Dad

Thank you for giving me life, and being in my life.

Apple Jelly

I made quick work of this one! After completing the Peach Jam motif, I got right on the Apple Jelly in Wild Olive's Jam of the Month Club, and was able to finish it in less than eight hours. Of course, that time was mixed up with doing other things, but not much else.

I'm ready to start the next one!

Peach Jam

I can't believe how long it's been since I've completed a cross-stitch motif! But, between going back to work, kind of, and just plain forgetting that I still had this hanging, I've finally finished the Peach Jam motif in Wild Olive's Jam of the Month Club.

This one was pretty simple and the mouth turned out okay...

Lemon Butter Tilapia

When I got home from work, Tom was sitting by the picnic table, enjoying the weather and the view of our yard. I thought it would be nice to eat dinner outside and needed something quick and easy to fix for dinner, so I chose to make Baked Lemon Butter Tilapia.

Baked Lemon Butter Tilapia

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more, to taste
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9×13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together butter, garlic, lemon juice and lemon zest; set aside.
3. Season tilapia with salt and pepper, to taste and place onto the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with butter mixture.
4. Place into oven and bake until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 10-12 minutes.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

We set up the picnic table and had a very nice dinner. I was surprised that Tom really liked the fish, I was afraid that it might have too much lemon for his taste. We also established this evening that Tom's new favorite wine is Gallo Moscato. I think that his tastes are evolving ;-)

Potato Salad

It has become our annual tradition to have steaks on the grill with our neighbors, Mario and Sally, on July 4^th. This year, in addition to steaks and roasted ears of corn, Tom requested that I make Potato Salad, so I found a recipe that looked like it would remind me of what my parents might make, and went with it.

The BEST Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Yukon Gold, Russet, or red potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup dill pickle relish (optional)
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• half of a small red onion, thinly sliced
• sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
• optional toppings: smoked paprika or Old Bay seasoning, chopped fresh chives, (extra) sliced hard-boiled eggs

Instructions

1. Place the diced potatoes in a large stockpot and add enough water so that the potatoes are covered by 1 inch. Cook over medium-high heat until the water reaches a boil. Then reduce heat to medium to maintain the simmer, and continue cooking the potatoes for 5-8 minutes or until the potatoes pierce easily with a fork.
2. Drain the potatoes in a colander. Then return the potatoes to the stockpot, drizzle evenly with the vinegar, and let the potatoes rest for 20-30 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the mayo, celery salt, mustard and pickle relish in a medium bowl until evenly combined.
4. Once the potatoes are ready to go, add in the mayo mixture, diced eggs, celery and onion. Toss gently until evenly combined.
5. Taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste. (Also feel free to add in a tablespoon or two of pickle juice if you would like.)
6. Transfer the potato salad to a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to chill.
7. Serve chilled, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

I ended up splitting the recipe in half - Tom wanted his without egg - but all else remained pretty much the same. I think everyone enjoyed it, I know I did. This recipe's definitely a keeper!