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Foodie Friday … baked artichoke

Posted on by Jeanine / 1 Comment

I love artichokes and, when in season, have one at least once a week. In the past I’ve always steamed them in the microwave and served with a garlic mayo dipping sauce.

I’ve had them at restaurants where they are baked or grilled and thought I’d break out of my rut and try a roasted artichoke. I may never go back (although the steaming in microwave is a bit quicker). Here’s the recipe …

1 artichoke (make sure the leaves are tight and not curling)
1/2 lemon
1-2 TBS melted, or softened, butter
2-3 cloves of garlic (I use the cubes from TJ’s)
TJ’s Everything Seasoning
salt & pepper
a little olive oil
(parmesan cheese optional)

Heat oven to 400 degrees

Cut the bottom off of the artichoke and pull off some of the lower, small, leaves. Cut off about 1/2-1 inch of the top of the arichoke and use kitchen scissors to trim any pointy, dangerous tips from the leaves. Cut the artichoke in half vertically and rub the lemon wedge all over the cut side so it doesn’t get brown.

Use a spoon to scoop out the fuzzy choke.

Place the artichokes in a baking dish or sheet, cut side up. Mix the softened butter with garlic cubes. Smear the butter/garlic everywhere on the cut side and sprinkle with Everything Seasoning, as well as salt & pepper. (I sometimes add a bit of parmesan cheese)

Turn them over so they’re cut side down and sprinkle a bit of olive oil over the back side and season with salt & pepper. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with foil. Bake another 25-ish minutes. That’s it!

I decided to make it a vegetarian meal and cooked some corn on the cob too. The foolproof way to cook corn on the cob is by bringing water to a boil (enough that will cover the corn), add some salt and the corn, then remove from heat and let it sit in the water for 8 minutes…some say 10 minutes, but I like it a little al dente. Perfect every time!

The artichoke is so flavorful this way that I didn’t need my usual garlic mayo dipping sauce. Enjoy!!

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!

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Have you been to the North Woods?

Posted on by Jeanine / 0 Comment

I was in NY a couple of months ago during tulip season and, besides going to the Westside Community Garden Tulip Festival, I also wanted to visit the North Woods at the northern tip of Central Park. Most people know, and have visited, The Mall & Poet’s/Literary Walk, Sheep Meadow and Strawberry Fields, to name a few, but so many people I’ve talked to have never ventured into the North Woods.

The North Woods is described as “a wooded section of Central Park offering walking/biking paths, hiking, birdwatching & a stream.” Wow, was I taken aback by how quiet and different it was from the rest of Central Park. They don’t mention that there’s a waterfall too! There are so many trees that it’s like you’re truly in a forest and it’s so much cooler than the rest of the park. Here are some pics from my meandering …

…. and here are a few from the Conservatory Garden and the amazing tulip festival!

So if you want a little different setting in Central Park, grab a book and head to the North Woods, where you can read under a canopy of trees.

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!

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Motivational Monday … LIVE!!

Posted on by Jeanine / 1 Comment

“LIVE as if you were living already for a second time and as if you had acted the first time as wrongly as you are about to act now!” … Viktor Frankl/Man’s Search for Meaning

(if you haven’t read this book, go get it now! you don’t get a do-over. such a great perspective on life!)

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!