Raspberry Pie

Well I have never made a pie that required me to make a crust...so here goes. For my first attempt I did a pretty good job.

First off thanks to Lynn! The raspberries are great. Hard to believe we were picking raspberries on a saturday in October in Minnesota but we did.

Here are my share of the raspberries.


Making the crust


Making the filling

the Cooked Crust

Tada the finished pie.

Postcards received Thursday and Friday

Slow posting week. So here's a look at the postcards I got Thursday and Friday. 3 from the U.S. and 1 from the Netherlands.

Kathy Griffin

Seeing Kathy Griffin tonight! I can't wait. I'll let you know how it was.

Great Show! Funny jokes about Palin and of course Clay Aiken.

Postcards I received today and yesterday

Recipe: Chicken Fajitas

I made this last week. The recipe is from the Williams Sonoma Library Stir Fry cookbook.

Ingredients:
3 TBSP vegetable or olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 red (spanish) onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and thinly sliced
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tomato, peeled and diced
3 TBSP fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
salt and pepper

For Serving:
warmed flour or corn tortillas
1 c sour cream
1 c fresh tomato salsa
1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
1 c cheddar cheese

In a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 TBSP of the oil, swirling to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. When the oil is hot, add the chicken strips and stir and toss every 15-20 seconds until lightly brown and just cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Be sure to distribute the chicken evenly in the pan so it comes into maximum contact with the heat and cooks evenly. Transfer to a dish and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 TBSP of oil to the pan, again swirling to coat the pan. Add the onion and stir and toss for 1 minute. Add the bell pepper and jalapenos and stir and toss every 15-20 seconds until the onion has softened, 4-6 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato and stir and toss for 1 minute longer. Add the lime juice, cumin and the 2 TBSP cilantro and the reserved chicken. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately with a basket of warmed tortillas and small bowls of sour cream, salsa and avocado on the side.


This turned out good but next time I would add more jalapenos.

Dinner: Clamato Shrimp Saute

I made this a few weeks ago. I even took pictures but of course they are still on my camera. I'll get those up soon.

Ingredients

* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 4 oz. chorizo
* ½ medium onion, diced
* 2 garlic cloves, sliced
* 1 lb. large shrimps, peeled, divined and raw
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 cup Clamato® Tomato Cocktail
* ½ cup evaporated milk
* ½ bunch basil, chopped fine
* ½ cup Spanish olives, stuffed with peppers

Directions

1. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat; heat olive oil, add chorizo, cook for 3-4 minutes, browning and crumbling.
2. Add shrimp, cook half way, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Sprinkle shrimp mixture with flour, cook 2 more minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add Clamato and evaporated milk, cook 2-3 more minutes, until sauce thickens.
5. Reduce heat to low, add olives and basil; cook for 5 minutes.
6. Serve immediately.

This turned out good and the kids even liked it.

Book Review: Heart in the Right Place

My sister read this book first and said I should read it too.

Its a memoir of a woman who goes home to Tennessee to help out her dad with his medical practice when her mother is in the hospital after having a heart attack. Her dad is the only medical provider within 100 miles. Many of his clients don't have insurance and don't pay money either in most cases but pay with other goods.

The woman leaves a pretty high powered job in Washington DC on capital hill. So she tries to keep up with that job and trying to figure out how to fill in for her mother who was the receptionist/medical assistant/ cleaner of spills. Its a pretty heartwarming book filled with stories about patients that are seen at the practice. I especially like the one's involving Michael. She tells humorous stories about the patients and especially about an addict who is trying to get percocet from the Doctor. But she does it in such a way that you know that these people are people she cares about.