Quote and Thoughts

Thoughts on a quote by our bro, the good man Teddy R. :

Teddy Roosevelt at Glacier Point, Yosemite Ntl. Park (Image Courtesy)

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

There is so much in this speech to be appreciated, but I wanted to focus on the last few lines. I think there are many quotes to be considered on the merit of trying and putting forth effort, but this one in particular spoke to me! 

I really appreciate that Teddy recognized that there is something to be said about a person who endeavors for great things, even in the face of failure. I know that personally I am impressed when someone achieves something great, but I am not impressed when someone gives something a shot and doesn't make it. For some reason, I had looked at that failure as a negative thing. However, this speech shows great wisdom by illustrating the value of effort. 

These words demonstrate a counter intuitive concept--failure itself can be a great thing. And although that may be hard to wrap my head around, this is a practical thing in many ways! Trying for something great sets you apart from the many people that never gave it a shot. And when I talked about this quote with Ashley, she also pointed out that trying is useful because there is so much you learn when you try!

So the moral of this post is that trying for something and failing is not bad. Repeat: trying for something and failing is not bad. Because if you get it, you have achieved. And if you don't, you were one of the people brave enough to try and that is an achievement in itself, and you have also learned! Thanks Teddy for your wisdom <3

Tiffany

North Carolina Lemon Pie

One of the perks of being at home with my parents is getting to peruse their issues of Cook's Country magazine.  Often they highlight regional delicacies from around the country, but one in this year's March/April issue struck close to home.  It featured a lemon pie made famous in Atlantic Beach, NC and by chef Bill Smith at Crook's Corner restaurant in Chapel Hill, NC.  I must have been living under a rock during the four years I spent as a college student in Chapel Hill because I never once tasted or even heard of this pie.  Thankfully, one year after my graduation, I was finally enlightened by the perfection that is a saltine cracker crust, sour lemon custard, and vanilla whipped cream.  It is an incredible combination of salty, sour, and sweet that cements it in first place as my favorite pie ever.  No kidding!  It blows every lemon merengue pie I've ever had out of the water!

Saltine crackers don't seem like the obvious choice for a dessert, but they are perfectly balanced with the other flavors in this pie.  I don't think anything sweeter or sugarier would work.

6 ounces of crackers is about a sleeve and a half.

One tip for getting corn syrup (or any sticky liquid) out of a measuring cup: spray it with cooking oil first!

I'm in love with this pie plate I got for Christmas!

Slicing the butter first always helps it melt faster.

A food processor makes this crust super quick.  I used the same 1/4 cup I measured my corn syrup in to press the crust around the pie plate.

The sides of the crust shrank down when I baked it, but it leveled perfectly with the amount of lemon custard.  

I left a little of the lemon custard exposed when I topped it with whipped cream.

Delicious!

North Carolina Lemon Pie

Adapted from Cook's Country Magazine

For the crust:

6 oz. Saltine Crackers

10 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/8 tsp. salt

For the filling:

4 egg yolks

1 15 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 Tbsp lemon zest & 1/2 cup lemon juice (I used 2 lemons)

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/8 tsp salt

For the whipped cream

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pulse the crackers and salt in the food processor 15 times until they form coarse crumbs.  Add the melted butter and corn syrup, pulse 15 more times until the texture of oatmeal.  Dump into greased pie plate and use the back of a flat measuring cup or glass to spread around and up the edges evenly.  Bake at 350 fahrenheit for 16-18 minutes until golden brown.  

Whisk together egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, zest, heavy cream, and salt until smooth.  Add lemon juice and whisk until smooth.  Pour into baked crust (doesn't need to be cool) and pop back in the oven for 15-18 minutes until set.  Let cool on a cooling rack, and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (it's best if left overnight!).

Use beaters to whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla to stiff peaks.  Spread over the chilled pie and enjoy! 

~Ashley

Corn Fritters with Avocado Salsa

When spring finally rolls around I'm always tired of hot and heavy winter stews and I crave something light and fresh.  These fritters with avocado salsa strike a nice balance between light and filling, making them perfect for spring.  They're also delicious and surprisingly simple to make. Here's how I made them (recipe at the bottom):

 

I diced up some red onion...

   

...and minced a clove of garlic.

I cubed a couple avocados

    

and I diced a tomato.

I finely chopped some jalapeño...

...some cilantro...

...and a scallion.

I added all the ingredients to a bowl and sprinkled over a little salt.

I squeezed in half a lime.

I added a little red wine vinegar.

And finally, a drizzle of olive oil.

All mixed together, here is the avocado salsa!

...

Now for the corn fritters:

I drained a can of sweet corn and dumped it into a bowl.

In went some red onion and scallions.

I measured in some all purpose flour.

Then I measured in a little cornmeal.

In went some baking powder...

...and some baking soda.

I melted some butter and added it to the bowl with two eggs and milk.

And I mixed it all up.

I made 7 fritters from this recipe.

Into the hot pan with coconut oil.

I fried them until golden brown on each side.

Beautiful and so delicious!

Corn Fritters with Avocado Salsa

For the Salsa:

2 ripe avocados, cubed

1 tomato, diced

1 1/2 Tbsp red onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp jalapeño, finely chopped

1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1 scallion, chopped

Juice from 1/2 lime

3 tsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl.

For the Fritters:

1 can sweet corn, drained

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

2 scallions, chopped

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 Tbsp butter, melted

2 eggs

2 Tbsp milk

1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Form 6-8 fritters.  Heat vegetable or coconut oil over medium high heat in a skillet until hot.  Add fritters and fry each side 2-3 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.  Drain on paper towels and serve topped with avocado salsa.

~Ashley

Santa Monica

One of the pros of living in California is access to the beautiful beaches. Here is my current favorite--Santa Monica! This area is commercial, fun, and it's absolutely gorgeous. 

Here is a picture of the Santa Monica Pier. There are all sorts of fun things here including a little carnival area and restaurants to eat at. The arcade here is fun too if you want to indulge your inner child!

Walking towards the beach from the pier entrance affords you this stunning view. 

Here you can see fellow beach-goers enjoying the ocean!

The setting summer sun is captivating.

The sunset colors are just gorgeous.

Goodnight sun!

Santa Monica is a place I love to take people when they visit for a day trip :) The beach and the 3rd Street Promenade along with the pier  make for a beautiful and enjoyable day. If you visit Southern California, please stop by Santa Monica!

Tiffany