This and That #11

Hello Friends, it's been a while and I HOPE you are doing well. 

I have started propagating basil in water, I bought a beautiful plant at Trader Joe's to use just for that. You cut right underneath the leaf note, and I removed most of the basil leaves so it wouldn't be stressed during propagation. It's doing great, and it will stay indoors until the end of May here in New York. We are zone 5, and it is recommended we don't plant outdoors until Memorial Day. 

I love old books and cookbooks, so I took a photo for you so you can take a leisurely walk through the garden to plan a green salad for dinner. 

I took this photo in the winter, but wanted to show you this raised bed that a young couple gave us. We are moving it (what a project that will be) to my friend's home where we will grow a salsa garden. Everything tastes better with friends. 

There's nothing like homemade bread. This is cranberrry nut bread baked at 450 in my cast iron pan with a lid.  

17 days until my retirement.....I am very excited. I won't bore you about all the purging I had to do in my office. It has consumed me for the last month. 

The grandkids are living their best life and that makes me smile. 

I'll leave you with this. We make them at camp. 

Featured Recipe: Chicken Kebab Subs

Ingredients:

salt & pepper

1-2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 T oregano

1 T olive oil

1 T lemon juice

1lb chicken kebabs

iceberg lettuce, chopped

4 oz feta, cubed

cucumber, sliced into quarter rounds

red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)

soft sub rolls (toasted if you like)

Christie’s Creamy Greek Dressing (not optional—this is the closest we could find that will replicate the original!)

Mix the first 5 ingredients (or feel free to cheat and use the Christie’s or your favorite Greek dressing) and marinate kebabs for at least 20 minutes or up to one hour.

Set oven to low broil and place rack at middle position. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Thread kebabs on skewers OR place loosely on baking sheet. (Skewers make for easier flipping.)

Roast in oven for 25-30 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes, until cooked through. Toss hot kebabs in a few tablespoons of Christie’s dressing.

Assemble the subs with a layer of lettuce, red onion, kebabs, tomatoes, cucumber, feta, and don’t be shy with extra Christie’s. The juices from the cooked chicken and dressing should soak into the soft sub roll for a truly decadent experience!

Thanks for stopping by!

Deb