Recipes

[momtochloe]

I can't believe it but I already received my order from Spice House!

I ordered a bag of Sage and a container of the Tomato Powder and:

Ozark Fried Chicken Spice

Gateway to the North Maple Garlic Seasoning

Half Sharp Paprika (I already sprinkled that on a hashbrown casserole I just threw in the oven)

We are having just incredible weather here (I live in the western suburbs of Chicago) and I very much hope the same for each of you!

[momtochloe]

Well I made it to the Fresh Thyme Market and it is a winner! Even at 7am on a Sunday it was already very busy. Looks like it takes a bit from a lot of stores and melds it into one but I would say a blend of Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.

Gorgeous produce (both organic and non-organic), nice size meat counter/serve yourself (I bought a little half chicken to try out the new spice from Spice House), well stocked deli, fresh made sandwiches, and the usual staples: dairy, grocery, spices (what I liked if you just wanted a very small amount you can just scoop that amount into a bag for a one meal preparation), beer/wine, cookbooks.

What I liked best is a serve yourself area for staples (again where you could measure out what you want and I believe you can also grind your own flour, etc.). I got a tiny container of fresh ground peanut butter, just enough for me.

Prices are good on sale and I would say a fair price for the quality. There is a big emphasis on healthy. Everything either organic or minimally handled. I just opened the cauliflower (non-organic). I have never had one so fresh. To be honest, I didn't even know they came that fresh!

They pack a ton into a medium size space, if you have one in the area I would definitely give them a try.

Hope you all are having a great weekend. I am off to grill my chicken with the Spice House maple garlic seasoning on my Masterbuilt grill (terrified of propane ).

Take care ladies!

[RespectLife]

Morning, everyone!

We indeed also (for a change) had a gorgeous weekend. BOTH days...and the sun!! I forgot what it looked liked after 8 months of GREY!

I do have a full Spice House catalog. It was in one of my orders. I don't get a catalog in every order, but I did get one recently. I bet you could call them/email and ask for it.

I was going to order Gateway to the North...but I didn't, rats! Next time...it sounds so good.

I must live in no man's land...I never even heard of Fresh Thyme Market! It sounds wonderful! We just got our first Trader Joe's about a year ago.

Mustang...I will definitely check out that website! I love to collect recipes! My favorite way to do desserts is to drool and dream! I eat them with my mind, eyes and heart mostly. Keeps them out of my waistline! LOL

I have several home made chocolate cake recipes but still haven't found an 'easy' vanilla one.

What did you ladies cook this weekend? I still haven't hit the kitchen much yet after everything. Still going to see Mom every day.

But I did try a new recipe. I spiralized cuke and zucchini. I steamed the zucc a bit but the cuke was just raw and fresh. The 'sauce' was Asian. It had soy, sirracha, rice vinegar, ginger, seasame oil (YUM) and toasted sesame seeds, etc. etc and Peanut Butter. It was a different dish for us but tasty. We have never really eaten Asian dishes with peanut sauce.

DH said "Please don't waste my PBtr on this again"! LOL Guess he didn't like it!

[Writer with Flair]

Dear RespectLife,

That Zucchini/Cucumber recipe sounds yummy. Please do share it with us.

Over the years, I have had several oriental dishes with a soy sauce/peanut butter/sesame sauce/dressing in/on them. One was a salad with crispy fried noodles (used like croutons would be in a salad), spring onions, fresh cabbage, fresh peppers, grated ginger, toasted almonds, and shredded chicken. It was tossed all together like a salad. They used to serve this dish at a local restaurant several years ago. I don't have a recipe for it but just kind of throw everything together. It is crispy and delicious (and fast).

I have also had peanut sauces used with cooked spaghetti noodles and chicken or shrimp with fresh cilantro and spring onions and chopped roasted peanuts sprinkled over it like a Pad Thai. Num, num!

[momtochloe]

Respect and Writer, you have inspired me with those recipes. I need to try something along those lines now that I have the peanut butter and all . . . and that Gateway to North spice is the best! Next time I order I am going to get a big bag of it. I have some small pork slices I am going to try it on next. It really is incredibly good.

Hope you all are having the best of days!

[RespectLife]

Now I am even MORE bummed I didn't get Gateway to the North! Two votes and I didn't order it!

Next Spice House order for sure!

I'll be back later to post the spiralized cuke/zucc recipe. I have to switch to Microsoft...for some reason, I can't figure out how to cut & paste using Firefox!!

[momtochloe]

Thanks for the giggle Respect, it came at a great time (and I hope Gateway to the North is as good as I think it is) . . .

[mustang66lady]

Hi Kitchenettes!

Just dropped in to say hello. We are having major internet problems here. I typed up a post last evening only to find I was no longer connected to the internet when I hit the ""submit"" button. I saw a t.v. commercial over the weekend touting Charter's modem for internet service. We have had poor service since November and wonder if this is a ploy to purchase their modem. Remember when you could get cable with just the cable? Then you had to get ""the box."" I think I am becoming tainted by conspiracy theories! Dial up wasn't this much trouble and is looking better every day.

Will try to write again later. Have a great day everyone!

[momtochloe]

Ain't technology wonderful????? Mustang, hope you get your internet service sorted out, we miss you here!

[RespectLife]

Easy Sesame Spiralized Cucumber Noodles

Make sure to pat the cucumber noodles dry thoroughly, using paper towels to remove excess moisture!

• For the sauce:
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 3.5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• ¼ cup tahini or creamy peanut butter *I used Pbtr, but felt 1/4 cup was a bit much for us
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons sriracha
• For the rest:
• 3 teaspoons white sesame seeds
• 4-5 large English cucumbers, noodles trimmed* I didn't have enuf cuke so I spiralized a couple zucchini...and blanched them a bit so they weren't totally raw, just crunchy
• 4 scallions, diced, to garnish

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, the soy sauce, rice vinegar, tahini (or peanut butter), honey, ginger, garlic and sriracha.
2. In a large bowl, toss the cucumber noodles with the sesame sauce. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.

Notes

This makes about 1 cup of "sauce."