tammy circeo: telling life stories

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

(Since I'm not home this week, I'm not posting the French Fridays for Dorie today ... It was just potatoes in broth anyway so I think you're getting the better end of the deal with this shrimp!)

Fra diavolo means "brother devil" in Italian. This dish gets its name from being spicy, but of course, you can make it however spicy you wish by increasing or reducing the amount of red pepper flakes.

Most recipes I've come across call for onions in the sauce, but I don't care for that so I've always made up my own way of doing it. I finally found one recipe that doesn't call for onions and it belongs to Lydia Bastianich. Of course, she is one of the masters so I found myself feeling rather validated. ;)

The shrimp can be sauteed with olive oil and garlic first, then removed from the pan while you make the sauce. This is how Lidia's recipe reads, but I usually make the sauce first, then add the shrimp so that they cook gently and are super tender. The sauce is a simple garlic and tomato sauce, seasoned generously with red pepper flakes, and finished off with fresh basil.

 

Of course, fra diavolo is served with pasta, but since I'm watching the carb intake, I enjoyed mine with sauteed green beans. Just perfect.

Bon Appetit. Or maybe I should say "Buon Appetito"?

Download Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Ken, if you're reading this, I can't wait to come home and cook for my favorite Italian.

Home

Home ... I've lived in so many places in my life that I learned very early on to be adaptable and find things about each place that endeared it to me. When we first moved to Seattle, I was excited, but frankly, I didn't like it very much and it had to grow on me a bit. Now, I can't imagine not calling this place home.

I'm so happy to be back in the South this week, but I'm missing home, too. I found this beautiful time-lapse video of Seattle to share with you. Hope you enjoy it!

And Ken, if you're reading this, I miss you most.

Shredded Mexican Chicken

I SO wish I had a photo for you for this recipe, but I'm not sure any photo could do the flavor justice. I've been looking for an easy, yet delicious way to make shredded chicken with Mexican flavors and after bringing a few recipes together and tweaking them my own way, "I think I've got it, by George!"

I made this chicken in the crockpot, but you could just as well slow cook it in the oven. I used four skinless, boneless chicken breasts, but you could easily use more or less, or even use chicken on the bone and dark meat, if that floats your boat. I used roasted Hatch chiles that I have in the freezer, but you could use fresh ones, or poblanos, or jalapenos ... or habaneros!

You see, it's your kitchen and you can do what you want. ;)

And then, when the chicken is done, you can use it in homemade enchiladas, taco soup, taco salad, quesadillas, over rice, nachos ... The possibilities are endless You could freeze it for a quick weeknight meal savior. Again, it's your kitchen: do with it what you want.

Accompany it with cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado, fresh limes and cilantro, sour cream ... whatever you want.

Do you see how flexible this is?! You can't afford to not make it! I wrote up a recipe for you, but seriously, don't worry too much about measuring the spices. Just sprinkle them on the chicken and go for it!

Download Shredded Mexican Chicken

Ken, if you're reading this, sorry I ate all of this before I left. I promise to make some more! :)

I'm leaving ...

... on a jet plane.

I'm going to see this crazy, beautiful grandmother of mine.

She is almost fully recovered from her upper respiratory infection so I expect her to be in rare form by the time I get there. I'm sure we'll talk about quilting and designing. She's planning to listen to me play the piano. We'll probably play Mexican Train and she'll win. We'll laugh and tell funnies. I will listen with rapt attention any time she tells a story about her life and I will wish for a photographic memory. To counter the fact that I don't have that kind of memory, I will take plenty of photos and record as much as my feeble brain will remember.

And then we'll sigh ... and cry ... and say good-bye once again.

Wish me a bon voyage!

Ken, if you're reading this, I miss you already!

Le Weekend - 23 January 2012

I guess when it snows, it pours. Or something like that ... the kids had no school all of last week because the white stuff wouldn't stop falling. Then the freezing rain came and immobilized most transportation throughout our area. I wasn't complaining too much since my fridge and pantry were full, my power only went out twice for any length of time, and I have tons to keep me busy at home so that if I never left, I'd still never get caught up!

{Credits: Template-TC-Template15; Papers and Elements: SnowDayKit by PinkPaislee; LynnMarie-White LinensTag01sh; Font: Tammy} [Journaling: Not only did we have a snow DAY ... we had a snow WEEK! We bundled up and got out only once. Our neighbor twins totally attacked Ken with snowballs and he looked a bit like the Abominable Snowman by the time they were finished! I, on the other hand, preferred to maintain my Snowbunny status. :)]

I spent a fair amount of time scrapbooking in quarantine last week. I did two more pages from Christmas ...

[Journaling: The candy cane headband was a hit for our holiday celebration, thanks to Kyle’s mom for making him bring it back from Chicago! They were worn by “almost” everyone!]

{Credits: Template: TC-Template11; Papers: JS-HKS WinterWonderland - AquaRedStripe, GreyRedDot, RedChevron, RedCreamDot, RedCreamStripe; Elements: SnowflakeBanner, WinterTapes, SnowflakeCircle, RedSnowflakeJournaling; Font: CenturyGothic} These two Christmas pages are intended as a double spread.

And then it was Photoshop Friday! Again, Jessica did not disappoint with her template and techniques and I got a photo scrapped that I love.

{Credits: Template-JS012012, includes: Liv-CCWYellowSeedsSpill, BH-originaleditionleaves-3, NRJ-Stitching, SF-Star, CW-Star02, CarinaGardner-dais-paperbits10, Liv-tapeItUpNoted-blank-c, JS-stripedRibbon, SF-MixedBagTape, Delicious. Paper: TC-BlackDamask; Elements: KPertiet-StickPinzRndTag, Bittbox-DestroyedHeraldry, Brusheezy PaintSplatters; Fonts: Amelie, Bebas}  [Journaling: I love that many people often say, “I didn’t even have to ask if she is yours ... you look so much alike   !”
I love that when people say that, you smile   as though it makes you glad.
I hope you know how very proud I am of you, how much your dreams motivate me, and how I wish every good thing  for you.]

Emily and Her Guy spent some time with us this weekend and now we are fully into another week and back on the regular schedule. Most of us will be on the regular schedule anyway ...

I hope you are geared up to have one of the most fabulous weeks you've ever had. I know I am!

French Fridays with Dorie: Quatre Quarts

First thing I have to say is "What a lovely cake!"

Second thing is in response to some of Dorie's notes that state that this is the type of cake a French mother would whip up for her children to enjoy as an afternoon snack ... What?! Those sweet French kids are sure lucky if their mom makes this for their snack. Especially if she flavors it with Cognac. ;)

Truthfully, this cake can hardly get any easier to make if the list of ingredients is any indication: eggs, butter, flour, sugar. Vanilla flavoring, or cognac or brandy if you want, and a little baking powder for the rising. The name "Four Quarters" is such because in theory, there would be equal parts eggs, butter, sugar and flour.

The hard part could be ascribed to the eggs if beating egg whites isn't your thing, but I used the electric mixer for that and the copper bowl for whipping the egg yolks and sugar.

I found that I needed to mix a little of the melted, cooled butter in before I got a good whip going because the egg yolks and sugar clumped up in the whisk.

Folding the egg whites in can be delicate, but again, it's not terribly difficult.

A little sprinkle of brown sugar on the top before baking ensured a beautiful crunchy crust.

Dorie warned that it would be dry according to our standards, but the inside was fabulously soft and moist, unlike most homemade French cakes I ate while living there which were most often burnt on the outside and dry on in the in.

After a few bites, Ken said, "I think that's my new favorite cake." I must agree that it is supremely delicious even without any sauce, fruit, or ice cream. Perfect for an afternoon snack as well as a special dessert.

Dorie's description was excellent: "a cake with a lovely crumb, a light spring, the comforting flavor of basic ingredients, and a look so sweet and plain that you'd think the cake had the word home etched into its slightly domed top."

If you're new around here or are wondering what French Fridays with Dorie is ... It's an effort to use one of Dorie's recipes from her cookbook Around My French Table each week. The recipes are decided on by popular vote on the website French Fridays with Dorie. Purchase your book HERE and play along! According to the rules of the group, I'm not allowed to post the actual recipe ... mes regrets.)

French Fridays with Dorie: M. Jacques' Armagnac Chicken

A recipe that starts with vegetables, seasonings, fresh herbs being lightly sauteed in a large pot ...

... and continues with chicken nestled in, and cognac poured over it, then baked at a high temperature for a short time ...

... is a recipe that I will have a hard time ignoring. This dish was a soulful, warming, almost stew-like comfort that I'm sure I'll turn to again and again. As Dorie suggested the classic combination of Armagnac and prunes, I put some in the dish just before popping it in the oven. They dissolved down and added a slight sweetness to the sauce that was just perfect. The vegetables cooked just enough to be tender and the potatoes were very soft without being mealy. I chose to use split chicken breasts on the bone rather than a whole, cut chicken simply because no one in my family cares very much about dark meat. The flavor was not compromised and the meat was very tender.

[I'm getting this year off to a rockin' start in that the first two recipes for French Fridays are being posted a week en retard. So sorry. Don't give up on me yet, though ... tomorrow's will be on time!]

If you're new around here or are wondering what French Fridays with Dorie is ... It's an effort to use one of Dorie's recipes from her cookbook Around My French Table each week. The recipes are decided on by popular vote on the website French Fridays with Dorie. Purchase your book HERE and play along! According to the rules of the group, I'm not allowed to post the actual recipe ... mes regrets.)

Snow Day Scrapping

What do we do around here when it snows? We snuggle in, sleep late, drink coffee, watch the flakes fall, and run in the backyard with Goldie ... then scrapbook it all!

{Credits: Template: JS-PSF-011312; Papers: JS-HKS-WinterWonderland - TurqLattice, GreyStars, AnotherStripe, LedgerRed; Elements: JS-HKS-WinterWonderland -  TurqDamaskJournaling, SnowLoveCircle, Canvas Banner, LIV-TapeItUpNotedBlank; Fonts: Bebas, VTOldRemington}

This page was done using the template and instructions from Jessica Sprague's Photoshop Friday 01-13-2012. You can purchase each Friday's class separately ($2.99 each), you can subscribe for the entire year ($70), or you can also subscribe for a quarter at a time ($26). No matter when you subscribe, you'll have access to all the classes moving forward as well as those you've already missed. Subscribing for the entire year is ALMOST a half-price deal and you also get a super-huge kit full of all the digi-goodies Jessica uses in her examples. And by the end of the year ... you'll have a full arsenal of techniques at your fingertips!

This was from the first week's lesson:

{Credits: JS_PSF_0100612; JS-HKS-ClippedCornerPhotoMask, SnowflakeCircle, WinterTapes, TurqCreamStar, LedgerRed, GreyTextDamask, ChristmasPick, ScallopedCanvasBorder, SnowflakeBanner}

So what are you waiting for?! Join in on the fun!

 

Le "Snowy" Weekend - 16 January 2012

[I must first offer apologies to anyone who went to kaboks.com on Saturday for the sale and couldn't get through. Apparently, the sale didn't happen due to internet outage. I've been informed that you'll be able to get those items at the sale price next weekend.]

And now, on to our wintry weekend! We had quite a few obligations with our kids this weekend so Ken and I celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary in a rather low key kind of way. We had lunch at Tablas, a Spanish tapas restaurant in our town center ... totally appropriate since he and I met in Spain. ;) We also visited a favorite antiques place and bought our anniversary gift there ... a mantle clock.

And then this happened ...

Goldie loves the snow and I think some of my favorites photos of her are ones I've taken in the snow.

We ended up with about a foot of snow over two evenings, we lost power twice, and there are flurries again as I type. This could be an interesting week!

Saturday Sweets

Saturday Sweets! 

KaBoks is putting some super sweet stuff on sale every Saturday. This week it is Cloudy Chais' "Safari. So Good" Papers ...

... CherAnn's "Thinking of You" papers ...

And my very own Sweet Stuff Elements Pack! So Sweet. (The artwork in this kit was done by my daughter ... LOVE that ice cream cone!)

Hop over to www.kaboks.com/blog to get all the details!

And have a Sweet Saturday!