Cucumber Salsa ~ Memorial Day Hydroplane Race ~ Macaroons

Good 47º clear sunny morning.

Ok, here's the recipe for the Cucumber Salsa... so good!!!

(1/4 cup = 16 calories... YUMMM!)

2 cups finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber

½ cup chopped seeded tomato

¼ cup chopped red onion

2 T. minced fresh parsley

1 jalapeño seeded and chopped

4½ t. fresh chopped cilantro

1 clove garlic minced

(Peel and cut the cucs in half and lengthwise in half and use a spoon to scrape out seeds. Then cut them in thin lengths and chop them. The one tomato wasn't enough, so I used another half. Using a spoon with the tomato to remove the seeds also. As well as the jalapeño.)

I decided to use a shallot instead of the red onion. It didn't take much of the shallot, had half left. I like this garlic, saves chopping and mashing garlic!)

¼ cup light sour cream

1½ t. lemon juice

1½ t. lime juice

¼ t. ground cumin

¼ t. seasoned salt

Combine first 7 ingredients. Next combine in separate bowl the last 5 ingredients. Mix and the pour over the cucumber mixture, tossing gently.

Serve with your favorite chips. (I love Fritos Scoops!)

Yesterday I took the cake, salsa, and some pre-made (from Costco) Artichoke/Parmesan/Jalapeño Dip and chips to a little "river adventure" Jennifer hosted. It was the last day of the boat races on the Rogue River. Jennifer's house is right on the river . The boat race started at 1pm from Riverside Park to Carpenter Island and back. A total of 50 miles. It's the Tom Rice Memorial White Water Hydroplane Race. The following are not my photos, got them off the Boatnik site...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVJRsjDDxMI

Mike barbecued GIANT shrimp and Cartwright's hot dogs we had along with sour kraut, my dips, my cake, and Chris' parfaits for dessert.

Historically this date...

526 – A devastating earthquake strikes Antioch, Turkey, killing 250,000.

... unbelievable!

1935 – A 7.7 Mw earthquake destroys Quetta in modern-day Pakistan: 40,000 dead.

1970 – The Ancash earthquake causes a landslide that buries the town of Yungay, Peru; more than 47,000 people are killed

...Obviously not a good day for earthquakes!

And births this date include..

1930 – Clint Eastwood, American film director and actor

"I know what you're thinking. Did I fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?" Love it love it love it!!!!

1934 – Jim Hutton, American actor (d. 1979)

1943 – Sharon Gless, American actress

1943 – Joe Namath, American football player

1949 – Tom Berenger, American actor

1965 – Brooke Shields, American actress and supermodel

I was gone to Jennifer's all afternoon. Got home and it was chair, wine, and TV. I had climbed down the narrow steep path from Jennifer's yard to the river. That exhausted me. I thought several times I was going to fall. It was a scary climb both down and back up! Then I went down in her lower yard to the river's edge. Too much walking and climbing for me in one day!!! Will share photos tomorrow. Chris and David Church were there along with Micol Klamm and her daughter Kim. Bob is off on an adventure with his granddaughter to Yosemite.

All I know. Nuff said. Happy Bill Pay Tuesday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

May 31st

National Macaroon Day

The first macaroons were almond meringue cookies similar to today's amaretti, with a crisp curst and a soft interior. They were made from egg whites and almond paste (equal parts of ground blanched almonds and sugar, mixed with egg whites) The name of the cookie comes from the Italian word for paste, maccarone (amh-kah-ROW-nay), and is also the word for pasta/macaroni and dumplings.

While origins can be mruky, some culinary historians claim that the macaroons can be traced to and Italian monastery where they were modeled after the monk's belly buttons!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/9695/almond-macaroons-i/

Macaroons came to France in 1533 with the pastry chefs of Catherine de Medici, wife of King Henri II. Two Benedictine nuns, Sister Marguerite and Sister Marie-Elisabeth, seeking asylum in the town of Nancy during the French Revolution paid for their housing by baking and selling macaroon cookies, and thus became known as the "Macaroon Sisters" (the French word is macaron, pronounced mah-kah-RONE).

Italian Jews adopted the cookie because it has no flour or leavening (the agent that raises and lightens a baked good, like yeast, baking powder, and baking soda - instead macaroons are leavened by egg whites) and can be enjoyed during the eight-day observation of Passover. It was introduced to other European Jews and became a popular year round treat. Over time the coconut was added to the ground almonds and in certain recipes replaces them.

Coconut macaroons are more prevalent in the U.S. and the U.K. and they are a lot easier to make and transport than the fragile almond meringues.

http://www.dessert-addict.com/2013/03/coconut-macaroons-recipe.html