Chin Deep

I remember reading an article in the “Yoga Journal” magazine that talked about knitting as meditation. Soon after that an article in the “New York Times” on the same subject caught my eye. Very intriguing. I’m sure that I’m not the only knitter that feels her whole body relax when she picks up her knitting needles and a beautiful skein of wool or cashmere blend. Unlike anything else, knitting has the power to help me unwind and re-group. The only thing that compares to the actual act of feeling the yarn pass through my fingers and the “click click” of the needles is shopping for yarn. A day in a good yarn shop is better than a day at the spa.

Recently, I ordered a fantastic little knitting kit to create a sushi wallet, and at the same time ordered one for my dear friend Jana. I can’t wait to get started! Pick up some yarn and needles and join the thousands of other people who already know the secrets and magic of this wonderful craft.

Here are some links to my favorite knitting websites where you can get some fun patterns, yarn, needles and knitting kits:

Stitch and Bitch

Knitwhits

Knitting Newscast

Knitting Website Resource

Lion Yarn Website

“Knitting is the new Yoga.” ~Charlotte from Sex and the City

Strawberries, peaches and pineapple are the stars of the show in this refreshing, good for you, summer salad!

Strawberry Dressing:

12 oz Yoplait Original Strawberry Yogurt

1 Cup fresh strawberries

2 Tablespoons white or red wine vinegar

Salad:

6 cups torn romaine lettuce or mixed salad greens

2 large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked completely and cut into strips

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

4 pineapple rings

1 medium peach, peeled, pitted and sliced

2 medium green onions, sliced (use some of the tops for color)

Place dressing ingredients in a food processor. Zip on high speed for 15 seconds, or until smooth. Arrange fruit on top of salad greens on 4 plates. Drizzle with dressing. Enjoy!

“It’s certain that fine women eat a crazy salad with their meat.” ~William Butler Yeats

There is a beautiful string of little villages just across the bridge from Red Wing that are some of the most quaint destinations on Wisconsin’s Great River Road. We usually make room on our calendars for a few happy excursions across the bridge every summer.

On Saturday, July 19th we decided to go over to Stockholm Wisconsin to check out their annual Stockholm Art Fair. Although it was July, the temperature down by the lake was breezy and perfect. The little art tents dotted the lawn under an abundance of shade trees. After perusing the artist’s wares we walked out on a little point that jutted into the lake and watched sailboats floating lazily on the water. Ahhhhhh….so relaxing, I could have sat there for hours.

Before we left Stockholm we decided to go into their new pie and ice cream shoppe called “Stockholm Pie Company.” It’s an adorable, nostalgic little pie shop that has a little table inside and one out front. When you walk in the front door the intoxicating aroma of freshly baked pies of all kinds assails your senses. It’s the kind of place that once you’ve been there and had the fantastic pie and ice cream, is almost impossible to pass up. Jeff got a mini blueberry pie with a scoop of the homemade vanilla ice cream, Gracie got a waffle cone with dark chocolate fudge ice cream, and I got a waffle cone with a classic ice cream called “Palmer House” which was originally created for The Palmer House Hotel in Chicago. It’s this addictive combination of bing cherry-walnut ice cream that I just love.

If you’re looking for a little road trip I highly recommend heading over to Wisconsin’s Great river road and exploring the little towns of Maiden Rock, Stockholm and Pepin. Oh, and if you know you’ll be stopping at Stockholm Pie Company, give me a call so I can meet you there

If you’re always looking for new wines to try (like I am) than you’ve come to the right place.

Beaucanon Estate Trifecta 2001- This is an especially great wine to serve with grilled red meat and kabobs. A perfect combination of currant, Fuji apples, mint, licorice, and rose petals.

La Crema Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2006- This is not your everyday chardonnay. So different and so delicious, you’ll want to get a case of this for your cellar. Tangerine, butterscotch, lemon-butter, jasmine, hazelnut, nutmeg and vanilla with a toasty finish.

“Here’s to the corkscrew - a useful key to unlock the storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the gate of pleasant folly.”
W.E.P. French

These are fantastic little libations for the beach, boat parties or picnics. Combining all of your cocktail ingredients before a beach party or boat outing makes enjoying cocktails more convenient. This recipe makes enough for 1 gallon of cocktails, but can be doubled or tripled, depending on how many people will be joining you.

YaYa Punch

In a one gallon thermos combine:

375 ML Malibu Coconut Rum

375 ML Peach Schnapps

375 ML Stoli Vodka

Top off with equal parts pineapple and cranberry juice.

Don’t add ice to the cocktail cooler, bring a separate cooler full of ice so your drinks don’t get watered down.  Serve over ice with a slice of lime. Enjoy!

” Yes, I’d like a cheeseburger, please, large fries and a cosmopolitan.”

~Carrie from Sex and the City

Here’s one of my favorite summertime spa treatments. This one was published in my first book, “Chin Deep in Bubbles” on page 58.

An exfoliating, smoothing treatment for your feet:

Combine 1/2 cup beach sand (or play sand), 1 Tablespoon sea salt, and 1/2 cup olive oil in a big basin. Put your feet in the basin and massage the sand mixture all over your feet. Rinse feet in a seperate basin full of cool water. Pat feet dry with a towel.

“Teach me to hear the mermaids singing.” ~John Donne

Adding wood to your coals before grilling can add depth and flavor to the meats you grill. We have been experimenting with grapevines and fresh herbs. Have fun with this and let me know what you find out

Here is a list of woods suitable for grilling and smoking:

* ACACIA - these trees are in the same family as mesquite. When burned in a grill, acacia has a flavor similar to mesquite but not quite as heavy. A very hot burning wood.
* ALDER - Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds.
* ALMOND - A sweet smoke flavor, light ash. Good with all meats.
* APPLE - Very mild with a subtle fruity flavor, slightly sweet. Good with poultry (turns skin dark brown) and pork.
* ASH - Fast burner, light but distinctive flavor. Good with fish and red meats.
* BIRCH - Medium-hard wood with a flavor similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.
* CHERRY - Mild and fruity. Good with poultry, pork and beef. Some List members say the cherry wood is the best wood for smoking. Wood from chokecherry trees may produce a bitter flavor.
* COTTONWOOD - It is a softer wood than alder and very subtle in flavor. Use it for fuel but use some chunks of other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor. Don’t use green cottonwood for smoking.
* CRABAPPLE - Similar to apple wood.
* GRAPEVINES - Tart. Provides a lot of smoke. Rich and fruity. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.
* HICKORY - Most commonly used wood for smoking–the King of smoking woods. Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavor. Good with pork, ham and beef.
* LILAC - Very light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb.
* MAPLE - Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds.
* MESQUITE - Strong earthy flavor. Good with beef, fish, chicken, and game. One of the hottest burning.
* MULBERRY - The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple.
* OAK - Heavy smoke flavor–the Queen of smoking wood. RED OAK is good on ribs, WHITE OAK makes the best coals for longer burning. All oak varieties reported as suitable for smoking. Good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game.
* ORANGE, LEMON and GRAPEFRUIT - Produces a nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.
* PEAR - A nice subtle smoke flavor. Much like apple. Excellent with chicken and pork.
* PECAN - Sweet and mild with a flavor similar to hickory. Tasty with a subtle character. Good with poultry, beef, pork and cheese. Pecan is an all-around superior smoking wood.
* SWEET FRUIT WOODS - APRICOT, PLUM, PEACH, NECTARINE - Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.
* WALNUT - ENGLISH and BLACK - Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and game.

These little lettuce wraps are every bit as wonderful as the ones you can get at upscale Chinese restaurants. They make a perfect lunch, appetizer, or light dinner.

• 16 butter lettuce leaves
• 1 pound lean ground bison
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 large, sweet Maui onion or Vidalia onion, chopped fine
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced pickled ginger
• 1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
• Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)
• 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

1. Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium- high heat, brown the ground bison in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside and allow to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions. Stir. Add the chopped water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil, and continue cooking until the onions become translucent, about 2 minutes.
3. Place lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large, pretty serving platter. Place meat mixture in the center. To serve: allow each person to spoon a some of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Fold like a taco, and enjoy!

“I learned early on that setting a table is so much more than just laying down knives and forks. It is creating a setting for food and conversation, setting a mood and an aura that lingers long after what was served and who said what was forgotten.”

-Peri Wolfman

It doesn’t get much easier than this! Just sprinkle fresh rose petals into your bath water before you bathe. Light some candles and listen to relaxing music while looking at your favorite magazines. Instant spa!

“This is la vie en rose…” ~ Edith Piaf

This is a delicious, easy and healthful Indian style meal that tastes fantastic paired with a gewurztraminer wine. Marinating chicken in yogurt for 24 hours makes the meat very tender and flavorful.

Easy Tandoori Chicken for the Grill:

4 large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup curry powder

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon Tony Cachare’s Cajun Seasoning

1/2 cup toasted coconut

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Combine yogurt, curry, lemon juice and Cajun seasoning together in a mixing bowl. Make 3 long slits lengthwise that go half way through each chicken breast. Place chicken breasts in a rectangular cake pan or a large casserole pan. Pour the yogurt sauce over each breast, making sure you get yogurt inside all the slits. Cover tightly and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Grill on high heat 10 to 12 minutes per side. Garnish with toasted coconut, raisins and slivered almonds.