Lemon Meringue Pie

I made Betty's Lemon Meringue Pie today. Do you know Betty of Betty's Pies. Maybe its just a Minnesota thing? Here are some pictures.

This was a hit with 5 out of 6.

Two pieces left. Wonder who's going to claim one first?

Postcrossing Postcards Received

I guess I have been busy or something. Sorry I haven't posted postcards in a while for those of you who like them ;)

Here are some I received in the past week or two from postcrossing.

New Purse

I've been wanting a new purse for a while. I found this one at TJ Maxx. And it was only $20.00.

Mini Greek Lamb Burgers

Mini Greek Lamb Burgers
I got this recipe from Martha Stewart and Every Day Food.

Ingredients

Serves 4.

• FOR TZATZIKI
• 1/2 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated (3/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt, preferably whole milk yogurt
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• Salt and pepper

• FOR LAMB BURGERS
• 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
• 1/2 small onion, minced (1/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
• Salt and pepper
• 4 pieces pita bread (6 inches each)

  Directions

• Heat grill or grill pan to high. Make tzatziki: In a medium bowl, combine cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, mint and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Make burgers: In a medium bowl, use a fork to gently combine lamb, onion, parsley, and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Gently form mixture into 16 small patties, about 3/4 inch thick. Grill until medium-rare, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• To serve, warm pitas on the grill or directly over a gas burner, turning occasionally. Halve pitas, and fill with lettuce, burgers, tomato, and tzatziki.
• Iceberg lettuce, for serving
• 2 medium beefsteak tomatoes, sliced, for serving

Recipe: Fresh Strawberry Pie w/ Whipped Cream

I made this to serve after the Salmon and Asparagus. I would suggest making more of the crust since it was hard to get it to cover the whole pie pan.

Again I found this on Epicurious hope you like it.

Fresh Strawberry Pie with Whipped Cream Gourmet | June 2008

by Ruth Cousineau

There is nothing like this pie. It was created by test kitchen director Ruth Cousineau, and if there were ever a laurel to rest on, this would be it. The berries are key, so look for local ones (those that travel least taste the best) that are plump, fragrant, and fully ripe, with no white shoulders. One of the miracles here is that the gelatin will be set just enough so that you can easily cut a slice, but it's not bouncy.

Yield: Makes 8 servings
Active Time: 45 min
Total Time: 5 1/4 hr (includes chilling)

For crust:
1 (5-ounce) package shortbread cookies
2 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

For filling:
2 pounds (1 1/2-inch) strawberries, hulled (see cooks' note, below)
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2 1/4 teaspoons)

Accompaniment:
lightly sweetened whipped cream

Make crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Pulse cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs, then pulse in sugar and butter until combined. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Prepare filling and assemble pie:

Select 20 large strawberries as close to same size as possible and set aside. Cut remaining berries into 1/4-inch dice and toss with sugar and lemon juice. Let stand, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Drain berries in a sieve set into a large glass measuring cup. Add enough water to measure 2 cups. Transfer liquid to a medium saucepan and reserve berries.

Sprinkle gelatin over strawberry liquid and let soften 1 minute. Bring to a bare simmer, stirring until gelatin has dissolved. Add diced berries, then transfer to a metal bowl set into an ice bath and stir frequently until mixture begins to mound, 20 to 30 minutes.

Spoon 1/2 cup filling into pie crust and arrange reserved whole berries, stem ends down, on filling. Spoon remaining filling over and between berries. Chill pie until filling is set, at least 4 hours.

Cooks' notes:
·Pie crust can be made 2 days ahead and kept (covered once cool) at room temperature.
·Filled pie can be chilled, loosely covered, up to 1 day.
·While not as dramatic as whole large berries, if you find juicy small berries, cut them into quarters or halves. It may take longer for mixture to set, but pie will taste just as good.

Recipe: Salmon with Roasted Asparagus & Lemon Caper Sauce

Confession I have never liked Asparagus well until I made this dish. Since moving in with my sister and brother-in-law I have grown to appreciate more and more vegetables that I haven't liked in the past i.e. Broccoli.

I found this recipe online at Epicurious. Try it for yourself. It is very easy and tasty!

Salmon with Roasted Asparagus and Lemon-Caper Sauce Bon Appétit | February 2001

Yield: Makes 4 servings
ingredients
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon drained capers, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 1/2-pound skinless salmon fillet (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick)
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
preparation

Whisk first 6 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450°F. Cut three 1/2-inch-deep slits crosswise in top of salmon (as if dividing into 4 equal pieces but do not cut through). Arrange asparagus in even layer on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and turn to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place salmon atop asparagus; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until salmon is just opaque in center, about 20 minutes.

Transfer asparagus and salmon to platter. Spoon sauce over salmon. Cut into 4 pieces along slits and serve.

Nearly Done with Classes

Well I'm nearly done with classes. I have one more class to take online in the Fall and then I'll be done with the certificate in Event/Meeting Management.

I'm now looking for internships to apply the skills I have learned. I have had the opportunity to work a few events as a student. I worked one event last week and found that I have a talent for organization especially with prepping signs, handouts, and other materials for the workshops by day and room. I also enjoyed being MOD (Manager on Duty) especially working the breaks and working with the conference center food and beverage staff. I also liked ringing the chimes to help to lead the conference participants back to their sessions.

I would like to find something more full time and still looking for an opportunity but feel that I should focus on an intern level and maybe that can lead to something full time.