Posts

Into the Wild: A Solo Hiking Journey for Women Ready to Explore

Image
Trailblazers, Wanderers, Backpacker-Curious, and all who cheer us on—welcome to the wild side! My best friend has finally convinced me to take the leap and start my own YouTube channel, Leann Treks —and here we are. Now, let me be honest: this is not exactly my natural habitat. I’m an extreme introvert, and putting my face and voice out there is just about as far from my comfort zone as you can imagine. So, for now, you’re getting just the hikes, just the trails, and just my loyal hiking companion, Jubal (who happens to have four legs and doesn’t care about YouTube). My passion? Hiking. Mostly solo, with my dog. Not because I wouldn’t love to hike with others, but let’s just say my pace is… uniquely my own. Think “tortoise” but with trekking poles. Here’s the thing: the world of hiking content is full of young faces, and most of the channels catching eyes are run by men. But where are the voices of women over 50 or 60 who want to hit the trails, not just talk about RVs and car
Post a Comment
Read more

Margherita Pizza

Image
I love the simplicity of really good Margherita Pizza. This was first time I ever used a pizza stone. It really makes a big difference in the quality of the crust. I started with a pizza dough recipe in the red Betty Crocker cookbook I've had since I was a very young bride. To shape, I placed the dough in the middle of a large piece of parchment paper. Using only my hands, I poured olive oil on the top and pressed the dough out in a circle. The sauce consisted of 1 carton of diced Pomi tomates drained in a strainer for 30 minutes. Place in a bowl, add 1 - 2 teaspoons of dried basil, a couple of tablespooons of olive oil, salt and pepper. Sliver a small bunch of fresh basil. Slice 2 fresh Roma tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices and drain on paper towels. Chop a 6 - 8 oz ball of Bufala or whole milk cows Mozzerela cheese into 1 inch pieces Oil the prepared pizza dough. Place half the tomato mixture on dough and spread to edges evenly. Spread the fresh basil evenly on top of the tomato m
Post a Comment
Read more

Chocolate Madeleines

Image
This is the same recipe as the Madeleine recipe found on Epicurious , but with 4 oz of chocolate. They're not at light and spongey as the orignial, but they are tasty. I'll be trying these again with a different approach. Stay tuned...
Post a Comment
Read more

Madeleines

Image
Made these Madeleines twice now. Great recipe but the timing in the oven wrong. Bake only 10 minutes. Also, the batter is improved with a pinch of baking powder per the suggestions of the reviews.
Post a Comment
Read more

Risotto w/Lemon, Pine Nuts and Arugula

Image
I served this with Black Cod and Fennel. The lemon and nuts provided a nice balance against the sweetness of the Fennel Pollen. Toast in 2 tablespoons of butter a generous 1/4 cup of pine nuts. Set aside. Use 1 cup of Arborio rice, 4 cups of chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon of Herbes de Provence, and a scant 1 tsp salt to traditionally cook the risotto until all 4 cups of liquid are absorbed. Remove from heat, stir in pinenuts and any remaining butter, add the the zest of 1/2 a lemon, plus 2 more tablespoons of butter. Stir well. Chop about 2 handfuls of Arugual in half. Stir into the still hot risotto. Serve.
Post a Comment
Read more

Black Cod w/Fennel Pollen and Saffron Salt

Image
Friday night the fish turned out so good, I plan to make this again to server to a dinner party. With a mortar and pestal grind about 1 tsp. of fennel pollen . Add 1/2 teaspoon of saffron salt and 1/4 tsp. of white pepper. Mix well. Sprinkle evenly over two fillets of fish. Bake at 350 for apx. 20 minutes.
Post a Comment
Read more

Spaghetti Squash and Chanterelle Mushrooms

Image
This turned out to be a deliciously warm autumn dish. Start by baking the pierced squash whole at 350 degrees for about 45-60 min. Remove and allow to cool for handling. Cut open, remove seeds, and remove the squash strings tranfering to a bowl. Carefully clean a pound of Chanterelles. Melt a half cup of butter in a pan, add mushrooms and sautee until tender. Toss the Spaghetti squash with the cooked mushrooms together, all remaining liquids, salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Post a Comment
Read more