Let's have a Cookout

I am partially writing this post to torture myself by salivating at the photographs below. I had all four wisdom teeth pulled yesterday and I've heard the pain is worst on the 3rd day....................................
If I misspell or start ranting about how hungry I am and how good this food looks, I apologize. I am on pain killers, somewhat delusional, and all I have eaten in the past 24 hours has been in some way or another a smoothie.
Now, let's get to the good stuff. One of my favorite foods for a cookout in June and July is grilled corn. When in season and just right, you don't even need to dress the corn in anything fancy. Leave the husks on and grill for 5-7 minutes on medium heat on each side. Grilling corn brings out the finest flavors. Sometimes a homemade jalapeño butter pairs nicely! I grilled corn the other night when we had my favorite 'vintage' (day after) veggie burgers, homemade sweet potato chips, and a zesty tomato dish. Use this menu for your cookout. Let me know what people think!

Menu

Arden.Leigh's veggie burgers
Homemade sweet potato chips with rosemary
Grilled corn
Sautéed tomato and onion side

I like to dress this burger on a thick, crusted ciabatta bread or sourdough with ketchup, mustard, and a spring mix on the bottom half. On top of the burger, a few slices of avocado are great. The tomato mixture on the side is simple. Sauté cherry tomatoes with olive oil, bread crumbs, yellow onion and lemon. You can either use fresh lemon juice or thinly sliced lemons which caramelize wonderfully. I think I added some oregano as well. For the sweet potato chips, preheat oven to 350 degrees and thinly slice about 2 or 3 sweet potatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary and thyme sprigs. Cook in oven for about 15 minutes and for an extra crispy chip, broil on high for about 3 minutes.

Muffin Top

Quite the contrary, these muffins I  made for our painting class will hardly contribute to the feared 'muffin top.' Feel free to add or subtract any of the ingredients, such as the fruit. Recently I have been cooking out of our refrigerator and pantry, trying to use up our 4 bags of sugar and 3 cases of blueberries!

Grocery list:

•  3 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• Banana
• Blueberries
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Ground flaxseed + water (egg replacer)
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 3/4 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine oats, flour, baking powder, and walnuts in a mixing bowl. In a saucepan, combine coconut oil, butter, maple syrup, peanut butter, and sugar. Pour oil mixture over oat mixture and stir. Then, mix ground flaxseed with water and add to the bowl, mix well. Add in fruit of choice (banana recommended). I did half with blueberries and half without. Both tasted great!

This recipe is super easy, the ingredients can be substituted for in any which way. Also, if you are not a fan of walnuts, the fruit does a nice job of making up for them!!

This recipe was inspired by a oat cakes recipe in 101 Cookbooks (listed under my 'favorite' tab at the top of the page).

Fearless Painting

Yesterday I dabbled in a former hobby of mine, painting. Although I found a few pieces I did in high school the other night that were rather frighting and dull, I thought about my spiel on 'summer' in a former post. This summer I promised myself I would experiemnt in all things good with a fearless drive.
It was my mother, our lovely English host Francesca, and myself.  I just caught myself writing like a proper lady from London might, the accent rubs off on you quite easily. We painted for three hours with acrylics and ate muffins I popped in the oven the night before (recipe to come). The idea behind this 'fearless painting' is what I enjoyed most about the class, guiding our brushes in an effort to master a painting that we found ourselves calling a piece of art by mid-afternoon. The teacher, Lisa Fitzgibbons, is a local artist here in Scottsdale. I clearly went in with no previous talent considering by attempt at a Peacock from a few years ago but by the end of this class you are empowered by success no matter what kind of 'artist' you may be. Lisa is a genius teacher who encourages the artist within because we all have what it takes to be 'fearless' we just need the right palette.

You can contact Lisa here: Fearless Painting

A Miracle

Check out my Facebook page Arden.Leigh to view my first video. You guys can finally hear my voice after reading my words for so long! Since I am dedicating most of my summer to my casework studies for the Ron Fletcher Program of Study, I figured I'd share the journey from this point on with all of you. This past year I have learned and experienced more than I could have ever imagined. This is something big. I share an assortment of passions with my readers but never quite gave this one a proper introduction.
If some of you can't tell by reading my work, I have a strong philosophy on this ride we call life. The Ron Fletcher work feeds directly into that philosophy. This work is genuine. I believe in what it can do for your body. I see miracles everyday. Now, we all perceive miracles on various levels but I am talking about those little moments of mind, body harmony. When our bodies are working as one entity in space rather than a limb, a thought, and a gaze working against one another to grab our attention. I observe some of the most inspiring teachers assist in making these types of tiny miracles happen for men and women of 23 and 76, 34 or 60. Pilates is so much more than 'a stronger core' or 'will I lose weight?' It is movement. Basic body mechanics and Grade A alignment drive these exercises. This is where the work continues to amaze and will remain groundbreaking for anyone who dedicates patience to a mind, body connection. This is tangible work. Not only an internal experience but an external consciousness as well. I am always working on something, progressively diving deeper into much more than what we so generally refer to as 'pilates.'  

Photographs by Arden Montgomery

Grandfather's Watch

There's something I love about character. When something or someone has a story to tell, I am drawn to its very essence, I am drawn to the shredded shoelaces and the rough hands. It is the character that makes material items special. Like my grandfather's 1990 Gucci wrist watch. When he passed away, my grandmother let my brother and two cousins pick from Joe's watches, sweaters, and signature plaid. My grandmother pulled me aside and took me into her room. She saved the black strap, gold faced watch for me. She knows how much I appreciate "old things." Half my jewelry box consists of Indian head coins, and lockets passed down from generation to generation. In fact, the jewelry box I am referring to I bought at an antique shop. I'm still waiting to hear its story.
My grandfather's watch means a lot to me. Thank you, Nana. Also, thank you for the gold bracelet that rests to the left of the watch. That bracelet is actually the watch link to my great grandfathers pocket watch and the bracelet next to that bracelet is my mother's first gift from my father. My left arm has very strong character.

Blueberry & Peach

I've been making this crumble for a few years now. Blueberry and peach work together nicely and everyone seems to love the crumble topping. It is a dime dish for summer if i've ever seen one and tastes lovely with a scoop of vanilla bean gelato. The recipe is really up to you! All you need to know is how long to bake the crumble for (about 40-50 minutes) and at what temperature (350 degrees). Other than that, have fun with it!

Grocery list:

• Blueberries
• 6 or so ripe peaches
• Rolled oats
• Cinnamon
• Lemon zest
• Butter
• Raw sugar
• Whole wheat flour
• Agave nectar
• Brown sugar

Suggested:

Boil the peaches until you can easily remove the skin, and then cube into a bowl. Add the blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, agave nectar, sugar (1/2 cup), and whole wheat flour (1/4 cup). For the crumble, with an electric mixer, coat the rolled oats with one stick butter, cinnamon to taste, about a 1/2 cup of flour, (1/3) cup sugar, and (1/4) cup brown sugar. Spoon the fruit mixture into a baking dish or individual baking dishes and then layer the top with the crumble and bake! 

p.s.

For the Gelato I recommend Talenti Gelato, sold in most grocery stores!

Pasta Night

The other night I made dinner for my mother and grandmother. Summer is one of my favorite seasons for pasta nights. Paired with the right wine, a simple and zesty dish can end a summer's day on the perfect note. A pasta dish can be modified with spices, fresh herbs, vegetables, and sauce to taste. Most importantly, summer means farmer's market in my kitchen. I spend most of my summers in Laguna Beach and most of my Saturdays at the farmer's market in downtown Laguna. With such an assortment of color, our options are endless. Stay tuned in July for a recipe ambush!

 Grocery List:

• Spaghetti or Linguini 
• Lemon
• Olive oil
• Heirloom tomatoes
• Basil
• Thyme
• Asparagus 
• Broccolini 
• Oregano
• Summer squash
• Flat leaf Italian parsley
• Heavy cream
• Pine nuts
• Arugula
• Onion

Cook the past in boiling water for the half the time. In a dish, place slices of tomato and lemon with basil leaves. Sprinkle with oregano and a dash of salt. Cook at 350 degrees until basil starts to shrivel and then broil on high while the olive oil, vegetables, thyme, onion and parsley are sautéing in a big enough pan for the pasta. Keep an eye on the tomatoes in the oven. Once the pasta has been cooking for 5-7 minutes, transfer into the pan with the vegetables and herbs. Mix well and add about a half cup of heavy cream. Add the sliced summer squash to the pan with 2 or 3 minutes remaining. When the pasta is ready, scoop into a bowl and pepper with pine nuts and arugula. Spoon the tomatoes, lemon, and basil on top. 

Bungalow

One of my favorite design shops in Scottsdale is Bungalow. I'll admit, I stop in for retail therapy every once in awhile. Not only are they genius with their in store decor but they sell Chan Lu and assorted linen wear too. Their accessories are utterly 'cool'. I got my hands on a nifty camera strap a few months ago and the books they sell are inspiring if you are looking for oomph to revamp your home. Fortunate for all of us, they offer design services as well!

Photographs by Arden Montgomery