Road Trip to ... Washington DC

It is time for our annual Road Trip. This time we are en route to Washington DC and Baltimore.

Are we there yet?

Where in the World : Hummelstown Pennsylvania

While sorting my travel files, I found these photos taken from our trip to Pennsylvania years ago. After enjoying coffee and pastries at The Hotel Hershey, we drove to the borough of Hummelstown to look at the Indian Echo Cavern. This cavern is small compared to the ones I have seen in the Philippines but the limestone formations are majestic nonetheless.

Truly, "dripping water hollows out stone, not though force but through persistence".....

Alfresco : Barbecued Potato and Sausage Salad

I found this recipe in Food and Drinks Magazine before the start of summer. Since then this dish graced our table at least four times in the last five weeks. I made a big batch of this as a side dish when we were entertaining friends for a backyard BBQ 2 weeks ago and everyone enjoyed it. The lastest, I made it as an appetizer for me and hubby last night while watching the Olympics. This time, I served it with baked crunchy pita bread and paired it with cabarnet sauvignon.

Here's the recipe with some changes to suit our taste.

Ingredients  {serves 4-6}:

1 small package baby potatoes

3 1/2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

4 Italian or fresh {not dried and cured} chorizo sausage

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup slivered pitted Kalamata olives

1/2 cup slivered basil leaves

1 1/2 balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp grainy or regular honey mustard

Procedure:

Oil grill and preheat barbecue to medium.

Place potatoes in a pot and add enough cold salted water to cover.

Boil just until tender {about 4 minutes}. Drain. Cut vertically in half.

Place potatoes in a medium bowl. Add 1 tbsp oil, salt and pepper. Stir to coat.

Meanwhile, place sausages on grill and turn occasionally until cooked through {about 15 minutes}.

Once potatoes are tossed with oil. skewer and arrange on grill or place in a grill basket.

Grill until tender. Transfer to large bowl.

Slice sausage and add to bowl with potatoes, tomatoes, onion, olives and basil.

Whisk remaining 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil with balsamic vinegar and mustard.

Toss with potatoes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

 
Enjoy!

Takipsilim {twilight}

The time between sunset and dusk. L'heure bleue. Simply the time of day when the surface of the earth is neither completely lit not completely dark.

The time when  the beauty of even the simplest things is seen in different light.....


Have a great weekend!

Shared with : THIS or that THURSDAY

 

{bless} the beast and the children

I had my very first Calgary Stampede experience last July 10 when I was in town for a business meeting. Based from what I saw, it must be true that this is the largest outdoor rodeo show in the world! To my delight, there was no shortage of cowboys for sure {insert a wink here} BUT what put a smile on my face were the animals and the little cowboys and cowgirls - the  interaction between them was truly a sight to behold.

It was pure BLISS!

Shared with: This or That Thursday

Bites and NIbbles @ Lone Star Texas Grill

Location : 251 Ontario St. Kingston
Cuisine : Tex-Mex

Hubby and I drove to Kingston 2 weeks ago to celebrate my birthday. We had lunch at the beautiful outdoor patio of Lone Star Texas Grill. The place was packed with Canada Day revelers when we arrived {my birthday falls on Canada Day *-*} but we were seated right away. While waiting for our drinks {I was eager to try their mango margarita} free chips with delicious salsa were served. I'm glad I ordered the margarita - it was perfect - not to sweet, tangy and just the right amount of alcohol - made me want for another glass! We chose the steak and BBQ pork fajita for two which did not disappoint either. The meat was tender and juicy - cooked to my hubby's preference. 

Nothing fancy. Just tasty and satisfying. Just the way we like it!

Alfresco : Blueberry Mojito

If the weatherman is correct, we will have another hot and humid weekend here in our neck of the woods - a valid excuse to make a batch of blueberry mojito. Besides, my spearmint plant is ready for another harvest! 

I made the mojito after picking these beutiful and danity wild flowers while hiking in the woods with my hubby during my birthday weekend.

Ingredients (per serving):

10 blueberries

6 spearmint leaves {harvested from little herb garden}

1 jigger Fresca

1 jigger vodka

3 jiggers club soda

a wedge of lime 

Procedure:

Muddle the blueberries, lime and mint with a jigger of Fresca in a shaker until crushed.

Fill a shaker with ice. Add vodka. Shake well and strain into a glass with crushed ice.

Add the soda

Garnish:

Bluberries on cocktail stick.

Cheers! I hope you will enjoy this as much as we do.



Shared with: This or That Thursday

Off to Calgary ... Stampede

{Photo Credit}

Yahoooo! I'm on my way to Calgary  for a business presentation but I am hoping to have a couple of hours in between official duties to attend the "greatest party on earth" - the Calgary Stampede.  I'll be a happy camper if I can take some photos of real cowboys and the rodeo. And of course the foodie in me would like to sample some stampede treats!

A {text} of Gratitude

Hi there! It's time for another CAS-ual Friday inspired card. Lately, I have been spending my very limited free time honing my barely there photography skills instead of designing cards. I miss spending time in my craft studio designing and stamping so instead of  helping my hubby in the garden this afternoon, I worked on this card using Hampton Art's Hot Fudge Studio rubber stamps.

Thanks for visiting and have a productive working week ahead!

Sunday Flea Market

My hubby whisked me away to Kingston for a little birthday weekend getaway. After a sumptuous lunch of steak fajita and margaritas on Sunday, he brought me to one of my favorite places on earth - the flea market!

There's something about flea markets that make my heart sing with joy. For me, it is about giving new life to these treasures. I like making up happy stories between these old things and their previous owners - like the empty medicine bottles which probably helped the injured or the sick. The old lamps which illuminated happy homes in the years gone by.Or the tattered sauce metal dish that witnessed countless Thanksgiving and Christmas family gatherings. If only these treasures can talk!

Think happy thoughts!

Shsred with: This or That Thursday

l'asperge {asparagus}

One of the things I truly enjoy in late spring to early summer is the asparagus season. Did you know that there are about 300 varieties of asparagus but unfortunately only about 30 are edible.

My gustatory love affair with asparagus started later in life. As a kid growing up in Manila, access to asparagus was not that easy. It was when I spent a good amount of time in Paris in my late twenties that I discovered the succulent fleshy green spears of l'asperge - simply grilled and drizzled with olive or truffle oil! Oh la la!

Many years after, I am still hooked - in fact even more! One of the the promises of spring and summer that is worth waiting for!

Have a  fantastic weekend everyone!


Shared with:

This or That Tursday

Looking Forward to the Weekend

Deadlines, meetings, airports, delayed flight, training, telephone conferences .... this is how I define the word b-u-s-y these past few days. Oh don't get me wrong - I am not complaining. I am thankful that I am blessed with work that I look forward to doing everyday. But I will not deny that I am looking forward to this coming weekend. 

To pause, to breath, to do nothing but ....

.... smell the flowers - wild or otherwise

.... enjoy my favorite breakfast {raisin bread toast with lots of butter and vanilla flavored coffee} outdoors  while giving thanks for another birthday to celebrate!