Foodie Fridays: Curried Chicken Salad with Apples and Raisins

We have been having a prolonged heat wave here in Santa Fe, which means that I practically live on salad meals to cope.  I happened to have a couple of apples that needed to be used up, and decided that a Curried Chicken Salad with Apples and Raisins would be the perfect way to do so.  The one complaint I always have with chicken salads is that they tend to be a bit bland.  My solution to that problem was to add some tajin, a chili pepper, lime, and salt blend that managed to spice up the salad nicely without being too spicy.  I have already made this recipe twice and as long as the heat wave continues I know I will make it again soon.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

Curried Chicken Salad with Apples and Raisins

1/3 C. low-fat mayonnaise (I used Vegenaise)
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. tajin
2 tsp. water
1 C. diced cooked chicken
1 apple, diced
1/2 C. diced celery
1/4 C. raisins
1/4 C.  peanuts
1/4 C. cashews (optional)

Combine mayonnaise, curry powder, tajin, and water in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended.  Add the chicken, apple, celery, raisins, and nuts; stir mixture well to combine (add more mayo if mixture seems too dry).  Cover and chill.  Serves 2-3.

Foodie Fridays: Cucumber Pasta Salad

My favorite summer meals are cold salads, usually a chopped vegetable or pasta salad.  I especially love to add cooling cucumbers to these salads, so when I saw the recipe for Cucumber Pasta Salad on YouTube recently I decided to give it a try.  I think this is now my favorite pasta salad!  I served this with grilled chicken, but I think salmon or shrimp would also work well.  I only made a couple of minor changes, using Mexican crema instead of yogurt because that was what I had, and malt vinegar instead of white vinegar because I prefer the former.  I think I will omit the sugar next time, but otherwise I will be making this recipe again soon before summer ends because it is so good!

Cucumber Pasta Salad

1 lb. rotini (I used whole wheat)
1/2 C. yogurt (I used Mexican crema)
1/2 C. mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2-3 T. white vinegar (I used malt vinegar)
Salt to taste
1 tsp. sugar (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. pepper (optional)
3 T. fresh dill, finely chopped
1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 stalk celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 small red onion, diced (about 1/2 cup) 

Bring 8-9 cups of water to a boil and add 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.  Drain and rinse the pasta and set aside.

Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, sugar, pepper, and chopped dill in a medium bowl and mix well.

In a large bowl, stir together the cucumber, celery, onion, and cooled pasta.  Add the salad dressing a little at a time, tasting after each addition, until desired flavor and consistency is reached.  Cover and chill for 40-45 minutes before serving.  Serves 8.

Current Events: Did JD Vance Turn Indian?

From The Times

A picture really is worth a thousand words, right Mr. Trump?  If the decades-old picture you posted of Kamala Harris wearing a sari as a child is proof as you claim that she is Indian and not black, then I guess a much more recent photo of Vance in traditional Indian wedding apparel must be proof that Vance has indeed turned Indian!  Am I understanding your logic here, Mr. Trump?  Does the fact that you favor Brioni suits mean that you are turning Italian?  Hey, I think I am starting to get it - according to Trump logic, you are what you wear!

Current Events: Meet the Dumb and Dumber Team 2.0 (Try, Try Again)!

From BBC

Apparently the first attempt at a Dumb and Dumber Dream Team was not good enough, so here we go again - meet "Dumb Joke" (the late great Hannibal Lecter is real!) Trump and his new running mate "Just Dumb" (I hate childless cat ladies!) Vance.  Looks like Trump is already having second thoughts about his choice in this photo.  Oh well, if Trump changes his mind about the Vance pick, he can always blame it on his two older sons as the ones who made him do it.  Far from forming a dream team, the Republican presidential candidate has instead managed to create the perfect Dumb and Dumber Weird Team.  Way to go, Trump!

Wish List Wednesdays: Toptier Electric Ceramic Tea Kettle

I have been looking to replace my old electric tea kettle for a while now.  It is an old West Bend kettle that still works well, but the short spout is annoying because water always drips on to the counter when I pour it into my tea mug.  I wanted a kettle with a gooseneck-type spout, but most modern versions are designed for pouring the boiling water over coffee grounds rather than tea, and I just do not care for the really skinny spout.  Also, to me these modern electric kettles look rather ungainly and, frankly, unattractive.

Finally, after a long search for just the right kettle, I found the Toptier Electric Ceramic Tea Kettle ($52.99 on Amazon) which is both attractive and functional.  As soon as I saw the colorful Dot pattern I knew that this was the kettle for me!  I also love the fact that it is ceramic rather than plastic or metal.  While some reviewers complained about a funny smell to the water when using the kettle, I simply followed the instructions which said to boil water in the kettle and discard before using it, and I have had no problems whatsoever.  There were also a few complaints about leaks from the base but I did not have that issue either.

I have been using this kettle for a few weeks now and I have to say I am quite pleased.  The water comes to a boil quickly and the gooseneck spout never drips water on my countertop.  Unlike my old kettle, this one can be removed from the base with the heating element, but I do not find this to be either better or worse.  The cord on this kettle is much thicker and sturdier, which makes it a bit harder to coil up when not in use, but this is probably a safety feature so I am not complaining.  Really the only minor complaint I have is that the knob on the lid gets hot when the water is boiled, so I have to hold and remove the lid with a paper towel when the kettle is hot so I do not burn my fingers.  I am on the lookout for some sort of silicone cap to put on this lid and thought I had found one but it was too wide and did not fit, so I am still looking.  If I find something that works I will update this site with the information.

If you are looking for an electric kettle that works well and also looks attractive I highly recommend the Toptier Electric Ceramic Tea Kettle.  It comes in several different styles and colors as well as two different sizes, so check it out if you are interested.  (For cat lovers there is an absolutely adorable Greedy Cat design in blue and white - I was really tempted, but I am more of a dog person and Dot was the name of my first Dalmatian, so I had to go with that pattern instead!)

On the Homefront: Meet Mae(ve), Our Newest Canine Family Member

I think it is high time I introduced the most recent addition to our little family - meet Mae, a rescued stray we initially intended just to foster, but quickly realized that she needed to stay!  Mae was a stray at the Taos Pueblo, only two years old when rescued but already raising her second litter of puppies.  The pueblo is attempting to reduce their number of stray dogs so last September they agreed to let a rescue group take Mae and her puppies along with another female dog with a litter.  The other female and all of the puppies were rounded up and adopted out fairly quickly, but the group had a hard time capturing Mae and could not get her until two weeks after the rest of the dogs had left.

Although the original rescuers were from Colorado, they let another group based in Santa Fe take Mae in to find her a foster home.  This new group temporarily boarded her at a vet clinic while they advertised on NextDoor, a local social networking platform, for a foster home willing to take Mae in.  This is where I found her, and as soon as I saw her picture I decided we would give it a try.  I had never fostered before, but I was starting to think about getting another dog after losing my beloved Ruby last March.  Since I am getting older I initially I thought that I would like to get an older dog who was not too big, possibly a Dalmatian as we had owned Dalmatians in the past and they are my favorite breed.  I tried to find an adoptable Dalmatian in our area but had no luck, so when I saw Mae's picture I thought that while I looked for my next dog I could at least help out other dogs in need of a home by fostering.

While Mae's bio mentioned that she was easy to handle and got along well with other dogs, she was very young and about fifteen pounds heavier than I thought I could handle easily, so I did not really think she would suit us as a permanent addition.  Nevertheless, I got in touch with the rescue group and set up a meeting at our house so that they could inspect our premises to make sure we were suitable and I could decide if I could handle Mae.  The meeting went very well, Mae got along fine with our dog Madison, and I decided that I could do a foster.

Initially Mae was rather anxious and kept looking for a way out of the house (as a stray, she had never lived in a house before) but after a week she settled in and calmed down a lot.  Best of all, she seemed very happy to be living with us and proved to be very easy to train.  That was when I decided that she was after all a dog we could adopt.  We signed the papers, officially kept the name "Maeve" that she was given by the rescue group but shortened it to Mae for everyday use, and she is now a permanent member of our family.  She has been with us since early October 2023, and while we are still working on a few issues, she has settled in very well.

Mae is a very happy and playful dog, just a big bumbling puppy really, who enjoys her daily morning walks as well as lying around in the yard all day when the weather is nice.  We do not even have to worry about our driveway gate being open as she has no desire to leave the property and does not chase cars.  Even though she is an athletic and strong dog who weighs about 60 pounds who could easily pull me over when I have her on the leash, she never pulls and seems fine with being on a leash (although I know she would love to run free).  She gets along well with our dog Madison as well as the neighbor's small dogs that walk with us in the morning, and best of all she is big enough to protect Madison and the neighbor's dogs from any coyotes who may be thinking of going after these smaller dogs (she has already chased away one coyote that bit Madison, who never watches where she is going and tends to walk right into coyotes when following a scent!).  This girl is a keeper, and I am so glad that I took a chance and decided to invite her into our home!

An adorable photo of Mae hugging a tiny stuffed squirrel toy.

Foodie Fridays: Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Sausage and Peppers

I love how quick and easy sheet pans dinners are to make, and I have posted several recipes for them on this blog.  Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Sausage and Peppers is another variation using ingredients that work well together and cook to perfection in the oven.  Best of all, I usually have most if not all of these ingredients on hand, which makes it even easier to get dinner ready almost effortlessly!  I do have to admit, though, that I never actually use a sheet pan - I always use a 9x13-inch baking pan instead, as I find that I am less likely to toss ingredients all over the kitchen using a deeper pan.  Everything roasts just fine as long as the pan is not overfilled, so I will stick to my pan of choice (I will still call this a sheet pan dinner, though!).

Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Sausage and Peppers

1 lb. precooked sausage, sliced (I used smoked turkey sausage)
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 package (16 oz.) gnocchi (I used pumpkin gnocchi)
2 T. olive oil (I used half garlic-flavored olive oil and half plain)
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
½ tsp. garlic powder (I omitted this)
¼ tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. black pepper (optional)

Add all ingredients to a 9x13-inch baking pan.  Use a large spoon or spatula to toss the ingredients around so that everything is coated with oil and spices.  Spread in an even layer.

Bake at 400℉ for 20-25 minutes, until the gnocchi and sausage are golden brown.

Spoon the gnocchi mixture into serving bowls.  If desired, top with an extra drizzle of olive oil (about 1 tsp. per serving), grated parmesan, and chopped parsley.  Serves 4.

All the lovely colors in this pan just make me happy! 😊