Bring on the Beads!!

So after a few crazy hectic weeks, I was able to carve out some time to create last night and this morning.  Seems like the times I need to de-stress are the times I can't don't have the time or the energy to do what needs to be done.

So, anyway, I was able to pull out the beads last night and have several wonderful creations to show for it.  Thought you might like to see as well.  Hope they give you a little smile as well.

These are the first of some team watches.  I've done a few before that were orange and blue and had Florida Gator charms on them.  I'm now just waiting for the charms to come in the mail -- looking forward to a Tennessee Vol's one and a Boston Red Sox --  who knows what else will turn up??

This one is one that I did much earlier this spring, it popped and so the lady asked me if I could restring it.  Amazingly she had all the beads, I did restring it and added another pink square foil bead, so hopefully it won't be under as much stress and won't pop again.

Turquoise was the order of the day for this watch -- with a modern twist.  I love these silver curvy spacer bars.

Saved the best for last!!  I saw the solid bars and fell in love with the colors.  Had no idea what I was going to do until I brought it home and realized that not only did I have beads in all the matching colors, I also had an antique gold face.  I love the way it came together and it's really comfortable to wear.  The solid pieces are on the back of the wrist so there's no gouging or anything -- I've worn it for two days now and I love it!!  This one is sized small to fit my wrist perfectly.  Maybe I'll just keep it!!!

 

Grandma's Cooking

Happy Sabbath -- I don't know how people that don't honor some day survive.  This chic lives for sundown every Friday evening. It gives me a wonderful chance to stop - and most importantly NOT feel guilty about it -- EVER!!  So glad I have a wonderful heavenly Father who looks after me, especially since I tend to ignore myself until my body forces me to stop.

On another, totally unrelated note, I went to do my normal Friday afternoon grocery shopping and ended up taking a trip down nostalgia lane!!  I was by myself, the girls didn't want to go, so I took the time to peruse the shelves more than normal.  Sometimes you can find a new product or flavor, or just something you don't ordinarily use and since this week my focus has been on menu planning and wanting to add new food -- I took the extra time.

To my surprise I saw this wonderful can!!!

Now to most you this is gross or not such a big deal.  For me.....it brought tears to my eyes and a sudden smile.  You see when I was a kid, this was a treat that only came from Grandma's house, although back then, I think you could find it in just tomato sauce.  Anyway, immediately, in my head, I saw her little black saucepan with contents of this can clumped in the middle until it heated enough to not be so congealed.  And of course you couldn't have that saucepan without the wood stirrer -- it wasn't a spoon, I guess you could call it a spatula ...
It looked kind of like this, but a little fatter and not so "spoon" shaped.  I got lucky enough to inherit it when she died.
I don't know that the majority of my cousins would remember this "delicacy."  For them it was Grandma's noodles (mac & cheese) or an eggy (that's another story) and I have those memories as well, but this is one that is only tied to my Grandma.

Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry)

Okay, this is going to be super quick because I'm super tired -- but wanted to get this posted while I was still thinking about it.  Just a disclaimer -- I don't know how authentic this is -- I sort of made up my own recipe based on what I like.  The recipe on the back of the box uses dried garbonzo beans and I had canned on hand, so this is what I came up with.  This recipe serves two -- my girls won't eat this one, not because it's spicy, but because they think they don't like chickpeas.  (Don't tell them that's what their favorite falafels are made of!!)

Chana Masala -- Chickpea Curry

3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp oil
1 small onion or half medium, diced
1 clove of garlic (if you wish)
2 tsp chana masala mix -- shan brand
1 can of chickpeas, drained
splash of milk or cream, maybe 1/4 cup

In a frying pan, melt butter with oil and add onion and garlic.  Fry for 5 minutes or so and then add the chana masala, let it cook a couple more minutes and then dump in the drained chickpeas.  I also like to add a cup or so of water and let the chickpeas cook for 15-20 minutes, adding more water as necessary.  This just lets them soften a bit more.  The mixture will reduce down and get kind of caramelized on the pan.  Just before serving add the cream, let it heat through and then serve. 

This is a mild curry, with a bit of warmth and sweetness.  The main spices are cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger and cardamom, with cumin and red chili.  

Very quick and simple, yet tasty!!

Sweet N Sour Tofu Patties

Okay -- so here's one more really quick -- just a disclaimer - this is not a healthy food!!  Just because it has tofu in it, doesn't mean anything :-)  Nor do you need to turn up your nose because it is tofu.  My brother (a self-sworn tofu, veggie meat, anything not meat HATER) liked loved these..... before he found out they had tofu in them!!



This is not the finished product -- nor is it my picture -- one I found, but the patties look very similar to this before they are sauced.  Any my girls like to eat them plain without the sauce, so I usually leave a few just like this and serve for the girls.  We do eat it over rice.

Tofu Patties

1 lb block of firm or extra firm tofu, drained
18 ritz crackers, any variety will work, smooshed up a bit
3 eggs
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp. chicken season, your favorite vegetarian if you wish
2 tsp. beef seasoning, go veggie if you wish
pinch of salt

Sweet N Sour Sauce
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups of pineapple or passion fruit or orange pineapple apple juice
2 Tbsp ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp vinegar (you can use lemon juice if you prefer)
1 can of pineapple tidbits - I drain the juice and use as part of the above 2 cups.
1 small can of sliced water chestnuts
diced red and green peppers - I probably use half of each

For the patties --
In a small frying pan, saute the onions.  (You don't have to do this, but I hate raw onions and they never seem to cook in casseroles enough to suit me, so I always saute them before I add to any recipe)
In a medium bowl, combine the tofu - use your hands to chunk it up a little, the ritz crackers, I smoosh them in the sleeve before I add them, and all the rest of the pattie ingredients, (eggs, onions, and seasonings)  Mix this pretty well, you don't want huge chunks of tofu or crackers.

Fry this mixture into patties -- size depends on you.  If I'm making for potluck, I go fairly small, a heaping tablespoon.  If I'm at home, a little more, just make sure you smoosh it down so the patties are fairly thin.

Once they are fried, you can serve them as is with the sauce on the side or you can put them layered in a 9x13 pan.

For the sauce -- Dump everything except the cornstarch and last 3 ingredients in a pan, while the mixture is heating and the butter melting, mix the cornstarch with a little water to make a slurry and then dump that into the pan as well -- you don't want the mixture to be hot, just a little warm when you add the cornstarch.  Mix well and continue to stir as it comes to a boil over medium heat.  Cook until it gets rid of the milky cornstarch color and doesn't taste like cornstarch.  You can then add the drained can of pineapple, water chestnuts and diced peppers (raw).  Once this is all mixed you can pour over the patties.

This is a great time to put it in the frig covered with foil and have it ready for a Sabbath lunch.  Or just decide to make it Friday night's supper, because it looks and smells so good.  Put it in the oven and bake for about an hour (sometimes if it's warm when it goes in the oven, it only takes 45 minutes) until it's hot and bubbly.

We like to eat it over rice with chinese noodles and if my family is super lucky, we have eggrolls!

Mung Dal

Okay -- as promised here are the Indian recipes from last night -- LOVE LOVE this food :-)
The first one comes from a good friend of mine who not only taught me how to make this dish, he proceeded to take me to an Indian market and we spent over an hour walking around while he was describing what everything was and how to use.  Wonderful knowledge -- and yes he can cook -- he's a bachelor and would rather cook for himself than to eat out!!  Thank You J.



Mung Dal  ----

1 cup of dal mung --  or moong dal (yellow lentils)
1/2 cup of dal masoor (ordinary common red lentils)
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large tomato or 4 med/small roma tomatoes
4 Tablespoons butter
2 T oil
2 tsp of Dal Curry Mix - shan dal curry seasoning  - I only use a couple of tsp, but the girls like it pretty mild, so feel free to add more after you taste it.
6 cups or more if need water
chopped fresh cilantro if desired

In a large frying pan, melt the butter and oil, fry the onions (and with all that fat, it's frying) on medium heat for 5 minutes or so.  Stir in the curry mix and the minced garlic, fry for another 5 minutes or so.  The oil will appear to separate.
Add the lentils, tomatoes and 4 cups of water.  Continue to cook at a medium simmer until lentils are tender and the tomato has broken down, adding more water if needed to make a thick stew consistency and to keep from sticking on the bottom of the pan.
Remove from heat and sprinkle with cilantro. 
If you get it too spicy a little yogurt, cream, or sour cream can be added to tone down the spice.
We like to eat it over rice with pita bread or naan if you can find it.  Or better yet, make your own.  Homemade pita is super easy and yummy.




I've included links to where you can get these ingredients online -- but I've also found them at Earth Fare, or sometimes an Asian Market if you don't have an Indian market.  Here in Asheville, you can get them at the Asian market on Hwy 70, close to the mall.

Here's another online source --  http://www.spicesofindia.co.uk/acatalog/Indian-Food-Shan-Dal-Curry-Mix.html



 

Food Plan

I've put a little more thought into this "plan" of mine and changed it up a tad.  Instead of printing on paper and taping to magnets, I'm going to try running a sheet of magnet through the printer and then taking a highlighter and coloring each square according to what category it fits into.

My categories are: Breakfast, Lunch, Pasta, Mexican, Sides (veggies go here), Soup, Complete Meal.  I put things like haystacks, burgers, hot dogs and such into the complete meal category, mainly because at our house it's pretty standard what we have with those things and I didn't want to take the time to write out all the stuff.  For example, haystacks, would have beans, chips, lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, the list goes on and on.

I  decided to do two of each food - that way if I get really good and plan for several weeks, I'm not stuck moving the foods that we eat often.  (Hannah could eat cheesy rice every day!) I also left myself several blanks to write in foods and just now as I'm typing I think I'm going to add a couple more - one being leftovers and another cook for yourself and maybe eat out!  I also need to add one that says cafe, because when Kevin is on supervision we eat at the school cafeteria.  Hopefully that will take care of all the tweaking!!

Here's what I put into a Word document and am going to print on the sheet of magnet --

Bowtie w/Yellow Pepper & Dill	Bowtie w/Yellow Pepper & Dill	Buttered Poppy Seed Noodles	Buttered Poppy Seed Noodles
Spaghetti	Spaghetti	Lasagna	Lasagna	Stromboli
Stromboli	Gluten & Noodles	Gluten & Noodles	Mac & Cheese	Mac & Cheese
Baked Ziti	Baked Ziti	Fettuccini Alfredo	Fettuccini Alfredo	Lasagna Roll-up
Lasagna Roll-up	Haystacks	Haystacks	Burritos	Burritos
Tacos	Tacos	Fajitas	Fajitas	Tamales
Tamales	Mexican Rice	Mexican Rice	Enchiladas	Enchiladas
Sopas	Sopas	Chicken Noodle	Chicken Noodle	Potato Chowder
Potato Chowder	Lentil	Lentil	Potato Cheese	Potato Cheese
Poblano Potato	Poblano Potato	Minestrone	Minestrone	Tomato
Tomato	Vegetable Beef	Vegetable Beef	Lasagna Soup	Lasagna Soup
Chili	Chile	Vegetable Cheese	Vegetable Cheese	Cheesy Rice
Cheese Rice	Sweet Potato	Sweet Potato	Broccoli	Broccoli
Green Beans	Green Beans	Corn	Corn	Peas
Peas	Curly Fries	Curly Fries	Burgers	Burgers
Hot Dogs	Hot Dogs	Pierogies	Pierogies	Subs
Subs	Pizza	Pizza	Mung Dal	Mung Dal
Swiss Steak	Swiss Steak	Fried Gluten	Fried Gluten	Black Beans
Black Beans	Salmon Patties	Salmon Patties	Falafel	Falafel
Summer Sausage w/Fruit Tray	Summer Sausage w/Fruit Tray	Pinto Beans & Cornbread	Pinto Beans & Cornbread	Scrambled Eggs w/Rice & Tomato
Scrambled Eggs w/Rice & Tomato	Sweet n Sour Tofu Patties	Sweet n Sour Tofu Patties	Swedish Chicken Meatballs	Swedish Chicken Meatballs
Eggrolls	Eggrolls	Chicken Pot Pie	Chicken Pot Pie	Crepes
Crepes	Grilled Cheese	Grilled Cheese	Grits	Grits
Yellow Rice	Yellow Rice	White Rice	Cashew Loaf	Cashew Loaf
Corn Dogs	Corn Dogs	Turkey Sandwich	Turkey Sandwich	Chicken Salad
Chicken Salad	Pizza Rolls	Pizza Rolls	French Toast	Muffins
French Toast	Smoothies	Smoothies	Eggs	Omelet
Stripples	Stripples	Biscuits	Biscuits	Baked Apples
Baked Apples	Breakfast Patties	Breakfast Patties	Cinnamon Rolls	Orange Rolls
Toaster Strudel	Pop Tarts	Cereal	Cereal	Granola
Granola	Bagels	Bagels	Oatmeal	Oatmeal
Instant Breakfast	Instant Breakfast	Eat Out	Eat Out
Leftover	Leftover	On your Own	On your Own	Cafeteria
Cafeteria	Pancakes	Pancakes	Waffles	Waffles
Cottage Cheese Loaf	Cottage Cheese Loaf	Rice Cake w/PB & apple slices	Egg Gravy  w/Toast	Egg Gravy  w/Toast

These are mostly food that all of my family will eat or at least not puke at.  I would love to add some more -- so if you have any favorites, please pass them along!!  I love tried and true recipes!!

Now off to town to get some magnet sheets and something to use as tape on my frig, although for right now will probably just use blue masking tape -- Wish they made it in purple!!!