iNamored.

I've been looking at it for at least three months, telling myself I don't really need one.  And that I should probably wait for the next version to come out.

But, then I tell me that I could do all sorts of cool things with it that would eliminate my having to carry around quickly-outdated hard copies of stuff.  And that I wouldn't have to haul my laptop everywhere.

In the debates between me, myself, and I, it isn't exactly clear which one of us won, but I now have an iPad.  Or, as Apple likes to say, I now have iPad.  What's with that?  Weird. 

Anyway....after little more than a week, here's what I like so far:

I can actually type on this keyboard!

I can buy a data plan when I need it, month-to-month for as little as $15, instead of signing a two-year contract with a $30--or greater--monthly fee.  The rest of the time I can use WiFi.

Most-used apps so far:  Blogshelf and MLB.com At Bat 2010.

MLB.com lets me haul a game around easily from room to room, complete with gameday audio (because I'm too cheap to subscribe to MLBtv), which is a big deal because we rarely get my teams on TV, and I can't be sitting at the desk all day.

  

Blogshelf is like iBooks for blogs...a very cool and convenient way to organize and keep up on the ones I follow.  And thanks to the app developer and their "recommended blogs" that default when you open the app, I'm now hooked on The Pioneer Woman...how have I not been following her up to this point?  I laugh, I cry, I admire her photographic talent, I get hungry...

I can organize my accessory products in albums, instead of a physical book.  Saves photo printing, keeps things current, one less thing to carry.  Very handy.

I can use it in the kitchen to follow my recipes.

Of course, all the basic functions such as e-mail, calendar, web browsing, music, maps and such are terrific, too.  I haven't really begun to dig into all the apps, or opened the floodgates that is iBooks...I'm sure I'll continue to find a million and one more reasons to like this thing.

So, tell me:  Do you have one?  What do you like best about it?  What apps are some of your favorites?

The dish on the new dish deal

Back here, I promised to tell you how that Tandoori Shrimp turned out.  It was delish!  The recipe was originally intended to be served as an appetizer, but we decided to turn it into a meal and serve it over brown rice.  I used the next smaller count shrimp since it was on sale, so it cooked faster.   Next time (and there will be a next time), I'll go with the size they recommend.  I nearly forgot to bring out the pineapple chutney, which would have been tragic as it was a really great complement to the shrimp.  All in all...a winner!

The following weekend, we had French Onion Burgers (DH's choice).   Since they tasted a whole lot like meatloaf to me, I didn't get too excited about them.  Don't get me wrong...I actually love meatloaf!  Just didn't feel they were a "new" dish.  Plus, I like our current meatloaf recipe better.

That brings us to this past weekend.

 

Halibut in Spanish Garlic Shrimp Sauce with Soffrito Collard Greens.  Yes, Collard Greens.  I expected to have a difficult time finding them in this part of the country, but I obviously haven't spent enough time near the Swiss Chard, Beet Greens and such.  They were everywhere! 

Oh, my, this was a keeper.  The Collard Greens were a great side dish, and they disappeared.  Of course, it could have had something to do with the minced bacon...

One to enjoy before summer's behind us

Before we get to the end of summer, I wanted to share a recipe I found that I've been enjoying this season. Ordinarily, I don't consider myself a cole slaw fan. It's largely because of the mayo. I'll only eat mayonnaise--and it has to be Best Foods--in certain dishes, and cole slaw isn't one of them. Recently, though, I was asked to bring a salad to a friend's dinner party. The entree was to be chicken enchiladas, so I went on the hunt for a complementary Mexican recipe. I think I've found my kind of cole slaw! This Spicy Southwestern Slaw was very refreshing with lots of distinct flavors. I'm a bit wary with jalapenos and cayenne, so the only modifications I made to the recipe were to substitute diced green chiles for the jalapenos, and to use only about 1/4 tsp. of cayenne. Everyone still felt it was spicy enough, and allowed the other flavors in the salad to really stand out.
If you're a cabbage fan, I recommend giving this a try! It'd be a great addition to fish tacos, too. Hmm...maybe that's what's for dinner!

The Dinner For Eight Dilemma

A couple of years back, we were invited to join a dinner group. Those who know me know that I'm not a chef. I'm barely a cook. I love to cook, but am only secure when following a recipe. I rarely venture into "I wonder what would happen if I put some _____ in this dish?"...my comfort zone doesn't really reach that far. And, for some reason it seems I can use every pot and utensil in the kitchen to boil water. So, as you can imagine this has been a great learning experience for me. Here's how it works:

Once every three months--give or take--we'll get together at one of our homes, open some wine and see what we've turned out. The host picks out the menu--based on a theme--and assigns a dish to each couple. We've discovered some terrific recipes, and have had themes on:

• Oktoberfest
• Hawaiian
• Breakfast for dinner
• Cranberries (each dish used cranberries in some way)
• A touch of gold (everything on the menu had to have a hint of yellow/gold)

When my turn came around to pick the menu last year, I decided I wanted to learn to cook Thai. Never had, and neither had anyone in the group. It ended up being one of our favorites. Here are the dishes, with links to all recipes (conveniently gathered from the web) in case you'd like to give any of them a try.

Appetizer: Best Spring Rolls, courtesy Darlene Schmidt
Salad: Rick's Thai Cucumber Salad, courtesy Rick Scott
Entree: Thai Red Chicken Curry, courtesy TheKnackeredChef
Dessert: Thai-style Creme Caramel, courtesy Darlene Schmidt

Now for my dilemma: It's my turn again. I need a theme. Anybody?