salad with a heavy heart

It is with a heavy heart that I post this entry.  Dinner for Spinsters lost it's most faithful follower last week to a long and hard battle with cancer.  Tommy T had a good long fight but sometimes you just can't win.  He was a lovely man with a warm and loving heart.  Truthfully, the world is a sadder place without him in it.  Although we spinsters didn't know him well we both feel incredibly sad to hear of him passing.  We will forever remember his funny stories and inviting him out to trivia in hopes that he could help us with sports questions only to find he was no help in that department.  Ha!

It feels a little sacrilegious to post a recipe at such times but I know he would have wanted it this way.  RIP Tommy T.  We spinsters will think of you every time we post.

You will need:

spinach (enough to fill a bowl)
5-6 fresh strawberries (sliced)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup goat cheese
a dash of your fave dressing (I chose raspberry lime)

Add olive oil to a skillet.  Get it warm.  Add almonds and brown sugar.  Toast until golden, maybe like 4 mins.  Make sure you toss it frequently.  Once done set aside to cool.  In a bowl place the following:  spinach, strawberries and goat cheese.  Add the almonds on top (once cool).  Top with your fave dressing and enjoy.

Best served with a glass of wine.  Be sure to give Tommy a cheers when you do!

Megan J

Basic Baked Potato

 At some point in life most of us decide that it is time to take on the task of cooking at home.  Maybe we decide that the cost of eating out isn't worth it or maybe we decide that the health benefits are worth the trouble or maybe we just can't find our favorite foods at our local restaurants.  I remember when I decided it was time to save money and eat healthy and that meant tackling this cooking thing that I had spent so long avoiding.  I quickly realized that I knew very little about cooking, I could heat up a can of soup, scramble some eggs, boil pasta and that was pretty much it.  Even seemingly simple tasks like making hard boiled eggs, steaming veggies, and yes, baking potatoes seemed completely daunting to me.  How long did I boil the eggs, how did I know if the veggies were done, I was sure that I would never get even the smallest things right.  Now several years and plenty of experimenting later I sometimes feel confident in the kitchen, I know I can make a few things really well and most other things are at the very least edible.  I have been thinking of my first attempts in the kitchen and for those of you who still find those simple tasks scary I have decided to share my way of doing one of those basic tasks.

You Will Need:

Russet Potato
Olive Oil
Salt
Your favorite baked potato toppings

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Brush your potato clean under cold water, dry off.  Place potato on a baking sheet, cut holes in the top and bottom so it won't explode in your oven.  Drizzle it with olive oil on all sides, sprinkle salt all over the potato, I used sea salt.  Bake for about 45-50 minutes.  When the potato is done baking you will have a deliciously crunchy skin and the inside will be fluffy and soft.  Add all your favorite toppings-butter, sour cream, bacon, cheese, whatever you like and enjoy!

Megan S.