Five: Time to Be Shellfish

What is it about summer that makes time get away from us? If you're anything like me, you've packed every ounce of your free time with plans and have ended up with no free weekends until October. I've created a cycle of work, plans, sleep, plans, work, repeat that has the summer flying by yet I'm not sure that I've taken enough time to stop and be where my feet are. I'm consistently looking ahead to the next thing on the calendar. Hell, I haven't even had time to sit down and blog for over two weeks and it's something that I thoroughly enjoy. That isn't a complaint. I LOVE spending time with my friends and family. I am so lucky to have people in my life who fill my free time with laughter, good news, and good company but I've started to wonder if I've been fully present with them. I'm very guilty of reciting my schedule to anyone who will listen; how often do we find ourselves talking about what the rest of our weeks, months, seasons look like instead of providing a space for someone to share their story? Lately I've felt like a chicken with my head cut off (I hate this phrase - anyone have a better one that means the same thing?), running from one thing to the next without taking the time to breathe, often losing the opportunity to be in the moment due to the constant calendar scrolling through my head. I think that what I'm missing is balance. We often hear a lot about a work-life balance but what about a life-life balance? Are you taking the time that you need for yourself this summer? The time that you need to recharge in order to be more present during your busy weekends or weeknights from here until October? Have you recognized your limitations? Do we just feel guilty for saying no, we aren't free next Thursday, not because we have somewhere else to be but because we need a night to bring us back to normal? I know that I fall into this category, the "feel bad about saying no even though we have a lot on our plate so we say yes anyways" category. And it doesn't mean we love our friends and family less or that we don't want to spend time with them but instead we just need some time for ourselves. Stop. Smell the roses. Be selfish. Take time for you. Reset. Recharge. Relax. Catch up on sleep. You deserve it. Your friends will understand because they will want you to be the best version of yourself (and if they don't, then it's time for a different conversation. We'll save that for another blog.) Then get back out there and be where your feet are (hopefully in the sand somewhere).

Recipe Number Six: Crab Stuffed Salmon

This past week, my mom was in town. Despite her staying with me, we only had one free night together (the curse of the summer schedule) so I said I would cook. My mom has always loved salmon (it took much longer for it to grow on me due to unfortunate timing with a stomach bug and my being stubborn - TMI? Maybe. My bad.) My mom loves it grilled (throw some marinade in a Ziploc bag along with the salmon, leave it for a few hours, and then toss it on the grill on a fancy grill pan and she'll be pumped about it). The majority of my family loves it this way too and so it made regular appearances on the dinner table. I, however, don't love to repeat meals too frequently. I'm not someone who could eat the same thing every single morning for breakfast or have the same meal every Monday night. I get bored. Anyways, I knew I could have gone with our old faithful recipe, but I opted to push the envelope and make crab stuffed salmon. And let me tell you, I am so glad I did! I loved this meal and would eat it again and again (until I get bored). This recipe will be making a more regular appearance in my house - probably only for company so you better get yourself on the busy calendar. I'm sure you could incorporate any sides you wanted, but I went for my favorite Balsamic Roasted Brussel's Sprouts from my girl Ina Garten (find that recipe here) and some baked sweet potato fries (had to use the Ziploc bag trick somewhere - add olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika to the peeled and cut sweet potato fries before baking at 450 for 20 minutes, flipping occasionally - sorry, didn't measure this time around but can quote my mom and let you know that they were the best sweet potatoes she's ever had).

4 large salmon fillets
1 lb lump crabmeat
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 lemon (cut in half)
1 egg lightly beaten
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix crabmeat, egg, breadcrumbs, juice from half the lemon, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Cut a slit down the middle of the top of each salmon fillet (careful not to cut all the way through). If the skin is on the salmon, remove prior to stuffing and cooking.

Stuff the pocket of each fillet with the crabmeat stuffing. I used all the stuffing so the pockets were overflowing - made it so I had stuffing with each bite and it was so, so good.

Drizzle juice from the other half of the lemon over the top of the salmon before baking for 30 minutes or until salmon is cooked through.

Recipe Number Seven: Grilled Shrimp in Foil Packets

Tested out this recipe today on my day off before the big thunderstorms came rolling in. Delicious and so super easy. Found the recipe here. Can't wait to try other grilled foil packet recipes!

4 corn on the cobs snapped in half

4 red potatoes washed and cubed

20ish uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined (I bought frozen shrimp on sale and let them thaw prior to peeling)

1 lb sausage (I chose hot Italian sausage because we know I love the spice), cut into slices

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 lemon, cut into quarters

Melted butter

Cajun seasoning

Salt and pepper

Fresh parsley

Heat grill to 400 degrees.

Evenly distribute the corn, sausage, potatoes, lemon, and shrimp among 4 heavy-duty sheets of aluminum foil (12x18 if you can swing it).

Drizzle melted butter, chicken broth, and seasonings over each packet before tightly sealing the foil by folding up the sides over the food and folding over each seam. There should be no openings in the foil.

Grill 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender, rotating packets around the heat of the grill once or twice while cooking. Be careful when you check on the contents of the packet, as steam will be released once the foil is open. Let cool for a few minutes before enjoying! I chose to sprinkle some fresh parsley over the top before digging in!

I'm hoping to try a grilled dessert in a foil packet soon - I'll get back to you on what I decide! Have you tried any grilled packet recipes before that you would like to share with me? Leave it in the comments!

Happy Cooking!

- Kela