Alaska

I recently go back from a beautiful trip to Alaska.  I thought I would take  a break from my standard blogging and share some photos of this beautiful place with you.

Church in Sitka

Swan Lake in Sitka

Whales

Whale 

Whale Tail

Whale Tail

Iceberg

Tracy Arm

White Pass Railroad in Skagway

Panning For Gold

Skagway

Building in Skagway Front Covered in Driftwood

Becky Getting on a Float Plane

Getting off the Float Plane

Eagle With Dinner

On Last Photo of Ketchikan

Our Home Away From Home

Dried Cherries

I have been getting things back to normal at home.  We just got back from our Alaskan Vacation - more to come in later posts.  Any way, my youngest, Tim was outside playing and he told me that the cherries needed picking.  I wasn't too worried about getting to it right away. That Cherry tree hasn't  produced  many cherries in the past.  Tim kept insisting I came out and check out the Cherry tree. When I went out  I was in for a huge surprise.  The tree was loaded with cherries.  We immediately got busy picking the cherries.

Some Cherries From Our Tree

Once the cherries were picked and washed, Tim asked what we were going to do with all the cherries.     One thing I was going to do was dry some cherries.  I love dried cherries.  Wheather it be for snacking, baking, or using as a topping for oatmeal, yogurt, I am always finding uses for them.

I immediately set out to find my dehydrator.  Once the dehydrator was located,  I went to work.  Dehydrating cherries is very simple.  Start  by pitting the cherries and slicing them in half.  Set them on the dehydrator trays cut side up.  Leave some space between the cherries so they are not touching.     Look at the manufacturer's directions for what temperature and how long you should dehydrate your cherries.   I set my temperature to 135 degrees F and left them in the dehydrator for  10-12 hours.     The end the result should be cherries that are leathery and a little sticky.

Do you need a dehydrator to dry cherries - no.  I found  a well written easy to follow procedure for drying cherries on  the kitchn blog.  You can find the recipe here.

My Dehydrator

Delicious Result

Cantaloupe Agua Fresca

With the days being warmer and spending more time outside it is nice to have a cool refreshing beverage to drink.  This year, I am trying to steer away from sugary drinks for the kids.  A little sugar or honey is fine but I want to avoid the cokes, overly sweet teas, etc.

I recently have developed a fascination with agua frescas.  They are so simple to make and taste so delicious and refreshing.   Best of all - they are naturally sweet.   Today, I made some Cantaloupe Agua Fresca.  I just took about a 3 pound melon, diced it and put it in a blender with some water.   I strained  the cantaloupe to remove the pulp.  Pour the juice into a pitcher, add a little sugar and some lemon juice.  Stir, chill, pour over ice  and you have yourself a tasty and refreshing beverage.



Cantaloupe Agua Fresca
Ingredients:

1 (3 pound) cantaloupe cut into a large dice
3 cups water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar

Directions:

1. Process the cantaloupe in batches with a small amount of the water.  Strain the cantaloupe puree using a fine mesh strainer into a large pitcher.
2. Add the remaining water, lemon juice, and sugar.  Stir well.
3. Chill for about 1 hour.  Taste and add more sugar if necessary.   Serve over ice.

Makes 1 1/2 quarts

Cherry Couscous Salad

This salad is quite lovely, colorful, and delicious.  I love the flavors of the fresh tarragon, olives and the fresh cherries.  The Israeli couscous used in this salad adds a nice chewy texture to the salad.  When you bite into the fresh cherries you get a nice refreshing sweet taste.  All in all, this is delicious salad perfect for spring and summer days.


I found this recipe in "Food & Wine" magazine and it is so simple and quick to prepare.  The cooking time is about 13 minutes.  You start by heating some olive oil in a saucepan.  Add the Israeli couscous and cook for about 3 minutes.  To the Couscous you add water and cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Once all the liquid has been absorbed you transfer the couscous to a bowl.  To the couscous you add pitted cherries (I cut mine into quarter), chopped black olives, lemon juice, fresh tarragon.  Season with salt and pepper.  Your salad is ready to serve.  Enjoy.



Cherry Couscous Salad
From Food & Wine Magazine

In a saucepan, cook 1 1/2 cups Israeli Couscous  in 1 tablespoon olive oil over moderate heat, stirring, 3 minutes.   Add 2 cups water, cover and cook for 10 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in 1 1/2 cups pitted cherries, 1/2 cup chopped black olives, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/4 cup chopped tarragon;  season with salt and pepper.

Broccoli Stir Fry With Ginger and Sesame

I love broccoli.  Getting other members of the family to eat it is another story at times.  When I prepare broccoli, I like to enhance the natural flavors.  This is  why I love this recipe I found on "Simply Recipes" website.

 This  recipe combines broccoli with the flavors of ginger, sesame, and garlic.  The result is an extremely flavorful veggie side.  The broccoli is stir fried quickly in some high smoke-point cooking  oil with minced garlic and ginger.  A sauce is then poured over the broccoli that consists of chicken broth, sesame oil, and soy sauce.   The broccoli is cooked in the sauce until fork tender and then removed with a slotted spoon.  The sauce is reduced and the broccoli added back to the sauce reduction.  Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve.

Every bite is bursting with flavor.  This recipe is a family pleaser at my house.  You can find this delicious recipe here.

Happy Mother's Day

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Please take a moment to view this video.  It is wonderful.  It brought tears to my eyes when I saw it at our church.  

Salmon Patties

I remember eating Salmon Patties as I was growing up.  I haven't made them as much for my family as my mom did.  I don't know why, we all like them.  They are also very easy to make and quick.    Most of the ingredients you can find in your pantry.

I start by combining two cans of salmon with some minced garlic, spices, a beaten egg, and some breadcrumbs.  Mix them all together and form into patties.  Heat some oil in a skillet and fry the patties until they are golden brown.  Flip and repeat.

The patties are ready to serve.  I usually serve mine with a veggie and some rice.  I garnish with a lemon slice.  My older son likes to treat them like a salmon burger.   To his bun he adds some tarter sauce and some lettuce.  Which way you eat them it doesn't matter, they are delicious:)

Salmon Patties
Ingredients:
2 (6 ounce) cans salmon, undrained and flaked
1 clove of garlic minced
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 egg slightly beaten
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
1. In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients together, except the oil.
2. Form the salmon mixture into 6 patties.
3. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Cook the patties until browned on both sides.

Serves 6