Cathy Burnham Martin's Blog, page 83

National Burrito Day

Celebrate National Burrito Day by combining your favorites and wrapping them in a flour tortilla.

The first photo is hubby Ron back in 2012, enjoying his favorite burrito at a Columbus, North Carolina restaurant, Cocula’s. It’s their gi-hugic Burrito Tejano, filled with grilled steak, chicken, shrimp, beans, bell pepper, grilled onions, zucchini, rice, lettuce, sour cream, and pico de gallo and topped with Monterey Jack cheese with red salsa on the side. Yes, it is THAT big!

 

Here’s a Super Simple way to make 4 Burritos.
4 (10”) flour tortillas
1½ c favorite cooked rice
1 ½ c refried beans (or rinsed & drained black beans)
1 – 1½ lb steak, grilled, sliced & seasoned with your favorite taco seasoning
1½ c shredded Monterey Jack or pepperjack cheese
1½ c grilled, sliced sweet onion
¾ c each: grilled corn kernels, diced tomato, and diced avocado
½ c fresh cilantro leaves
Topping: 1 c additional shredded cheese

Layer ingredients in the order listed in a row down the middle of each tortilla. Fold in opposite sides of tortilla and place seam-sides down in an olive oil-sprayed 9×13” baking dish. Cover with foil & bake 20 min at 350°F. Remove foil and sprinkle the extra cheese down the length of each burrito; bake, uncovered, for 5 more minutes. Serve with sour cream and salsa on the side.

Have fun with burritos. Make them with leftover rotisserie chicken, or ground beef & beans, or grilled veggies.  Try a breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs, chorizo or sage sausage, and tater tots or rice, if you prefer).
Skip the tortillas, and make burrito bowls with your favorite ingredients. Or think outside the box and make something like a crab, shrimp, and mushroom burrito or a seasoned pork and grilled pineapple burrito. (Seriously yummy.)

Spring into Happiness!

For me, magic bursts into view each Spring! The earliest flowers have now given way to dogwoods and rhododendron.

 

I love seeing the new pink, white, and red colors as I drive up or down our driveway.

 

 

 

And the purple iris around the house makes me smile.

 

 

 

Sir Ronald and I just started a mini orchard, too.  Three peach trees, three plum trees, three pear trees, and three apple trees. It’s safe to say we’ve truly put down some roots!

 

I cuddled this little chick in the palm of my hand for almost an hour. I felt so bad when an early flight ended with a crash into my office window. Finally, the little one regained composure and did a short, safe flight to this deck chair for a time, before rejoining the others in a nearby dogwood tree. I do like happy endings.

 

 

I hope Spring brings you delightful beginnings and happy endings, too!

Originality

When people have praised or celebrated my books, I have often quipped that I doubt I have ever had an original thought! That is not just wit or modesty. I mean it. Who do I think I am to imagine that I ever came up with some thought that no one else in history has ever thought long before me? I know better. And then I saw this delightful quote from Voltaire… the nom de plume for Francois-Marie Arouet.

“Originality is nothing but judicious imitation.”

— M. de Voltaire (Francois-Marie Arouet) (1694 – 1778)
French Enlightenment writer, noted for criticism of slavery and advocacy of freedom of speech and religion

Great Combo!

National Grilled Cheese Month meets National Sourdough Bread Day. This is no April Fools Day joke. National Grilled Cheese Month meets National Sourdough Bread Day! Who doesn’t love a great grilled cheese sandwich?!?

Enjoy it plain. Add a fried egg and a slice of fresh tomato for breakfast. Layer cheese with ham and thinly sliced veggies for lunch (or add some sliced apples, too). Add a sprinkle of crisply fried onions and bacon to a grilled cheese anytime.

The one absolute requirement is good melting cheese. Some firm or semi-firm cheeses simply do not melt naturally, which makes them tough to use in a great grilled cheese sandwich. Be careful with cheeses such as queso fresco, feta, or even semi-soft goat cheese. When using Swiss or Cheddar cheeses, I like to also add layers of Muenster (my go-to fave), Brie, Monterey Jack, or Pepperjack. These boost the creamy meltiness. (Okay… use American if you absolutely must, but do so with awareness that it is actually a processed food that contains cheese.)

For bread use anything from pita pockets or burger buns to hearty rye, but being National Sourdough Bread Day, let’s opt for one of those loaves straight out of your favorite deli. Because sourdough is firm and hearty, and we want our cheese to melt nicely, cut slices to just ½”. Spread mayonnaise on one side of both slices and layer your cheese and other ingredients on one slice before topping with the other, keeping the mayo sides inside. Then spread the outside of the top slice with mayonnaise before placing, mayo side down in melted butter over low heat. (Okay, I will admit to you that I sometimes replace the melted butter with my bacon renderings! Wowza!!!)

After the sandwich is in the pan, spread the slice that is now on top with mayonnaise and cover the pan for 2-3 minutes. (If you typically spread butter on the outside of your sandwich, give mayonnaise a try. You may never go back! Low heat is important, as the mayo gives a delightful crunchiness to the sandwich, but it can brown more quickly than butter.) Covering your sandwich initially captures the heat and lets the cheese melting process happen more easily.

Remove the lid and use a large spatula to turn your sandwich over. Leave the pan uncovered for another 2-3 minutes to turn the bottle crispy golden before serving to your happy taste buds. Here’s a Super Simple tip: Serve with a hearty bowl of fresh tomato basil soup for dipping or sandwich at lunch… or cut your sandwiches into 3 strips and serve with the soup with beverages for Happy Hour.

No Turtle on the Half Shell, Please

We are digging up deliciousness today as we celebrate both National Clams on the Half-Shell Day AND National Oysters on the Half-Shell Day. Both are recognized on March 31st each year.

 

 

When it comes to oysters and clams on the half-shell, people either crave them or avoid them. The texture along puts some folks “off.” Many people prefer one over the other. Oysters tend to be larger with a stronger, brinier flavor. (Except for Pacific oysters, which are small, sweet, and less briny.)

 

Tidbits to ponder… Both clams and oysters are bivalve mollusks with hinged shells. They have no heads, biting mouth parts, nor arms or legs. Clams have a lifespan of about a dozen years, although some can live up to 40 years. The lifespan of an oyster is over 100 years. Oysters tend to be larger, reaching a 3-4” diameter for a 3-year-old oyster. Clams grow more slowly, and just reach the 2” legal harvesting size after 3 years. 78% of all the wild oysters harvested are Atlantic oysters, with 66% hailing from the U.S.

According to Food & Wine magazine, the most popular raw oyster varieties include Blue Point, Kumamoto, Pacific, Olympia, Well Fleet, and Belon. Clam fans may choose Quahogs, topneck, littleneck or cherrystone clams for their meaty, salty yumminess.

 

Clams and oysters on the half shell can be served raw, steamed, grilled, smoked, or stuffed. Raw is the way most people think of when it comes to a “half-shell” serving. Oysters are traditionally served with lemon wedges, 1 or 2 drops of hot sauce, and a splash of mignonette. (Mignonette is a fancy name for a simple combination of vinegar with finely minced shallots and black pepper.) Clams also get some fresh lemon wedges, along with tabasco and cocktail sauce. Mignonette can be served with either. However you choose to garnish, place the mollusks atop crushed ice for serving. Some warm French or garlic bread on the side is also great.

 

Not a fan of raw clams or oysters? Me neither. For me, I’ll take them baked, roasted, or grilled any day. A “Casino” approach means baking them with bacon and toasty breadcrumbs. This is a favorite method of mine for clams. Any baked or “Rockefeller” style for oysters also suits my palette. But today is the day to enjoy clams and oysters on the half shell… any way YOU like!

 

Let Me “Help” You???

Image by Sivani Bandaru

Ah… the Gripes of Cath. We all seem to know someone who steps up to help on a project without being asked. Wonderful!

However, despite the positive value they may bring to the project, if their assistance seems to come with strings attached, beware. After helping, they openly announce what “this will cost you.” Or that they “will never let you forget it,” (or anyone else either, for that matter.) Etc. They may even make it clear that you could never have done it right without them. (Oh, joy!)

This behavior is called all sorts of things…. Manipulative, self-serving, and controlling are just a few of the words that come to mind. I have often found that I learn the most about behavior and actions by observing what NOT to do and taking great care to not emulate the choices that I observed as negative.

I believe we do best when we step up to help someone else with no thoughts, never mind expectations of what they can do for us in return. This reflects friendship, kindness, and respect.

It’s Magic!

“Love can sometimes be magic. But magic can sometimes… just be an illusion.”

— Javan
4th son of Noah’s son, Japheth

 

Pull back the curtain, Dorothy! This is National Smoke and Mirrors Day.

Appreciating the art and skill of a good prestidigitator, and as a professional magician’s assistant, I know how to blow smoke and tilt mirrors. I mean, “smoke and mirrors” is always my answer when folks ask how any particular illusion is done. Bravo to the magicians and masters at “sleight of hand!”

National Something on a Stick Day

Now, this could mean anything from a wrapper on a stick of gum to some tree bark. For me, I naturally think food! From breakfast to snacks to dinner, all sorts of yumminess can be yours on a stick.

 

Naturally, you may choose the traditional lamb or beef or chicken kebabs… or Buffalo chicken tenders or teriyaki beef or Margarita chicken or a corn dog or mini meatballs with marina sauce or grilled shrimp or scallops. WAIT! Wrap those shrimp or scallops in bacon before grilling them on a stick. Or wrap a fresh chunk of pineapple or a chicken liver (if you must) or a water chestnut… in bacon.

But we can start at breakfast…. Tried grilled French toast chunks on skewers… with bacon or fruit. Or churros and chocolate. Or melon balls. Or strawberries……… and anything. Or mini cupcakes. Or fried chicken and waffles. Or any grilled fruit (mmmmm… both pineapple and peaches rock the block).

 

Get basic… A popsicle or ice cream bar are super hits on sticks. Or choose a candied apple! You could always satisfy a sweet tooth urge with chocolate-dipped marshmallows on a stick. (I’m sorry. Had we lost sight of this being “something on a stick” day?

Okay. It’s Tapas Time…. Try Caprese sticks with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and basil leaves. Or a skewer of Buffalo cauliflower. Or apple and cheddar cheese chunks. Or feta, mint and watermelon chunks. Or prosciutto-wrapped breadsticks!!!!! WHAT!!???!

Let’s wrap up with the basics.  Crispy-edged, soft-centered pretzel bites (with beer cheese on the side for dipping) and for the dessert chaser? Serve up a skewer or two of fresh strawberries and brownie chunks. Well, yeah!

Ability

Image by Gerd Altman

 

“It is a great ability to be able to conceal one’s ability.”

— Cicero (106 BC – 43 BC)
Roman statesman & philosopher

Bonfire Magic!

Very little can top an old-fashioned bonfire for a casual celebration with friends! We’ve hosted a few doozies over the years, and last night’s ranks among the sweetest. Gorgeous weather with after-dark temperatures hanging in the low 70s.

A massive pile of brush and stumps, some of which have been aging for up to 2 years. A fantastic flurry of friends to celebrate it right.

http://goodliving123.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/03-26-23-bonfire-video-20230325_195835.mp4

Food. Fun. Frivolity! Schweeeeet! And a new tray of Smores! Thanks to all for joining the revelry!