Fun in the sun!

For our anniversary, Jon and I went out to eat at a BBQ joint called Sonny's. After we had our fill of brisket, ribs, corn bread, coleslaw, and baked beans we needed a long walk. Off to the beach we went!

Here's how the conversation went after this first photo:

Jon:"Happy Anniversary!"
Me: " Yea, wait, why didn't you smile in the picture?"
Jon: " I did.... inside."
Me: "You are a total dork"


Needless to say I made him take a new one :)


We had a delightful time playing in the sand and walking along the water as the tide rolled back in.

There is always something different to see when you go to the ocean. This time there were a few shrimp boats out on the water, loads of dead jellyfish, and a whole heap of sea foam. The winds were pretty fierce as the sun started to set so bits and pieces of foam would break free and go shooting across the sand. (It reminded me of when a chunk of snow would escape on a windy day and go skittering across the snow banks, only I wasn't bundled up for fear of hypothermia!)

It was a wonderful way to celebrate our special bond.

Ok, moving on. ;)

One of our conversations on the beach led us to the topic of a little hole in the wall Chinese restaurant we used to go to with our friends back in MN. The restaurant had the best fried cream cheese wontons they called "cheese puffs." Jon and I have both had a hankering for them in recent weeks.

So, I decided it was time to make some of our own.

Jon took one bite. With a mouthful he gave his overwhelming approval. This is a huge deal. Jon is Mr. Manners. He won't talk with a mouthful, ever.

Keep in mind this is a really small batch (which is probably good because they aren't good for you because they are fried). But as a treat once every 6-9 months, it's ok to splurge a little bit. I won't tell on you, I promise.

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friends. Cheers!

Cream Cheese Wontons
Makes about 10

3-4 TBS (heaping) light cream cheese
1 individually wrapped wedge laughing cow light garlic and herb cheese
1/2 green onion, minced
1 drop Worcestershire sauce (really, just a single drop)
black pepper taste
10 wonton skins
Olive oil to fry

Soften cream cheese and laughing cow cheese together in a microwave safe bowl for about 15-20 seconds. Mix well.

Stir in onion, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper.

Lay out the wonton skins in an assembly line. Place a dollop of filling in the middle of each wrapper. Wet two sides of the wrapper with a little water on your finger. Fold wonton over the filling, pressing to seal into a triangle.

In a medium sized pot, pour enough oil to just cover the bottom. Heat until oil starts to ripple slightly.

CAREFULLY lower 2 wontons into the oil. Flip once to evenly brown both sides. (This only takes about 35-40 seconds total). Remove from oil and drain well on paper towels.

Repeat with remaining wontons.

Serve warm with sweet and sour sauce.