Macaroni Shrimp Salad

The best thing about this salad is: it is so easy to make. It's great for a summer party, it looks very gourmet, and it's a crowd pleaser.  This could feed 4 to 8 people.  This takes about 30 min to make, and I highly suggest making it ahead, so it can have time to marry flavors in the fridge.

Ingredients:
1 Cup Macaroni - you could substitute sea shells or another small pasta
1 Can Yellow Corn
1/2 Small yellow onion, minced
2-3 handfuls of shrimp (I used frozen, but you could use any shellfish, fresh or frozen)
1 handful chopped green onions
1 handful sweet peas (frozen works best)

Dressing
2 heaping spoonful Sour Cream
2 heaping spoonful Mayo
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp dried dill (or 1 tbsp fresh dill)
salt & pepper to taste

I used frozen Publix Shrimp, Luckily I had a bag that was half full

and I just used what was left about 25-35 med. shrimp.  Place

in a bowl of cold water to thaw, shell if needed.

I always add plenty of salt to the water when I cook pasta, probably

close to 3 tbsp.  It seasons the pasta, and in this case, we're going 

to cook everything in one pot, so I'm seasoning everything else too.

Bring a medium Sauce pan of water to a boil.

Put in the macaroni.

While you wait for the water to boil, and whilethe pasta cooks, we prep:

I like making dressing in a large glass measuring cup so I can pour

it easily.  I used whatever was in my kitchen at the time.  I keep

lemon juice like this in my fridge, since every time I buy lemons,

they go bad before I can use them.

Shell the shrimp if necessary, making sure any veins are gone.

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.  Taste it

and add more of what you need.

When Pasta is about halfway cooked, add in the corn.

TIP: take out one piece of pasta and bite into it,

if it has a thick darker line, or if it's very chewy, but the outside

is slightly soft, you're ready.

Chop all of the shrimp into smaller bite-size pieces.

Add the shrimp to the pasta and corn.

The shrimp really should take 2 minutes to cook through,

you can tell it's done when it turns pink!

Drain the pasta and put in a large bowl.

Chop the onions.  

TIP: For green onions, I have them on hand all the time.

Anytime I buy green onions, I immediately chop them and put them

in my freezer in a water bottle.  They keep really well and I just

shake out how much I need.  Anytime they're on sale: STOCK UP!

Combine all of your ingredients while they are warm, and they will

really absorb the dressing flavor.

Make sure to taste again, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Before serving, chill in fridge for at LEAST an hour. 

(Although, it's good hot too!)

How-To Friday: How to spray paint (the correct way)

I've spent most of my adult life up-cycling old things by spray painting them, and I've discovered that not everyone is like me. Whether you've just gotten interested in being crafty, or get frustrated at how easily spray painting something can go wrong, this DIY How-to Friday is for you!

Let's start with what you'll need:

1. Something you want to spray paint. 2. Something you can only PARTIALLY paint (i.e. mirror, picture frame, etc.) 3. Masking or Painter's Tape 4. Trusty X-acto knife (everyone should have at least one, plus spare blades) 5. Ice cold drink (especially if it's a hot day) 6. Primer - this step shouldn't be skipped (any brand.) 7. Your desired spray paint. I like Valspar Brand (Lowe's) because they offer a wide variety of colors to choose from, and it covers really well. Krylon Indoor/Outdoor is a close second.

Some items, you'll need to sand. Primer should take care of the stick-ability of the paint, so if you're unsure whether or not to sand, use primer, maybe two coats.
I sanded the K with some rough-grit (3M 60 grit.) The lower the number, the rougher the paper. If you're painting raw, untreated wood, sand it twice. Once with rough-grit, and once with a finer grit.

Other items, like antiques, picture frames/mirrors and things with a lot of detail, you won't want to sand.
I'm going to mention the Primer again. First off, and above all, primer will conceal the color of the item, and when you paint, it will be closer to the desired color, without a tint of the original color. I'll show you an example of with/without primer below.

Any item that needs masking off, like this mirror, should be done CAREFULLY with masking or painter's tape. First, clean the mirror's surface with a damp rag and let dry completely.

Next, start in the middle and work your way outside. Circles and ovals are the most difficult to do because of their curves, but painter's tape is pliable enough to take the shape of the curves.

Using your fingernail, push the tape as far into the corner as you can, all the way around
Using your X-Acto blade, cut off the excess as close to the frame as you can, not the mirror. Notice how angled my blade is.

Take off the excess cut tape, and you should have a little bit of tape that's not pushed down, if there's any gap between the frame and the mirror. Leave it that way.

Once you have the mirror completely masked off, and the excess tape removed, you're ready to prime!

Next- you'll need a surface that you can paint on. I keep cardboard boxes around just for this very task. That way, the object is slightly raised, but on a flat sturdy(ish) surface.

I did this experiment just for you. In the above photo, I skipped the priming process, and painted the one frame.

The other frame and the K are about to be primed. I determine several factors as to where and when I'm spray painting: sun, temperature, wind. If it's a hot, muggy day, it's not a good idea to paint. Same goes for gusty wind. If the sun is directly shining on your object, the aerosol paint can actually dry before it even lands, which creates a bumpy and un-even texture.


I chose an overcast day. Always paint in a Z-formation. Start painting just outside the edge of the object, and go all the way across horizontally and then back again. Keep the Z formation going, spraying about 10-12 inches away from the object. Keep a steady stream, and move a little slower than you think you should, but not slow enough for it to pool or drip.


Leave your primer pieces to dry for at least 30 minutes. The can may say 10 minutes, but that doesn't take into consideration humidity.
After 30 min, do a fingerprint test. Find an inconspicuous place on the object and lightly touch it with your finger and pull away gently. If you feel ANY tackiness or if you can SEE your fingerprint, let it dry 10 more minutes before you paint over the primer. Better to wait.

Now that I've painted - can you tell which one was primed? I'll show you below. :)
Leave your painted object to dry for ONE HOUR before handling. I'm not kidding. Ignore what it says, you'll be very upset if you've gone through all of this only to scratch or smudge the paint.

When it's ready, use your X-Acto blade to cut across the center of the tape.

Use the tip of the blade to lift the tape and gently remove it.

YAY! all done. I usually let my spray painted objects air out for about a day or so to let that stinky smell go away before I bring it into the house.

Can you tell yet which one was primed??

The finished K - ready to hang!

The one on the left got a primer coat before painting. Can you see the difference? it's not HUGE, but the color and vivid-ness of the blue seems more accurate after being primed. It's brighter, and prettier.


Finished product shot! woo!

Camping: the easy way or the hard way?

Camping isn't fun for everyone, but I love it.

The smell of fresh, clean air. The smoky taste on all the food from the fire. Critters attempting to rummage through your goodies, and doing your best to prevent it from happening again. Sleeping under the millions of stars I can't see from my backyard. Nature. Peace.

Jason and I decided to camp the night before we were actually going to go. In Florida, procrastination is going to run you into trouble in several ways. Packing in a hurry, Traveling, and accomodations all fell prey to our cést la vie attitude. After the night was spent, I vowed never to be so unprepared.

I've put together a sort of check-list, and a ready backpack for my personal wants/needs while camping.

Camp with a backpack!




Fit all of these items in one standard backpack:

- Flashlights - Take at least one for every person in your group. This will greatly increase your odds at getting firewood after dark, and not losing your way to the loo. I packed 4.



- Metal Utensils - You may be tempted to only take some plastic forks, or nothing at all. Having these 3 simple but versatile metal utensils will allow you to cook anything over an open flame. The spoon is pretty self-explanatory, stirring and serving. The fork allows you to flip any sort of meat, and doubles as a marshmallow stick and fire poker. The Spatula has a serrated edge that allows you to not only flip burgers, but cut meat, string, plastic... whatever you need!



- Matches and Waterproof Match Box - Some might say, "I'll just bring a lighter." That's fine if you can guarantee that it won't jam or run out of fuel. The matches are simple and lightweight, and investing in a waterproof match box will ensure your matches stay dry even if you drop your pack in a river, or even in a puddle.





- Water Container - This re-useable water container can be filled, used, drained and collapsed to fit in your pack. This versatile bladder holds 2 gallons, and even can be hung to use as a shower. (Let it sit in the sun all day to avoid a bitter cold shower)





- Firetop Coffee Pot - My name is Kerri, and I'm a coffee-a-holic. I have coffee all day. A coffee pot may not be a necessity for some, but it is quite versatile. (Do you see a trend of versatility?) You obviously can't boil the water while still in the plastic bladder, but having a metal pot for boiling can save you a lot of heartache (and bellyache), especially when there's no clean running water for miles.

Of course, found inside the coffee pot are plastic zipper bags with instant coffee, sugar and powdered creamer. ;) This particular pot is a percolator, but I've taken it out to hold more stuff inside. Also note the handle that allows you to hang it on a hook or a spit over the fire.



- Interlocking Silverware - You may not have these lying around the house, but any store that carries camping supplies will have these, and they're truly worth the few dollars in the long run, mine have lasted 6 years and counting. They are a very simple, knife, fork, spoon set in stainless (so they don't rust) and simple interlocking allows you to pack a little tighter. I have 4 sets.




- Metal Plates - Don't be tempted to pack paper plates! These may weigh a few ounces more, but we're talking about landfills here! These metal plates are coated in ceramic, like the coffee pot, and can nearly double as a soup bowl, the ridge is that deep. And heavy enough to cook with right over the fire. I packed 4.



- Cheap Tablecloth - What? Wait, with all this simple stuff you're suggesting we bring a TABLECLOTH? Surprising, but true. This is probably the MOST versatile item in my backpack. Of course you can use it in the fashion it was intended, but mine can be a stand in for:
-pillow
-blanket
-cover from rain
-carrying medium sized game
-entertainment for kids
-building a small tent
-rescue flag (how far into the wilderness are we going?)

Cooking and Entertaining Wrap-up

We didn't get to have our last meeting in may, but here are some things we would have covered:

 

When planning a get-together, whether it’s a backyard BBQ or New Years Soiree, you have to decide up front what is the most important to you…saving time or money. Because to some extent you can do both, but one will always dominate depending on your entertaining style.

When money is the issue, you don’t have to sacrifice quality or personal touch. In fact, the less you have to work with, the more creative and original you get to be. That is precisely what will make your party memorable.

At the same time, working a full-time job with or without a family can pose some time issues. In those cases saving time is much more important. Learn to make things ahead and follow the ideas of Sandra Lee and Semi-homemade. You can achieve a homemade feel with 70% store-bought and 30% fresh ingredients.

Dinner Anyone?

Domestic Goddess will be hosting a 

"Lazy Summer"

mock dinner party on

May 16th

at 4:00pm

Win prizes! 

Please bring your favorite appetizer - must be 5 ingredients or less, and we will be awarding prizes based on Best Overall, Best Tasting, Most Exotic and Best Presentation.  If yours is a winner we will post the recipes on the blog next week!

Get ready to Entertain at your own home!

The Lazy Summer Mock Dinner Party will supply you with all that it takes to entertain. Get a great list of apps that are all 5 ingredients or less. Get awesome tips and ideas for every entertaining style, and a list of things to have on hand for last minute guests.  

We Make it EASY!

It's a party, not a trip to the dentist - It shouldn't be painful.  Find out how to use the most of the little spare time you have, without having to take a week off work to prepare.