Hot summer nights

Things have been going well, although very busy. So well, that Kyle and I finally purchased a car (a silver Mazda 6) so that I can drive instead of taking the bus to work. I don't mind the bus so much, if its on time, and that's a big if. But it has been nice to get around on my own without always relying on my hubby:)

I just got done reading this great cookbook (yes, I read them cover to cover) by Steven Raichlen all about BBQ sauces, rubs and marinades. Many great ideas to try even though I'll be roasting and broiling instead of grilling. In fact, I recently tried my hand at authentic (almost) North Carolina pulled pork, complete with slaw and everything. The pulled pork from NC is smothered in this delicious vinegar pepper sauce, and the slaw to top is just cabbage that has been soaking in the same sauce. Soooo good! My version turned out pretty well, although I had to go for oven roasted instead of barbecued over coals for a long period of time. Someday, we will have a barbecue, and I can finally do all this cooking outside.

Which would be especially nice right now as the weather has been horribly hot, and no AC to speak of. Which means everytime I have to cook even a bit, it heats up the whole house. Even just steaming some rice and corn, and broiling salmon quickly for dinner tonight heat up the kitchen tons.

Otherwise, I also made a big batch of pie dough. I grabbed a lot of yummy apples on same at Henry's which I'm looking forward to making apple pie with. The Baking with Julia cookbook I recently got from the library had a great recipe that's large enough for 4 pie crusts, which should give me enough for one apple pie plus some dough for quiches and such. Speaking of, I finally got mini tartlet pans so instead of making a whole quiche, which is quite rich for two people, I can just make mini ones and freeze them. Plus, each one can be a different kind!

Otherwise, I made some yummy coconut ice cream, which when topped with the homemade kaluha, was so good. Kyle and I first tried that dish on our honeymoon, and it was so refreshing and creamy at the same time. And tonight for dessert it's fresh raspberries and blackberries, which were also on sale at Henry's and at their peak. Yum! By the way, I love Henry's and Trader Joe's! So nice to have stores of quality where things aren't outrageously expensive like dairy and chicken broth. Also, being able to buy items in bulk, like red lentils for cheap and flour for 29 cents/lb, and many types of spices for pennies, is so awesome. I really hope these stores pop up all over the country, or at least in New Mexico and Colorado, soon. I have hope for NM, as Trader Joe's is expanding into that state, so we'll see.