The credit goes to my father-in-law, Steve, for this gem...
2 T. olive oil
2 c. finely chopped onion
2 T. minced fresh ginger
2 t. chili powder
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1 1/2 lbs. red-skinned sweet potatoes (2 medium yams), peeled and cut in 1/2 inch pieces
2 c. orange juice
2 T. minced garlic
2 15-16oz. cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
2 poblano chilies, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
sour cream
avocado
orange wedges for toppings
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender, about 10 minutes.
Add ginger, chili, cumin and stir 2 minutes.
Add sweet potato, orange juice, garlic and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer until sweet potatoes are almost tender, about 10 min.
Stir in beans, poblano chilies and bell pepper.
Cover and simmer until chilies are tender, about 15 more minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with avocado slices, orange wedges, and sour cream. Polenta goes great with it too. Serves 4.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Canadian Oatmeal Bread
The long-awaited recipe:
Boil 2 c. water on stove.
Dissolve in 1/2 c. lukewarm water 1 t. sugar and 1 2oz. package cake yeast (or 3 packs dry yeast).
In a large bowl, mix:
1/2 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. unsulfered molasses (Grandma's is best)
1/3 c. butter
1 1/2 T. salt
2 c. dry oatmeal
Add your 2 c. boiling water and dissolve butter.
Add 2 c. cold water. Let cool until lukewarm (lest you destroy your yeast).
Add yeast (which should have been growing).
Add 10 c. all-purpose white flour (2 c. at a time), stirring until you have to knead. Flour your counter-top for kneading and knead in 1/2 c. more flour. (You may need even more flour than 10 1/2 c., depending on the flour you're using. Grammie Fraser only uses Robin Hood...) Knead until dough isn't sticky anymore, but don't over-knead. (This is a delicate process!)
Grease the same pan you mixed the dough in (you don't even have to wash it) and allow the bread to rise for 2 hours or until doubled. It should be in a warm place to rise, preferable a warm oven (but not too warm) and cover it with a warm, damp, breathable cloth or towel.
After 2 hours, punch the bread down then flip it over. Allow it to rise another hour. (Covered and in a warm place)
Pull dough away from sides of bowl and cut into 4 or 5 sections (or do 3 loaves side by side in 9x13 pan). Shape the loaves and put them into 4 or 5 greased loaf pans. Cover with cloth again and allow them to rise 1 hour.
Pre-heat oven to 350F. Bake 35 minutes or until medium-brown on tops. Remove from pans immediately. Butter tops and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes before eating.
As many of you know, this bread is at its absolute best straight out of the oven, slathered with lots of butter. But it's also great toasted with butter and jam. Enjoy! ...and don't be bashful about spreading the addiction! (We can all thank Grammie Fraser)
Boil 2 c. water on stove.
Dissolve in 1/2 c. lukewarm water 1 t. sugar and 1 2oz. package cake yeast (or 3 packs dry yeast).
In a large bowl, mix:
1/2 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. unsulfered molasses (Grandma's is best)
1/3 c. butter
1 1/2 T. salt
2 c. dry oatmeal
Add your 2 c. boiling water and dissolve butter.
Add 2 c. cold water. Let cool until lukewarm (lest you destroy your yeast).
Add yeast (which should have been growing).
Add 10 c. all-purpose white flour (2 c. at a time), stirring until you have to knead. Flour your counter-top for kneading and knead in 1/2 c. more flour. (You may need even more flour than 10 1/2 c., depending on the flour you're using. Grammie Fraser only uses Robin Hood...) Knead until dough isn't sticky anymore, but don't over-knead. (This is a delicate process!)
Grease the same pan you mixed the dough in (you don't even have to wash it) and allow the bread to rise for 2 hours or until doubled. It should be in a warm place to rise, preferable a warm oven (but not too warm) and cover it with a warm, damp, breathable cloth or towel.
After 2 hours, punch the bread down then flip it over. Allow it to rise another hour. (Covered and in a warm place)
Pull dough away from sides of bowl and cut into 4 or 5 sections (or do 3 loaves side by side in 9x13 pan). Shape the loaves and put them into 4 or 5 greased loaf pans. Cover with cloth again and allow them to rise 1 hour.
Pre-heat oven to 350F. Bake 35 minutes or until medium-brown on tops. Remove from pans immediately. Butter tops and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes before eating.
As many of you know, this bread is at its absolute best straight out of the oven, slathered with lots of butter. But it's also great toasted with butter and jam. Enjoy! ...and don't be bashful about spreading the addiction! (We can all thank Grammie Fraser)
Lasagna
You'll start to notice a theme in the Brackley recipes...everything tastes better with a little cream cheese...
6-8 strips noodles
2 15-16oz cans Hunts tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1 heaping T. Italian Seasoning
1 clove garlic
1 red pepper
1 large onion
1 1/2-2 lb. hamburger
2 8oz. cream cheese (soft)
1-1 1/2 lb. mozerella cheese
parmesan cheese
Chop the onion and saute it in butter or olive oil until transparent. Add minced garlic and chopped red pepper at end, then add to sauce. Fry hamburger on high heat until brown and add to sauce. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.
Mix about 1/2-1 cup sauce to cream cheese to make spreadable.
In pan layer: sauce, noodles, mozerella slices, cream cheese mixture, sauce, noodles, mozerella, cream cheese, sauce. Make sure the last layer is sauce and sprinke generously with Parmesan cheese.
Bake 30 minutes at 350F or until cheese is bubbling on sides and browning in middle.
6-8 strips noodles
2 15-16oz cans Hunts tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1 heaping T. Italian Seasoning
1 clove garlic
1 red pepper
1 large onion
1 1/2-2 lb. hamburger
2 8oz. cream cheese (soft)
1-1 1/2 lb. mozerella cheese
parmesan cheese
Chop the onion and saute it in butter or olive oil until transparent. Add minced garlic and chopped red pepper at end, then add to sauce. Fry hamburger on high heat until brown and add to sauce. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.
Mix about 1/2-1 cup sauce to cream cheese to make spreadable.
In pan layer: sauce, noodles, mozerella slices, cream cheese mixture, sauce, noodles, mozerella, cream cheese, sauce. Make sure the last layer is sauce and sprinke generously with Parmesan cheese.
Bake 30 minutes at 350F or until cheese is bubbling on sides and browning in middle.
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
For those of you who were around for Land Thanksgiving 2 years ago, these were the Cheesy Mashers...
6 potatoes (large)
1 16oz. sour cream
1 8oz. cream cheese
1 stick butter
milk
16 oz. cheddar cheese grated or chopped
As usual, boil your potatoes until soft, then add all the fattening stuff that makes it so yummy-carbo-liscious! You can sprinkle some of the cheddar on last for a cheesy top layer if you so desire.
6 potatoes (large)
1 16oz. sour cream
1 8oz. cream cheese
1 stick butter
milk
16 oz. cheddar cheese grated or chopped
As usual, boil your potatoes until soft, then add all the fattening stuff that makes it so yummy-carbo-liscious! You can sprinkle some of the cheddar on last for a cheesy top layer if you so desire.
Corn Casserole
This is one of the easiest and ever-popular recipes in history!
1 can creamed corn
1 can corn (drained)
1 stick butter (melted)
1 16oz. sour cream
1 box jiffy cornbread mix
Mix all ingredients together in pan and bake at 350F for 45 minutes. The top should be golden brown.
1 can creamed corn
1 can corn (drained)
1 stick butter (melted)
1 16oz. sour cream
1 box jiffy cornbread mix
Mix all ingredients together in pan and bake at 350F for 45 minutes. The top should be golden brown.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
The day Sammie died
Well, our road trip last weekend was more eventful than I'd like to say it was. We decided to take Sammie, the cutest sandy-blonde pet rat you've ever laid eyes on, to Sacramento with us. Whenever we stopped, we toted her around on our shoulders ignoring signs at stores like REI that said, "Please leave your pets outside." It's not that we're that attached to her; it's just that she's been very sick since we gave her a flea bath 3 weeks ago.
Apparently the active ingredient in the SMALL ANIMAL Flea Treatment (specifically designed for mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, etc.) can cause an allergic reaction in your small pet and they can DIE. Isn't there a warning on the label, you might ask? No, only small pets, happily enjoying their new flea-free existence. The sad thing is that my wonderful hubby conducted the treatment in my absence because he didn't want to subject me and Munchie to any unnecessary chemicals. We all know that it is in no way his fault, but I think that he felt somewhat responsible for her.
We noticed that she wasn't feeling herself: decreased appetite, very sedentary, weight loss. It was a sad day, but we held out hope that she would recover because she'd seem a bit better and then take a turn for the worse again. We ended up calling the pet hospital in Arcata. Thankfully, they determined our case was an emergency and put me through to the vet on call, who told me to bathe her 10 times so as to completely cleanse her fur of the cursed flea treatment. We had a little bathing ceremony, blow-dried her, and served her up fresh fruits and veggies. I hope she felt pampered.
We thought she was in full recovery, but as the days went by, we noticed she wasn't getting any better. Then the day came, while we were in Sacramento, when I knew that she was indeed dying. Our poor little Sammie had to spend her last hours driving back through winding mountain roads, being tossed about ferociously. I felt so sorry for her and tried to hold her, but she just wanted a dark little corner. Anyway, I'll spare you the rest of the gory details. But I do want to give props to Renee who was her faithful backseat buddy the whole time. She didn't even mind riding next to Sammie's little lifeless body so we could bury her at home.
That's our sad tale of the pet-killing flea treatment.
Apparently the active ingredient in the SMALL ANIMAL Flea Treatment (specifically designed for mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, etc.) can cause an allergic reaction in your small pet and they can DIE. Isn't there a warning on the label, you might ask? No, only small pets, happily enjoying their new flea-free existence. The sad thing is that my wonderful hubby conducted the treatment in my absence because he didn't want to subject me and Munchie to any unnecessary chemicals. We all know that it is in no way his fault, but I think that he felt somewhat responsible for her.
We noticed that she wasn't feeling herself: decreased appetite, very sedentary, weight loss. It was a sad day, but we held out hope that she would recover because she'd seem a bit better and then take a turn for the worse again. We ended up calling the pet hospital in Arcata. Thankfully, they determined our case was an emergency and put me through to the vet on call, who told me to bathe her 10 times so as to completely cleanse her fur of the cursed flea treatment. We had a little bathing ceremony, blow-dried her, and served her up fresh fruits and veggies. I hope she felt pampered.
We thought she was in full recovery, but as the days went by, we noticed she wasn't getting any better. Then the day came, while we were in Sacramento, when I knew that she was indeed dying. Our poor little Sammie had to spend her last hours driving back through winding mountain roads, being tossed about ferociously. I felt so sorry for her and tried to hold her, but she just wanted a dark little corner. Anyway, I'll spare you the rest of the gory details. But I do want to give props to Renee who was her faithful backseat buddy the whole time. She didn't even mind riding next to Sammie's little lifeless body so we could bury her at home.
That's our sad tale of the pet-killing flea treatment.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
The best 26th birthday ever!
The birthday rundown...Marc was an absolute sweetheart yesterday! He didn't get cranky when I woke up at 6:15AM, ravenous with hunger and having to eat a bowl of cereal in bed. He was the best. He just woke up with me, cuddling and giving me back-tickles (my favorite!). He gave me the new Matisyahu CD that I've been wanting and we spent the morning taking it easy, packing for our trip to Sacramento. He even made me pancakes for breakfast (second breakfast, that is).
Renee rode over to Sacramento with us on our liesurely 5 hour drive. We listened to lots of fun music from her Ipod, including Irish celtic music and 80's mixes. As soon as we got here, we headed straight for the mall, as any birthday girl does. We hit a couple of maternity stores and I found a great bathing suit which I can't wait to wear (well, my thighs can wait, but my belly can't).
Marc had made reservations at Lucca, a nice Italian restaurant dowtown Sacramento, so we had a bit of time to shower and relax before heading out for dinner. Aparently Arnold frequents Lucca, but he missed the memo about my birthday yesterday. Oh well. After dinner Marc took me to Scott and Devon's house where they'd hosted a big barbeque for all the Prodigal Project crew. Elena had secretly baked me the cake I wanted...my mom's red velvet cake without the eggs (she mis-wrote her recipe when she copied it down in Jr. High) She also made homemade coconut ice cream, which was pretty much to-die-for! I got lots of chocolate and some almond lotion and lots of cards and moolah.
Thank you to everyone who made my 26th birthday a gem...especially Marc, Elena, Jessie and Levi (for hosting us and even buying us the cutest denim jacket from Baby Gap), and of course my parents, gosh...I feel like I'm at the Oscar's. Thanks to everyone who made my day special, you know who you are!
Renee rode over to Sacramento with us on our liesurely 5 hour drive. We listened to lots of fun music from her Ipod, including Irish celtic music and 80's mixes. As soon as we got here, we headed straight for the mall, as any birthday girl does. We hit a couple of maternity stores and I found a great bathing suit which I can't wait to wear (well, my thighs can wait, but my belly can't).
Marc had made reservations at Lucca, a nice Italian restaurant dowtown Sacramento, so we had a bit of time to shower and relax before heading out for dinner. Aparently Arnold frequents Lucca, but he missed the memo about my birthday yesterday. Oh well. After dinner Marc took me to Scott and Devon's house where they'd hosted a big barbeque for all the Prodigal Project crew. Elena had secretly baked me the cake I wanted...my mom's red velvet cake without the eggs (she mis-wrote her recipe when she copied it down in Jr. High) She also made homemade coconut ice cream, which was pretty much to-die-for! I got lots of chocolate and some almond lotion and lots of cards and moolah.
Thank you to everyone who made my 26th birthday a gem...especially Marc, Elena, Jessie and Levi (for hosting us and even buying us the cutest denim jacket from Baby Gap), and of course my parents, gosh...I feel like I'm at the Oscar's. Thanks to everyone who made my day special, you know who you are!
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Ode to Lavonne
Lavonne, you are the Mom that everybody loves. Of course, our mothers could never be replaced, but you do a fine job of standing-in when we are miles from our own moms. You're always so easy-going...I don't know how you do it, really. Your house is always clean (despite your belief that it isn't). You always welcome drop-in visits, no matter what you're doing, or even whether or not you happen to be home! I don't know that I've ever known a home besides my own where I could drop in any time, take a shower, do a load of laundry, or even fix a snack without feeling wierd. I remember when I'd just met Laura and started coming over Sundays & Mondays for my day off. Even though she went to work Monday morning, I still felt totally at home, whether or not I was eating breakfast burritos with you or hibernating in the guest room. You know how to have the perfect balance with people: if they need space, you give them space, if company, then company. Thanks for teaching us all the value of hospitality and generosity. I'm sure I can safely say, on behalf of all your adopted kids around the world, we love you and wish you the happiest of birthdays!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
O happy day, Rachel's birthday!
Today is the day that my dear friend Rachel turns 26. Just to let you know how dear she is to me, she's the kind of friend that I go to when I'm having a pregnancy meltdown. She can easily sympathize. She knows it's not the end of the world, just like I do, but she's still compassionate and reminds me that I'll feel differently when I come out on the other side. She gives me some of the best marriage advice, especially because we live with the same external stresses: community living, ministry oriented, simple cabin-dwelling lifestyle, and the gift of pregnancy within 2 months of marriage.
I just want to say that I am a happier, healthier wife because of her friendship. Thanks, Rachel.
Now, just to clear up a misunderstanding from the petting zoo entry...We do not have cockroaches. I was quoting Erin Brochovich when she said, in regards to her cockroaches, "Do people actually live like this?" Also, the carpenter ants are dwindling and there's no sign of the flying females anymore, thank goodness!
Lastly, soon I will compose an entry of famous Brackley recipes: corn casserole (aka-corn stuff), cheesy mashed potatoes, and probably the Oatmeal Bread (I just have to check with Grammie to see if it's a secret family recipe). Yes, I grew up in a carbohydrate addict's heaven. And although the raw-foodist in me hates to admit it, I truly love spreading the addiction.
I just want to say that I am a happier, healthier wife because of her friendship. Thanks, Rachel.
Now, just to clear up a misunderstanding from the petting zoo entry...We do not have cockroaches. I was quoting Erin Brochovich when she said, in regards to her cockroaches, "Do people actually live like this?" Also, the carpenter ants are dwindling and there's no sign of the flying females anymore, thank goodness!
Lastly, soon I will compose an entry of famous Brackley recipes: corn casserole (aka-corn stuff), cheesy mashed potatoes, and probably the Oatmeal Bread (I just have to check with Grammie to see if it's a secret family recipe). Yes, I grew up in a carbohydrate addict's heaven. And although the raw-foodist in me hates to admit it, I truly love spreading the addiction.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
The petting zoo in Cabin C
Marc and I didn't expect to have so many little critters living with us when we moved into Cabin C. In fact, only one of them is really welcome, and that's our dear little Sammie (a sandy-blonde mellow rat). Usually everyone has some kind of run-in with unwelcome invaders such as rodents, insects, and pests of all kinds. I just didn't expect them to move into our home all at once...
Honestly, they've been arriving at different times. First, the mice came to feast on our buffet of fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts, and ALL of my dehydrated camping food (stashed in the closet). You learn, especially after living at the Land for any amount of time, NOT to leave any type of food out that can be chewed through and eaten by mice, because they WILL leave no stone unturned. We quickly determined to shut down the buffet and put all dried goods in mason jars as well as stocking up on mouse traps (sorry for those of you hippie-types reading this who believe in the live-traps...we want revenge on those little guys! They even invade our bed and leave little poops on our pillows; now that's wrong!). All winter long, we've caught mouse after mouse and yet they still haven't learned their lesson. Just yesterday I found one running around in the closet when looking for my old chuck taylors.
When the warm weather arrived, so did the carpenter ants. At first I thought we had 2 species of insect invaders, because the females don't look a thing like ants: they have wings and fly. ick! Marc found some old ant traps around the Land, so we opened up about 18 of those suckers and put them around our bathroom. Then Elena announced one day that she, too, had carpenter ants and that only specific types of traps get rid of them. Even then, you only see about 8% of the entire colony so it often takes weeks to kill the colony. The best thing to do when you're fighting a full-scale attack is simply to vaccum them all up. So, needless to say, our vacuum cleaner has been a permanent fixture in our bathroom for about a month now. At one point, I had a pregnancy meltdown and cried on Marc's shoulder hearing those famous words from Erin Brochivich (in regards to her cockroaches), "Do people really live like this?!" It just seemed too much to be flicking one off my shoulder only to find another on the clean bowl that I just want to eat cereal out of...Is that too much to ask?
And finally, the last, and I think the most exciting new pet that we have is a tree frog. ...You're relaxing in the hot shower after a long day of work, when you happen to peek out of the shower curtain only to see a little green frog on the bathroom floor. Hmmm, must be a prank. "Hey babe, what's that frog doing in our bathroom? Ha, ha, ha..." "I guess he's just coming to say hello." Oh. So he didn't put a toy frog in here to freak me out? Upon closer examination, I realize that this frog is indeed living and breathing, most likely enjoying the way the steam treatment opens up his pores. ...Frogs are a little harder to catch than mice or ants, so he's escaped us a couple of times, but to be honest, I don't think I mind him so much. A frog isn't quite the pest that mice and ants are...
It's a good thing to keep a sense of humor about the little things, and they really are little things.
Honestly, they've been arriving at different times. First, the mice came to feast on our buffet of fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts, and ALL of my dehydrated camping food (stashed in the closet). You learn, especially after living at the Land for any amount of time, NOT to leave any type of food out that can be chewed through and eaten by mice, because they WILL leave no stone unturned. We quickly determined to shut down the buffet and put all dried goods in mason jars as well as stocking up on mouse traps (sorry for those of you hippie-types reading this who believe in the live-traps...we want revenge on those little guys! They even invade our bed and leave little poops on our pillows; now that's wrong!). All winter long, we've caught mouse after mouse and yet they still haven't learned their lesson. Just yesterday I found one running around in the closet when looking for my old chuck taylors.
When the warm weather arrived, so did the carpenter ants. At first I thought we had 2 species of insect invaders, because the females don't look a thing like ants: they have wings and fly. ick! Marc found some old ant traps around the Land, so we opened up about 18 of those suckers and put them around our bathroom. Then Elena announced one day that she, too, had carpenter ants and that only specific types of traps get rid of them. Even then, you only see about 8% of the entire colony so it often takes weeks to kill the colony. The best thing to do when you're fighting a full-scale attack is simply to vaccum them all up. So, needless to say, our vacuum cleaner has been a permanent fixture in our bathroom for about a month now. At one point, I had a pregnancy meltdown and cried on Marc's shoulder hearing those famous words from Erin Brochivich (in regards to her cockroaches), "Do people really live like this?!" It just seemed too much to be flicking one off my shoulder only to find another on the clean bowl that I just want to eat cereal out of...Is that too much to ask?
And finally, the last, and I think the most exciting new pet that we have is a tree frog. ...You're relaxing in the hot shower after a long day of work, when you happen to peek out of the shower curtain only to see a little green frog on the bathroom floor. Hmmm, must be a prank. "Hey babe, what's that frog doing in our bathroom? Ha, ha, ha..." "I guess he's just coming to say hello." Oh. So he didn't put a toy frog in here to freak me out? Upon closer examination, I realize that this frog is indeed living and breathing, most likely enjoying the way the steam treatment opens up his pores. ...Frogs are a little harder to catch than mice or ants, so he's escaped us a couple of times, but to be honest, I don't think I mind him so much. A frog isn't quite the pest that mice and ants are...
It's a good thing to keep a sense of humor about the little things, and they really are little things.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
