WELL WORTH THE WAIT

The strawberry:
"Doubtless God could have made a better berry,
but doubtless God never did."
Dr William Butler, 17th century English writer

Since being served this delightful desert by our friend Carol on our last visit to PEI, I have been waiting for the strawberry season so I could try it myself. The berries were wonderful this year, thanks to the cooperative weather, and we have taken full advantage, eating strawberries every which way you can imagine...jammed...short caked...on ice cream...or just on their own. This recipe for Pavlova is very easy to make, is light and airy and really satisfies the sweet tooth.

Pavlova
4 egg whites
1 c. white sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. vinegar
2 c. whipping cream
Fresh fruit of your choice (strawberries, blueberries, kiwi or pineapple)

Whip egg whites until they form peaks. Gradually add sugar, vanilla and vinegar and continue beating until very stiff.
Spread over parchment paper on a round pizza pan. Bake one hour at 275 degrees. Turn off the oven and leave meringue for several hours (4 - 6) or overnight. It should come out lightly golden as pictured below.
If you're serving a crowd you can top the baked meringue with whipped cream and strawberries just before serving. You can spread the whipped cream with a knife or go for the "wow" reaction and pipe the cream on... or just do what I did since it was just hubby and me...cut the meringue into serving size pieces, then top with whipped cream and strawberries.
I have to admit, my 26 week X-weighted challenge was put on hold for a week because I certainly ate my share of this one.



During our visit, we took in a hike at the Greenwich National Park . I felt like I was in another world...the sand dunes were so amazing.

The western tip of Greenwich, a peninsula that separates St. Peters Bay from the Gulf of St. Lawrence, became part of Prince Edward Island National Park in 1998 to protect and preserve the natural and cultural resources found in the area.

The site contains an extensive and fragile coastal dune system, wetlands and various natural habitats in which numerous rare plant species are found. Among the most spectacular natural characteristics to be protected at Greenwich are the unusually large and mobile parabolic dunes with their associated counter ridges or Gegenwälle . This phenomenon is very rare in North America.

And look at what awaits you on the other side of those dunes!

WHATS ON YOUR PLATE TUESDAY!

Good food is meant to be shared and since I hate eating alone,
I invite everyone to join me for a virtual coming together
at "Getting Back To Basics"
where we can sit around and talk about eating,
share some recipes,
photos, or quotes about food
and maybe share a few laughs as well.

So whether you're a connoisseur of fine food
or good wholesome home cooked meals,
a vegan or a "raw foodist, "
... come, join me at my table on Tuesdays for some fun.
Grab my badge and place it on your side bar with a link back to me
so more will see it and take part.
See you on Tuesday
...oh, and feel free to bring a bottle of wine to the table.

Chicken Taco Soup With a Toasted Chicken Club Sandwich

One of my daycare moms told me about this wonderful soup which will be a regular dish at our house. Not only a delicious "stick to you ribs" meal, it is high in fiber and low in fat. You can make this on top of the stove or throw it together in a large slow cooker. You can substitute the chicken with browned ground beef or make it vegan by adding cubed firm tofu or nothing at all. Instead of using browned ground chicken, I just mixed all the soup ingredients together and placed skinless chicken breast on top, cooked the soup for four hours then removed the chicken breast and shredded it and stirred it back into the soup.

Chicken Taco Soup

1 large onion, chopped
1 pkg. Clubhouse Ranch Dressing mix
1 pkg. Taco seasoning mix (or 2 tablespoons of your own Taco seasoning...*recipe below)
2 cups whole kernel corn
2 cups chicken broth or water
1 can black beans
1 can white beans (I used a can of Six Bean Medley)
1 can low fat refried beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
Your choice of meat...2 chicken breast...1 lb browned ground chicken or beef or chopped tofu

Toppings: (optional)
Shredded cheddar cheese
Taco or corn chips
Sour cream

Mix all the soup ingredients together in large crock pot. You can do this ahead of time and refrigerate over night and put it on to cook in the morning. If using chicken breast wait until morning to add them to the pot. I cooked mine about four hours on high, shredded the chicken, stirred it back into the soup and cooked it on low for another hour. If you are going meatless or using precooked meat, a couple of hours on high should be long enough. If you want to have the soup cook while at work, set the slow cooker on low for eight hours. Spoon soup into a bowl and top with shredded cheese, crumbled taco or corn chips and a dollop of sour cream.

Taco Seasoning

1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/8 c. instant onion flakes
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Mix together and store in a sealed container in a dry place. Add 2 tablespoons to any recipe calling for Taco Seasoning. This recipe makes enough for 3 recipes and can easily be doubled.

Bon Appétit!

Marisa

WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE TUESDAY!

"One of the delights of life is eating with friends,
second to that is talking about eating.
And, for an unsurpassed double whammy,
there is talking about eating while you
are eating with friends."
-Laurie Colwin 'Home Cooking'

Always "snap happy" I've taken it to a whole new level since entering the "bloggie universe" a year ago. Not only do I photograph family, friends, amazing vistas and nature, I find myself captivated by what makes it to my plate. Seldom do I eat anything I prepare without first taking a picture of it to compliment recipes I may decide to post, but I'm sure I'm not the only blogger who has fallen into this habit.

Good food is meant to be shared and since I hate eating alone, I invite everyone to join me for a virtual coming together at "Getting Back To Basics" where we can sit around and talk about eating, share some recipes, photos, or quotes about food and maybe share a few laughs as well.

So whether you're a connoisseur of fine food or good wholesome home cooked meals, a vegan or a "raw foodist, "... come, join me at my table on Tuesdays for some fun. Grab my badge and place it on your side bar with a link back to me so more will see it and take part. I apologize in advance for any speed bumps we may encounter along the way as this is my first attempt using Mr. Linkey. Our first installment of, "What's On Your Plate Tuesday" will be on April, 27th.
See you on then...oh, and feel free to bring a bottle of wine to the table.

Bon Appétit!

Marisa