Snow? Really?

I have to move. I mean, seriously - snow showers at the end of April? How can I possibly get into Spring Cleaning mode when there is snow blowing around? This is total crap. My body is so confused - last Sunday, it was mid-70s and I was out on the deck in shorts and a bikini top. Grrrr.

I was able to mostly sleep through the night. I still feel like I'm short so maybe I'll try to nap later today to catch up. What I really should do is get my butt to the gym, but I am just not motivated, especially with the icky weather.

Don is off to cover the exciting NFL draft. It will be a long day for him. The draft starts at 2:00 PM (CST) but the Vikings traded their first pick so won't "be on the clock" until the 2nd round. That means, assuming if all the teams use the entire time for their picks, the Vikings won't make their pick until about 8:00 PM. Don will probably be home around 10:00 PM or so. Day two of the draft should have a little more action and move a little quicker, but it will still be a long day for him. What I can't believe is that people actually sit in front of the TV to watch this event. The idea of listening to hours upon hours of Chris Berman bloviating is not my idea of fun.

Guess I better get started on some laundry and the dishes. Maybe that will get me in the mood to Spring Clean!

Playing Tourist, Part II

We had a wonderful day in Stillwater. It's a nice, easy drive - about 45 minutes from Eden Prairie. We had coffee at The Daily Grind - great lattes and Very Berry Scones. The main part of old town Stillwater is only about 4-5 blocks. We walked up and down the street, visiting the fun stores. We went to a few antique places which were a lot of fun. One can really get lost there, exploring, searching, discovering. I don't collect anything but I certainly could - especially cookbooks.

We had a nice lunch and did more shopping. We went into one store that was going out of business and I found a knee-length brown suede coat in a small. It actually fit, although a little tight with layers on. I couldn't believe I could fit into a small. I ended up not getting it, despite the 40% discount.

Despite the cold, we walked a lot and really had a good time...

For dinner, I made my Crab Cake Salad, which is really good. I use Trader Joe's frozen crab cakes (2 to a package - enough for one serving). I defrost the crab cakes in the fridge and then coat them in a thin coat of panko bread crumbs. I then lightly pan-fry them in olive oil just to give them a bit of a crunch. The salad is dark greens + romaine lettuce with green onions, red or orange bell pepper and sweet corn. I dress the greens with Paul Newman's Lo-Fat Balsamic Vinegar dressing. For the crab cakes, I make a creamy cocktail sauce by mixing cocktail sauce with mayo (maybe a little hot sauce...). I put the dressed greens in a bowl and top it with two cakes and then a dollop of the sauce. Yum!

for those asking about the Chicken Poblano Chowder, it's a Paula Deen recipe from Food TV. I do add a package of frozen corn and then top it with fried tortilla strips and grated cheese. I served it with an "open-faced" quesadilla - a corn tortilla with cheese melted under a broiler for a few minutes. Again, yum! What a great cold-weather dish. Plus, it freezes well.

An editorial note - I don't actually measure the veggies or the chicken. I use what I have in the fridge as far as amounts. I also usually roast 4 big bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (from Trader Joe's) the day before I make the soup. I take the skin off and de-bone them and then shred the meat, although you could use a rotisserie chicken or baked skinless chicken breasts. I also omit the hot sauce at the end since I use 4 poblano chiles. You can roast them or de-vein them, but I just chop and go. I also add extra garlic, just because I like it. You could add toppings like salsa, green onions, cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, black olives, etc.

It's now time to catch up on Nip/Tuck and veg out for the night.

Playing Tourist

My dad is here for a long weekend visit, and we are having a great time. He got in on Thursday and I had made a fab Chicken Poblano Corn Chowder topped with melted cheese and crispy tortilla strips. It was a perfect meal for someone coming from California to sub-freezing temps!

On Friday, I took him to a few fun stores - The Find in Eden Prairie (home furnishings), The Galleria in Edina (fun stores that you can't find in California, although they have some typical stores - Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, etc.) where we had lunch at CRAVE (two thumbs up),Patina (gifts) and The General Store of Minnetonka (Minnesota gifts, lots of Christmas items). We came home and relaxed for a bit, then went to dinner at Campiello's. All three of us had their top dish - short ribs in a balsamic reduction. YUM.

Yesterday, Don didn't need to fly to SF until late, so he was able to join us for the Pompeii exhibit at the Science Museum. It was an amazing exhibit. They had 6 plaster casts of victims of the volcano, including a boar and a dog. I got a little teary-eyed seeing the dog, who looked like he was writhing in pain since he was chained up and couldn't escape. We also checked out their dinosaurs, which still interest me. We took a drive up Summit Avenue where the big, beautiful houses were decked out for the holidays and then had lunch at Dixie's on Grand.

Since it's been so cold out, we weren't able to take Dad on a hike with the dogs around Staring Lake, but we did drive by so he could see the lake and the trail. Last night, I took him to Babalu, which is a Latin restaurant.

Today, we're going to brave the temps and drive out to Stillwater for some shopping and lunch. We'll play it pretty low-key tonight since we'll need to be up pretty early tomorrow for his flight. I'll be making my crab cake salad and maybe some leftover chowder for dinner.

Other than that, I have been totally caught up in reading Pretty Little Mistakes which is like a "choose your own adventure book." It is so much fun to read. I have traveled to so many countries, been killed in numerous ways, died of old age several times, made good choices that turned out horrible and made bad choices that turned out great. There are over 150 different endings - some are funny, some are depressing, some are touching. I would highly recommend it and can't wait for her next one to come out.

Off to finish getting ready for our Stillwater adventure!!