SO LONG OLD FRIENDS and Salmon with Orzo

When we first moved to this town, we had been married close to four years. Because we had so little furniture at that time, we pretty much moved the small items and Perfect Daughter ourselves. We did hire Melvin Cloud, a local independent mover, to move what we little furniture we had. I think it cost us $50 and a six-pack of beer! I looked for a picture of Mr. Cloud but could not locate one. He was an institution around here for a long time. His company still exists, but he has been deceased for years. I said all of that to say that included with the “stuff” were two file boxes of Better Homes and Gardens magazines that I refused to throw away. I was certain that I would be needing one of the recipes or the decorating ideas at some point and would be devastated if they could not be located. Wanting to keep the peace, Hubby reluctantly agreed to the move.Five years later when we moved from 2314 West Lakeview to 1804 Hidden Valley Drive, those BHG magazines were still boxed away. They didn’t make the move.

However, the Bon Appétit copies of the previous five years did. I was definitely not parting with those. I was destined to become the next neighborhood gourmet cook – Julia Child move over! I was content for awhile, but then decided that it was time to grow and spread (not literally at that time anyway). Along came my new friend – Gourmet. Throw them away? Absolutely not! They were valuable; they might be needed. What if I needed that recipe for eggplant puree or spinach mousse? My collection of both grew and Hubby encouraged me to get a job!

As my job and the demands of a pre-teen and then later a teenager required more and more of my time, my opportunities for actually reading these became fewer and fewer. And then we moved again. But I was addicted. Never one to hurt a publisher’s feelings, I was always the willing subscriber and the family of magazines grew. Along came…

and and

who joined the twins -
and I couldn’t possibly do without…
or these.

The family continued to grow and grow and GROW. I was positive that I could make these relationships work. Should I organize by title…maybe just by year…or maybe by month? I tried them all. And along came… followed by

not finished yet. Meet Paula, my new friend. She was soon joined by : By this time I was thinking that I really could use:

I was out of control! Something had to be done…. I begged the library, the hospital, my school, my dentist and doctor, too. Nope. Not on your life. They even locked the doors so I couldn’t get in:) I tried to be green, to save the trees and the planet – I promise. But it was a no-go. So…I closed my eyes and bid them goodbye. My trash man will never forgive me. I finally had my life and my upstairs closets back. But…I missed my friends. I think I’ll just stay in touch online, however and order the cumulative yearbooks…or maybe not.

Here’s another sample from the TOH Cooking School. Let me know what you think. By the way, a special thanks to my friend Kathy at Life in the Slow Lane for tipping me off to Windows Live Writer. It’s a great tool for improving your blog writing. You can pick up the link at her blog while you are checking out some great stories that she has to share.

Salmon With Herb and Citrus Orzo

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
8 ounces uncooked orzo pasta
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth

SALMON
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 salmon fillets (5 ounces each)
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons snipped fresh dill
4 tablespoons grated lemon peel
1/2 cup sliced almonds
lemon wedges and fresh dill sprigs

For orzo, in a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion and mushrooms for 4 minutes. Remove to a small bowl; set aside. Add orzo and broth to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook 12-15 minutes or until orzo is tender and broth absorbed. Stir occasionally. Meanwhile, for salmon, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 3 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove and keep warm. Add dill, lemon peel, almonds and reserved onion and mushroom mixture to the orzo; heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the orzo onto plates and top with a salmon fillet. Garnish with lemon wedges and dill sprigs.

Serves 4.