I have been very busy this week with going back to work! It was a good return though, and Friday we got to go home at noon because of a winter storm. We have spent the weekend warm, cozy and safe at home while we watch person after person get stuck in our neighborhood. Chris spent a good portion of yesterday shoveling and helping people get unstuck. One person was so stuck (in a CRV AWD) that a neighbor came with his big SUV and towed him out. It worked, but I am pretty sure he sit another neighbors car!
Ok so to the Recipe..
Curried Lentils
Julie gave me some of these awhile ago, and so I decided to experiment and see if I could make them without her recipe. They came out pretty good.
1 Can Lentils, rinsed and drained
1/4 of mild onion, diced
1/4 of a sweet pepper, diced
Curry Powder (to taste, I think I used 2-3 tbs)
1/8c olive oil
1/8c lemon juice (next time I am going to try part lemon part vinegar)
Pepper (to taste
Mix Lentils, onin and pepper to bowl, set aside
Mix olive oil, lemon and spices in another bowl
Drizzle second bowl over first and toss.
Chill in fridge for a few hours
Was a hit...even Caleb liked it.
December 6, 2009
December 4, 2009
December 1, 2009
Recipe Tuesday- Spaghetti Sauce
The canned spaghetti sauce we like is almost 4 dollars a jar. This I made for less than 15 dollars (with meat) a huge pot full. I use it for the obvious (spaghetti) as well as stuffed peppers and lasagna.
Beware because I cook anything freezable in large batches this makes A LOT of sauce. The last time I made the equivelant of 4 normal size lasagnas and had a litre left over for speghetti.
3 Large cans of tomatos (whole or crushed. crushed is easier, but both work)
3 cans tomato paste
1 bunch of vine ripe frest tomates cut into cubes
1 large white onion diced
1 green pepper diced
2 cans or the equivilant of fresh mushrooms
2.5 pounds of hamburger (chris likes meaty sauce, but for cheaper you can make meatless or use less. for healthier you can you soy burger or ground chicken)
2 tablespoons minced garlic (we buy in big batch at Costco but you could use powder too)
Basil, Oregeno, Thyme, fresh ground pepper and crushed red pepper (for spice) to taste.
Preheat large (and I do mean large) pot. Add a couple tbs of olive oil.
Saute onion and pepper until lightly brown. Add mushrooms.
Add hamburger and cook until hamburger is cooked. You could cook hamburger seperate if you are worried about it.
Drain greese (I sometimes dont if its really lean meat because it adds flavor (but also fat)
Add tomatoes and tomato paste
Add seasoning
Depending on how much juice was in the canned tomatoes I add water. Hard to say how much. Just until it looks right and the paste turns to sauce.
Let simmer for an hour.
I then let it cool and bag it into gallon size ziplock. Or I make my lasagnas right away and then freeze them.
It taste better the next day or after thawing. I guess all the flavors have more time to mingle or something.
Sometimes I have used Italian sausage instead of hamburger. Also makes for a good taste.
Beware because I cook anything freezable in large batches this makes A LOT of sauce. The last time I made the equivelant of 4 normal size lasagnas and had a litre left over for speghetti.
3 Large cans of tomatos (whole or crushed. crushed is easier, but both work)
3 cans tomato paste
1 bunch of vine ripe frest tomates cut into cubes
1 large white onion diced
1 green pepper diced
2 cans or the equivilant of fresh mushrooms
2.5 pounds of hamburger (chris likes meaty sauce, but for cheaper you can make meatless or use less. for healthier you can you soy burger or ground chicken)
2 tablespoons minced garlic (we buy in big batch at Costco but you could use powder too)
Basil, Oregeno, Thyme, fresh ground pepper and crushed red pepper (for spice) to taste.
Preheat large (and I do mean large) pot. Add a couple tbs of olive oil.
Saute onion and pepper until lightly brown. Add mushrooms.
Add hamburger and cook until hamburger is cooked. You could cook hamburger seperate if you are worried about it.
Drain greese (I sometimes dont if its really lean meat because it adds flavor (but also fat)
Add tomatoes and tomato paste
Add seasoning
Depending on how much juice was in the canned tomatoes I add water. Hard to say how much. Just until it looks right and the paste turns to sauce.
Let simmer for an hour.
I then let it cool and bag it into gallon size ziplock. Or I make my lasagnas right away and then freeze them.
It taste better the next day or after thawing. I guess all the flavors have more time to mingle or something.
Sometimes I have used Italian sausage instead of hamburger. Also makes for a good taste.
November 30, 2009
American Thanksgiving
Caleb and I just returned from Ohio Saturday night. It was a great trip. I can tell he is missing having 3 grandmas, a grandpa, and two uncles in the house. He is a very social baby and was loving all the attention. I was loving all the help! I will write more about the trip as I post pictures.
This week Caleb learned to sit from his hands and knees and is trying hard to push himself onto his feet. I am starting to really wonder if he will be one of those babies that skips crawling. He is so close, but has been at the same stage with that for well over a month. He also survived his first cold, and getting 4 teeth at once (for a total of 8). When I got home Chris said he looked taller. I didnt think so, but we went to put him in a sleeper that fit 2 weeks ago and he was too long. At this rate he will be taller than me by First Grade!
I go back to work on Weds. Trying to get myself organized and prepared for this big change. Still very sad, but I know once we get a new routine it won't be so bad. It will be good for Caleb to be with Chris as he is learning to walk since I cant help him and it will be hard for me to keep up with him.
This week Caleb learned to sit from his hands and knees and is trying hard to push himself onto his feet. I am starting to really wonder if he will be one of those babies that skips crawling. He is so close, but has been at the same stage with that for well over a month. He also survived his first cold, and getting 4 teeth at once (for a total of 8). When I got home Chris said he looked taller. I didnt think so, but we went to put him in a sleeper that fit 2 weeks ago and he was too long. At this rate he will be taller than me by First Grade!
I go back to work on Weds. Trying to get myself organized and prepared for this big change. Still very sad, but I know once we get a new routine it won't be so bad. It will be good for Caleb to be with Chris as he is learning to walk since I cant help him and it will be hard for me to keep up with him.
November 17, 2009
Recipe of the Week- Honey Chicken
Honey Chicken
(not all that low point because of the sauce but a good alternative to say take out sweet and sour chicken)
This is one of the Recipes I make in large batches and freeze, but you do not have to.
For Four Servings (Normal people servings not little servings...it usually feeds us for two dinners and now that I eat a lot less even a lunch)...
1/2 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Butter
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup
1/2 low sodium soy sauce
3 Chicken Breasts cut into bite size pieces
1 sweet pepper and 1 green pepper cut into bite sizes
1 white onion diced
2 Cups brown rice
Rice:
In a 4 cup Pyrex neasuring cup I add 2 cups brown rice to 3 cups water. Cook on high for 5 minutes (or until water starts to boil). Once water starts to boil cover with lid and cook another 20 minutes on medium. I check it at about 15 and stir. Sometimes its soft then but usually it takes 20.
Set Rice aside
Melt Butter in sauce pan and add brown sugar, once mixed add honey and soy sauce. Let simmer for 5 mins and remove from heat and set aside
Pre-heat big pot on medium high on stove. Add a bit of olive oil and add the onion. After a few minutes add pepper. Once the onion is starting to turn clear add chicken. Once the chicken is cooked on the outside I add the sauce and the rice to the pot and continue simmering until the chicken is cooked all the way (usually 5 minutes as the chcken is cut in small pieces it does not take long).
Either serve it right away or let cool and put into a freezer bag to freeze.
I made it in batches of 3 at a time and freeze. When I want to thaw it I let it thaw on the counter for an hour or two just so its soft enough I can get it out of the bag. Its much easier to get out of the bag still mostly frozen then thawed because of the honey. I then just put it in a pot and warm.
Enjoy!
(not all that low point because of the sauce but a good alternative to say take out sweet and sour chicken)
This is one of the Recipes I make in large batches and freeze, but you do not have to.
For Four Servings (Normal people servings not little servings...it usually feeds us for two dinners and now that I eat a lot less even a lunch)...
1/2 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Butter
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup
1/2 low sodium soy sauce
3 Chicken Breasts cut into bite size pieces
1 sweet pepper and 1 green pepper cut into bite sizes
1 white onion diced
2 Cups brown rice
Rice:
In a 4 cup Pyrex neasuring cup I add 2 cups brown rice to 3 cups water. Cook on high for 5 minutes (or until water starts to boil). Once water starts to boil cover with lid and cook another 20 minutes on medium. I check it at about 15 and stir. Sometimes its soft then but usually it takes 20.
Set Rice aside
Melt Butter in sauce pan and add brown sugar, once mixed add honey and soy sauce. Let simmer for 5 mins and remove from heat and set aside
Pre-heat big pot on medium high on stove. Add a bit of olive oil and add the onion. After a few minutes add pepper. Once the onion is starting to turn clear add chicken. Once the chicken is cooked on the outside I add the sauce and the rice to the pot and continue simmering until the chicken is cooked all the way (usually 5 minutes as the chcken is cut in small pieces it does not take long).
Either serve it right away or let cool and put into a freezer bag to freeze.
I made it in batches of 3 at a time and freeze. When I want to thaw it I let it thaw on the counter for an hour or two just so its soft enough I can get it out of the bag. Its much easier to get out of the bag still mostly frozen then thawed because of the honey. I then just put it in a pot and warm.
Enjoy!
November 15, 2009
Wirlwind
In the last 36 hours Caleb and I have been to Winnipeg for a funeral, and back home for a wedding. In less than 24 hours Caleb experienced both his first funeral and his first wedding. He is far too young to understand either, but he enjoyed new faces and dancing to music.
I am not sure there is anything worse in life than losing a child, and I am not sure there is a worse way to lose them than to mental illness. I was very curious and almost nervous to see the slant that the funeral would take. I knew that his parents would want it to be a celebration of life, but I also knew that suicide is such a complicated issue and especially so within the church, and in regards to questions of salvation. I was releaved and glad when it was made very clear that his illness was just that an illness. To quote one of the pastors "He battled an illness....... an illness that in his case turned fatal".
I think our society has come a long way in understanding and accepting mental illness, and I hope that this only continues and deepens both within society as a whole, and within the church. If Jesus is a picture of what is Mercy and Compassion then certainly as the church we should offer this to everyone without making any road blocks.
The wedding we went to was beautiful and simply perfect. I love weddings, and I am not sure there is much better (the only thing I can think of is the birth of new child) than weddings. I always feel honored to be at them.
I am not sure there is anything worse in life than losing a child, and I am not sure there is a worse way to lose them than to mental illness. I was very curious and almost nervous to see the slant that the funeral would take. I knew that his parents would want it to be a celebration of life, but I also knew that suicide is such a complicated issue and especially so within the church, and in regards to questions of salvation. I was releaved and glad when it was made very clear that his illness was just that an illness. To quote one of the pastors "He battled an illness....... an illness that in his case turned fatal".
I think our society has come a long way in understanding and accepting mental illness, and I hope that this only continues and deepens both within society as a whole, and within the church. If Jesus is a picture of what is Mercy and Compassion then certainly as the church we should offer this to everyone without making any road blocks.
The wedding we went to was beautiful and simply perfect. I love weddings, and I am not sure there is much better (the only thing I can think of is the birth of new child) than weddings. I always feel honored to be at them.
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