It’s the rarest predictable astronomical event. Captured here in ultra high-definition and across the UV spectrum by the Solar Dynamics Observatory.
Update: Check this picture of Hubble Telescope “photo-bombing” Venus on her big day. That Hubble, always clowning!
Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 60th year on the throne. The celebration comes to a crescendo this weekend with The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. It’s airing (PST) at about 5 a.m. live here in the states.
On the official website you can send the Queen a congratulatory note, also a schedule of events here, and pictures on other official sites.
Here’s a treat! If you’re going to get up early to watch the pageant on TV, why not whip up a batch of scones using the Queen’s own recipe?
So here’s to Queen Elizabeth! Congratulations on your Diamond Jubilee!
Updated:
I realized that the recipe needed a bit of translation, plus baking temps and times… plus clearer instructions. So here’s that:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
4 “teacups” (cups) flour
4 tablespoons “caster sugar” plain sugar
2 “teacups” milk
2 whole eggs
2 teaspoons “bi-carbonate soda” baking soda
3 teaspoons cream of tarter
2 tablespoons melted butter.
Mix the wet ingredients together and sift the dry ingredients together. Add the wet to the dry and mix until just blended. Drop 1/3 cup dollops onto a parchment covered baking tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Arnold Palmer was a championship golfer in the late 50’s and 60’s. His sporting legacy aside, the thing he’s famous for around here is his namesake beverage. Here’s my take:
The Ultimate Arnold Palmer
8 cups double strength Brewed Tea
6 cups Lemonade (recipe to follow)
Lemonade
Zest and Juice of 8 large Lemons
3 cups Sugar
6 cups Water
Stir all ingredients in a large sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved, then allow to cool to room temperature. Strain then refrigerate. Serve over ice.
But if making Arnold Palmer’s…
Strain and combine with the brewed tea. Refrigerate until ready to serve over ice.
Pssst… if you add an ounce or two of lemon vodka to your Arnold Palmer… it’s called a John Daly
Pay the mortgage or buy a truffle? Yeah, maybe I’ll let the truffle band wagon pass by without getting on board. Or so I thought… For such a simple recipe, it’s a show stopper!
Roasted Potatoes With Truffle Salt
4 Russet or Baking Potatoes
Olive Oil
Truffle Salt
Pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Scrub and slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch rounds. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with the truffle salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and tender. Sprinkle on a little bit more truffle salt before serving.
P.S. Try the salt on fries and popcorn, you will love it!
The saying goes that, it’s the journey not the destination. These days, if you need to reach your destination via air travel it’s hard to remember that. Like most, I’ve cultivated some habits that make the experience feel special and, dare I say it, fun.
1) I chose a festive colored bag to carry my survival kit in. Because the party starts right here in seat 22A! Whooooo!
2) Lavender sleep mask and a pair of nice warm socks.
3) Water bottle and snacks. I like to treat myself to a favorite candy bar, although lately I’ve been trying to be more virtuous.
4) Hand and face cleansing wipes, for when I start to feel gooey.
5) Lip balm and moisturizer (for hands and face) to combat the dry air. Also, a moisturizing aromatherapy spray to combat the fried bologna sandwich that 22C brought.
6) A favorite travel story. I like to re-read 13 Little Blue Envelopes or Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson.
I’d love to know, what are your air travel secrets?
I know this post comes a little late, being that most of us are avoiding our ovens right now. I made this for Easter weekend and served it with the roasted beet and goat cheese salad that I posted about last month.
I used a bone in leg of lamb but if you’re using boneless decrease the cooking time.
Roast Leg of Lamb
Allow the lamb to sit out for about an hour and come up closer to room temp. You never want to throw a cold piece of meat into the oven.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1 Leg of Lamb (bone in)
2 tablespoons fresh Rosemary (finely chopped)
1 stick softened Butter
Salt & Pepper
3 tablespoons Olive Oil (for browning)
Melt the butter and stir in the rosemary, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
Sprinkle the lamb with a generous amount of salt and pepper. This will create a lovely crust when browned.
Place a roasting pan on the stove top, straddling two burners set to medium high. Add the olive oil and the leg of lamb. Brown the lamb on all sides. Baste with the butter/rosemary mixture then place in the oven. Continue basting every 20 minutes during the cooking time.
Roast the lamb for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until it reads 135 degrees internal temperature on a digital meat thermometer.
Allow the meat to rest for about 20 minutes before carving.
I was going for the flavor of my BBQ Enchilada Recipe without turning on the oven and making the kitchen hot.
BBQ Chicken Tacos With Corn & Black Bean Relish
1 whole Rotisserie Chicken
1 cup Enchilada Sauce
1/2 cup Barbecue Sauce
2 cups Shredded Cheese
3 tablespoons torn Cilantro
6-8 small Tortillas
Take the skin off and shred the chicken into a large bowl. Add the enchilada sauce and the barbecue sauce. Stir gently to combine. Heat the chicken mixture in the microwave for 2 minutes or until warmed through.
Corn and Black Bean Relish
I’m using this as a condiment, but really it’s a salad/side dish in its own right. Also, its awesome potluck or picnic fare!
2 cups frozen Corn (thawed)
1 14 oz. can Black Beans
3 Green Onions (finely minced)
2 cups Grape Tomatoes (halved)
3 tablespoons chopped Cilantro
Rinse and drain the black beans with cool water. Combine all ingredients in a big bowl and toss with the dressing.
For the Dressing:
1/4 cup Garlic Olive Oil
3 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
About 10 Dashes of Tabasco Jalapeno Sauce
Salt & Pepper
Combine all ingredients in a tightly closed jar and give it a good shake! Toss with the corn and bean mixture and refrigerate until time to serve.
To serve, layer the chicken, corn & black bean relish, cheese, and cilantro on the tortilla.
We are big Disneyland fans. Huge! We’ve been taking the kids since they were very little. This trip differed because they are no longer little.
How to have a fun family vacation that includes a big dose of “cheesy” without all the eye rolling? We who have teens, run into this often.
Fortunately my kids were raised on “cheesy” so it was easy to get them on board. Plus, ditch school for 2 days? Sure, no problem Mom!
We stay at The Grand Californian Hotel. Can I just say, it’s worth the extra money to stay right in the park. Plus, the pool, restaurants and amenities are awesome.
(No this isn’t a sponsored post. But hey Mickey, call me!)
Photo courtesy of Grand Californian.
This time around, instead of bunk beds, we got king/double-double adjoining rooms. That way everyone can have their space when inevitably, we all get a little sick of each other.
We purchased our 5 day Park Hopper passes online. It’s a big time saver, I can’t recommend the practice more! Disneyland is famous for its looong lines, ticket lines being the longest.
As we were staying in the hotel, we started our days at The Storytellers Cafe. Like all the restaurants in the resort hotels it’s a “character breakfast”. I was curious as to whether or not the boys would be into interacting with the characters this time around. It was really fun when they goofed around and posed for pictures between bites of Mickey shaped waffles, just like the younger kids.
I’m sure you’ve heard that a “Disney strategy” must be employed in order to escape a “meltdown” by your youngster. Things were a little different this time. We’ve reached that “Mom and Dad, who…?” stage, in which Jef and I get ditched. I did tell them that I’d like it if we could all go on at least one ride a day together.
My kids are pretty good at humoring me.
We met back up for lunch at old favorites like Taste Pilots Grill and there were a few new places in Frontier Land, Downtown Disney, and California Adventure Park that are now on the list of favorites.
Our dining splurge was for dinner the second night, when we ate at Napa Rose. We avoided the nice restaurants on past trips but, as the boys don’t smear everything within a three-foot perimeter of the table anymore, we thought we’d check it out. I’m glad we did, it was a very nice meal.
We had a great time on our cheesy Disney trip! It’s probably the last time we’ll go to Disneyland, just the four of us, so it was particularly meaningful.
If you have any questions about our trip leave them in the comments!
Happy Star Wars Day everyone! In celebration, here is a collection of rare outtake photos!
Can you guess which one is my favorite? Heh!
Oh and, May the Fourth Be With You…
Photos Courtesy of LucasFilm, 20thCenturyFox and DamnCoolPictures
“The Manic Pixie Dream Girl” was coined by film critic Nathan Rabin to describe a common cinematic character used to help the gloomy/heartbroken/up-tight male lead to arrive at his catharsis. Done with her job, she usually glides (dreamily) off into the sunset with (or without) the hero.
Love her or hate her she’s here to stay.
The Natural Disastronauts made this hilarious skit to illustrate the dark side of the MPDG.
Enjoy! (I mean, dance to the music in your heart and really experience the beauty and wonder of every moment!)
Kathleen Rear 