I’m getting hooked on this winter vacation routine. The Carefree
spouse and I just got back from a terrific two weeks visiting
friends and family in Washington, Nevada and the lovely Arizona
desert, which decided to bloom just as we were visiting – what an
amazing sight. All of our flights were either right on time or
early, all our hotel rooms were either nicer than we expected, or
upgraded for no reason we could determine. The weather was a bit
gray and damp in Washington, just like always, and breezy and
bright and in the high sixties in Arizona, so no complaints there.
I still can’t believe how many wildly different things we did in
such a short time. The first day, Steve and our cousin Justin
floated the river I grew up on and tried to land a steelhead (no
luck, but darn fun trying), I spent a pleasant couple of hours
wandering through two family cemeteries, getting the dates and
names straight for my “someday” genealogy project. The world’s
most terrific Aunt, the dear and ever talented Betty, spoiled us
every which way she could with good eats and great coffee and
amazing stories of family history that I have got to write down
someday. Since we’re on a quest for a new rig, we rented a
Trailblazer to drive on to part two of our journey, and even
though I didn’t get to try the four-wheel drive on the freeway, I
sure liked driving it.
Our Longview pals John and Robin kindly let us impose for a couple
of days at their lovely Casa De Swecker, and they cheerfully
tagged along with us to the Portland International Auto Show.
There seemed to be an awfully high level of testosterone in the
Convention Center, and there were lots of babes tossing their
tresses while they leaned on sports cars and purred into their
microphones about rack and pinion steering, extended warranties
and all terrain tires. Who knew so many guys would find this
information just riveting and need to hear it three or four times
in a row? My job was to find a vehicle that didn’t have an awkward
console. I was also hoping for a speedometer that I could actually
read and a windshield that didn’t give me tunnel vision. The only
rig that came close was an upscale model that cost as much as the
gross national product of a small Balkan nation, so I guess we’re
still looking. To distract myself, the next day I made my annual
trek to all the liquidation stores in Longview, where I earned the
title of “power shopper” in less time than it takes to swipe a
debit card.
If you don’t know about liquidation stores, you’ve really missed
out. These places are more fun and the biggest treasure hunt
going. Discontinued, one of a kind, outlandish and just plain
strange items lurk around every corner. It’s like an outlet mall
for groceries or one of those “everything’s a dollar” stores, and
I had a total blast. It’s too bad these kinds of stores don’t
exist up here, but with the shipping costs, I suppose it just
doesn’t make much sense. That’s ok, though. Shopping at them is
now part of my vacation routine – where else can you get a dozen
imported tomato garlic bullion cubes for fifteen cents and a
container of microscopic marshmallows for a buck?
Other highlights of this trip included three fun events in Las
Vegas. We finally got to the Liberace museum and highly recommend
it - be sure to get the two for one-ticket coupons available at
all hotels. There are videos of him playing his many pianos
throughout the building, but he also collected them and when I
stood in front of the oldest one on display and read that Chopin
and Brahms had both played that very instrument, I had a seriously
reverent moment. Liberace was known so much for his exotic cars,
incredible costumes and expensive jewelry, but he also established
a foundation for musical scholarship students and we were most
impressed with that legacy and the incredible display of the
winners at the end of the tour.
We also saw Mac King, a wonderful family friendly magician and
comedian. He’s corny and cute and clever and he kindly took a
moment to autograph his book for the Delta Library. Tickets are
also very reasonable at less than twenty bucks, and his shows are
in the afternoon so there’s plenty of time to explore afterwards.
And finally, we invested in tickets to see Elton John, and even
though I’d gulped a little at the unreasonable price of those
tickets, I will admit it was well worth every penny and our seats
were wonderful. The music ranged from his classic hits to his
newest releases and the The Celine Dion theater at Caesar’s Palace
and the sets for his show were just amazing. The stage itself is
half acre in size, and the video projection screen behind it is
the largest in the world. Sir Elton gave a ninety- minute show
that left the audience breathless and his talent on the piano,
which I think, is often masked by overproduction of his albums,
was truly stellar. The most amazing thing to us was the audience.
There were people older than our folks, and elementary school
kids, and everyone in between. Some people were in diamonds and
fur jackets some in jeans and tennis shoes, some looked like
they’d just come from the golf course and were planning on a swim
later. There wasn’t a lot of flannel and I didn’t see any Carharts,
but they could have been there among the 4,127 people (this figure
provided by our usher) who filled every single seat. It’s been a
long time since we’ve been in a crowd that big, and it was kind of
relief to get back to the hotel and catch our breath.
For some reason, I always forget that vacations are lovely for
another reason. You get to eat at some darn good restaurants,
often three times a day, and the best part is that people are
eager to take away your dirty dishes when you’re done. With some
home cooked meals from our hosts sprinkled throughout the trip, we
never got tired of ordering something off a menu, but I must admit
that when we got home, I was ready to get back into the kitchen.
I don’t have much rhyme or reason for this week’s recipes – just
that they’ve been accumulating for a while and need to go
somewhere. I do tend to notice a lot of sour cream showing up this
week, and that’s mainly due to this first recipe, which mom in law
Patti made for us during our week with them in Bullhead City. Add
a salad and some rice, if you can get Papa Chuck to make it for
you – he’s the best.
Creamy Chicken Bake
If you use fat free sour cream, add a tablespoon of heart healthy
olive oil to the sauce mixture to give it more body.
6 boneless chicken breasts
1 16 ounce carton sour cream
1 small can sliced mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste
Spray a 9 x 13 glass baking dish and get the oven going to 375.
Mix the sour cream and the mushrooms, (don’t drain them) in a
small bowl and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Brown the chicken
breasts very lightly in a bit of olive oil, then place them in the
baking dish. Pour the sour cream and mushroom mixture over the top
and bake 30 to 40 minutes.
Chicken Enchiladas
We had great Mexican food several times on the trip and I am on a
quest to see if I can get these to taste as good as the enchiladas
we had in Bullhead City. You can use mashed black beans from the
can instead of pinto beans for a heartier flavor if you like.
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup salsa
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 can pinto beans, drained
6 (6 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 and spray your glass 9x13 inch baking
dish.
Combine the cream cheese and salsa over medium heat, stirring
until melted and well blended. Stir in the chopped chicken and
beans, reduce heat to low and cook five minutes. Remove from heat
and fill tortillas with the mixture, roll and place into the
prepared baking dish. Spread cheese over the top. Cover with foil.
Bake 35 minutes, removing foil the last 10 minutes so cheese will
brown slightly. Garnish with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour
cream and sliced black olives.
Sun-dried Tomato Dip
I couldn’t get enough fresh tomatoes on our trip – they just kept
calling my name every time I went by the salad bar or in a grocery
store. I brought back several packets of sun dried tomatoes from
Arizona and I can’t wait to try this dip with some bagel or pita
bread chips.
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon parsley
1/4 cup chopped olives
Place the chopped tomatoes in a small zip lock bag and add
balsamic vinegar until just covered. Let them soak for about an
hour, then drain well. Mix with other ingredients and chill
overnight before serving to let flavors blend.
Cranberry Crumble
I passed a long forgotten can of cranberry sauce hiding in the
back of the pantry the other day and all I could think to do was
make an entire turkey dinner dinner, which made me tired at once,
so I checked in a cookbook I got for Christmas and found this
tasty sounding solution. Easy enough for kids to try, too – no
eggs to crack!
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 16 ounce can whole cranberry sauce
Combine the oats, sugar, flour and butter in a food processor
until crumbly. Press half in bottom of an 8-inch square pan,
spread cranberry sauce, and then sprinkle remaining crumbs evenly
over the top, pressing lightly. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes.
Adobe – Poblano - Mole Sauce
The sauce I had on my Poblano chicken at one Mexican restaurant
was simply the best I’d ever had – dark, rich, complex and
mystifying, even though the menu mentioned cumin and chocolate and
tomatoes. I am trying to learn the difference between adobe,
poblano and mole sauce, and as far as I can tell they all involve
lots of spices and the mysterious pinch of chocolate powder, all
built on a tomato base. Since this version features one of
nature’s most perfect foods, tomato soup; I aim to try it soon!
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chili peppers
Sauté the onion in the oil until tender. Mix in cocoa powder, and
spices. Stir in the lime juice, tomato soup and peppers. Bring to
a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Serve on the side with chicken, roasted pork, or
shredded beef.
Pea Salad
This was featured on the buffet at the Stardust in Las Vegas and
every time we ate there I was hoping it would still be around.
It’s one of my favorite things, and I never make it at home
because I’ll just get in trouble eating the whole batch. If I do
make it, it usually goes to a potluck and I hope and pray there
are no leftovers. It’s not particularly calorie friendly, healthy
or good for you, I must admit. But it tastes great and maybe you
can just pretend you’re on vacation for a few days while you enjoy
it!
8 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 heads romaine lettuce - rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-size
pieces
1 (16 ounce) package frozen green peas, thawed
2 cups mayonnaise
1/8 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Spread Romaine lettuce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13 inch
baking dish. Layer crumbled bacon, thawed peas, and eggs over the
lettuce.
Mix mayonnaise, milk, and sugar until smooth. Pour evenly over
salad, and top with cheese. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
– overnight is even better.
My thanks to Diane and Robin who filled in here for me while I was
gone – you girls are the best and I so appreciate your time and
efforts! I’ve had a request for interesting sandwich ideas and I’m
already working on that for you next time – see you then and yes,
it’s SO good to be back home!
