A Tardis for Roma

What do you get the the teen who has everything, loves Doctor Who, and needs more storage for the things teen girls have?  You give her a Tardis armoire.

Thankfully, all it took was a conversation with my husband, Ross, who builds custom furniture to get her the most amazing Christmas present ever! You can see the in-progress pictures on the Watkins Woodworking Facebook page.

The finished cabinet is just over 4 foot tall and almost 2 feet square.  It has sound and lights just like a Tardis should.

It turned out pretty awesome! Want to see a video of it?  Go here

Want one of your own?  Contact Ross via his Facebook page.  

Prices start at $1200 (without sound and lights) and $1500 for sound and light.  

Roast Spaghetti Squash

If you're like me, you have almost as many things going on during the weekends as you do during the week and forget to plan meals.  Yesterday was no exception...it was a day of house projects, cleaning, homework, and getting the Fall decor up.  By the time 4pm rolled I still hadn't planned anything for dinner so I started digging in the pantry and found 2 medium size spaghetti squash.  Since it was finally cool enough and "Fall-like" outside to want to make them (a  week ago at this time it was over 100 at Casa De Dustbunny....happy Fall) so I decided to roast them for dinner and have them as a side dish with some spicy grilled Italian sausages.

If you've never had spaghetti squash you are in for a treat!  When cooked, the flesh shreds out like spaghetti and makes a nice bed for sauces, but is wonderful all by itself.  This was the first squash that Roma would eat because it's sweet and crunchy without the mushy consistency a lot of other squash has.  If your kid avoids squash because they don't like the texture, give spaghetti squash a try.

Seasoned spaghetti squash ready for the oven.

You will need: 

• A covered roaster you can put in the oven (I use a large Le Creuset)
• 1-2 Spaghetti Squash (depending on the size and how much your family loves squash)
• Spices - garlic, salt, cracked pepper, anything savory you like
• Maple Syrup (I used Vermont grade A dark amber because I like the intensity)

To prepare:

• Using a large knife and a sturdy cutting board, cut and scoop the seeds from the squash and then quarter the halves
• Put in the roaster
• Drizzle each hollow with syrup and season to taste (see picture)
• Cover
• Bake about 60 minutes at 325
• Take out and let sit (covered) another 15-20 minutes. 
• When done, use a fork to scrap the squash from the rind - you will end up with long spaghetti-like strands. Throw away the rinds.  They're not good eats.  

PS - any leftovers can be made into cakes and fried in a little oil like potato pancakes or top it with your favorite marinara for a wheat-free pasta alternative.  

Enjoy. 

Maple Glazed Salmon

If you have been following my last few posts, you'll know I took a little road trip this summer.  I talked about it here.  We visited a lot of great places along the way but spent most of it in New England, including 2 weeks in Vermont.  In Vermont we camped...which meant I got to cook...which meant I got to experiment.  Since I love finding local products, Vermont maple syrup naturally ended up as a go-to ingredient.  I liked the taste and how it contributed to the flavors of what I added it to,  so I bought a gallon (of 2 different kinds) and brought it home to split with some friends.  One of the recipients was Elena at A Casarella since we are friends IRL (as my teen would say)....and I keep promising her I would post some of the recipes I used it in.  Elena, this post is for you.

Maple Glazed Salmon 

You need:

Tamari (if you're GF) or soy sauce
Maple syrup - I used a Vermont dark amber
Salmon filets (one for each person)
Seasonings - I like cracked pepper and sea salt
Sesame seeds
Large zip top bag.

Mix 1/3 cup of maple syrup with 2/3 cup of soy (or tamari) in the bag and put the salmon in it.  Close it and put if on a plate in the fridge for between 2 and 4 hours.  Flip over a few times while it's marinating.

Preheat your BBQ grill (or Foreman Grill if cooking inside). Before cooking, remove the salmon from the bag and season with sea salt, pepper, and sprinkle a generous amount of sesame seeds on it.  It should look like the picture below.  

Put the salmon on the grill

Don't touch it for 4-5 minutes.  Enjoy the scenery and your glass of wine.....

Flip the salmon once and let cook for 3 to 4 minutes.  Test to see if it's done...we like ours a little medium rare, but leave it on to whatever level you like.  It will look like this when it's done.

Yummy, right?  It was!  It comes out sweet, but not too sweet thanks to the soy sauce.  The syrup caramelizes a bit and creates a crust with the sesame seeds.  We served it with some asparagus spears steamed in garlic butter and some brown rice.  This was another meal where I wish I had doubled it because I think the leftovers would have been great topping a salad for lunch the next day.

Enjoy.