Grilled: Chicken, Asparagus & Onions

  

I arrived in England one year ago, yesterday. Amazing, right? So, I honored the anniversary with barbecue (obviously).

I grilled: 1) chicken strips marinated in olive oil + garlic powder + sea salt + honey + Coleman's Mustard powder; 2) asparagus tossed in olive oil and sea salt; 3) red onions, peeled and cut in half width-wise + olive oil + sea salt.

Side note: The raspberries were for dessert, but they were so good we ate them before the rest of the food was cooked. We couldn't stop.

I'll admit, I miss the US. But England feels like home. I absolutely love it here.

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THE Lasagne

My husband is a fantastic cook. And he, much like my Dad, has a very specific cooking style: wing it.

He never measures anything. Ever. And he will add whatever random ingredient sparks his interest, regardless of whether it's "supposed" to go in there. You can't ask questions like, "What's in this?" or "What temperature do you cook this at?" You just have to stand back and trust that it will be awesome. It always is.

This lasagne is one of his signature dishes. Random additions include: 1) cottage cheese, instead of ricotta; and 2) sweet corn.

Absolutely delicious. It's one of my favourites.

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Strawberries & Cream

Technically, strawberries and cream is supposed to be a bowl of sliced strawberries and a sprinkle of sugar, with cream poured over the top. 

Needless to say, I got a bit carried away. I: 1) whipped cream with vanilla and a bit of sugar; 2) layered the whipped cream with the sliced strawberries; and 3) a bit of shaved dark chocolate. 

It was so so good.

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Kitchen Sink Salad

Occasionally, I get a serious craving for salad. A BIG salad. You know, "It's like a salad, only bigger, with lots of stuff in it?"

There is no specific recipe. It changes depending on what is in my pantry/fridge at the time. But, the goal is to put as many ingredients, flavors, and colors in there as possible; with the proportion of lettuce to everything else at about 1:1. And thus, it becomes the [everything but the] "kitchen sink salad". 

For this one, I had: 1) extremely gorgeous, extremely fresh local lettuce; 2) cherry tomatoes; 3) a yellow bell pepper; 4) green onions; 5) three small beets—boiled, not pickled; 6) blue cheese; 7) a few pearl onions, pickled in balsamic vinegar; 8) sea salt; 9) olive oil; 10) balsamic vinegar.

It served two; and it lasted about five minutes.

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London

Apparently changing one's name (from maiden to married) on one's documents is not as quick as one would think. Long story short (too late), I didn't get my passport, etc. back in time and we had to cancel our trip to France. Boo.

The good news? My wonderful husband took me to London for a few days, instead.

Though I had been before, I had never done the tourist thing. It was fantastic. We did an open-top bus tour, including a river tour of the Thames (Definitely do this. It was amazing; not too tourist-y). We ate gluten free pizza, and TONS of sushi. And we visited all of our favourite pubs.

For the record: Yes. I went to Ladurée first (and two times after that). And, yes. I spent 20 minutes walking around Whole Foods savoring the atmosphere; it felt like visiting an old friend.

Things I learned: 1) The word "hangover" originated in the days when public hangings were a good excuse for a party. 2) The Lady of Justice statue on top of the Old Bailey is not blindfolded. 3) Savile Row is spelled with one "l". and 4) London is awesome.

I'm sold.

  

  

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On The Line

You may not know this but, people in the UK rarely use — much less own — clothes dryers. 

This is fairly unusual for me. You see, I grew up in Florida, where sometimes it's so humid, it may as well be raining. It would take a million years for a towel on a line to dry properly. A dryer was a must.

The clothes line was a summer novelty. Grannie insisted that Cape Cod beach towels stay outside; hung on the line. But, I didn't mind. I loved that outside towel smell.

And now, all of my linens smell like summer on Cape Cod. 

I'm enjoying not having a dryer. It smells amazing.

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Pimm's

Remember what I said about England being terrible at mixed drinks? Well, there is officially one exception: Pimm's.

Pimm's (no.1 cup) is a gin-based liqueur that is traditionally served in the summer time, mixed with fizzy lemonade, mint, cucumber, orange, and strawberry. To an American, this may sound a bit odd.

I think my exact first reaction was, "Wow. That's AWEsome." (You'll just have to imagine the shock and awe in my voice.)

Seriously. Have a Pimm's, if you get the chance. It's refreshing, very British, and very delicious (read: dangerous). It even comes in pitchers.

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The Queen's Jubilee

Sixty years. HM Queen Elizabeth II has been the queen for sixty years. It's remarkable, really. It has only happened once before. And, it's fair to say people are excited.

The closest thing I can compare it to is American 4th of July (which I absolutely love). However, the rarity of this event gives it a slightly different feel. Incredibly patriotic, yes. But, in a profoundly sentimental way.

Plus, parties.

We are in the midst of four days of barbecue (i.e. sausages), flags, fireworks, pubs, desserts, and concerts. We have gravitated to The Griffin's Head pub because of its perfect British atmosphere (exposed beams, inglenook fireplaces, stunning gardens, and a single bed-sized outdoor grill), and attended a different barbecue every day.

So far, I have contributed American-style burgers (1/4 lb. ground beef, and only beef + cheese melted on top), Barefoot Contessa guacamole, and Smitten Kitchen blueberry crumb bars (Make these, immediately. They're easy and amazing.).

It has been a beautiful, delicious, and patriotic weekend. And, it's not over yet.

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