Ah, the Beach

My husband and I went to the beach to visit friends.  We enjoy doing this because we get to cook.  They love our cooking and love to be guinea pigs when we try new recipes.  I also enjoy that I get to be a partial vegetarian because my good friend is a vegetarian.  Since I am trying to eat more healthfully, I thought it would be nice to eat less meat.

Our menu:

• Ginger scones - there is nothing low-fat or low-cal about these scones.  That's why they are so damn good. I have made these three times now and everyone always wants the recipe.  Found the recipe in Dash Magazine.
• Almost-Famous Rosemary Bread - Thank you Food Network for copying this bread recipe from the Macaroni Grill restaurant.  Very easy to make and delicious.  We did have a snafu, though.  We had to let the bread rise three times rather than twice.  No harm, no foul. Still amazing.  Every more wonderful with roasted garlic.
• Kabobs - my husband whipped up some kabobs of his own design.  Peppers, red onions, chicken, beef, tomatoes, and souvlaki marinade courtesy of Spices and Mixes by Millie.
• Portobello Mushrooms au Poivre - recipe either from Food Network magazine or Rachael Ray.  I cut recipes and don't make a note of the magazine.  I will try to be better, but don't count on it.  This sauce was delicious enough to serve with heavy duty meat.
• Salad using fresh greens from my guy at the Alden Farmer's Market.  I will have to get his name next weekend so that I may credit him here.  He grows the best salad greens.  I topped them with bean sprouts, walnuts, dried cranberries, crumbled blue cheese and balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  Yum.
• A dip that we devoured is credited to Rick Bayless.  Artichoke hearts, goat cheese (I also added ricotta), sun-dried tomatoes, green olives, parsley, and pickled jalapeno peppers.  Delicious served on crackers.  Would also make a wonderful sandwich spread or spread it on baguettes and broil.

The meal was amazing.  Well worth the work.  And our hosts just love eating!  I also kayaked for the first time in a couple of years.  My nurse practitioner thinks I may have a bone spur on my shoulder so I am trying to work it out.  Didn't overdo it, though.  Managed to kayak.  I was worried that I might not be able to perform the movements necessary.  Then we swam.  Lake Erie is still quite chilly, but it felt good after kayaking.