Monday, September 30, 2013

Making Meals Mondays

Here we go!

Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad

  •  

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, and add farfalle pasta. Cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a serving bowl, and gently toss with the olive oil until all the pasta is coated. Cover, and chill at least 30 minutes.
  2. Arrange the cucumber slices around the edges of the pasta. Top pasta with smoked salmon, tomato, and red bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Top with Monterey Jack cheese and salad dressing to serve.
 ----------------------------------------------------

Caprese Chicken

Original recipe makes 4 servings Change Servings

Directions

  1. Place chicken breasts, Italian salad dressing, Italian herb seasoning, and chicken seasoning into a resealable plastic bag, knead bag several times to coat chicken with marinade, and squeeze air from the bag. Seal and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours.
  2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
  3. Pour canola oil into a large cast-iron or ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the oil until a small droplet of water pops in the oil. Remove chicken breasts from marinade and discard used marinade. Place chicken breasts into hot oil, fry for 2 minutes, and flip chicken.
  4. Place skillet into the preheated oven and bake until chicken is no longer pink inside and the juices run clear, about 12 minutes. Top each chicken breast with a slice of mozzarella cheese and a tomato slice.
  5. Return to oven and bake until cheese has melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer chicken breasts to a serving platter and top each with a basil leaf and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Beef Sukiyaki


Directions

  1. Combine dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a bowl and set aside.
  2. Soak noodles in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil; cook and stir beef in the hot oil until no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  4. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in the skillet; cook and stir onion, celery, carrot, and mushrooms until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in green onions, and dashi mixture, noodles, beef, and tofu. Bring to a simmer. Divide hot sukiyaki among four bowls and serve.





Sunday, September 29, 2013

A Few Odds and Ends

I have a few pictures in my data base that I haven't posted on here yet.  Haven't taken as many pictures as I wish I would have in the last month, so here are a few just for the grandparents.

Enjoy!

Back to the first day of school.  Bus Stop crazies









 Second day of school - just because their outfits were equally as cute as day one:
 Finley at her Brownie meeting earlier this week:
 Arlington and her buddies.  Can you see why they get along so well?
 Arlington and her bestie "C" (who lives on our block) made a "All Natural Lemonade Free lemonade stand".  AKA. water.

Arlington and her besties - they taught Hula dancing at a party today and did a great job:

Friday, September 27, 2013

Flash Back Friday

I was working on a project for Arlington the other day, and during that time I came across some old pictures of her when she was little.

We didn't blog when she was a baby, so I don't really have pictures on here before she was 4 years old.  While there are 1000's and 1000's and I could go on forever, I just picked out a couple.  They aren't necessarily my favorite pictures, but the ones I came across in this file I found. 

It is funny how you don't remember much about their babyhood - even though she isn't that old.  I look at the pictures and can't remember what she sounded like, and the funny things she said.  I am glad I have their baby books to help me keep track.

So just a few pictures of Arlington from "back when".  Enjoy!

This first picture is Arlington at 5 months old.  This girl did everything early.  She was sitting up by then and she was so small that people used to gawk at her when we were out.  She was always a determined little baby.  She talked at 9 months, walked at 10 months and has been a motor of activity ever since.  The dress she is wearing is one my parents brought back on from a trip to Hawaii.  We were living in San Diego when Arlington was this age, so Hawaii wasn't very far to go!
 This next picture was taken when Arlington was 10 months old.  She hasn't gotten much bigger from the last picture, and really doesn't have any more hair!  She was a baldy for a long time.  We were home in Pennsylvania visiting for my SIL's wedding, and decided to take some pictures with the fall foliage.  We were still living in San Diego, so Arlington didn't really get to see leaves fall off the trees.  She was fascinated with them being all over the ground and just picked on up and we snapped the picture.  One of our favorite pictures of her of all time.
This next one, she is about 1 year old.  Still not much hair, but I was determined to give that girl a pony tail!  It stuck straight up and we were always laughing about it.  We were still in San Diego (we lived there until she was almost 2) and each year the town up from ours would have this field of flowers that would bloom and you could walk through them.  We were having a tough time getting her to go into the flowers without us.  They were taller than her (as you can see) so she wasn't thrilled.  But we finally got a picture before she freaked.

Ah - the next one.  The hair!  The crazy!  This is the true girl she still is today.  She climbed up on this chair and thought she would help herself to our computer.  She is almost two here -we were getting ready to move to Florida by this time.  Her hair was - and still is - unruly.  It would grow all different lengths and it was fine and thin.  But she didn't care.  She didn't want me to mess with it so.....there you go.
This next one is soon after we moved into our house in Florida.  She was starting a new preschool, so we took her picture.  She still let me dress her up a bit at this age, but she didn't love it.  Her hair has gotten quite a bit darker, and has really filled in.  Unlike Finley - her hair really started to grow around this age, which is about 2 1/2 years old.  She is still an only child at this time, but only for another year.  I loved this picture because she looks so sweet and innocent.  She also looks a bit sad, but it was only because she didn't want to be bothered.  This girl wanted to GO darn it, and this picture taking thing was for the birds.
 Ah - our first Thanksgiving in Florida.  By this time we have survived our first hurricane and have settled in.  Arlington is becoming quite the young lady.  She is almost 3 years old in this next picture.  She was quite the ham, so she went around the house, got some of our fall decorations, and set herself up.  This is an only child for so long that she knows what to do:
 Another one of my favorite pictures is next because this is SO HER.  This girl did not like to nap.  She didn't need sleep she told me, yet at least once a week I would find her asleep on the couch in the late afternoon - cup in hand.  She could fall asleep anywhere, and once she WAS asleep, she slept like a stone.  I could run the vacuum and she wouldn't even flinch.
 This next one is hysterical because this speaks to Arlington's character to this day.  Arlington was never girly.  When I first found out Arlington was going to be a girl, I went out and bought the most girly dresses and outfits I could find.  That lasted about a year and then she wanted no part of it.  She is still that way - choses jeans and casual clothes over dresses and skirts most days.  She still likes to look classy, but she doens't like to look ultrafeminine (exact opposite of Finley). 
After much waiting, and much asking, Arlington became a big sister when she was 3 1/2 years old.  For a long time I mourned for her - her loss of having just Mat and I to herself.  But I realized how foolish that was because she was born to be a big sister.  She and Finley still rarely fight, and they are the best of friends.  This picture was so fun - just look at how she is studying her baby.  She was enamored by her from day one and still is.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Picture Day

Today was Arlington's picture day at school.  She actually wanted to get dressed up - changed her earring and everything.  She looked really cute this morning, so I took a few pictures of her.  I figured that way, if the school picture isn't great, we have these!



Monday, September 23, 2013

Making Meals Monday

On hiatus this week due to the fact that we are still working through last weeks meals!  Mat has been having a few late work nights and traveling, so we will be back next week!

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Just Truckin' Along

Not much to report lately because we are in "beginning of the school year survival mode".  School has been in 2 full weeks today, and routines are being established.  My kids still think they are on summer vacation and don't understand yet that coming off the bus means time for homework and activities.

But alas - I now have two kids who have homework every night.  Arlington's homework is getting more intense and she has quite a bit of it.  She is responsible for pleasing three teachers this year instead of just one, but she is staying organized thus far.  I am thankful for this age gap between the kids where she is off the bus a 1/2 hour before the other two so that she and I can complete her homework before the other two children get off the bus.

She also picked up her clarinet this evening.  Did I mention she is going to play the clarinet?  If not, it was because I was trying to block it from my memory.  She is very excited about it.  She is keeping it beside her bed tonight and has been caught sneaking peeks inside the case tonight.  We are renting said clarinet for one month until my parents bring me a clarinet when they visit.  I am grateful that they have one because knowing Arlington, this little adventure isn't going to last long.  As soon as she realizes that it is all WORK and very little FUN, the novelty will wear off.  And if it doesn't, kudos to her.

Finley's nightly homework isn't intense, and she rather enjoys it.  She likes getting praise, and feeling accomplished (unlike some sister of hers I know) so getting a pat on the back after working hard on her work, she is a happy girl.  She is cute when she does her homework - very serious about following the directions and repeating what the teacher said to do.  The teacher is enlarging all of her work and that is making homework so easy for her to see, so we are grateful that is working out.  The kids in this class are also on a green, yellow, red card system for behavior, and we are reported each day on what color card our child was.  So far, our little girl has been all green cards.  Not surprising because Finley is actually our quiet, reserved child in public.  We told her if she can stay at green card status for a month, she can get a movie she has been itching to own.  So we will see if it lasts.

Cainan doesn't have homework yet.  True to first grade form, they give the kids a while to settle in - especially the kids who are coming from 1/2 day Kindergarten.  It is a big transition to them and 1st grade is a lot more work, so it is a wise decision.  It is supposed to be either next week or the next.  His homework, though, is only once a week with just reading a book each night for 15 minutes.  So it won't be bad.  He continues to be in Kumon for reading and math, so he has that work each night which he does while he sister is doing her homework.  So he is keeping plenty busy.

Cainan's teacher is amazing.  She is technology savvy and a lovely person.  Cainan adores her already.  She keeps a daily blog with pictures and reports from what they did at school that day, and we get a taste of what are kids are up to through that.  It is such a neat way to keep parents informed, and I would encourage more teachers of young students to take this approach.  Communication with 20 parents cannot be easy, and I have to say that seeing what the kids are doing has decreased the questions and wonders I have about his day.  So it was a very smart way to keep parents out of her hair. :)

The kids activities are also in full swing.  Cainan is in Karate this fall and is loving it.  We found a wonderful place for him to attend and he is learning a lot.  He goes twice a week for two 45 minutes classes and it is a lot of running.  They are also teaching the kids about respect and being a good person, which I think is the most important part of Dojo.

Finley is in gymnastics, and art class and Brownie scouts.  She loves them all.  Her Scouting leaders have always been great with the girls - lots of field trips, activities, and fun outings.  And gymnastics is a place for her to release some of that 7 year old energy and have fun in the process.  Her love of art finally caused us to find an art class outside of school for her to do a little more involved drawing.  We found an art school in the next town over, and she loves it.  I hope her love of drawing and being creative continues.

She is still doing braille 3 times a week before school, cane training once a week during the day, and physical therapy twice a week during the day.  So she is a busy girl.  And she is starting to read so much faster in braille AND print.  She has been picking it up more quickly lately and I am pleased to see the changes.

Arlington is not doing any outside of school activities at this time.  She will be starting basketball in a few weeks, but we decided to let her get started in the school year before taxing her too much.  She is in her last year of elementary school and they are preparing them for middle school, so she is busy.  And she does have the clarinet which she will be practicing in the evenings.  Joy.

Alive and well - just busy.  I will try and remember to take some pictures soon to share on the blog.  The dust is settling, so it will be easier!

Monday, September 16, 2013

Making Meals Monday

Week Two!

Puff Pastry Salmon

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 2 pastries (which easily feeds 5-6 people)
  • 2 (12 ounce) skinless, boneless salmon fillets
  • seasoned salt to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 (17.25 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
  • 1/3 cup pesto 
  • 1 (6 ounce) package spinach leaves

 Directions

1. Preheat oven t 375 degrees

2. Season the salmon fillets with salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Divide 1/2 of the spinach between two sheets of puff pastry and mound in the center.  place a salmon patty on top of each mound of spinach.  Spread pesto on the salmon fillets and top with the remaining spinach.  Moisten the edges of the puff pastry with water, fold to the center, and seal the seams.

3. Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden and the salmon has cooked all the way through.

------------------------

Side Dish: 

Smoked Salmon Spread   

(this makes a TON so consider cutting down unless you are having a party)

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, drained
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound (4 ounces) smoked salmon, minced

Directions

Cream the cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until just smooth. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, horseradish, salt, and pepper, and mix. Add the smoked salmon and mix well. Chill and serve with crudites or crackers.

If you can find it, I prefer Norwegian salmon; it's drier and less salty than other smoked salmon.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pineapple Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup light soy sauce 
  • 2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins or strips 

 Directions

  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix pineapple juice, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Remove from heat just before the mixture comes to a boil.
  2. Place chicken tenders in a medium bowl. Cover with the pineapple marinade, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread chicken lengthwise onto wooden skewers.
  4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill chicken tenders 5 minutes per side, or until juices run clear. They cook quickly, so watch them closely

------------------------------------------

Side Dish: Simple Baked Apples

Original recipe makes 12 servings
  • 6 apples - peeled, cored and sliced
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup whole milk 

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart casserole dish, or coat with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Place apples in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Stir spice mixture into apples until evenly distributed. Fold in raisins and walnuts. Spoon into prepared dish. Pour milk evenly over apple mixture.
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until soft and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

--------------------------------------------

Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos

 Ingredients (makes a TON - cut back)

3 whole ancho chiles (I didn't find these, so I am using dried spice once)

3 whole pasilla chiles (I didn't find these, so I left them out)
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 to 3 chipotles in adobo sauce
1/2 medium white onion, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
3 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (untrimmed), cut into chunks
Freshly ground pepper
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
Corn tortillas, warmed, for serving
Assorted taco toppings, for garnish

Directions

Put the ancho and pasilla chiles and the garlic in a bowl; add 2 to 3 tablespoons water. Microwave on high until soft and pliable, 2 to 3 minutes. Stem and seed the chiles; peel the garlic. Transfer the chiles and garlic to a blender.

Add the chipotles, onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt and the oregano to the blender; puree until smooth. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat; add the chile sauce and fry, stirring, until thick and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Pour in the broth and reduce until slightly thickened.

Season the pork all over with salt and pepper and transfer to a large slow cooker. Add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick, then pour in the sauce. Cover and cook on high until the meat is tender, about 5 hours. (Or cook the meat in a large Dutch oven, covered, for 1 hour 45 minutes at 350 degrees; uncover and cook 30 more

minutes.)

Discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Shred the pork with 2 forks; season with salt and pepper. Serve the shredded pork in the tortillas, along with toppings.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Extra:
There is always a night during the week where we are eating something "fast" or MAt wants to cook something that might not be on my current diet plan.  So, I found this recipe, and am anxious to try it.

Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes


Ingredients

24 cherry tomatoes (preferably heirloom)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
2 ounces feta cheese, cut into 24 small cubes (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon black olive paste
Flaky sea salt
1/4 cup fresh mint, torn

Directions

Preheat the broiler. Slice off the top 1/4 inch of each tomato, then scoop out and discard some of the core using a melon baller or small spoon. Cut a thin sliver off the bottom of the tomatoes so they will sit flat. Put the tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, then stand them up and press a cube of feta about halfway inside each one. Broil until the cheese is browned and slightly soft, about 2 minutes.

Mix the olive paste with 1 tablespoon water and dot all over a serving plate. Arrange the broiled tomatoes on the plate; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Scatter the mint on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.





 

 

 

 

Sunday, September 15, 2013

A Camping We Will Go!

Friday night into Saturday evening, the girls and I went camping.  Now, before you fall out of your chair and think, "not only did she go camping, she went alone with the girls"?  No, no no.  Silly readers.  I hate camping, remember?

We went camping with the girl scouts.  All local girl scout troops attended an overnight encampment this weekend and I was asked to be the nurse.  The lead of this camp experience was the woman who was my right hand helper all through Finley's June event here in Massachusetts, so no way was I saying no.  I owe her.  A LOT.

We had to be there by 5pm Friday night, so I spent Friday trying to pack.  The funny thing about this time of year in the far north is - it is 40 degrees in the evenings and morning and 80 degrees during the day.  So we have to pack multiple layers.  Especially since we would be sleeping outdoors - we had to be prepared for all different temperatures.  So, that meant taking a lot of clothes along for just one night.  Mat thought we were going for a week when he saw the bags.

I had gotten the three of us new sleeping bags.  We have one good one, and one okay one, but the girls love camping, so I figured these will last them a long time.  Plus, they could be used down to 30 degrees and still be warm.

We packed the car, and headed to the camp site.  IT was only 15 minutes from the house, so not bad.  It is strictly for scouts, and it was WONDERFUL.  A really beautiful, HUGE camp site.  The tents were not tents on the ground - they were on permanent structures with army grade tent material over top.  They held 4-5 cots with mattresses that the girls could sleep on. And each girl then had a mosquito net over the cot for protection.  There was one leader in a tent and then the rest was girls.

The little ones slept in a huge cabin.  It had a kitchen, bathrooms, electricity.....That was good for Finley's age group.  The leaders were in there with the girls as well. 

Then I got to sleep in the nurse's cabin.  It had three bedrooms, electricity, a bathroom, a shower....it was very nice!  I didn't mind staying after I saw that.

We had around 100 girls stay at the camp, so it was busy, but fun.  My girls had a great time.  Finley's troop leader said she had never seen her so animated.   Finley had a great time - and loved being in the woods.  She wasn't afraid at all.

The leaders have sent me some pictures they took that included my girls in them, so I am going to share them here.  Enjoy!

 Arlington's troop was the color guard for Friday night:

Smores around the camp fire before bed Friday night:
Arlington's troop - sweet girls:
                              Rise and shine!  Let day number two begin:


                                                  The did some canoeing:

                                Arlington mostly went in circles with "K"

 Lord only knows what she is doing here:

Finley's leader gave her the map at one point to hold.  Always good to let the blind girl lead....
 Me and My Girl taking a break:
 Finley and her buddy "A" at one of the camp activities:

 Finley trying to Hoola Hoop:


 Closing ceremonies - getting ready to make the friendship circle.  That is Finley's leader to her right, holding her hand.  She is amazing.  And to HER right is her daughter, and Finley's bestie:
By this time, the girls are punchy and silly:
 There is always that one friend........
All the girls - they all had a blast!!  Ages 5-13:

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

9/11/2013

12 years.

Is there really anything to say at this point that hasn't been before?  Every year we talk about where we were, we remember the people who died, who were hurt, who were emotionally scarred forever.

What I wonder though - does the pain ever get any less for those who were directly involved?  Those children who grew up without a parent?  The babies that were born that year are 7th graders this year.  The kids that would have been around my kid's ages at the time would be 19 and 22.  Adults.  They were too young to understand what it all meant at the time, so what do they think now that they are all grown up?  That the parent that they lost has been gone longer than they knew them at all?  It would all see so strange.

Less than 2 months after 9/11 happened, Mat and I moved to San Diego.  I had known for months I was going, but all of the sudden, it seemed wrong to go.  Wrong to move all the way across the country when we were all trying to still make sense of what happened.  But that is what happens, right?  Life moves on.  Mat had a job, I had a job.  We had to go.

The first month in San Diego was a disaster.  The movers had "lost" our stuff - we sat in an empty apartment night after night hoping the next day our stuff would arrive.  My new job was okay, but not great.  Mat tried to get settled into a new job while we were dealing with so much CRAP around us.

Then....things got better.  I got a new job.  We got pregnant with Arlington.  We started to make really good friends.  The weather was always beautiful - even in February.  Then we had a baby to occupy our time.

Before we knew it, three years had gone by.  So much had changed.  Impending doom was a distant past for us.

Since 9/11, we have lived in San Diego, West Palm Beach, Connecticut and now Massachusetts.  We had made life long friends all along the way.  Each place was harder to leave than the last because now not only were we leaving our grown up friends, our kids were leaving their friends.

12 years have gone by so fast.  The baby I used to long for is now 10 1/2 years old.  I went from being a full time nurse to a full time mom - a job I never thought I would have.  I went from being a 26 year old childless woman to a 38 year old mother of 3.  A lifetime of memories made.

So for those families who have spent these 12 years grieving their lost ones, or having nightmares over and over about what they witnessed on 9/11 - know that even thought time moves on and things drastically change over 12 years, on 9/11 every year, we come back together.  That day is NEVER far from our minds.  We don't forget what your suffering was and still is.

Tomorrow - another day.  I wonder what the next 12 years will bring.


Monday, September 9, 2013

Making Meals Monday

Okay - I am going to try this again.  I try to stick with this thread, but it tends to die off after a few months.  However - I do enjoy it, so I am going to give it another go.

I have started a mommy fitness class.  I have been needing to exercise for about 2 years (more consistently than I was) but I wasn't ready to commit.  I wasn't ready to change my diet, or change my lifestyle.

But I am 38 years old, and I can no long eat like I did when I was 22.  So when a friend of mine decided to start a FREE (FREE!!!) fitness class, I signed up.  She used to be in the army, so I knew she was the real deal.

She hasn't let me down.

The group is fun and we have a good time.  She also works us until every muscle in my body hurts.  We are also changing our diets with some great direction, and I am feeling great.  Hopefully I will get the results I need and will be able to make the change permanent.

ANYWAY!

Here is what is on the menu this week:

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

  • Directions

  • In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  • Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Brush chicken with the sauce. Turn pieces over, and brush again.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over, and bake for another 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Brush with sauce every 10 minutes during cooking  
  •  
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Side Dish for the Chicken:

Roasted Garlic Lemon Broccoli

  • Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  • In a large bowl, toss broccoli florets with the extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper and garlic. Spread the broccoli out in an even layer on a baking sheet.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until florets are tender enough to pierce the stems with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and transfer to a serving platter. Squeeze lemon juice liberally over the broccoli before serving for a refreshing, tangy finish.
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mongolian Beef
  • Directions

  • Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the garlic and ginger until they release their fragrance, about 30 seconds. Pour in the soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. Raise the heat to medium-high, and stir 4 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce boils and slightly thickens. Remove sauce from the heat, and set aside.
  • Place the sliced beef into a bowl, and stir the cornstarch into the beef, coating it thoroughly. Allow the beef and cornstarch to sit until most of the juices from the meat have been absorbed by the cornstarch, about 10 minutes.
  • Heat the vegetable oil in a deep-sided skillet or wok to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  • Shake excess cornstarch from the beef slices, and drop them into the hot oil, a few at a time. Stir briefly, and fry until the edges become crisp and start to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the beef from the oil with a large slotted spoon, and allow to drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
  • Pour the oil out of the skillet or wok, and return the pan to medium heat. Return the beef slices to the pan, stir briefly, and pour in the reserved sauce. Stir once or twice to combine, and add the green onions. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook until the onions have softened and turned bright green, about 2 minutes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Side Dish for the Mongolian Beef:

Jacksonville Carrots

  • Directions

  • Steam the carrots in a steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water for 7 to 10 minutes, or until tender but still firm. Cool, and grate with a large holed grater. Mix together the grated carrots, honey, apple juice concentrate, parsley, and hazelnuts. Season with garlic powder, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
  • Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the carrot mixture in the hot butter until heated through.
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Salmon Patties

  • Directions

  • In a medium size mixing bowl combine salmon, onion, egg, crackers, salt, pepper, and celery. Mix well.
  • Make patties out of salmon mixture and roll in cornmeal.
  • In a large frying pan over medium high heat oil for frying. Place salmon patties in oil and fry on both sides until golden brown. Drain well. Serve warm.
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Side dish for Salmon:

Cinnamon Corn Recipe

  • Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
  • In a large saucepan, heat margarine and 1/2 cup sugar until margarine is melted. Mix in flour, then remove from heat. Whisk in evaporated milk, then mix in corn. Pour into prepared casserole dish.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon over top.