Muskoka Camping 2013: Arrived-ish

Not a great picture but we have arrived at the park and the thunder showers have started. Some of the trees have started to change. :>

Muskoka Camping 2013: Belted In

Muskoka Camping 2013: Away We Go

Muskoka Camping 2013: Errand Run

Ian and I have headed off to run errands before our camping trip. Going to Vincenzo's for buns and sandwiches and Herrle's for fresh corn. :>

New Glasses

I'm not sure. They are a little big but it makes it easier to see. I asked for something more on the simple side... and the response was basically "that's not really the style right now". Most of the simple glasses weren't very feminine. I think these fit my face more. I don't know. 

August To September Highlights

I've been patiently waiting for fall to arrive. I tried to decorate this weekend but Ian wasn't having any of it. Instead, he kept me busy cleaning the garage. Here are some highlights for us from the end of August through September. Exciting stuff!

• August 27th: Duncan, my FiL, turns the ripe old age of 55. Getting present ideas out of him was worse than pulling teeth but we came up with a few things that he may like. 
• Also on the 27th: Fantasy Football Draft for work. Owl Rock You will not be a bridesmaid again this year!
• August 29th: New glasses! Not all the exciting for anyone else but me.. I'm scared though. Ian was on the fence about liking them. They are little bigger than normal.. but they fit my face more and match my current hair color... I don't know... Hate decisions.... Pictures may or may not be posted.
• August 30th - September 2nd: Glamping with the In-Laws near Algonquin. I say "glamping" because Come On... it's pretty posh.
• September 5th: THE START OF FOOTBALL SEASON WOOOOOO!!!! (Current prediction: Seattle goes 13-3)
• September 5th - 8th: Trip to Virginia for Chips and Salsa. Oh, alright... and to see Max, Cooper, Mom, Kamber and Derek (in no particular order.........)
• September 14th - 22nd: Personal/Business Trip to California. 9 days. Fan-freaking-tastic. 
• September 18th: Mom turns the ripe old age of 35. :>

Other than all of that.. no additional plans. The weather has been decent but slowly getting hotter. Today there was a 60% chance for thunderstorms. It currently looks like the end of days outside. Black sky. Pouring rain. Lots of lightning. Fun! 

Kitchen Adventures: Holy Spicy Hell

Actual Title: Sizzling Beef Steak with Hoisin Prawn & Noodle Bowls. This is a HOT dish. I had to have it with milk. We made it a second time when Kamber was here and it was just as hot. 

Ingredients: Sesame Seeds, Red Chili, Ginger Root, Spring Onions, Cilantro, Egg Noodles, Garlic, Shrimp, Beansprouts, Hoisin Sauce, Soy Sauce, Limes, Romaine Lettuce, Radishes, Sirloin Steaks, Chinese Five Spice, Sesame Oil, Oyster Mushrooms

We've been eating a lot of red chilies but this dish just seems to double the heat factor. Ian keeps in the seeds when he chops it so it could be less spicy but then how would we get our sinuses to clear so easily? :P The bunny ears below are pieces of romaine heart. These add some crunch to the dish and serve as an attempt to "cool" off your mouth. It doesn't really work but I appreciate their effort! The recipe made good use of our wok and everything cooked pretty quickly. I'm sure we will do this again in the future.. but maybe I can convince my sous chef to cut down the heat.... :) 653 hot and spicy calories.

Kitchen Adventures: Arnold Bennett Frittata

Full Title: Arnold Bennett Frittata with Focaccia & Emmenthal Waldorf Salad. This is a Kitchen Adventures: Brunch Edition!

Ingredients: Smoked Salmon, Bay Leaves, Eggs, Spring Onions, Mint, Frozen Peas, Olive Oil, Parmesan Cheese, Apples, Lemon, Fresh Chives, Emmenthal Cheese, Focaccia Bread, Lemon (Walnuts not included)

Before you say anything about the picture below... please keep in mind that it was actually fantastic! It doesn't look like it, but it was tasty and we would definitely do it again. The frittata was light and fluffy.... we used salmon instead of "undyed smoked haddock" which was impossible to find. The little salad it comes with was great; I'm starting to be a big fan of salads that include apples, lemon and olive oil. 569 calories for a small salad, big portion of the frittata and a couple pieces of foccacia bread.

How Ian Spent Most Of The Holiday

Apologies for the slightly dark picture... It suddenly decided to cloud over. 

Kitchen Adventures: Orange Mojo Pork Tenderloin

*gasp* This isn't a 15 Minute Meal recipe! :) We're mixing it up and cracked open the William Sonoma Grill Master book. I don't have an ingredients picture for this one since it was a 'marinate in advance' recipe.

Ingredients: Cumin Seeds, Olive Oil, Garlic, Jalapenos, Orange Juice, Cilantro, Oregano, Sherry, Pork Tenderloin, Ground Cumin, Sugar, Ground Coriander

Delicious! We paired it with grilled asparagus, garlic bread (piece of bread with a garlic clove rubbed into it), and our favorite simple salad. 4 out of 5. Unknown calories since it wasn't a 15 Minute Meal... however, I estimated about 700 calories for 4 slices of pork, 3 slices of bread and some asparagus and salad.

Kitchen Adventures: Broccoli Pasta with Chopped Garden Salad

This had us using a pasta we had never heard of - Orecchiette! It's a slightly thick tiny bowl shaped pasta. 

Ingredients: Dried Orecchiette, Basil, Anchovy Fillets, Lemon, Garlic, Dried Red Chili, Parmesan Cheese, Broccoli Head, Sunflower Seeds, Carrots, Avocado, Tomatoes, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Arugula

Sadly, this was a low 3 out of 5. The salad saved it. The pasta wasn't memorable. Maybe it was our fault the way we cooked it... but the broccoli pretty much disintegrated. It also called for pine nuts which Ian can't have. We substituted them with sunflower seeds but it still didn't make the dish exciting. The pasta was really inconsistently cooked. It scored a 3 because the salad was fantastic. Carrots, avocado, mixed color tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and arugula. Yum! 644 calories, mainly because of the pasta. We might do this again... but it's waaaay down the line of good dishes.