April 27, 2012

Crusty bread * * * Canning * * * and Rainbow Swiss Chard * * *

Wow! Right now, my head is just all over the place...and I am loving it!  There are SOOO many new things to try, and thankfully, I have actually been getting to some of them.

For instance...I finally made myself try this very easy.... very beautiful.... very delicious.... no-knead bread, that is baked in an insanely hot Dutch Oven. It turned out perfect and was no bother at all! I am now hooked and I am never looking back....ever! Here's the link to the recipe. Simply So Good--Crusty Bread.


Another thing I am so excited and ready to dabble in, is canning! I am planning to start out slow and easy...taking my time...learning all there is to learn, studying all there is to study, watching videos on YouTube, the whole nine!  I am bound and determined to experience canning this Spring! So far, I have purchased a water bath canner, funnel, jar tongs annnnnnnd....this wonderful book, by Ashley English, called Canning and Preserving. It just arrived in the mail today and I am ecstatic! I flipped through it at the book store 2 days prior and decided this was the one....THE BOOK...to get me started. It is very informative and Ashley really spells it out....every little detail...and that is definitely me....I am such a detail person! Especially when it comes to canning...you've got to know what you're doing! I haven't made the purchase of a pressure canner yet {for veggies/low acid foods}. Not sure if I am ready for that yet! One thing at a time....baby steps!


I've come across a wonderful website called Sweet Preservation. It's all about canning.... great information and great recipes! Check it out! I have to admit.... I am nervous and don't want to mess up or make anyone sick!! I will be following the recipes and every single step to the letter! I believe I am finally confident enough to do it. Oh...you will most definitely be reading about  my canning adventures here on this blog...so stayed tuned for that my friends!

Another thing I've been into lately...... trying foods that I have never tried before..... things like Swiss Chard, golden beets, dandelion greens, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, collard greens, and plenty more....these things have been on the grocery produce shelf forever, and I keep passing them by. I have had beets before...but only the red ones...this is the first time I've ever seen golden.....they are a yellowish, orangey color. I cooked with rainbow Swiss Chard for the first time last night, and it was fun! It was great trying something new! Just look at the colors of this veggie! Just stunning and brilliant....so vibrant! I was reading how Chard is one of the most highly nutritious vegetables out there! That's pretty awesome, and that will definitely make it a contender for new foods winding up on our dinner plates!


I cooked it with chicken, shallots, and garlic in one big fry pan...all in a bit of olive oil and a bit of water. It turned out great! I got the recipe from the twister tie that was holding the stalks of Swiss Chard together in a bundle! How great is that!



By the way...I did not do the cheddar cheese part of the recipe...somehow, it just seemed to cheapen it. Cheddar cheese??? It just seemed wrong....here was all this healthy food I was cooking...and then to top it with cheddar cheese! I don't think so!

Well, let me close with that.....that being the last subject for now. There are many other things that I've been excited about and they will be turning up here...sooner or later!

For now, have a great weekend and enjoy your blessings!

April 24, 2012

my version of strawberry spinach salad



I love strawberry spinach salad!! There's just something about the combination of those flavors all mixing together that I love! Sooo.... the classic strawberry spinach salad is usually a combination of fresh spinach, strawberries, red onions, blue cheese, almonds and red wine vinaigrette or a poppy seed dressing.....oh so yummy!!!!

I think it is refreshing to have fruit in my salads...certain kinds of fruit that is...strawberries, blueberries and apple are all great! If I'm doing fruit though, there are certain veggies I won't put in my salad....like tomatoes or cucumber...I feel like the fruit needs to be the shining star...and not sure I would like the combo.

And by the way.....one cup of strawberries provides you with 160% of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin C!! That's awesome! They are also high in folate and potassium...not to mention the antioxidants!!


Here is my spin on strawberry spinach salad.

fresh baby spinach
sliced fresh strawberries
chopped walnuts
chopped celery
rough chopped shallots
dried cranberries
crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Dress with white peach balsamic vinegar
or
any light, fruity vinaigrette

This is a great salad to make right now, as strawberries are overflowing in the grocery stores...and for a great price! Personally, I cannot wait until I can buy locally grown strawberries in June....that's when strawberries are in season here in SW Pennsylvania. June just seems so far away though...so, I have been buying the grocery store strawberries from Florida. Well...I am no stranger to Florida strawberries, as I lived there for 5 years and ate many a strawberry from local farms! When are strawberries locally in season for you where you live?? Just curious!

Happy eating! 

April 23, 2012

My Sunday


Slept in 'til 10 am.
While I was sleeping,  hubby took pictures of a Blue Heron frolicking in creek behind our house.
Rushed through breakfast and rushed to get ready for church!
New skirt and shirt for church...will talk about the skirt thing in a later post..if I forget..remind me.
Church service 10:45 til 12 noon...good sermon!
Took my new, awesome Bible to church today...so excited to use it...I just love it!
Washed dishes like a good girl...cause I always let them set until I have a mountain!!
Hubby and youngest child left to go to a scavenger hunt for Cub Scouts at a local park.
Oldest son worked on adding something to his computer....I don't know what it is.
For lunch, I ate 2 slices of heavenly leftover pizza...spinach, garlic and chicken.
Watched some of {hockey} Pittsburgh Penguins VS. Philadelphia Flyers...umm, we lost..not phased!
Little bit of computer time for me...Facebook, blogging, Pinterest...whatever.
Wondering if we will get any of the 4 inches of snow predicted for tomorrow.
For dinner I quartered and roasted red potatoes and also some sugar snap peas..seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper...the red potatoes were also seasoned with sage from my garden...the peas were also seasoned with thyme from my garden.
Made fruit salad with mangoes, kiwi and apples...so delicious and fresh.
2 pieces leftover talapia fish.
After dinner, evening church service at 6:35 pm...just me, rest of family stayed home...good service!
Oh! I forgot! after church I made peanut butter chocolate swirl bars...TOTALLY DELICIOUS!
10:00 pm nightly news...weather report...snow won't start til 5 am...2 to 4 inches tomorrow...we'll see!
Midnight blogging right now...working on this post...time for beddy-bye...need to get some sleep.
My usual late night snack of peanut butter on whole wheat bread with butter and a sprinkling of powdered sugar..and a cup of milk...comfort food!
So thankful for today.
Thank you God, you are always so good to me!
Blessed beyond measure!
Good night!
Can't wait for tomorrow!
No special reason....but who knows what tomorrow will bring!

April 21, 2012

Saturday morning

Lately, I've been seeing egg cups turning up here and there on blogs and in magazines. I've made them before and we loved them....decided to make some this morning. These are so delicious and easy to make. I have posted about them before....but if you haven't seen that post, here's the deal: Brush muffin cups with olive oil, line cups with slices of ham, crack one egg into each cup,
Bake in 350 degree oven for approx. 20 minutes or so depending on your preference to how well done you like your eggs. Sprinkle with chives, salt and pepper!
Well...it is raining today and I am soooooo very thankful! We need the rain so bad...our earth is just so cracked and dry here in SW Pennsylvania. My herb garden will be so happy today...boy did it need some water and I keep forgetting to water it!  

I hope you all have a really great weekend...no matter WHAT you do! Whether you are spending time relaxing, cleaning, cooking, time with family, time to yourself or caring for loved ones....I pray you find joy and blessings this weekend!

April 10, 2012

growing alfalfa sprouts


You cannot imagine how GOOD,  freshly grown alfalfa sprouts taste! They are so crisp and sweet and fresh! And . . . they take hardly ANY effort at all to grow.
Like, no effort people!


Really! 
It's so easy! 


Well, they do take a teeny bit of effort, but I promise you, it's no big deal!

Okay, first off, let me tell you about a sandwich I made the other day. Hang tight, we're still talkin' sprouts here! This sandwich was the sandwich to end all sandwiches. It was the bomb! I'm telling you, I was not even expecting it to taste this good. I cannot wait to make another, and another and another!


Here's the ingredient list for the sandy-sandwich:
whole wheat bread
ham lunch meat
turkey breast lunch meat
slice of provolone/mozzarella cheese
very large handful of alfalfa sprouts
sweet pickles
Hellman's mayonnaise

Yep.
That's it.
And it was to die for!
Trust me on this one!


I swear the sprouts were the star of the show! The slight crunch you get from the freshness of the sprouts is like . . . I don't know . . .it's just good! The flavor of the sprouts is a little . . . earthy . . . and sweet. I cannot describe it any other way. You are just going to have to taste for yourself!


Here's what ya do and how ya go about doin' it!

Grab a 1 quart jar.
Measure 2 Tbsp. alfalfa seeds and pour into jar.
Cover seeds in jar with about 1 inch of water.
Swirl water around to make sure all seeds are coated.
Cover mouth of jar with a piece of cheesecloth or a coffee filter with pin prick holes to allow for air circulation.
Fasten rubber band over cheesecloth or coffee filter to hold in place.
Place jar in dark place such as a kitchen cupboard.
Let seeds sit overnight.
In the morning, drain water from seeds through the cheesecloth or coffee filter.
Then, remove cheesecloth, fill jar with a couple inches of water and swirl around to rinse and then drain the water again through the cheesecloth.
Next, leave the drained seeds in jar covered with cheesecloth or coffee filter for about 12 hours, in a dark spot.
After 12 hours, rinse seeds in jar with a couple inches of water and drain through the cheesecloth.
Leave drained seeds to sit in dark spot.
Repeat the "rinse, drain, and let-sit-in-dark-spot" process, every 12 hours.
Within 4 days your sprouts will be approximately 2 to 3 inches long and ready to eat.
Store the grown sprouts in the refrigerator, covered with tight lid, or a piece of plastic wrap.
Sprouts will stay fresh for about a week.

Enjoy!

P.S. It's quite the gratifying experience to grow sprouts as it is almost full proof, and you will see the results with a day or so.

A WORD OF WARNING: make sure you buy organic alfalfa seeds that are specifically for food consumption. Do not use commercial seeds for farming that may be sprayed with insecticide. Also, follow directions precisely for sprouting...there will be directions on the package.  Follow sanitation and rinsing guidelines posted on package. A great brand to use is by Now Health Foods. http://www.nowfoods.com/