A couple weeks ago, Jim and I ate lunch at this posh little cafe across the street from our office. Jim appropriately described it as a “wine and cheese” place. And while the food was SOOO good, the portions were teeny. One thing we had was a smoked salmon and cream cheese dip on crostini. It was very yummy, so I came up with a recipe that was pretty dern close.

1/2 loaf baguette, sliced 1/4 inch think on the bias
oilve oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved
8 oz cream cheese, softened
zest of one lemon
juice of 1/2 large lemon
3 oz smoked salmon
2 oz rinsed capers
coarse black pepper

Heat up a heavy bottomed skillet or grill pan over med-high heat. Drizzle olive oil over both sides of the baguette slices and toast in pan until crispy and golden. Remove from skillet and rub with cut side of garlic clove. Let cool.

Combine cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice and salmon. When fully combined, season with pepper and fold in capers. enjoy!

I’m still using the Mini. Isn’t it amazing how much we grow to love our computers?

Now don’t anyone fall over or anything, but I actually just posted my menu for this week, so go check it out. And yes, I know it’s halfway through the week already, but something is better than nothing right?

We’ve really been slackers about planning Thanksgiving, but we finally got which family members we’re spending it with arranged. We’re hosting dinner at our house and I’d like to come up with some different yet traditional-ish dishes. Usually we have turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, refrigerator rolls (yum!), cranberry sauce, 7up salad, green bean casserole and of course(!) pie. Lots and lots of pie. I’d like to at least change up the side dishes. Anyone wanna post your Thanksgiving menus?

I’ve been making this really yummy and easy granola lately. Eden and Honor are addicted and are always asking for “Bamilla.” I thought I’d share the recipe.

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
1 cup raisins*

1. Preheat oven to 300º. In a small sauce pan, combine honey and oil and cook over medium heat just until honey melts and can be easily combined with the oil. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut and almonds. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture and stir well, making sure to evenly coat the dry ingredients. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until granola is a golden brown color. Stir after 20 minutes of baking.
3. Remove from oven, stir in raisins and spread out on a parchment lined counter top. When granola is completely cool, break up and store in an airtight container.

Serve with milk or yogurt.

*You can use any combination of nuts and dried fruits.

I’m up to 50 salads already! So now, all of you who’ve promised me recipes, it’s time to send them in!

Just remember, they have to be a recipe you’ve tried and they have to have kosher meat.

http://www.pretendingsanity.com/100_salads.html

(let me know if you find anything strange as you browse the salads, thanks!)

I’ve got the page up for 100 salads, though I’m still adding recipes and may mess more with the format. They all look so yummy that I think I’m going to be eating salads for the rest of the summer! YUM!

Jim took a picture of my one skein wonder. The pic of the front didn’t turn out so well, so you’ll have to settle for a pic of the back.

I love this pattern, I want to make Eden a teeny tiny one.

I was thinking of this the other day when I was making a spicy bean salad with pasta; I want to take on a little challenge for summer. I’m going to gather together 100 salad recipes. There are endless salad possibilities and I want to try them all. yum.

So here’s what I’d like from you, my faithful readers. Send me your salad recipes!

I’ve got just a few requirements.
*First that they only contain meat that is kosher, that means no pork, bottom feeder fish (shrimp, crab, lobster, catfish, etc…) Because I want to be able to eat it!
*Second, that you’ve tried the recipe and it’s yummy!

You can send your recipes via email to salads@pretendingsanity.com. Recipes can be in the form of a link to the recipe website where you found them or typed up. If you can include a photo, even better. If you mail me a photo, just send it in it’s original size. I can edit it myself.

I’m excited to see what kinds of salad concoctions you’ll be bringing my way!

EDIT: Here’s my salad progress so far. 100 salads

I’ve decided to make some Amish Friendship Bread. The recipe is here.

The ingredients for the starter

The starter day one

I remember making this when I was a kid. From what I remember it took forever for the starter to be ready. It’s only 10 days, ahhh, the timeline of kids.

I added a few new recpies to my eat page today. One of them being Steak Soup (yum!).

I also ordered some photos through iphoto for the first time. I’m excited to see the quality. It’s pretty sad, in my dining room I have a wall of pictures and Honor is only in one of them. Since I got my digital camera over a year ago, I haven’t developed any photos. I’m hoping that they will arrive before Eden’s birthday party on Saturday, but I doubt it.

Speaking of birthday parties, I’m trying to get Eden’s all planned out. This is the cake I’m going to make. I think I’m going to do everything in pink and orange. I really like those colors together lately.

I’m also need to figure out party favors. I don’t want to go totally overboard, I don’t think Eden should expect some HUGE event every year, but I think it’s nice for kids to be able to go home with something. It’s especially hard for the little ones to understand why they don’t get to open presents too. I think I might do big, bright colored suckers as the center of construction paper flowers. And maybe play-doh, what kid doesn’t like play-doh?

Anyway, it’s going to be a busy, busy week. Keep your fingers crossed that I can keep up with it all.

So last night I made pecan brittle and peppermint bark. The peppermint bark is oh, so easy and I just can’t pass up making something so easy.

Take one package of white chocolate chips, melt them down in a double boiler and then add about 10 crunched candy canes. Pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place in freezer to set up. That’s it.

But the candy after my own heart is Pecan Brittle. It, in no way, compares to Peanut Brittle. Peanut Brittle would be lucky to kiss the feet of Pecan Brittle. So even if you hate Peanut Brittle, give Pecan Brittle a try.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup water
teeny, tiny dash of salt
2 1/2 cups pecans (or other nuts, but why wouldn’t you want to use pecans?)
1 tsp. vanilla extract, no fakers here
1 tsp. baking soda

Butter a rimmed baking sheet. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt in a 4 quart sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture reaches soft ball stage (238º on a candy thermometer). Stir in pecans and continue to cook, stirring often, until mixture is a golden amber color (over 350º). When it reaches the amber color quickly stir in vanilla and baking soda (it will foam up). Pour into prepared pan and spread out evenly as possible. Set aside until cool. Break into pieces and try to share.

FYI, just added a new recipe. Jim’s techincal rating was 7.6666666666666 but the database wouldn’t let me use decimals.

Penne with Sausage and Tomatoes