Back to the Lake!

Hotdoggin'...

Wakeboarding.....

Well, the flood is over and we've cleaned up the aftermath....mostly. The poor lawn was drowned for three weeks, but hopefully it'll come back next spring. We've had to rip up the carpet on the first floor, and replace some mil-dewey drywall, but no big deal....and the dock.....well, let's just say that's a lost cause. That'll all be replaced in the springtime. For now, we're just enjoying the lake for what it is -- 'cause summer is fleeting and we have to savor every single second and not worry about stuff that just doesn't really matter!

SO! We spent the weekend out at the lake and we all had a total BLAST! The weather was amazing and the kids all got in a lot of tubing, wakeboarding, and skiing. I even got some time to cook in my little cottage kitchen.

Shrimp Salad Sandwich

One afternoon I made Ina's Shrimp Salad for the husband and myself. We both really liked it and I thought it looked pretty too; it was the perfect lakeside lunch.

I also made her Orzo with Roasted Vegetables (always a hit), which we took when we had dinner with some friends at their cottage. With roasted eggplant, garlic, yellow and red peppers, and red onion, the orzo salad was a nice compliment to the ribs that my friend Jane made. It also calls for fresh basil (which I have a TON of) and cubed feta....yum! I'm just giving you the links because I didn't divert at all from either recipe. Ya gotta love that Ina!

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

I highly recommend both of these salads; they taste just like summer!

Two Great Appetizers

I've been meaning to post these recipes for about two weeks but, as I mentioned in my last post, I've been so busy with my summertime roll as the DamFam Taxi Driver and other summer stuff that my poor blog is suffering from lack of attention.

We're settling in to a summer routine; I have all the kid's daily schedules just about memorized, so I'm not as afraid of leaving someone somewhere or forgetting my carpool duties like I was last week! My oldest is away at tennis camp so that's one less kid in the whole driving equation, but the others have swim team, synchro practice, tutoring, and tennis, so we're still hoppin' around here.

One of the most frustrating aspects of the summer hubbub is the lack of cooking that's going on in a corner of my kitchen! Just for an example, yesterday I got so involved in a gardening project that I didn't even realize it had gotten to be 5:00, and had no idea what we were going to have for dinner, so we ended up going out (for about the fifth time in a week, which I'm embarrassed to report!). I have to get better at my mealtime organization, but squeezing trips to the grocery store in between all this taxi driving is proving difficult this summer.

Anyway, here are two great summertime appetizer recipes for you. I took these to a cookout a couple of weeks ago and they were both a huge hit! Serve 'em up with some cold beers or a light summer wine ...... yum!

Confetti Shrimp

Serves: 6-8

Source: I honestly cannot remember. I have this recipe scribbled on a piece of notebook paper so I must have gotten it from a friend at some point!

1 1/2 lbs. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (I try to use the biggest ones I can find)

olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. minced ginger

1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice

1 T. fresh lime juice

1/4 c. chopped chives or scallions, plus additional for garnish

1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped

Lemon and lime wedges for garnish

Place a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan (maybe a tablespoon or so?). Saute the shrimp for two minutes, or until cooked through. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and set aside in a glass bowl.

Add a little bit more oil to the pan and saute the garlic and ginger until golden. Remove from heat. Add in the citrus juices; stir to combine. Pour this mixture over the shrimp, season with salt, and toss to coat. Chill for two to three hours, stirring occasionally. Add bell pepper and chives, toss to combine. Pour onto a pretty platter, garnish with additional chives and citrus wedges.

Serve with cocktail picks, and don't forget to put out a little bowl for the tails

Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto

Serves: 6?

Source: Food Network & Giada De Laurentis

1 lb. asparagus (about 19 stalks), trimmed

1 T. olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

6-8 paper thin slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise

Grated Parmesan to garnish (if desired)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Snap the dry stem ends off of each asparagus and place on a heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss. Roast until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Wrap each asparagus with one piece of prosciutto, exposing the tips. Arrange on a platter and garnish with grated Parmesan (if desired); and serve at room temperature.