edge of the pond, and plant some flowers in pots. The begining of my own space to reflect, read and relax with nature. I have been thinking of where I can sit and enjoy the pond.. it was right in front of my nose... and only steps from my front foor. The dogs love retreiving sticks thrown in pond and playing in the water to cool off. And there are many other plans for this space.....Don't you think?

It our new toy for the lake.

Finally made the purchase.


We now will have water travel. Since we live here so close to being on the Klamath Lake and other nearby lakes we can camp & take the boat out for better fishing,...It is a 15 ft aluminum boat, with a 25 horse Johnson power motor, and another for trolling on chosen lakes. The previous " captain " kept it in great working order. I really think we will enjoy the benefits of having the boat. So when do we go fishing? I am ready! the weather is great and there are fish in those lakes... Buster will love to ride in it too... not sure if Auggie will like it though... he's kinda afraid of loud noises... we shall see....

Road trip

I have been busy this past month, I wanted to share with you a few pictures I took on the recent trip Gail & I took. My youngest daughter graduated from Central Washington University on June 13th. I invited Gail along for company on the 7 hour road trip. We truly felt like Thelma & Louise on the road in my Chrysler convertible and had a great time. Pj graduated with honors and her family proudly posed with her. She could not have completed her BA without her son Alex who fed, bathed, & cared for Peyton & Mason while Mark worked at his job and Pj worked and went to classes during the day & some evenings. She created a real prize in that one..

On our way home we stopped when & where we wanted and often to capture some great photos. This one of the homestead was taken in Kent Oregon, we pulled off the road and took this great shot, We couldn't help wondering what stories these old walls hold. The old gas station I am sure must have also been a store.

We continued along to the town of Saniko, a small quaint western town trying to stay alive. Fortunately for us, it was a nice day and a few shops were open. We actually crossed paths with another couple of gals from Klamath Falls, they had been antiquing in BC. After talking to them about Mary Jane they have emailed me that they are interested in joining the Klamath falls Charming chicks..* Small world out there*

There were some old buildings with wooden wagons, a jail, and this old truck was parked off off the main street.in front of an old Blacksmith shop of earlier years.

We met a sweet gal minding her shop called the "Ranch Woman.."She painted on barnwood , and a few quaint items for sale. We enjoyed our visit with her.

It was one of many to come days that Gail & I can enjoy as we travel the back roads of Oregon on our way to the Mary Jane Farm Fair July 3rd- 5th. I promise to post lots of pictures.

Gone fishing!

I told you we were going fishing with Gail, And we did! We had a great day outting. Clay caught this fish the first one of the day to make it to the inside of the boat. I had a nice on on but it jumped off the hook as I got it to the boat.. Fishing was good. I caught all the ones total of 3 that were just under the keepable size....Gail continued to catch 4 & and actually the biggest one of the day. They were gorgeous trout. This one was about 16 inches long. No picture taken for some reason but Gail's was much heavier. It started to cloud up & rain but we did have a great day out onthe lake. Thank you Again Gail for spending the day with us and the use of your boat. We definately want to go again. We cooked our trout for dinner last night and it was delicious !

A great anti-pasta platter

I have been thumbing through recipe books for cocktail party canapes. I prepared this one saturday night when I entertained Saturday night.. Not only does it look great, it was delicious.

A pretty platter of Artichoke with Aioli , Sweet roasted red peppers, salomi and olives.

I Paired it with a nicely chilled 2007 Oregon King Estates Pino Gris. No fuss and easy to make.

Easy Lemony Aioli Recipe:

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup Light mayonaise or salad dressing

1 T lemon fresh lemon juice

dash of chili powder.

Prepare artichokes & steam in water, with whole or sliced lemon wedges, two garlic whole garlic cloves. * Drain and allow to cool . Peel outer leaves and set aside while you chop the heart of the artichoke and fold into the mayonaise mixture. Spoon a dollop of the aioli onto edge of each artichoke leaf, or serve in individual dipping bowls. Enjoy

Many family Celebrations in June

My sister Judy & her husband Al and Clay & I at dinner in Klamath Falls Friday Night. They were here visiting us for the weekend from Arizona. We were celebrating our 3rd Wedding Anniversary.

The month is full of celebrations as our families prepare for their futures. My oldest daughter, Nancy graduates from University of Washington with an MBA, her husband Simon also graduates with his MBA from Oregon Technical Institute along with her son Jacob graduating from Highschool. My youngest daughter PJ graduates with her BA from Central Washington University. My dear friend Gail and I will drive to Washington to see her accept her diploma . I was unable to attend the ceremony for Nancy, Simon or Jacob, but We plan to get together in July to celebrate their accomplishments.

Next week I will quickly repack and on Tuesday June 16th, We will Drive to Las Vegas where on the 20th Clay's daughter Stephanie will be married at the Excaliber Hotel & Casino. The Severeide clan will join us for the event. A very busy month for sure. We look forward to this family reunion, and I will post those pictures when I return.

and Here's Charlie

So I must brag a bit. This is one of the latest pictures of my youngest grandson Charles. He is now pushing towards his 8th month birthday. His parents are so good about keeping me up to date with the latest photos. This was taken last weekend at the other grandparents cabin. Charlie is wearing daddy's fishing hat. No just tell me is he cute or what? More photos are posted on Charlies blogsite. you can click onthe site from my lsit of blogs. Please feel free to check out the photos..& I know they will make your day.. ( they sure do mine)

ahhhh! Home Sweet Home

A picture perfect evening tonight,
With my camera close I jumped at the opportunity to record again, why we love living here on Blue Sky Farm. (#1) is of our pond where two Mallards have returned making it a sure sign of Spring. I looked from my Kitchen window I was able to capture the stillness just after a short rain shower.(#2) Look at that Rainbow, and you can see the pot of gold is right at the pond. These two shots are out the front of the house. On my way back to the house from the pond shots above the back yard fence is a (#3)view of the sky over Klamath Lake lastly (#4) a metal basket of spring greets us with Home Sweet Home at the front entry.