Merry Christmas Eve!

For once, it finally looks like Christmas here! We still have about 6-10 inches of snow on our street, it still looks rather pretty. I have quite a bit of work to do today, but I'm looking forward to spending some time in my kitchen. I'll be making a cauliflower gratin, some grilled vegetables, a mincemeat pie, and a three-layer buttermilk/red velvet cake.

I'm hoping that we are able to start a few meaningful traditions this year. I would like to teach our kids to enjoy giving as well as receiving, and this year we will visit [and bring gifts to] one of Rob's clients who lives in a nursing home (and has no family). I'm a little anxious to predict the interaction between our kids and an elderly man, but I'm really glad that Rob suggested we make a visit. I hope it will be a meaningful visit to Mr Perry, and that it inspires our kids to be compassionate and generous in the future.

We're going to attend my brother-in-law's Christmas Eve service and then we'll come home and make some pizza. I am planning on buying a bunch of ingredients and I think we'll each assemble our own.

A tradition I've enjoyed since I was a child is a sweet bread my grandmother made. Hefekrantz is a German braided bread that we fill with cinnamon, sugar, butter, and semisweet shavings. My dad and I each made one yesterday. I typically shy away from yeast breads because I haven't found an effective rising place in our house. My dad uses his kiln, because he can keep the temperature consistent. I had planned to serve our bread Christmas morning, but we just couldn't wait! I don't have the recipe, or my dad's permission (just because I haven't asked him yet) - but I may share it later.




A recipe I will share is mine for apple pie. Rob loves apple pie even more than meat loaf. I should have taken a picture of the size of the piece that Rob typically enjoys, but it would be downright embarrassing! I have been making apple pies for a long time, and since I've started cooking the apples for the filling, I have success every time. I think apple pies require a lot of work, and to have crunchy apples as a result is quite disappointing. Originally I had cooked the filling in a saucepan on the stove, but I hated how the filling would stick to the pan (and therefore create a difficult pan to clean). I then decided to utilize my microwave. No sticking, woo-hoo!

I have tried a few different kinds of apple pies over the years: dutch, french, and lattice crust. A dutch apple pie is a double-crust version, with heavy cream poured into the top of the pie in the last fifteen minutes of baking. The lattice crust is self-explanatory, and the french apple pie is the one I most typically make, which includes a crumb topping. We love to eat our pie warm, with lots of vanilla ice cream. I also like to eat my pie warm [for breakfast] with lots of milk on top!




French Apple Pie
unbaked pie crust
8 large apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
2-3 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg (freshly grate for best flavor)
topping:
6 T butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour

1. Combine apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Microwave for about 7 minutes, stopping twice to stir.
2. Fill pie crust with apples.
3. Mix remaining ingredients with fork or pastry cutter or until coarse crumbs are formed.
4. Bake pie for 45-50 minutes at 375 degrees or until crust is golden and top is nicely browned.

Teachers Christmas Lunch

I work very hard to keep my life as simple as possible. I am not a happy person when my life is hectic. To clarify: I really don't have that much to do. I don't work outside the home, and my work here at home always seems to wait for me. I decided this year to cancel our Christmas Eve party. I simply felt like I wanted to instead enjoy Christmas Eve and to start a new tradition with our family: a relaxing evening. It's not that I don't enjoy cooking, I'm just feeling kind of lazy. Okay, a lot lazy. It's part of this whole winter funk thing I'm reveling in.

Funny thing: I just received my Social Security statement yesterday. I've never actually worked a full-time job in my life (with the exception of summers between high school and college). Somehow, someway, I qualify for Social Security benefits. I'm thankful I've been able to stay home with my children full-time, I consider it a luxury. I realize that others make the sacrifice to teach my children and for that I am thankful. I, of course, am speaking of our amazing public school teachers. The teachers in our school district have been nothing short of exemplary and I marvel at their patience and resolve every school day! Each year I try to make them a lunch to enjoy for Christmas and also for the end of the year. I try to make the lunch as healthy and light as possible, anticipating the bevy of sweet treat that undoubtedly crowd the faculty rooms of the schools. This year I made quiche, a salad, and mixed fruit. The teachers are always very thankful and I am happy to do a small part in thanks for the hard work they put into our children each school day.

Here is the recipe for the quiche:

Asparagus and Roasted Red Pepper Quiche with Swiss Cheese
1 prepared pie crust, unbaked
1 large bunch asparagus, cut into pieces and blanched
1 small jar roasted red peppers, chopped
2 cups shredded swiss cheese
3 eggs
3 T cornstarch
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup shredded parmesan
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt

1. Layer asparagus and roasted red pepper on top of unbaked crust. Top with shredded cheese.
2. In a small jar, shake milk and cornstarch until no lumps remain.
3. Add milk mixture to eggs (in large bowl).
4. Mix in additional ingredients.
5. Bake at 370 degrees for 45 minutes or until quiche is set and browned on top.

Just one last side note: I love Price-Rite! I purchased everything for the teachers' lunches and the total was less than $75. In the salads, I added feta cheese, dried cranberries, and pumpkin seeds. The fruit included pomegranate seeds, fresh pineapple, red raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, starfruit, and grapes. Not a bad total for seven lunches!

Remember Pargo's?

An interesting irony: Obesity levels continue to climb yet our culture has become so much more food conscious. Only recently has it become trendy to be a foodie. Every day new studies are released touting the benefits of everything from wheatgrass to chocolate. In my family the metamorphosis has been interesting. I was just asking my mom why in the world she would buy grape drink concentrate from the Schwan man. Seriously, this lady is just about 100% organic, and she was feeding our family grape punch. Our favorite meals were veal patties (yes, you read that correctly!) and chicken pie (complete with a condensed cream soup in the ingredient list).

The difference in the grocery stores has been dramatic over the last 15 years. While the organic, healthy, and natural choices are increasing, so are the pre-packaged, processed, and unhealthy choices. I wish we could have a combination of old-fashioned foods with international choices - no pre-packaged yuckiness, but still with the produce and grain choices from across the world. I like to buy locally, but sometimes I need a little variety, especially in the winter. To clarify, I don't buy locally for any "eco-conscious" reasons, simply to pinpoint where our food originates and also to support our local farmers.

Several years ago, when our restaurant choices were limited to chain restaurants, Rob and I enjoyed eating at Pargo's. They served choices like: baked potato soup, burgers, wings, etc. I'd like to think our tastes have evolved a little beyond the menu at Pargo's, but we still enjoy eating like this occasionally. One of my favorite menu items was the baked potato soup, so my mom and I set out to re-create it at least 15 years ago. Now, you could certainly make this soup without the wonderful, melting naughtiness of Velveeta, but I wouldn't recommend it.

This is the perfect wintertime companion!




Baked Potato Soup
3-4 medium-sized baked potatoes (wrapped in foil after piercing skin and bake until tender)
4 spring onions, sliced
4 T butter
3 T flour
2 cups milk
small package Velveeta, cut into cubes
5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (reserve the bacon grease)
1/2 cup sharp shredded cheddar
salt and pepper to taste
non-fat Greek yogurt (if desired)

1. Melt butter in medium-sized saucepan. Sprinkle flour and stir until smooth. Slowly add milk and stir until thickened.
2. Add spring onions, and cheeses. Cook over medium heat until cheese is melted.
3. Smash potatoes and add to soup.
4. Salt and pepper to taste, ladle into bowls. Add a dollop of yogurt and additional cheese if desired.

My baby is six years old today!

Six years ago on December 16, at 12:12 am, our little Emma was born! She was what you would term, a "surprise". A better surprise and blessing we've never had. Emma is spunky, affectionate, fun, and unpredictable. We call her our little "squirrel". We are very close and I call her my best friend. She and I are attached at the hip during the day when the other two are at school.

We are so thankful for Emma and are so especially blessed to see the very special relationship she has with Kate, her older sister. They have such a bond, it's hard to describe. I know that God has big plans for Emma. She is a very strong little girl and we can't imagine life without her.

Happy 6th Birthday, Emm-

This is why I hate Christmas Trees

This is one of the many reasons I despise Christmas trees! Rob insisted we get another one, but at least he searched out a "Canaan", a hybrid that is supposed to drop the least amount of needles. Our Christmas Tree, version 2.0 is the skinniest tree we've ever had, and I love it! (as much as I could love a Christmas tree!)


By the way, these are half of the needles that fell off in my living room, foyer, and front porch "on it's way out"!

In these here parts....

I love my heritage. I think it's really cool that I come from hearty, German stock. Somehow I have inherited my moms partway muscular arms. I'd like to think it's because I'm so healthy and disciplined, but I think my ancestry probably included lots of manual laborers. I also love the fact that our local cuisine includes many hearty dishes. Chicken pot pie, sugar cakes, hog maw, chicken corn soup, and cherry pudding are just some of the dishes that hail from this region.

Cherry pudding is a real treat in our house. It is basically a moist white cake with sour cherries baked in. We always eat ours warm with plenty of milk poured overtop. Now, "in these here parts" we pronounce this dish, "churry puddin". Don't ask me why, I guess it's just part of the local dialect.

Local bakeries prepare and sell this dessert, but it's very easy to make at home! The only challenge is having access to sour cherries. I buy and freeze sour cherries in the summer so I can make cherry pudding and sour cherry pies. If you know of anywhere to buy frozen sour cherries, I would be most interested in hearing about it. Maybe there are websites that specialize in frozen fruit?

Here is the recipe for cherry pudding, courtesy of my mom

Cherry Pudding
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup half and half
2 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 cups thawed and drained sour cherries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs.
3. Add dry ingredients alternately with half and half. Stir in cherries.
4. Sprinkle additional sugar on top and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Random Thoughts, a fat-free dessert, and a three-ingredient roast beef

Random Thoughts:

1. Have you ever discovered you were wrong? Silly question, I know, but I just recently discovered that I've been making crabcakes totally wrong. I realize this is a trivial observation, but I'm a little crazy for food! I made crabcakes on Saturday night and because my oven was occupied, I had to improvise on the usual way I prepare them. Typically I mix the cakes, form them into serving portions and bake with a small pat of butter. My mom has been pan-frying hers forever and so I thought I'd give it a try. I mixed the crab with the typical ingredients and coated them on either side with panko crumbs. I then browned them on each side in a mixture of butter and canola oil. After they were golden and crunchy, I popped them in the oven (in the same pan) to finish baking. The result? Moan-inducing. Seriously. It was then I realized the error of my ways. This is not the first time I've come to the conclusion that my mom is simply a much better cook than I am.




2. It's hard to watch your child be humbled. I love having girls. I understand them. I love having a boy, too, it's just that sometimes I think he's an alien or something. Girls, I get. I also fully comprehend how fragile their self-esteem can be. I have to say, good or bad, my girls have pretty high self worth. Lately, though, our middle girl has had some humbling experiences. She has always been a big girl. She was eleven pounds plus at birth and she is just a good bit thicker than our other two. She is very healthy and not obese, but it is very hard to find clothing that fits well. We will regularly buy her several pairs of pants, bring them home and have her realize that none fit.
Last night she had her first haircut in a few years. The girl who cut her hair did a great job, but she cut it quite a bit shorter than we had asked her to. After many tears, encouragement, and a little tweaking with the curling iron, the result is a few steps below total hatred. It looks cute, but it's not my favorite haircut and it does make her look quite a bit younger. I worry about her. I really don't want her self-esteem to suffer because she might not look like everyone else. As an adult it's a little easier to understand that beauty is derived from spiritual beauty. As a little girl, I want her to feel totally beautiful, inside and out. I did not sleep well last night. I was praying for her that she would feel beautiful today. Long story short, it's really tough to see your kids humbled.



The fat free dessert is a meringue nest. A few little ingredients can yield an impressive and delicious dessert. Egg whites, cream of tartar, sugar and cocoa (optional) whipped into a fluffy and marshmallow-like nest. Top with fresh berries and you have a healthy low-calorie treat. We also included fresh whipped cream and ice cream, but these additions are definintely not fat-free.

The three ingredients in the roast beef include: beef, water, and french onion soup mix. How easy is that? For an extra comforting take on the roast beef, how about a hot beef sandwich? Simply toast a piece of bread, top with beef and gravy and enjoy!

Meringue Nests
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
6 T sugar
2 T cocoa

1. In large mixing bowl, whip whites and cream of tartar until foamy.
2. Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until soft peaks form.
3. Add cocoa and continue to beat whites until stiff and glossy.
4. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, create "nests" (basically, drop 1/2
cup meringue onto the parchment paper and using the back of a spoon, create a well in the center).
5. Bake at 250 degrees for one hour. Turn off oven and allow meringues to rest in the oven for an additional hour and 15 minutes.
6. Top with berries and serve.




Three-Ingredient Roast Beef
Beef Roast (I like arm roasts best)
3/4 cup water
1 packet french onion soup mix

Sprinkle beef with mix, pour water to cover bottom of roast and bake, covered, at 350degrees for at least 3 hrs or until tender.

From forest to table and raspberry cobbler

Well, no doubt you've heard the phrase, "from farm to table". We had a dinner that came straight from the forests of Potter County in northern PA. We had the final roast of Rob's bear from last winter. Let me just say, it was delicious. Seriously, the flavor, tenderness and moistness of the bear was better than beef. It really reminds me of elk. I really want to check out buying some "wild game". I've always loved duck, rabbit, pheasant, and elk and now I'm feeling inspired to do some research into how and where to buy alternative meats.



Last year Rob and Joshua had the opportunity to bear hunt in Potter County at a friends camp. Only one in 50 hunters typically harvest a bear in PA. On the first day of bear season last year my guys landed a young female, the bear check station estimated her age to be about 4 years old. We had the hide made into a rug which we'll display at our cabin, and we also took the meat to a local butcher shop. Apparently they hadn't butchered a bear in quite a long time, but I am so glad we decided to eat the meat. We ordered jerky, bologna, roasts, and tenderloins. I was skeptical but thankfully our girl had apparently been eating corn instead of garbage, because the meat was amazing. I know some people say they would never eat bear, and it is a gamble, because the butcher bill was $140 and we really didn't get that much meat, but it was a novelty that paid off!

I prepared the meat simply, in the same way I prepare beef tenderloin. I marinate the meat in olive oil, red wine, salt, and ground pepper. I then briefly grill the meat and then finish roasting in the oven, covered.

As I was opening my freezer tonight, I discovered that I had a bag of frozen raspberries that my mom had given me [from 08]. I considered making a raspberry crisp, but thought I'd try something different, like a cobbler. I had a recipe I'd used early in our marriage, but it was always kind of ho-hum. I keep forgetting that I have this little treasure, a Bon Appetit cookbook. Seven hundred pages of perfectly delectable recipes like this one; Peach-strawberry cobbler with buttery lemon crust. I substituted raspberries for the peaches and strawberries. It was really, really good.

If you're looking for a versatile cookbook with straight-forward recipes and fresh ingredients, I would suggest a Bon Appetit Cookbook. I have yet to peruse the entire contents (792 pages!), but I have found the recipes to consistently taste flavorful and fresh. The recipes are surprisingly simple, and although the book is huge, you'll never run out of ideas. I happened to find this one at a local discount store, I think it was $10. I would have paid much, much more.



Raspberry Cobbler

fresh or frozen berries, thawed
1 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp lemon peel
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 375. Butter 8x8x2 inch glass baking dish. Place fruit into dish, including some juice if frozen, adding water if fresh (scant 1/4 cup).
2. Using hand-mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg yolk, lemon peel, and vanilla.
3. Add dry ingredients, mix just until moist dough forms.
4. Drop dough on top of fruit. Bake about 30-40 minutes or until fruit is bubbling and dough is browned and crisp.

Still Trying to Like Chicken...

As I mentioned previously, my boys do not like chicken. I have made it my mission to change their mind, at least with a few dishes. Last night we had chicken cordon bleu with plenty of ham, cheese, panko, and a parmesan-mustard sauce. My husband liked it, but I'm pretty sure Josh didn't even taste it. He had a pretty bad headache and was in bed by 7pm. Maybe it was too much excitement this week: his first buck harvest and his first track practice!

I served the chicken over wild rice and also made roasted green beans. For dessert I decided to make an apple strudel. I wanted to give the puff pastry another try without too much tedium. The cherry turnovers were a little annoying because I couldn't fit much filling into each square. The apple strudel was easy, especially with my mandoline slicer. When I make it again, I will peel the apples before I slice them and probably add less fresh nutmeg. But, the strudel definitely received a thumbs-up from my gang (especially with Perrydell vanilla ice cream).




Tonight we're having our last bear roast and I'll try to remember to take pictures in case you never have the opportunity to eat/prepare bear meat!

Chicken Cordon Bleu
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
panko bread crumbs
butter
ham
swiss (or any other kind of cheese: gouda, american, or provolone would be great)

1. If breasts are thick enough, slice horizontally and stuff with ham and cheese. If not, lay slices of ham and cheese on top of chicken breast, roll and secure with toothpicks.
2. Top with plenty of panko bread crumbs and pats of butter.
3. Sprinkle with garlic salt, dried parsley, and cracked pepper.
4. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees (on bottom rack) for 35 minutes. Top with parmesan-mustard sauce and bake for an additional 25 minutes, covering if chicken appears to be browning too quickly.


Parmesan-Mustard Sauce
3 T butter
3 T flour
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp whole-grain mustard
3 tsp parmesan cheese
black pepper

1. Melt butter in small saucepan. Sprinkle flour and stir until smooth.
2. Slowly add milk until smooth and thickened.
3. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.













Apple Strudel
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed and rolled out until thin
3 apples, peeled and sliced thinly
brown sugar
butter
cinnamon
fresh nutmeg, grated
egg white for wash

1. On a greased cookie sheet, assemble strudel: layer 1 apple (sliced) with a sprinkling of brown sugar and cinnamon, top with pats of butter and repeat.
2. Brush edges of puff pastry with egg wash.
3. On top layer, grate fresh nutmeg (scan 2 tsp), top with pats of butter and fold pastry overtop of apple layers. Make sure to create a seam [with the puff pastry] that is pressed together or overlapped.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until pastry is browned and flaky. The juice from the strudel with leak out on the cookie sheet. This is very yummy over the pieces of strudel and will harden on your ice cream....yum!

Some Alternative Christmas Gift Ideas....

I love shopping for other people. I enjoy shopping for my kids, my husband, friends and family. Christmas-giving is something very fun for me (except the wrapping). This year we have been in negotiations with Rob's side of the family to decide how we would approach gift-giving now that we are all single-income families. I know some families who exchange put a monetary limit on their gift-giving, some require the item to be handmade, and some choose to not exchange at all. My sister and I decided a number of years ago to only exchange gifts with each other during birthdays.

Rob and I try to keep our Christmas as simple as possible. I do most of the shopping, but we usually brainstorm beforehand, especially for the kids and usually for his dad and mine. We only buy gifts with cash. Sometimes that means that I buy a few things here and there, and that is what we have found to work for us. We do not own a credit card. We have always kept our kids expectations low in that they probably receive about five gifts from us and they are quite happy with that. I always buy them a full outfit to wear for Christmas day, a few small gifts, and their "big" gift. This year the big gift for Josh is a hunting rifle and I bought the girls some "school" supplies for when they teach their stuffed animals. We also donate to charities for our great-grandmothers, typically to a local charity or through Samaritan's Purse (they will send a card informing them of the gift).

I also try to make some homemade treats for several neighbors and friends. Another thing I have done since my kids have been in school is to prepare some food for their teachers. In the past I have done either a lunch for them to eat at school (usually a salad, a piece of quiche and some fresh fruit) or a breakfast that they can share with their family (blueberry coffee cake, fresh fruit, and a whole quiche). They have always responded with enthusiasm, but it will be interesting to add all of Josh's teachers to the mix (four main subjects).

I have been trying to creatively give this year. We decided to exchange names with Rob's side of the family and I am planning to give a four-part gift: a gift of service, a "re-gift", and a traditional gift, and a handmade gift. The gift of service means that I will give my time to someone....maybe to babysit, to help with small projects around their house (ie cleaning their refrigerator, helping to organize a garage, re-arrange and "house clean" a room, etc.) as a few examples. The "re-gifted" present is self-explanatory - I found something in my attic that I think will be perfect for my recipient. As for the handmade gift, epicurious.com has a great slideshow of gift ideas that can either be purchased or made.

I do a lot of shopping on Amazon. I will add things to my wish list all through the year, plus others can view the list simply by adding your email address.
When I shop on Amazon, reviews play a large part in my selections. I love finding "treasures" that other people have tried and love. An idea I had for gift-giving would be to give your recipient a basket of "your favorite things"- include items you use every day (mine would include magic erasers, dove deodorant, oil of olay face cream with spf 15, bigelow products from B&B works, etc.)

Here's an idea for the cook on your list: Give a gift of spices. Include all of your favorite spices and maybe a few recipes for use them for. Another suggestion is a copy of your favorite cookbook. Notice how my Betty Crocker is quite well-worn? She brought me through many a long day when I was newly married, lived five hours from home and my mom wasn't able to answer the phone!


Maybe you could start giving someone a collection of something. My friend, Whitney, has been giving me this collection. I have found it to be a very meaningful. You could even explain on the gift tag that this gift will be added to each year.

I put in a special request for whoever draws my name this year. I would like some new Christmas decorations. I am still using this table runner my mom made and used in her home since at least 1983. What I am asking for, however, is a "gift certificate" that my purchaser will shop for new decorations for me AFTER Christmas (when everything is 75-90% off).

One of the best gifts I have received is an address book from my mother-in-law. She bought the book and then filled it in my all of the addresses of far-away relatives! You could buy a basket and fill it with an adress book, envelopes, stamps, thank-you notes, a few occasional cards and envelopes, etc.

Maybe you have finished your shopping, or your list has already been decided. If not, I hope some of these ideas might inspire you!

tan food always tastes best.....

Well, I had the best intentions today. I really wanted to add delicous, jewel-toned deliciousness to the Thanksgiving Table today. I created a gorgeous pomegranate and gorgonzola studded mixed greens salad, ruby-colored cranberry conserve, and roasted some fall vegetables. It was beautiful, healthy, full of antioxidants. It was totally lacking compared to all of the "tan food". Tan food, in my opinion, is delicious. It may not be as healthy as the fruit and vegetable-filled options, but once a year (at least) it is totally necessary. We had stuffing, mashed potatoes, baked corn, turkey, gravy, and rolls. All tan, and all mouthwatering.

We had a really nice day as a family. Besides the fact that I totally embarrassed myself by saying I was thankful for a non-clogged sink (hey, I have trouble expressing emotion!) everything went off without a hitch!







On the flip side, take a look at these colors. I do have to say that when I see all of these fruits and vegetables that He created for our pleasure, I am in awe of this life and how it is only a foretaste of eternity. Thank you, Lord for this day when our country expresses its gratitute, may it always bring glory to You!

Guinness Stew

I have been waiting to make this stew for weeks. Every time I opened my vegetable crisper, the celeriac was taunting me. Have you ever seen a celery root (or celeriac)? It's like a large, rooty earth-colored bulb. I had it for the first time last Christmas when my flexitarian sister suggested we combined it for celery-root/mashed potatoes. It's amazing how much it smells like celery (more than celery does, actually).

I had frozen some leftover lamb pieces a few weeks ago with the intention of making the stew. I liked the lamb, but I think the flavor of beef would be a bit more mellow and not overshadow the flavor of the other ingredients. The beef may not appear to be very tender if you start with "stew beef" but it will become tender after some decent cooking time.

I think that this stew is very versatile. A large number of ingredients could be added or removed, but two necessary ingredients are a heavy and dark beer (like Guinness or Sam Adams double boch) and mashed potatoes. I served our stew over mashed potatoes (made with buttermilk, mmmm...) and it was delectable. This is, for sure, a "carbo-licious" dinner, so if you're watching your starch intake, run for the hills. Because I had some great root vegetables on hand I added: sweet potatoes, onions, parsnips, celeriac, and carrots. I think you could probably also add regular potatoes, pearl onions, butternut squash, turnips, rutabagas, etc.

The verdict? I found it very satisfying, rich, and full-flavored. The kids were kinda split on their reviews. Our son really liked it, but he seems to have pretty mature tastes. If you're cooking for kids, maybe you could start with sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, and yukon gold or white potatoes.






Guinness Stew
4 T butter
3 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1 sweet potatoes, sliced coarsely
1 small onion, sliced
2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
1 celery root, peeled and chopped
Stew pieces of beef
1/2 cup flour
1 bottle Guinness or dark beer
2 T tomato paste
1 can beef broth
mashed potatoes

1. In large saute pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and brown for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove vegetables. In the same pan, add stew pieces (coated in flour) and brown briefly, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Deglaze pan with beer, tomato paste, and beef broth.
4. Place all ingredients (except mashed potatoes) into large stockpot and cook over low heat for at least 45 minutes to one hour.
5. In a large bowl, place mashed potatoes and cover with Guinness Stew.

Favourite Thing(s) Friday

**This is a re-post from last year, but I thought it was a good representation of my favourite things!**

I am not a typical "girl". I'm not much into makeup or jewelry, I don't like flowers, and I'm not what you would call "soft". Oh, there is lots of physical softness, trust me, but I'm just not all warm and fuzzy. I like lots of personal space and I feel much more comfortable "conversing" on a computer. I also despise "stuff". I hate clutter, I hate keeping anything I don't use. There is, however, another side to my sentimentality. I have a few things that I hold near and dear to my heart and not because they are worth anything in the monetary realm, but because they have been given to me by those I love.

First and foremost, my wedding ring is important to me [for two reasons]. When Rob and I married, we didn't have money for anything other than a band for each of us. I was quite content with that, but had casually mentioned that if I had my choice of any ring, I would love to have one similar to my Nanny's (my maternal grandmother). After we had been married for five years, he purchased the very ring from her and "proposed" with it. It was nearly the sweetest thing he's ever done for me. I am in love with this ring, because it's from him and because it used to be hers.

My other grandmother was likewise quite special to me. She passed almost exactly four years ago. To say she was a lady was an understatement. She and my grandfather did quite a bit of traveling and they bought many special things and did a wonderful job of bequeathing them to family members [after her passing]. These plates were purchased in Israel and every time I see them I think of her.
































This is my dining room. This room holds all of my "special" things. It is the only room in my house that actually contains a full set of anything (furniture, china, glasses, silver). My silver was purchased for my "hope chest" at an estate sale, the "jelly glasses" were one of my Nanny's wedding presents [when she married], the china was bought by my dad in Japan when he was in the navy, and the furniture set was given to us by my Nanny when we purchased our home. I wish I could say that we used this room more, but that's also why these things have survived. My dad makes pottery in the winter and the vase on the buffet is one of ten things that he fired in a large outdoor kiln. I love the idea of a "hope chest": to slowly add special things to give your child on their wedding day. It is a bit of an antiquated idea, but very special all the same.

I hope you have special things in your life. Not because they are things, but because they remind you of people who love you.