Last night, I returned from a long weekend in San Francisco where I had attended the BlogHer 2010 Food Conference. I was overly exhausted, but perked up the second I saw my husband and four kids peeking through the airport gate, waving enthusiastically at me. I walked closer and when I was close enough I brought each of my kids in for a tight squeeze.

As I stepped away from them, I looked at their faces and noticed that things had changed. They each had grown…looked bigger and more mature, all in the matter of the 4 days while I was gone. Was that possible? Could my kids really had changed that much in the short amount of time I was away?

As I was collapsing into bed last night, I reflected on how crazy the past few weeks had been. On top of work and deadlines, I was helping to coordinate a lovely party I co-hosted at BlogHer Food and prepared to speak on the value of a blogging community at the conference. School was in full swing and life was back to its crazy nuttiness. It was then that it hit me. My kids hadn’t changed while I was away, I just hadn’t been clearly seeing them for the past several weeks. I was too caught up in the noise and the fog of everything else that I hadn’t been focused on what I should really be, which was my family. Sometimes, it takes stepping away for a bit to be able to see clearly again.

This is the same with anything you do…blogging, crafts, photography, painting, writing…it is easy to get caught up in all the noise, but to really see clearly when things get foggy, you sometimes need to step away for a bit. When you return, you’ll have a new perspective and will be able to see clearly again.

This is another post where the recipe has nothing to do with what I am writing about, and if I would listen to some of the talk I heard at the conference, it is perfectly unacceptable to have such disconnect. But, you know what? This is my blog, my space and I want to share this recipe for cast iron skillet potatoes with you because its a good one. So here you go!

Herbed Potatoes Recipe (From the September 2010 issue of Cooking Light Magazine)

• 1 1/2  pounds  Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2  tablespoons  olive oil, divided
• 1  teaspoon  butter
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  tablespoons  small basil leaves
• 2  tablespoons  coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes; drain and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Heat a large cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add half of potatoes; sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and potatoes. Add butter and garlic to pan. Stir in reserved potato mixture, salt, and pepper; sauté 1 minute or until mixture is thoroughly heated and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; sprinkle with herbs.

Want more recipes for your Cast Iron Skillet? These bloggers have some great recipes for you to try:

• Apple Cake in an Iron Skillet from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
• Brownies in a Cast Iron Skillet from Amanda’s Cookin’
• Spicy Pinto Bean Ravioli from The Perfect Pantry
• Cast Iron Skillet Pineapple Upsidedown Cake from A Bloggable Life / Inn Cuisine

The post Seeing Clearly (Recipe: Cast Iron Skillet Potatoes) appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Before I get to this salad dressing recipe, I’m just going to throw this out there knowing that all of you are probably nodding your head in agreement. What the heck is up with time, lately? I have so much I want to share with you and so much I want to do, but have had the most difficult time pausing life to sit down at the computer and get things written for you all. On my very short list……

Read More

The post Avocado Ranch Salad Dressing Recipe appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Mom and Dad ended up driving as far as Texas that weekend, literally stopping when the gray clouds turned white and the sunshine beamed through the car windows.

That note and the sentiment of spontaneity that came with it has always struck a chord with me. You see… my parents have always been spontaneous. Maybe a little too spontaneous at times (we rarely went car shopping without coming home with a new car!). They had (and still have) a tendency to live in the moment and do what feels right, right then.

I think that deep down I have a spontaneous bone somewhere… it is just buried right now under the weight of parenting and responsibility. I saw a glimpse of my spontaneous self this past week though when I decided to buy a ticket to BlogHer Food and plan a trip to San Francisco with very little time to plan much of anything. And yes… calling this spontaneous might be stretching it to some of you, but a week out is considered spontaneous in my book!

I had a great time at the BlogHer conference in Chicago this summer, but I have a feeling that BlogHer food will be exactly what I’m looking for. A smaller, less overwhelming collection of bloggers, all who have the same keen interest in the culinary world that I do. I can’t wait to meet those of you who will be there!

Shrimp is one of those foods that you can be spontaneous about. It is so quick to make up a delicious meal using shrimp. This BBQ Shrimp recipe from a pullout page in Gourmet Magazine is one of the best shrimp recipes we’ve tasted. It cooks up in just a few minutes, leaving plenty of time for other spontaneous activities in your day.

BBQ Shrimp by Chef Brian D Smith

• 1 t. salt
• 1/8 t. Oregano
• 1/4 t. Garlic Powder
• 1/4 t. Black Pepper
• 1/8 t. Onion Powder
• 1/16 t. White Pepper
• 1/8 t. Paprika
• 1/16 t. Red Pepper
• 1/8 t. Thyme
• 1 T. black pepper
• 1/2 t. rosemary
• 1/4 c. butter
• 4 oz. beer
• 1 T. fresh garlic
• 2 oz. Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 lbs. Large Shrimp (shell on) (I used medium, tail-on shrimp)

Make Seasoning – Mix together all of the dry spices

Make BBQ Shrimp – Heat butter in a large skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add the shrimp, garlic, seasoning mixture, beer, and Worcestershire sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Serve with lots of fresh French bread to soak up all the sauce.

Curious about BlogHer Food? Here are some other posts from food bloggers getting ready to journey to San Francisco:

• Caramel Apple Cookies by my BlogHer Food roomie, goodLife Eats
• Preparing for BlogHer Food ’09 by Anali’s First Amendment
• BlogHer Food ’09 by Pages, Pucks and Pantry
• A great post about straddling the world of mommy blog and food blog by CityMama
• BlogHer Food Weekend Itenierary by Alice Q. Foodie

The post Spontaneity and BlogHer Food (Recipe – BBQ Shrimp) appeared first on Dine and Dish.