Food For Thought Fridays

Ok, so I was inspired by my friend who does a "Two Tips Tuesdays" on her blog Twoshadesofpink.blogspot.com and decided to start "Food For Thought Fridays". Little things I have learned and found to be helpful in the kitchen or while entertaining. So here goes...

Setting A Table.


It doesn't seem like that big of a deal but simply setting a table the "right" way can make all the difference when having company over. Your guests may not notice their water glasses are in the correct position or that their salad forks are strategically placed but you will have the satisfaction of knowing you have set a table Martha Stewart would be proud of.

1.) Iron napkins (hahahahahaha!) in flat squares then fold them and place them in the middle of the plate or to the left under the forks. Fortunately the napkins I use come folded in a convenient little plastic wrapper and require no ironing. Of course I could attempt to iron them but prefer to start fires on the stove top and not by pressing paper, disposable napkins.

2.) The forks go to the left of the plate and the knives and spoons go to the right. The utensils that are used first go to the outside (farthest from the plate). For example, the appetizer fork goes first, the main course fork goes to its right and the dessert fork goes closest to the plate. The same is true for the knives and the spoons are to the right of the knives. If you have a lot of utensils, the dessert spoon and fork can go at the top of the plate. But who are we kidding here, most of us are lucky to have matching forks and knives let alone multiple sizes of each. Just make sure the forks go to the left and the knives go to the right. Even if they are multi-colored plastic utensils left over from the multitude of children's birthday parties you have hosted.

3.) Glasses are placed at the top of the knife; the wineglass (no, not red Solo cups) also recognized as the "sweet tea glass" goes to the right of the water glass. Finally, place cards, if you're using them, go on the plate or on the table at the top of the plate. Of course your finger pointing serves as a sufficient place card or if you are like my family, we prefer to write our name on a red Solo cup then claim our place at the table by putting our cup where we choose to sit. Anyway, hope this clarifies any confusion and happy entertaining!

Strongholds

Growing up in a Baptist church I earned several trophies for memorizing Bible verses. I would rattle off the "verse of the week" to my Sunday school teacher and by the time the little gold star had been applied to my chart I had already forgotten what I just recited. Except for one verse. I think I was in 3rd grade when I memorized Nahum 1:7. Nahum? Who in the heck was Nahum? I'm not sure why but that verse stuck with me. The King James Version of the verse is: "The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him."

It wasn't like I had a rough childhood, quite the opposite actually, or that I had any "troubles" at all but for whatever reason the verse was appealing to me and I simply liked it. I liked it so much that I made it my life verse (another Baptist tradition in which you choose and claim a verse in the Bible to apply to your life). And as all my friends were quoting Proverbs 3:5-6 or Philippians 4:13 (both great verses by the way) as their life verses I stood proudly claiming the Lord was my stronghold for all my days of trouble even though I had yet to experience them.

Then roughly 25 years later, I open my Bible study book, on breaking free of strongholds, to the last day of the last week and read, "Remember, we never find freedom from bondage in independence. We find it by taking the same handcuffs that once bound us to sin and binding ourselves to the wrist of Christ. When you're imprisoned in the will of God, your cell becomes the Holy of Holies. Never forget, there is only one Stronghold that frees when it binds." (Beth Moore, Breaking Free).

Stronghold...Stronghold...Stronghold. The Lord is a stronghold. It all clicked. What if 25 years ago, as a clueless 8-year-old, God impressed upon my heart Nahum 1:7 because He knew one day I would conquer my strongholds and would allow Him to become The Stronghold in my life?
What if He simply allowed the verse to stick so long ago so He could use it as a personal "I love you"? How incredible that God would set into motion something so small that would later become so profound to me.

I can tell you it has been a brutal battle breaking free of my strongholds. So many of them are literally in my head and I had no idea what a battlefield my mind could be. Pride, envy, anger, dissatisfaction and selfishness are just a few of the strongholds that I have battled. But I am learning to take captive the thoughts in my mind and focus them on God and the blessings He has graciously given me. The thoughts still come but I am catching them sooner than I ever did before. There are still times when I think I am doing a better job parenting than someone else but quickly remind myself I have a husband who is very helpful in raising our children. Other times I have noticed someone's blog with hundreds of followers but before I dwell on the numbers I stop and thank the Lord the writer is blogging for Him. I have a long way to go but it's these little victories that are leading me closer to freedom and to my Stronghold.

For dinner without the battle serve meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes and green beans for dinner tonight.

Meatloaf
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 small onion finely chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients well and then shape into a loaf and place on a lightly greased baking dish and bake 45 minutes or until cooked through.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
3 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
about a cup of Milk, warmed
1/2 stick of unsalted butter (who am I kidding, more like two sticks...)
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes AND garlic cloves until tender. Drain then mash potatoes while adding enough milk and butter to make creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Steamed Green Beans
1 lb of fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Steam green beans 5 to 8 minutes or until tender but still bright green. Drain then in a large skillet melt butter and saute green beans 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

St. Patrick's Day

I'm not Irish but I love celebrating St. Patrick's Day. In the past I have messed up the kids' bedrooms and blamed it on those darn leprechauns. I have dyed gallons of milk green, made green pancakes and have even picked the green "Nerds" out of a box of the tropical punch flavored candy so my kids would think they were finding leprechaun droppings. And I always make a some-what traditional Irish dinner. Why bother? Because it's fun and it's an opportunity to teach my children a little history about a man who chose to serve God even when it wasn't easy to do so.

You may or may not know that Patrick was born in Britain but kidnapped as a teenager and taken to Ireland as a slave. He prayed for freedom and once he escaped he thanked the Lord and vowed to return to Ireland to tell the Irish about God. Some people believe he used the Shamrock as a symbol of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Whatever method he used it worked because he did return to Ireland and saw many people become believers. And here we are, over a thousand years later, still talking about him and the life he led. Of course we have added our twists on the holiday (green beer, parades, pots of gold) but it's still a fun and easy way to share the "good news" with those around us. So, in light of the festivities I thought I would post the recipes I am making for our "Irish" dinner tonight: Irish soda bread, roasted potato and leek soup and sausage with cabbage. Enjoy.

Irish Soda Bread
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tbsp caraway seeds (optional)
1 cup raisins or currants
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and blend until butter is the size of small peas. Stir in raisins. Whisk buttermilk and egg together then pour into flour mixture. Mix well until dough comes together. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead several times while shaping it into a round loaf. Place on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet. Cut a cross on top then bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue to cook an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with lots of butter and jam (orange marmalade is really good too).

Roasted Potato and Leek Soup
2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned of all sand (4 leeks)
1/4 cup olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cups baby arugula/ lightly packed
1/2 cup dry white wine, plus extra for serving
6 to 7 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
8 oz creme fraiche
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra shredded for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine potatoes and leeks on a sheet pan in a single layer. Add oil, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and toss to coat. Roast for 40-45 minutes turning occasionally, until very tender. Add arugula and toss to combine. Roast for 4 to 5 more minutes until the arugula is wilted. Remove from the oven and place vegetables and any juices into a large pot over low heat. Add wine and 1 cup of the chicken stock and cook over low heat. In batches, transfer the roasted vegetables and liquid to a food processor and puree. Place back in pot and add the remaining chicken stock. Add the cream, creme fraiche, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Just before serving whisk in 2 tbsp white wine and the Parmesan cheese. Serve hot with shredded Parmesan cheese and crispy bacon pieces (if desired) on top.

Smoked Sausage and Cabbage
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium head of green cabbage, washed and chopped
1/2 lb bacon
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper

In large skillet, cook bacon then remove to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve 2 tbsp of bacon drippings then brown sausage in same skillet. Add garlic then bacon drippings. Add cabbage and saute until tender but still crisp. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

March Dinner Party

When we first got married I thought heating up frozen pasta meals was "cooking." Occasionally I would whip up the classic spaghetti casserole for a "real" home cooked meal but otherwise I was clueless to the broad and wonderful aspects of the culinary world. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy cooking, my favorite gift of all time was my Easy Bake Oven, I just never took the time to research recipes or experiment with food. Then when I was six months pregnant with my first child, I was put on bed rest and stumbled upon the food network.

I had pretty much seen every episode of "A Baby Story" on TLC and was getting restless when I came across Rachel Ray and her 30 Minute Meals. She was very entertaining and made "real" cooking look easy. I started taking mental notes and once off bed rest the experimenting began. Since then I have made many "Honeymoon Meals" (meals that turn out terrible but my husband still eats them because he loves me) and many "Entertaining Meals" (meals that I would feel comfortable sharing with guests). These Entertaining Meals are what prompted me to start hosting cooking demos in my home and tonight was the first one.

Five ladies joined me for spinach and strawberry salad, macadamia crusted chicken with pineapple-mango Relish, roasted sweet potatoes, sauteed asparagus and pineapple sundaes for dessert and we had so much fun! It was amazing how simply gathering around a table, talking about food and life in general, was so therapeutic. We didn't know each other all that well, we were all different and had different struggles but we were able to relate and laugh as if we had known each other for years. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and hope the girls not only walked away with a few new recipes but a sense of sisterhood knowing that we have much more in common than we thought.

So, here are the promised recipes from tonight. Enjoy and hope to see you at the next dinner party.

Strawberry and Spinach Salad
1 bag of fresh spinach
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup pecans
1/2 onion thinly sliced
1/2 tbsp butter
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup feta cheese
Berry Vinaigrette Dressing (I like Marzettis)

Toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. In same skillet melt butter then add onions. Sprinkle onions with sugar and cook until light brown. Remove from heat and place in bowl with remaining ingredients. Toss with dressing then add pecans and serve.

Macadamia Crusted Chicken with Pineapple-Mango Relish (posted before)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp mirin (found on ethnic isle)
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
5 tbsp olive oil, divided
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup macadamia nuts, finely chopped
3/4 cup panko
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp butter

Whisk together first 5 ingredients and 1 tbsp oil in a bowl. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper then place in a zip-top plastic bag and pour marinade over top. Seal bag and turning to coat and chill 1 hour turning occasionally. Combine nuts and panko in shallow dish, place flour in a separate shallow dish and eggs in another shallow dish. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove chicken from marinade dredge in flour then eggs then in breadcrumb mixture. Heat 4 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter in large skillet over medium heat until butter melts. Add chicken and cook until light brown on both sides then remove and place on lightly greased cookie sheet and bake 15-20 minutes or until done. Serve with relish.

Pineapple-Mango Relish
1 cup pineapple, diced
1 cup mango, diced
1/3 cup sugar

Place all ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Makes 1 cup.

Roasted Sweet Potato Fries
4 med sweet potatoes, peeled
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Halve sweet potatoes lengthwise then cut each half into 3 long spears. Place on cookies sheet, drizzle with oil the sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper. Spread in one layer and bake 15 minutes then turn and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Sauteed Asparagus
2 lbs fresh asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper

Rinse asparagus and cut off bottom stems then place in large skillet. Cover with water and simmer for 5 minutes or until bright green. Drain and set aside. In same skillet add oil and butter then saute garlic. Add asparagus, salt and pepper the toss.

Pineapple Sundaes with Caramel Sauce
1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
2 cups shredded and sweetened coconut
Vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut in a single layer on a cookie sheet and toast 5-10 minutes or until light brown. Preheat grill over high heat and grill pineapple for 3 minutes on each side. Scoop vanilla ice cream then roll in toasted coconut then plate with grilled pineapple wedges. Drizzle with caramel sauce and serve.

Caramel Sauce
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Do not stir. Increase heat to medium and boil uncovered until sugar turns a golden brown color. Remove from heat and add cream and vanilla. Stir occasionally until smooth. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

Under Attack

There was someone in my room this morning watching me sleep and wringing his hands in anticipation of me waking up. He, the enemy, was perched upon my nightstand leaning over me and cackling over the plans he had in store for my day. When my alarm went off he jumped in excited fury that our day was beginning. I rolled out of bed and felt him throw a heavy yoke on my shoulders. No sooner had the yoke been fastened that he picked up his bow and shot a flaming arrow at my back. He cursed as he missed and then quickly followed me downstairs. He ran around me to take another shot. He made contact this time and struck my hand to distract me from where I was headed. It worked.

I walked to the counter and grabbed my phone to check messages and emails. Something I normally do not allow until after my quiet time with the Lord. But my hands were tingling this morning. I wanted to pick up my phone and just check...The tingling wore off and I was back on track. I sat down to begin my Bible study but didn't realize I had been struck again, this time it was near my foot. Just a little irritation to keep me from completely focusing on what I was reading. I ignored the feeling and read on. He slithered into a corner to regroup and plan his next attack. I finished my study and said a quick prayer and heard him growl. He was getting angry. As I began my daily activities he came out of the corner raging. He added more weight to my yoke then raised his bow and struck me in the leg. It hurt. I began feeling a little more than irritated. I was frustrated at the annoying pain and felt the burden I carried weighing me down. I limped upstairs and was struck again, this time in the center of my back and I fell to the ground. I reached for the handrail and pulled myself up. I now had four flaming arrows in me and was feeling the pain but had no idea what he had in store.

I went to wake my children to get them ready for the day and was struck three more times. Once in the head, once in the heart and once in the gut. I lost control. I yelled, I screamed, I threw things. All the while he stood in a corner watching and laughing hysterically. He was enjoying every second of the kill. I gathered the energy needed to get the boys off to school but as I was driving home, barely able to focus because of the weight and pain, I began to hear him whisper in my ear. "You're pathetic. You're a horrible person. You will never change. You are going to always feel this way. You have no hope. Just suck it up and bear it, your life will never be good." I began to cry. I knew he was lying but I couldn't help but wonder if there was some truth in what he was saying. I was horrible this morning. I was feeling hopeless. I was wondering if I was ever going to be able to break away from my chains.

When I got home I walked through the door and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. There I was broken and bleeding covered in arrows. I fell to the ground and realized I needed to seek shelter. This attack I was facing was not an attack of flesh and blood but a spiritual attack in full force. I dragged myself into the lap of my Lord and asked for his help. One by one he removed the arrows and bandaged my wounds. He took my face in His hands and told me I was worth dying for and that he loved me. Then He took off my yoke and replaced it with his. He told me His burden was light and that He would give me rest. He told me to learn from His gentle and humble heart and that He would satisfy all my longings and fill all my hollow places with His lavish, unfailing love.

I looked around but could not find the enemy anywhere. He had retreated in defeat. And though I still feel the pain of his attack this morning I am determined to make a complete recovery for I know the plans God has for me. They are plans to prosper me and not to harm me. Plans to give me hope and a future.

This morning Satan was really "whooping" up on me. I have been participating in Beth Moore's Breaking Free Bible study and am not surprised at all that Satan, the enemy, would stop at nothing to keep me from completing the study and learning everything God would have me to learn. I have been breaking strongholds I didn't know I had and am in the process of breaking through some pretty tough ones. I will take this morning as a sign that I am getting ready to bust through and PRAISE THE LORD that though the enemy is trying his hardest, he is still being defeated! I have struggled with a particular stronghold for a few years now that has changed who I am as a wife, mother and woman. It has led me to make wrong choices, seek fulfillment outside of God's will and give in multiple times to feelings of anger and despair. But today I am claiming Jeremiah 29:11-14a and know freedom is just around the corner.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity."

And because prison food is not appealing here's an easy recipe for homemade Chicken Pot Pie.

Chicken Pot Pie
3 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 10oz pkg. frozen mixed vegetables
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 stick of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread chicken and vegetables in the bottom of a shallow 2-quart dish. Stir soup, broth and pepper together and pour over chicken and vegetables. In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, milk and butter then pour on top of chicken mixture. Bake 40-45 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes then serve with a salad and sweet tea!

2:15:56

For those of you who have given birth, minus the epidural, you probably at some point during active labor thought, "I will NEVER do this again." Then a little while later (like 24 hours later) when the Percocet has completely kicked in and you gaze into the cloudy eyes of your precious newborn you think, "ok, maybe I'll do this again." Then a couple of weeks later you have miraculously forgotten all pain and suffering and find yourself planning your next pregnancy.

This is exactly how I felt about completing my first half marathon. The first five miles were a piece of cake, fun even. Then I crossed a bridge and my iPod was zapped. Not sure what happened but the thing would not even turn on. The next three miles were still pretty easy but quite boring. Then came mile 9...sure I saw my husband and adorable children cheering me on but the realization that I still had 4.1 miles to go sunk in. By mile 11 I thought I was dying and was sure someone had played a cruel trick on me and decided to bump the finish line back an additional five miles. But there it was in the distance...red and white balloons and the crowd gathering. I thought to myself, "I think I can do this through Christ, I think I can do this through Christ, I CAN do this through Christ, I 'm doing this through Christ, I'm doing this through Christ" and before I knew it I was crossing the finish line alongside my sweet friend, Stacey.

Whew. It was over. I did it. And I will never do it again! I hobbled around in search of bottled water and nearly kissed a young gangsta-looking boy smack on the mouth when he held a bottle of water out to me. I was hurting. My knee was throbbing, my lungs burning and my stomach churning but by golly I just ran 13.1 miles nonstop and through it all I was feeling pretty darn good about it. Later we went to breakfast to celebrate the accomplishment and I have never enjoyed a Belgian waffle like I did that one. Knowing not a single calorie was sticking around I loaded it up with butter, syrup, blueberries and confectioners sugar.

The real pain set in once I got home though. I was sore everywhere and had a hard time walking, standing and even sitting. I took a hot shower then popped pills like candy. Funny thing happened though when I woke the next morning. I wasn't as sore anymore and even thought, "well, that was kind of fun." And here I am today, three days later, wondering when my next 1/2 marathon is going to be. I can't wait! I actually want to do another one! Just like a mother forgets the pain of childbirth a runner forgets the pain of the run.

There was something else spectacular about the race. People of all size and shape, color and appearance were there with a common goal, to cross a finish line. No pressure to look a certain way, act a certain way or be a certain way. Just a bunch of runners getting ready to flow down the streets at different paces, for different reasons and with different strides. It didn't seem like anyone was worried about fitting in or looking perfect, just focusing on the run they were getting ready to complete. It made me think about life in general and how so often we try to "fit in" with the crowd while worrying over superficial things that do not matter. If we are running the race God has set before us we shouldn't worry about the runners around us or where they are going. Each of us has been given our own race to run and was perfectly designed to complete it. The talents we were given and the personalities we have are not random. God made us with a purpose and when we choose to follow Him along the path He has planned for us we can count on Him always being there to guide us. It's only when we take off on our own or attempt to follow another person's path that we get lost and miss out on the blessings God has waiting for us. So often we worry about not fitting in or think God's path is too boring so we get off track and eventually find ourselves out of breath and exhausted. However, if we stay focused on where the Lord is taking us and concentrate on the finish line (Heaven) we may still get tired and occasionally get a blister or sore knee, but we will finish strong and victorious. Hope to see you at the finish line.

Me and Stacey

So your kids may not race to the table when you serve roasted cauliflower for a side dish but you can feel good about serving them something healthy and delicious alongside grilled steaks. And who knows, maybe they will love it...

Roasted Cauliflower
1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup prepared tapenade (found in deli section of grocery store)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse and dry cauliflower then place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Place in oven and roast until edges of cauliflower begin to brown. Remove from oven, place in serving bowl and toss with tapenade. Enjoy!