Well, one time on spring break in Daytona Beach, I forgot to put it on.  But I had mono and I was staying in a roach motel and I missed my mom and I was really, really unwell.  I know.  That’s no excuse.

But nevermind that.   I LOVED the day-glo pinks and fuschias of the 80’s.  So much so that a roommate of mine once said, “Ah’ sway-uh, Leah, do yew keep yo-wah lipstick on yo-wah naht-stay-und?”

I went to college in South Carolina.  Did you catch the accent?

Yes, I did keep a wide array of silvery tubes on my naht-stay-und.  And yes, I sometimes DID apply a coat or two before I even brushed my teeth in the morning.

After college I maintained my lipstick rep’, even as I high-tailed it back up to Yankee land.  A post college friend once picked me up for a night at the movies – as I recall, we had both worked all day and were kickin back in our glasses and sweats – but my lips were still glossed over in one of my shocking shades, causing my friend to laugh hysterically and coin the term “Puerto Rican Lipstick” (and I know she meant that as a compliment to Puerto Ricans everywhere).

The reason I brought up this ridiculous topic in the first place is that this afternoon I bought myself a gorgeous placemat at the Mequon store.  It was on the summer sale rack.  Three bucks it cost me.  It’s the most amazing, beautiful, shocking shade of fuschia I’ve ever seen (and it reverses to orange…bliss!!).  It reminded me of my Puerto Rican lipstick days.

Would you believe, it’s the same placemat in this photo?  I know!!  It’s sad, but the lighting tonight is terrible and the soup doesn’t look nearly as bright as it really is, and the pretty placemat looks …. RED!  I assure you, it’s not!  It’s almost identical to the Violet Kiss I wore in 1989.

Bah.

Anyway, you came here for a recipe, not the sad and strange history of my love affair with the Clinique counter.

So.  I think this soup is terrific, but I’m not sure it’s the type of thing you’re going to serve for a family dinner with the kiddos (well maybe it is, who am I to say?).  I would recommend it for a first course at a late-summer dinner party or ladies lunch.  It’s a little rich, but when avocados go on sale, I say we make the most of them and eat ‘em up!

And I just had a thought:  this would also be perfect served as a shooter in a shot glass, with a grilled shrimp hanging on the rim!  And jumbo shrimp skewers are on sale this week…gorgeous!

Someone be a peach and try that this weekend.  Kindly report your success back to us here…lipstick optional.

CHILLED AVOCADO SOUP WITH FRESH GINGER & LIME CREMA
SERVES:  4
SOURCE:  foodnetwork.com, recipe by Emeril Lagasse

¼ c. butter
1 c. finely chopped onion
2 ½ t. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 large ripe avocados, peeled and mashed (on sale)
4 t. fresh lime juice ( limes are on sale)
1 ½ c. chicken broth
½ t. black pepper
1 scallion, finely chopped (on sale)
½ c. half and half
Salt and pepper

Lime Crema
¼ c. sour cream (Daisy brand is on sale)
2 t. fresh lime juice
¼ t. minced garlic
¼ t. salt

Melt butter in a saucepan and cook the onions for about 4 minutes, until softened.  Add the ginger and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Add the avocado, lime juice, and chicken broth and whisk to combine.  Simmer soup over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes.  Add the scallion and transfer soup to a blender and puree (VERY CAREFULLY!!), in batches if necessary, until very smooth.  Stir in the half-and-half and salt and pepper to taste.  Chill thoroughly before serving.

To make the Lime Crema, stir together the sour cream, lime juice, garlic, and salt.  When the soup has chilled, garnish each portion with a generous dollop of crema.

There are already so many great Mexican-inspired recipes here on this blog – from dips, soups, and salads to fish tacos and brisket burritos (check out the archive for plenty of inspiration).  But I feel pretty sure I’ve never covered how to make a decent guacamole from scratch.  And I definitely have not discussed the recipe for my favorite margarita.  Your fiesta will not be complete without either of these two all-important items, my amigos!

The guacamole recipe comes to you from my brother, Adam.  He’s a master guacamole maker and his creation is my go-to recipe.  The margarita concoction is compliments of my friend Jim.  Jim McSchmeegan(*).  With an Irish name like that, you’d think he’d be more adept at pouring the perfect Black & Tan – but margaritas are his specialty and boy howdy, are they GOOD!

Please enjoy these recipes responsibly!  Too much guacamole will make your tummy jiggle, and too many margs’ will impede your ability to walk home from your neighborhood fiesta.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you, my little cucarachas!

(*) Not his real name, although he is Irish in real life.  He prefers to remain anonymous here because 1). he is terribly shy and 2). he doesn’t want to be held responsible for any hangovers that may occur throughout the greater Milwaukee area as a result of his recipe.

Best Ever Guacamole from Scratch

Serves: 1  (kidding, makes about 2 cups)

• 3 ripe avocados, 2 mashed and 1 chunked – on sale
• ½ jalapeno pepper, seeded if YOU CAN’T HANDLE the heat
• ¼ c. chopped cilantro
• ½ t. salt
• ¼ c. minced white onion
• ½ tomato, seeded and diced small – stem tomatoes are on sale

Squeeze fresh lime juice to taste

Gently combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.  Adjust lime juice and salt to taste.  Serve immediately with your favorite chips (Matilda are my fav’!).  Unfortunately, there is no way to keep your guacamole from browning.  The only way to prevent browning is to eat all of this guac’ in one sitting.  Sorry.  The end.

THE LAKE COUNTRY RELAXER, aka THE PERFECT MARGARITA

Makes 1 pitcher

• 2 c. good quality tequila (Azul is on special; Jim uses Silver)
• 1 c. Cointreau or Triple Sec (*)
• 1 c. fresh lime juice; or ½ c. lime juice and ½ c. fresh orange juice (– yes, FRESH!)
• 1 splash simple syrup, available in the liquor department at Sendik’s

• Lime wedges
• Coarse salt (salt is optional, unless you’re a salt fiend like me)
• Ice!  Lots and lots of ice!

Mix all ingredients together in a pitcher.  Place coarse salt in a shallow dish.  Rub a lime wedge around the rim of each glass and dip rim in coarse salt.  Carefully fill the glass with ice.  Give the margaritas a good stir and pour over the ice.  Garnish rim with lime wedge.  Enjoy responsibly!

(*) You could also substitute 1 cup Roses Non-Alcoholic Triple Sec.  Jim swears this keeps The Cook in his house on her toes and helps keep her alert mostly through the dinner hour. (*GRIN*)

Had you seen me, you likely would have said (because you’re nice) something sweet like, “Oh you poor thing!  What could it be? A death in the family?  A wretched illness?  Gangrene?  Rickets?  Lyme disease?  What could possibly be bringing you to tears here in the produce department?!  And on Facebook!  And in the middle of the cul-de-sac?!

I’ll tell you, even as I tear up now, why I’m a wreck today.  I’ve made my peace with it, and if you think I’m crazy, that’s all right with me.  Call me what you will, you can’t make me feel any worse.

No Thank You Boy left this afternoon for a week in Washington, DC with his 8^th grade class.  No biggie, right?  Their trip is a culmination of a yearlong study of American History and U.S. government.  We parents have received emails and attended informational meetings throughout the year about this trip.  Each time it’s been discussed, the trip has been billed as ‘an amazing experience to cap off a fantastic year of learning’, and ‘the last time our group will be together like this before high school’, and (the kicker) ‘the grand finale of 8^th grade’.

The end of 8^th grade.  There you have it; hence, the waterworks.

I’m not sad because NTYB has gone away for a week.  C’mon, the kid is 14; hanging out with him is not exactly a day at the beach.  And as far as the DC experience goes, I’m thrilled he’s having the opportunity.  What better way to gain an appreciation for our nation’s Capitol and all its historic value than with your uber-enthusiastic Social Studies teacher and your fellow Young Historians (as said teacher refers to them)?

What absolutely wrecks me is how much this trip represents a rite of passage for my oldest kid.  The end of a fantastic middle school experience, and high school looming large just over the horizon.  Time marching on.

“Living in the moment” is a term that’s bandied about a lot, and is a good motto to live by.  “Don’t wish your life away” is my husband’s personal favorite.  Synonymous phrases that each sound so simple.  But living in the moment was not easy or simple today.  * le sigh * Would someone please change the subject?!

Let’s talk about the salad, shall we?  Because you don’t come here to listen to me prattle on about my issues (although I appreciate that you do), and I’m ready to pull myself together – that is to say, compose myself.

A composed salad (nice segue, right?!) is usually served as a main course.  Think Cobb, Chef, Nicoise, or today’s Layered Taco Salad.  In a restaurant, a composed salad would be served with all of the ingredients artfully arranged, and all of the components on one plate.  Gorgeous fresh vegetables, a protein, cheese, and starch; and finished off with a lovely dressing.

This salad rocks.  In an ironic twist, it went over especially well this evening because of NTYB’s absence.  This would be lovely for dinner on a hot summer evening or for a ladies lunch – it’s cool, filling, delicious…

And composed.

LAYERED NACHO SALAD
Serves:  6 as a main course

Source:  modified from epicurious.com

• 2 large, ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
• 2 c. or more thick salsa, divided (Muir Glen Organic Salsa is on sale)
• 1 lime, halved
• 2 T. cilantro, chopped

• 1 head red leaf lettuce*, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 3 c. shredded cooked chicken** or turkey (Farmland Turkey cubes or strips are on sale)
• 3 c. broken tortilla chips
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 scallions, chopped (on sale)
• 1 small green pepper, small dice
• 1 c. packed shredded cheddar cheese (Sargento is on sale)

Red wine vinaigrette or buttermilk dressing for serving (Girard’s Dressings are on sale)

Place avocados in a medium bowl.  Add 1/3 c. salsa, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and the cilantro and mash to chunky guacamole consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Layer half of lettuce, chicken or turkey, chips, beans, green onions, bell pepper and cheese in a large glass bowl.  Top with half of guacamole mixture and half of remaining salsa.  Repeat layering with remaining ingredients.  Use additional salsa to cover top if desired.  Serve salad, passing a buttermilk dressing or red wine vinaigrette at the table.

A COUPLE OF NOTES:

(*) romaine lettuce is on sale and would make a fine substitute for the red leaf

(**) I had chicken breasts on hand that I needed to use up.  I marinated them in a mixture of ½ c. beer, ¼ c. soy sauce, 2 T. olive oil, several dashes of Tabasco, and a hefty pinch of chopped cilantro.  I grilled the chicken over medium high for about 5 minutes per side, cooled it off, and diced it for the salad.  If you go this route, Just Bare Boneless Chicken Breasts are on sale!

I woke up a while ago and the house just didn’t feel right.  Uncomfortable, steamy, hot and sticky… I like to think I’m too young for hot flashes, but obviously, something was not right.

Well apparently, the air conditioner hadn’t been working all night long.  I went down to the basement thinking (hoping?!) that I probably just needed to change out the furnace filter (we’re not very good at keeping up with that sort of thing around here, if you want the truth) and all would be well.  But no such luck.

The filter is fine.  Much worse I fear, is that the furnace is covered in a thin layer of ice and frost, which can’t possibly be good.  I find its frozen state slightly ironic, since the rest of the house feels like the rainforest, and my hair (a very reliable humidity indicator) is curling wildly even as we speak.  Nice visual, right?  Yeah, it ain’t good.

I hate problems with the house.  They always give me a bad feeling in the pit of my checkbook.

While I’m sitting around waiting for the repairman to show his face and give me the bad news, I’ve turned my attention to dinner. You’re probably wondering how and/or WHY I would possibly be thinking about dinner at a time like this?  When I’m so hot and crabby?!  Well, that’s how I roll.  Planning dinner is a great diversion from the problem at hand.  Also, I’m a little obsessed.  It’s an illness.

Any hoo, I’m an absolute fool for a good Cobb Salad, which is what I decided to make tonight.  Light and fresh, they’re the perfect warm weather dinner.  I adore them so much in fact, that I ate a Cobb Salad from the North Shore Bistro every single week for the full nine months that I was pregnant with my third kiddo.  Do the math, that’s like, 40 salads.  Don’t believe me?  Ask my husband.  He was my Cobb Salad courier every time I had a craving.  A Cobb Salad mule, that’s what he was.  I’m sure he’d be thrilled with the title.  Let’s just see if he really reads my blog like he says he does.

This version is dressed up a bit with the addition of fresh herbs, toasted pine nuts,  and a lovely, light vinaigrette.  I used the sale marinated chicken breasts from the meat counter (Italian, they were terrific), sale romaine lettuce, stem tomatoes, and Patrick Cudahy bacon.  Economical AND delicious, does it get any better?

Impress your diners by chilling off your plates in the freezer before you plate the salads; it adds a nice touch and will make you look like a pro!

At least something around here will be nice and cold.  Humph.

COBB SALAD WITH HERBS AND SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

Serves:  6

Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine, August/September 2008 p. 55

• 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (again, I used the marinated ones from the meat counter)
• 1 large head of romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
• ¾ c. fresh herbs (I used Italian parsley, basil, mint, and chives), chopped (not minced)
• 2 large avocados, pitted and diced
• 2 larged stem tomatoes, seeded and diced
• ¾ c. crumbled blue cheese of your choice
• 1/3 c. pine nuts, toasted (you could easily swap in pecans or walnuts for much less $$ than the pine nuts)
• 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp, cooled, and crumbled
• Sherry Vinaigrette, recipe follows
• Additional fresh chives, chopped for garnish

Place 6 large salad plates in the freezer to chill.

Preheat your grill to medium high.  Grill the chicken breasts until well marked and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.  Cool; cut in to small dice.

Combine romaine and herbs in a large mixing bowl.  Toss with just enough dressing to coat lightly, 4 – 5 tablespoons.  Season with salt and pepper and toss again.

In a medium mixing bowl, toss the avocado, tomatoes, blue cheese, pinenuts, and chicken together with 3 – 4 tablespoons of the dressing.  Remove the plates from the freezer.  Divide the greens among the plates, arranging the lettuce in a circle with a small hole in the center. Mound the chicken mixture in the center of the lettuce on each plate, dividing evenly.  Sprinkle with the crumbled bacon and chopped chives and serve.

SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

• ¾ c. extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ c. good quality sherry vinegar
• 2 t. finely grated lemon zest (from about one lemon)
• 1 t. sugar
• 1 clove garlic minced finely or pressed
• ½ t. Dijon mustard
• ½ t. salt
• ¼ t. ground black pepper

Put all of the ingredients in a glass measuring cup or jar with a tight fitting lid and whisk or vigorously shake to combine.  You can refrigerate this for up to five days, but allow it to come to room temperature and stir well (or shake again) before serving.