Saturday, September 12, 2009

Slow Cooker Glazed Pork Roast with Carrots and Corn


1 boneless pork shoulder roast (3 lb)
1 bag (1 lb) ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
2/3 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 cup Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ Niblets® frozen corn







Total Time: 20 min1. If pork roast comes in netting or is tied, remove netting or strings. Remove fat from pork. In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, place pork. Arrange carrots around and on top of pork. In small bowl, mix 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, the honey, vinegar and seasoned salt; pour over pork and carrots.
2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 10 hours.
3. Remove pork and vegetables from cooker; place on serving platter. Cover to keep warm.
4. In small bowl, mix 2/3 cup barbecue sauce and the flour; gradually stir into juices in cooker. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Stir in corn. Cover; cook 5 minutes longer. Serve sauce over pork and vegetables.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.


Did You Know?
The slow cooker is ideal for cooking a pork shoulder since the meat will become moist and fork-tender when cooked for a long time with moist heat.

Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 630 (Calories from Fat 250); Total Fat 27g (Saturated Fat 10g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 145mg; Sodium 830mg; Total Carbohydrate 46g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 28g); Protein 51g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 280%; Vitamin C 8%; Calcium 6%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 2 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Vegetable; 7 Lean Meat; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 3
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

The Gamble House





(My parents have friends who live in an old house in Redondo Beach, Ca., right on the beach also,and they have a stove like this one in the picture. And they still use it!)-Kent
The Gamble House in Pasadena is one of the most significant houses ever built in America, and a quintessential example of the Arts and Crafts movement. The David B. Gamble house, constructed in 1908, is the internationally recognized masterpiece of the turn-of-the-century Arts and Crafts Movement in America. Built for David and Mary Gamble of the Procter and Gamble Company, the house is the most complete and best preserved example of the work of architects Charles Sumner Greene and Henry Mather Greene who made a profound impact on the development of contemporary American architecture.

Greene and Greene broke sharply from the academic traditions of their time, using nature as a guide rather than the dictates of popular historical styles. The design of the Gamble House, while in part inspired by the wood-building vernacular traditions of such cultures as the Swiss and the Japanese, is a unique statement drawn from the life and character of Southern California. Wide terraces and open sleeping porches facilitate indoor-outdoor living, careful siting and cross-ventilation capture the cool breezes of the nearby Arroyo Seco, and broad, overhanging eaves shelter the house from the hot California sun. Wood is celebrated in the Greenes’ use of articulated joinery, exposed structural timbers and shingles which blend sensitively with the landscape.


In the Gamble House, furniture, built-in cabinetry, paneling, wood carvings, rugs, lighting, leaded stained glass, accessories and landscaping are all custom-designed by the architects, and were created in the true hand-crafted spirit of the Arts and Crafts movement. No detail was overlooked. Every peg, oak wedge, downspout, air vent, hardware fitting and switchplate is a contributing part of the design statement and harmonious living environment.



The Gamble House was designed in 1908 by architects Greene & Greene. It was commissioned by David and Mary Gamble, of Cincinnati, Ohio, as a retirement residence.

David Berry Gamble, a second generation member of the Procter and Gamble Company in Cincinnati, had retired from active work in 1895, and with his wife, Mary Huggins Gamble, began to spend winters in Pasadena, residing in the area’s resort hotels. By 1907, the couple had decided to build a permanent home in Pasadena. In June of that year, they bought a lot on the short, private street, Westmoreland Place, passing up the more fashionable address, South Orange Grove, known at that time as “Millionaires’ Row.”

At the same time the Gambles were selecting their lot on Westmoreland Place, a house designed by the firm of Greene & Greene was being built for John Cole on the adjacent property. Perhaps meeting the architects at the construction site, and certainly impressed with the other Greene & Greene houses in the neighborhood, the Gambles met with the brothers and agreed on a commission.

The architects worked closely with the Gambles in the design of the house, incorporating specific design elements to complement art pieces belonging to the family. Drawings for the house were completed in February 1908, and ground was broken in March. Ten months later, the house was completed, the first pieces of custom furniture were delivered, and The Gamble House became home to David Gamble, his wife Mary, and two of their three sons: Sidney and Clarence. (Their son Cecil was 24 at the time, and on his own.) In addition, Mary’s sister, Julia Huggins, came from Ohio to live with the family. By the summer of 1910, all the custom-designed furniture was in place.

Blackened Salmon

I don't know about you, but I like Cajun & Creole food .And especially almost anything blackened. But, not burnt



Blackened Salmon
6 Salmon Fillets, 1/2 − 3/4 inch thick, skinned
2 1/2 cups unsalted butter or margarine
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon dried thyme (do not use fresh − it will burn)
Lemon wedges and Parsley for garnish
Trim off the thin edges of fillets as these would burn. Pat dry
and refrigerate until ready to cook. The butter sauce adheres
better to cold fillets.
In heavy 3−quart cast−iron frying pan over medium heat, melt
butter, add lemon juice, cayenne, salt, black pepper and thyme.
Stir to blend; cool to lukewarm.
Place an empty 10−inch cast−iron skillet over high heat until
bottom has a definite white haze and begins to smoke slightly.
Remove fish from refrigerator; dip 1 fillet in warm butter sauce,
coating well. Place fish in hot skillet, taking care that spits
and spatters do not burn you. Fish will sear and cook almost
immediately. Turn fillet over; blacken other side. Repeat with
remaining fillets.
Reserve remaining butter sauce. As fillets are cooked, place
them on individual plates; keep warm. Discard accumulated butter
sauce in skillet and charred bits between batches. When all
fillets have been cooked, wipe skillet clean and place empty
skillet back on heat. Add reserved butter sauce; carefully swirl
skillet 5 or 6 times to blacken butter. Remove pan from heat;
drizzle butter over each fillet. Garnish and serve hot.
Blackened

The Weekend!!


Well, we all made it to the weekend (whew!)That's always nice, especially if you have to be in an office environment all week. Only problem is weekend tend to go by rather quickly. I myself,especially as I have increased in the number of years i have been alive(gotten older), find that I really enjoy fall and winter more than I used to. Of course I am sure there are those of you that would say"that's easy for you living in California". And I suppose to some extent that is true. But i still enjoy the cool weather. Anyway, just some thoughts.
Everyone have a fantastic weekend!!

Lentil salad with tomatoes, zucchini and arugula






Lentil salad with tomatoes, zucchini and arugula

Total time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
1/4 pound zucchini, cut in 1/2 -inch dice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided, plus more to taste
1 cup lentils
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup torn arugula leaves
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

1. Place the diced zucchini in a colander and sprinkle liberally with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat evenly and set aside to drain until the zucchini has begun to soften (the cut edges will appear slightly rounded), about 30 minutes. Rinse well under running water and pat dry with a tea towel.

2. Meanwhile, rinse the lentils under running water and add them to a large pot of rapidly boiling, liberally salted water. Return to a simmer and cook until they are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain the lentils, rinse under running water to stop the cooking, and turn them out into a tea towel to dry and finish cooling.

3. Stir the lentils, chives and garlic together in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with with one-half teaspoon salt and one-eighth teaspoon pepper, or to taste. The mixture should be highly seasoned.

4. Stir in the zucchini, cherry tomatoes and lemon juice. Gently fold in arugula leaves. Add just enough olive oil to barely moisten the arugula (you may not need to add any). Stir in the pine nuts and serve at room temperature.

Nutrition information:
Each of 4 servings: 268 calories; 14 grams protein; 33 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams fiber; 10 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 591 mg. sodium.