STAND UP FOR TIBET! NO OLYMPIC TORCH IN TIBET

This weekend the Olympic Torch will arrive in Tibet, Lhasa to be exact. In our effort to support our Tibetan community and stand up for human rights issues in Tibet we will keep the Tibetan Flag hanging all summer. This weekend we will display this banner which would be illegal in Tibet. There is no media coverage allowed in Tibet, so don't expect to see any coverage as China parades the Olympic Torch through the capital of Tibet. We stand in solidarity with our Tibetan friends, especially this weekend! We pray for those monks, nuns and citizens who have been oppressed, killed, beaten, imprisoned and "re educated" under the Chinese Government.

MY BACK PORCH

We live in a condo, which means a shared yard. I don't like to garden so I stay clear of volunteering for any association yard work. I do however love to have my own fresh herbs on hand. I am sure they would do much better in the ground but my hanging pots work just find. Every spring I play hooke from work and go to the local farmers market with my partner and get my favorite herbs.  Tina re pots all of them for me. This year we have basil cilantro, parsley, thyme, mint, rosemary, basil and some dill which has already died. It is so fun to have fresh herbs on hand for what ever, when ever. I am partial to the rosemary and the basil. I love tossing diced potatos with olive oil, salt and fresh rosemary and roasting them. I use most of the cilantro for indian dishes. I am a bit conservative with using the basil since I love to make pesto in the fall and freeze it for the winter.

GLUTEN FREE ONION RINGS

When I was first diagnosed with celiac disease my partner had a very difficult time dealing with the fact that I could never eat gluten again. She was mostly sad for me, but I know she was worried about how it would impact us. I had to reassure her that she did not need to be gluten free and that we would still enjoy cooking, eating out and sharing food together. Initially it was hard and every time I realized there was something else I would not be able to have Tina was sad. Early on I realized that for the most part I would have to give up french fries and onion rings, two things I just loved, especially in restaurants! Tina came home one day with a small fry daddy and said, we are going to master gluten free onion rings and safely fried french fries. She started with the fries. What a treat. While I had enjoyed many a french fry before, we have never made home fries. They were the best. Then she started working on gluten free onion rings. It did not take her long to perfect them! These onion rings are the result of some very simple steps. After cutting the onion Tina coats them in corn starch, dips them in egg white and then tosses them in Organ gluten free bread crumbs and fries them twice in the fry daddy using vegetable oil. This past Sunday we had some friends over for a grilled burger, tossed salad and these tasty onion rings. They were a big hit!

PUCKER UP

Fresh squeezed lemonade, the quintessential flavor of summer. It is so easy to make the real thing, and once you taste the difference, you will never drink those awful imitations again. I use the follow as a general guide line, one cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar, depending on how sweet or tart you like your lemonade and four cups of water. I usually strain the juice before mixing it all together and I love to freeze some in ice cube trays. Using lemonade ice cubes prevents a watered down treat! I also zest all of my lemons before I juice them. I save the zest in zip lock bags in the freezer. That way I have fresh lemon zest on hand!