Imperfect and Wonderful Creations

Today in our basket of produce from Elmwood Farms we found a quart of organic strawberries! I love strawberries and I have considered them to be my favorite food for as long as I can remember. This post is a tribute not only to strawberries, but to abnormal strawberries. I picked out the odd ones for you to see. I hope they don't mind being made fun of because Tyler and I had a good time laughing at them.


Today we also bought a half dozen organic eggs! I'm excited about these because I've never had such a fresh egg. Notice the variations in size and color. I think they are beautiful and I encourage anyone who reads this to branch out from your usual Super Mega Mart and find some good-for-you and good-for-the-Earth food elsewhere.

Enchil-lasagna

Another Rachael Ray recipe from her new cookbook YUM-O puts a Mexican spin on lasagna. If you ask me, it's more like Shepherd's Pie than anything. It's made with turkey meatloaf and gravy leftover from the previous night's meal. Salsa verde is the only spicy component, but it does a good job of bringing out flavor. Add come Cholula Hot Sauce for more of a kick.

Check our RachelRay.com and simply search for the recipe.

Thin and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I borrowed this recipe from one of my favorite blogs to read - Like Merchant Ships.
The author suggests using these cookies in gift baskets because they stand up better than thicker, more crumbly cookies. Amazingly enough, the only real difference between regular chocolate chip cookies and these - melted butter instead of softened or cold butter. I doubled the recipe and it made LOTS of cookies. Make sure you don't make them too big. The smaller they are, the more you can have! Right? Here's the recipe:

• 1 stick butter, melted
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups unbleached flour
  
• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat melted butter and egg, add sugars and mix well. Stir in vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Mix with flour and chips.

Place 1-inch balls of dough at least 2 inches apart on greased pans. Bake 10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet. Cookies will continue to crisp out of the oven, yet they remain deliciously thin and chewy.

Prayers for the Chapman Family

Yesterday the family of Steven Curtis Chapman encountered tragedy. Their 5 year old daughter, Maria Sue, was accidentally struck by an SUV and she later died from her injuries. Such a terrible incident brings much sadness to me so I can't imagine what they are going through at this time. I'm posting this news only in an effort to make people aware. I'm asking anyone who reads this to do two things:

• Pray for healing, understanding, and forgiveness for this family.

• Demonstrate extreme caution in your own driving. Although accidents do happen, they can be avoided sometimes with proper precautions.

One thing we know. God's plan is a perfect plan. Although we are not capable of understanding it sometimes, we know that all things work together for His glory. I do not doubt that this experience will strengthen the Chapman family and even bring them closer to God.

My prayers are with them and all people who know and love this family.

Something New - Community Supported Agriculture

Today is the first day Tyler and I have picked up locally grown vegetables from an organization we joined called Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). The food is grown in Georgetown, KY by Elmwood Stock Farm and they set up at farmer's markets around town. Today in our basket we got Asparagus, Organic Salad Mix, Organic Garlic Greens and Organic Radishes.

This picture is just one I borrowed from their website as an indication of what we have to look forward to. I'm open for suggestions as far as how to cook these vegetables and for good recipes. Especially for asparagus - I want to learn to like it!

The season is still early, but I think we have a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks.

I finally graduated college!

After 5 years, I've finally completed my Bachelor's Degree! I now have a degree in Family and Consumer Sciences from the University of Kentucky. We didn't make a big deal out of graduation. The ceremony was at 8:30 AM on a Sunday morning and we didn't want to have everyone come up just for that. Instead, we plan to have everyone (friends and family) up for visits/housewarming parties after we move to our house. Only 38 more days! We couldn't be more excited about that!!!

I borrowed Johnny's old cap and gown for pictures!
: )

Thank you to everyone who helped me get through college!

Now, if I can just find a job....

Greek Beef Tenderloin in Togas

I recently saw Rachel Ray prepare this recipe on her show and I was up to the challenge. It was worth it. Of course, you can't go wrong with filet mignon! Try it out if you'd like.

• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided, plus some for drizzling
• 6 beef tenderloin medallions, at room temperature (4-6 ounces each, no more than 1 1/2-inches thick)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 small-medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 1 pound spinach, woody stems removed, chopped
• Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
• 3/4 cup feta cheese crumbles
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 package store-bought phyllo dough (minimum of 24 sheets)
• 1/2 stick butter, melted

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 425ºF.


Place a large, stainless steel skillet over high heat. Drizzle the EVOO sparingly over the room temperature beef medallions and season them with salt and pepper. Sear them in the pan until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes for the tops and bottoms plus another minute for the sides. Reserve the seared meat on a plate and place the skillet back on the heat.

Reduce the pan heat a bit. Give the skillet a turn of the pan with EVOO, about 1 tablespoon, then add in the onion and garlic. Cook the onion until tender, 5-6 minutes, then add in the spinach. Toss the spinach with a pair of tongs until it wilts down, 3 minutes, then season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Remove the greens from the heat and reserve.

In food processor, combine the feta cheese, milk and the oregano and give it a zap to puree smooth. Reserve the mixture.

Lay down a sheet of phyllo dough, dot it with melted butter and lay another sheet of phyllo on top of the first one, rotated a little on either side. The corners should not line up. Each toga wrap should start out resembling a star pattern, layering multiple sheets, each askew from the last, using four layers per toga.

When the meat is back to room temperature and you can handle it, place the beef medallions on the phyllo togas. Top with generous spoonfuls of the cheese mixture, followed by the spinach. Brush the very edges of the phyllo dough with melted butter, then gather them up and wrap the dough sheets around the meat, pinching them together at the center. Transfer the toga-wrapped beef medallions to a baking sheet, then pop them into the oven and bake them until the dough is golden brown, 12-15 minutes.


Serve the toga-wrapped beef medallions with a side of orzo or rice or anything else you think sounds good. Enjoy!