Brittany's PantryTri-Melon Salad W/Honey & Lime
Brittany wrote this on 12 July 2014
cantaloupe, gluten-free, honey, honeydew, lime, watermelon
There really is no other way to say this: This stuff is awesome.
Not much in the way of frills. It just takes something really great (three kinds of summer melons) and takes it up a smidge to make it spectacular. And contrary to my usual rants, I am not exaggerating!
You know by now how much of a honey freak I am. I have always loved honey. Have I ever told you the story about aspirin and honey from when I was a kid? No? Well then… When we were kids and we would wake up in the night with a headache or fever or some kind of ailment, my Mom would give us aspirin. Remember the big, clear bottle of tiny, white pills with the little white cap? That is what we had.
Ah! The 80’s.
Anyway, because we were generally too small to swallow pills on our own, and because aspirin is enormously bitter, my mother would put a half (or whole, depending on our age) pill on a huge spoonful of honey. We would take the whole thing in one bite and no matter how shocking the taste of plain aspirin was, we could chew it up with a huge gob of raw honey in our mouths. Not a bad way to take your medicine, I must say. To this day, the smell and taste of aspirin makes me think of honey!
In this case, we are just using it to boost the already sweet flavor of the fruit. Super simple but with a big impact, this is a great-and healthy-dish to set out for brunch, lunch, or even bring to your next barbecue. Besides! Honey goes with everything! Even aspirin.
Above is just a big bowl of fruit that I cut up, layered in the bowl to make it pretty, and then covered with cellophane and tucked in the fridge.
Below is the drizzled final product. YUM!
Tri-Melon Salad W/Honey & Lime
Go ahead and cut the fruit and even put it in your serving bowl up to a day ahead. Don’t drizzle on the syrup until just before you serve. Bite sized chunks are great for eating, but go just a bit bigger than that so that they hold together in the bowl better.
Cantaloupe, Watermelon, and Honeydew-trimmed and cut into large chunks
1/2 c honey, preferably local and raw
1 T water
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime, about 2 T
In a large serving bowl, layer the fruit in a bit at a time. You aren’t going to stir this so however it goes in the dish is how you want it. Clear vessels are beautiful but it ultimately doesn’t matter. Cover and chill until ready to serve. When ready to eat, microwave the water and honey for 30 seconds in a glass measuring cup, stirring and heating longer if necessary to make it easily pourable and warm. Add the lime juice and zest, stir, and drizzle over the fruit just before you serve it. Do not stir. Garnish with mint or lime wedges if desired. Note: The chunks on the bottom that sit in the syrup the longest are the pieces you are going to be fighting over!!
Fizzy Apricot Coolers W/Lemon
Brittany wrote this on 9 July 2014 apricots, gluten-free, lemon
It all comes down to synchronized swimming. Let me explain…
A little over a week ago, I shared this post that was all about me. I wanted to give you a few details into the woman who actually writes this crazy blog! If you may recall, I mentioned that I don’t drink pop. While this is true, I would like to add an amendment to that. As a general practice, I don’t drink it. In general, I wasn’t allowed to drink pop when I was a kid and as I got older, I realized that it was just too sweet for me. When I became a synchronized swimmer, the insane amount of breath control you need sort of puts the kibosh on all things carbonated. (Besides being really bad for you, pop causes, among other things, shortness of breath. Not cool when you doing the equivalent of simultaneously sprinting and lifting weights above your head, and not breathing while doing it.) When I got to college, I coached synchronized swimming and tried to instill the same fear of soda products in my athletes that I had. As a general practice, I have just continued to never order it at restaurants (I drink water), buy it when I grocery shop (I prefer milk), or indulge in it when I am out on the town (nonfat iced Chai Latte, please!).
Ok. Now. THAT SAID, I have one stipulation. I am a big fan of serving special drinks or punch when I get together with friends, and occasionally, pop makes it into the mix. Fun beverages are almost always ridiculously easy and it makes any day-no matter how ordinary-seem kinda special. One of my most favorite things to serve to just about anyone are these June Bugs. So. Good. And there is ginger ale in there. So yes, when I drink June Bugs, I am drinking pop. And you know what?? I LIKE it!
This drink is made individually and is, again, super easy. You know what I love most about it? Its not sweet! The apricot nectar is not a sugary juice (it is actually a bit tart) and ginger ale is not nearly as sweet as a lemon lime pop. The fresh lemon is not essential, but it makes a big difference in the taste and I never leave it out. It kind of showcases the other flavors and makes it that much more refreshing. Bottom line? It is wonderful to sip on a hot day. Even if you are a non-pop drinking synchronized swimmer.
Two Years Ago: Maple Glazed Ribs
Three Years Ago: Plum Crunch
Fizzy Apricot Coolers W/Lemon
Gingerale
Apricot Nectar (in the little cans in the juice section of your super market)
Fresh Lemon Wedges
Ice
Fill a glass of desired size with ice. If it is a tall glass, add about 1/3 c of apricot nectar, several wedges of lemon, and fill glass with ginger ale. If it is a small glass, add a few T of nectar and adjust as necessary. Enjoy!
Simple Grilled Venison Burgers
Brittany wrote this on 6 July 2014 cheese, eggs, gluten-free, venison
Oh my stars. It is a very good thing that you are behind your computer/iPad/iPhone device and not sitting next to me as I type this because I would embarrass my self my drooling in front of you. Buuuuuurgeeeeeers are gooooooooood.
A good friend of mine back in IL shared some venison with me late last winter and I had a fantastic time working it into my meal plans. I ate plenty of venison growing up in MN but it wasn’t easy to come by in the middle of farm country. So we thoroughly enjoyed (and devoured) venison steaks, chops, and ground venison. We grilled everything. And it was good. Mouthwateringly good. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do with the ground venison, and then when winter ended, my affinity for burgers hit full force. Spring had arrived and as my overwhelming love of burgers fresh off the grill was sitting just below the surface during the snowy months, I was ready once April hit.
I have made venison burgers many times but never really kept track of what I put in them. Results varied so I figured I should actually pay attention and write it down this time in an effort to yield consistent results. It took a few tries (bummer) and we had to make venison burgers several times (shoot) and we had to be sure to try each of them loaded with ripe tomatoes, melted cheese, and fresh bakery buns (darn). It was tough.
But now, thank goodness, I have my master recipe. The fact that I have been a South Carolinian for exact four weeks has made me start to wonder if they hunt deer down here and if so, who can I make friends with ASAP so as to procure my venison supply for the foreseeable future! I will pay you in Double Chocolate Banana Bread and Spiced Peach Jam! Any takers?
Two Years Ago: The Ultimate Snickerdoodle Recipe & Sour Cream Cherry Bars
Three Years Ago: Sweet & Tangy Ribs & Cobb Potato Salad
Simple Grilled Venison Burgers
Recipe adapted from Leite’s Culinaria
If you are unsure about the taste of venison, these burgers are a wonderful way to try it out. The gamey taste is limited but you still get the wonderful flavor of the meat. Venison is usually quite lean so in order to make sure these burgers aren’t too dry, the egg yolks and olive oil give it a bit of help. If you are one of those lovely people who save their drippings when frying bacon, a big ‘ol spoonful of that would be stellar in here. Just be sure to be careful with how much additional salt you are adding.
1 lb ground venison
2 egg yolks
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T worcestershire sauce
fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste
Gently combine all ingredients in a large bowl with a fork. You don’t want to overwork the meat too much or it will give you very tough burgers. Shape into four large patties and grill over medium high heat until medium well, about 3 minutes on each side depending on thickness and the heat of your grill. These are absolutely perfect topped with a slice of colby jack cheese and fresh tomatoes. *drool drool drool*
Love a Good Recipe?
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