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Freshness

Weekend Project: Painting

I have mentioned this once or twice before, but I am not exactly an experienced do-it-yourselfer. I did lots of crafty things in college (as a sorority girl it was required). In general though, if I know someone else can do it better than me, I might just enlist my “get a guy” strategy. This summer however, I have tried to take on a few small projects to hone new skills. (Remember my garden??) Anyway, this time I decided to take on a small painting project. We have some “art niches” in our entry and they really needed some contrast.

So, we decided on going with a dark contrast color in the back with a slight metallic sheen. The Ralph Lauren paint we chose had a textured roller to create the lovely finish. They had instructions on how to best apply the paint as well.

I did not use a primer in this case because it was a small space and the existing paint was a creamy color and not bright white.

By using a ‘W’ pattern, I got good coverage, then I went back over the paint with the textured roller from top to bottom to create the final effect.

My attempt at removing the tape did not go perfectly, so I took a small brush to cut in.

Overall, I think it came out looking great! Think it’s an improvement??

Kelly

BBQ Chicken Wontons

Beer Can Chicken

Basics: Peeling Tomatoes

Grilled Chicken Salad with Chipotle Vinaigrette

Freshness

North to Alaska

What to Eat: Dog Days of Summer

Like most of the nation, we are feeling the heat this week. I know, I know, I shouldn’t complain. After all, we are in Colorado and have relatively low humidity, but it is still H-O-T. So my usually creative menu is uninspired. I don’t feel like cooking (or even thinking about turning on the stove.) So what to do? Mary had an inspired idea requiring no cooking at all: Poisson Cru. Think sushi-grade tuna with all kinds of goodness. This recipe is inspired by one of our favorite athletes, pro surfer, Laird Hamilton. I find him one of the most inspiring athletes ever. His book is amazing and a great read. This recipe is awesome for a hot day when you don’t want to worry about cooking. It takes about 10 minutes of prep and 15 minutes to marinate. If you have never tried (or prepared) raw fish, this is a great recipe to try. There is so much flavor and the texture is perfect. We served this with toasted French bread, but you could eat it on its own, with crispy won tons, etc. The possibilities are endless. We usually make this more in the Poke style with a teriyaki-like sauce while this incorporates coconut milk in the Tahitian style. Both are wonderful, but I have to say; this hit the spot! How are you beating the heat?

Kelly & Mary

Poisson Cru

Based on ‘Force of Nature‘ by Laird Hamilton

½ C Coconut Milk

½ C Fresh Lime Juice

2 Scallions, Chopped

1 Large Tomato, Diced

1 Small Cucumber, Peeled, Seeded, and Diced

2 Carrots, Diced

*Zest of 2 limes

1 lb. Sushi-grade Ahi Tuna, Cut Into ½” Cubes

Crushed red pepper to taste

Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Fresh mint leaves (optional)

In a large glass bowl, combine the milk, lime juice, scallions, tomato, cucumber, carrots, *zest, salt and pepper.

Add the tuna and let marinate for 15 minutes.

Drain the excess liquid and serve immediately.

Weeknight Dinner: Grilled Chicken Fajitas

I am always looking for ways to make flavorful and healthy dinners during the week. It is always a challenge when you are busy and don’t feel like cooking at the end of the day, so things that can be prepped ahead of time or quickly are always the answer. I often opt for some semi-homemade options to supplement these meals. This is one that is great because it is easy to prepare and you can do pieces early in the day or right before cooking. Plus, you can throw some additional chicken and veggies in to save for lunches later in the week. I like to take the leftover rice and mix in chopped chicken and veggies for a great easy lunch! By skipping the cheese and sour cream included with lots of Mexican food, you can save lots of calories. This has so much flavor, I didn’t miss it. Enjoy!!

Kelly

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

1 Pound Chicken Breasts

2 Red Bell Peppers

1 Green Bell Pepper

1 Zucchini

1 Red Onion, Sliced

1 Avocado

2 T Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Mission Fajita Tortillas

Marinade:

3 T Frank’s Red Hot Wing Sauce

Juice of ½ a Lime

2 T Red Wine Vinegar

1 Clove Garlic, finely chopped

2 Scallions, finely chopped

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Rice:

Near East Spanish Rice

1 Tomato, cubed

Beans:

365 Organic Refried Beans

Jalapeños

Juice of ½ Lime

Cumin

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl and coat chicken with the mixture.

Cover the chicken and refrigerate until ready to grill (ideally 30 min – about 10 hours.) Prep the veggies by cleaning them and cutting them into manageable pieces to grill (quarter the peppers and slice the zucchini lengthwise.) Toss the veggies in 1-2 T olive oil and salt and pepper.

Slice the onion and set aside.

Prepare the rice according to the package directions and add chopped tomatoes after about 10 minutes of cooking.

Add 1 T olive oil to a skillet and cook the onions over med-high heat until golden.

Heat the black beans in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through, stirring in the jalapeños, lime juice, and spices. (Black beans do NOT photograph well, but they taste yummy!)

Grill the veggies and the chicken, let rest for a few minutes then slice into strips.

Heat the tortillas and serve immediately.

PS – When Ali got home late after work, she reinvented this by using lettuce in place of the tortillas which looked Fabulous! Gotta love new ideas! Do you have other ways to do fajitas??