Pinterest Potatoes

As if I needed another way to eat up time and find a million fun and creative new things to do, I'm newly obsessed with Pinterest { follow me here! }.  Recipes, clothes, ideas for the house... you'll love it.

A few weeks ago I found this baked potato recipe on there and have been dying to make them ever since.  I just think they're beautiful, and sounded pretty easy to boot.  Technically called Hasselback Potatoes, they're Pinterest Potatoes in this house. { Any relation to Elizabeth?  No idea. }

Some of the measurements in the original recipe are kind of weird. { Who actually measures in grams?  I don't even own a kitchen scale! } So here it is in plain English so you can make them, too.

Pinterest { Hasselback } Potatoes

Serves 4-8, depending on size of potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 medium potatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced as thinly as possible
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into tiny cubes
• Seat salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425*.
• Wash each potato well and pat dry.
• One at a time, slice potatoes 3/4 of the way through at even intervals { about 1/8" apart }.  Be careful not to cut all the way through, as you'll want the bottom of the potato to remain intact.

• Insert 1/2 clove worth of garlic slices into each potato, distributing evenly among slits.  { For me, this amounted to about every second or third slit receiving a slice of garlic. }

• Arrange potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Top with butter cubes, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

• Bake for 40 minutes or until skins are crisp and flesh is soft.

Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, these are just delicious.  And they look so fancy, I think I'll make them for our next dinner party. { Get excited, Amy & Les! }

End of Summer Salad

It's Labor Day weekend.  Next week, no more white pants.  No more seersucker.  At least, not until Easter.  { Sorry, I'm a traditionalist at heart. } And as much as I'm over this ridiculous heat, and as much as I'm excited for Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Sbux and Pumpkin Schmear at Einstein's... there are some things about summer that I'll miss.  Like this.

It sounds weird.  Watermelon. Feta. Tomatoes. Mint. Basil. But oh, it's so good.  The first time someone offered me this salad, I was inches from passing.  But I'm so glad I went for it.

Unlike my white pants, however, I will continue to make and eat this goodness as long as my tomato plants will allow!

Watermelon & Feta Salad

Ingredients

• 1/4 medium seedless watermelon
• 3 large tomatoes
• 1 medium red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

• Large knife
• Cutting board
• Large mixing bowl
• Small mixing bowl
• Whisk

Instructions

• First, cut the watermelon and tomatoes into roughly one-inch cubes.
• Toss them together into a large mixing bowl.
• Cut red onion into quarters, then slice as thinly as possible. Add to mixing bowl.
• Chop basil and mint, then throw them in there, too.
• Add feta.
• Whisk olive oil, sugar and balsamic in small bowl until well mixed.
• Pour dressing over watermelon mixture and toss to coat.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Garnish with additional basil or mint. Serve chilled.

Enjoy... AND GO DAWGS!

Simple Sides: Grilled Zucchini

I have a husband who, if left to himself, would live on chicken fingers and pepperoni pizza.  And he did, for quite some time. { Upon reading this just now, Spencer adds, "Hey!  I eat peanut butter, too!"  I rest my case. }

Until we started dating, very few vegetables were even in his vocabulary.  Least of all zucchini.  { As my cousin Dave used to say, "that's you-keeny, not my-keeny!" } But I snuck in some grilled zucchini recently and he actually liked it.  It was easy to make and definitely qualifies as a vegetable, so I liked it, too.

Next time you're grilling steaks, burgers, chicken or anything along those lines... give these a try!

Grilled Zucchini

You'll need:

• Zucchini (one medium sized per person, depending on how many other sides you're serving)
• Italian Salad Dressing (I use the Kraft Roasted Red Pepper variety, but any will work)

• First, slice off the stem end of each zucchini.
• Cut each one in half lengthwise, then into three or four triangular logs per half (depending on the diameter of your vegetable, you'll get 6-8 logs out of each).  You just want to make sure that they're not so thin that they'll fall through your grill grates.
• Pour a little of the salad dressing into the bottom of a rectangular baking dish, just enough to thinly coat.
• Layer the zucchini logs in your dish, alternating with salad dressing, and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

• Place zucchini on the grill, perpendicular to the grates, and cook over medium-high heat.  Turn every 3-4 minutes as nice grill marks begin to appear.  You'll rotate each piece a total of three times to have markings on each side (including the green one).

Quick, summer-y... and good for you, too.  Enjoy!