Update on Faith

My Aunt wrote me this update last night. 

Please keep Faith in your prayers.

Dear Sarah ... things are about the same. It will be a very long time before the swelling goes down in her brain - she will be in hospital for at least 3 months ... or maybe longer. It will be a waiting game. Sorry I don't have much other news ... Her mother did have her out in the yard of the hospital to get some fresh air - she is strapped into the wheelchair. I attached a picture ... remember she is really non-responsive - I think you can tell by her eyes.

Last week I posted about Faith, my cousin's oldest daughter, who's in the hospital with herpes encephalitis in the brain.  My Aunt has set up a trust account for donations and there has been alot of fundraising such as:
 

Faith's elementary school held a fundraiser for her which raised $2400!
 
One of my cousin's wrote:
My little Luke was very concerned when I told him about his cousin Faith being in the hospital. Leah and he will have a kool-aid stand on the weekend and will collect bottles to donate. 
The company their mother works for also donated $500!
 
Our family has also decided to have a "cousin-wide" benefit garage sale and donate all proceeds to the fund.  Some of us live away from home so this is a nice way to contribute.  I have 31 first-cousins so we're a force of good when our family is in need.
 

 
For those who live outside Nova Scotia donations can be made by cheque or money order and made out to:

"Trust Fund - Faith Swinkels-MacLean a/c # 49970111" and mailed directly to the Bergengren Credit Union in Antigonish. The mailing address is: Bergengren Credit Union, 257 Main Street, Antigonish, NS B2G 2C1

Recipe: Cowboy Caviar (Bean Salad)

Packed full of nutricious beans, peppers, tomatoe, celery and red onion this salad is delicious.  I'm glad it's called Cowboy Caviar because I don't think my kids would eat it if it was called bean salad.  My husband brought home this recipe from a lady at his work who brought some in to share.

A gift for a friend.  Isn't it pretty in the jar?

This salad takes a little time to make as there's alot of chopping, but it lasts 2 weeks in the fridge.  Perfect for a pot luck, camping, to pack in a cooler, lunches for the week, or to give as a gift to a neighbour.  Yes, you don't always have to give baked goods as gifts.  This recipe makes a huge batch.

I served this with homemade turkey burgers and buns and I'll post those recipes next week.  Let me tell you, they were awsome!  You can also serve this on tortilla chips, pita bread, flat bread crackers or simply with a spoon like we did.

COWBOY CAVIAR (BEAN SALAD)

Boil the oil, vinegar and sugar, and let cool
1 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cider vinegar or red wine vinegar

Dice and place in large bowl
4 stalks celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
3-4 roma tomatoes, diced

Drain, rinse and place in a large bowl with diced vegetables
1 can (15 oz) shoped or white corn
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans
1 can (15 oz) black eyed peas
1 can (15 oz) black beans
1 can (15 oz) chick peas

Salt and ground black pepper to taste.

After oil, vinegar and sugar mixture has cooled, mix it together with the diced vegetables and beans.  Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.  This gets better by the day, if you can keep it that long.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

1952, Harper and Row

CSA Week 1

I picked-up my first CSA package yesterday!  This is my first year purchasing a CSA and I'm excited by all the different fresh produce I'll receive each week.  This is from an established, local, organic farm.  In my box I received farm fresh eggs, kohlrabi, nappa cabbage, green shallots, and a Stevia plant. Also included is Buffalo Round Steak.

The best part about picking up my weekly package is visiting the farm.  The kids love to visit with the chickens, ducks, goats, horses, dogs and cats.  All the animals are very friendly and affectionate.  You can see how loved and taken care of they all are.

My CSA began late as it's been a terrible spring for planting as we've had many storms with torrential rains.  Two weeks ago we received one and a half inches of rain in four hours with a total of six and a half inches that week alone.  The farmer had to plant in the mud just to get things in the ground and have replanted 350 pounds of potatoes because the first planting rotted in the mud.  They're replanting 5 acres of ambrosia sweet corn this week.

Last night at dinner time a storm quickly came up, as often does here in Kansas, and dumped buckets of rain within an hour.  I'm sure this won't help my farmer any and all the planting she's trying to achieve.

I'm looking forward to preparing and sharing all the delicious recipes that I'll be making with my CSA produce each week.

Enjoy!

KC Organics Market Wednesdays 10:00am-2:00pm

Recipe: Herbed Shrimp Skillet with Lemon Parsley Potatoes

My family loved this light, lemony, herb-infused meal.  Tender red potatoes served with corn, shrimp and savoury herbs.  Everything is made quickly on the stovetop and can be thrown together easily at the last minute.  I served ours with a nice crusty bread. 

I originally read a good recipe for Shrimp and Corn with Fresh Basil over at One Perfect Bite but didn't have all the ingredients on hand.  So, I found a similar recipe on the Taste of Home website along with the potatoes recipe.

HERBED SHRIMP SKILLET
adapted from Taste of Home

1 small onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped (I used half a cucumber)
3 tablespoons butter
3 cups frozen corn (or fresh when in season)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

In a large skillet, saute onion and green pepper (or cucumber) in butter for 2 minutes.

Stir in the corn, sugar, salt, basil, thyme and pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 5-8 minutes or until corn is tender.

Add shrimp; cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Yield: 4 servings.

Printable Recipe

LEMON PARSLEY POTATOES
from Taste of Home

3 pounds small red potatoes

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley (I used 1/4 cup dried parsley)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

With a vegetable peeler, remove a strip of peel around the middle of each potato. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter; stir in parsley and lemon juice. Pour over potatoes; toss to coat. Yield: 8 servings.
 
Printable Recipe
 
Enjoy!
 

1965, The Children's Press

Recipe: Fruity Crab Pasta Salad

Our boat was slipped and docked this weekend, so it's time to gear-up for recipes that can easily be prepared and packed into a cooler.  This healthful recipe is made with yogurt to replace most of the mayonnaise and sweetend with honey and a subtle ginger flavour.

FRUITY CRAB PASTA SALAD
from Taste of Home

3/4 cup uncooked spiral pasta
1 package (8 ounces) imitation crabmeat
1 snack-size cup (4 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 cup halved seedless red grapes
1/4 cup halved seedless green grapes
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1-1/2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a small bowl, combine the pasta, crab, oranges and grapes.

Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, honey and ginger; pour over salad and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 2 servings.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

Pray With Me for Faith

My cousin's little girl, Faith (6 years old),
has herpes encephalitis of the brain. 

She's in a children's hospital now and
I would ask you to keep her in your prayer's please.

Faith with her 4 year old sister Dakoka.

Picture taken recently just before she got sick.

"Lord Jesus, look down from heaven upon our little girl, Faith, and make her well again soon."

Recipe: Oven-Roasted Cod with Herbs & Baked Potatoe

This was crisp, light and delicious.  I found the recipe on the Food Network site and adjusted it after reading suggestions in the comments.  The recipe below reflects the changes I made.

I served this with a baked russet potatoe using this recipe from Alton Brown on Food Network.  The skin comes out very crisp and I love the taste the kosher salt adds to this.  I ate mine with just a touch of butter and it was so delicious.

THE BAKED POTATO
from Alton Brown on Food Network

1 large russet potato (If it looks like Mr. Potato Head(r), you've got the right one.)
Canola oil to coat
Kosher salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees and position racks in top and bottom thirds. Wash potato (or potatoes) thoroughly with a stiff brush and cold running water. Dry, then using a standard fork poke 8 to 12 deep holes all over the spud so that moisture can escape during cooking. Place in a bowl and coat lightly with oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and place potato directly on rack in middle of oven. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any drippings.

Bake 1 hour or until skin feels crisp but flesh beneath feels soft. Serve by creating a dotted line from end to end with your fork, then crack the spud open by squeezing the ends towards one another. It will pop right open. But watch out, there will be some steam.

NOTE: If you're cooking more than 4 potatoes, you'll need to extend the cooking time by up to 15 minutes.

OVEN-ROASTED COD WITH HERBS

adapted from Rachael Ray on Food Network

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 large cloves garlic

1 lemon, zested

Coarse salt

4 (6 to 8-ounce) cod fillets

Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Pile parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and a little coarse salt on the cutting board. Finely chop the lemon-garlic mixture, then combine with plain bread crumbs.

Place olive oil in a shallow dish then dip cod fillets in it to generously coat all over.  Using tongs dip the cod fillets in to the bread crumb herb mixture. Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a baking dish then place fillet in the dish. Drizzle extra olive oil on top to help with browning then roast fillets in oven until firm to the touch, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

The Story Hour

compiled by Esther M. Bjoland

1953, Standard Educational Corporation

Recipe: Canteloupe Water

This is a tastety way to get refreshed on a hot summer's day.  This was so easy to make as it uses only 4 simple ingredients.  I used a regular lime for this but I think a key lime would have given this the sour punch that it needed.  The kids loved this nutricious drink. 

Who knew canteloupe was good for insomnia, helps relieve heavy menstration and is great for pregnant women as it's high in folic acid.  For more information on the health benefits of canteloupe go here.  They also recommend mixing in a bit of pineapple juice.  Next time I have a pineapple, I'm going to chop it up, juice half, then add the chunks to this blended drink, yum!

CANTELOUP WATER
from e-how.com

1 Cantaloupe
1 gallon of water icy water
Sugar to taste
1 key lime

Cut the cantaloupe in half and slice it in wedges do not take the seeds of it.  Have a large bowl handy to save one wedge to add at the end to the gallon of Cantaloupe water.

Put half of the cantaloupe along with the seeds in the blender.  Add some of the gallon of water to the blender and let it blend for a good while. 

Pour the blended cantaloupe through a large thin colander. Repeat with the second half of the cantaloupe

Add blended canteloupe to the gallon of water and  add one squeezed key lime and add sugar to make it sweet, as much sugar to please your individual taste.

Cut up the extra wedge of Cantaloupe and add it to the gallon of cantaloupe water.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

1953, The Spenser Press

Recipe: BBQ Chicken with Homemade Sauce & Steakfries

This is one of our regular weeknight meals that I make often, however, this is the first time I've made-it-from scratch.  In Micheal Pollen's Food Rules: An Eater's Manual he says it's okay to have french fries and such, but just to make it yourself instead of driving through a fast food joint to get it.  This makes sense as we're less tempted to eat these all the time if we have to go through the effort of making them.  These steak fries though, are worth it ;o)

I wanted to reduce the amount of sugar in our barbeque sauce so I made it myself.  Our favourite way to serve it is baked in the oven on chicken drumsticks.  Here's a great recipe for it and how to make this tastey chicken dish.  If you have a homemade barbeque sauce recipe, please share it in the comments as I'd like to try to make some different varieties.

HOMEMADE BARBEQUE SAUCE
from Barbeque-Smoker-Recipes.com

1 400g can of chopped tomatoes or 1 cup of ketchup (I used 28oz. can crushed organic tomatoes)
6 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons vinegar
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dry English mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed (I used minced garlic)
A pinch of salt and pepper
Red Chillies / Chili Sauce to your taste (I used Louisianna Hot Sauce, a shake or two)

Just throw everything into the saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 45 mins or so until you have a nice thick sauce.  Remember, you can always vary chilies and garlic to suit.

BBQ CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS FROM THE OVEN
adapted from Kraft Canada Recipe
8 chicken drumsticks
2-4 cups barbeque sauce
2 dashes hot sauce

Preheat oven to 400.  Place chicken drumsticks on foil-lined cookie sheet, sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake 20 minutes, then remove chicken drumsticks from cookie sheet and place in large bowl of barbeque sauce to coat.  Return to sheet and bake 30 more minutes.

STEAK FRIES
from e-how.com

4 to 5 medium russet potatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil
Dried herbs, salt and pepper
 
Preheat the oven to high, or 450 degrees. Toaster ovens work well for this recipe and save energy.
Start with 4 or 5 medium-sized russet potatoes and cut into thin, about 1/2 to 1 inch, wedges.

Spread the potato wedges out on a cookie sheet. Coat the potatoes with extra-virgin olive oil using a basting brush. Sprinkle with dried herbs and steak seasoning or salt and pepper. If you don't have any dried herbs, Mrs. Dash will work (I used Montreal Chicken Spice).

Cook potatoes in the oven for 25 minutes. Turn potatoes once with a spatula, about half way into the cooking time. Steak fries are done when they turn slightly brown on the cut sides. Serve fries hot from the oven with lots of ketchup and napkins.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

from the book "Bruin Furryball in the Toy-House"

Trnka-Menzel

Andrew Dakers, London