Slow Travel Sunday Small Bites: SSB# 9 - Olive

This week's ingredient is Olives and it was selected by fellow Slow Traveler and Blogger, Jerry, Jerry's Thoughts, Musings and Rants. Thank you Jerry for selecting this week's ingredient.

I decided to go with a recipe that I found in one of the three books I bought for this cooking group. It is called "Betty Crocker's Small Bites." The recipe is for Olive and Herbs Deviled Eggs. I followed the recipe exactly. I thought this was really delicious and would definitely make it again.


Ingredients:
8 eggs
1/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing (I used Mayonnaise)
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh marjoram leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon garlic-pepper blend
1/2 cup chopped ripe olives
8 pitted ripe olives
Fresh parsley or marjoram sprigs or leaves.

Instructions:
In a pot, place eggs in single layer; add enough cold water to cover eggs. Cover; heat to boiling. Remove from heat; let stand covered 15 minutes. Drain. Immediately place eggs in cold water with ice cubes or run cold water over eggs until completely cooled.

Remove shell from each egg. With rippled vegetable cutter or sharp knife, cut each egg in half lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks and place in small bowl; mash with fork. Reserve egg white halves.

Stir mayonnaise, chopped herbs, garlic-pepper blend and chopped
olives into mashed yolks. Carefully spoon mixture into egg white halves,
mounding lightly.

Cut whole pitted olives into slices; top each egg half with olive slices. Garnish with small herb sprigs or leaves.

For more Sunday Small Bites (SSB) recipes, visit the Slow Travel Website.

PhotoHunt: Bags

During my visit to beautiful Venice in 2007, I had the unique adventure of experiencing Acqua Alta (Wikipedia). AnnieNC, Churches in Venice, took some incredible photos of her experience with Acqua Alta during her trip in 2008 that you have to check out.

Some people like the local Venetian pulling the wheel barrel were prepared with their rubber boots. And then there were some like the family in the back who weren't and had to use these long plastic bags to put their feet and legs in to keep dry . . .

And just in case there was another Acqua Alta during my stay I bought my own bright yellow plastic "Skipper" boots that came in these cute plastic bags . . .

And you know I just had to try them on! :)

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Scotland: Ramblings . . .

Like wine is to Italy, Scotch whisky is to Scotland. Although I'm not a very big drinker in general, while in Scotland I will have to give a wee glass of Scotch whisky a try! :) After all, going there and not having some Scotch Whisky would be like going to Italy and not having a glass of wine or prosecco. So what exactly is Scotch Whisky, I had to give myself a quick lesson so I'll know what to order.

"Scotch whisky is divided into four distinct categories: single malt, vatted malt (also called "pure malt"), blended and single grain. There are two major categories, single and blended. Single means that all of the product is from a single distillery, while Blended means that the product is composed of whiskies from two or more distilleries." ~ Wikipedia

Well, after contemplating the choices, I think I'll have a go with a Blended Scotch Whisky, because it sound's like a lighter drink! I'll report back on what I think. :)

And just to whet my appetite even more, here's a satellite image of the beautiful Sands of Morar which is where they filmed a great movie called "Local Hero" that was recommended to me by AnnieNC (Churches in Venice). And the green line that says A830 is the road that I'll be driving along on, but of course, I'll be on the "left" and not right side of the road. :)

I'll have 3 days in Arisaig before I ferry over to the Isle of Skye, so I'll use the time to explore this beautiful part of the West Highlands. First on my priority list, Morar!

Here, I'll see the River Morar (Britain's shortest river).

I'll explore the village and Loch Morar which is the deepest fresh water loch in all of Europe. They say that in it's deepest depths (1,017 ft), a creature similar to the more famous Loch ness has been known to make an occasional appearance. The locals have dubbed the monster, Morag.

I will try to visit the western end of the loch where the first seminary in Scotland was founded and where young men were educated and prepared for the priesthood. This seminary, which was raised following the Jacobite Rebellion, assured Morar and Arisaig of their importance in the Catholic Church.

Then, while visiting the village, I will want to visit the cross and viewpoint for the panoramic views of the Inner Hebrides and Loch Morar. The cross was erected in 1899 to commemorate the opening of the present church.

And to top it all off, while in Morar I will order some Thai Food take out from a famous Thai restaurant called Sunset! Yummy!

Last year Sandra (A Journey of a Thousand Miles begins with ... Too much Luggage) wrote several posts about her trip plans to Italy before she left. I liked the idea so much that I did the same for my trip to Spain. It worked so well for me that in the next few days before I leave for Scotland, I will do a couple of posts about where and what are on my plans.

16 days to go! Whoo Hoo!

Slow Travel Sunday Small Bites: Week # 8 - Pumpkin

This week's ingredient is Pumpkin and it was selected by fellow Slow Traveler and Blogger, Deborah, Old Shoes: New Trip. Thank you Deborah for selecting this week's ingredient.

I decided to go with a recipe that I found on the Internet called Group Recipes. The recipe is for a Vegetable Pumpkin Patties Recipe. I pretty much followed the recipe and served it with a nice sauce called Jufran Banana Sauce, which I had heard about from another fellow blogger, Eden from Eden's Wanderings and Wonderings. I really loved it! Thanks also to Eden for the idea, it was the perfect sauce to accompany this veggie appetizer dish.


Ingredients:
6 cups of pumpkin (grated or just toss in blender-I used the blender)
2 eggs
1 bunch of finely chopped coriander
2 finely chopped onions
1/2 cup wholemeal flour
1 tsp ground cumin seeds
salt and pepper
olive oil
fine dry multi grain breadcrumbs

Directions
Mix everything completely in a mixing bowl except oil and breadcrumbs. Roll heaped tablespoons of mixture in dry breadcrumbs one at a time. Hand roll it into patties to your desirable size. Repeat with the rest.

Place patties on a plate and refrigerate for 35 minutes.

Heat a non-stick pan and add some olive oil. Fry the patties in medium heat for about 4 minutes each side until crisp and golden brown.

For more Sunday Small Bites (SSB) recipes, visit the Slow Travel Website.

PhotoHunt: Tied

I took this photo of sail boats tied to the docks in the Marina Del Rey harbor which is located along a popular beach bike path where I live.

There's a section along the path where you can stop to watch planes taking off from the airport and where you can watch sail boats going in and out of the harbor. Every time I see them, I always think about where they're flying or sailing off to and then I wonder if I would one day get to travel there too!

And for all you Parrotheads out there, here's one of my favorites . . . . (for some reason seeing sailboats always reminds me of Jimmy Buffet songs). :) Have a great weekend everyone! 19 Days to Scotland...Edited to add a Whoo hoo!

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Slow Travel Sunday Small Bites: SSB Week # 7 - Pecan

This week's ingredient is Pecan and it was selected by fellow Slow Traveler and Blogger, Sheri, As the Seasons Change. Thank you Sheri for selecting this week's ingredient.

I decided to go with a recipe that I found on the Internet called Perfect Entertaining. The recipe is for "Mushroom Stuffed with Pecans and Cream". I followed the recipe changing it only to reduce the portions. I really like pecans and mushrooms so this was a really great appetizer recipe for me to try.


Ingredients:
30 medium mushrooms (I reduced the portion)
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup unsalted butter (I really reduced this portion)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (since I love garlic, I used this amount)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream (I drizzled small drops onto each mushroom)

Instructions:
Remove the stems from the mushrooms and finely chop. Place the mushroom caps in a baking dish, hollow side up.

Measure 1 cup of the mushroom stems and use the rest in another dish. Place the 1 cup of stems, pecans, and parsley in a bowl. Stir in the butter, garlic, salt, thyme, and pepper.

Place the mixture into the mushroom caps. Drizzle cream over each mushroom cap. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until brown. Serve hot. Makes 8 servings.

For more Sunday Small Bites (SSB) recipes, visit the Slow Travel Website.

PhotoHunt: Dream(s) . . . (Free Choice)

My mother once told me that when I was in Kindergarten I actually told my teacher that I wanted to fly to the moon! Talk about imagination! Although I don't remember that conversation, I can remember that I have always dreamed of traveling around the world. Who would've thought that this little girl with a butterfly pin in her (slowly growing) hair would one day travel to Europe! And I am very grateful and happy to say that the "Dream" still lives on as I am headed to Scotland in less than a month. Whoo Hoo! :)

And here's my photo pic of the week, a place I think everyone dreams of visiting at least once in their lifetime . . . beautiful Venice!




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28 Days and counting . . .

This made me laugh . . .


I love my Spanish Guitar that I brought home from Spain last year, but I'm pretty sure I won't be bringing home bag pipes. Well, maybe a little tiny one like my Sangria bottle. :)

And speaking of music . . . . (segway), AnnieNC told me that Adam Lambert's first Album will be released on November 24! Whoo hoo! And to whet our appetites, here is a brief look at a song called "Time for A Miracles" for a movie soundtrack called 2012!



Keep on Rocking Adam . . .

Slow Travel Sunday Small Bites: SSB Week # 6 - Smoked Salmon

This week's ingredient is Smoked Salmon and it was selected by fellow Slow Traveler and Blogger, MarciaB, Happy Trails For Us: My Reluctant Blog. Thank you Marcia for selecting this week's ingredient.

I decided to go with a recipe that I found on the Internet called Group Recipes. The recipe is for "Smoked Salmon on Red Potatoes". I followed the recipe exactly (except for reducing the portions). There was no photo on the website, so I hope this is how it is supposed to look like. I've had smoked salmon before and really enjoy it and it was pretty tasty with this recipe!


Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup fresh dill, minced
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes, cleaned, unpeeled, and sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
5 tbs olive oil
2 tbs finely grated lemon zest Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound smoked salmon, thinly sliced, cut into 1-inch squares

Directions

- Preheat oven to 400 . In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, minced dill, mustard, brown sugar until blended.

- In a large bowl combine the potato, olive oil and lemon zest.

- Season generously with salt and pepper.

- With your hands , turn the potatoes to coat evenly. Then spread the potatoes in a single layer on large cookie sheets.

- Bake them, turning once, until golden on both sides, and tender when pierced with a fork. The potatoes can be prepared up to 6 hours in advance and stored at room temperature until ready to serve. Reheat them in the oven at 375 , until warm.

- Place a spoonful of the dill sauce on each hot potato slice.

- Top each with a square of the salmon and garnish with dill sprig. Makes 40 pieces.

For more Sunday Small Bites (SSB) recipes, visit the Slow Travel Website.

PhotoHunt: Sports

Whether you are a devoted fan, a budding superstar, a professional athlete, or a regular everyday person like me, sports has something for everyone!


I took this photo of two budding Beach Volleyball players during an AVP Tournament! The little cutie on the right is being lifted by 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Misty May-Treanor.


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Slow Travel Sunday Small Bites: SSB Week # 5 - Goat Cheese

This week's SSB ingredient is Goat Cheese and it was selected by fellow Slow Traveler and Blogger, Nancyhol, A Wine Lover's Wonderings. First, a big Welcome home to Nancy who just recently returned from her wonderful trip in Italy. Thank you so much for blogging throughout your trip and for sharing your wonderful experiences with us.

This was the first time that I have tried Goat Cheese and I have to say that I really liked it a lot! Thank you Nancyhol for selecting this week's ingredient.

I decided to go with a recipe I found on the website, Allrecipes.com. The recipe is for Mini Mushroom and Goat Cheese Tarts.



INGREDIENTS

1/2 sheet puff pastry
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley (I used cilantro since I already had some)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking tray. Lay puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface and cut into 8 squares. Prick the squares in several places with a fork. Place the puff pastry squares on prepared baking sheet.

Bake the puff pastry squares for 7 minutes. Remove tray from the oven, flatten the squares using the backside of a spatula. Return puff pastry to the oven to bake until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over high heat. Cook and stir the mushrooms and garlic in the butter until mushrooms are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.

Top the baked puff pastry squares evenly with the mushroom mixture. Crumble goat cheese over mushrooms and sprinkle with parsley.

PhotoHunt: Words

"Good night! Good Night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow!" ~ William Shakespeare (Romeo & Juliet quote Act II, Scene II)


Hundreds of words fill the walls of this small tunnel that leads to a pretty courtyard in Verona, Italy. They are love notes written by tourists from all over the world visiting the famous balcony where the most romantic scene in Shakespeare's play, Romeo & Juliet" supposedly took place. Some of the notes were even stuck to the wall using chewing gum.

So if you happen to find yourself visiting Verona Italy anytime soon and you're a fan of William Shakespeare's famous play, remember to bring along a couple of post-its, a sharpie and some good strong tape so you can secure your notes to the wall for the one you love! :)

And for only 2 Euros you can also climb up and stand on Juliet's balcony . . .




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