End Well.

End Well.

April 24, 2014

Death is weird. It's inevitable. Everything dies and yet no one is prepared for that loss. You can "prepare yourself", but does anyone really know what that kind of grief means or looks like, and all that it entails?

When someone you love dies it hurts, to say the least. They take to the grave a metaphorical piece of your heart. Their passing leaves an open wound adjacent to the beautiful lasting impression they made on your life. You can simultaneously be relieved that their suffering is over, joyful that they made it home to heaven, angry that they had to go, begrudged at the paradox of life and death, confused by the circumstances, overwhelming abandonment, regret... The emotions are deep and complex.

In death's newness, it's a flood of emotions at any given time on any given day. The scent of a cologne, the thought of their smile, a phrase, a food. Grief sours holidays for some. Entire months for others. A cloud can hang over that calendar day for years to come. For some the heartache fades over time bringing meaning to the phrase "time heals" - eventually they remember the day after "the day".

My grandpa, "Herbie", I knew only during childhood. He loved minestrone soup and chef's salads. He loved baseball, camping, and other outdoor activities. He gave everyone a hard time and thought you were bonding if you were "debating". Arguing aside, he loved people. He was one of those "swell guys" that would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.

I was there when he died of a heart attack in the late 90's. Ten or so years-old and I remember the whole scene it like it was yesterday. That was my first taste of death and grief. Grandma Betty still has the poem I wrote and read on stage at his memorial service - framed on her nightstand. I still think of him when I make a pot if minestrone.

Another grandfather, "Pipa", died of lung cancer on April 24th, 2008. Fortunately, I was able to spend a week with him and my grandma, Roni, before he left us. I was able to help and mostly just sit and talk with him. He wasn't ever really one to talk of any depth, at least not with me. For all that isn't spoken I usually feel and just "know". That man had a vibrancy in his eyes. He was proud of his family and his life. His family was his world. He bantered with my grandma but in his eyes I could see that he immensely respected and adored that small but fierce woman...

We shared a love for sweets. Grandma would buy him a bag of those Frosted Circus Animals and he'd hide them in the side pocket of his chair. I'm not sure, but I think I was the only person he'd share them with. When I was young he would quietly open the bag and give me the pink ones while he ate the white ones. He always said it was because he knew pink was my favorite color. Years later I finally confessed I didn't care for pink to which he replied with a chuckle, "Of course it's not! I just think the pink ones taste funny so I have them to YOU to eat!". What a riot. That cookie company happens to be celebrating their 100th anniversary, so I tearfully bought a bag a few days ago. The cashier probably thought I was half crazy. Of course I ate only the white ones and gave the kids the pink ones.

Another grandma is slipping away as I write. Grandma "DooAnn" is in the final stage of an extremely rare form of neuropathy. It's just not fair (here comes that emotial flood)... She is the cookie baking and caramel making grandma. She loved to garden and make homemade pickles. She is everything you picture a grandma to be. She is sugar, spice, and everything nice.

Her body has betrayed her and she has had to watch it deteriorate around her with no way to stop it. At first we prayed for a miracle and for God to heal her. There were indeed miracles woven in the story. -But in the end, it's just her time now. So the prayer now is for her and my grandpa to find peace in the storm in order to "prepare themselves" as best they can, and ultimately for her to just let go so she can leave the pain and enter into God's fullness. To that we will rejoice for her, but like all the greats do - she will leave a hole in our hearts. This one will be fresh and raw for a while.

Life can feel long, but it's not. Enjoy the blessings and times of plenty. Be present. Live intentionally. Love well. End well.

Psalm 42:11

Our First Christmas Letter

A Note at Christmastime

The weather outside isn't frightful but the fire is still so delightful. And since we've no place to go - I'm sure we won't see any snow, any snow, any snow! (My Texan spin on "Let It Snow".)

We just love this time of year! Wearing slippers so the nippy mornings don't bite our toes, hot spiced cider; bone warming meals, and quilts to snuggle in when the night turns cold. And this year we have it all without snow. I can't say we miss that yet!

Josiah is three years old and has gotten so tall. He just looks more and more like a little man every day. He's very into heroes and puffs up his chest, bends his elbows and growls, "I'm so strong - just like Hulk!” He is also quite the helper! Josiah gets a kick out of feeding the chickens and gathering the eggs, sitting on mine or Jeff's lap to mow the property, watching out for ants for Jude to avoid and such. What a good big brother! This guy is a class act. He's got charisma, he's got manners, he’s got smarts, and he’s got the look... Josiah is an amazing three-year-old.

Jude is 20 months old and catching up in every way he can, to Joe. He tries to keep up and run faster, jump higher and tackle harder. He's giving Joe a run for his money! Jude is currently in a destructive stage. He likes to build toy walls or towers and then knock them down - sound effects included. Critters don't stand a chance when it comes to Jude - he stomps them silly! He is also completely convinced that he's talking - even though we only understand a fraction of what he says. -Although he does understand EVERYTHING and is a very intent listener. It's very cute. Jude has spunk and has the ability to turn anyone’s frown upside down. Jude also has no fear when it comes to rough housing... with that he's going to give his mama grey hair soon.

Both of the boys play hard but they also love hard. They are best pals! They are rowdy, like boys are, but we can already see the type of men they will become. Sweet spirits, good hearts, listeners, peacemakers, quick to reconcile, great senses of humor, compassionate, courageous, and always ready for a bear hug. Amen! We are fiercely proud of both of them. Can you tell?

Jeff is still employed with Halliburton and is doing very well there. He works 6 days on call and 3 off - which has given him quite a bit of time to work on the property, with the animals, and of course with us. He's been very fortunate to have time to spend with us at home. The boys would never have liked their dad's graveyard shifts of years past. Anyway, over the last many months, Jeff has become a master fence builder, logger, and overall handyman. It is obvious that he enjoys this setting. There are always things to tinker with or hunting to do - so Jeff's in hog heaven! (No pun intended.) What a blessing!

And then there's me. (Am I supposed to write in third person here?) Amber enjoys country life... Haha No really, being home with the boys is awesome - we do all sorts of things and they teach me to enjoy the simple ones and to relax. We laugh a lot and cry plenty haha. (Mostly about how fast they're growing up!) I'm always expanding on my cooking skills and broadening our pallets. My newest hobby is making our new house a home - the house needed a lot of TLC but it's cleaning up nicely. Have I mentioned how much I enjoy mowing the yard and blowing leaves? Because I do! I have also become very involved in our new home church with the moms group there and helping with the kids' Awana Club. Having a blast - All I need to master now is that "minivan mom" efficiency!

We are just regular people living ordinary lives but we've grown so much as a family and as people this year - I'm just in awe. Who knew? Maybe we had a change in perspective after moving from Colorado or maybe we drank the hillbilly kool-aid... whatever the case, we wish this joy and contentment on everyone!

So this is where we wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year! May you always see your cup as half full and may you always have just enough!

With love from Texas,

The Gragerts

PS

If you don't already receive our little family "newsletter" and would like to, please email me at:a.gragert@yahoo.com. We would love to hear from you and stay in touch!

20 Years.

My goal is to have citrus and nut trees here in Texas. While researching this I'm learning that trees are a lot of work! Did you know that if you have a messy crab apple tree in your yard, you can cut it down leaving a tall stump, and graft onto the stump a fruit bearing peach tree for instance? Just like the wild olive tree in Romans 11!

... Twenty years ago I shyly walked down the church aisle with my brother and soon-to-be sister, tossing flower petals out of a small white basket, before mom followed behind us in her wedding dress. I thought she was the most beautiul thing I had ever seen. The four-year-old me didn't understand the significance of that day. I just knew that I loved my little white hat and shoes, I had a job to do with the flowers, and that I would officially have another dad and a sister! We were going to be a whole family! All in all a very big day for a four-year-old.

Married people know a healthy marriage is work. Parents know healthy kids are work. Healthy families are, you guessed it, work. And anyone from a blended family will tell you to take that work and quadruple it. We've got ex spouses, single parent habits, custody/visitation stuff... Throw in the adolescent years and you've got an easy recipe for disaster if you don't have your head on straight.

Another thing I know is... God. Where there is failure: God. Where there is brokenness: God. Where there is a hole to be filled: God. There were two families and five hearts that needed to be sewn together 20 years ago and God was the thread. The love in this family has always been the easy part. I attribute that to God being the foundation and my parents really creating a grace filled home.

Does the word picture of the crab apple tree make sense yet?

Blended families are definitely work. But when there are good strong roots and it is grafted together with the right stuff it can be healthy and fruit bearing just like any other. I'd say my parents are beating the statistics and doing something right after TWENTY years of marriage!!!

Congratulations to you both on this significant milestone! Thank you for marrying each other and growing our family. Thank you for raising us with an understanding of second chances and grace. May God's hand continue to be upon your lives, hearts, and marriage until He takes you home. I adore you both.

Happy 20th Anniversary! Here's to 20 more!

Mr. & Mrs. Bailey at their wedding reception

PS There are definitely some nuts in this family tree! Haha!

Spring in the Air

I grew up in a family of lists and projects; few things make me happier than checking off an item on a "To Do" list. Have I mentioned that before? Maybe I never knew this about Mr. Sir or maybe I'm just rediscovering this about him. -But he seems to love projects too! For a Mother's Day gift for my mom, he helped me put together a "pallet art installation" on the exterior wall where he took down a staircase. Around the same time he helped my dad build a tiered raised garden bed. And before that he built a gate for our patio to keep the littler boy from falling down the new staircase. He's a handy guy to have around!

An East Texas spring is made up of projects, sporadic weather, the sweet fragrance of wild flowers and dirty faced little boys. The bigger boy has encouraged the littler one to join in the fun of dirt digging. It's all very sweet how they growl their toy dinosaurs at each other and squeal at finding worms; until it is laundry time haha. They've grown accustomed to taking evening walks too. We try to go after dinner most nights with my parents and the dogs. When the breeze blows the trees sound like a bunch of those rain rod instruments. And I can't ever breathe in enough of the honeysuckle scent on the side of the road; it grows here and there tucked in the tree line. Life here is picturesque. I doubt we could be more in love with our surroundings.

Recently I've been reflecting on how delicate life is. Life on earth is but a brief flicker. We could be here one day and gone the next; and so many are. The plants, chickens, puppy, and kids all grow each day - there's little we can do about it but watch in amazement. We all keep kneeling and looking heavenward; and building what we can of a lasting Godly heritage. Have you thought about what you will leave behind?

And a bit of encouragement from my devotions this morning...

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." -Matthew 6:33-34

Blessings on another day. Spend it well :)

A Windy Sunday

Soft heartfelt worship songs filled the air this blustery morning. They made me wish I had tried harder and had more patience with my guitar and wish I had formal training for this voice. My having an appreciation and love for music I attribute to my mom; who always has music of any sort playing. We snap, toe tap, finger wiggle, clap, sing (a bit off tune). We get our groove on when the song is right. We sway, twirl and shake when need be. And nothing beats dancing with your babies! This morning my heart swelled and bowed, and I am thankful for those "awe" moments.

It was windy today. The sun kept hiding behind light grey wisps of clouds. The older boy wanted to play outside as usual, and despite the many trips for a change out of wet "potty training" pants, he managed to get quite a bit of harmless mischief accomplished. The littler boy tries to keep up and chatters the whole time carrying on a conversation only he understands. Mr. Sir cleared another large area of the overgrowth and managed to rescue two small rabbits in the process; one from the stray dog we call, Gunner, that adopted us, the other from the lawn mower. The older boy decided we had better free them so they could, "find he's mommy so not be scared". My folks and the family friends, that are moving 12 minutes away, pruned the lifeless parts of the antique roses away, among other things. All with the cool breeze blowing through and music humming in the background..

We have big dreams for the garden which could quickly become a farm. One of my many dreams is to have a pumpkin patch with both orange and white pumpkins; like Cinderella's magic carriage - of course, and that dream may just come true. We might try our hand at melons and fruit trees at some point. There's so much to learn! Planing and growing seasons, cross-pollination, what can coexist with what etc. Another aspect of the farm dream is: livestock. We think we want goats (just a couple to start) and a milk cow and several chickens; as the boys eat half a dozen eggs a day... Oh boy. It begins to look overwhelming on paper er... screen. For now we will purchase the chicks to occupy the coop. This is what we dreamed of though! And as Mr. Sir says, "We're livin' the dream! Pursuing our happiness!". It can feel overwhelming, but in a good way. I love to research and read so it may as well be for something useful and fun!

My skill of list making comes in handy these days too! Groceries, meals, to do's, to plant's, to make a list for's, hopes-goals-dreams... One of my new favorite dreams is of the home we want to build on a piece of the land an eye shot from The Garden House. I've already named it, The Wisteria House, as the parcel has several wisteria plants blooming along the Southwest side. Its arms swirl gracefully around the pine trees and along the ground winding between wild white irises and brier. There's a tree in the Northwest corner, close to where the old homestead once resided, all crooked and knotted in the most whimsical way. I love this tree. It's my understanding this tree served as a canopy over a couple reciting their vows once. I imagine it was stunning. Everyone says the tree is dead now, but tomorrow I think I'll go lay hands on its mossed trunk and try to bring it to life again. I'll be sure to report back and progress made! *crosses fingers*

Blessings on the new work week!

For the Desmond's

We have entered into a new season of life. One chapter has closed; the next has opened. Our move to East Texas has been a long time coming... And really feels more like a great migration than just a move. Can I be honest? I feel like I can breathe again. What a blessing! Truly, this is the first time in a very long time that I can breathe. There's no stomach ache. No uneasy feelings. Just... peace.

This probably has just as much to do with preparing my heart for this journey; as it is just the serenity of "The Garden House". That's what I have affectionately named this place, "The Garden House" on Moon Road, although we are a hop, skip, and jump away from Moon Road... Everything about it is like that of a story. We jokingly say, "It's like living in the Shire". The breeze blows the trees and makes an ocean-like sound. The array of birds chirp and sing and squabble. Even the hornets seem to have a tune they play. The soft purple of the wisteria on the gazebo is wanting to burst any moment. And the thorns on the antique roses are starting to green.

The Garden House feels alive too. Like she sighed with relief when our boxes arrived. Settled. Secure. Home again. Like she knew this was the family that would live, eat, breathe here again. The family that would laugh, cry, sing, dance, and die here. I'm a woman of sentiment... and the idea of cutting our Christmas tree from this land makes my heart dance. I can already smell the mulling spices heating on the wood stove, and see the candlelit stockings hung nearby... The boys bounce on the trampoline now smiling and giggling. They walk in the grass and I just see the excitement of a new adventure in their eyes. Well, mostly mischief in Josiah's eyes, and the need of a nap in Jude's, but still... Possibilities.

There are still boxes to unpack, the garden needs tilled and planted, and there's still a few things on the list to check off, but finding a home isn't one of them. I'll always remember mom looking at pictures of The Garden House online and saying, "This is our house! THIS is the house God has for us.". And here we are. In the "happy place" we always imagined. What a privilege and a gift. Our needs have been met. And there are only God and the Desmond's to thank.

Cookies that make you younger!

Ok so I can't promise that they'll make you younger, but they're so healthy that they hardly count as dessert. Heres the recipe!

Fountain of Youth Cookies


You will need:
2/3 Cup coconut oil
2/3 Cup softened butter
2/3 Cup Agave Nectar
1 Cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 Cups spelt flour
1 1/2 Cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 Cups chocolate chips


To make:

• In a large bowl blend together coconut oil and butter.
• Add Agave nectar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla and blend.
• In a separate bowl mix together flours, baking soda, and salt.
• Add dry ingredients to large bowl and stir until well combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips.
• Spoon onto nonstick cookie sheets and bake at 375'F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown on tops.
• Let stand on cookie sheet a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack until cool completely.
• Store in a sealed container and Enjoy!

(I found that the substitute for 1 cup brown sugar is: 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 1/2 Tablespoons molasses. If this is the case In my next batch of Fountain of Youth Cookies, I will omit the brown sugar, add an additional 2/3 Cup Agave Nectar and add 1 1/2 Tablespoons molasses. If you try it before me - let me know if it works!)

Also, I really like using Agave Nectar in recipes of all sorts and as a sweetener for coffee. It's the consistency of honey, and doesn't have an after taste like (in my opinion, Stevia, Sweet&Low, and Splenda have.) AND it is low on the Glycemic Index (a GI of approx. 30).

Enjoy the day folks! The weather is fabulous here in CO!

Bananas Meet Bread

The Ultimate Banana Bread Recipe

What you need:
2 Cups all-purpse flour
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
dash of salt
dash of ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg


2 eggs - beaten
1 1/2 Cups mashed ripe bananas (5-6 medium)
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup melted butter (OR for a healthy alternative applesauce)
Optional - 1/4 Cup chopped walnuts (My Gramma hates nuts in food, so I never add them.)


Streusel Topping
1/4 Cup packed brown sugar, 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 Tablespoons of butter. Used a fork or pastry blender to cut in butter until he mixture is crumbly. You can also stir in 2-3 Tablespoons oats or nuts to the topping.


What You Do:

• Preheat your oven to 350'F - Grease your bread pan - set aside.
• In a large bowl combine dry ingredients (except sugar) and mix well. Make a well in the center. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl combine eggs, banana, sugar, and butter - mix well. Add all at once to the dry ingredients and stir until moistened. Batter will be lumpy.
• Pour into bread pan. Top with streusel mixture.
• Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool 15 minutes then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and store over night. (It really does taste better that way.)


EAT! And Enjoy!

A Sandwich Favorite

Well it gets harder and harder for me to make time to blog when I'm chasing a 13 month-old munchin around! And with a fried computer I ended up borrowing one today to share a fabulous recipe!

One of my favorite sandwich spreads is Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. There are several terrific store brands that I use - but homemade is almost as easy and tastes fresher and more delicious!

You will need:

2 Cloves of garlic
1 (15oz) can of garbanzo beans - drained
1/3 Cup Tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/3 Cup lemon juice
1/2 Cup roasted red peppers (canned are fine)
Optional - 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

To make:
In an electric food processor, combine garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, and lemon juice. Process until the mixture is well combined and smooth. Add red peppers and basil if you desire and process until the peppers are finely chopped. Season with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Transfer hummus to an air tight container and chill until ready to serve. Spread on sandwiches, crackers, veggies, toasted garlic bread etc!


Enjoy!

Custom Holiday Napkins

Craft Time!
Looking around online for some autumn craft ideas I came across this one for the dinner table. How fun! I'm thinking of making some with a little leaf in the corner for the season :) For all the instructions and a video on how to make just visit Martha Stewart's website.

Tools and Materials2 yards fabric (makes approximately 6 napkins)
Wishbone stencil template
Rotary cutter
Shiny satin or woven fabric
Pins
Needle and thread
Sewing machine
Bias-tape maker
Niagara sizing spray
Iron
Pencil
Scissors
Gold acrylic paint
Grid ruler

Holiday Napkin How-To1. Using a rotary cutter, cut a 21-by-21-inch square of desired fabric. Cut across fabric at a 45-degree angle (a bias cut), being sure to cut in the direction of the weave of the fabric.

2. To make the napkin trim, use a grid ruler to cut 2-inch strips of your selected shiny satin, enough for 84 inches. With the right sides facing each other; take the edges, place together to form a V shape and pin. Sew a 1/4-inch seam along the pinned edge. Keep connecting strips together until you have one long strip measuring 84 inches.

3. Place the long strip into a bias-tape maker and pull through. Using Niagara sizing spray, press strip with iron to set a hard fold. Fold trim in half, spray with sizing spray, and press with iron to create a nice, stiff fold, which is ready to be sewed onto napkin.

4. Place trim around napkin and pin, making sure trim ends meet at center of napkin and leaving about four inches of trim at center of napkin. Make mitered corners and place into sewing machine. Sewing as close to the inside edge of the binding as you can, sew all the way around the napkin.

5. Using a pencil mark where trims overlap, place right sides together and sew seam across. Cut off excess. Flip napkin back over and finish sewing.

6. Download and print wishbone stencil template. Place stencil at right bottom corner of napkin. Using gold acrylic paint, stencil wishbone onto napkin. Allow napkin to dry for about 10 minutes and repeat one more time. Peel stencil off napkin.
http://www.marthastewart.com/267747/custom-holiday-napkins
Many Blessings! And Enjoy!

For "Granola Crunchers" Everywhere

The Best Granola Recipe In the World

Try it... You'll see :)
{Now G-Free! This is a revision from my 2011 recipe}

What You’ll Need:

  8-9 Cups rolled oats

      1/2 Cup ground flax seed (a coffee or spice grinder works great)

·         1 Cup sunflower seeds
      1/3 Cup pumpkin seeds

·         1 Cup finely chopped almonds

·         1 Cup finely chopped walnuts

·         1 Cup finely chopped pecans

·         1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt (less if you are using salted seeds or nuts)

·         ½ Cup brown sugar

·         ¼ Cup PURE maple syrup

·         ¾ Cup local honey

·         1 Cup coconut oil (or Non GMO canola oil)

·         1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

·         1 Tablespoon good vanilla

·         2-3 Cups total dried fruit: raisins, cranberries, blueberries, cherries, pineapple, mango, or coconut, etc! I mix it up every time :) {also experiment with different nuts!}

How to Make:

1. Preheat the oven to 325’ F (165’C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2.  Combine oats, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, and pecans in a very large bowl and mix well.
3.  In a medium sauce pan stir together salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over dry ingredients, stir to coat and mix well. Spread mixture out evenly on the baking sheets.
4.  Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and toasted, about 20 min. Stir once with a spatula halfway through. Cool, then stir in the dried fruit before storing in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Kitchen Craft: Cooks' Helper Magnet

Craft Time!

Found this great little craft on MarthaStewart.com! I'm always converting things or needing to know measurement equivalents and things and this little doodad will help anyone with just that.

Just down load the printable page at:  http://www.marthastewart.com/271961/cooks-helpers
Then print onto magnetic paper to stick on your fridge or card stock to put in the pocket of your favorite cook book.

Enjoy!

Linguine for Two

Some nights a quick dinner is all you have time for, but a husband with a full belly = a happy husband. So last night I whipped together a simple meal in about 20 minutes.

What you will need:
Olive Oil
Butter 
4 or 5 fresh sage leaves

1/2 bunch of Asparagus
1/2 box of Linguine Noodles
Garlic Salt
Herbs d' Provence
Lemon Juice

To Make:

Begin by bring a large pot of water to boil and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to it so the noodles don't stick together. Also add salt to flavor the noodles.

Quick Tip: Only add salt after the water is boiling or you will get pits in your pot.

While the water starts going, heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 3 or 4 tablespoons of butter, 1 minced clove of garlic, and add the sage leaves or another favorite herb of yours. Simmer and let the butter begin to brown and the herbs wilt and crispy.

Add the noodles to the boiling water about now. They take approximately 7 minutes.

And heat another skillet over medium heat and drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil in it. Cut the ends off the asparagus and add to the pan, also add a splash of lemon juice to brighten the flavor, a shake or two of garlic salt and a few shakes of Herbs d' Provence. Toss occasionally until bright green and slightly roasted. Then just put a lid on it and remove from heat.
Quick Tip: If you take a stalk of asparagus as bend, the end will pop off exactly where it starts to get woody. Then use that piece as your guide as to where to cut the rest.

Drain the noodles. Add to the butter sauce, mix together and serve. Its that easy! Serve with a green salad, and maybe some pita chips with hummus, and you're good to go!

Enjoy!

Tonight's Dinner

What a crazy couple of weeks! Busy with a teething baby and weddings! So much fun that was had by all... Both weddings were out at our friend John Barbier's Palisade winery, events venue, and home, Amy's Courtyard & Winery Maison la Belle Vie. Beautiful setting, delicious dinner, dancing, and of course the love between fabulous brides and their grooms. :)

Now back to food! Watching Food Network this morning I found what we're having for dinner tonight. I don't know that I've ever made Hamburger Helper... But this HAS to be just as quick and easy!

Lemon Chicken Breasts on the Food Network

This is dinner for tonight - with a side salad and couscous. Thanks Ina Garten for this fabulous recipe!

Great Gift Idea: Taste Books

I'm a huge fan of Bon Appétit Magazine, and a few years ago came across the site Epicurious.com in an issue. At Epicurious.com you can put together all your own personal recipes, or add some you find on their site, and have it published into a nice bound Taste Book. In my opinion, one of the best gifts a person could get, is a personalized cookbook! This makes a perfect wedding or bridal shower gift too. They also have a number of ready-made Taste Books to choose from with an endless number of fabulous recipes to choose from! Here's an example of their book The Best of the Farmer's Market.

Check them out sometime and find some spectacular ideas!

http://www.epicurious.com/services/tastebook

Dinner with Risotto

Well... thought we should start this week off strong with a recipe for Basic Risotto! I've always loved the creamy rich texture of risotto with really anything in it, but never made it myself. Until tonight :) Looking though Giada De Laurentiis' cookbook, Everyday Italian, I found what I was looking for. A basic recipe that you can really put just about anything in.

On Tonight's menu:
A Green Salad topped with sliced grilled chicken a side of Risotto with Saffron & Asparagus and Grilled Peppers.

What you will need for Basic Risotto:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 tablespoon reserved)
1/2 Cup yellow or white onion - finely chopped
1 1/2 Cups Arborio rice (or another medium grain rice)
1/2 cup dry white wine (one that you will be willing to drink with your meal is wise.)
4 Cups low sodium chicken stock
1/2 Cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
fresh ground salt & pepper to taste
*Pretty much any vegetable, seafood and/or spice you desire. These you will want to cook separately in a little butter or oil, and add at the end, so as not to get mushy.

To Make:

Start by bringing the chicken stock to a simmer in a sauce pan, cover and let sit on simmer until needed. In a separate medium pan over medium heat melt 2 tablespoons of butter.

Add in the onion and stir until soft, but do not brown. Then add the rice, stirring constantly, and toast but not brown. Then add white wine, and let almost completely evaporate.

Once the wine is almost evaporated, add 1/2 cup of chicken stock at a time, stirring constantly. Let each cup absorb into the rice before adding the next.

As the stock absorbs the rice will start to release its starches and get creamy! After the last of the stock has been added and absorbed, add in your vegetables that you have cooked separately, the Parmesan cheese, and last tablespoon of butter.

YUM!

The End Result!

Enjoy!

Fancy French Toast

Fancy French Toast is a new favorite of mine! The original recipe I got from Claire Robinson of 5 Ingredient Fix. Of course I didn't write down the recipe because I was so busy swooning over the television, so I'm winging it a bit. It is so simple yet so delectable! Perfect for making a weekend morning special or perhaps a loved ones birthday memorable. :)

The end result. YUM.

For Fancy French Toast you will need:

• 1 loaf of Brioche - sliced approx. 1 inch thick (My other favorite to use is Italian Sweet Bread with raisins and cranberries - today I'm using Cinnamon Swirl Bread from a local bakery.)
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 Cup of Half & Half
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 Cup strawberries - washed with stems removed, and sliced
• 1 Cup blueberries - washed with stems removed
• 1/4 Cup granulated sugar - (I like to use agave nectar)
• About a tablespoon of butter for the pan

To Make:

Slice the bread into 1 inch in thickness.

In a pie plate, or shallow pan of some sort, crack the eggs, and Half & Half and vanilla. Whisk until combined.

In a sauce pan stir together berries and sugar and let sit on low heat, stirring occasionally. This will be a heavenly topping! And the berries do all the work for you!

Dip each slice of bread in the egg mixture - letting it soak it just a bit on each side.

Place each slice on a heated and lightly buttered pan or electric skillet. About 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown.

At this point the berries should be syrupy and succulent! So I like to cut the french toast diagonally and place artfully on a plate, drizzle fruit on top and dust lightly with confectioners sugar. I like to serve this dish with a side of fresh seasonal fruit with cottage cheese, orange juice, and maybe some bacon.



Enjoy! And have a great weekend!