Glacier National Park 2019

This past week I went on a little road trip with a friend.  We took the Hwy 2 (also known as the High-line Road) out to Glacier National Park.  Two days out, four days puttering around, three days back with a stop at Union Fort and Teddy Roosevelt National Park. 

Sound familiar?  Yup...did this drive last fall with the Husband coming from Oregon, minus

the stay in Glacier.

My friend and I departed on Saturday from Duluth, MN, and drove to Minot, ND.  We know how to put on miles! 

Sunday was Minot, ND, to East Glacier, MT, with dinner at the Grand Lodge in East Glacier.  We stayed at the Travelers Rest cabins, which I highly recommend! Quiet, nestled into the trees, roomy, with a sink, fridge, and basic utensils. Just lovely.  Supper was at the Grand Lodge, overlooking the mountains.

Grand Lodge

Monday was a boat ride on Saint Mary Lake, lunch at Many Glacier Lodge, back to St. Mary's Lake to drive 14 miles of the Going to the Sun Road - that's all that was open from the east side.  

St. Mary Lake.  Yes, it was that calm!

Many Glacier Lodge

Tuesday was a Red Bus Rour on the West side of the park, lunch, then a gentle raft ride in the afternoon.  Supper was at the Historic Belton Chalet

The Red Bus - they are original to the park

Puttering along on the river. 

Belton Chalet

Wednesday was a short boat ride on Two Medicine Lake, followed by some leisure time in the afternoon at the Grand Lodge. 

Oldest boat in Glacier, Two Medicine Lake

Hanging out at the Grand Lodge

Two Medicine Lake
 

Thursday we were on the road again!  East Glacier Village to Williston, ND.   It was snowing over the mountains when we left!  

Friday was Union Fort and the north block of Teddy Roosevelt National Park.  Weather was not cooperating.  From Roosevelt park we headed across the state to Grand Forks ND.  Weather really did not cooperate with a significant headwind and steady to heavy rain for six solid hours. 

Fort Union

Teddy Roosevelt Nat'l Park, North Block

Home! Home on the Range!  Buffalo!

Saturday was a short hop, skip and a jump to Duluth!   

It was a lovely trip, covering a lot of ground, with several very good meals and outstanding views. 

Neon Prey by John Sandford (Lucas Davenport #29)

Neon Prey by John Sandford

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Jacket Blurb:  Lucas Davenport pursues a prolific serial killer who has gone undetected for years in the newest nail-biter by #1 NewYork Times bestselling author John Sandford.

It was a relatively minor criminal matter, all things considered, but enough that the US Marshals obtained a warrant to enter the home. They didn’t expect to unearth trophies from a score of killings.

Now Davenport is on the trail of a serial murderer, one who was able to operate for years without notice or suspicion. But there’s even more to this killer than meets the eye…

Read as an audio book.

If you've been reading the Davenport series you know what the premise is. Davenport hunts bad guys. In this installment our bad guy is a contract hit man who happens eat parts of his victims. The cannibalism is not in your face, it's referenced more than actually done - think Silence of the Lambs which employs one's imagination more than anything. So, Davenport is on a mission to bring this particular man and his group of friends down.

I enjoyed this one because it was a Davenport book, we get to see Lucas start to question his vocation, and it's set in New Orleans and Las Vegas. Mostly in Las Vegas - which I'm familiar with so it was great fun tracking them all over the city. All our favorite characters make an appearance, even Virgil. The plot is peppered with humor, wry comments, and sarcasm. So yes, I enjoyed this one.

My one small complaint is that I felt the Bad Guys were getting more page time than Davenport. Knowing what the antagonists are up to is not my favorite plot devise, and it seemed like I spent more time with them than Davenport. Yeah, kinda a bummer. I want to read about Lucas and Friends, not the bad guys.

But ultimately, this happily entertained me on my morning and afternoon commute, and into one small road trip. I can listen to Richard Ferrone's voice for hours. Recommended if you've read the previous books.





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Recipe Review from 6/10/2019

I'm a bit late getting this posted - I've been on the road for a couple of days and haven't had much computer time.  Stay tuned for details on that!  

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) leftover fish soup    (S) grilled pork chops
Sun (L)leftovers (S)  Chicken and Broccoli
Mon (yoga) leftover chicken
Tues - mojo pork
Wed - leftover pork
Thurs (yoga) more leftover pork
Fri - leftover pork again

Instant Pot Mojo Pork (Eating Well, May 2019)  gluten free
OMGosh!  This was most excellent!  Plus I got to use my instant pot.  Bonus!  I made it as directed, no substitutions (not recommended with a pressure cooker) and only one modification.  I seared in a 12" skillet first, and de-glazed as directed, before putting into the slow cooker This came out tender, beautifully seasoned, and it was like having my own Chipolte bowl (but better!).  I served this with white rice, the sauce that comes from the pork, pinto beans, avocado and some thinly sliced jalapeno.   This does make a lot.  We had four meals, and then froze the rest (nearly half!) to make little pork sandwiches at a later date.

Recommended if you have an instant pot!

1 (3 1/2 - 4 lb) boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 6-8 equal size chunks

photo from cookinglight.com

8 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1 bay leaf
zest and juice of 1 large orange, divided
zest and juice of 1 large lime, divided
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 cup water
1 large yellow onion, sliced

Heat oil in an electric pressure cooker on sauté mode. Add half the pork and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the remaining pork.

Add garlic, oregano, cumin, bay leaf, orange and lime zests, salt and pepper to the pot and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in orange and lime juice and water and scrape up any browned bits. Nestle the pork into the sauce. Drizzle with any accumulated juices from the bowl and scatter onion over the top.

Close and lock lid. Cook on high pressure for 1 hour. Manually release pressure and remove lid.

Transfer the pork to a platter and shred the meat into large pieces. Skim fat from the liquid, if desired. Return the pot to sauté mode and bring the liquid to a boil. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve the sauce over the pork.

Recipe notes:  To make ahead, refrigerate for up to 3 days.  No pressure cooker? Braise the meat in a large pot in a 300°F oven for 4 to 5 hours.
 
Sweet and Sour Chicken (Eating Well, May 2019)
Another winner!  And ridiculously easy to make - maybe an hour tops from pulling the ingredients out of the fridge to putting plates on the table.  Only one significant modification here - I skipped the ramen noodles. Follow the link if you want to include those because I didn't include in the recipe below, but really, not necessary. 

Serves 4 (over rice)

3 oz dry ramen noodles, toasted
1 tbsp canola oil

photo from eatingwell.com

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" chunks
1/2 cup orange juice
6 cups (about 12 oz) small broccoli florets
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Add orange juice to the pan and cook, scraping up any browned bits, for 15 seconds. Add broccoli; cover and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl.

Add the vinegar mixture, honey, garlic, crushed red pepper and salt to the pan; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook for 1 minute more.

Recipe Review from 6/3/2019

I hit the week running, and just kept running, until I collapsed on Friday PM in front of Amazon Prime and binge watched Good Omens while eating pizza.  

The Meal Plan:
Get through the week...

Sat (yoga training)
Sun (yoga training/home late)out for supper
Mon (yoga/work conflict home late) fried egg sandwich
Tues - fish chowder
Wed - leftover chowder
Thurs - leftover chowder
Fri - take n bake pizza

Fish Chowder with Corn and Fennel (Eating Well, June 2019)
The Husband was the one to make this, so I can't comment on how it came together.  I did have some modifications he knew about ahead of time:  skipped the bacon (forgot to thaw), used 3 cups chicken stock and 1 jar clam juice in lieu of 4 cups of fish stock (not something I can find in my corner of the world); used 1/2 n 1/2 instead of heavy cream and I used cod for my fish. 

Husband was concerned about the fennel tasting like licorice, but it turned out just fine, with the barest hint of anise in the background.  We skipped all the garnish business of fennel fronds and celery leaves.  We also got four meals for two out of this.  So it makes quite a bit.  Recommended

Serves 6-8.

photo from EatingWell.com

2 ounces bacon, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 small fennel bulb, cored and diced
1 medium shallot, diced 1 stalk celery, diced 1 cup fresh corn kernels (1-2 ears) (used frozen corn) 1½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock
1 jar clam juice
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup 1/2 n 1/2
2 pounds skinned fish, cut into 1-inch pieces
Dash of Tabasco, or to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a small bowl. Skipped.  Add onion, fennel, shallot, celery, corn, thyme and white pepper to the pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour to coat and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, then stir in stock. Bring to a simmer. Add potatoes and cook until they are tender and the broth has thickened, 18 to 22 minutes.

Stir in cream and return to a simmer. Add fish, partially cover, and cook until the fish is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in Tabasco, Worcestershire, salt and pepper.

Serve the soup topped with fennel fronds, celery leaves, the reserved bacon and piment d'Espelette, if desired.

Recipe Review from 5/27/2019

And again, I find I forgot to hit "publish", so this is getting posted late. 

This past week (week of Memorial Day) had me at a five day yoga training which impacted the meal plan a bit. As I didn't want to eat out three times a day, I packed breakfast and lunches, and ate supper out. By the end of the day, I just need to get out of the hotel and air the brain out a bit.

The beginning of the week was Memorial Day weekend, and we took advantage of some nice weather (finally!) to grill a bit.

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) out Dickies BBQ (S) brats and potato salad
Sun (L) leftovers (S)Fish Chowder leftover Dickies
Mon (L) leftover/egg salad sandwich; (S)BBQ Pork Steak
Tues (L) leftovers
Wed - Sun: Yoga Training

Smashed Potato Salad (modified from Cooks Country)
We were watching an episode of Cooks Country before the weekend started and they made this smashed potato salad recipe. Not only did we think, "yum", but I realized I had nearly all the ingredients on hand. A grocery shopping trip later, we had everything necessary to make this with a few modifications. If you want the original recipe, you'll have to sign onto Cooks Country. My modifications are below.

This is a "make ahead" recipe, as it does need a couple hours to chill. You WILL need a very large stock pot for the potatoes. And, you do want the potatoes cooked until they are soft.

This was tasty, you can definitely swap out mustard varieties for different flavors.   And this makes a lot.  Like enough for 5-6 dinners for two people.  Which is the downside of making potato salad unless it's for a potluck or larger family gathering, there's a lot of leftovers.   Bottom line - recommended!

Photo from CooksCountry.com

3 pounds Baby Red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 hard-cooked large eggs, chopped
½ cup chopped sweet pickles
½ cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup finely chopped onion

Combine potatoes, 8 cups water, and 1 tablespoon salt in Dutch oven and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook at vigorous simmer until potatoes are tender, 14 to 17 minutes.

Drain potatoes in colander. Transfer 3 cups potatoes to large bowl, add 1 tablespoon vinegar, and coarsely mash with potato masher. Transfer remaining potatoes to rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, and toss gently to combine. Let cool completely, about 15 minutes.


Whisk mayonnaise, ½ cup water, mustard, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Stir mayonnaise mixture into mashed potatoes. Fold in eggs, pickles, celery, onion, and remaining potatoes until combined. (Mixture will be lumpy.)

Cover and refrigerate until fully chilled, about 2 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

St. Louis BBQ Pork Steaks ( modified from Cooks Country)
If you want the original recipe, you'll have to sign onto Cooks Country. My modifications are below.

We did a specialty order of pork from a local place, which came with "pork steaks".  I had no idea what to do with these, so I headed to the internet and some of my favorite sites.  Cooks Country came through with this splendid (and easy!) recipe.  Now I did modify this - recipe calls for cutting up a pork butt, but I was already set to go with my steaks. 

My only comment would be to watch that last 1/2 hour of cooking time.  Because my steaks were probably thinner than if I had cut my own, they were cooking a tich faster.  Still, this turned out fantastic and I would make it again.  Heck, I'd use the BBQ sauce recipe again!  Served with the potato salad from above.  Recommended.

photo from Cooks Country

2 cups beer - lager or other mild beer recommended (I used a Corona)
1 ½ cups ketchup
¼ cup A.1. sauce
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
4 medium to large pork steaks (6 would also work good, but I didn't have six)

1. MAKE SAUCE Whisk ketchup, beer, A.1., sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, garlic powder, hot sauce, and liquid smoke in large bowl. Transfer to large disposable aluminum pan.

2. HEAT GRILL Heat all burners on high, covered, for 15 minutes. (For charcoal grill, light about 100 coals. When covered with fine gray ash, spread evenly over bottom of grill. Set cooking grate in place and heat covered, with lid vent open halfway, for 5 minutes.) Scrape and oil cooking grate.

3. SEAR AND SIMMER Season pork steaks with pepper and grill until well-browned, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to pan with sauce, cover with foil, and place pan on grill. Turn all burners to low and cook, covered, until steaks are tender and sauce is slightly thickened, about 90 minutes.

4. FINAL SEAR Using potholders, remove pan from grill and turn all burners to high. (For charcoal grill, light about 50 coals. When covered with fine gray ash, remove grill grate and scatter evenly over spent coals.) Remove steaks from pan and grill until lightly charred around edges, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Skim fat from sauce and serve with steaks.