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Thankful Thursday: Mutual Friends
Last night was ‘Small Group’. Our church has called it many things over the years, K-Group, Home-Group, etc etc… I am partial to Small Group. A small group of friends that didn’t start out as friends, but as strangers that have grown to care about one another and a desire to be with each other. I’ve written about this wonderful group of people before. (Small Group: The Joys of Entertaining) We are all ages. Hubs and I the youngest; the oldest … I’d venture in their 50s. I’m pregnant with baby #3. Some of them are empty-nesters wondering when they will be grandparents. A few of them grew up in the…
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Faces Behind the Hero: Army Wife, Mom and writer, Jane
Meet our Face Behind the Hero, Jane. I love her thoughts below about a ‘Family Mission Statement’. What keeps your family together? What is the glue that binds? Where do you find the adventure that keeps life “interesting”? Thanks, Jane, for getting us all thinking about these things and not only being Army-Strong, but Family-Strong too! What branch is your husband in? How long has he been in? My husband is active duty Army, and left for basic training on September 3, 2008…two days before my birthday! How long have you been married? What is your favorite wedding-day memory? We have been married for nearly three years. My favorite wedding day…
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Tasty Tuesday: Lamb Shanks
Spring comes in like a lion… not much one can do there to portray that visual with a meal suggestion… however, Spring goes out like a lamb. I imagine there are a few people who have never tried lamb. And that is such a shame. Lamb dishes are flavorful, simple to prepare and an almost new meat. There are so many ways to prepare a great Easter treat. Traditionally we have leg of lamb when we have company here. However this year, I am thinking about making Lamb Shanks. This dish takes some preparation time, but is worth the wait! And a new meat is an excellent change for the…
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Tasty Tuesday: Corned Beef &Cabbage Must be St Patty’s Day Soon!
Let’s hear it for the goofiness of St Patrick’s Day. It is a day when if you have an I or an R, S,or an H in your name.. hey! You’re Irish. SO go ahead and celebrate. No need to paint your hair green, tip green beer, or start dancing a jig… Just wear some green and try some Irish cuisine. The simplest and childhood memory for me (Norwegian, Dutch and German mix here) was dressing in as many shades of green as I could rummage in my closet. Panic would hit if I didn’t find an obviously Irish outfit. One foolish year I decided to wear orange in protest.…
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Feeling the Need for Health Food? Feed Me Fish!
I have had a heaping helping of holiday food. LOVE it. Did I have my fill… NO. But, sanity has returned, and some delicious seafood calls.There are so many different types of fish that we have had in so many different parts of the world… that I cannot name my favorite, or think of a certain recipe without thinking of the folks with whom we dined, or the restaurant where we looked out windows and saw vistas that were as beautiful as the dish that was served.Therefore, I will be writing a few recipes here. Cannot pick a favorite! But will start with simple.(Remember when you buy your fish that…
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Fish Follow-Up
So, I made the baked fish fillets and there was a bit leftover. What to do? Oh a package of refrigerator rolls, be they crescent or biscuits and I am already to savor the the moment! Seaside PocketsPreheat oven to temperature on package of crescents or biscuits. (425 most likely) 1/2 cup green onion2 T oil oil1 8 oz can water chestnuts, drained and chopped1/4 c mayonnaise or sour cream2T fine dry bread crumbs or crushed saltines1 egg, beaten1 T cheddar cheese1/4 t paprika8 oz leftover cooked fish fillets, flaked2 package of refrigerator crescent rolls or 1 package of large biscuits (8 each)Shredded Cheddar cheese and Ranch DressingIn saucepan cook…
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White Bread A Holiday Staple
Homemade bread. Warm, yeasty, soft….. MMMMMMMMM. This is a timeless treasure! White Bread 2 pkgs active dry yeast3/4 c warm water (105 to 115)2 2/3 c warm water¼ c sugar1 T salt3 T shortening9 to 10 c flour Dissolve yeast in ¾ c warm water. Stir in 2 2/3 c warm water, the sugar, salt shortening and 5 c flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 1 hour. (Dough is ready…
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Carrot Dip With a Kick
Dinner was not progressing as it should have last night. My mind was going 7 places at once and the hunger bar was rising higher than the oven was baking. Times like this call for desperate action: Search and destroy leftovers in the fridge… and get them out into a decorative bowl to make them looks PLANNED and more importantly appetizing. Let’s hear it for a cream cheese Crunchy Carrot Dip… with a kick.4 oz cream cheese1/4 cup walnuts1/2 cup canned carrots, chopped1/2 apple (dipped in lemon juice to keep from oxidizing)3 shakes of Frank’s Hot Saucepinch of salt to taste. Place all ingredients into a food processor. Pulse on…
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Palisades Park Eggplant Lasagna
The gardens are chugging out produce. I can see it like a cartoon event. Boing another plant flops out a beauty. Boing there’s another variety. Being one step ahead of the produce production line AND using these trophies keeps the kitchen active. Eggplant. Not high on my experience level. Pretty as can be, but I told Dale I wanted the plants because we would just LOVE eggplant… sure we would. Small point… what to do with them! Viva the Italians in my life and their memories, especially Mrs. Kerns. (I know she had a first name, but I have always called her Mrs.) She taught my mother how to cook…
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Leftover Pork meets Fresh Blackberries and Feta
I love to cook… that being said… I love to entertain. Sometimes I make a tad bit too much for the folks! That’s OK, as it just causes me to think of ways to stretch what I have and make a new dish. Fresh Vegetables with Pork and Berries2 T. olive oil1/2 c sliced onions1 cup fresh green beans, snapped into 1 inch pieces2 ears of cooked corn on the cob, kernels removed1 T basil1/2 t salt4 oz cooked pork sliced thin2 T wine vinegar1 t Dijon mustard1 T olive oil2 cups fresh beet greens1/2 c fresh blackberries1 oz feta cheese, crumbled In a heavy skillet saute onion until softened,…
