Introducing Brenda!

We don't have the best track record with blenders.  Seriously; We are on our third blender in 10 years and our current one, Brenda the Blenda, is not doing so well either. I think she has AMS (Abominable Motor Syndrome); she has all the classic symptoms: She gives off smoke after extended use. Brenda often chokes under pressure.  And she tends to become easily fatigued despite regular breaks (you know to avoid setting off the smoke detector).  In all likelihood, we will be on number four before year's end!  Four blenders in ten years! YIKES!


                         Brenda's mug shot.

       Arrest Report:  

       Name:           Blenda, Brenda A.
       Arrest Date:   February 13, 2014
       Charge:           shoplifting and retail fraud
       Arraignment:   February 14, 2014

For your information, Brenda has one hell of a shoe fetish and she just wanted some red hot, sexy stilettos for Valentine's Day to go with her new little black dress because she had a hot date with her fiance. Is that too much to ask? For a nice pair of stilettos?  She really is a good girl, but yes we do technically have a felon for a blender. Sigh.

Anyhow, the summer season is hard on Brenda and we recognize this.  It is hard on her because we LOVE ice cream so very much and our most favorite way to eat ice cream is in the form of a good old-fashioned home-made malt!  You really can't go wrong with a malt.  They are so creamy and the flavor possibilities are endless.  Plus they kind of count as a drink or a meal so a malt is versatile as well.  Due to our malt habit, Brenda has been worked like a young child in a Chinese sweat shop for the past three months and she is just plum worn out.  Maybe we should just send her to the "farm".

This past Tuesday I had an incredible moment with my girls that I just have to share.  The day had been rough so I was tired and feeling the effects of it.  However, when Jeff showed up from work early and in time to take AJ to soccer the day turned around quickly.  The guys headed out on a guy date night leaving us girls to our own demise.  I decided to make it a "girl's just want to have fun night" and we had a blast (Yes I realize using the term "blast" in this context definitely dates me, but I just couldn't help myself). Oh, and we accomplished so much too!  We got homework done, unpacked lunch pails, made a scrumptious quinoa salad, went out to ice cream, took bubble baths and got some spa treatments while we were at it! It was one of those rare moments as a parent when all was going right and everyone was getting along.  I will cherish those memories from our fun night for a lifetime.

And the Quinoa recipe was one of the simplest recipes ever and the salad it created was so incredibly delicious!  If you want to recreate it, start by cooking a cup of quinoa and letting it cool.  Add 4 ounces of your favorite feta (I used feta with tomato and basil).  Add a cup of craisins and a four ounce package of slivered almonds and then for the grand finale sprinkle just a half a cup of thinly sliced red onion to it and drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil over it. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy it. This so GOOD!

 Make sure you get pre-rinsed quinoa or that you rinse it well so that it isn't bitter.  There is not much worse than bitter quinoa except for burned beyond recognition quinoa.  Trust me I have extensive experience cooking quinoa (mostly incorrectly, but I think I have finally mastered the art of cooking quinoa) and I have experienced both bitter and char-burned quinoa and they both suck a** and taste kind of like dog crap! So the moral to this story is cook your quinoa with tender loving care.  It is totally worth it!

 Our beautiful girls and our beautiful (and tasty) Feta Craisen and Almond Quinoa Salad!

PS My son is the only other family member who would actually eat the salad because it "looks funny" so now AJ and I have lots of healthy and yummy salad to eat this week!  

Vern Out