The Bridge--Incredible video

Reviews from this week

Here are my latest posted reviews:

Passing Gas and getting paid for it

The Year of the Goat

Reviews this week

The Noah Confessions

Ivy Briefs

Miss Match

I have loved having extra time to read review books for my online sites. I am trying to be more choosy about Romantic Times books and "spreading the wealth" to the other reviewers.

August Reads

122. Never Look Back by Kathy Herman B-
123. Eye Contact by Cammie McGovern B (TBR)
124. Married to a Stranger by Patricia MacDonald B- (TBR)
125. Family Secrets by Judith Henry Wall C
126. On the Loose by Jenny B. Jones B-
127. Ivy Briefs by Martha Kimes B
128. Better by Atul Gawande B-
129. Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund C+ (TBR)
130. Crimson Eve by Brandilyn Collins B
131. The Other Daughter by Miralee Ferrell B
132. The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall B
133. From Bad to Worse by Todd and Jedd Hafer C-
134. Confessions of a Good Christian Girl by Tammy Maltby A (TBR)

Newest Reviews

I have had a few reviews posted lately:

From Bad to Worse
On the Loose
Nine Months in August
It's Not My Wedding (But I'm In Charge)
Better
The Women's Daily Irony Supplement
Just Grace

Don't Buy Stuff You Can't Afford

Looking Up

Things are looking up...not exactly the way I would have hoped, but the heaviness and dreariness of the situation seems to have lifted for the moment.

I want to publicly thank the ladies from the Friendly Anchor yahoo group...you ladies are my prayer rocks in times of trouble! If anyone out there is interested in a high volume, high participation group, this group of women is for you! Don't go by the yahoo stats about posting, we do most of our posting through google groups. But if you want to join we'd love to have you.

Today's Song

Here are today's meaningful song lyrics...keep praying for us please

Every Time I Breathe
Big Daddy Weave

I am sure all of heaven's heard me cry
As I tell You all the reasons why
This life is just too hard
But day by day
Without fail
I'm finding everything I need
And everything that You are To me

Chorus:
Every time I breathe
You seem a little bit closer
I never want to leave
I want to stay in Your warm embrace
Oh basking in the glory shining from Your face
And every time I get another glimpse of Your heart
I realize it's true
That You are so marvelous God
And I am so in love with You

Now how could I after knowing One so great
Respond to You in any way
That's less than all I have to give
But by Your grace
I want to love You not with what I say
But everyday In a way that my life is lived

Chorus:
Every time I breathe
You seem a little bit closer
I never want to leave I want to stay in Your warm embrace
Oh basking in the glory shining from Your face
And every time I get another glimpse of Your heart
I realize it's true
That You are so marvelous God
And I am so in love with You

Wrapped in Your mercy
I want to live and never leave
I am held by how humble
Yet overwhelmed by Your majesty
Captured by grace and now I'm finding I am free
You are marvelous God
And knowing You is everything

Quick Update

I am sorry I haven't been posting much. Without going into detail, life has thrown us a huge loop right now and I don't have time for much of anything. I am emotionally drained and stressed. I would love it if anyone reading this would pray for us and what we're going through. God knows all of the details and I am trusting that He will work through this mess and make something beautiful out of it, although I can't see what it would be.

Trust His Heart
All things work for our good
though sometimes we can’t see how they could.
Struggles that break our hearts in two
sometimes blind us to the truth.
Our Father knows what’s best for us;
His ways are not our own.
So, when your pathway grows dim,
and you just can’t see Him,
Remember He’s still on the throne.

God is too wise to be mistaken.
God is too good to be unkind.
So when you don’t understand,
when you don’t see His plan,
When you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart.

He sees the Master plan.
He holds the future in His hands.
So don’t live as those who have no hope.
All our hope is found in Him.
We walk in present knowledge,
but He sees the first and the last.
And like a tapestry,
He’s weaving you and me
to someday be just like Him.

God is too wise to be mistaken.
God is too good to be unkind.
So when you don’t understand,
when you don’t see His plan,
When you can’t trace His hand,
trust His heart.

July Reads

96. Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich B
97. Not Buying It by Judith Levine C
98. Frenemies by Megan Crane B-
99. How To Teach Filthy Rich Girls by Zoey Dean B
100. Wedding Bell Blues by Linda Windsor B-
101. Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella B-
102. Boo Humbug by Rene Gutteridge B-
103. Heather by Debra White Smith C-
104. Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer B
105. Nine Months in August by Adriana Bourgoin B
106. Dedication by Nicola Kraus/Emma McLaughlin C+
107. Time Lottery by Nancy Moser B
108. It's Not My Wedding, But I'm in Charge by Sharon Naylor C+
109. The Noah Confessions by Barbara Hall C
110. The Women's Daily Irony Supplement by Judy Gruen B
111. Perfume by Patrick Suskind C
112. One Fell Swoop by Virginia Boyd C-
113. The Trophy Wives Club by Kristin Billerbeck B
114. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling A
115. Finding Marie by Susan Page Davis B-
116. After the Leaves Fall by Nicole Baart C+
117. The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Decked Out by Neta Jackson B+
118. Around the World in 80 Dates by Christa Banister C+
119. A Promise to Remember by Kathryn Cushman C+
120. A Crooked Path by Annette Smith B-
121. Every Secret Thing by Ann Tatlock B

Audio:
11. The Good Guy by Dean Koontz B+
12. The Keep by Jennifer Egan B-

TBR Books--Charlotte Sometimes, Time Lottery

Tonight's Dinner

Tonight's dinner was excellent, except for the corn on the cob...we bought it at the farmer's market with great expectations, but I think it's a bit early because it really didn't have any flavor at all unfortunately.

Here are the recipes I used. The top of the plate is roasted CSA cauliflower (absolutely to die for delicious) Turkey cutlet--using the garlic scape pesto, CSA tomatoes, walla walla sweet onion from farmer's market, and goat cheese from farmer's market. Swiss chard gratin--CSA Swiss chard, farmer's market goat cheese.

Roasted Cauliflower (from http://www.elise.com/)

1 head of cauliflower

2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely minced

1 lemon

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut cauliflower into florets and put in a single layer in an oven-proof baking dish. Add garlic. Squeeze a lemon over cauliflower and drizzle each piece with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If the oven hasn't reached 400°F yet, set aside until it has. Place casserole in the hot oven, uncovered, for 15-25 minutes, until the top is lightly brown. Test with a fork for desired doneness. Remove from oven and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese.

Turkey Cutlet Parmigiano (From Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 Walla Walla Sweet onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

Salt and pepper

3-4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 pounds turkey breast cutlets

1 pint grape tomatoes (I used four small regular tomatoes, sliced and halved)

1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken stock (I used wine)

1 cup good quality pesto sauce

Sliced mozzarella cheese (I used goat cheese)

For the tomato topping, preheat a medium size skillet over medium high heat with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent.

While the onions are cooking (or if you are me and would burn the onions, after the onions are done and removed from the heat for awhile) set up the breading station for the turkey cutlets. Place the flour in a shallow dish, in another dish beat together the eggs with a splash of water. In a third dish, combine bread crumbs and parmesan. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large skillet, over medium to medium-high heat. Season the cutlets with salt and pepper on each side, dredge through flour, then eggs, then breading. Cook in a single layer for 3-4 minutes each side, until juices run clear and breading is evenly browned. Remove the cooked cutlets to a plate lined with a paper towel.

To the skillet with the onions, add the tomatoes and wine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to burst and the wine has reduced by half.

Preheat the broiler.

Arrange the cooked cutlets on a cookie sheet. Top each with a little of the warm tomato topping, top that with a little pesto, and top that with slices of cheese. Place the cookie sheet under the broiler and broil until the cheese warms and melts, but has not browned. Serve immediately.

Bright Lights Chard Gratin (From Local Flavors by Deborah Madison)

2 pounds chard, including half of the stems

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 onion, finely chopped (I used part of a Walla Walla sweet onion)

sea salt and ground pepper

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tablespoons chopped dill or parsley

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup milk or cream or a mixture of cream and stock

1 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese

Separate leaves and chard stems. Wash lthe leaves in plenty of water, then coarsely chop them. Trim the ragged edges off the stems, wash them well, then dice them into small pieces.

Melt half the butter in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has begun to brown a bit, about 20 minutes. Add the chard leaves, sprinkle with salt and cook until they are wilted and tender, about 10 more minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 and lightly oil a 2 quart baking dish. Melt half the remaining butter in a small skillet and add bread crumbs, garlic, and dill. Cook, stirring for about a minute, then scrape the crumbs into a bowl and return the pan to the heat.

Melt the last tablespoon of butter, stir in the flour, then whisk in the milk. Simmer for 5 minutes, season with salt and add to the chard mixture. Add the cheese, then taste and correct for seasoning.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover with bread crumbs. Bake until heated through and golden on the surface, about 25 minutes.

Kids Cooking--Lasagna

We had our first adventure with Kids Cooking Summer Camp online. This week's theme was Italian. Here are the kids making the lasagna:

Vegetable lasagna (my modifications from the cooking camp recipe)

Lasagna noodles, uncooked

1 small/medium zucchini, sliced thin

2 carrots, shredded

1 small/medium yellow summer squash (we used patty pan)

1/2 cup chopped onion

4 cups spaghetti sauce or large jar (we used two jars of organic Ragu sauce, we love sauce)

1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

15 oz or 2 cups cottage or ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons dried parsley

2 large eggs

1 cup mozzarella cheese, for the top

Saute garlic in olive oil and add vegetables and spaghetti sauce. Let simmer about 8-10 minutes until vegetables are tender. In separate bowl mix cottage cheese, Parmesan, parsley, mozzarella cheese (save some for sprinkling on the top) and eggs. Spread a thin layer of sauce on bottom of a 8x11 or 13x9 pan. Lay lasagna noodles on bottom of pan. Spread cottage cheese mixture over top of noodles. Spread more sauce on top of noodles. Continue layering in pan until the pan is full. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake covered at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until noodles are tender.

They also made bruschetta (the only modification I added was that I added a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, which I think makes bruschetta taste better)

1 Loaf Italian bread cut diagonally in slices

1 Garlic clove; minced

2 Tablespoon Olive oil

2 Large Tomatoes; peeled, seeded, and chopped

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

1/2 Cup Chopped fresh basil

On a cookie sheet place sliced bread. Broil several minutes until golden brown. Meanwhile stir garlic and olive oil together. Brush each bread slice with garlic oil. Spread chopped tomatoes on top of each bread and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Warm in the oven. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and serve.

They also made biscotti:

Italian Biscotti

This Italian cooking lesson is making biscotti which is like a hard cookie often served with a beverage.

3 1/2 cups flour

1 cup almonds chopped

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

dash of lemon or orange zest

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon almond extract

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl including flour, baking soda, salt and nuts. Set aside. In mixing bowl beat together eggs, sugar, butter, zest, vanilla and almond extract. Slowly stir in flour mixture. Blend together. Place dough on a floured surface and divide in two. Shape dough into a long loaf. Lay both loaves on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until firm and lightly golden brown. Cut loaves diagonally into slices. Place on cookie sheet and bake another 10-15 minutes turning over once. Biscotti will become crisp and you can cool on wire rack.

Couscous

Here's a couscous recipe where I used some zucchini and patty pan summer squash. I ended up using a whole small-medium zucchini and a whole medium yellow patty pan squash. It wasn't overpowering at all. I also sprinkled some feta cheese on the top. It is some goat cheese we purchased at the farmer's market. Yum!

Blue Rose Dairy is the vendor we purchase the cheese from.

Basil Couscous with Summer Squash

2 cups chicken broth

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 cup couscous

1 cup zucchini -- 1/4" dice

1 cup squash, yellow -- 1/4" dice

1 cup basil -- slivered

1/4 cup Almonds -- toasted and sliced

Bring the chicken stock and 1 tbsp of olive oil to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in salt and couscous. Remove from heat. Let stand covered for 5 minutes. Saute the zucchini and yellow squash in the remaining oil. Add vegetables, almonds, and basil to couscous and mix well. Serve immediately.Or carve out centers of zucchini or squash and steam shells. Fill with couscous. Sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds.

Vegetables

Here's this week's veggies. I didn't take a picture last week, it was just too busy. We had a funeral and the kids were out of town so we had a couples' weekend!

New Reviews

Here are the newest reviews I have posted. Hopefully later today I'll post some more about what I've been cooking lately. The kids made dinner last night and it turned out really well!

Madame Mirabou's School of Love

Method Man

If I could just find the time to write reviews (and more time to read) life would be grand. But it's terribly busy around here with all of the summer activities.

Newest Reviews and Last Month's Reading

Here are my newest posted reviews. Summer is so busy! I have been cooking but not taking pictures, bad me. I'll be better later this week I promise.

There is More to the Secret

How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls

Frenemies

Wedding Bell Blues


My June Reads:

83. There is More to the Secret by Ed Gungor B
84. Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin B- (From TBR)
85. The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard B- (From TBR)
86. And the Shofar Blew by Francine Rivers A- (From TBR)
87. Doesn't She Look Natural? by Angela Hunt B
88. The Baby Chronicles by Judy Baer C
89. Days and Hours by Susan Meissner B
90. Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson B-
91. Sushi for One? by Camy Tang B
92. Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd B-
93. Echoes by Kristen Heitzmann C+
94. An Irish Christmas by Melody Carlson C+
95. Just Beyond the Clouds by Karen Kingsbury B-

Audio:
10. The Man of My Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld C

So I got three down from the tbr mountain, like it even made a dent--no--books are added much more quickly than they are taken away. But I am sticking with my goal to read them.

Garlic Scape Pesto and Bread

So, I made a pesto from the garlic scapes. I used all of them I had--probably 12? and put them in the food processor with some asiago cheese (I don't know how much, most of a block) and some olive oil. Really, I was just looking at consistency, not for any strict proportion. Anyway...it turned out fantastic. It is absolutely delicious!

I also made pesto bread from the pesto. I made my typical sourdough bread that I make every week, rolled it out, spread with pesto, then rolled into a loaf. I cannot begin to tell you how fantastic it smells and tastes!

Here is where I got my sourdough bread info to start with:
http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sour.htm

I did not use yeast for my starter, I just let it sit on my counter and gather the natural yeast in the air. I have had it going for a few months now and it still works wonderfully. I use honey rather than sugar in my recipe and look at how great it turns out!

I have made three loaves of the pesto bread so far and my family can't get enough of it.

CSA This week

Note the fabulous basil! I forgot to take pictures of anything I made this week...my camera has been with Kimber at VBS so you'll just have to deal with my descriptions.

I made a chicken pot pie using the stir fry veggies and a carrot. I got the recipe from here:

Experimentation of taste

Chrispy’s Super Easy Pot Pie

1 large pie or 8-10 individual pies
2 ½ - 3 pie crusts – use your basic recipe with a little more butter or shortening.
2 T butter
Mixture of spices – these change with my mood, but just pick the spices you like.
2 C medium chopped vegetables ( I used 1 stalk of celery, 3 carrots and the stir fry mix)
2 C shredded cooked chicken (you can get a rotisserie or cook one yourself)
3 T all-purpose flour
salt and pepper
2 -14.5 oz cans of low-sodium chicken broth

Preheat oven to 450 F with rack in the center.
Make pie crust mixture and cut into rounds to place in muffin tin, ramekins or pie pan. The individual pies will take up about 1 ½ pie crusts for the bases. Bake the crusts until browned, about 7-8 min. Remove. Reduce oven to 350 F.
While the pie crusts are baking, melt butter over medium heat. Add the vegetables and spices and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for about a minute until it is warm. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, then season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the flour is incorporated. Add the broth to the pan; increase the heat to medium-high, stirring constantly till the mixture thickens slightly, about a minute or two.
Pour the mixture into the just baked pie shells. Cover with remaining pie crusts, crimping the edges so they stick some. Make one slit into the top of each individual pie and several in a main pie.
Bake the pies on a baking sheet until golden brown and bubbly. 15-20 minutes. Remove the pies from the oven, let rest for 10 min, and then serve

Next time, I might consider making a roux first...this was a little runny but the leftovers were awesome.

I also made a quick pasta with mozzarella cheese, garlic, fresh basil, fresh tomato, and olive oil. It was fantastic with the pesto bread (more about that in the next post)

I figured it out!

I was perusing several CSA blogs that have recipes, and I discovered what the pointy things are--garlic scapes! Yay, how exciting that I know what they are. I found a bunch of recipes too, one of their main uses is in pesto.
I'll post the recipe and a picture when I make it. I need to get some cheese and some more olive oil.

Salad in a Bread Bowl

A number of years ago, I went to a Pampered Chef party where the demonstrator made a bread bowl for salad baked on their big stoneware bowl. I am not even sure they make that bowl anymore, and there was no way I was going to shell out the money for it, so I decided to try to make it on a large (4L) Pyrex bowl. It worked wonderfully. The recipe calls for a canned French Bread dough--like from Pillsbury--but it is a TON cheaper and probably a lot healthier to make my own. Here is the finished product. I brushed the outside with olive oil and sprinkled it with dry ranch dressing mix. I want to try to make my own dry ranch dressing mix the next time, but I still have some in my cupboard as of now. I'm going to fill it with salad greens/romaine, grilled shrimp, and fresh parmesan cheese.