Fire and Ice*

Fire and Ice*

**Having watched the movie Blades of Glory waaaay too many times, Olivia named this particular post for me this week.

We had a terrific time with some family members over this long holiday weekend.  My cousin came with his family and my aunt and uncle for a hockey tournament.  We got to watch the amazingly talented Tristan play.

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Tristan’s team was “Guest.”   I don’t know much about hockey other than from a spectator’s point of view, but Tristan and his team were excellent players, good sports, and lots of fun to watch.

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It was great to see my cousin Billy after too many years! He is sooo funny and it’s  always a pleasure to be in his company.

Tris

 

The Cotton Boys!

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Sebastian is adorable and just makes everyone smile to see him.

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After the Saturday morning game, we went out to eat breakfast at the Tuscany Cafe and Bistro.  I had a bacon, egg, and provolone cheese croissant with fresh fruit.  It was all very good and everyone enjoyed what they ordered.

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We shopped in the afternoon and ended the day with a fireside dinner.

A roasty, toasty burn your face off fireside dinner.  But it was nice after starting the day at 30 degrees.

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We had a low carb feast with the whole meal coming in at less than 45 carbs.  All recipes were variations on recipes found in the Williams Sonoma Cookbook Healthy in a Hurry.

The entrée was…

chicken

Baked Chicken with Herbs and Lemon

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

8 ounces cherry tomatoes

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 lemon cut into 8 thin slices

Fresh tarragon sprigs

Fresh sage leaves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease a baking dish with 2 teaspoons olive oil.  Place chicken in a prepared baking dish.  Arrange tomatoes around chicken.  Drizzle chicken and tomatoes with vinegar and 2 teaspoons olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Top each chicken breast half with 2 lemon slices.  Arrange tarragon sprigs and sage leaves over and around chicken.  Bake until chicken is opaque throughout, 25-30 minutes.

 

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Roasted Asparagus with Almonds and Orange Zest

¼ cup almonds, chopped

1 ½ pounds asparagus

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon orange zest

1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until lightly browned; about 10 minutes.  Immediately pour on a plate to cool.  Set aside and increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.  Break off and discard tough stem ends from asparagus.  Place spears in a baking dish.  Sprinkle with olive oil, orange zest, and salt and toss to coat.  Spread asparagus in a baking sheet on a single layer.  Roast asparagus, stirring occasionally until tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 10 minutes.  Arrange on a platter, sprinkle with toasted walnuts, and serve immediately.

 

beans

Green Beans with Lemon and Almonds

¼ cup sliced almonds (or pecans)

1 pound green beans

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1 lemon, grated zest and juice

¼ cup sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread almonds on a baking sheet and toast until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Place on a cutting board to cool.  Trim beans and slice in half diagonally.  Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil and have a large bowl of ice ready. Add beans to water and cook until just tender, 3-4 minutes.  Drain and transfer beans to ice water to cool.  Drain again and add olive oil, tarragon, and lemon zest and juice to beans.  Stir to mix well and season with salt and pepper.

 

 salad

 

Pear Pomegranate Salad

 

1/3 cup walnut pieces

Dressing:

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

8 ounces baby spinach

2 ripe pears

½ cup pomegranate seeds

In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, olive oil, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper to make a dressing.  Add spinach, pears, pomegranate seeds, and walnuts to bowl and toss gently to mix and coat well.

 

truff

Chocolate Mint Truffles

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1/3 cup coconut milk

2 drops peppermint oil

¼  cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Place chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl.  In a small saucepan, bring coconut milk to a simmer. Pour coconut milk over chocolate and stir gently with a heatproof spatula until chocolate is melted and smooth.  Stir in peppermint extract.  Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.  Scoop out 1-tablespoon portions of chocolate mixture and place on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper.  Place cocoa powder on a plate.  Dust hands with cocoa.  Roll each scoop of chocolate mixture into a ball, then roll in cocoa powder to coat.  Place truffles between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

 

Chupa

Hope you come back soon!

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2 Responses to Fire and Ice*

  1. Dorothy January 20, 2014 at 4:39 pm #

    BOY DOES MERRY CAROL LOOK LIKE DALE. ARE THESE LORI’S BOYS??

    • Julie January 20, 2014 at 5:51 pm #

      Those are Billy’s sons. Such nice little guys! Lori’s boys are in college. Time flies!

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