Leftovers For Lunch

We had quite the afternoon.

We went downtown, went to a few shops, maybe 3 bridal, a few not bridal, and I found nothing (in my price range!) that suited my fancy.

Here is one dress I tried on at Jessica McClintock. I’d give you the hyperlink automatically but it seems to not be working. www.jessicamcclintock.com/

Liked, but not loved. And I didn’t think it was the most flattering dress on me.

I also tried on this one that was a size too small (or two) and very simple but a great price:

(Also Jessica McClintock)

We were on the way back to the car (after nearly 2 hours of walking around) and I decided to stop in Ross.

Guess what I found.

A $50 ivory Calvin Klein dress.

I almost bought it. I was in line and everything. We said that we’d get it and if we found a better one, we were only out $50.

But I put it back.

I decided, I didn’t love it. I liked it. And I want to love my wedding dress. I thought it was a bit clingy in the wrong places.

So the search continues.

When we were leaving Seattle, the battery light came on in our "new" VW.

Once we got off the freeway, almost home, we swung into a Shuck’s to get the battery tested. Turns out we have a bad alternator.

You are kidding me, right?

Ugh. And it’s getting late on a Saturday. We wouldn’t be able to deal with it until Monday. What a headache to deal with.

Dinner

When we were in Montana, my mother gave me a heaping stack of her old(ish) cooking magazines. Dinner came from one of those. I found it here online: http://deliciouslivingmag.com/food/recipes/soups/0301-quinoa-salmon-stew/

Quinoa & Salmon w/ Tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup finely chopped red onion 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 cup finely chopped small bulb of fennel
2 cups water
½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted, undrained
1 pound salmon fillets, skin removed, cut into 1-inch chunks
¼ cup tightly packed chopped fresh 1 Tbls dried dill
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Zest of 1 small lemon

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy, 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3-5 minutes. Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Stir in quinoa. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in tomatoes (with liquid). Return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and boil gently over medium heat until quinoa is translucent and tender, 6-8 minutes.
3. Stir in salmon. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until salmon turns opaque and is cooked through, about 1 minute. (Check and cook an additional minute if needed.) Turn off heat. Stir in dill, lemon juice, and zest, plus remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add salt to taste, if needed.

Chili Roasted Carrots

I got this recipe from Eating Well Magazine, a subscription I received as a gift from Jodus’ mother!

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chili_roasted_carrots.html

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 pounds carrots (10-12 medium), cut into 1/4-inch diagonal slices
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice

Preparation

1. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450ºF.
2. Combine oil, chili powder, cumin and salt in a medium bowl. Add carrots and toss well to coat. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast the carrots, stirring once, until tender and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Toss the carrots with cilantro and lime juice. Serve immediately.

  

While cooking, I sipped on a beer.

The carrots get an amazing A+. These were fantastic. I could have eaten twice as many and been happy. I will be making these again.

The stew was decent. Jodus really liked it. I thought it lacked a wow-factor but was a nice way to do salmon different than just baking it or poaching it.

Hope you all had a pleasant Saturday!

-L4L-

Filed under: Food Blogs