Friday, June 03, 2011

Ah, Summer Break, Finally

Summer has begun for us, finally. Ellie took the opportunity to celebrate with a string of fun sleep-overs and girl get-togethers.

After the race on Sunday she spent the night at Ariana's house. They spent the afternoon toodling around Golden on cruiser bikes that weigh just about as much as they do. They rode around town, they watch a bit of a ball game at the park and sat on the "beach" by the creek. Ellie came home on Monday, mowed Grandpa Don's lawn and then went with me to pick up Laurel. We also picked up Ethan who had spent part of the weekend with Rhys, Laurel's brother.

Monday evening Janet and Keenan came over from dinner. We spent the evening listening to stories about Keenan's time serving in Afghanistan. I dedicate a post on another day to those stories.

After I came home from work on Tuesday I took the girls to get Elitch Garden season passes. The lines were long, but the girls has a grand time. They had so much fun that they wanted to go back again on Wednesday. That evening was the reason that we had Laurel come and spend time with us as it was a "bring a friend" night at dance class. Laurel was the one who told Ellie about cotillion a long while ago. That led to cotillion classes for both kids, which led to dance classes for the girl, and so it seemed natural that we invite her to join in that night. They had a lot of fun, but I imagine that they were both exhausted by the time they got home. After such a long run of sleep overs, Ellie was used up and needed to rest.

Oh, silly youth...

--------

Here's a recipe that was popular this week:
Orecchiette with Peas, Shrimp, and Buttermilk-Herb Dressing
via: Cooking Light magazine, June 2011

* YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
* HANDS-ON: 30 MINUTES
* TOTAL: 30 MINUTES
* COURSE: Main Dishes, Salads

Ingredients

* 8 ounces uncooked orecchiette pasta
* 1 cup shelled green peas (about 1 pound unshelled green peas) or frozen green peas
* 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1 cup thinly sliced radishes ( left these out and added in diced cucumber in its place)
* 1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
* 1/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
* 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 2 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

* 1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add peas and shrimp during last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.
* 2. Combine pasta mixture and radishes in a large bowl. Combine mayonnaise and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Pour over pasta mixture, tossing to coat. Cover and let stand 20 minutes. Serve at room temperature, or cover and chill until ready to serve.
* Wine note: Sweet shrimp, peppery summer radishes, and the refreshing dill and buttermilk dressing all point to a wine with tangy acidity, fresh berry fruit, and a zip of citrus. The Fleur, Pinot Noir, Rosé (2009, Carneros, Calif.; $15)—with its shocking bright-red hue—is a hands-down crowd-pleaser and an excellent value.—Alexander Spacher

No comments: