Why DO we?  To teach, learn, share, meet new people?  An unexplainable urge to communicate with the world at large?  I recently read one guy’s blog who said ”It’s much cheaper than sitting in a bar complaining about politicians, and less people are drunk”.  Another blogger said “because no one will listen to me at home”.   Another writes “to create my parallel in the Universe”  HUH?  insert eerie music here.

Please read on, and when you’re finished I’d love to hear back from you:  Why do you blog? 

I’m still learning why I blog.  At first it was because my Facebook posts were all about food, what I was cooking, a “here kitty kitty” to my friends.  So blogging was a natural next step.  The most pleasant surprise  to me has been meeting the blogging community, lots of  fun connections out there. 

I started my blog in June of this year, so feedback and comments are so much fun and important to me right now.   A couple of weeks ago, Broncos were playing Cincinnati, so I got a wild hair and decided to make Cincinnati Chili.  I blogged it.  A few days later I received this picture from Karen in Wichita.  I got the biggest dog gone grin on my face when I saw this.  LOVED LOVED LOVED it.  It just doesn’t get any better.  Karen lives in Wichita, Kansas.  I noticed her blog because I grew up in Hutchinson, about 40 miles away.  Great blog.  Great pictures, her style of writing is technically great and filled with humor.  Please visit www.eclecticcook.com

And then yesterday Year on the Grill up and features me on his blog.  Take a look by clicking here.  I was speechless…flaberghasted… It was so exciting to read about his perspective on my blog.  I’m really enjoying reading Year On The Grill.  He’s getting ready to travel to my favorite culinary city, New Orleans.  Can’t wait to read his posts when he returns.

I’ve gone from a snooty ”I don’t have time to read blogs”  to  “Hello, my name is Lea Ann, and I’m a blogaholic” .  I nagged my good friend in Montana until she started a blog, take a look at Vickie’s “Part Three” by clicking here.  My next nagging project is my friend Dan.  Dan, if you’re reading this, doesn’t it make you feel guilty as hell that your name is highlighted like it actually links to something…but it leads to nowhere land?   That’s right readership, Dan has no link.   =:-0   nag….nag….nag….

A lemon ice cream recipe to ease the pain of a sudden snow storm.  Summer dumped us this week.  It seemed so sudden, too soon.  We were all stunned.

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That’s right people, I’m makin’ Limoncello. I found the Limoncello recipe last Spring. The frosty bottles looked so pretty full of the frozen lemony liqueur, that I decided to make some for gifts. It’s a process, so I put it on my calendar for September so it would be ready by December. So, here we go.  I started with 15 beautiful lemons.  Since we don’t grow lemons here in Colorado, I had to use store bought.  The directions say to scrub all the waxes off.  I sprayed them with FIT and then washed and dried them good.

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Ina Garten Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette Recipe…my new favorite salad dressing.

Wouldn’t it be kinda cool to be famous enough that when someone refers to you by first name that everyone automatically knows who they’re talking about?  Ina…Julia…Giada…Emeril.

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I’ve been wanting to go for Pho for years. I just haven’t because I didn’t know what to order, how to eat it or even how to act once I got there.  This past Friday, Deborah and I went to Pho Saigon Restaurant Denver.

A couple of months ago I walked into our office and Deborah was there and had brought Robert Pho for lunch.  Robert is one of the owner’s of our company and Deborah is his girlfriend.

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I’m so excited over my ability to even come close to recreating this braised veal shank hash dish that I feel like I should contact The Denver Post.  I can just see the headlines now:

“Highlands Ranch Woman Figures Out How To Copy Braised Veal Shank Hash Recipe”

Compelling!

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The parade of peaches continues, but this time no clever play on names for this recipe, it’s just straight forward delicious.   I love this peach ice cream recipe, and the part I love most is leaving small chunks of peaches for the final freeze.  The end result is great bits of frozen flavor nestled in the creamy mixture.  I’ve not prepared a no cook ice cream before.  When in the freezing stages it doesn’t set up as firm as a cooked version.  But fear not, after it’s been in the freezer for a while, it sets up perfectly.   This may be my favorite ice cream of the season.

Peach Ice Cream

6 eggs, beaten

3 1/2 cups white sugar
10 fresh peaches, pitted, peeled and finely chopped
4 cups heavy cream
2 cups half-and-half cream
2.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt

1. In large bowl, mix together eggs and sugar until smooth.
2. Place diced peaches in a large bowl and mash a few times with a potato masher. You want to leave a few small peach chunks.
3. Stir the peaches into the egg mixture. Stir in cream, half-and-half, vanilla and salt and mix well.
4. Pour mixture into freezer canister of ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Grilled Cheese and Goat Cheese Salad, a wonderful side dish for any meal.

I’ve also given this salad a subtitle of Peachzilla Salad.  I mean look at that peach, it looks more  like a hamburger bun…it looks pretty darn silly.  But it was good.   I found this recipe on Food and Wine and it called for gri

lled apricots.  As you know, I”m trying to use all those peaches I purchased, so thought I’d give this a try, with a peach substitute.

Sorry for the bad…bad photo, here is a photo from Food and Magazine and how the dish should look.  Beautiful salad isn’t it?

The recipe from Food and Wine uses fresh apricots.  I have a feeling the flavor of the apricot actually works better for the flavor, but I don’t have a counter full of apricots right now.

I simply served this with grilled beef kabobs.   A really nice meal.

Look at those picture-perfect beautiful Colorado peaches.

I bought a case of Colorado West Slope Peaches and have been trying like heck to get them used up.  Cooked… sliced…grilled…I’ve frozen a couple of bags and yipee, this recipe used one more whole peach!  17 down, 13 to go.

I call it Peacho de Gallo.  This really ended up being delicious.  I grilled pork chops last night and served them topped with a spoonful of my new creation; Peacho de Gallo.  I think I’m so clever, let’s all say it together, one more time…Peacho de Gallo

Note: Whole Foods is the only place I can find that are roasting Hatch Chiles.  Our Farmer’s Markets have Colorado grown and roasted chiles.  Those are very good too, I just love the Hatch.  Special flavor.  If you want to learn more about Hatch Chiles, click here.

Peacho de Gallo in extremely cute bowl

This is also very good with Tortilla Chips.  And cute bowl alert - my friend Cauleen gave me the bowl for Christmas two years ago.  LOVE it.

Peach Salsa Recipe…It’s What’s For An Appetizer

Friday for lunch, I met friends Lee and Mary at Pesce Fresco Restaurant.   Pesce Fresco is a great little place tucked away behind Safeway just north of the intersection of Arapahoe Road and Quebec Streets in Centennial.   I love this restaurant, the food and the atmosphere.

Look at those crunchy golden fried mushrooms

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