Sunny Tuesday in the garden

After all the storming we had yesterday, it's nice to have a little sun. As promised I opened the bottle of Chardonnay from Catalina Island from that long ago trip.

The bottle is very pretty and the wine came out a very deep amber. I will not say what my husband said it resembled.

I took a sniff, not bad so I sipped.

Let me tell you if you ever decide to try a wine you've had for ten years, make sure it's one that ages well. This was not. Needless to say I have a new bottle of cooking wine!

What is your funniest wine story?

Lazy Monday in the garden

How was your weekend? I had a fabulous weekend. Though I didn't try any good recipes or wine. Oh wait I did have a great white table wine at a friends house. My husband and I thought it was one we'd purchased years ago when we visited Catalina Island.

I went downstairs, because I swore I'd kept the bottle, to see if it was in fact the same. First, no it wasn't, second I'd never opened the bottle of wine.

It's a Scenic Cellars Collector's Reserve Series from 1996. A Chardonnay, now I usually don't prefer a chard, but I'm thinking "Hey I should try it at least". However, I haven't had it stored on it's side like I should have, so the cork could have dried out. One can't say it's not aged. We'll see if it's to perfection or not. I'll open it tonight for dinner and let you know how it goes.

If I live!

Off on another topic, I have some very fun upcoming interviews. Remember last week when I said that I had a challenge to find the Lobster Mac and Cheese recipe from Falkner Winery? The Pinnacle Restaurant Manager, Angel has agreed to do an interview with me. And I'm keeping my fingers that the executive chef will participate also.

Then Best Selling Author Lynn Kurland has agreed to an interview. And if that isn't exciting enough. The Coffee Time Review crew has agree to a week long cyber round table discussion in the garden. The one is hopefully scheduled for the end of September.

Come back tomorrow and see if I lived after my Chardonnay experience.

Friday at the Garden

I am so glad it's Friday. I need a weekend. How about you? I'm off to the zoo with my daughter and grandson this morning, then writing this afternoon. So this will be a quickie blog this morning.

I'm going to share one of my favorite dishes, and my kids loved it also. Now I know my last name is Martinez, but I'm still a gringo. So this may be burritos for all I know. I just made the recipe up one time when I couldn't think of anything new to cook.

Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken Fryer                                          
2 cloves of Garlic chopped
14.5 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes                  
8 oz. Mild Cheddar Cheese
4 oz. Can Diced Green Chili's                  
8 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese
15 oz. Can Kidney Beans (drained)         
½ Onion Chopped
15 oz. Can Green Chili Enchilada Sauce 
Pkg. Tortilla's
Place oven on Bake at 350˚
Cook Chicken set aside to cool. Grate cheese in mixing bowl and mix
both cheeses together, and set aside. Brown chopped onion and Garlic.
hen pull chicken off the bones and shred into frying pan. Add onion,
garlic, chili's, and kidney beans. Stir until all ingredients heated. Then
scoop into a tortilla, sprinkle with cheese and roll. Place on greased
cookie sheet. Continue until you have about 8 to 10 tortillas filled.
Then spoon green enchilada sauce over all and then sprinkle with
remaining cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted.

I hope you enjoy!

Tiffinie Helmer is in the garden with fresh salmon

Have you ever watched Deadliest Catch? Today we have our own Alaskan fisherman, Tiffinie Helmer with us. (You thought it was going to be a man, admit it!) Welcome to Mary’s Garden. Everyone grab a snack and your favorite beverage and hold on!

Mary: Thanks for joining us today, Tiffinie, at the Garden. I’ll be picking your brain about your favorite recipes, places to travel and all kinds of things. Can you tell us a bit about you, where you grew up, what are your hobbies, etc.

Tiffinie:  Thanks for having me, Mary!
I grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska but spent my summers commercial fishing in South Naknek, Alaska in Bristol Bay.  Bristol Bay is located above the Aleutian Chain on the Bering Sea.

I currently live in Utah where I write Alaskan thrillers and throw pottery, but I return each summer to commercial fish in Alaska.  My family has been commercial fishing since the 1970’s.

Mary: Tell us some stories about Salmon Fishing on the high seas? What is your favorite thing about fishing?

Tiffinie:  It’s hard to pin point my favorite thing about fishing.  There are so many.  Three of my teenagers fish with me, along with my mother, brother and his two teenagers, plus my cousin.  It’s really a family affair.  There is no electricity, no running water, no Internet.  We work hard, and play just as hard.  It’s wild, adventurous, and something completely out of the norm.  I love it.

From one day to the next—hell from one hour to the next—we never know what we’ll face.  Fishing is a high-stake money making business and it can get interesting when you have a limited amount of fish and a lot of fisherman after those fish.  Then there is the weather.  The Bering Sea is not a peaceful ocean.  She is a cantankerous body of water with attitude and seems out to get us.  Then there are the bears.  Big, hungry grizzlies who are after their share of the season’s catch.   It adds up to be one hell of adventure.


Mary: I know you don’t drink wine like a lot of us do here at the Garden, so what is your favorite beverage, and why?

Tiffinie:  Starbucks Green Tea Frappuccinos!  Love, love, LOVE them.  I, of course, don’t get any fraps when I’m in Alaska commercial fishing.  South Naknek doesn’t have a grocery store let alone a Starbucks.  I love the way the fraps taste, the way they make me feel.  I’m convinced my muse will only show up to write if I provide her with a green tea frap.  My day just isn’t the same without one.

Mary: What do you do to relax? Do you travel? And if so where are the places you’ve been, and/or where would you like to visit?

Tiffinie:  Relax?  What’s that?  I do travel if I get the chance.  Nice thing about fishing is it helps pay for a trip every January to Hawaii.  My mother has a time share and only allows the girls to come.  No husbands and no children.  So it is a true vacation for me.  I do spend a lot of time worshiping the sun, but I love to boogie board and kayak.

I was a foreign exchange student to Finland in high school and I’m dying to return.  That is probably my wish trip.  My husband and I will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary next year and I’ve been hinting loudly for a Scandinavian cruise.

Mary: Have yourself another Green Tea Frap and some more cheese and crackers, Tiff. So when you’re not on the water in Alaska, do you have a favorite town? And also a place to eat when we visit?

Tiffinie:  I love Homer, Alaska.  The views of Kachemak Bay are breathtaking.  The surrounding glaciers, active volcanoes, mountain ranges, and the pristine waters of Kachemak Bay full of aquatic life are amazing.  Truly inspiring.  Homer is known as a “little drinking village with a fishing problem.”  My kind of place.   There are many restaurants to choose from in Homer, but one of the more interesting ones is the Salty Dawg Saloon.  The name alone makes you want to try it out.  It’s right on the Homer Spit.  If you get the chance, order their halibut fish and chips.

Mary: When you’re not on the boat what is your favorite salmon recipe?

Tiffinie:  So hard to choose.  People have no idea how versatile salmon is.  But when you eat a lot of it every summer, you can get down right creative.  Here is a recipe that always makes my mouth salivate.  It tastes and looks like a party on a plate.

Pineapple Mango and Coconut Salmon

Ingredients:
Wild Alaskan Salmon.  I prefer red or sockeye salmon but silver does just as well – don’t get me started on farm fish.  Just be good to yourself and don’t go there.

Two salmon fillets
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can coconut milk
2 tbsp of fresh grated ginger
Marinate in the refrigerator overnight (save marinade)

Mango Salsa
2 mangos diced
3 kiwi diced
4 jalapeno peppers diced
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp sugar
Fresh cilantro to taste
Cashews
Mix together and set aside

Remove salmon from marinade and cook in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until salmon is pink and flakes easily or wrap in foil and grill until done.   While salmon is cooking, take 2 cups of the marinade and mix with 2 cups of water, 1 tsp salt, and 2 cups of jasmine rice.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook on low until rice absorbs the liquid and is done.

Serve Salmon on a bed of rice, top with mango salsa, cilantro, and cashews.  This recipes serves 6 to 8 healthy appetites.  Leftovers are yummy the next day or you can easily cut the recipe in half for smaller groups.  Enjoy!

Thank you, Tiffinie and everyone else for visiting the Garden today. Tiffinie good luck with your fishing ventures and be careful.

Bachelor Day in the Garden

It’s bachelor day at the garden. Lindsay Downs had been at the garden before, but this is strictly all about the food, wine, beer and anything else a bachelor manages to find.  And I believe we’ll be having a bit thrown in by Kebi Lindsay’s collie.

Before we start, everyone pull up a chair and get comfy. Pour yourself a glass of your favorite beverage and have some chips or veggies. If you’re brought your own treat, we’d love to share.

Lindsay: Mary, don’t forget Kebi’s cookies. He’s a real bear if he doesn’t get his fair share to treats.

Mary: Goodness, here's your cookies Kebi, sorry about that! Good morning Lindsay, thank you for joining us again. Tell us your typical day? Do you have a nutritious breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? Or do you stand by the sink and eat whatever?

Lindsay: Thanks for having me back. It’s always interesting, hehe, coming here and the Mysteries & Margaritas blog. Never know what questions you ladies will come up with. My typical day always starts with making sure Kebi has breakfast then goes out for a walk. I believe that our four legged friends must come first. I have to agree with doctors et al, that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. What you have helps define how your day will go. Therefore, for me I start the day with 5-6 cups of coffee. And no I don’t stand over the sink while I pour the life giving elixir down my throat. I’m at my computer checking and answering email, if necessary. Then it’s off to read the blogs I follow. Some I comment on while others I lurk. I have lunch about 1:30pm-a bowl of cereal then about 3:30 a salad with some kind of supper around 7:45-8:00pm. I should clarify that is my schedule Mon-Fri. Weekends I usually only have dinner.

Mary: Cereal in the afternoon? Okay, sound good. How long have you and Kebi been sharing your bachelor pad? Tell us Kebi’s story, how you rescued him, etc.

Lindsay: Kebi has been with me since 2003 when my late wife and I adopted him. Originally he was rescued by the South Windsor Police from an abusive family. When he and I met for the first time it was love at first sight. He’s always been my dog. My wife never could get him to do even the simplest of commands. Me-taught him different command with hand signals. He’s always been a great companion and a joy, in the evening after work, to come home to. He’s also very protective of me as the photo here shows.

Okay, so he’s also protective of the bed.

Mary:  Hey a dog has to have a comfortable place to veg, isn't that right Kebi? The last time we had the pleasure of your company we focused on food, travel, etc. This time we’re going to find out what it’s like for you as a bachelor. Cooking for one (or two if you count Kebi) all the time. Do you eat home all the time, do you have a favorite place? Like Cheers where everyone knows your name?

Lindsay: Working second shift I really only cook dinner at home on the weekend. Then I cook food that we both can eat. I try to make sure he doesn’t get any onions or anything from that family. I’ve heard they can be dangerous if not fatal for dogs. Another is stuffing. Now I don’t know if people are talking about the stuffing cooked in chicken or turkey and or the kind you make on top of the stove or both. Once again, he doesn’t get any. Does he suffer for not having the forbidden foods. No. He does like pizza so I make sure he gets his fair share.

And eating out, I tend not to. There aren’t too many restaurants around that serve anything edible. Food-yes. Cuisine-no. Guess which I prefer.

Mary: That doesn't sound very fun for you town, restaurants with inedible food. Yuck. I see your glass is empty, would you like some more wine? Or a beer? Last time you were here, you said that Kebi was an interview by himself, why? Give us details we all want to know?

Lindsay: If you insist, I’ll have another glass of red-Burgundy. Kebi is a collie which in my mind is one of the smartest breeds there are. How many breeds can follow hand signals from great distances? Don’t forget the collie and their offshoots were bred to herd sheep frequently only with hand commands from the shepherd. They also, at least from my experience, learn said commands after only a few tries. As natural herders they will collect and drive just about anyone or anything they’re instructed to. Even if not asked. They tend also to be protective of their handler.

Protective-if someone comes to the door he’ll bark even before the person knocks, warning me of an intruder. I was his to protect and defend, I have a feeling to the point he’d give his life for me.

Herding-on occasion my late wife and I would have lobsters for dinner. We’d put them on the floor to tease the cats but Kebi would come in and try herding them, the lobsters not the cats. Them, the cats and dogs, they all played together.

Some of his experiences would have you rolling on the floor in hysterics. And actually he, by name and antics, is in my current WIP-Target Identified. I took some of his personality and instilled them along with the name into the collie in the book. Hey, a really good suspense needs a little humor now and then to keep the reader interested. Either in what’s going to happen in the story or what kind of brattiness Kebi is going to cause.

Mary: Can't wait to see what you used in your WIP. Here comes the personal question! You knew there would be, what woman interviewing a bachelor can resist? So do you like your lifestyle or would you ever consider marriage again? (Or living in sin?) And why?

Lindsay: Been there. Done that. Actually twice. The first one ended in divorce. With that one, when not if I write about an uber nasty, mean villainous who dies the most horrific death any author can come up with, I’ll name the villain after her. My second wife, I love her too much to even name a heroine, and if you know me and my writing all my heroines save the hero, after her. No, I’ll never, then again I should say that ‘never’, repeat never marry again. Live in sin. Nay. Why? I read when I want. Watch what I want on TV. Write and edit when I want. Oh yeah, go to conferences and be surrounded by women. Now what woman could deal with that.

Am I lonely? Maybe. Maybe not. Am I alone? Yes. By choice.

Mary: If it's by choice, then it good! (I can't wait to read about your mean villainous some day!) Can you share your favorite recipe with us?

Lindsay: Sorry Mary but here I’m going to have to let you down. I don’t have a favorite recipe. When my mother was alive I cooked for her until she died and enjoyed doing so. The same with my late wife. Now I cook because I have to. It’s not that cooking bores me it’s just that preparing a meal for one, Kebi not included since he’s usually on a see-food diet, sees food-eats it, is a necessity. Cheaper than even takeout which can be almost as bad as eating out.

Mary: Fair enough, if you don't have one to share. If someone is interested in you for your writing, where can they find you?

Lindsay: They can obtain copies of my writing plus a freebie through my website- http://www.lindsaydowns.com. I also have a link so people can email me if they want. People can find me on Facebook and LinkedIn. I blog ever Tuesday at http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com. Then, of course, there are my comments at both Mysteries & Margaritas and here at your blog.

Thank you for joining us again, Lindsay, it’s been a pleasure to host you and Kebi. I loved hearing about Kebi's story and yours!

Brandy is in the Garden

Welcome to the Garden, Brandy, pull up a chair and pour yourself a glass of your favorite beverage. Oh and help yourself to some cheese and crackers.

Mary: Brandy tell us about yourself. Where did you grow up? Do you still live there?

Brandy:  Hello everyone.  Well I am an avid reader and I do book reviews.  I have am married and have 3 daughters, who keep me very very busy!!!   I grew up in a small town in SW Iowa.  We had about 200 people in town and that is on Sunday when the country folks came in for church, lol 

I live near there still but now the town I live in has about 1000 people, and we even have a grocery store, seriously it is a very nice place to live and grow a family.

I did get the opportunity to live in California for a year.  My father was ill and he had one of the 1st heart/lung transplants, at Stanford University, in the world and he was the longest surviving heart/lung  transplant in the world,  24 and ½ years.

Mary: What are your hobbies? Other than reading that is.

Brandy:  Hmm…  Hobbies, I like to read of course and blog/chat, enter contests I like to spend time with my family and watch my girls play sports.  I also hand quilt, crochet and draw.

Mary: What is your favorite beverage? If wine, what do you drink? Do you have a favorite winery?

Brandy:  My favorite is Sprite or Pepsi.  I am not a big wine or beer drinker.  If I were to have alcohol it would be vodka, sloe gin, brandy something hard.  We do have some very nice wineries in SW Iowa.  The closest and I think nicest is Sugar Clay Winery.  It is about 15 miles from me and is nestled in the Loess Hills of Iowa.

Mary: Hey nothing wrong with those beverages! I saw a creamsicle recipe on Twitter the other day. Orange crush with vanilla vodka, you should try it out. Do is your favorite restaurant where you live? And is that what you would recommend to out-of-town visitors?

Brandy:  My favorite restaurant is the Pink Poodle, about 1 ½ hours away.  It is a steak house and has an awesome collection of antique dolls and the best prime rib I’ve ever had.  Locally I would say to visit the Chinese Restaurants; they are much closer and have awesome food, especially Lo Mein.

Mary: What type of music do you like? Who’s your favorite musician? If you go to concerts, do you go to outdoor concerts and take picnics? If so, please share with us what you prepare.

Brandy:  I like all kinds of music, especially heavy metal, hair bands and grudge.  Some of my favorite artists are Bret Michaels, Ozzy Osborne and Alyson Krauss.  Some favorite bands  are Kiss, Styx, Poison, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica and Motley Crue.  Most of our concerts are indoor concerts but if I could take a picnic I would put fried chicken, fruit, veggie tray w/dip, cheese, cottage cheese, potato chips and water or pop.  I would probably take cookies or brownie’s for dessert.

Mary: Can you share your favorite recipe with us? And what it pairs best with? Whether it’s beer, wine, cocktail or pop.

Brandy:  My favorite recipe is:

Stuffed Meatballs

1 box (pork) stove-top stuffing
2lbs ground beef, pork, chicken or turkey
1 egg
1 small onion
1 large can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of mushrooms
1 ½ cup milk
1 package Saltines or dried bread crumbs
Salt  to taste
Pepper t o taste
13x9 pan

Make stuffing, divide in half and set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Dice up the onion and add meat.   Put in egg, 10 crumbled crackers or ½ cup of bread crumbs, salt and pepper.  Combine meat mixture together  and divide into balls.   Flatten balls into patties and put 1-2 tbsp of stove top stuffing in the middle of the patty and work the sides up into a ball again around the stuffing.  Put them in the pan.  Continue until done.  Leave the 2nd   ½  of the stove top stuffing alone so you can use it as a side dish w/ your meal.  Cover the meatballs and cook at 350 degrees for about 1hour or until meat is brown and done.   (Make sure you throw out the stuffing that you are using to stuff meatballs to avoid getting sick from cross contamination.)

 While that  is cooking mix up the milk, mushrooms and the cream of mushroom soup into a bowl until it is gravy like, refrigerate.  When the meatballs are done and you have drained the grease off the meatballs, pour the cream of mushroom soup over the meatballs and stick back in the oven and cook uncovered until the soup bubbles. 

This goes well with rice, mashed potatoes and green beans.  You can also use the additional stuffing that was unused and untouched from above. 


Thank you, Brandy, for joining us today. Have some more crackers and another glass before you go. Relax and enjoy the garden for a while.

Monday's challenge in the Garden

Friday in the garden we had a grilled shrimp recipe. Lindsay brought up the subject of lobster which reminded me of something. (Oh and thanks for the recipe link from All recipes.com, Lindsay--Let me know if you try it!)

In October 2008, Ron and I visited Temecula, California and did a little wine tasting. We decided to stop for lunch. If you've followed my blog long, I'm sorry if I've already told this story. However today I have a new twist!

(Yes I was a bit heavier then, that was during the year--I started in June 2008--it took me to lose my 70+ lbs. I'd lost 36 pounds--I checked my food diary--in that picture. And see I still ate out and enjoyed! And I've kept it off since May 29, 2009)

We stopped for lunch at The Falkner Winery (it was our anniversary) and I wanted lobster. They had: 
Lobster Mac & Cheese
Penne rigate pasta prepared in a four cheese sauce with lobster and prosciutto

I asked the waitress if they had lobster with anything else. There was a Seafood Portofino. I was being picky and didn't want the rest of the seafood, I just wanted lobster. I told her 'Sorry mac & cheese with lobster just doesn't sound good at all.' She told me not to think of Kraft macaroni and cheese, that this was a white asiago cheese with a penne pasta, she said "You will not be sorry."

Against my better judgment I went with the lobster mac & cheese. I was so not disappointed. OMG it was great.

After the comments on Friday I have a hunger for Lobster Mac & Cheese and I'm on a quest to either experiment on my own or find a recipe.

Here's what I'm going to do...

1. Email Falkner Pinnacle Restaurant and see if I can set up a interview with one of the chefs.
2. Go to the internet and Google for a recipe--which probably wouldn't be the same.
3. Go to the store buy the ingredients and play with my own recipe and post it.

I would love to interview someone from Falkner, so wish me luck. And they had great wines!

Not to late to Grill in the Garden

I'm sharing a yummy shrimp dish for the grill today. Compliments of my friend Cindy at the SLC Airport Hilton

Basil Shrimp
Ingredients:
2 ½ Tablespoon Olive Oil
¼ Cup Butter Melted
1 ½ Lemons (Juiced)
3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
½ Cup Minced Fresh Basil Leaves
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
Salt to Taste
White Pepper
3 Pounds Fresh Shrimp Peeled and Deveined
Skewers

Directions:
1.    In a Shallow, non-porous dish or bowl, mix together olive oil and melted butter. Stir in lemon juice, mustard, basil and garlic, and season with salt and white pepper. Add shrimp, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2.    Preheat grill to high heat. Remove shrimp from marinade and thread onto skewers. Discard marinade.
3.    Lightly oil grill grate, and arrange skewers on pre-heated grill. Cook for 4 minutes, turning once, or until opaque
Serves 9
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

Enjoy, this with a Old Vine Zinfandel

Healthy Turkey recipe at the Garden

We had hot weather, then yesterday I posted about having soup when the fall came. I think I jinxed summer. The dark clouds have rolled in, the wind has kicked up and it looks like we're in for a thunderstorm. I should have made the soup for dinner.

Alas, I have a nice healthy recipe for you. Meatloaf made healthy!
Turkey Meatloaf (10 4 oz servings)
2 lbs ground turkey
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
ground pepper to taste
1 package Lipton dry onion soup mix
3/4 bottle Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce
5 Keebler Crackers crushed
Mix together and form into a oblong and place in loaf pan.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Add 1/4 bottle to the top of the loaf and back another 15 to 30 minutes on 400.

As with most light meat, serve with a soft white wine. It's not spicy so it wouldn't be good with a sweet wine.
Enjoy!

Hump day at the garden

Good Morning!

As summer slips into fall I start thinking--Soup. Yeah I know weird. But what is better on a brisk autumn day than a tasty bowl of soup with a roll? I'm going to share one of my favorites.

Before I make my soup, I have a nice Sunday dinner of Spiral cut ham, with garlic mashed potatoes and corn. And usually rolls. Yes I know high calorie, but it's all in the portions, remember you can eat what you want you just have to use good portion control.

Anyway, after dinner I boil whatever ham left off the bone. I strain it and remove the bone and fat, etc. and then I shred it and put it away for my soup. Basically two meals in one.

Blackeye pea soup! (I make a lot so I can freeze some)
2 packages blackeye peas. Soak for eight hours in water
2 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic chopped (1 tbsp)
2/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
20 oz shredded ham (Approx. if you have less ham, you'll need to adjust the other ingredients accordingly)
12 cups water
Season with salt, pepper, crushed chili - to taste.
Add all together in the Crockpot and cook on low about 6 hours. Serve with rolls. Or whatever you'd like.

Enjoy! This goes well with a Ste. Chapelle Riesling.

Missed a day in the garden!

I have a huge apology to make. Sorry!

I didn't do a Monday garden post. I went camping over the weekend, and came home a bit under the weather. Is that an excuse? No. I really did mean to do one first thing yesterday morning and I forgot. 

What can I do to make up for the lapse? I truly do not know. I had a lot of delicious potluck dishes camping, and I plan to share, when my friends finally share with me, so be patient.

How about a recipe? Seems to be the trend.
Chicken Squares--Courtesy my friend Nancy.
Mix 3 oz. Cream cheese with 2 tbsp melted butter. Add 2 cups of cooked chicken and 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper, 2 tbsp milk, 1 tbsp chives and 1 tbsp pimentos.
For the crust use 8oz crescent rolls tube. Take 1/4 cup chicken filling, place in center of roll and then seal it around the edges. Brush top with melted butter. Place  them on un-greased sheet and  cook at 350 in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve with gravy and mashed potatoes.

Gravy (This is now my Thanksgiving gravy every year)
1 can Cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth (99 Fat free and low sodium)
1 beef bouillon cube
1/2 cup mushrooms.
Mix soup, broth and bouillon together until creamy, add mushrooms and heat until lightly boiling. Serve over the squares also.

Enjoy and I promise I'll try to do better.

Friday in the Garden

Any big plans for the weekend?

In Utah it's finally cooled down and the hint of fall and UTE Football is in the air! Which means it's almost time for tailgating. I've already given you one of my favorite recipes for a cold afternoon waiting for the game. And that's my husband's chili.

I love dutch oven cooking for tailgating also though when we do that, it's not me doing the cooking so I have no recipes. Sorry, didn't mean to tease. LOL.

One of my favorite sides for a hot summer BBQ or tailgating in the early fall or like this weekend when we're camping and it's pot luck.

My mom's recipe for potato salad. The ingredients are probably what you find in your potato salad. It's the dressing that makes it unique.

Potato Salad (Think big tailgating crowd)

16-red potatoes boiled and cut into one inch pieces--skin left on.
11-Hard boiled eggs chopped
3-pickles spears chopped
1-bunch green onions chopped
Crumbled bacon (optional)
Dressing:
16 oz Miracle whip (light optional)
18 oz Mayo (fat free optional)
2 tbsp catchup (about 1 oz)
1/2 cup mustard (about 4 oz)
1/4 cup brown spicy mustard (optional, cut regular mustard to 1/3 cup)
2 Tbsp pickle juice (about 1 oz)
Mix together all dressing ingredients until smooth. This is best to do while boiling potatoes and eggs. Cover and set aside.
Mix Potatoes, eggs, pickles and onions together in large bowl mix in premixed dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill in refrigerated for about 2 hours.

I've had this with a light red Sebastiani Pinot Noir (Sonoma Valley) and tasted great!

Happy picnicking! Hope all of you have a wonderful weekend.

A Lazy Day at the Garden

This being lazy about scheduling the night before is becoming a habit. Sorry, I'll try to do better. Don't hold me to it. LOL By the time bedtime rolls around if I'm writing at all it's usually on my Work in Progress.

I'm sure all of you are getting tired of me--day after day--so I'm trying to drum up some interviews. I've emailed some wineries, but they haven't responded. I'm going to try some restaurants and things also.

Anyone live in a major city? SF, NYC, LA, Chicago, New Orleans, Memphis or Miami? And I'm sure I've missed a lot. I'd love to interview you about the food, wine and night life in your town. Email me at mary@marymartinez.com if you're interested.

I'm going to share a recipe I've had since my kids were little. But it's still good.

Taco Salad
Combine the following:
Lettuce
chopped radishes
Kidney Beans
Tomatoes
Set aside while you prepare the rest.
Cook 1 lb ground beef and crumble.
Crush some Doritos.
Shred mild cheddar cheese.
Dressing:
Miracle whip with Taco Sauce (mild, medium or hot), amount to your taste.

Right before you're ready to serve, add the meat, Doritos and cheese and then the dressing.

Most the recipes for summer have been best paired with a crisp white wine. And this is no exception.

Happy eating!

Chris Isaak in the Garden

Okay so I'm late again. It was time for bed when I got home from the concert last night. But you have me now. LOL.

Every year I post about my concert going. Yes my husband and I are concert whores. We want to do them all. But lack of $$$ makes it impossible. So we pick and choose. And Chris Isaak is one of our favorites. He puts on a entertaining show, he's full of energy and he's cute!

I tried to get some up close pictures but everyone kept getting in the way. So the only ones that turned out are sort of far away.

However, the people sitting next to us got a great close up. And she just emailed it to me. So here is Chris, isn't he cute as a bug?

Red Butte Gardens is such a beautiful venue, as you can see by my blog design. Last evening the temps, were perfect. Our picnic was very easy. Turkey and avocado sandwiches, with red grapes on the side. My husband isn't a white wine fan, though it would have been better with the sandwiches, so we went with a Beringer Cabernet. It's one of our favorites.

We also tried a new cheese. It was a firm creamy cheese, I really liked it.  Sartori Reserve, Ballavitano Merlot Cheese. Well of course I liked it, it had wine in it. I found it at our local grocery store, Smiths. If you can pick some up, I loved it.

Okay off to chat with the Mystery and Margarita group on Coffee Time Romance. Drop by and say hi. We'll be there from noon to 6:00 pm EST.

Jamaican Jerk at the Garden

Opps. I forgot to do this last night and set it up for the early birds. I was editing, sorry. Okay since this is last minute and not thought through I'm going with the theme of the last few days. Jamaica.

How many of you have tried Jerk chicken or pork? If you haven't you're missing out. It's spicy so it pairs the best with a light sweet crisp white wine. A Riesling or Gewurztraminer (took me ten minutes to find how to spell) would be the best. If you live in a state you can have wine shipped to--unlike Utah--This site is great.


Jamaican Jerk Pork
2 oz. roasted pimento (pound)
3 peppers chopped
6 stalks escallion
4 cinnamon leaves (Do whatever you can find and improvise)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
4 lbs. pork (chops or loin)
Combine and pound all ingredients except port to a paste, rub ingredients into pork and leave to marinate for 1 hour. Place meat over a slow charcoal fire preferably made from pimento wood, until done.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken
4 lbs. boneless chicken
2 oz. pimento (pound)
6 stalks escallion
3 cinnamon leaves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
4 hot peppers (remove seads)
1/2 cup brown sugar
Salt to taste
Combine all ingredients except chicken. Pound to a paste and rub into chicken. Place into a covered dish to marinate for one hour. Place meat on a grill over a slow charcoal fire to cook until meat becomes brown-done.

Happy taste buds!

Jamaica story in the Garden: A day with Jackie

Good Morning, as promised a story of our day in Jamaica and our driver Jackie. When we arrived we flew into Montego Bay, but we were staying in Negril, which is about an hour away. We had arranged for Kenny's tours (I recommend them highly if you're visiting) to pick us up at the airport. Jackie told us they also offered tours of the island. We made the arrangement before he dropped us off that night. My birthday was the Monday after we arrived, so we decided to go that day.

We stayed at the most wonderful place on the cliffs called The Rock House. When you see the pictures below with the storm, remember the waves are up over these cliffs.

Here's the pool up on the cliff, overlooking the ocean, it was awesome.

We expected Jackie (to the left) to pick us up in a small van or car, since we were doing a private tour. No, he picked us up in a bus, much bigger than the ones on their web site. We sat at the front behind Jackie, who gave us a running commentary of the island as we toured.

He also stopped at every little outdoor market. No, not for us, he was shopping for his family. He picked up some fresh fruit at one, vegetables at another. And it's not like he knew where they were because he'd spot them and slam on the breaks. We had no seat belts, yes we were holding on for dear life.

Talk about a colorful day and one neither one of us will forget. He took us to Black River where it is not recommend to swim because of the crocodiles, her didn't need to tell me twice.

After that we headed to the Appleton Estate, can you say Rum? We had a tour, then a tasting (See all the bottles?) YUM. It was toward the center of the island so we were able to see a lot off the beaten track.

On the way to the rum factory Jackie stopped at the Meat Pattie Factory called Juici Patties just outside of Black River. (I had to look through all my pictures to find the name. LOL) I found a very good (if complicated) recipe on the food network.

We were able to catch glimpses of children playing soccer and other sports. I had the best day.

Jackie gave us some lessons about the plants along the way also. Ackee was one of them. It's beautiful, but as I said last week, he warned us about the 'nut' inside. Don't eat!

Again, Jackie slammed on the brakes, this time for lobster. We waited, he brought the bag to the side of the bus. My window was down and he and the lobster retailer (local fisherman) negotiated what the lobsters were worth in... Pot, yup marijuana or in Jamaica it's called Gonja.  I kid you not. They settled on how much and we left. We chided Jackie for not sharing his stash with us. 

It began to rain as we headed for Negril and our hotel. And no the fun didn't stop there and neither did the excitement. The wind kicked up and so did the waves. Up and over the road, we were worried we may not make it back. When we did it was a sight to behold. And that night we mopped water out of our room.

The waves were twenty feet or more to come up and over the cliffs and into our pool. In the morning it was filled with sea urchins and had to be drained.

I know it looks like it's waves on the ocean and not up and over a cliff. I know when you think of cliffs you think of BIG, but never-the-less the hotel is up on the edge of the cliff, if only 20 feet high, over looking the ocean.
 







We spent the rest of the week at Negril Margaritaville instead of pool side. Or at the bar! LOL.





I'll leave you with a beautiful Jamaican sunset.


And that was only one day of our adventure!

Another Jamaica Day in the Garden

Raise your glass to another day of Jamaica, turn the YouTube on and play a little island music. Maybe I should say raise the Red Stripe, if you're a beer fan as my husband is.

Yesterday we had a recipe for Meat Patties, today:

Jamaican Curried Goat (or lamb)
2 tbsp. cooking oil
1 lb. boneless goat mutton or lamb, cut in 1" cubes
2 large onions, peeled and finel sliced
2 tsp. allspice (ground)
2 cups stock, consomme or bouillon
1 tbsp. wine vinegar
1 tsp. curry powder (or more to taste)
salt to taste
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 bayleaf
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
Boiled Rice

Brown meat quickly in oil. Remove then cook onion in oil until soft but not brown. Stir in curry powder and allspice. Cook stirring for a few moments, then stir in stock, vinegar, salt and cayenne. Return meat to pan and simmer slowly for 2 hours. Add bayleaf about 30 minutes before it's done. Just before serving, stir in Tabasco sauce and serve surrounded by rice (Serves 4)

This is a bit spicy so I recommend a light sweet wine. Maybe a blush or a moscato would be a nice change.

Anyone out there who can share some Jamaican or island recipes?

Jamaica day in the garden

Have you ever been to Jamaica? They have these little road side kiosks where they sale jerk chicken and these things called meat patties. They come in beef, chicken and fish.

They are very similar to the American hot pocket. Except the shell is more pastry shell than pie shell. So I decided to find a recipe book to make these.

Tasted, looked and acted nothing at all like the original meat patty we had in Jamaica. So I experimented and here is what I finally came up with.

Instead of ground beef I cook a pot roast in the slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours on low. I had chopped onions, garlic, jalapeno peppers and ground black pepper. And curry powder (to taste). Once done I shred the beef, leaving the onion, peppers and garlic mixed in and put aside.

I take pre-made pie shells and cut them into triangles (You have to play with it a bit).

Depending how big you make your triangles I scoop one to two tablespoon of meat into the center and fold and pinch to make a pocket. I roll the pocket in curry powder and put on a baking pan that has been either greased or spray with cooking oil.

I preheat the oven to 350 and bake for 20 minutes. And this also depends on your oven and altitude. We're in the rocky's so we're high and it does make a difference.

It took me a few tries to come up with this much easier recipe, than the one I found in Jamaica. Good luck!

Pairs very well with a lighter red, like a Zinfandel. Or if you use chicken instead of beef a sauvignon blanc would be nice.              

Slow cooking in the Garden!

Football season is coming up. That means cooking the day before and packing food to tailgating. In the next couple of weeks I'll be interviewing Randy Lewis an expert on preparing food for a large crowd.

While we wait patiently for his guidance I have something from our tailgating tradition to share with you.

Every year, usually toward the end of the season we have a chili cook off. My husband makes chili con carne, our friend makes his hot buffalo chili and another friend makes white chili.

The day before, my husband drags out the large 5 quart Crockpot and makes his now famous chili.
2lbs Lean Ground beef (1lb lean ground beef and 1 lb ground bison (optional)
4 large cans Kidney Beans, drained
4 cans diced green chili
4 cans Ro-tel brand hot diced tomatoes (it really is the best brand for this recipe)
1 large can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion - Diced
Season with:
Ground black pepper to taste
Cayenne or hot chili powder to taste

Brown beef then add to all the ingredients in pot and let cook on low 6-8 hours.

We heat it up once we are at the tailgating lot. Ron loves to make it so hot usually it's even to hot for me, and I like hot. Beer seems to be the drink of choice for this tailgating.

I do not drink beer, so I usually take a sweet white wine for this dinner. Sweet offsets the spice!

Okay so this isn't tailgating, I couldn't resist!
GO UTES!

Who to you cheer for in the fall?

Tuesday in the Garden

Last week I went to Epcot while at the National RWA (Romances Writers of America) Conference. My friend and I had a lovely dinner in France.

We had a lovely little rodent join us. Oh, not him!  I was referring to a much smaller fast talker.Yes there we go, Remy from Ratatouille!

We had the most awesome dinner at Les Chefs de France. We shared an appetizer of escargot. Then we had lobster bisque for starters. For the main course, I had the beef ribs with pasta and Judy had salmon. For desert I had a french pastry filled with ice cream and drowned in milk chocolate, Judy had the creme brulee. I could barely move!

We took our waiter's suggestion for our wine. (Not mister smooth above, he was with Remy). A sparkling white wine with a shot of black current liquor mixed in. Refreshing is the best way to describe it.

Where is the best meal you've had while out to dinner or on vacation recently?

The Garden is now open

Yes the Garden is open. However, you know how it is after vacation. You need a week to recuperate.

Today is going to be interactive. Post your favorite summer recipe and what wine it pairs with. Sometime later in the day when my brain has cleared a little I will post mine.

I had a great time at the National RWA conference, but I have so many things running through my mind I need to process them before I return to normal.

Can't wait to hear about your recipes.

Okay it's later in the day and here is my favorite summer recipe. Though it's not really a recipe, mostly a grilled meal. When it's so hot you don't want to cook inside the best thing to do is grill. We throw whatever meat we have, steak, chicken (After the Orlando conference it will be a while before Chicken), pork chops, you name it anything works. For a side we do one of the following, again depending on what we have in the fridge.

Asparagus. I marinate the stalks (or whatever they're called) in a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar with basil and ground pepper. I let it sit for about an hour. Then I lay it out on aluminum foil and fold up the sides and my husband (I never touch his grill!) puts it on the grill.

Veggie Kabobs. I use the same mixture to marinate, chunks of onions, summer squash, mushrooms, carrots, green and red peppers and anything else that appeals to me. After an hour of soaking I skewer them and Ron throws them on the grill.


Corn on the cob. I carefully fold away the husk clean away all the hair stuff and then fold the husk around the corn again and grill them. When they're done you can sprinkle them with fresh grated Parmesan or butter and salt and pepper.

Most of this I'm sure some or all of you have tried, but they're easy and fun. We serve with a Beringer Cabernet or if we're doing chicken or fish a Beringer Chenin Blanc