Life has a way of kicking us in the pants sometimes. Sometimes, we see it coming...and sometimes, we don't. We could just be going about our lives and then BAM! we find ourselves lying on our backs, stunned, wondering how in the world we found ourselves in this place. We never set out to hurt ourselves or to hurt others. At least, I hope no one does. I think, in the Christian life, Satan has a way of slipping into our lives and weaving himself and his lies into the fabric of truth we hold onto. He takes the truth and distorts it. He is so sly, so manipulative, so evil, that we rarely see him coming. We get so intertwined in his lies that we often don't realize the mess we are in until we are neck-deep, struggling against his tentacles.
And you know what institution Satan seems to LOVE attacking lately? Marriage. He will do any and everything he can to destroy marriages. He seems to relish in it. Revel in it. Delight in it. And it's sick. He has destroyed the marriages of friends, of my parents, of other people in my life. And, he got ahold of mine... No one goes into marriage expecting to end up divorced after a year or two. You go into it expecting it to last...to go the distance. And that is what I did. I went into my marriage blissfully happy and ready to spend the rest of my life with C. And it seemed for the longest time that it would end up that way. But eventually, over time, Satan crept in and did his thing and, after a year and nine months of marriage, we divorced. It hurts. It sucks. It is not at all what I expected or planned...yet, here we are. But, even so, I know God is faithful. He can be trusted. He is good.
Redemption... Let me tell you, that word sounds so sweet--to both those in need of it and not. It holds the promise of hope, better days, and restoration of God's working in your life. God can redeem and restore any and all situation, any and every person, any and every place. God's power to redeem has no limitations. And I know he will redeem me, redeem C, and redeem our futures apart from one another. God has a plan. God knows what lies ahead for both of us and I am trusting Him in that. He has forgiven me and He can redeem me, redeem my life, my past, and my future...and I am thanking Him for that every day.
Forgiveness
Friday, August 30, 2013
So it has been a while since I have posted a food recipe. And you know how I love my food. Mmm Mmmm Good.
Waffles. Superior to pancakes? Yes. In every day. They have perfect, tiny little pockets just WAITING for melted butter and sweet, sticky syrup to be poured in. They are cute in appearance (come on, admit it). They taste phenomenal no matter what kind they are (buttermilk, chocolate chip, cinnamon, banana, chocolate, etc). They are everything you could want and more...
Except when you eat Paleo. Like me. Curses. I have something called Diverticular disease. Essentially (and skip ahead if you don't like medical stuff), I have pockets in my intestines that like to hold onto seeds and give me infection, fever, and pain. It is manageable and I can deal with it (especially by avoiding seeded things) but sometimes, I forget. I ALWAYS seem to forget tomatoes and cucumbers have seeds. Oops. Well, a few months ago, my sugar intake was OUT OF CONTROL. I was vegetarian but a lazy one so, rather than cooking lots of vegetables, I tended to eat a lot of carbs and sugars. My body didn't appreciate this and decided it did not want to regulate my blood sugar anymore AND my diverticular flares got worse whenever I had them. A good friend of mine took my diet and completely changed it--and helped my health--by turning me onto Paleo. My blood sugar is stable 90% of the time now AND my flares (when they happen) are not as bad.
So, I eat Paleo now. Which means no bread, beans, grains, etc. Bye bye waffles, I thought. But then I found this recipe (and tweaked it). Paleo Waffles. Wonderful, fluffy, tasty waffles. Heaven.
Waffles. Superior to pancakes? Yes. In every day. They have perfect, tiny little pockets just WAITING for melted butter and sweet, sticky syrup to be poured in. They are cute in appearance (come on, admit it). They taste phenomenal no matter what kind they are (buttermilk, chocolate chip, cinnamon, banana, chocolate, etc). They are everything you could want and more...
Except when you eat Paleo. Like me. Curses. I have something called Diverticular disease. Essentially (and skip ahead if you don't like medical stuff), I have pockets in my intestines that like to hold onto seeds and give me infection, fever, and pain. It is manageable and I can deal with it (especially by avoiding seeded things) but sometimes, I forget. I ALWAYS seem to forget tomatoes and cucumbers have seeds. Oops. Well, a few months ago, my sugar intake was OUT OF CONTROL. I was vegetarian but a lazy one so, rather than cooking lots of vegetables, I tended to eat a lot of carbs and sugars. My body didn't appreciate this and decided it did not want to regulate my blood sugar anymore AND my diverticular flares got worse whenever I had them. A good friend of mine took my diet and completely changed it--and helped my health--by turning me onto Paleo. My blood sugar is stable 90% of the time now AND my flares (when they happen) are not as bad.
So, I eat Paleo now. Which means no bread, beans, grains, etc. Bye bye waffles, I thought. But then I found this recipe (and tweaked it). Paleo Waffles. Wonderful, fluffy, tasty waffles. Heaven.
Gluten Free Almond Flour Waffles
1 cup almond meal/flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (plus a sprinkle or two extra)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 dash pumpkin pie spice
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
Whisk together the dry ingredients. Then add in the wet. Whisk until well combined. Cook in a greased waffle maker.
ENJOY.
And if you want to make it even SWEETER (double meaning intended--haha), make it dessert.
Cook some bacon and soak it in maple syrup or caramel (your choice) for 10 minutes. Top your warm waffle with 1-2 scoops of vanilla ice cream, the bacon, and some extra syrup or caramel. Trust me. It is wonderful.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Guys, it has been a crazy last few months. There have been a lot of changes, a lot of heartache, a lot of God moving. I hope to someday soon let you in on a lot of it and to show you how faithful God has been in my life. Let me just say, He TRULY can bring beauty from ashes and redeem even the most hopeless of people and situations.
A month ago, I found myself jobless and on the hunt for a new job. I loved my old job and knew I was blessed to even have a job, but I knew God had placed a different calling on my life. I have previous teaching experience from when I lived in Memphis and I knew that was what I wanted to get back to someday. God just decided that day was sooner than I anticipated or planned for. The day I became jobless, I got a call FOUR hours later from a school asking me to come and interview. I was beyond thrilled. I did not know much about the school, but researched it the moment I got home.
Guys, have you ever prayed for something SO specific that you knew it may be a long time before that prayer was answered? THIS was my answered prayer. My senior year in college, God placed the call to teach on my life. Shortly after, I found out about a program known as Memphis Teacher Residency. This program equips future teachers to teach in urban, high-needs schools in Memphis, Tennessee. During the program, you work on a Masters degree in Urban Education and co-teach in a school of MTR's choosing. Because I moved to Florida halfway through the program, I was unable to complete my degree. However, I still knew my heart was for high-needs, at-risk, urban youth. While there are certainly students like this in the public school system here in Polk County, Florida, it just didn't "fit" with what I wanted. I wanted to work with kids who had been told they wouldn't amount to anything, who needed an advocate, and who needed a second chance.
The school at which I interviewed is called PACE Center for Girls. Straight from the website, here is what PACE is: "PACE Center for Girls, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that 501(c) 3 corporation that provides a non-residential delinquency prevention program in locations statewide, targeting the unique needs of females 12 to 17 who are identified as dependent, truant, runaway, delinquent, or in need of academic skills. PACE (Practical Academic Cultural Education) accepts referrals from the juvenile justice system, the Department of Children and Families, school personnel, community services agencies, parents, family members, friends and self-referrals. Its purpose is to intervene and prevent school withdrawal, juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancy, substance abuse and welfare dependency in a safe and nurturing environment." Answered prayer? Uh, I think yes!
The interview went VERY well and I was hired on the spot. Another HUGE blessing. I was less than 24 hours without a job. Totally a God thing. BUT, just because it was a God thing and I was finally going to be doing what I dreamed of, that does not mean it was going to be easy. These girls come with a whole different set of challenges than I would experience in a regular public school. These girls could come to PACE with history of abuse (physical or sexual), drug problems, assault records, delinquency, etc. And most of the time, unless they tell you or their counselor tells you, you won't know. As teacher, you figure out over time which girls have anger issues, which have problems with adults, and which you will have to fight every step of the way. NO work day is the same. Some days the "trouble" student can be an angel, and some days the "angel" student may be the one causing problems in class. Some days there are no code reds (lock downs resulting from either a student walking out of class, a physical fight, or a major behavior issue usually) and some days there are a LOT. I have been blessed so far to have had only 2 code reds (both from a girl walking out without asking permission to go get water) out of the many we have had.
Throughout the 21 days I have been working officially at PACE, God has had His hand on me. The students, normally anti-new teachers and likely to test their teachers to break them, have given me no problems. They are respectful, they get their work done, and they always greet me with a "hey Ms. Camille!". I attribute ALL of it to the fantastic training I received at Memphis Teacher Residency. We learned the importance of developing a relationship of sorts with our students from the get go. We get to know them and allow them to get to know us in turn. After all, how can we expect students (especially THESE students) to automatically respect us and listen to us if they don't know us? I told them at the very beginning, I want to get to know them and let them get to know me. I will always be real with them and will never lie. Certainly, some questions I can't answer (and OOOOOH man you should hear the personal questions I get asked), but all other appropriate ones, I will always answer. I told them I will always respect them and will never talk down to them or act like I am better than them.
Because of the way I handled the first few days (getting to know them, showing them a PowerPoint of all of my friends, family, pets, interests, etc, and playing games with them), I have ZERO issues with students acting out against me or disrespecting me. One student told me today it is because I am laid back, chill, and am myself with them. I make them do work, yes, but once the work is done, I give them a few minutes to talk and be themselves. I have had so many positive experiences and had so many great conversations with my girls already and the fall semester has only been going since the 19th! I cannot wait to share some of these, give y'all some of the funnier (appropriate) comments I hear, and to tell more of how amazing God is in all of this. He has a plan for my life and a plan to redeem my life and all the mess that has been going on around me. My world has fallen to pieces in so many ways but God is building it back up into His plan for my life and He is faithful in redeeming every last bit.
In the meantime, until my next post, pray for my girls. They need some serious loving. They are so used to being put down, neglected, etc. I bought them all FRESH, new notebooks for note taking and when a girl asked me why I used my own money, I told her that the school couldn't get more than we already had but I wanted them to have them anyway. Her response was "why waste your money on girls like us". It broke my heart. They don't see how much potential they have! They don't see the miracles they are. They are so strong and so resilient and I KNOW they can succeed. So, pray for their hearts and for healing, and pray that God uses me and the PACE staff however He wills.
A month ago, I found myself jobless and on the hunt for a new job. I loved my old job and knew I was blessed to even have a job, but I knew God had placed a different calling on my life. I have previous teaching experience from when I lived in Memphis and I knew that was what I wanted to get back to someday. God just decided that day was sooner than I anticipated or planned for. The day I became jobless, I got a call FOUR hours later from a school asking me to come and interview. I was beyond thrilled. I did not know much about the school, but researched it the moment I got home.
Guys, have you ever prayed for something SO specific that you knew it may be a long time before that prayer was answered? THIS was my answered prayer. My senior year in college, God placed the call to teach on my life. Shortly after, I found out about a program known as Memphis Teacher Residency. This program equips future teachers to teach in urban, high-needs schools in Memphis, Tennessee. During the program, you work on a Masters degree in Urban Education and co-teach in a school of MTR's choosing. Because I moved to Florida halfway through the program, I was unable to complete my degree. However, I still knew my heart was for high-needs, at-risk, urban youth. While there are certainly students like this in the public school system here in Polk County, Florida, it just didn't "fit" with what I wanted. I wanted to work with kids who had been told they wouldn't amount to anything, who needed an advocate, and who needed a second chance.
The school at which I interviewed is called PACE Center for Girls. Straight from the website, here is what PACE is: "PACE Center for Girls, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that 501(c) 3 corporation that provides a non-residential delinquency prevention program in locations statewide, targeting the unique needs of females 12 to 17 who are identified as dependent, truant, runaway, delinquent, or in need of academic skills. PACE (Practical Academic Cultural Education) accepts referrals from the juvenile justice system, the Department of Children and Families, school personnel, community services agencies, parents, family members, friends and self-referrals. Its purpose is to intervene and prevent school withdrawal, juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancy, substance abuse and welfare dependency in a safe and nurturing environment." Answered prayer? Uh, I think yes!
The interview went VERY well and I was hired on the spot. Another HUGE blessing. I was less than 24 hours without a job. Totally a God thing. BUT, just because it was a God thing and I was finally going to be doing what I dreamed of, that does not mean it was going to be easy. These girls come with a whole different set of challenges than I would experience in a regular public school. These girls could come to PACE with history of abuse (physical or sexual), drug problems, assault records, delinquency, etc. And most of the time, unless they tell you or their counselor tells you, you won't know. As teacher, you figure out over time which girls have anger issues, which have problems with adults, and which you will have to fight every step of the way. NO work day is the same. Some days the "trouble" student can be an angel, and some days the "angel" student may be the one causing problems in class. Some days there are no code reds (lock downs resulting from either a student walking out of class, a physical fight, or a major behavior issue usually) and some days there are a LOT. I have been blessed so far to have had only 2 code reds (both from a girl walking out without asking permission to go get water) out of the many we have had.
Throughout the 21 days I have been working officially at PACE, God has had His hand on me. The students, normally anti-new teachers and likely to test their teachers to break them, have given me no problems. They are respectful, they get their work done, and they always greet me with a "hey Ms. Camille!". I attribute ALL of it to the fantastic training I received at Memphis Teacher Residency. We learned the importance of developing a relationship of sorts with our students from the get go. We get to know them and allow them to get to know us in turn. After all, how can we expect students (especially THESE students) to automatically respect us and listen to us if they don't know us? I told them at the very beginning, I want to get to know them and let them get to know me. I will always be real with them and will never lie. Certainly, some questions I can't answer (and OOOOOH man you should hear the personal questions I get asked), but all other appropriate ones, I will always answer. I told them I will always respect them and will never talk down to them or act like I am better than them.
Because of the way I handled the first few days (getting to know them, showing them a PowerPoint of all of my friends, family, pets, interests, etc, and playing games with them), I have ZERO issues with students acting out against me or disrespecting me. One student told me today it is because I am laid back, chill, and am myself with them. I make them do work, yes, but once the work is done, I give them a few minutes to talk and be themselves. I have had so many positive experiences and had so many great conversations with my girls already and the fall semester has only been going since the 19th! I cannot wait to share some of these, give y'all some of the funnier (appropriate) comments I hear, and to tell more of how amazing God is in all of this. He has a plan for my life and a plan to redeem my life and all the mess that has been going on around me. My world has fallen to pieces in so many ways but God is building it back up into His plan for my life and He is faithful in redeeming every last bit.
In the meantime, until my next post, pray for my girls. They need some serious loving. They are so used to being put down, neglected, etc. I bought them all FRESH, new notebooks for note taking and when a girl asked me why I used my own money, I told her that the school couldn't get more than we already had but I wanted them to have them anyway. Her response was "why waste your money on girls like us". It broke my heart. They don't see how much potential they have! They don't see the miracles they are. They are so strong and so resilient and I KNOW they can succeed. So, pray for their hearts and for healing, and pray that God uses me and the PACE staff however He wills.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Breakfast. I love breakfast. I don’t just say “I love breakfast” like any other person. I mean I LOVE it. Breakfast was a special time in my family. We had our standards (bacon, eggs, toast, you know), but we also had some crazy awesome things. It was a time of experimentation. Basically, any time a new breakfast anything showed up in the grocery, it seemed we tried it. Orange sweet rolls, cherry turnovers, peach turnovers, homemade poptarts, well…you get the picture.
BUT, we had one breakfast item we were famous—or infamous depending on your diet—for, and that was chocolate gravy. Wait, wait, wait! Before you get all grossed out and think of all the nasty things it could be, let me explain. As I have said before, my family is like one giant sweet tooth. And this gravy is case and point of this. ”Ok, ok. What IS chocolate gravy,” you may ask. I am SO glad you asked. Chocolate gravy is just this…chocolate icing that we call gravy. Yes. You read that right. What do we put it on? Well, usually my dad’s homemade biscuits, but there is also the occasional waffle, piece of bacon, and (if you’re my brother) eggs. Have you noticed a theme? Our breakfasts were always more sweet than savory. :)
Anyways. Casey and I are at the beach for a long weekend (Friday-Monday, hallelujah no work!), and have been eating lighter because...well...you GOTTA look good at the beach. :) totally kidding. Because I have had fries with dinner every night since we got here. Anyways. I woke up this morning and skipped out on my run for the day--17 mph winds, chilly temperatures, and slight vertigo? Yeah, even I am not crazy enough to risk that. So, I relaxed...listened to the waves...did some pondering, and THEN...I had to eat.
Seeing that we are staying at the condo of some friends of ours, we had plenty of supplies to cook with. Needless to say, we have a happy camper in me. And since I am trying to be better about being vegan--despite my undying love for grilled cheeses--I decided to make French Toast--without the good stuff (eggs, milk, butter). So, I used the whole wheat mountain bread we bought at publix and began toasting it in the skillet. Once both pieces were toasted on one side, I slathered them with peanut butter, topped with sliced bananas, and drizzled a little honey. Then I put them together like a sandwich and cooked it on both sides to toast the remaining bit. Then, plate it, drizzle MORE honey, and enjoy!
Skillet Peanut Butter Banana Toast (or Elvis Toast, if you like that name)
2-4 slices (depending on if one or two are eating) of bread
Peanut Butter (Jif Creamy works best)
Honey
Bananas
Butter (if you want to use that pre-skillet toasting for more crisp--and aren't vegan)
Heat a skillet on medium heat. Trust me on this. I get impatient and try to set it on 7 or 8, but then the bread burns. And nobody wants that. Put the bread down and toast until golden-ish. Plate. Layer peanut butter, honey, then bananas on the toasted side of one slice, and peanut butter on the other toasted slice's side. Put together like a sandwich. Cook on one untoasted side until golden brown, flip, and toast the other side. Plate, slice in half, and pour as much honey on top as you want (for me, its a LOT). Then enjoy.
BUT, we had one breakfast item we were famous—or infamous depending on your diet—for, and that was chocolate gravy. Wait, wait, wait! Before you get all grossed out and think of all the nasty things it could be, let me explain. As I have said before, my family is like one giant sweet tooth. And this gravy is case and point of this. ”Ok, ok. What IS chocolate gravy,” you may ask. I am SO glad you asked. Chocolate gravy is just this…chocolate icing that we call gravy. Yes. You read that right. What do we put it on? Well, usually my dad’s homemade biscuits, but there is also the occasional waffle, piece of bacon, and (if you’re my brother) eggs. Have you noticed a theme? Our breakfasts were always more sweet than savory. :)
Anyways. Casey and I are at the beach for a long weekend (Friday-Monday, hallelujah no work!), and have been eating lighter because...well...you GOTTA look good at the beach. :) totally kidding. Because I have had fries with dinner every night since we got here. Anyways. I woke up this morning and skipped out on my run for the day--17 mph winds, chilly temperatures, and slight vertigo? Yeah, even I am not crazy enough to risk that. So, I relaxed...listened to the waves...did some pondering, and THEN...I had to eat.
Seeing that we are staying at the condo of some friends of ours, we had plenty of supplies to cook with. Needless to say, we have a happy camper in me. And since I am trying to be better about being vegan--despite my undying love for grilled cheeses--I decided to make French Toast--without the good stuff (eggs, milk, butter). So, I used the whole wheat mountain bread we bought at publix and began toasting it in the skillet. Once both pieces were toasted on one side, I slathered them with peanut butter, topped with sliced bananas, and drizzled a little honey. Then I put them together like a sandwich and cooked it on both sides to toast the remaining bit. Then, plate it, drizzle MORE honey, and enjoy!
2-4 slices (depending on if one or two are eating) of bread
Peanut Butter (Jif Creamy works best)
Honey
Bananas
Butter (if you want to use that pre-skillet toasting for more crisp--and aren't vegan)
Heat a skillet on medium heat. Trust me on this. I get impatient and try to set it on 7 or 8, but then the bread burns. And nobody wants that. Put the bread down and toast until golden-ish. Plate. Layer peanut butter, honey, then bananas on the toasted side of one slice, and peanut butter on the other toasted slice's side. Put together like a sandwich. Cook on one untoasted side until golden brown, flip, and toast the other side. Plate, slice in half, and pour as much honey on top as you want (for me, its a LOT). Then enjoy.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Lord have mercy! Where has the time gone?? I mean, seriously. Has it really been so long since I last posted? Time just got away with me, I guess. My sister was in town, then my brother/sister-in law and niece, and then...well, life. I am so sorry to you, my readers, that I have been absent for so long! But no more! Today, you get a blog post! :)
Because people were in and out of town visiting, work and life were crazy, and well...me taking a break from cooking, I have not had occasion to post a new recipe. But no more. Tonight, I decided to cook AND give you a recipe. And, I needed (well, and my stomach) a break from the meal I have been having every night for the past three nights (and for lunch today). That meal, you ask? Only the best, gooiest, crispiest, most amazing meal ever. The meal for which I have an undying love? A grilled cheese sandwich. Gourmet, I know.
I hated grilled cheese sandwiches growing up. HATED. But, my family loved them--paired with tomato soup. Blah. Maybe its because of the cheese used? I DO use a different cheese. Growing up, it was Kraft American cheese slices. Now? Psh...I have GOURMET taste buds...I kid. Seriously. No, now I use extra sharp cheddar cheese. For some reason, this is the one kind of cheese I could eat at any time. Other cheese, I have to be in the mood for, and those moods are rare. Very rare. So, I choose to make my sandwiches with extra sharp cheddar. Thick slices. Lots of them.
I buy Publix bakery's Whole Wheat Mountain Bread to make these babies with. Oh heavens. It is some gooooood bread. I could eat it by itself. Every meal. Seriously. But, I am getting off topic. I butter both slices...liberally. But, hey. I used Smart Balance Light spread. So much better for me. Then, I cook them in the skillet til browned, flip them. Pile one with cheese...lots of cheese. Probably too much cheese. Then top it with the other, wait til the bottom side is browned, then flip and brown the other side. It is perfection. Gourmet-tasting perfection. And sometimes if I want to get really crazy, I throw in some slices of sharp white cheddar cheese. Trust me. It's good. Or if I want that whole sweet and savory combo, I cook thinly sliced apples in a skillet with butter and cinnamon-sugar, then add those inside my grilled cheese. Sounds gross, but it isn't. It's incredible.
So, after having a grilled cheese Saturday, Sunday, Monday nights and then one today for lunch at Panera, I decided I needed a break. Note: That doesn't mean I don't want one for dinner tonight. Because I totally do. Seriously. I want one. Now. I will never get sick of them. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? Anyways, here is an easy, minimal-ingredient, recipe for you to try! I usually pair it with a baked sweet potato or sweet corn-bread (2boxes of Jiffy, can of creamed corn, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup milk and bake according to the box). Thanks to Patsy, a friend of mine, for the recipe (slightly modified). Excuse my picture. I didn't buy enough mushroom caps and was NOT going to waste the filling...so I overstuffed them. :)
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped
1 T olive oil
1 red bell pepper
1 can chopped artichoke hearts (drained)
3-4 portobello mushroom caps (gills scraped out)
1 package of mushrooms (white or baby bella)
Instructions:
Sautee the peppers, onions, mushrooms, garlic in olive oil until they begin to soften. Add artichoke hearts and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a few drizzles of balsamic vinegar if you like (I do and it is a nice touch). Fill the mushroom caps with the sauteed mixture and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. If you desire a crunchy topping, add bread crumbs. I used Italian seasoned bread crumbs and it was very good.
Voila! A quick, easy, and tasty meal! It is a great meal to have when you want something light (like, for instance, after a grilled cheese binge). Oh, and the man approves of this one too. :)
Have a fantastic week, all!
Because people were in and out of town visiting, work and life were crazy, and well...me taking a break from cooking, I have not had occasion to post a new recipe. But no more. Tonight, I decided to cook AND give you a recipe. And, I needed (well, and my stomach) a break from the meal I have been having every night for the past three nights (and for lunch today). That meal, you ask? Only the best, gooiest, crispiest, most amazing meal ever. The meal for which I have an undying love? A grilled cheese sandwich. Gourmet, I know.
I hated grilled cheese sandwiches growing up. HATED. But, my family loved them--paired with tomato soup. Blah. Maybe its because of the cheese used? I DO use a different cheese. Growing up, it was Kraft American cheese slices. Now? Psh...I have GOURMET taste buds...I kid. Seriously. No, now I use extra sharp cheddar cheese. For some reason, this is the one kind of cheese I could eat at any time. Other cheese, I have to be in the mood for, and those moods are rare. Very rare. So, I choose to make my sandwiches with extra sharp cheddar. Thick slices. Lots of them.
I buy Publix bakery's Whole Wheat Mountain Bread to make these babies with. Oh heavens. It is some gooooood bread. I could eat it by itself. Every meal. Seriously. But, I am getting off topic. I butter both slices...liberally. But, hey. I used Smart Balance Light spread. So much better for me. Then, I cook them in the skillet til browned, flip them. Pile one with cheese...lots of cheese. Probably too much cheese. Then top it with the other, wait til the bottom side is browned, then flip and brown the other side. It is perfection. Gourmet-tasting perfection. And sometimes if I want to get really crazy, I throw in some slices of sharp white cheddar cheese. Trust me. It's good. Or if I want that whole sweet and savory combo, I cook thinly sliced apples in a skillet with butter and cinnamon-sugar, then add those inside my grilled cheese. Sounds gross, but it isn't. It's incredible.
So, after having a grilled cheese Saturday, Sunday, Monday nights and then one today for lunch at Panera, I decided I needed a break. Note: That doesn't mean I don't want one for dinner tonight. Because I totally do. Seriously. I want one. Now. I will never get sick of them. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? Anyways, here is an easy, minimal-ingredient, recipe for you to try! I usually pair it with a baked sweet potato or sweet corn-bread (2boxes of Jiffy, can of creamed corn, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup milk and bake according to the box). Thanks to Patsy, a friend of mine, for the recipe (slightly modified). Excuse my picture. I didn't buy enough mushroom caps and was NOT going to waste the filling...so I overstuffed them. :)
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped
1 T olive oil
1 red bell pepper
1 can chopped artichoke hearts (drained)
3-4 portobello mushroom caps (gills scraped out)
1 package of mushrooms (white or baby bella)
Instructions:
Sautee the peppers, onions, mushrooms, garlic in olive oil until they begin to soften. Add artichoke hearts and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a few drizzles of balsamic vinegar if you like (I do and it is a nice touch). Fill the mushroom caps with the sauteed mixture and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. If you desire a crunchy topping, add bread crumbs. I used Italian seasoned bread crumbs and it was very good.
Voila! A quick, easy, and tasty meal! It is a great meal to have when you want something light (like, for instance, after a grilled cheese binge). Oh, and the man approves of this one too. :)
Have a fantastic week, all!
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Now, I love Mac n' Cheese...blue box brand to be exact. Casey, however, loves Velveeta brand. We agree to disagree about which is better (hint: truth is the blue box wins). In the past, I make homemade velveeta mac n' cheese when we have it from scratch--but oh BOY is it an undertaking. When I found this recipe on Pinterest, I was rejoicing. It was mac n' cheese but LOADED with fresh vegetables--cheesy, healthy, veggie goodness. So, since the hubs has been crazy busy at work lately, which means late work days for him, I have had free time to bake and cook to my heart's content.
Thursday, I took on this guy and (asides from one cooking accident--more on this later) it was a success! I chopped my vegetables, boiled some noodles, made the cheese sauce and tossed it all together. Simple, right? Yes. Except I did all of this PLUS bake a cake and a batch of cookies and make lunch...at the same time. Distracted and busy cooking and I are not friends. A cookie sheet left on the hot stove top should NOT be grabbed with an oven-mittless hand. It hurts...and burns...a lot. So learn from my mistakes. I swear, 99% of the scars on my hands and arms (and theres quite a few) are the result of cooking burns.
Sorry for the short intro to the recipe but it has been a BUSY weekend so far! Company picnic, long runs, and now...the Chris Tomlin concert!!! So, enjoy!
Thursday, I took on this guy and (asides from one cooking accident--more on this later) it was a success! I chopped my vegetables, boiled some noodles, made the cheese sauce and tossed it all together. Simple, right? Yes. Except I did all of this PLUS bake a cake and a batch of cookies and make lunch...at the same time. Distracted and busy cooking and I are not friends. A cookie sheet left on the hot stove top should NOT be grabbed with an oven-mittless hand. It hurts...and burns...a lot. So learn from my mistakes. I swear, 99% of the scars on my hands and arms (and theres quite a few) are the result of cooking burns.
Sorry for the short intro to the recipe but it has been a BUSY weekend so far! Company picnic, long runs, and now...the Chris Tomlin concert!!! So, enjoy!
SPICY ROASTED VEGETABLE MACARONI AND CHEESE
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped into small chunks
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 yellow squash, quartered and diced
10 baby carrots, sliced thinly
2 cups whole wheat pasta (elbow macaroni, rotini, penne, etc.)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups (8 oz.) Sargento® Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. panko breadcrumbs
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Set a medium pot of salted water to boil. Prepare a large baking sheet by lining with aluminum foil and coating with a little olive oil or nonstick cooking spray.
Toss broccoli, red pepper, squash and carrots onto the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until vegetables have softened. Remove from oven and set aside.
Once water is boiling, lower heat slightly and add pasta, cooking according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, stirring constantly until mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in cheddar cheese until well distributed and melted. Add red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Add macaroni and vegetables.
Place mixture in a large casserole dish and sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs. Place under the broiler in your oven (500 degrees) for 3-4 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
Source: http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2013/02/spicy-roasted-vegetable-macaroni-and-cheese.html
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Before Casey
and I began the vegetarian lifestyle, we had a weekly tradition. I loved this tradition. The moment that week’s occurrence was
over, I lived for the next week.
Sure, I felt overstuffed, bloated, and content all at once. But I loved
it. Ok, ok. I guess it’s time to clue you in. This weekly “date” we had was for
taco night. Wonderful, beefy,
seasoned, salty, crunchy goodness.
We went all out too. Soft
tacos, crunchy tacos, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, all kinds of cheese, olives,
onions, and even guacamole and salsa sometimes. I love tacos so much, I even out-ate Casey some weeks.
But unfortunately, beef is not a vegetarian thing. If it comes from something with a face,
it must go. And away our taco
nights went. *Moment of silent and one single tear* I didn’t even want to
bother with substituting that night with black bean tacos or fake meat
tacos. Nothing could replace
it. NOTHING. Taco night is one of the few meaty
meals I truly miss on a regular basis (that and Chick-fil-a and Zaxby’s…oh
Zaxby’s). But then I happened upon a Pinterest pin
(God bless whoever invented Pinterest) for roasted vegetable tacos. And I sat there, looking at it, and
thought, “I happen to love anything involving roasted vegetables. I also happen to love tacos.”. So, I decided maybe, just maybe, I
should give vegetarian tacos a try…maybe.
I have been trying to cut our grocery bills down lately
since we have had some costly weeks (My half marathon, my mother’s visit, and
now my sister’s upcoming visit).
So my first question before deciding to make it was “Does it involve a
LOT of ingredients I don’t have?”.
Good news: It didn’t--just
some zucchini, squash, corn, onion, and peppers were all I needed to buy. All the seasonings and the shells were
things I had. On to my weekly menu
“board” it went. And then, before
I knew it, the day was upon us. It
was time to make “the tacos” and hope they were good.
Aside from chopping the zucchini, squash, onion, and pepper,
this recipe was super easy to make.
Once its all chopped and tossed in the seasonings, you just roast it in
the oven, mash some avocado with yogurt, and then assemble the tacos. I looooved that. It meant I got to spend the 40 minutes
while they roasted doing other important things…like making chocolate gravy
(which will be a whole other post devoted to my love of it). A
few notes: I omitted the baby
tomatoes (mostly because I have diverticular disease and these and strawberries
really hurt). I used canned corn
instead of real corn (I have issues with chopping as it is and wanted to make
it easier on myself). I forgot
cilantro so I didn’t use that.
And….I used feta instead of goat cheese (it was a better flavor in my
opinion).
The final verdict:
I loved them. The veggies got
a nice flavor once they roasted and then paired with the cream sauce and
feta…man it was good. It doesn’t
even come close to resembling taco night and all its former glory…but it was
fresh, had good flavor, AND the husband liked it. That makes it a win in my book. So, here is the recipe. Enjoy and let me know what YOU thought about if you make
it. Also, do you have any other
non-meat based taco recipes? SHARE
if you do :)
Roasted Veg Tacos with Avocado Cream and Feta
Ingredients
Filling:
1 small zucchini, diced
1 small summer squash, diced
½ medium red onion, diced
1 ear sweet corn, removed from cob *I used
canned sweet corn and drained it
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half *I
omitted this part
1 medium red pepper, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
Avocado Cream:
1 ripe avocado
⅓ cup full fat, plain greek yogurt
¼ cup cilantro *NOTE: I omitted this part…because I forgot it at the grocery…but
it was still good
1 tablespoons lime juice
Everything Else:
Feta or Goat Cheese
4-6 corn tortillas
Extra cilantro
Instructions
1.
Preheat oven to 400˚. Prepare all the veggies as
described and toss with olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and cumin. Roast until
tender and lightly browning. *I roasted them for 40 minutes.
2.
While veggies are roasting, whip together
avocado, greek yogurt, cilantro, and lime juice.
3.
To assemble tacos, warm up tortillas (in the
microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel or a oven with a damp tea towel) and
assemble with roasted veggies, avocado cream, and a sprinkle of feta.
Source:
http://naturallyella.com/2012/08/08/roasted-veg-tacos-with-avocado-cream-and-feta/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NaturallyElla+%28Naturally+Ella%29
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
