Living Life in Anew Thyme

06/15/2026

06/14/2026

From the Wooden Spoon Kitchen…

It’s farmers market season!!!

Zesty Shiitake Mushroom Pasta
Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced***
1/2 of a small onion, diced***
1 ½ cups shiitake mushrooms sliced, stems removed and discarded***
2 teaspoons lemon zest freshly grated***
2 tablespoons lemon juice juice
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
10 ounces fettuccine or any pasta of your choice
1 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated + extra for garnish
¼ cup fresh basil chopped, + extra for garnish***

Instructions

Bring a 4-quart pot of salted water to a boil for cooking fettuccine noodles.

Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until just tender, according to package directions minus one minute. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, before draining!

Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook while stirring, until fragrant but NOT browned, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high. Cook the mushrooms until tender and lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then add the cooked pasta, the reserved cooking liquid, Parmesan, and basil to the mushrooms in the pan; toss to coat well.

Serve immediately, garnished with more basil and parmesan cheese, if desired.

Measurements are given but I don’t use them.

***purchased fresh from the farmers market

06/13/2026

Tips from the kitchen...
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14iZtqnkzYb/

06/10/2026

We will never make changes that truly matter until you listen to learn.

06/09/2026

I blew thru She Didn’t See It Coming (lots of twists n turns) while I was on an anniversary trip. We took the train down to visit friends in Florence, Oregon.

Just picked up The Berry Pickers.

06/08/2026

Last month I finished The Color of Water. This book really held my attention. My next choice was The Book Thief. I remarked then that after reading a really good book I have a hard time with the next choice as it seems that nothing will hold up as well as the one I just finished. I hoped that this book would meet the challenge. Well that book didn’t do it. I shelved it after reading maybe 1/4 of the book. I also shelved The Aviator’s Wife (January choice)and Peony in Love. It’s highly unlikely that I will pick up any of those books again.

This month I chose She Didn’t See It Coming. This is a good read.

What are you reading?

06/07/2026

From the Wooden Spoon Kitchen...
The first few times I had this it was cooked on a grill. It's also the way I've fixed this dish for many years. However, I found that I was yearning for this dish throughout the year and started cooking it in the oven. I prefer to bake rather than using the broiler.

Chicken Tandoori
6 servings

INGREDIENTS:
6 chicken thighs, skinned (or whatever ones you prefer)

Marinade:
1 cup plain greek yogurt
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 T minced fresh ginger
1 T paprika
1 1/2 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1 t honey
1/2 t ground coriander (optional)
1/2 t black pepper
1 lemon, thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS
Marinate Chicken: Stir together all marinade ingredients in large bowl until well-mixed. Add chicken thighs to bowl one at a time, using tongs to stir them around until smeared with marinade before adding another. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.

Prepare: Position oven rack in center of oven. Turn on broiler, set to high. If broiler is not available, plan to bake instead by preheating oven to 450 F. Prepare baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Transfer marinade-covered chicken thighs to baking sheet.

Cook Chicken: Place baking sheet in oven, cooking until chicken appears mostly dry on top with a few blackened tips, 15 to 20 minutes. Take out baking sheet, flip chicken thighs, and return to oven. Cook until chicken appears dry and is cooked through, about 10 minutes, monitoring frequently to avoid burning. Serve

06/04/2026

My friend, Abi, owner of Trini Plate is officially licensed by the WSDA!

That means she can move forward with offering her packaged products.

For now look for these items at
- Luv-a-Latte Espresso
- at her farmer's market booth
- Thursdays, Broadway/9th
- Saturdays in Proctor

05/31/2026

From the Wooden Spoon Kitchen...
When in doubt my fallback is ALWAYS an Asian dish, Thai is my favorite.

Thai Black Pepper Chicken and Garlic Noodles
Prep Time10 MINUTES
Cook Time15 MINUTES
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced***
2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1-2 teaspoons black pepper, using more or less to your taste
3 tablespoons sesame oil or EVOO
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 ounces rice noodles
2 medium shallots, sliced or chopped
2 small heads broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup raw cashews
zest and juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup fresh basil or cilantro, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons salted butter
3-4 cloves garlic finely chopped or grated
1/3 cup canned coconut milk

Instructions:
1. In a medium bowl, toss together the chicken, cornstarch, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon oil.

2. In a glass jar, combine the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 cup water.

3. Cook rice noodles according to packaged directions.

4. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and brown all over, until it becomes crispy, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots, broccoli, and cashews, cook another 2-3 minutes, until the broccoli is charring. Pour in the honey/soy sauce mix. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the sauce coats the chicken, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime zest, lime juice, and the basil.

5. Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the butter, garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if desired. Cook until the garlic begins to caramelize and turn light golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, cooking 3-5 minutes, until warmed through. Remove from the heat and toss the noodles with the sauce.

6. To serve, divide the noodles among bowls and top with chicken. Serve with additional basil and limes.

***Y'all know I only use chicken thighs no matter what the recipe calls for.

05/30/2026

This afternoon I met a friend at this cute cafe for a bit of yarn work.

I was going to go with my usual hot chocolate until I saw they have horchata. Horchata made from scratch! It was so delicious. Eboni had a coffee, sandwich and a cup of tomato soup. She said it was all very good.

Please go check them out.