Three Recipes (from three different sources) Equal a Full Course Meal (and a nasty note about aspartame)

On the first warm day of the season (back in March?), I got a hankering for BBQ steak. So inspired was I that I found and made two other recipes for the same meal. This post is a quick run-down of the dinner I made for my family that day.

Braised Cabbage with Homemade Spicy Croutons

I've made this recipe a few times. It's that tasty and easy! This time, I didn't feel like taking time to remove all the crust from my skinny baguette, and I discovered that they tasted just as great with the crust as without!

Let's just break it down nice and simple for my fam- er, friends who don't like to cook but wish to partake of tasty grub! Above is the quick process of tearing apart the bread. Below is a picture of the spices used .

This (hopefully) shows how easy it is to fry 'em up in the pan with those spices and oil.

Cut the cabbage in 6 wedges (I make 4-5), as well as the lemons.

Braise (high-temp fry) the cabbage in the same pan as you made croutons.

Throw it on a platter and garnish with the lemon wedges and croutons and whatever spices the recipe calls for.

Creamy Risotto with Corn and Tomato

I've also made this recipe a couple of times. It's not MY favorite, but everyone else raves about it. Again, for my friends who think recipes are complicated and take too much effort, here's a run-down:

Drained, rinsed corn; basil; chopped tomatos

Risotto is, I admit, more time consuming than most dishes, but considering it provides such great flavor and reward, I deem it worth the extra time. Here, I'm stirring the hot milk mixture, half a cup at a time, into the risotto mixture (see recipe!)...

End results are soooooo delicious!

STEAK STEAK STEAK STEAK STEAK STEAK STEAK

I believe this is the first time I BBQ'ed a steak alone without my husband here 'guiding' me along. And to my surprise and utter delight, he gave me 100% kudos! Cooked to perfection!

Of course, while I toiled at the BBQer, funny 4 year old played in the water table.

And she even took her first useable photo of me! Hooray, my face will finally make it in scrapbooks and on blogs! LOL.

Here it is...

Presenting BBQ'ed Steak, Braised Cabbage and Spicy Croutons, Creamy Risotto w/ Corn and Tomato

Heard of aspartame, haven't you?

 But do you know what it's made of? Suffice it to say that aspartame is a  genetically modified E.coli bacteria... but if you want more info than that, read this, and be DISGUSTED!

Picnic Potato Salad, Plain Zoya manicure, and my child's new favorite snack

Thought I'd start this blog with my daughter and her antics. She recently decided that yogurt with granola in it was permissible to try, and to her delight (& mine), she enjoyed the new idea! So, here she is pouring granola on the table, picking some up, and putting it in her yogurt. LOL. I guess if she puts it into the yogurt all at once, it would get soggy. Then she wouldn't eat it. I'd have to throw it out. Then I'd scold her for wasting. And she'd pout. And I'd have to correct the pouting. Hmmm, smart kid. LOL.

Typical silly face of my girl. She really does get that from me. My whole family is goofy that way.

By now, I don't remember what caused her to crack up, but it was something I said.

Do you miss my muffins? I haven't made anything new lately. Winter is slow at the farm, so I stick with what I know will sell. Orange Almond and Peanut Butter pictured here.

Orange almond, raspberry chocolate chip, mint chocolate mini muffins for our fellowship. Actually, I had made three batches for jumbo muffins for the farm, in three flavors for variety. But I knew they wouldn't all sell, so I used some of each batter to make minis for another event.

 

MORE PHOTOS FOR MY FAMILY

While my four year old was distracted by a television show, I braided her hair for the first time. It turned out nice, for an amateur job. She discovered it after the show was over, & I instantly thought that she'd pull it out- such was the case anytime I tried to do anything fun with her hair....until this time. She LOVED it. For nearly two weeks, I was asked to french braid her hair every day. Unfortunately, only this first one turned out pretty.

Do you miss my manicures? I  don't. LOL. Actually, I think this is the last one I have in photos to post, because my nails are such a mess that I don't even paint them. I'm still trying to pinpoint the issue. My midwife and I have ruled out low thyroid and calcium. Fish oil capsules are under way now. At any rate, everything I'm taking is herbal or natural food substance in pill form, so it's benefiting baby #2.

A  bit ordinary, but I tire of all the layers and designs. I just wanted a pretty coat of polish.

Course, I couldn't leave well enough alone and had to try out Sally Hansen top coat with specks of sparkle in it (sorry, too lazy to get up and go read the name!)

After I applied the sparkle coat, I wished I'd left the Zoya alone. I really am pleased with Zoya untouched.

My girl and her snake, Slimy. I guess he was misbehaving that day, because he found himself in a grape tomato clam pack for the next 5 days. LOL. I'm the one who let him out. She had left him under the bed to rot. Just kidding. He's stuffed. (Ask her what kind of snake he is, and she'll 'rattle' off a bunch of technical snake names like, "Asp Viper", "Massassagua", "Puff Adder", "Reticulated Python", and "Rhinoceros Viper"!)

Okay, the promised Picnic Potato Salad recipe. Mmm-MMMM! First, I apologize for not having "prep" photos. I claim pregnant brain and only remembered to snap a shot of the end result, but at least I have that!

 This is a delicious potato and egg salad! I didn't follow the recipe exactly (for example, I had no cucumbers for garnish, and I didn't exactly use the size potatos they asked for. I just used what was in my house), but that's the fun of cooking, right? Improv if you can or if you must!

This side dish is tops in my recipe book. It was easy, not to time-consuming, and very tasty!

 

One last note- er, jab....

DIRTY SECRETS ON THE VACCINE INDUSTRY

Click here to read more

That's all for now....

Plain Purple Phalanges & a Pink Frost Touch-Up, Protruding Pregnant Belly, Family Favorite Recipe, & a Snippet on Vaccinations!

My plain Zoya MIRA Manicure

After all these "layers on layers of polish manicures, I just wanted a simple, one-coat look. On the other hand, I thought I would hate the plain creme look by itself. To my surprise and delight, the Zoya polish is extremely WET in appearance, but it dries fantastically quickly!

~FOR MY FAMILY IN CALIFORNIA~

I think that people who've known me all my life get a kick out of my pregnant belly, because it's no longer flat. LOL. So this is for my family and friends...

Pure Ice OUTRAGEOUS Tip Touch-Up

I did have this planned when I chose the ZOYA color a few days earlier. With all the baking and meals I cook, the piles of dishes and kitchen cleaning I do wreaks havoc on my nails in one or two days. But, borrowing the ideas of my sister, I chose a color for the tips ahead of time, knowing that I'd need to cover my tips in order to save a new manicure. It's not my favorite look, but it beats redoing a whole set of phalanges!

DO YOU KNOW ABOUT GARDASIL??

Gardasil is marketed as the vaccine that prevents cervical cancer. This statement is incorrect.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/031454_Gardasil_risks.html#ixzz1notBVCJQ

"...In seeking answers to why adolescent girls are suffering devastating health damage after being injected with HPV vaccines, SANE Vax, Inc decided to have vials of Gardasil tested in a laboratory. There, they found over a dozen Gardasil vaccine vials to be contaminated with rDNA of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). The vials were purchased in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Poland and France, indicating Gardasil contamination is a global phenomenon.
This means that adolescents who are injected with these vials are being contaminated with a biohazard..."
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/033585_Gardasil_contamination.html#ixzz1noqfmexS

"...Gardasil is a vaccination that has been linked to multiple deaths and over 8,000 adverse reactions. Recently, the FDA approved this deadly injection to be used against anal cancer..."
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030991_Gardasil_vaccine.html#ixzz1nosOlvRz

 

On a lighter note...

~Essie Set In Stones top coat for bling~

My manicures last much longer when I add a top coat, and I wanted to see what my diamonds looked like on this purple and pink frost set. I could add diamonds to EVERYTHING!



Bobby Flay's Cheese Steak

This is, by far, my family's favorite cheese steak recipe! We improvise when the cheese we have on hand is not the same as what is listed on this recipe. It always tastes aMAZing!

Philly Cheese Steak on the Food Network

Dark Nails, Delectable Coffeecake, Delicious Salad, & A Word on McDs & GMOs!

TOO-DARK-FOR-ME NAILS

I bought a black polish (w/a bit of shimmer) to use under my all-time favorite ESSIE Set In Stones, but when a fleck polish arrived in the mail from my sister, I had to try that on the black instead.

On the index finger is one thin (uneven) coat of Sally Hansen Diamond Strength "Black Diamonds". On the rest is a thick single coat.

 I was extremely annoyed by the thick, gel-like polish and its brush that seemingly had no grace to it. The clumsy bristles brushed to one extreme or another- all over the cuticle and then some, or not far enough over the surface. As you can see below, it was a messy process. (More to come later in the post...)

TORI GLORY
for our families...

While I painted my nails, Tori played with her Papa,

and I took full advantage of her love of the camera.

 She asked Papa to bury her in animals...

 then 'hid' from him in a box...

 ...which turned into Hide-And-Seek...

 ...the night continued with a father/daughter sword fight,

and ended with an all-out meltdown of a very tired four-year-old who hadn't napped.

TOO-DARK-FOR-ME NAILS continued...

2nd thick single coat. The look was more pleasing to me, but the process was still on my hit list.

 Here, I added a coat of  the ZOYA (Fleck) Opal. I admit that I wasn't a fan of the way it turned godzilla green. Below shows one hand "godzilla" (Opal) and one hand just Black Diamonds.

 Zoya Opal over Sally Hansen Black Diamonds.

 
 

I thought I'd be clever by trying my Set In Stones idea over the whole "godzilla" manicure, thus saving a bad manicure and lots of time starting over to try my idea...

 The "godzilla" shone through the "stones" so much that it was a waste of polish and time.

But, in the future, I plan to try the fleck polish over something totally unassuming, such as ZOYA purples or an irridescent white or creme. Maybe even Tori's turquoise! So all is not lost.

Besides, Tori saw my manicure and insisted on having the same on her nails. She loved it. :o) To each her own!

 Farfalle Asparagus Salad

For our snack meal when we gather with friends on the weekend, I made this cold pasta salad. (I don't have enough hands to snap photos while I cook, so all I have is end-result pictures.) It was DELICIOUS and the recipe went right into my recipe folder! Try it for yourself!

SIDE NOTE 

On the day I made this salad, I had also made a spinach dip and planned a huge roast in a crockpot, because we were having a friend come for the weekend. I had a placenta-on-the-brain moment and forgot to start the roast in time for dinner that Friday, so at nearly 8:00 pm (3 hours past our normal dinner time), we ordered a $10 any size, any topping pizza. Pizza Hut isn't gourmet or anything in our opinion, but that night, someone made a superior vegetable w/ burger pizza, and we were in pizza heaven! lol!

 At the same time, I bought this new root beer from a natural marketplace and all three of us LOVED it! So creamy and not-too-sweet!

The Muffin Lady's coffeecake

I have a book called The Muffin Lady. She has a great story and even greater muffin and loaf recipes! I attempted a muffin experiment with her coffeecake recipe (included at the end of blog post)...

 Here's the batter (above) and here is the streusel (below)

 For those interested, this is Linda's book. The base ingredients for most of her recipes is her mother's original pancake recipe, which explains the thicker consistency than typical muffin batters. It's simply irresistable batter- I can't keep my fingers out of it! *SHH!*

 As for my muffin experiment, it's back to the drawing board with this one, because the streusel topping collapsed into the streusel in between batter layers, creating a huge crater in each muffin. Plus, they "rose sideways" across my muffin tins, instead of rising upwards to create a dome.

 But, according to my husband, they were still very tasty, so I'll probably use the recipe as-is for family coffeecake, and experiment a little to create a muffin to sell. (I'll just stick to my most popular selling muffins for now, Raspberry Chocolate and Orange Almond.)

NUTRITION TIDBIT

Natural immune builders: RAW FOODS!

Are you being attacked by 'the common cold'?

Did your cold turn sour and become bronchitis or pneumonia?

Want to know how to gear up for allergy season?

The following popular RAW fruits and vegetables have aMAZing natural healing properties to combat (or prevent) those ailments:

Blueberries, Cranberries, & Cherries-Kill infectious bacteria & viruses

Grapefruit-reduces fever from colds and flu, relieves chest congestion

Kiwis-fight off viruses

Lemons, Limes-kill fungi, bacteria, parasites and cut mucus build-up, prevent colds, and fight fever

Oranges-fight viral infections, strengthen immune system

Papayas-cut mucus buildup, fight off infections

Strawberries-protect agains viral infection

Avocados-ward off infection (also protects against miscarriages!)

Cabbage-stimulates immune system, kills bacteria and viruses, increases antioxidant mechanisms

Garlic cloves-fight infections, stimulates immune system, prevents AND relieves bronchitis, destroys bacteria (antibiotic!)

Mustard Greens-clears chest congestion, stimulates the immune system, reduces mucus buildup from colds

Onions-kill bacteria

Peas-fight infections

Bell peppers-fight off infection and ward off colds

Potatos-protect against viruses

Radishes-clear the sinuses, reduce hoarseness, phlegm, and sore throats, cut mucus congestion

Turnips, Turnip greens, Rutabagas-treat bronchial disorders, sinus problems, clear mucus conditions and lung congestion, and relieve coughing

Watercress-clear mucus from lungs

Papaya, onion, turnips/greens/rutabagas, & garlic cloves, again- treat (asthma &)hay fever*

*information taken from "Raw Raw Raw 80/20 Diet Plan & Cookbook"

Seasonal Allergies

(Start building immunity against seasonal allergies by consuming a teaspoon of LOCALLY GROWN, RAW honey each day! Also, SPIRULINA (found in green drinks such as Odwalla or Bolthouse Farms offers) and in tablets/capsules at your local health/vitamin store- is known to combat the ailments of seasonal allergies).

WHAT AMERICA NEEDS TO KNOW

Do you eat (or feed your children) McD's chicken nuggets? Do your body a favor and watch this short clip on what they're really made of!

Heard of GMOs? No?! Then click on this link and discover a whole world of deception in our foods. Your health will thank you for it! (Look for more on this subject in future posts.)

 Streusel-Filled Coffeecake Recipe

For the cake:

1 1/2 C flour

1 T baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 C sugar

4 T butter or margarine

1 egg

1/2 C milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling and topping:

1/2 C brown sugar

2 T flour

2 tsp cinnamon

2 T melted butter or margarine

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350F. Sift the dry ingredients. Slice the butter into pieces and use a knife to stir them into the dry ingredients until a fine cornmeal-like mixture is attained. Mix together the egg, milk, and vanilla, and add to the flour mixture.  To make the topping, mix together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Blend in the butter and nuts.  Spread half of the batter in a wax paper-lined 8-inch square pan.  Sprinkle with half the topping.  Add remaining batter and cover with the remaining topping. Bake 25-35 minutes. Yields 8-12 servings.