Scandinavian Midsummer Festival

The weather was really unmotivating this weekend...the days were grey and dreary for the most part - which meant we spent most of our time moseying about the house.  

We did, however, make an effort to go out and visit the annual Scandinavian Midsummer Festival - there were fun booths for each country, fresh waffles, a viking village and of course, a volvo car show.  

oh, and there was a wife carrying contest where the winner would win the wife's weight in beer - hah!  but we headed over to Ikea for hot dogs and frozen yogurt before the race began - oh well, maybe next year!  :)

 

 

We had fun and got to enjoy time with friends we hadn't seen in a while - totally worth braving the dreary day.  

fresh juice - the possibilities are endless!

have I mentioned how into garage sales we've been lately?  it's like a giant treasure hunt and a date all wrapped up into one.  it's how we found our vintage cameras that I told you about last week.  it's also how we found an almost brand new juicer for just $10!

I'd already been thinking about getting a juicer for a while - but I wasn't sure I wanted to spend all that money on something that would require me to sacrifice the fiber I'd get from blending the fruit or just eating it.  but hey, for $10, I was willing to give it a shot.

we made apple juice on our first go - it turned out really well, actually.  you literally just shove the apples  in there (seeds, skin and all!) and BAM--our comes juice!  then we decided to get a bit more adventurous and try a "Grape and Ginger Refresher"  It turned out murky-ish green, but tasted really fresh - sort of sweet and spicy at the same time.  and it had some seriously strong flavor to it - I really liked it, but it was a bit too much for Daniel....I didn't have my camera around the day we made it, so no pictures this time, but here's the recipe just in case you want to give it a try.

Grape and Ginger Refresher

400 g (13 oz) lettuce

2 inches of fresh ginger root (peeled)

400 g (13 oz) green grapes

- wash all ingredients

- roughly chop the lettuce and ginger so that it fits in your juicer 

(we just shoved ours in whole and it worked just fine)

- juice all ingredients

- serve over ice (or frozen grapes would be fun too!)

I would love to hear your thoughts if you decide to make it...also, do any of you own/use a juicer?  any suggestions for good fruit/veggie combinations to try?  I'd love to hear your ideas!  

green

 

our latest additions...

today, I'd like to introduce you to the newest members of our household, Melvyn and Karlton.  Together with their older brother Clarence, they make the beginnings of our vintage camera collection - we're pretty stoked about 'em.

 

grilled pizza

pizza is definitely a favorite food around our place.  and it's even more of a favorite when grilled.  (the only way I've ever made it from scratch, actually)  if you haven't tried it you have to.  its super easy to make, you just have to think ahead so that the dough has time to rise.

Whole Wheat Grilled Pizza Dough

1 1/2 c. white whole wheat flour

1/2 c. all purpose, unbleached flour

2 tbsp. course ground cornmeal

1 tbsp. poppyseeds

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. rapid rise yeast

3/4 c. lukewarm water

2 tbsp. + 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

- mix together everything but the water and olive oil in a bowl or food processor (the latter is easier, but I broke mine, so I've been using the ol' elbow grease method and it's worked out alright)

- add the water and 2 tbsp. olive oil while mixing (leave the food processor running, if that's what you're using; just add the liquids and get your hands in there otherwise) until a smooth and elastic ball of dough forms (add more flour/water if it's too sticky/crumbly)

- turn the dough  ball onto a clean, floured surface and knead it a few times 

- form it into a ball again and put it into a bowl with the remaining olive oil so that the ball is coated (I just use the same one I mixed it in, because I am lazy like that)

- cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size (1 to 1.5 hrs)

while the dough is rising, prepare your toppings and tomato sauce.
(or crack open a jar of good quality store bought sauce)

once it's done rising, I usually split it into four balls (to make four personal pizzas) then roll each one out pretty thin (like a 1/4 inch) - they rise a bit when you put them on the grill.  you'll also need to pre-heat your grill to medium/medium-high
*note:  if it's just the two of us, I usually freeze two of the dough balls - when we're ready to use them, I pull them out of the freezer the night before and allow them to thaw in the refrigerator all day so they're ready for dinner.  

next, brush one side of each pizza crust with olive oil and place it directly on the grill for 2-3 mins, until firm and slightly charred.  bring the pizza crusts back in and place your toppings on the side that you just grilled. after that you just put them back on the grill for 3-4 minutes or until your cheese melts nicely and you're all set to feast on amazing, yummy, oh-so-good pizza.