Salmon cakes

Okay I know, it's been a little while since I've even looked at this blog. Most of my spare time has been devoted to the book that I've been working on. I've actually been trying to write every single day and it's paying off. I'm on chapter 21 now and I'm really pleased with how it's coming along so far. Who knows maybe I'll be done by the summer... here's hoping.

I made some salmon cakes over the weekend. I found the recipe in this months Family Circle. They turned out pretty good so I wanted to share. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Salmon Cakes

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons of vegetable oil

1 medium carrot, finely diced

1 rib celery, finely diced

1 can 14.75 ounces of pink salmon

1 cup plain bread crumbs

1 1/4 teaspoons of Old Bay seasoning

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup of parsley, chopped

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Recipe:

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add celery...

Then add carrots

Cook 5 minutes until slightly softened.

Remove to a large bowl.

Drain salmon; remove bones, if desired.

Add to bowl with cooked vegetables

Add bread crumbs

Add Old Bay

Add mustard, cayenne, mayonnaise, lemon juice and parsley

Combine well and form into cakes, about 1/3 cup each.

 In same skillet, add another 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add half the cakes to the pan and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side or until browned. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining cakes.

Serve with your choice of sides. I chose potato salad.

I joined Weight Watcher's yesterday and I'm pretty excited about it. I will be eating healthier and having smaller portions now. My daughter has decided that she's also up for the challenge, (even though she's a size 7). She'll be changing her eating habits, too... bless her heart.

Okay, this is the book that I just finished reading. I loved it! It's the first time I've read anything by John Rector and all I can say is... I am now a fan and I'll definitely be looking for more of his novels. If you like mystery and suspense, then this is the story for you.

Well, that's about it for today. I'm anxious to get back to my writing. Hey, are there any blogger's out there that's dieting right now? If so, contact me.We can encourage each other. Have a great day.

Fantasy

If I was a rich girl

Na na na na na na na na na na na

See, I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl.

Okay, my house would look something like this... pretty cool, huh?

Yes, this would be the view from my backyard. I love the infiniti pool. Never mind that I never learned to swim. Ssshhh... rules don't apply in this rich girl fantasy. 

Just like before, my morning would begin with a long, hot shower. Except in my fantasy bathroom, my elbow won't keep bumping the wall while I'm drying off. 

Hmmm, what to wear... what to wear.

... And yes... my fantasy, my thinner body, so I would definitely be able to pull this off.

Then I'd whip up a big batch of pancakes for everybody in this amazing kitchen.

Then darling hubby and I would sit in the living room where he asks, "So, what do you have planned for today?" That's when I'd remember that he called me an 'emotional creature' on Valentine's day so I'd say, "Spend your money, of course, dear."

I'd hop in my Ferrari 458 and  go on a major shopping spree with darling hubby's credit card. Then I'd stop at the video store to pick up a couple of movies for the family to watch later.

We'd have a little dinner first... just a typical rich girl, week night meal.

Mmmm hmmm... then we'd all watch those movies in our theater room.

It's funny but in my rich girl fantasy, my daughter doesn't mind if I tuck her in for the night, even though she's 19.

Then I'd tuck in my younger daughter who I never ever bump heads with in this wonderful fantasy.

Then hubby and I would turn in, too... and wouldn't you know it... he wouldn't want to stay up late to play his xbox or watch something incredibly boring on the history channel. He'd even promise to spend his next day off watching Lifetime movies with me all day.  

Valentines Day

 Hello and Happy Valentines Day.

You know, there's this guy that I work with that believes Valentines day is a woman's holiday. I don't agree with him and believe me, I did a pretty good job of voicing my opinion about how ridiculous I thought he sounded. To my surprise, with the exception of one man, it turns out that every other guy I asked on the job felt that the holiday was strictly for women, too. In my opinion, Valentines Day is celebrated all over the world and nowhere in history has it ever been noted that this romantic holiday was specifically for the ladies.

   

So I asked my husband what he thought about it and he agreed with the men saying that he felt it was a sentimental holiday. He said that if there were no Valentines Day, it wouldn't bother him one bit since he's not driven by emotion. He told me that since I'm an emotional creature, I would probably feel different about losing Valentines day. Well yeah, but my response was, "Wait a minute, did you just call me a creature???"... LoL.

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that almost every box of chocolates is heart shaped, with lots of pink, red and pretty bows. And yes... I also know that my husband would probably have my head examined if I presented him with a dozen roses... BUT... I think that the guys are forgetting something here. What about when we give you breakfast in bed, or leave the hamburger helper on the shelf in the pantry and prepare one super amazing home cooked dinner just for y-o-u. Hey and what about the 124 cards that we read through carefully at the Hallmark store until we found the absolute perfect one... and let's not forget that backrub. So there, in my opinion, everything balances out. This holiday is to bring the 'couple' closer together... it's soooo not just for 'her.'

Now, I'm curious and I'd like to ask for your opinions. Tell me, fellow blogger's, what do think? Is Valentines Day for the man, the woman, or for both? 

Today...

... I went to Panera Bread with my husband for breakfast because they have the best tasting souffle's. Souffle how I love thee... let me count the ways.. Thanks Renee for the tip... now I'm hooked.

... I had a ham and swiss souffle with coffee. My husband had two spinach and artichoke souffles with British breakfast tea. Also. I made sure to get two brownies for us to snack on tonight while we watched Grimm.

... I got back home, sat on my bed and began clicking away on my laptop and staring at the amazing decor that I stumbled across. Wow! Okay, I can't help it, I'm drooling... but I'm also getting sooooo inspired.

 

...I'm reading: Karin Fossum's, 'Bad Intentions.' This book is like M&M's. .. it's stuck to my fingers. Help! I love it and I can't put it down.

... my husband and I have been watching old episodes of Grimm that we missed on, On Demand, (I mentioned this earlier). It's rare that my husband and I enjoy the same tv shows, so it's pretty cool when we can snuggle up on the couch for the night without fighting over what to watch. Oh, c'mon, a woman can only take so much of the History and Military channels.

By the way, this is David Guintoli, the guy who plays Grimm.

And this is, Russell Hornsby, who plays Grimm's partner in the movie. Some of you may recognize him from Lincoln Heights.

Hey, if there are any Grimm fans out there, I want to hear from you.

... or this evening, rather. I put my Kool and the Gang CD in the CD player and turned up the volume. I used to have such a crush on J.T. Besides, I was in that 'oldies ' kind of mood. Not the moldy oldies, mind you, but more like... a little stale. My favorites are Ladies Night, Celebration, Get Down on It, Let's Go Dancing, (Ooh,La,La,La) and Too Hot.

Do you remember that dessert that I picked up this morning from Panera Bread? Well, I saved my brownie just for tonight, even though my husband couldn't hold out and ended up eating his hours ago. As usual, it was delicious... especially with a hot cup of tea.

Well, that was pretty much how my day went. Not spectacular but at least I had the day off and the weather was nice. Until next time.

Stop thief!

What is the world coming to? I know it's harder for the animal kingdom to find food during the winter months... but seriously??? 

Hey everyone, I would like to introduce my friend, Alice from Alice Brown Creations. She made this beautiful card for me, for my daughter's birthday. Don't you just love it? She is an amazing artist and can work her magic to make a custom card for you, too. So, support an artist and have your cards personalized for a special gift for the one you love and or appreciate. Feel free to visit her blog at alicebrowncreations.blogspot.com.

This is the inside of the card... sooo cute.

Okay, I really thought I was done with the weird shoes but who knew I'd actually find more!

Hmmm... Glass slippers on steroids??? I wonder what Cinderella would think of these babies? Okay, I haven't done this in ages but speaking of Cinderella... (Fairy tale category and Jeopardy question of the day)... When did the story of Cinderella first appear? What is 1697 or 1731 or 1899?

Give up yet? The answer is... 1697.   

Quote of the Day

 

Enjoy your weekend. Stay safe and keep warm.

Happy New Year!

Hi friends... this is my first posting for 2012. Wow! A brand new year to play around with. Hmmm... what to do... what to do? Find a lost treasure? Discover the cure for the common cold? Walk on fire? Save the world? Decisions... decisions. In April, I will be another year older so maybe for starters, instead of writing out my typical list of new years resolutions, I'll post my bucket list instead. Just so you know, it's not in any particular order and some of it may actually confuse you but anyway, here goes... 

1. See the Northern lights.

2. Spend an entire summer in England.
3. Publish a book. (already on Chapter 16)
4. Get a dog.
5. See the Pyramids in Egypt.

6. Learn how to swim (before number 7).
7. Swim with the dolphins (after number 6).
8. See a broadway show.
9. Go on a cruise.
10. See Niagara Falls (included in 16)

11. Learn to speak french. (before number 12).
12. Go to France (after number 11).
13. Go on an African safari.
14. Meet Oprah Winfrey.
15. Go to the Grand Canyon. (also included in 16)

16. Visit all 50 states.
17. Skate over a frozen lake.
18. Send a message in a bottle.
19. Hire a maid.
20. Ride on a gondola in Venice.

21. Work for myself.
22. Be debt free.

23. Become a vegetarian.
24. Make every day count.

Merry Christmas

I would like to take this time to thank all the blogger's out there that take the time to read and comment on my blog. You guys are amazing and are appreciated more than you will ever know. Thank you. I truly hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and an even more wonderful new year!