Category Archives: Little Pickle

I’ve been picked for what?

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Just the the other week, I was laughing with Stacey about how I have never had Jury Duty.  I spoke way to soon!  I came home and checked my mail only to find a huge postcard with “JUROR” on the front.  What?  Are you serious?  Yep, I have been summoned to fill my citizenly (is that a word?) duties.

Courtesy of cartoonstock.com

Courtesy of cartoonstock.com

I had to be there yesterday at 8 am and for some reason thought I would be home by lunch.  Ha!  No way.  I first had to wait in a huge room with everyone until I was called along with a group of fifty others to go up for a trial where the judge spoke to us and asked us 50 million questions.  Not kidding, it took the whole day long.  I didn’t leave until 5:45 pm.

The judge, attorneys, defendent, court reporter and four policemen where all in the room along with all 50 jurors.  This process is called voir dire.  They had to narrow down the 50 jurors into 14 jurors they felt would be fair to serve for this trial.  I guess they thought I was a fair person because low and behold…I was chosen as one of the 14.  Thank God I have this week off from school!  The trial starts today and will most likely last until Thursday.  Oh…I am so lucky!

Once it is over with, I will tell you what the trial is for and the outcome.  I am sure I will have some interesting stories.  I better not be sitting next to the same guy yesterday who obviously forgot to wear deodorant!

Long time no speak!

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Anne Taintor Image

Anne Taintor Image

Yes, we have been absent from our beloved blog for so long it seems!

School duties unfortunately trump blogging fun, especially when less than an 80% in a class  = failing the class = getting kicked out of the program = serious mental breakdown probably requiring medical intervention.

Lexie and I both decided a few years ago to go for a career change into sonography (ultrasound) and thus a second round of college educating.

The way I look at it is my first college education at FSU was my “social” education–areas like communicating (that is, how to enunciate my words so they can be heard over the loud DJ at the bar), cultivating my refined palate (yes, I learned to like wine, beer and that a long island iced tea doesn’t even actually contain any iced tea!), and polishing my visual presentation (I can accessorize any outfit!  What, my major was fashion merchandising okay!).

Now, this time around MAJOR studying is involved.  There is so much to know about anatomy, how it looks when sliced into sections and also how it looks in shades of gray on the screen, the various pathology we are ruling out, how that looks, and on and on–I will bore you no more with further details.  The bottom line is who knew so much would be involved?  But I love every minute of it–especially the clinical aspect and getting to work with patients.

If I can be one caring and warm health care person that the patient gets to see amongst the many who sometimes, let’s just say, have a harder time expressing the empathy that I hope is deep down there somewhere, then good.  And to be able to give information that may help to provide (or rule-out) a diagnosis for the patient is even better.

Okay, enough of that serious talk, right!….    back to yummy recipe ideas!!!

Happy Friday!

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Stacey and I have really been slacking on the blog posts lately, but everything should return to normal after we finish our finals next Wednesday.  yippee!

Here is a little something to make you smile….

springtime-09-027

Kailani lurves to show her teeth!  She hides under my bed and then pops out to see whats going on.

puppies-054Here is Tayo and Bella…bff’s!

puppies-067Bella taking a Sunday snooze!

Banana Bread

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This is not a recipe I would usually pick out, but Cooking Light’s Classic Banana Bread looks mighty tempting!  I have never made bread before (putting the packet in the bread machine doesn’t count, does it?).  I think this is a perfect recipe for me to try and venture into the world of bread baking, especially since there is no kneading involved :)

This would be a perfect breakfast for me to take in the car on my early morning clinical days.

Image courtesy of cookinglight.com

Image courtesy of cookinglight.com

I think I would throw in some extra ingredients like cinnamon, walnuts, nutmeg, and maybe substitute Greek yogurt for regular yogurt and whole wheat flour for white flour.

Yield

1 loaf, 14 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients

  • 2  cups  all-purpose flour
  • 3/4  teaspoon  baking soda
  • 1/2  teaspoon  salt
  • 1  cup  sugar
  • 1/4  cup  butter, softened
  • 2  large eggs
  • 1 1/2  cups  mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
  • 1/3  cup  plain low-fat yogurt
  • 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
  • Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Nutritional Information

Calories:
187 (21% from fat)
Fat:
4.3g (sat 2.4g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.3g)
Protein:
3.3g
Carbohydrate:
34.4g
Fiber:
1.1g
Cholesterol:
40mg
Iron:
1mg
Sodium:
198mg
Calcium:
20mg

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2003

Top Heavy Crumb Cake

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A couple a weeks ago, I was over on Donna’s blog – My Tasty Treasures.  I saw her recipe for a top heavy crumb cake that looked to DIE for!  It reminded me of  the Entenmann’s Ultimate Crumb Cake my mom used to buy for my sister, brother and me when we were younger.

Photo from Dill My Pickle

Photo from Dill My Pickle

I made it this past weekend at it was a huge hit!  I can not even explain how good this crumb cake is…much better than the store bought version.  The top is my favorite part and there is so much of it, plus the cake on the bottom is extremely moist and just melts in your mouth.  I made it Thursday night thinking we would be able to eat on it for the whole weekend, but it was gone first thing Saturday morning!

Photo from Dill My Pickle

Photo from Dill My Pickle

This recipe is definitely going in my file of favorites!  Click here for the recipe and while you are at it, check out Donna’s blog.  She is hilarious!!!

Photo from Dill My Pickle

Photo from Dill My Pickle

Brie en Croute…yum!

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I have been looking for some good recipes to make this weekend for the 4th.  While on my search for the perfect potato salad, I somehow got off track and came across the perfect appetizer to put out….Brie en Croute from trusty Nana P (Paula Deen).  I have never had this before, but can only imagine that it taste amazing.   I tasted brie for the first time last year and fell in love!

Image courtesy of pauladeen.com

Image courtesy of pauladeen.com

The pastry looks so soft and buttery…perfect!

But, I still need a good potato salad recipe that is on the lighter side if anyone has any suggestions.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup brown sugar
1   egg, beaten
1   small (8-ounce) wheel Brie
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1   sheet frozen puff pastry (package comes with 2 sheets)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Crackers, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Defrost 1 sheet of puff pastry for approximately 15 to 20 minutes and unfold (place remaining sheet in freezer for later use). Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute walnuts in butter until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon and stir until walnuts are well coated. Place walnuts on top of Brie and sprinkle brown sugar on top of nuts.

Lay the puff pastry out on a flat surface. Place the brie in the center of the pastry. Gather up the edges of the brie, pressing around the brie and gather at the top. Gently squeeze together the excess dough and tie together with a piece of kitchen twine. Brush the beaten egg over top and side of Brie. Place Brie on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes until pastry is golden brown.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ease of Preparation: Easy
Yields: 8 Servings

Rhuby Daiquiri

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Ahhh…daiquiri.  Just saying that word can help relieve my stress :)   This drink sounds spectacular and the glass that it is in is so pretty!  I could use one of these babies right about now!  I found this amazing cocktail recipe from foodandwine.com.  It was created by a bartender in Philidelphia named Katie Loeb.   The rhubard syrup looks a little time consuming, but by the looks of it….I am sure it is worth the time!

Image courtesy of foodandwine.com

Now I am starting to feel a little sheltered…I have never had rhubard either! I think it is time to expand my palate :)   I definitely never would have thought to put in in a cocktail, but cheers to creative bartenders!

  • SERVINGS: Makes 1 drink

Ingredients

  1. Ice
  2. 2 ounces white rhum agricole (aromatic West Indian rum)
  3. 1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
  4. 1 ounce fresh pink grapefruit juice
  5. 3/4 ounce Rhubarb Syrup
  6. 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
  7. 1 lime wedge

Directions

  1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the lime wedge and shake well. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with the lime wedge.

Macarooooons!

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I have a confession….I don’t think I have actually ever had a macaroon.  Is that weird?   I have seen them and heard so much about them, but I don’t ever remember tasting them.  (And, I think I would definitely remember tasting something that looks as delicious as this!)

Image courtesy of allrecipes.com

Image courtesy of allrecipes.com

This recipe came from allrecipes.com and I have a feeling I will be making them very soon!  How can you go wrong with coconut?  I love it!  They seem so light and airy.  I bet I could eat like 20 ;)

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 (14 ounce) package BAKER’S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 6 tablespoons flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour baking sheets; set aside. Mix coconut, sugar, flour and salt in large bowl. Stir in egg whites and almond extract until well blended.
  2. Drop coconut mixture into 36 mounds, 2 inches apart, on prepared baking sheets, using about 1 tablespoonful of the coconut mixture for each mound.
  3. Bake 20 min. or until edges are golden brown. Immediately remove from baking sheets to wire racks. Cool completely.

FOOTNOTES

  • Tip
  • Cherry-Topped Macaroons
  • Prepare as directed, pressing 1 candied cherry into top of each mound of coconut mixture on baking sheet before baking.
  • Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons
  • Prepare Coconut Macaroons as directed. Cool. Melt 1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate as directed on package. Dip cookies halfway into chocolate; let excess chocolate drip off. Let stand at room temperature or refrigerate on wax paper-covered tray 30 min. or until chocolate is firm.

Happy Birthday Stacey!!!!!!

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It’s ya birfday…let’s party like it’s ya birfday!  I just wanted to say Happy Birthday!  I hope you have a fabulous year to come.  Thanks for being the best sister and friend anyone could ask for :)

cs-wedding-090

Oh…and let me just tell you how excited I am about the present Stacey’s husband got for her.  Two tickets to see Britney Spears in concert, which I get to go with her to see!  Woo hooo!  (Good job Darren!)

Father’s Day!

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I was born on Father’s Day—-  I don’t think my dad could have received a better present!!  Every few years it falls on June 21 and my dad and I get to have a dual celebration.

Walking me down the wedding aisle

Walking me down the wedding aisle

This is one of those years…  we will all be celebrating at my parents house by drinking some Margies, eating some cake, and maybe playing some bocce ball!  Fun!

Me and my Dad

Me and my Dad

I was checking out RealSimple.com and came across these Father’s Day Quotes.  I really love some of them and thought I would post them here!

Me and Lexie with our Daddio!

Me and Lexie with our Daddio!

Your father, Jo. He never loses patience―never doubts or complains―but always hopes, and works and waits so cheerfully that one is ashamed to do otherwise before him.
Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get.
Tim Russert, Big Russ and Me

To her, the name of father was another name for love.
Fanny Fern, Fresh Leaves

I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.
Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents

This one is my favorite of all:
It’s only when you grow up and step back from him―or leave him for your own home―it’s only then that you can measure his greatness and fully appreciate it.
Margaret Truman, in an address to a joint session of Congress (1984)
Our Dad!

Our Dad!

Happy Father’s Day!