Catching Up - Part 2

After this post, I think we will be caught up...

I have been all about the sunflowers at the farmers' market the last couple of weeks, but I found a crazy new flower and skipped my planned sunflower purchase.  These are celosia (or Cock's Comb). Side note: The plate is a yard sale find from MANY years ago, but I still love. It currently hangs in hangs in my laundry room.

Most of the varieties are more of a fan shaped (or like a rooster's comb), but these had a fun brain shape. I couldn't resist - especially for $1/stem.

We had a visit from our sidekick last weekend - four wonderful days. I love that girl to bits and am so grateful she is still in our lives.

Since she wasn't with us for Millie's birthday, so we had a belated Millie birthday party.  We made Millie peanut butter pumpkin dog treats. Anything peanut butter and Millie approves.

I didn't mention yet, but in June we said goodbye to our 17 year old dachshund, Zommie. Our sidekick adored Zommie and telling her Zommie was gone is one of the hardest things I have had to do. I got Zommie at about 2.5 months old.

Seventeen good years. So much love and so many adventures.

Sorry to just drop the sadness in there. I have been wanting to share, but it never seemed to be the right time. Thinking about how much our sidekick loved Zommie it seemed like the right time.

Sunday we went to the zoo with my niece and her daughter. They are incredibly sweet and fun together.

Our sidekick's main goal was to see the zebras. She was super excited when I mentioned there was a new baby. She decided to name him Bob. The zoo actually named him Colton, but he will always be Bob to us :)

 Those ears :)

 The apes were feasting on their morning lettuce. Everyone was in their own spot munching away.

I admit it. I may have made this face a time or two when eating salad. No doubt, I have had MANY delicious salads, but sometimes I just don't want to eat another leaf.

 Showing off that silver back.  "Hey dude, do you work out?" He cut an imposing figure.

 I think I have solved the Sasquatch mystery. Runaway Orangutan perhaps? Look at those feet!

Walking through the underwater tunnel we saw a sea lion being "scolded" by a keeper. She was trying to get the sea lion to let go of a piece of electrical tape she had found. She ended up keeping her right beside using signed commands, while waiting for assistance to arrive. It was interesting to watch their interaction. That sea lion's expression.

We spent a good amount of time in the cool herpetarium  (reptile house) - hot day at the zoo. The girls actually really enjoyed looking at the snakes. Our sidekick's eyes almost popped out her head when she turned a corner and saw the enormous python. And what little girl wouldn't love these "rainbow snakes".

I didn't warn you about the snakes, but take warning now...gross pictures ahead. Scroll fast! Don't ask how I know, but googling skin conditions is never a good idea! Remember all that amazing yard work I was so proud of a couple of weeks ago? Well, it turned into a poison ivy fest. My husband had it for a few days, then I broke out. For some reason mine went CRAZY. It started with these blisters. This was my legs on Aug. 7 when we got home from The Hill.

  I thought that was bad....then this was my leg a week later.  
I also had a couple of these patches pop up in different places. I was starting to freak out in addition to being EXTREMELY uncomfortable.

Thankfully, last summer I had found a dermatologist for another issue. When I called Monday they said they could see me the next day. Doctor said it was an extremely angry case of poison ivy and gave me much stronger meds than my GP had already given me. The steroids make me want to eat constantly - ugh!

 As you may know, dermatologists are notoriously hard to get into. I once waited 3.5 months for an appointment only to really dislike the doctor and her office staff/procedure. Her treatment plan did not work in the least and I never went back. I am thankful to have found one I really like - friendly, attentive, accessible and capable - with a very pleasant staff.

As part of my reward for going to the doctor, I talked my husband into stopping at a nearby international grocery store. I've been wanting to go for awhile, but it is about 45 minutes from home - not exactly convenient.

I made quite a haul for $30-something. I was shopping for a few particular items: egg roll wrappers (not pictured because I'd already put them in the freezer - planning to make egg rolls for my niece's birthday), cellophane noodles (for birthday egg rolls and my lunch egg roll bowls), Maggie seasoning (a bit like a soy sauce - my mom always had it when we were kids), pomegranate molasses (I was supposed to use it for my watermelon prosciutto bites a few weeks ago) and fennugreek (spice used in Indian cuisine - it smells amazing!) and dried red peppers. The produce was all impulse buys. Everything was so cheap, I kept grabbing packages. I actually considered oyster mushrooms at the farmers market that were $11/pound. All the mushrooms were $4.99/pound. I got three types of mushrooms (oyster, shiitake and shemeji), bean sprouts, two types of fresh peppers (Fresno and Bird's Eye) and snow peas.

I had a little fun with my hot peppers.  All such pretty reds, Left to right - mystery pepper (the guy at the farmers' market said they are cayenne, but pictures online look nothing like that), Fresno and Thai Bird's Eye.

Then I got the bright idea to taste test them. I even got a glass of milk at the ready to cool my mouth (water does NOT work).

I started with the Fresno. It was not really hot at all. I read it has a pretty broad range what it comes to heat (2500-10000 Scoville units), but is often compared to jalapeno. It had a sweet flavor I liked too. From PepperScale.com "It looks like a jalapeño and even tastes like a jalapeño, but the Fresno pepper has a few tricks up its sleeve that make it a very popular chili in its own right. It delivers a slightly spicier kick, like a mild serrano chili, and in its mature red form, the Fresno pepper has a fruitier, smokier taste. This is a favorite for foodies looking for a twist on the norm." 

The mystery pepper started out slow, but then burned my lips. I did a bit of a milk soak doing duck lips into the glass.

I did NOT even pretend to try the Bird's Eye - I could smell the heat the second I cut into them. From The Spruce Eats "Bird's eye chilies are very hot. On the Scoville scale, they rate between 50,000 and 100,000 Scoville units. That's over 20 times hotter than a jalapeno, but three times less spicy than a habanero. The heat can sneak up on you, as the mature red Bird's Eye chili can have a delayed potency with the heat building as you eat the dish, and then lingering long after you stop eating. If your taste tends toward medium or mild-spiced foods, try de-seeding them, then mincing for less heat."

I did use a few of the Bird's Eye in a Beef/Mushroom/Snow Pea stir fry. I cut a couple in half and cooked them with the beef. I had a little bit of beef left that I didn't use in my tacos (see below). They were scraps that need a lot more trimming to get the fat off.  The Bird's Eye gave plenty of heat just used like that and were picked out before eating. My stir fry was a way to use all the produce from the international store. I was happy with the oyster and shiitake mushrooms. I didn't remember what either tasted like or if I'd ever even had them (which seems unlikely). It was quick and super tasty. Admittedly, it wasn't the most filling dinner because I hadn't made rice...and you know what they say about Chinese food :)

Tuesday night my husband had friends over for a game. Everyone brings a dish to share - the guys brought pizza and White Castle. I made Barbacoa Beef Tacos...because I am fancy.

The bright pink goodness on the toppings tray are pickled onions I made the other day. Super simple - great on tacos, sandwiches, even salad.  Red onions are simply soaked in a vinegar, spices, garlic mixture for an hour or so. They keep in fridge for a couple of weeks...if they last that long!  I have been known to continue adding additional onions to the pickling liquid as I use them. There are many recipes out there, but I have been using this recipe from Budget Bytes.

 They eventually turn a pretty hot pink color.

Back to the Barbacoa Beef. - I used this recipe on Closet Cooking. It may look like a bunch of ingredients, but it is super simple and other than the meat I usually have these ingredients on hand.

The beef is browned and added to onions. spices, lime juice, vinegar and chiptotle peppers. It is then braised in the dutch oven for 3-4 hours until tender and easily shredded with a fork. Tons of flavor! I am in love with my dutch oven. One of these days I will show you the bread I bake in it.

We discovered this recipe in the spring when I had a "taco week" for my husband . For seven nights in a row I served him different kinds of tacos....there were NO complaints!

The beauty shot! I love these adorable little corn tortillas from Mission (only 100 calories for three). They make about a three-four bite taco.  They are especially great if you are mixing and matching fillings and toppings. This time I was super happy with my plate of four of the same :)  Aren't those onions gorgeous?  I bet this would be also be great using a big lettuce leaf in place of the tortilla - I will let you know.

I think this brings us current on what I have been up to. I will try not to let it pile up again :)  Thanks for hanging in for the whole post!