Two Tickets to Paradise

Corn & Ham Pasta Salad

Quirky combinations are born when you cook with what you have on hand, like these two quick meals.  Starting with this pasta salad featuring fresh corn, chunks of ham, tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives, tiny shells, green apple, herbs and bleu cheese. Each bite bursts with all of the freshness of the individual ingredients, so just a squeeze of lemon, olive oil and salt and pepper is needed.  The success of this salad is getting each item the same size, and that is small.  So small that you may want to eat it with a spoon.  People say this too often, but this truly does taste like a party in your mouth.

Chili Mac and Cheese - using leftover queso!

I thought to make a quick pot of turkey chili with beans but with the addition of my leftover queso transformed this into a delightful Chili Cheese Mac! Less fatty than mac and cheese, creamier than regular chili.  Both proved to be great for adult lunch box meals.

My Freedom I Hold Dear

Corn Porn Salad

I love making salads from the last of the sweet summer corn.  Somehow it becomes more special when you know it's going away.  I made extra and took a bowl to work for lunch.   

                                         

You can't fully appreciate a fresh healthy salad without the juxtaposition of some Strawberry Cake with Whipped Cream, someone once said.   The corner market sells delicious cake and pie by the slice, which is perfect for those of us who like the one and done method.  I'm not comfortable with sweets lying around my home, taunting me.  This was so moist and soft.  I enjoyed it as a last indulgence before my mate returned home from his trip.

Both the largest cauliflower and celery bunches I have ever laid eyes on, were on display today.

Instead of a free-wheelin' time, P's adventure was fraught with turmoil.  It seems some gal T-Boned him in West Virginia and totaled his beloved car.  Then the rest of the time was spent figuring out insurance and how to get back.  A sad end to a cool free ride and way out of this city on weekend getaways.  But like many good things, this wagon came to an end.  RIP, the Paddy Wagon.  Thank God that's the only thing that died out there.

In anticipation of his return and to help ease some of the sorrow, I slow-roasted a pork shoulder with Nigella Lawson's aromatic spice mixture.  The smell would fill the house as I would not be in it when he came home.  I love it when he goes away but I love it more when he comes back. 

Find 100 Ways

Talk about someone who puts things off but can't let things go.  I'm writing this today in April 2016 but didn't want to forget this day August 10th, 2014.  There was a full moon, super bright shining down on my street.

I know I made a slightly dry turkey burger with turkey bacon over Vidalia onion slices.

And I refreshed a salsa with corn and feta cheese, lime juice.

My cat Willie was still alive and even though he and Mona never ever laid together, they did on this day.

I titled this post 2 years ago, was probably going to find a clever way to write about finding a 100 ways to use ground turkey.  You'd be hard pressed to find 30 ways to use it.  As a matter of fact, I have since realized how bad it probably is when at the time it was still the healthy alternative to the red slime that was ground beef.

R.I.P. Willie Johns the cat.