Burntside trip part 2

       On Thursday Night we rented a Bennington Pontoon for four hours which gave us enough time to visit the whole lake. We saw some really amazing things. Some of the things we saw on the lake were a deer and a foe swimming in the water. This was the first time I have ever seen a swimming deer. I didn't even know that deer could swim. One of the best parts of the ride was going into the north arm of the lake. The north arm was so beautiful. We were the only boat in the area. There were times when we would go about an hour without seeing any other boats. It was hard to imagine that because it was the most beautiful night ever. With a crystal clear lake and the sky without a cloud in sight. We had the timing perfect so that we could be cruising and at the the same time see a gorgeous sunset. 
      One of the highlights for me was the amazing food in the Dinning Room and at the Lounge. I had some very good dishes. I started off the trip with a Walleye Sandwich. On Wednesday Night I had the Burntside Burger. On Saturday the day we were leaving I had the Walleye and Eggs Breakfast. Every meal I had was amazing. After I had the Burntside Burger I had the pie of the day for dessert. The pie was a Cherry and Peach Pie with Toasted Almond Ice Cream. This pie was one of the best pies I have ever had.
   The Walleye Sandwich was pretty simple but the combinations of all of the ingredients made the sandwich heavenly. The sandwich was made with a piece of Walleye sandwiched between a soft and fresh chibatta bread with a roumalade spread. On the side was a leaf of romaine lettuce, a tomato, pickle, and a small serving of homemade french fries. Having this Walleye Sandwich has become a tradition, it is so good that I have to have it.
     The Burntside Burger was the best burger I have had in a long time. It was a half pound burger that I ate most of. Dad helped me by eating a third of the burger. The burger was topped with Bacon, Carmelized Onions, and Cheddar Cheese. On the side there was leaf of romaine lettuce, a tomato, pickle, and a small serving of homemade french fries. What made the burger so good was the fact that it was cooked perfectly and that each flavor of each ingredient mixed together made a great bite. For dessert I had the Cherry and Peach Pie with Toasted Almond Ice Cream. The Pie was crazy good with the mix of the fresh cherry's and peaches and then the Toasted Almond Ice Cream that was not too almondie. The combination of a small bite of pie and then a little ice cream on top made that bite amazing. Having that dessert was the cleanup hitter for me.
     The Walleye and Eggs have also become a tradition for when we have breakfast in the dinning room right before we leave. The cornmeal crusted Walleye was great. The potatoes that were perfectly seasoned and cooked made a great bite with the Walleye. The perfectly crunchy English Muffin dipped in the over easy egg or raspberry jelly spread on top made a fantastic bite. If you wanted to get fancy you could place a little bit of Walleye on the English Muffin with one dip of egg yolk. If you do this you will not regret the decision. 
      This years trip to Burntside Lodge was AWESOME. Many memories were made. Less than 24 hours later I am missing the sound of the water, the slight breeze, and the sound of the loons calling. I am so excited for next years trip.





Links:
http://listeningpointfoundation.org --------- Listening Point

http://listeningpointfoundation.org/listening-point-named-to-national-historic-registry-in-2007/ ------ 
Listening Point Named to National Historic Registry in 2007

http://www.burntside.com -------- Burntside Lodge




      

Me and my small mouth bass

One of the Walleye I caught

The Burntside Burger

Cherry and Peach Pie with Toasted Almond Ice Cream

Walleye and Eggs

Trip to Burntside Lodge 2013

      Recently my family took a trip to the Northern Woods of Minnesota. We were so far north that we were about 10 miles from the Canada/U.S. Border. Our family was staying at Burntside Lodge. Burntside Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes I have seen. What makes it so special is the sunsets, the presence of so many loons, it's clear water, and the occasional  moose, deer, or wolf you might see.  Burntside Lake is also a entry point to the BWCA (Boundary Waters Canoe Area). Many people have cabins or houses on Burntside Lake. Some of the houses are really amazing. The only way to get to your cabin is to boat or take a float plane in. Only some residents can access the lake by dirt road. We have been going to Burntside Lodge for two years now. The first year we went for four nights and this year we went big time by going to Burntside Lodge for a week. Going to Burntside Lodge for one week is really a treat. We had a blast.
      We did many things during  our stay. We went for a hike around Bass Lake, we went Walleye fishing on Thursday morning, rented a pontoon so that we could explore Burntside Lake, and had the opportunity to take a guided tour of Listening Point on Friday. The Walleye fishing on Thursday morning was one of the things we did on last years trip. We only went for one fishing outing this year where last year we went for two. We had a very good fishing trip this year.  Our guide to us out on   Garden Lake, which is part of a chain of Lakes with Farm Lake and one other lake in the area. We fished on Farm Lake last year. We put the boat into Farm Lake and sped over to Garden Lake to fish on a beautiful sunny morning. We caught 8 Walleye which gave us 18 smaller sized fillets. Along with the Walleye I caught a big Small Mouth Bass and a few Perch. We made a very good Walleye fish fry on Friday for lunch with the fish we had caught.

Here is the Preparation for a delicious Walleye lunch:

•  Prepare the fish in a simple egg, flour, and bread crumbs coating 
• then we put the fillets in a frying pan and fry the fish until the bread crumbs were golden.

Ingredients:

• 16 small fillets (8 Walleye)
• 2-3 Eggs
• 1 Cup Flour
• 1-2 cups bread crumbs 
• Enough Olive Oil so fish doesn't stick to pan. (Amount of oil will change depending on size of pan)

The amount of flour and bread crumbs will change depending on how big the fillets of the fish 

Before our Fish Fry on Friday we took a tour of Listening Point. Listening Point is located on the South Arm of Burntside Lake which is approximately 4 miles away from Burntside Lodge. Listening Point was a second home to Sigurd and Elizabeth Olson. This second home was their retreat in the woods. On the 36 acres there is a beach, a cove that is bordered with alder and willow, a Sauna that has almost burned down multiple times, and a very cute cabin. This piece of land is truly beautiful. What also makes the land so beautiful is the glaciated greenstone rock on the shoreline. This greenstone is so interesting. When the glaciers were shaping the earth the greenstone was scratched numerous times. Even today you can still see the lines were the glaciers scraped the rock. I was so happy that I got a chance to see this famous piece of land.
    Listening Point is also on the National Register of Historic Places. This happened in 2007. That is also why Listening Point is so beautiful. I will put a link to the article later on in the post.

To read more about the meals I ate including Walleye and the ones that didn't, read my next post!!!!!!
       



Links:
http://listeningpointfoundation.org --------- Listening Point

http://listeningpointfoundation.org/listening-point-named-to-national-historic-registry-in-2007/ ------ 
Listening Point Named to National Historic Registry in 2007

http://www.burntside.com -------- Burntside Lodge




      

Me and my small mouth bass

One of the Walleye I caught

Summer Time Coolers

     After a long, hot day outside do you feel like you need something cold to drink? You want it to be healthy right? This summer I have taken an idea from my brother and turned it into a drink that my we love to make after playing sports all day long. One objective I had was to transform an unhealthy slushy and make a version that would be better for us to drink.
     All you have to have for a 100% more healthy slushy is some fruit juice, ice, and a blender. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can use any kind of fruit juice. My favorite juice to put in a slushy is Orange or Lemonade. If you want a thicker slushy then your best bet is to use a  thicker juice like Orange, Pineapple, or Pineapple Coconut. If you want a lighter slushy than your best bet might be trying a type of Lemonade.
      There isn't a set recipe for the Summer Time Coolers but to make two full glasses of slushy you will need:

• One Cup of juice
• One tray of ice cubes

Once the juice and ice is together in the blender, blend until you like the consistency of the drink. 

This is the simplest recipe ever. Two ingredients. How easy!!!

Freshly made Orange Juice Cooler

Summer Time Pizzas

A few days ago my mom and I made some very delicious pizzas. We had just received  a box from our CSA farm and we wanted to incorporate the produce into the dinner. Which we were able to accomplish. When we had the idea of making a nice meal for a perfect summer night we thought of something easy, making pizzas. We made a Chicken Sausage and Mushroom , a Pesto and Tomato, and last but not least a Pizza with Ricotta Cheese, Dates, and speciality Salami.  I especially liked the taste of the Chicken Sausage because it had Sun Dried Tomatoes in it. The fresh taste of the pesto (which my mom made with Basil from the Kenwood School Garden), mixed perfectly with the ripe tomatoes. My mom thought the Ricotta cheese, dates, and salami pizza was the best pizza on the table. Next time she wants to try to put some basil or arugula on it as well. If you want to make a nice summer meal for the family this combination of pizzas works really well and will provide exceptional tastes for everyone. 

Chicken Sausage and Mushroom Pizza

Pesto and Tomato Pizza

Mongolian Stir-fry

This is one of the dishes that I really enjoyed on our trip to Vermont!

                                                 Mongolian Stir-Fry

1 block extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons sesame oil (or olive oil)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 scallion chopped (for garnish)
fresh lime juice

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cornstarch to the tofu in a small bowl and toss to coat.
Add the tofu to the skillet and cook until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes.

While the tofu is cooking, combine the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, 1/2 cup water and brown sugar. Mix well.
When tofu has browned, add the sauce, stir, then bring to a simmer before reducing heat to low. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until sauce has thickened and reduced.

Serve with brown rice, soba noodles, or green beans, and garnish with green onion and a squeeze of lime.

Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing {vegan, gluten-free}

    Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing 

Ingredients

• ¾ cup uncooked quinoa
• 1-2 cups shredded red cabbage, depending on how much crunch you like
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• ½ red onion, diced
  
  
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup diced green onions
• ½ cup cashew halves or peanuts (honey-roasted is good)
• Optional: 1 cup edamame or chickpeas
• Fresh lime, for a bit of tang
• For the dressing:
• ¼ cup all natural peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce, gluten-free if desired
• 1 tablespoon honey (use agave if vegan)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Water to thin, if necessary

Instructions

1. To cook quinoa: Rinse quinoa with cold water in mesh strainer. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil. Add in quinoa and bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all of the water. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with fork; place in large bowl and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. You should have a little over 2 cups of quinoa.
2. To make dressing: Add peanut butter and honey or agave to a medium microwave safe bowl; heat in microwave for 20 seconds. Add in ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and both sesame and olive oil and stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. If you want a thinner dressing, simply stir in a teaspoon or two of water or olive oil.
3. Add as much or as little dressing as you’d like to the quinoa. I always start out with a little bit of dressing and usually add more to suit my taste preferences. Alternatively you can save the dressing for later and add when you are ready to eat; however the flavors of the dressing usually soak into the salad so I love adding it to the quinoa first.
4. Next fold in red pepper, onion, cabbage, carrots, and cilantro into the quinoa. Garnish with cashews and green onions. Serve chilled or at room temperature with lime wedges if desired.

Vermont 2013

       Recently my family went on a road trip to Michigan and then Vermont. We started the trip by driving to Grand Rapids, Michigan where we joined our grandparents for Michigan State's Grandparent University. After that, we drove 19 hours to Vermont. The driving was long but we made it fun by caravaning with our grandparents and our aunts's family. We started driving at 7:00 a.m. and arrived in Vermont at 12:00 p.m.  
      Once in Vermont we met up with my dad's brother's family. Their house is located on top of a mountain - it is an amazing setting. If you walk up the drive way you can get a spectacular view of all of these mountains including the biggest in it's area, The Killington Mountains. Killington is also the best downhill skiing and snowboarding mountain in the area. Wherever we went we were surrounded by mountains. The driving can be challenging and also quite scenic as they twist and turn through the countryside.
     Now the best thing to talk about: The Food. We made some very good meals at the house and also went out for a few of the meals. One included going to The Long Trail Brewing Pub (I will include the link to Long Trail Brewing Company further on in the post).  Long Trail Brewing is a Company that Brews beers. When you go to the restaurant you can take a self guided tour of the brewery. When I was there I got to see the Pumpkin Ale being put in bottles and then in boxes. It was pretty cool to see. 
     The first morning we were in Vermont we went to Blanche and Bills Pancake House. (I will include the link to Blanche and Bills Pancake House later on in the post).  Going to Blanche and Bills on the first morning of our stay was a perfect way to kick off our stay in Vermont. At Blanche and Bills I had a breakfast sandwich that included bacon, cheddar cheese, and an egg. All of those goodies were sandwiched in-between an english muffin. Blanche and Bills was devastated when hurricane Irene hit. The restaurant re-opened this year on June 14.

      Some of the meals that we had at home included: Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing, Grilled Pizzas topped with sausage, fresh mozzarella, and basil, and a Soba noodle salad with pan fried tofu. One other item that was a big hit for the kiddies was the fresh watermelon juice. To make watermelon juice all you do is put some seedless watermelon in a blender, once the watermelon is blended squeeze some lemon juice into the blended watermelon, and finally blend the two ingredients for about 25 seconds. I will include the recipes for the Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing and Soba Noodle salad with pan fried tofu in different posts.

       On one of the last days of our stay in Vermont we went to the home of King Arthur Flour (I will add the link to King Arthur Flour later on in the post). The building had a gift store that has anything you might need for any kind of baking. The store also sells merchandise and King Arthur Flour in all different sizes. It also just happened to be lunch time. Their was a nice little cafe in the building where we got lunch. All of the breads on the menu are breads made with King Arthur Flour.

     Our trip to Vermont this year was spectacular. What made the memories were the places we went and the activities we did with our family. 

Links

Long Trail Brewing- http://www.longtrail.com

Blanche and Bills Pancake House- http://www.blancheandbills.com

King Arthur Flours- http://www.kingarthurflour.com

Sausage, Basil, and fresh Mozzarella Pizza before
grilling

This is 4th of July spirit at King Arthur Flour

       

My uncle and me grilling Pizzas

Piet sitting in King Arthur's Throne