Good food and fun friends



After a week of being in Hawkinsville with Asa, I brought him back to Gainesville with me on Friday. David, Asa, and I started our weekend off with Mexican and the movie Bridesmaids. It was hilarious! I was crying half the time from laughing so hard! On Saturday morning, Lauren and Ryals arrived early, followed by Hollie, Meghan, and Brian. The day started off a little overcast, but once the sun came out to play, it was a lovely afternoon on the boat with friends. Abbye got here about 6:00, then the Muller-Stones headed back to the city, but the Wages (plus their adorable little Sophie) stayed for a lasagna dinner and then also headed home. We had been planning to have a bunch of people over on Sunday for a while, and even though the weather wasnt exactly ideal, we still had a great time and hope everyone comes back when its warmer! I wanted to share some of my recipes from the weekend!    

Ingredients for Frankie's Corn Salad
4 ears corn
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp mint leaves, torn
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
big pinch of salt
red pepper flakes
casterlrosso or mild provolone cheese (optional) Add Cooking Step Directions

1. Soak ears of corn in a bowl or water for 10-15 minutes. Peel back husks, remove silk, and pull husks back over to cover corn kernels while cooking.
Grill corn for 5 minutes over moderately hot fire.
Remove corn from grill, and when they're cool enough to handle, peel off husks. Scrape kernels off cobs and place in a big salad bowl.
Toss tomatoes in with corn. Add mint and onions. Dress with olive oil, lemon, salt, and red pepper flakes to taste. Crumble cheese on top.
**I didn't grill my corn and shuck - too much time involved. But, I used canned corn and it was still delicious.



Ingredients for Avocado-Cucumber Soup
1 English cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
2 avocados, pitted and peeled
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 minced small jalapeno chile (seeds and ribs removed for less heat, if desired)
1/3 cup sliced scallions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
12 medium shrimp (about 6 ounces), peeled and deveined

Directions
1.In a blender, combine half the cucumber and 1 avocado with the yogurt, lime juice, jalapeno, scallions, 1 tablespoon cilantro, 1 cup ice water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Puree until completely smooth. Transfer to a large bowl.
2.Cut remaining avocado into 1/4-inch cubes. Stir avocado and remaining cucumber into soup. Thin with 1/2 to 1 cup ice water, as desired. Season again with salt and pepper. Chill, about 1 hour.
3.In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp, turning once, until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls; garnish with shrimp and remaining tablespoon cilantro.

Southwestern Turkey Club
8 slices bacon (8 ounces)
4 turkey cutlets
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeno chiles
12 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread, lightly toasted
1 tomato, thinly sliced

Directions
1.Working in two batches if necessary, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes per side; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons rendered fat from skillet.
2.Season turkey generously with salt and pepper. Add to skillet, and cook over medium heat until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
3.In a small bowl, mash avocado, lime juice, and chiles with a fork; season with salt and pepper.
4.Spread avocado mixture on one side of each slice of toast. Layer turkey, bacon, tomato, and toast to form four triple-decker sandwiches. To serve, skewer with toothpicks; slice in half with a serrated knife.
**I used deli turkey instead of cutlets, and the sandwiches were wonderful.

It was a little chilly....

but Bax always loves the boat!

The afternoon was beautiful, but instead of subjecting ourselves to the cold just for the boat's sake, we moved to the house to stay out of the chilly breeze!

We had a great afternoon laughing with our friends and family - Abbye and Asa, Hollie, Amanda, Katie and Nathan, Trent, Alyssa and Layna, Wade and Kate, and Renee!