Ever wish a steak salad came in convenient hand-held form, or wondered what peaches would taste like straight from the grill? No. Yes? Well then, this post is just for you, as today brings a couple preparations perfect for outdoor entertaining, particularly for summer patio parties!
Start with just-seared steak, finished to a slightly-rare medium, surrendering succulence with every cut, every bite, virtually with every longing glance. Best to let the steaks rest for ten minutes, concentrating the savory juices. Here are today’s skirt steaks doing precisely that:
Next, pile on thinly-sliced radishes and just-picked cilantro, and a squeeze or two of juice straight from the lime. Then wrap it up in a cool sheath of leaf lettuce, freshly harvested from the garden.
Oh, before you close the bundle, drizzle on a spoonful of creamy-hot dressing, taking most of its dual identity from an amplitude of peppery adobo sauce and cooling Greek yogurt. Then, finally, the first bite! Hot, cool, fresh, savory…this preparation has them all. This outcome was suspected when the recipe appeared in the August 2018 Bon Appetit, and it was confirmed, gloriously, upon realization.
Elsewhere in the same issue was a recipe for grilled peaches. Though the two ideas appear separately, they’re a great pairing and are introduced together here. Chef Beverly Kim developed the recipe at her Chicago restaurant, Parachute. The grill’s flame concentrates the peachy sweetness, and Kim paints the fruit with Thai ingredients like fish sauce and palm sugar, and finishes them with torn Thai basil, giving them a sweet-salty Asian/fusion flair. So much for this blog’s “principled” skepticism of fusion cuisine.
Oddly, the article fails to mention specific quantities, providing only vague directions. Very well, allowing experience to guide intuition, the recipe below appears. Together, the peaches and steak wraps cover the full range of flavors, and will have people talking all summer. And dreaming this coming winter. Is your grill ready?
*****
Grilled Peaches, Thai Style (*1)
- 4 peaches, halved and pitted, yet retaining the skins
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 tablespoons palm sugar (*2)
- 4 large leaves Thai basil, torn
Set your grill to a medium flame. Place the peaches, cut side down, directly on the grate. Cook for ten minutes, until the peaches are slightly softened and nice grill marks appear. Take care not to let the peaches burn, moving them or reducing the flame as necessary.
Remove the peaches to a plate, then mix the fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar in a small bowl. Brush the peaches’ grilled side with the sauce. Top with torn Thai basil and serve.
NOTES:
1 – In addition to not offering quantities, the recipe didn’t name the dish either, other than heading it, “How Chefs Do Simple.” Therefore, here’s the name I chose. What do you think? Excuse me? How is that relevant? You would’ve done the same thing. Fine, then who cares what people think?
2 – Finally, a recipe that actually calls for palm sugar! If you don’t have it, light brown sugar is nearly as good.
*****
Spicy Steak Salad Wraps
For the marinade:
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound skirt steak
Mix all the ingredients but the meat in a small bowl. Cut the steak crosswise into three pieces, then add salt and freshly-ground pepper. Place the steak in a zip-top bag and pour marinade over it Force the air from the bag and seal the top. Store at room temperature for 15 minutes, flipping occasionally.
Meanwhile, make the dressing:
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Whisk together all the ingredients in a serving bowl until smooth Set aside until mealtime.
Next prepare the other wrap ingredients:
- 1 large head lettuce, trimmed and outer leaves removed
- 6 radishes, trimmed and sliced thinly
- cilantro bunches, cut from the tender half farthest from the root end
- 2 limes, wedged
Place a large skillet over a high flame. Take the steaks from the marinade, allowing excess to drip back into the bag. (*3) Pour a tablespoon of oil into the skillet. When it just starts to smoke, place steaks in skillet.
Sear for four minutes, until deeply browned. Flip to the other side and cook four minutes more. Remove steaks to a cutting board and allow to rest for ten minutes, then slice thinly at an angle, perpendicular to the grain.
Arrange on a plate some of all the ingredients (the steak, the radishes, the cilantro, the lime wedges and the lettuce leaves). Pour the dressing into individual ramekins, or leave in the serving bowl for all to help themselves. Assemble and eat.
NOTES:
3 – Yes, there’s a slight gap between turning on the flame and adding the oil. This is by design, as the goal is for the skillet to be hot when the oil arrives. Always remember Martin Yan’s favorite direction, “Hot wok, cold oil, food won’t stick.”
This sounds sooo good! I’m seriously drooling like Thor. Thor is also an aggressive eater. I might be, too, if this was put in front of me! Be careful; keep your fingers out of the way.
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Much appreciated, Tamara!
You definitely would be a “ringer” at a summer cookout, then, waxing enthusiastic about all things that came off the grill. A one-person PR firm. Cool!
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ah further cooking, that’s a relief … I thought you were eating a live cow for a minute there, still bleeding from slaughter!
All this would taste perfectly delicious without the red meat or I suggest substituting a veg pattie made with any ingredient, other than meat, that takes your fancy 🙂
Sorry Keith, maybe I should skip commenting on your carnivor recipes 🙂
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Actually Kate, I hope you continue commenting, if it doesn’t make you uncomfortable doing so. After all, the comment section is meant for discussion, not necessarily for echoes..
Besides, the desserts usually don’t violate your principles. Those, and a few others, ought to be worthy of your consideration.
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oh they are most worthy, never meant I wouldn’t follow or read … just my comments seem inane as most devour the blood and flesh of others 🙂
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F yeah! That looks delicious (as always)!! We had the radishes and cilantro and limes out tonight, too (for the pulled pork tacos). Just missing the steak and those gorgeous grilled peaches. Hopefully not for long. I might have to make a run for a couple of groceries. Love your ideas.
Fun fact: Kody’s grandmother was a WWII bride who came from Naples to the OK panhandle. Her Americanized/Oklahomanized name was Peaches.
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What a fascinating bit of family color, Crystal! The twists and turns our histories take to keep them from being “just so.” From these exceptions comes character – and the best stories!
As you know, peaches still await their moment. Although, what’s available right now begins to be passable. Before long, they’ll get close to the neighborhood.
They just need a little help getting there, and by God, the grill will give it to them!
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Growing up in OK, I’m no peach expert. So I appreciate that tip. I’ll be keeping my eyes out for the perfect peach moment and in the mean time making sure KB has the grill ready.
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Good move, Crystal. You won’t be disappointed!
Grilling has a way of taking 90% peaches and making them 100%. In a few weeks, they’ll be at 100% all on their own, and then some. Just think about what a grill will do for them. Managed correctly, as I’m sure you and KB will, one bite will make it August forever.
The sort of thing you’ll remember as you glide past one-hundred- and-two. Some recollection will play hard-to-get by that point, but not this one.
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We’re have a cool front next week, lows in the 70s. 😅
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Ours blew threw last weekend, allowing Saturday to venture not far beyond 76 degrees. In fact, going out to get the paper in the morning was something of a chilly experience.
Fear not, though, water-breathers, as the swelter is back. Absolutely nothing worth mentioning by Houston standards, but still “wicked tropical” for the Northeast!
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Sounds like a fancy barbeque….
Enjoy it!
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Thanks, Eliza! For the record, I did.
You don’t have a grill, do you? Most local parks have several, though it’s up to each would-be griller to supply the charcoal and the lighter fluid. Somehow, though, I think this largely is prevalent among Yanks.
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Never had one
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When you do find one, you’ll understand what you’ve been missing, Eliza. Even a small device, such as a Japanese hibachi, will be quite adequate.
So many experiences await, aside from the tried-and-true steaks. Do you get much fresh corn in thee UK? Cobs are awesome on the grill too, stripped down to just the inner husk.
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I don’t like corn….. though I’m eating some new foods. Slowly….
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Ah, that’s good, Eliza. Trying new things, slowly. That pretty much describes the food journey most of us have taken.
May one or two of your upcoming discoveries be worthy of an exclamation point.
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Strawberries aren’t bad. Sesame seeds are okay. Watermelon gets the exclamation if they’re good.
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A trio well-chosen for summertime, Eliza! For any time, actually.
The three would make up a refreshing summer salad. Perhaps with outliers, or maybe by themselves.
With that, you just invented a dish. Look at you!
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You did. Though actually strawberries and watermelon could go together. I’ve only eaten strawberries blended. Would have to try them whole.
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If you can find them, Eliza, fresh off the vine and still warm from the sun is the way to do it.
Once you’ve had just-picked strawberries, you very well may change forever. Soon enough, that part of your brain that currently worries about problems soon will be given to dreaming of all sorts of strawberry creations you want to try.
That’s a promise ,by the way!
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💕💕💕
Need to make some peanut chews 🙂 for a friends celebration.
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How fortunate a friend, Eliza. From the chews, no doubt, will arise a celebration worthy of the name.
There you go, exercising your brain again. You always knew these interests would do good things for your life!
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Why would I not believe they taste really good? The brownies look scrumptious, and why wouldn’t the flavor live up to billing?
Perhaps it was a lame party. Until you made an appearance, that is. Once again, Eliza saves the day!
Ah, so you’re the Dolphin Girl, huh? I saw several of your pod when I was in Florida. They came close to the dock too. Pretty cool, actually.
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Yeah. I’m signed into three from my browser and I won’t be careful not to do that for you (it’s not an anonymous account like this).
They sometimes come out this good but usually haven’t, is all.
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Well, this one did, Eliza. Understandably, you want to show it to the world.
Previous attempts? Merely practice for the triumph. How fortunate, too, this is the one you brought to the party!
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Oh, that looks perfect! It’s just the sort of meal I’d enjoy, right down to the lettuce wraps! I don’t typically grill peaches or other fruits but I’ve been considering branching out a little more. It would have to be indoors since we don’t have an outdoor grill set up right now. Beautiful and seasonal (*really* nice job with the photography here, btw).
How often do you tend to grill in the summer? Unfortunately, our air conditioning system is on the fritz (we have someone coming to look at it soon) so this is pretty much the perfect solution to avoid heating up the house. Since I did not know we would be without indoor cooling today, I planned a stew for dinner instead. lol
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Much appreciated, Summer! Sincerely.
Grilling fruits is a revelation, a preparation I recommend heartily. Not only is it fruit, something just about everyone would benefit from increasing, but the flame does special things when it kisses the fruit. (Okay, terribly suggestive, I know.)
Not only does it soften the object, but it also gets those juices flowing. (Phrasing!) Plus, light grill marks = caramelization!
Most summers find me grilling twice a week, sometimes thrice. However, as it’s gotten up to, like, 135 degrees each day this year, it’s more like four or five times a week. When you consider only nine meals are available each week (the weekday evening meals, two each on the weekends), that’s quite often!
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Once again your comment did not show up in WordPress 😦 That is a lot of grilling! Most of our outdoor cookery in the summer (outside of scout activities) involves making s’mores over the fire pit. We probably only do that a few times per year. I need to move up to meals!
Now I’m envisioning skewers with peaches and pineapple on the grill. I have a feeling they’d be a huge hit here!
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Oh, Summer, pineapples! Absolutely. I have a recipe somewhere for Brazilian Grilled Pineapple. If its execution comes anywhere close to its promise, it’ll be so worth the search!
How is your fire pit configured? Is there a construction by which a grill may be suspended over a low flame? Your peaches and pineapples idea, coupled with the vastly creative food adventures you dream every week, tell me you have many grand barbecue visions, just waiting for the opportunity to make a mad dash for reality.
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We just have the old school circle of rocks in which we burn wood. lol It works well for s’mores and other occasional foods but I would not say we have a grill master in the household.
I would love it if you shared the grilled pineapple recipe. Sounds delicious!
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Thank you, Summer. Consider it ordered!
I’m thinking of making it part of a warm-weather spread I’ll put together at some point, which means that, though I’ve pulled the recipe now, it likely won’t go public for another couple years yet. Perhaps we will see what we may devise for your entertainment until then.
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A couple of years?!? Oh well, I guess I need to remember that patience is a virtue in that case. haha 🙂
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Appreciate your understanding , Summer!
Right now, it might not make much sense. In a couple years, though, it will make…even less sense.
Oh well. I’m an eccentric, aren’t !? That covers a lot of ground and “excuses” quite a bit.
Thanks for bearing with me!
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I’m actually extremely impressed that you are putting that much forethought into things! We have a lot of high-quality content to look forward to from you! 👍
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Ah, thank you, Summer! Fingers crossed some of them approach their potential. After all, wouldn’t want to leave truffles or djon djons without suitable homes.
For what it’s worth, all these great conversations really are nice. I’m loving it! Consequently, at least several ideas for 2021, 2022, 2023… come with dreams of, “Oh, can’t wait until they see this!”
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Oh yes! I currently have a huge backlog of recipe ideas for the site. The ideas arrive far, far faster than the time I have to create and post! I guess that’s a good thing, since it seems that neither of us will be running out of content anytime in the near future. 🙂
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You too, Summer? Excellent!
Right now, I’ve made selections up through Labor Day 2023. That’s good and that’s bad, because, inevitably, enthusiasm bubbles over, and I start discussing future plans with readers, Especially faithful ones like yourself.
Still plenty excited, but I begin to realize I’m not going to attempt this for another two-and-a-half years. Hope she’s still interested in the blog then.
Seriously, Summer, I hope…
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I don’t think I’m going anywhere! But your concerns are a real issue; I have seen so many blogs die out after a while. Interests trail off elsewhere a lot of the time. How long do most keep up with a hobby before moving on to something else?
Then again, if you’re writing about food, you do have to continue to eat. I suppose that might be additional motivation to keep at it!
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That’s true, Summer, and quite perceptive an observation.
If it means much, this blog already has been going since summer 2016. As far as it goes, too, not much of an audience for the first couple years. Before outsiders first started showing up sometime in 2018. it was just family, friends and coworkers. Truth be told, their visits were growing ever-more-sporadic too.
Nobody knows for sure what the future holds, but I already have been through the desert. For the last couple years, though, people like you have been growing many an oasis.
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I understand. To be honest, neither my husband nor my son are into nutrition. They get the food I make, so they aren’t extremely interested in the website. LMAO Well, my kiddo will be off to college soon, and I know he’ll use the site as a resource for some of his favorite recipes. His input definitely factors into what I post.
Most of my traffic comes from Google. People come in, get a recipe and pop out until they need another! One of my posts was getting 1K visitors per day for a short stint- mostly from Google. It made me realize how important SEO is. I’ve started paying more attention! I don’t think I’d have the time to slowly build an audience as you are doing. I’m impressed with how many friends you’re able to maintain here!
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1K? A day? Give me a second, Summer, I’m just try to comprehend.
Of course, you do so much to keep people interested, and, of course, coming back. A feast for the senses – in pictures, information and in descriptions. Sure, Google may have inspired the visitor initially, but what he/she finds turns interest to fasciation. In other words, visitors are about 1% Google, 99% Summer.
Your experience reminds me of something. Once, over lunch, I ran a search on my office PC in Google Images, for a dish I had blogged a month or so prior. Just trying to see what other cooks had done with it. Would you believe two of the first couple dozen images were from my site?
Mind you, I never use that computer for blog business, and it had no way of knowing I was the Terrified Amateur. In fact, when I did the same search the following Monday, using the exact same words, nothing. Nothing since, either. Yet, just once, I enjoyed Google “stardom” early one afternoon!
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SEO is tricky and Google changes the rules often. I think I’m beginning to get it though. Now if only we had power in the house, it would be far easier to blog. lol I bet we won’t get it restored until this weekend at the earliest. Eversource is anything but. LMAO
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Ah, Summer, first no AC, and now no power?
With you growing so much of what you bring to the kitchen, and with you working wonders with it once you got it there, you already were contemplating the perfect Victorian household. No power too? How long before you start using words like, “heretofore?”
Seriously, what is up with your situation? For the power to be out for days is something that usually doesn’t accompany even the direst of blizzards. I can’t even imagine…
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This happens more often than you can imagine in CT… They’re saying we’ll be restored by 8 pm but I’d be surprised if we get power before the weekend.
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8PM? Good, Summer.
Hold on a minute, though. Was a day specified, or even a decade? That, my friend, is the utility’s giant asterisk. *8PM, June 23, 2038
Still, it’s not what I imagine when I think about Connecticut. Although I’ve been to the state numerous times, I still think of it as being, well, a pinky-up sort of place. In my mind, the hedge fund manager with a $21.7 million waterfront estate in Greenwich is your typical CT resident. What, you don’t all have butlers?
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I feel like this is Connecticut’s dirty little secret. Lots of folks living in extremely nice homes who lose power for long periods in storms. They removed the estimate for power restoration. Our friends in town are all still out too.
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Unfathomable. What good’s the $21.7 million estate when you have to read by candlelight and, come January, burn the Renoir to stay warm?
Gives me some perspective too. Never again will I gripe about what I thought to be our city’s pathetic power company. Obviously, many have it worse.
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It’s unbelievable. Most of us have a small generator for the fridge and freezer, a lucky few have a whole house generator. We were without power, water, and internet from Tuesday afternoon until Friday around 11 pm. Based on previous experiences, this was actually faster than any of us thought we’d get it back. Some friends went to hotels, others went to stay with family in other states. The longest we’ve ever been without power was 10 consecutive days. That was when we got smart and bought the generator.
As poor as I was growing up, I never had to flush the toilet by fetching water from the brook out back or by melting snow. Connecticut living certainly has it’s downside. The combination of pandemic with the widespread outage was interesting. Everyone was eating out, places with good outdoor WiFi (like outside Barnes & Noble) were crowded since folks didn’t want to go inside.
I promise you, we must have the worst power company in the U.S. I’ve lived lots of other places and have never experienced anything like this. You’d think all the $$$ people living around here would have enough pull to change things. Apparently not!
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Oh, Summer. Honestly, what’s the point of living in the 21st century? When you have to go to the lengths you just described, are you sure you aren’t part of some UConn research project to see how people would cope with 200-year-old technology? Or you aren’t part of a new series coming out this fall, “Survivor: Connecticut?”
Despite it all, you’re still cooking and posting every day? That’s great…inspiring to the max…but how?
This is one of our busy times of year at work, which means 60-hour weeks, and that’s when I’m not on-call too. Yet still, a least we have power. Nonetheless, it’s almost impossible to keep up with all the blogs I follow. Again, I can’t imagine how you can keep up with jour reading, and writing, and cooking, all without power. Are you doing all of this from the future, when you have all the time and electricity you need?
If so, can you tell me, how’d the djon-djon recipe turn out?
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I have a huge backlog of photos, videos, and recipes to post. As long as I have wifi, I can keep going for a while! I had the computer plugged into the generator for a bit and used a hot spot until I ran through my data. After that, I was only able to check my site from outside Panera or Barnes & Noble. (Glamorous, I know. lol) Unrelated to the site, I had some paper revisions that were nearing their deadline. I was so lucky to get them in an hour or two before the power went out. I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t get them in before the storm.
I didn’t cook at all from Tuesday evening until Saturday afternoon. We’d have yogurt and fruit in the house for breakfast and go out to eat for lunch and dinner. I had been wanting a break but I would have preferred different circumstances. lol
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Beautiful, Summer, and a splendid way to make do, despite deprivations that would’ve scuttled 98% of the rest of us (including, ahem, me).
Not only that, but the situation has given your son a great line to use with his kids, in twenty-five years. “Stop being so whiny. Do you realize what I had to do when I was your age?”
Still,, though, hard to be as philosophical about it now, mid-outage and mid-pandemic. Just at the point, too, you were moving into a string of daily posts.
Your backlog idea does inspire me to double-time it for a while, just in case. That is, until I consider how tired I am already, what, with a full-time (plus, plus) job, a mother half an hour away who can use a hand with yard work and, well, my own (something of a) social life.
Or, I could do two recipes a week from now on, but I’d have no time then to look at other sites, let alone to comment on them, let alone to keep up with correspondence here. No, once-a-week works best for me. Plus, a well-stocked freezer does provide some insurance. Of course, worst-case, if we go into Lockdown Forever and if this talk of a vaccine fades to nothing… No, no, I’m too optimistic to dwell for long in such dark places.
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The problem is that I’m always running out of room on my devices due to all the photos and videos! I really need to get them up on the site. Sometimes I do photos and videos and then I decide the recipe still needs tweaking. So I’m always at all of these different points with various recipes at any given time.
The yard work here is definitely another time-consuming activity. There are lots of fallen tree branches to cut/move post-storm. I’ve also been working on mouse-proofing the house for winter. Hopefully my son will also remember that mom needs yard work help when he gets older! 🙂
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That makes so much sense, Summer, and I only can imagine your challenge in keeping all of it straight, let alone finding room for everything. Even if you enjoyed dependable power it’d be next-to-impossible. With electricity out by the month, though, my God.
I did the math and, assuming a picture or two (or three sometimes) per entry, WP will be close to 90% full by the time my planned recipes run out in late 2023. Of course, I’ll have many more by that point. Then what do I do? Offload some of my early, thoroughly regrettable, entries? Possibly. Begin paying for an “enhanced” site with, presumably, greater capacity? Perhaps. Believe me, if most of you are still in the audience at that point, I won’t mind shelling out the $$$.
As far as mouse-proofing goes, did you ever consider cats, if you don’t have them already? Not only are they good company, but they may be more effective than are mousetraps or is sealing gaps in the foundation.
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We have considered a cat! Really though it might be too much work for the poor animal. I went around the entire perimeter of the exterior of the house with stainless steel wool. Next up is a combination of caulk and that expanding foam stuff. Good luck to all mice who try to enter now!hahaha
I’m not sure I have a limit on my WordPress media library. The ads cover all costs of the site, so I’m probably getting my money’s worth if photos are limited with the free version. I only started embedding videos from Youtube because they don’t show up on mobile otherwise. Most people visit me from their phones, so I needed to make sure things are looking good for the mobile users.
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Ah, Summer, you’re operating about twelve levels above me! Right now, I’m still just text and photos. Strictly amateur hour here, hence the screen name. As mentioned, though, if a good number of you are still out and about a couple years from now, I probably am going to spring for the pay version. Unless it’s ridiculously expensive, say, $100 a month.
I admire all your effort keeping the critters at bay. As you know, it’s not so much that one gets in and stays to itself. Rather, one does, but with the express purpose of finding a nesting site. Then, given how frequently they go at it, and each time results in litters in the dozens, within a year, two mice could become 2,000. Mice – mammals that think they’re insects.
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You can self-host at a variety of price points! Definitely well under $100 per month… But if you do go that route you may want to change your screen name. If you Google, your site is not what comes up with your current one and the XXX sites that are ranking are probably not what you want for competition.
Googling “Summer Yule” used to primarily get you pagan and alcohol articles. I got in there and reclaimed my name. lol I suppose you could do the same with your screen name, if you were so inclined.
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Good advice, Summer. Thanks for that!
Even if I do switch to paying for the site, my goal still will be considerable]y more modest than is yours. Namely, I’d like to ensure I won’t run out of space. That’s it, pretty much.
So, Google links the screenname to porn? Ha! My, will those who click through be in for a surprise!
Still, the growth so far has been exponential, but organic. Readership here is nowhere close to what yours is, but it’s still a fair sight better than it was just a couple years ago. May 2018, I think it was, 6 views. All month.
Not “Likes” and certainly not comments. Of those I had none. Just people stopping, then leaving. This already is such an improvement, thanks to you, Summer, and to people just like you.
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Wow!?! Six per month?!? I’m amazed (and pleased) that you kept at it! I already had articles linking to me from Insider and other well-known sites back in the beginning, so I never had readership that low. How did you stay motivated?
Honestly, I feel disappointed now on low days when I only get a few hundred views. It’s inspired me to work on my SEO!
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Well, I always loved to cook, thus, creating dishes – photographing them and writing about them too – was (is) cathartic. Plus, most of the encouragement friends, family and colleagues sent, was verbal. You have to figure, in those pre-COVID years, most interaction was face-to-face.
Still, Summer, truth be told, I was ready to toss in the towel. When one month, four entries, attracted half a dozen visitors total, honestly, I asked myself, “Why the h*** am I still doing this?”
Then, May 2018 brought the first “outside” visitor, and, well, dozens more have followed. Maybe not many by objective standards, but a far, far more generous crowd than I used to draw. Pleased as punch, I am. You’re among the reasons for this transformation, Summer.
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It’s definitely a lot of fun! Plus it’s nice having the recipes all in one place. Even if I’m not on the first page on Google I can always google my name plus the recipe and find what I need. It’s nice not having to sift through papers for my pesto recipe and so on!
Have you noticed how strange post popularity can be? Like today, my April Fool’s Day recipe started receiving a lot of attention, even though it wasn’t getting visits for most of July and August. Weird! (Although it’s nice that older posts begin to pick up sometimes after going dead for a while.)
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Definitely, Summer, I too have observed strange fluctuations, and renewals, in views. Of course, as my readership is much more modest than is yours, it also is much more sensitive to word-of-mouth.
That’s to say, one enthusiastic reader telling friends to “check this out” would cause my stats to spike nicely. Better yet, that sudden interest brings more people, more “Likes” and, best of all, more comments. It does the heart good, all of it.
Of course, your site is much more closely tied to Google’s searches and recommendations. Thus, it’s more subject to the strange way Google operates at times. When you see a spike, the next question is, logically, “What just happened here?”
For me, I know precisely what just happened, and I’m loving it!
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I imagine your traffic from the WordPress reader is absolutely awesome. That’s how I found you!
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Most likely, Summer, though the WP reader is a strange beast. Specifically, WP doesn’t seem to count those who use it in the totals it sends me.
A good friend uses it to peruse the site, and in the olden days, back when I was getting a dozen (at best) visitors per month, she would comment on various entries. Yet her visits never made the odometer click up a notch. She definitely had visited, as she commented on things seen only here, yet WP would have me believe she never visited.
As far as it goes, Summer, you’re the first who’s mentioned finding me via the reader. Most people don’t describe their journeys; they just “Like,” or sometimes, comment. Most who have detailed the discovery mention a friend referring them, or follow me to the site from a comment I had made on someone else’s blog.
Well, I’m glad the reader made us aware of each other. Thanks, WP Reader! Too often you labor in anonymity, but not this time!
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Hmmm… now I wish I remembered what I searched that brought me to your site. I believe the recipe was a healthier version of a fried recipe, so likely something related to that.
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Maybe it was the Oven-“Fried” Fish? Perhaps the Dijon and bread crumb-coated chicken that was oven-baked, yet acted as though it were fried? One of my favorites and I hope it’s what brought you here.
Once you arrived, I was curious about your site, and am so glad I set off exploring. A treasure vault. No, a whole cavern filled with al sorts of glitteries. Not only do you publish about four times as often, but you jewel your pages with all sorts of healthy, delectable, original options. When I sign in after diner, yours is the first site I visit. Mine, not until close to bedtime!
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Awww, thank you. I think you are right that it was a healthier “fried” recipe that brought me here. Great idea!
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Touching, Summer, though the the credit should be Grey Poupon’s, not mine.
Over the years, inspirations have come from many places, but never before (or since) tied around the neck of a mustard jar!
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A very July sort of meal. I gravitate more towards the peaches, naturally — hello, sweet tooth! — but the steak actually sounds like something we might be able to make ourselves, and enjoy. And that cilantro, lettuce, and radishes — would that be from your garden?
And by the way, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with giving a recipe a practical name!
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Yes, Rachel, though lyricism, if any is at hand, should have something to say. In the preparation, in the presentation, and in the enjoyment. Indeed, even in the naming!
The peaches really are superb on the grill. Around here, they’re about three weeks away from peak. Want a way to get perfection here even quicker? Let the flame invigorate the juices, concentrate the sweetness and touch the peaches with caramel. Mmmm!
Don’t know what part of the world you call home, but here in eastern North America, the sun has been relentless. Bright, cheerful and great for thriving tomatoes and corn. Oh, and ideal grilling weather too. (Though, as a guy, I’ll attest grilling knows no season!)
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We live in the eastern United States… Though the sun has (thankfully) hidden behind the clouds now and then. Doesn’t stop me from lamenting the temperatures, though…
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Ah, same here! While I can’t say I’m a fan of all the 90-plus temps, all this sunshine has been superb, especially for early-to-mid summer.
The deck corn in particular really is going to town. Thoughts of going straight from the stalk, to the grill, stir a young man’s fancy.
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“Deck corn”? Wait, you can do that? Just grow it in a pot on the deck? Ooh… Fresh corn on the grill does sound good… Well, so long as I’m not the one standing outside in the heat, doing the grilling. I have sensitive skin! 😅
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Yep, Rachel, the idea was a new one to me too when I spied the seeds in a Burpee catalog early this spring.
The gamble really paid off, though, as the stalks now approach five feet and they are forming ears all over. “Local Corn,” the sign next to the roadside stand reads. Well, you can’t get much more local than five steps from the back door.
As for grilling, well, you’re not a guy, Rachel. See, we’re pretty fanatical about the Art of the Flame. In fact, I’ve been known to shovel a path through the snow, just to get to the grill, so adamant my zeal.
So fret not, Rachel. I’ll brave the humidity and the, like, 162-degree temperatures to grill some ears. Results to follow in a future post. There’s quite the backlog right now, which means the article may not show until next summer or so, but it’s coming! That (fingers crossed) should keep your interest for another year.
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“The Art of the Flame,” huh? 😂 Well, then, I’ll happily leave it to you, lauding your bravery, and looking forward to reading the results… Whether they appear soon for viewing, or sometime after you next must shovel through the snow.
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Thanks for your patience, Rachel! Despite diversions, you’ll despair the corn has been forgotten, until…
it’ll sneak up on you suddenly, as Rosy did to galleons, back in his pirating days. Years before he made his true fortune crafting high-end lingerie.
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“High-end lingerie.”
…
You know, when I finally break out into an uncontrollable, roaring fit of laughter in the middle of the night, thus waking my sister and possibly half the household — I am blaming you. 😂
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Fair enough, Rachel. Unless you do that all the time, and for no good reason. Then that one’s on you, my friend.
Originally, I wrote “high-end women’s lingerie,” but I omitted one of the modifiers, as I don’t think men’s lingeried is much of a thing.
Rosy excepted. though he’s exceptional in many ways.
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Hah! Oh no, I think it’s safe to say the blame is squarely on you and your witty humor. I can usually keep my laughter in… well enough not to wake half the household, anyway. But I can just imagine it: Me, slipping up with a snort or a chortle; my sister, noticing and asking what I find so funny… And then my awkward answer of, “Well… Uh… Lingerie.” Now there’d be an interesting conversation… How does one properly explain (and to one’s sister, no less) why it makes absolutely perfect sense (and not only that, but is devastatingly hilarious) that a retired, corset-wearing pirate should make his fortune in the lingerie business?
I can just imagine her face…
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Well, Rachel, I’m convinced all of life winds its way to one question – Do you understand Rosy, or don’t you?
If you don’t, no amount of explaining will square that circle. In fact, half of Rosy’s first crew didn’t understand., and look what happened to them. No, no – the future definitely wears lingerie.
Honestly, Rachel, did you realize, when you composed that limerick, we still would be talking about it?
Do you think we still will be doing so ten years from now? Also, will we still use napkins in the year 2030, or is this mouth-vacuum thing for real?
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The future wears lingerie; and a brace of pistols, perhaps? We ARE talking about a future shaped by a multi-millionaire former pirate. Wait… Is he the one who brings Victorian utterances back in vogue as well? Well, by George, I certainly hope he keeps napkins a thing!
And no, I did not realize my little limerick would be so greatly expanded upon. All the more fun. 🙂
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Capital, Rachel!
Oh, and heretofore.
Bully for brassieres and bandoleros too!
I don’t even know if I used the right words – much too tired. Have to be at work in, like, five hours, so good night! More to follow, no doubt, sometime soon!
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Bras and bandits? Oh my…
Sleep well, then! Good luck at work.
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Thanks for that, Rachel, and I did.
See, I thought bandoleros are those things they wear like sashes, to keep their bullets handy.
Not the first time I got something wrong. Point is, Rosy issues brassieres and bandoleros in equal quantities. No matter whether you’re a sea pirate or a desert pirate, if you don’t look fetching while you stalk your prey, what’s the point?
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Glad to hear it. 🙂
Wait, sashes? Bullets? You wouldn’t happen to be thinking of bandoliers, would you? Because that’s not very wrong at all: the two words are closely related.
I’m sounding like a know-it-all here, aren’t I? Disclaimer: information of words three syllables or more, generally purloined from Google. Or possibly video games.
But anyway, yeah. Rosy’s got to keep the needs of his consumers in mind, after all. Every pirate, ruffian, scoundrel, etc. of course secretly desires to dazzle with comfortable yet stylish under attire as they load a single shot into the cylinder of their new “Rosy” brand revolver (because no look is truly complete without a pistol at the hip!) to play roulette with their victims.
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So, that’s why Rosy kept you onboard, Rachel? He was going all gaga over treasure chests and the like, until you showed him all life really has to offer. Rumor has it, he didn’t even know the difference between a handkerchief and a corset before you set sail.
Now, ports across the Caribbean find themselves plundered, but looking fabulous!
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Shh! If that gets out to the general public, then every port I visit is going to either want to hang me, or hire me! Far too much trouble for my tastes. I prefer to think of myself as just along for the ride.
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Sure, Rachel, that’s what we’re telling the world, but we both know how positive an influence you’ve had on Rosy’s life.
Without you, he would’ve been an unimaginatively conventional pirate. A little shooting here, a little looting there. Eventually sinking beneath the waves, and into oblivion, chasing after some Spanish galleon or another.
Instead, Rosy spreads good taste wherever the Seven Seas wash ashore. Long before Victoria had her secret, Rosy had his corset. Once he dreamt of nothing but gold and diamonds; now it’s silks and satin.
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Ha! Well, I’m not so sure I’d call myself a positive influence… I think there’s half a crew in Davey Jones’s locker who might just disagree. Actually, that might be an entire crew; I can’t recall if the other half survived past the Sargasso Sea incident…
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You of all people should know, Rachel, Rosy’s rampages were born of shame over his corset.
Before he met you, it was something he hid, stamping out the merest speculation. Only by your influence did he realize lace and satin had a future.
In fact, that’s how he broke free of the Sargasso. Made a sail of all the corsets, the lightest flutter of a fan gliding the satin through the sky and straight to the nearest port. And when the French saw all those corsets….
Wait, why am I telling you? You lived it.
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Well, we’ll just say I have a bad memory. 😜
Though you seem rather acquainted with events… You wouldn’t happen to have spent a year or two as a deckhand, would you have? At this rate, it wouldn’t surprise me if the captain took you on as first mate… Or, you know, business partner.
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No, no, Rachel…but I did read Rosy’s memoir. After he sold a million corsets in just fourteen hours, the press clamored to learn all about “The Ruffian Behind the Golden Silk.” It spent forty-six weeks atop the Times’ Bestseller List.
Your memory is excellent; you shouldn’t disparage it. After all, Rosy dedicated his memoir to you, didn’t he?
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Did he? …I don’t remember. 😜
READ his memoir? Why, it wouldn’t surprise me if you wrote it! Perhaps you’re his scribe in disguise? It would explain why the memoir was so popular!
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It was popular because who other than Rosy could write a chapter filled with alluring lingerie models and pleading hostages? One that conveys the thrill of digging up hidden treasure, as well as a weaver of forgotten silks? All of this was just Chapter 17, too.
In fact, it only fell apart when Rosy started writing recipes. Most involved rum, and went nowhere from there. “Lemongrass Chicken? Aye! First, hoist a bottle of rum, and then…then…whatever.”
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Chapter 17! My lucky number. Sounds fascinating, too. I can’t believe he fit all that in a single chapter!
And personally, I would absolutely love to read a pirate trying to follow a recipe after (or, while) drinking copious amounts of rum. Even better would be if he did his own cooking show! Or maybe more of a sitcom…
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Granted, Rachel. It’s called “Rick & Morty.”
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Oh, is it? I suppose I’ll have to look that up now.
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Well, Rachel, Rick is drunk all the time, so I suppose the show could be what a rum-addled pirate would imagine cooking involves.
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I nominated you for Sunshine Blogger Award. Link is below. If you do not wish to participate, it’s totally cool! Love, Tamara
https://monikajeneva.wordpress.com/2020/07/17/blogger-award-sunshine-bbycgn/
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Thanks much, Tamara!
Beautifully flattering, though your continued interest provides all the recognition I need!
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😊 xxxooo
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Looks delicious! Will definitely add these to my cookbook!
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Thanks, Leif!
Thus, the culinary universe expands.
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