Diva Grilled Cheese

Diva grilled cheese.

 

There's something so amazing about carbs, butter, and processed cheese all melded together. When waitressing at Helen's Restaurant in Machias, I never understood people who ordered a grilled cheese. Really? You go out to eat and you order a grilled cheese? I will say that there is something about a restaurant grill and that homemade bread that makes it a little easier to understand. One special lady that I know, ordered a grilled cheese EVERY TIME SHE CAME TO EAT. However, this was no ordinary grilled cheese. This grilled cheese is kind of like a diva grilled cheese in that there are certain elements that are absolutely necessary to make it amazing. Pickled jalapenos, American cheese (not yellow...it just bothers me), and wheat bread (or white bread...)....that is the grilled cheese part.

But there are two more things that you HAVE to have with this grilled cheese. Salty potato chips and sour cream. Sadly enough, the potato chips that I have here in Clayton Lake are not what I prefer. You need a potato chip with substance....something like a rippled Lay's potato chip. And I have to have my sour cream cold cold cold...so I put it in the freezer for a little bit before I'm ready to eat this scrumptious meal. Because of the minced red onion that I like to add to my sour cream, when my husband came inside to give me a kiss, he said, "Your breath could gag a maggot." Baha

 There's something about the saltiness of the chips, the creaminess and coolness of the sour cream, the crispy bread, the smooth cheese, and the spicy jalapenos. Almost stupidly simple yet so delicious. It's amazing. Try it. You might love it.

 

Feeling Small

The boys and I took our first walk all by ourselves to the lake today. It was so warm!!! I definitely should've worn shorts. We went down to the shore for a while, and then to the end of the dock so Jackson could "go fishing". He kept getting "entangled" so Mommy was kept very busy. We didn't see much wildlife....just a few birds, a frog, some minnows, and a couple of dead moose tied up on the back of trailers.



The thoughts of the day....
When I'm in the house with the boys staying busy doing laundry, dishes, or sweeping (baaaahaha)....everything feels the same way that it would at "home". We get caught up in our routines and dinner plans and all of that "stuff". But when we go outside.....we get away from the "stuff". While sitting at the end of the dock looking out over the lake, I feel like it's easier to "see" my boys. I feel like it's easier to "see" myself. With the different colors in the changing trees, the hot sun, the bright blue sky, the fluffy white clouds, and that distinct smell of autumn....I feel like I'm being swallowed. I feel so, so small. And it isn't a bad feeling at all!!!



We had to collect our eggs before we left!

We have to pull back the kayak to get to them every day.

Practicing a little casting.  

This guy is ready.

 

My woodsmen.

Moose track

Someday he'll look at these pictures and dream of how it used to be. <3

He lives such a hard life.

I wanted so badly to let him crawl all over the lawn in front of the depot but there was geese poop EVERYWHERE!!! :((

 

This might look like something you'd see in a cow pasture....this is where you can find the moose here!

In front of the depot.

Sign of other human life. We aren't the only ones here!

Lemon Ricotta Muffins

Lemon Ricotta Muffins

 

 

These are one of the best muffins I've ever tasted. If only you could smell my house right now...it's a sweet lemon almond scent. I found them one day while pinning a thousand muffin recipes from foodgawker onto pinterest. They are super moist and of course they're awesome cut in half with a little (or a lot) butter on them (in my opinion...everything is better with butter on it)....but they really don't NEED the butter. Hope you enjoy!

 

 

 

Lemon Ricotta Muffins:

Recipe from http://linzersinlondon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/offering-lemon-ricotta-muffins.html?m=1

Preheat oven to 350F/175C and line or grease 12 muffin cups.

In a large bowl, preferably with an electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy:

     1 c sugar with the zest of 3 lemons rubbed in

     1/2 c (113g) butter, room temp

 



Butter, lemon, and sugar.......three beautiful things!

 

Beat in:

     1 c ricotta cheese

 



Tide Mill ricotta....a little bit of home here with me in Clayton Lake!

http://www.tidemillorganicfarm.com/

Add, mixing well:

     1 large egg

     the juice of one of the zested lemons

     1/2 tsp almond extract

In a separate bowl, whisk together:

      2 c flour 

     1/2 tsp baking powder 

     1/2 tsp baking soda 

     1/2 tsp salt

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, just until combined, and divide the batter among the muffin cups.  Sprinkle with chopped or slivered almonds and a bit of sugar, and bake until pale golden, about 20 minutes.