Congratulations to our giveaway winners BakersSpoon and Mayra Dixon!
Thanks so much for following us. We hope these colourful Tibetan flags bring
you lots of luck.
They say I bake too much. Hey, it makes me happy.
But, the last thing you want to do in this heat wave is work the oven.
Escaping to our front porch is a better idea on hot summer evenings.
We chat about the day’s happenings and catch up with the friendly people walking by.
Morning coffee tastes great on that porch, too.
When I leave for work, I always turn back, looking for Daisy – sometimes I get a fish-face kiss through the window!
When she was a baby, I’d take Daisy outside and we’d settle into my rocking chair. I’d snuggle her in my arms and the cool night air would lull her to sleep.
You know, I do some of my best thinking here.
When we first moved into our house, we strung a prayer flag across the branches of that old fig tree out back.
Legend has it that Buddha himself wrote prayers onto battle flags that later evolved into the colourful prayer flags we have today.
The different colours represent the Elements of Nature.
Red is fire.
White is the wind.
White is the wind.
Blue is for the sky.
Yellow represents land.
Green is for water.
In Tibet, vibrant prayer flags stand boldly against both dusty and icy landscapes. Life is hard in these parts.
The Sherpa are hearty people who battle the elements in desolate high altitudes. Often, little girls care for younger siblings while their parents work to support the family.
Someone gave me my first prayer flag as a gift years ago and told me to hang it in front of my house, so the wind could carry good fortune into my home.
Since then, I’ve always had one.
Since then, I’ve always had one.
Last night, I sat on our front porch quietly, thinking of new ideas for dinner.
I closed my eyes and saw that old fig tree, the bright fabric swaying gently back and forth in the breeze…
The thought of a place far, far away landed me in Tibet, then on further to India, where the Dalai Lamai settled in 1959, followed by a wave of Tibetans.
Suddenly, I remembered an interesting salad I used to make years ago.
I closed my eyes and saw that old fig tree, the bright fabric swaying gently back and forth in the breeze…
The thought of a place far, far away landed me in Tibet, then on further to India, where the Dalai Lamai settled in 1959, followed by a wave of Tibetans.
Suddenly, I remembered an interesting salad I used to make years ago.
One of the first things I made in my early days in the kitchen was actually something that had little, if any, cooking required.
The vibrant colours of the fruit, crisp flavour of the shrimp with a hint of curry make a refreshing dinner on hot summer nights.
It’s been years since I’ve made it and my sister still remembers how delicious it is.
Are you going to the grocery store today?
Add mangoes to your shopping list.
The green-red oblong ones called Kents have a sweet-tart flavour and chewy texture.
This salad pops.
It’s spicy, cool, crispy, salty, buttery, refreshing all at the same time.
It’s spicy, cool, crispy, salty, buttery, refreshing all at the same time.
Summer Shrimp Salad
Trader Joe’s has a great selection of various types of shrimp, different sizes, both cooked and raw.
The jumbo cooked ones are best for this salad, because you have very little to do.
Just take them out of the freezer and thaw for a few minutes in cold water.
If you can’t find the ready-cooked bunch, get the raw. They cook up in no time!
After you take them off the heat, put them on ice to stop the cooking process and
to chill them thoroughly for this refreshing salad.
Serves 4
2 Kent mangoes (the red-green oblong guys)
2 avocados
1 lb jumbo (15-tail) shrimp, frozen & ready cooked
1/2 cup sweet basil
2 jalapeno peppers
1 tsp curry powder
4 Tb Ponzu sauce
1 lime
Remove shrimp from packaging and thaw them in cold water while you prepare the salad.
Wash and rinse the basil.
Cut the jalapeno peppers into thin slices and add to a large bowl.
Grate the zest and squeeze the juice of the lime. Add both to the peppers.
Add the Ponzu and curry powder.
Add the Ponzu and curry powder.
Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin of the mangoes. Cut the fruit up into thin strips
and lay over the marinating jalapenos.
Cut the avocados in half and carefully remove pits. Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh out,
slice into strips and add to the bowl.
Rinse the shrimp and toss with the ingredients in the bowl.
Divide among four plates or bowls, sprinkle basil leaves on top and serve.
It’s true, I do have a raging sweet tooth.
But, I adore savory foods, too.
Salads are the best things to eat in the summertime.
With all the fresh fruits and vegetables everywhere now, it’s easy to get creative.
That old prayer flag in our fig tree brought to mind tropical flavours that came to life in this simple salad.
It’s the bounty I imagine the Tibetans enjoyed in their new home of India.
Enter now!
1-All Facebook fans are automatically entered in giveaways.
2-Enter a comment below, telling me what you think the flag would inspire you to make.
3- Post to my Facebook page about this salad.
4-Tweet about this giveaway.
It’s a wonderful time of year. Look around you for inspiration and see what you can cook up.
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