Lemon Ginger Honey "Tea"

Despite the fact that I was raised in a family that drank mostly coffee, I grew up with tea; Japanese green tea with some homemade meals, jasmine tea at Chinese restaurants and eventually I made my way to Earl Grey and other European teas. I guess to some degree my mind always associated coffee with adulthood and if I'm being completely honest, I don';t consider myself a grown up. I drink coffee from time to time, but my heart, mind and soul is in tea.

I haven't been on a plane in a few months, and once I return from our little road trip to Michigan I get a sore throat. These allergies are killing me. Even though I have a fully stocked cabinet of teas, I wanted something ginger-y. Ginger reminds me of when I was younger (and sick) and my mother would give me candied ginger to sooth my achy throat. Sometimes the memories are just as soothing as the resolution.

Lemon, Ginger, Honey "Tea"

1 1/2 cups of water
1-2 tbsp honey
1 3 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
1/2 lemon

In a small pot, bring water to a simmer. In the meantime, cut ginger into 1/2 inch pieces and cut lemon into slices/ wheels. Once water has come to a boil, add honey to taste. Then add ginger and lemon. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes to infused flavors into water. Scoop/ strain out the ginger and lemon and enjoy hot or cold.

-Akemi-chan

Broiled Jalapeno Poppers

Our home grown jalapeno giagntes are BIG. There's a reason this breed is called giant jalapenos. It takes some effort just to hold one in my hand. They're about 2-3 times the size of a regular jalapeno. That could only mean one thing: they're perfect for stuffing.

Broiled Jalapeno Poppers

10-12 jalapeno gigantes (extra large jalapenos)
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic seasoning
4-5 basil leaves, chiffonade

Cut a slit into each jalapeno, from the crown to the tip. Cut the top off of each pepper. You can leave the caps/ tops partially attached for decoration. Use a small spoon to scoop out the ribs and seeds from each pepper to reduce spiciness.

Don't forget those gloves

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, salt, pepper, garlic seasoning and basil. Put 1 tbsp of cream cheese mix into each jalapeno. Be careful not to over stuff pepper. Use wooden toothpicks or wooden skewers to secure the peppers closed.

Cook under broiler for 4 minutes, then rotate and broil for about another 4 minutes. Remove poppers when peppers are blistered and cheese is broiled and bubbly. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

The poppers turned out great. Thanks to the fact that we scooped out the seeds, the peppers had the flavor and texture without the excess heat. Great way to make the most of our garden.

-Akemi-chan

New Buffalo, Michigan

Boyfriend and I were invited to a long weekend at the beach in New Buffalo, Michigan. Since it was some of the last few days of Summer, we had to live it up and go all out. And thanks to our friends that did all the research and planning, the beach house became a reality. It was bound to be a time of beach, sports, food and friends. Here's a picture recap. 

This one's for you Cam Newton

Yeah, that happened!

Hangover solution

Draft time

Velveeta cheeseburger

New Buffalo "Philly" Cheesesteak

I'm home!

ALL the pigs and ice cream

Too much driving for Puppydog

Fantasy draft done and many memories made. We're back home a little more tan and gained more fun friends. Beach house success. 

-Akemi-chan