Small bite, big flavor: Mango-shrimp lollipops
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat a ridged grill pan over medium-high heat. Place a tortilla on the pan and cook on each side until there are grill marks, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Halve and pit the avocado. Scoop the flesh from the skin and place it in a medium bowl. Use a fork to mash it with the lemon juice, and then season with a little salt and pepper. Lay 1 grilled tortilla on a cutting board. Spread with one fourth of the avocado mixture, and then sprinkle with one fourth of the olives and one fourth of the red peppers. Place one fourth of the sliced Brie over the peppers and top with another tortilla. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
Place the quesadillas on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until the cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Let the quesadillas cool for 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, place them on a cutting board. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out 8 to 9 rounds from each quesadilla. Place the 2-inch quesadillas on a baking sheet and bake until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Remove the quesadillas from the oven and place them on a platter. Top each with a spoonful of tomatillo salsa. Serve with a margarita shot.
Source: msnbc.com
House of the Week: Architect seeks privacy, serenity in the woods
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Three miles and a world away from the village of Hamilton is a hand-built house with a turret, a tower and trails leading past a pond and through woods to 700 feet of river frontage.
The one-bedroom, one-bathroom, 740-square-foot home and surrounding 32 acres are for sale for $119,000. Cash may be required, as the home may not qualify for conventional financing because the house's water is drawn from a spring and the heating system is unconventional.
Conventional was never homeowner Peter Pettingell's concern.
"My philosophy is privacy," he said. "This is 32 acres of privacy."
The 83-year-old retired architect built the house, garage and outbuildings himself, bit by bit for 38 years.
"You can't do everything at once with one man," he said.
The house is small, and has everything he needs.
"Everything in America is too big. Everything is built for luxury. But luxury is having all this land," he said.
From Larkin Road, only the one-car garage and the gated entrance at 7770 are visible.
Source: Syracuse.com (blog)