Sweet/Tart Arugula Salad
Salad
Dressing
Honey Glazed Salmon
Ingredients –
4 salmon fillets
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/4 c. light sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons honey
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
One lemon, sliced thinly
In a small bowl, mix together – soy sauce, honey and garlic
Drizzle salmon fillets with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place lemon slices on top of fillets.
Broil on low heat for about five minutes then remove fillets from the oven and drizzle generously the honey mixture over the fillets. Return to the oven and continue to broil until salmon is cooked through to your personal preference.
This recipe is so easy and delicious. I pair it with fresh asparagus and wild rice.
Enjoy!
Photographers love the golden hour. It is the time of day shortly after sunrise or right before sun set when the light turns from red tones and harsh sunlight to being infused with more yellow/gold tones. The sun is low enough in the sky that a soft glow is cast and those soft rays are what filters the photos into what many describe as magic. We all have seen these photos where faces are glowing or buildings are gleaming. These pictures are stunning.
The medical field also claims a golden hour. Trauma/accidents, heart attacks and strokes have better results and long term recovery if medical attention is given within the first hour of occurrence from initial symptoms. That hour becomes golden because it literally is a defining life or death moment.
Then there is the beautiful golden hour of childbirth where experts say ideally skin to skin contact should be made between mom and baby immediately following delivery. This produces high levels of oxytocin to be released both from the mother and the child which experts describe as critical for bonding.
Now, these are all very specific and nuanced, but I think the common thread for success is timing, awareness and then action. If you think about it, everyday we have golden hour moments. So often we overlook or let moments slip by because we are busy, distracted, or apathetic. What if we took a closer look into our lives and identified those golden hour moments and then did something about it?
That is a goal for me in the coming year. Now of course we can’t be at every event or capture every moment to perfection and honestly that isn’t the goal. I do know however, that I can do better at looking ahead and planning so that I am aware of the big events and what I need to plan ahead to capture them and not over schedule. I want to enjoy the golden hour more frequently and even spontaneously. I hope you will take a moment and be inspired to do the same.
Snowflake Pie
Ingredients
4 pie crusts ( I use the Pilsbury refrigerated Pie Crust)
2 cans Oregon pitted cherries in water ( Red Tart )
2 cans whole cranberries
2 large Honey Crisp apples, peeled and diced into small pieces
3 Tablespoons flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. fresh orange zest
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
Instructions
Drain juice from cherries and place in a large pan – add sugar and flour, bring to a boil and thicken
Add apple slices, cherries, cranberries, orange zest, cinnamon, cloves, and almond flavoring. Mix thoroughly.
Prepare pie pans by spraying non cooking spray on the bottom – place one pie crust in bottom of each pan. Divide the fruit mixture and place on top of the pie crust. Finely chop butter into small pieces dividing equally amongst both pies. Roll out the two remaining pie crusts and using a snowflake cookie cutter, design the top crust – be creative. This pie also looks beautiful with a braided or lattice top.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min then lower heat and bake at 350 degrees for an additional 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown and fruit is bubbly.
This makes a gorgeous pie for the holiday season. You can keep one and take one as a hostess gift.
Enjoy!
Veggie Egg Dish
1 dozen eggs
1/2 c. Half and Half
1 1/2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese ( save 1/2 c. to top)
1 can original Rotel tomatoes
4 sweet small peppers, diced
1 small can diced green chilies
1 bunch green onions, diced
salsa to top
Whisk the above ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and pour into a well greased 9X13 pan. Top with 1/2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
Top with your favorite salsa
Enjoy!