Swimmingly Delicious

This is one of the best recipes for salmon I have ever encountered in my cooking adventures and I highly recommend it. The salmon turns out beautifully flaky and moist. The salsa adds a wonderful crisp, freshness! Great served on its own, with tortilla chips, over some mashed potatoes or on top of some salad greens. The possibilities are endless. Makes for a lovely summer meal...delicious and nutritious! 
Buon Appetito ~ Sarah 

Grilled Blackened Salmon with Pineapple Mango Salsa

(Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net)

Blackened Seasoning:

•    2 teaspoons ground paprika

•    2 teaspoons dried leaf thyme  

•    2 teaspoons onion powder

•    2 teaspoons garlic powder

•    1 tablespoon granulated sugar

•    2 teaspoons salt

•    2 teaspoons black pepper

•    1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to your taste

•    1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

•    3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

•    1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients together and mix thoroughly. 

Top the salmon with a bit of olive oil then spread a nice coating of the blackened seasoning over the top 
of the salmon.

Pineapple - Mango Salsa:

•    1 ripe mango, peeled and diced

•    1/2 small fresh pineapple, diced

•    2 tbsp minced red onion

•    1 jalapeño, seeded and diced

•    1-2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

•    Juice of 1 lime

Chop all the ingredients and place in a bowl, add the lime juice and combine gently until well mixed.

Place the salmon, skin side down, directly on the grill or on top of 

tin foil (for easier clean up). If you are cooking directly on the grill, turn every 2-3 minutes to prevent the skin from sticking. If you cook on tin foil, don't bother turning it and cook for 5-7 minutes or until you place a fork in the fish and twist, if it's flaky then remove from grill. Top with the pineapple mango salsa and enjoy.

Summer Jam Session

How fun is it to trek down to the roadside berry farms and pick out some luscious fruit?! I love making jam in the summer and then having it fresh in the refrigerator for all kinds of use throughout the year. The additional can be frozen and pulled out as needed. I am grateful to my generous mother-in-love for first introducing me to this kitchen art form and teaching me the basics. This recipe is fabulous. Unlike most recipes, it does not call for the addition of pectin. This means a little more attention to detail while cooking, but the result is a gorgeously colorful product that explodes with just the right blend of tarty sweetness and consistency. In the spirit of reuse and recycle, I have found that old containers from Talenti Gelato work wonderfully, as opposed to buying new glass jars, but either is suitable. Just make sure to let the jam cool down before pouring into the plastic jars or they will melt. Makes for a lovely summer gift idea as well.  
Buon Appetito ~ Sarah

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 flat red raspberries {roughly 2 1/2 lbs}
• 2 pounds white cane sugar {adjust according to your preference in the tart vs sweet scale}

DIRECTIONS

• 1. Place a saucer and five metal teaspoons in a flat place in your freezer for testing the jam later. We enjoy our jam with the natural seeds. However, if you prefer a seedless jam, just have ready a medium-mesh strainer or chinois suspended over a heatproof bowl.
• 2. Combine the berries and sugar in an 11- or 12-quart copper preserving pan or a wide nonreactive pot. Place the pan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring and mashing constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the juice begins to run from the berries. As soon as the sugar dissolves, increase the heat to high. Continue to cook, stirring very frequently, until the mixture boils. Boil the mixture vigorously for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Best to begin testing for doneness after 10 minutes.
• 3. To test for doneness, remove the pan from the heat and carefully transfer a scant half teaspoonful of jam to one of your frozen spoons. Return the spoon to the freezer for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove and carefully feel the underside of the spoon. It should be neither warm nor cold; if still warm, return it to the freezer for a moment. Tilt the spoon vertically to see whether the jam runs; if the jam does not run, and if it has thickened to a near-jelly consistency, it is done. If the jam runs, return the pan to the stove and cook the mixture for another few minutes, stirring and testing again as many times as needed.
• 4. Using a stainless-steel spoon, skim any remaining foam from the surface of the preserve. If you don’t mind seeds in your jam, skip ahead to step 5. If you prefer seedless jam, quickly transfer the jam to the mesh strainer and force as much of the preserve as possible through it by pressing on it with the back of the spoon. Discard the seeds. Skim any foam that lingers on the surface of the strained jam.
• 5. Pour the jam into sterilized jars and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

*Savory Italian Split Pea Soup with Sausage*

This is one of my favorite soup recipes!

Ingredients:

16oz bag of split peas {rinsed and sorted}

10-12 ounces of smoked sausage {andouille or

kielbasa both work well}

3 medium carrots

1 medium onion {yellow sweet} chopped

4-5 golden potatoes

2 cloves garlic

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1-2 tablespoons rosemary {fresh if possible}

Black pepper

At least 40 ounces of low-sodium chicken broth

Directions:

1)   Heat medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat with some

olive oil. Add sausage {cut lengthwise into halves, then cut into ½ inch pieces} and cook 5-8 minutes or until browned. Add in garlic and Italian seasoning while cooking.

2)   Slice up carrots and potatoes to bite-size pieces and chop onion.

3)   Combine sausage, carrots, split peas, potatoes, onions, marjoram, bay leaf, rosemary and black pepper to taste. Pour broth over mixture. {I used about 40 ounces to start. As the soup cooks and thickens, you may want to add more broth, depending on how thick you prefer your soup.}

4) Cover; cook on low 4-5 hours or until the peas are tender.

     Remove and discard bay leaf. Soup will thicken as it stands.

Serve with some crusty rosemary potato bread and vintage extra sharp white cheddar cheese. Perfect match :)

Boun Appetito!

Sparkles & Blessings,

Sarah

Grand Empress Magnolia Von Frankenstein

On the heels of yesterday's Royal birth, who doesn't want their own Royal Moniker?!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/07/12/royal-name-generator/2512673/

Enjoy!

The Royal Baby & A Maiden Voyage Into Blogging

It does not surprise me at all that my first blog post ever would fall on the day of a momentous event in the Royal Family. Princess Diana has been a part of who I am for as long as I can remember. I consider her sewn into the fabric of me. She inspired me not only to be fascinated with all things royal, but also to have a heart for service, embrace the beauty that only simplicity can reveal and always have a spirit of gratitude. I vividly remember begging my mom to stay up and watch the royal wedding when she married Prince Charles. Even though she acted as though she would never allow it, my mom did in fact wake me up in the wee hours of the morning and we both sat riveted as the common girl named Diana became the Princess of Wales. Perhaps the fact that my parents named me Sarah, which is a Hebrew name meaning 'Princess', predestined me to this insatiable infatuation of all things royal and sparkly. In any event, I cannot escape it. I also remember like it was yesterday the day that Prince Charles and Princess Diana emerged on the hospital steps, uncomfortably beaming with the newest heir, baby William. I recall exactly where I was the moment CNN broadcast that Princess Diana was dead, and wept with the rest of England as the Princes escorted their mother's coffin down the streets of London. The year after my own marriage, I took the day off of work to make sure to be able to catch every moment of the royal wedding between the lovely Kate and her Prince. I gleefully look forward to the coming days when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will spill out onto those same hospital steps and introduce the newest, precious, royal wonder to the world.
So, I guess with this first blog posting of mine, I admit that I am a complete sap for the Royal Family. Aside from that, I hope that this will truly be a space that inspires sparkle in every way. I plan to embrace and share my kitchen creations, engage in some imagination about decor ideas, tap into the richness that travel and culture can produce, sprinkle in a touch of my deep Roman Catholic faith & spirituality, highlight some occasional Miss America bling, and have the opportunity to be in touch with those who believe that life with a little sparkle along the lining is one truly worth living to the fullest.
In tribute to all things Royal on this unforgettable day, Keep Calm and Sparkle On!
Blessings,
Sarah