Five on Friday

1.  Our Days are Built with Stories - Ali Edwards = Inspiration - I believe in stories and the importance of recording your own story.  It doesn't have to be scrapbooking or a blog.  It can be any piece of paper, a journal, a painting, a song, recorded audio, video, etc... I want to remember and be remembered.  I think my father dying early pushed this perspective for me more than ever. I want his stories. I want my kids to remember him and know them.  I want them to know mine and remember me.  I want them to have the stories of when they were little that they can't remember themselves.  Check out her inspiration for looking for the stories to record or tell and think about recording a small story of yours today.

2.  Pallet gardens or frame gardens -- I find my self very interested in gardening "on the fence" or vertically next year. This article has some good possibilities.

3.9 by Novogratz Bedding -- Hard to believe, but I saw some bedding via walmart that I like and kind of think M would love too.  I like all the colors and how well Novogratz has combined the overall design.

4.  Savory Spice Shop's Spice to Plate - 30 recipes made up of 3 recipes each for 10 of their blends. There are also some bonus recipes for side dishes near the end, some spice education, etc...  Purchases include a jar of one of the blends featured in the book.  You can also get a gift set with 1/2 or all of the 10 featured blends.  This all starts on Nov. 1.  I've read through the book and am excited to see that some of my favorite blends are in there as well as some new ones I haven't tried yet.  The recipes seem relatively easy and full of flavor.  Get excited and head to the OKC Savory Spice Shop to get yours today. I think these would make awesome holiday gifts.  (I did get a free promo copy to review, but all views are always my own).

5. Lentil-Ricotta meatballs - I have pinned probably dozens of meatball recipes, but this one is the next one we'll try.  I'll be interested to see how they hold together and am excited to make ricotta with B again.  I like to try new spins on old favorites and find Jennie's recipes to be reliable and tasty. 

National Popcorn Day!

Yes, yes I should be knee deep in birthday week posts for my amazing son that turns 7 tomorrow.  For now, I've decided to wait and fully experience the birthday celebrations before delving into memories of the year gone by.  We have been celebrating for a day or two already and enjoying great times with family and friends.

Today, during an epic five-hour game of Monopoly (which said almost 7-year-old won) we tasted a bunch of seasonings on popcorn.  It was part of our nearly annual celebration of National Popcorn Day, which happily coincides with B's birthday.  I'm not sure there was a clear favorite as we each have such different preferences, apparently.  However, they were all great.  Here is what we tried and liked (all seasonings/blends via Savory Spice Shop OKC, of course).

-Honey Powder + Cinnamon --- definite kid pick of the day

-Romano Cheese Powder -- M & I like this one. We may have had it twice this week.  She says it is better than her beloved Pirate's Booty Snack

-Nacho Cheese Dip + Peanuts -- we had this while E was napping.  It is an old favorite, but rare now due to his sensitivities to peanuts.

-Red Rocks Hickory Smoke Seasoning

- Memphis BBQ Rub + Almonds - Spice + Sweet

- Supreme Shallot Salt - Admittedly  my current favorite.

-Italian Black Truffle Salt - ok, technically we tried this last week, not today, but it is so different and good.


What is your favorite popcorn seasoning?  It doesn't have to be on our list.  All suggestions are welcome.  Leave a comment with your favorite and I'll pick one winner of a Savory Spice Shop Popcorn seasoning up to $10 value as a way of celebrating B's Birthday and National Popcorn day with you!  Happy Popping!

--Note, if you are the winner and live in the OKC metro you can go pick out your own flavor at the shop (4400 N. Western in OKC) if you live elsewhere I'll ship it to you.  I'll announce a winner on Friday, the 24th along with some recent favorite things.

Ten On Tuesday: Savory Spice Shop Christmas Edition

As most of you know, my mom and my brother own Savory Spice Shop OKC.  As with all things in our family, we help each other so my sister and I, and our husbands pitch in to help where we can.  This Christmas season I've been helping with a few things here and there and thought it might be nice to have a gift guide of fun Savory Spice Shop gifts.  I'm going to go through 10 starting with basic ones they have pre-made in the store and then do a few VERY easy DIY ones.  These are all things we're thinking of giving to our children's 11 teachers, bus driver, extended family, close friends, etc...  (Spoiler alert, if you are one of those people you might want to stop reading). 

1. Cookbooks - Yes, it is a spice store and there are hundreds of spices, but cookbooks are great so people know what to do with those spices.  They have five available including the Spice Bible (pictured above).

2. Microplane + spices - The microplanes are bundled to you with a complimentary bag of nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric and ginger. We added this as a gift topper last year, but it would fit perfectly in someone's stocking or as a teacher gift or gift for a friend. 

3.  Mortar & Pestle - Tools are cool.  I like giving people gifts they might not buy themselves which are fun and interesting.  These sets start at only $17 and are made of marble!  They can be used to grind spices, muddle berries or fresh herbs, mash garlic, or a variety of other things.  I think they'd be a fun present for pharmacist friends too.  (PS, those Himalayan Salt Bricks in the background would make excellent gifts for the grill master in your life)

4.  Pepper Grinders - I think pepper grinders are essential for everyone's kitchen, but find that lots of people still don't have them.  You could buy one of these and a bag of peppercorns for under $25 and give something that your friend or family member would use everyday. (Yes, they have salt grinders too.)

5. Gift packs!  They have so many premade gift packs that are amazing and in a complete range of prices and tastes. Here is the full A-Z list.  I am a big fan of the Oklahoma Collection and Flavors of Oklahoma, which feature the tastes of my home state.  These gift packs are only available available in Oklahoma and are awesome.  Pictured above is another favorite of mine - Picks for Popcorn.  This one is so versatile and easy to give to anyone.  A few of our teachers will get these this week!

6.  Another great way to make gift packs is a custom version featuring your favorite spices.  Pictured here is one I'm giving this Christmas that includes: Peruvian Chili Lime Seasoning, Gold Coast Tropical Poultry Rub, Black Dust Coffee & Spice Rub, and Supreme Shallot Salt.   You can pick any four, six, eight, or more that you like and they'll make up a set for only a small packaging fee.

7. Gift cards -  This Christmas the gift cards are giving back to you.  For each $25 in gift cards you get back $5 in Spice bucks to use starting in January.  At the checkout you'll get a little card like this that you just bring back between January and March 2014 for $5 off of your purchase.  This is a great deal!

8. Individual Hot Chocolates, spice tubes, and Recipes to Go - these are smaller items that would be great gifts or stocking stuffers.  You can find individual red or burgundy boxes with one of three different kinds of hot chocolate inside.  The Recipe to Go boxes have all the spices the person would need to make the included recipe. The recipes are for seasonal things like spiced nuts or reindeer party mix.  Both the kiosk and the main store have spice tubes just for the holiday season.  They are often filled with flavored sugars, but also now feature regional blends, including our family favorite Great Plains Beef & Bison Rub (I use it in everything savory basically).

We are giving out individual hot chocolates to a variety of school administrators, the bus driver, etc...

9. 2-jar gift sets - Ok, here are the promised very very simple, DIY projects.  I have kept these super simple and easy to mass produce.  All you'll need for the first project is:

• twine or string of some kinds (I'm using baker's twine from my scrapbooking stash)
• Scissors 
• 2  2 oz jars of the spice of your choice - I chose spices that were red and green to make it extra festive.

I made this small gift set for 8 different people and they were quickly mass produced. 

 

 

 

See, nothing to it.  Just pick up a bunch of jars of beautifully colored jars of spice and tie them up in pretty string. I wrapped the twine around twice, tied a not, then tied it to the wrapped string, and tied a big bow.  

(Hint: if you want a large number of jars of the same spiced call ahead (405-515-9119) and they will bottle them up so they are ready when you arrive!)

10.  This one is only slightly more complicated.  We are giving these to B's "special" teachers - PE and Gym teachers. I wanted something small enough for him to easily carry to their classrooms, but still as special as these ladies are to us:

Supplies:

• Gift Cards
• Bakers twine or other string
• Pre-bagged cinnamon sticks ($1.80)

Optional

• Tags (from an office supply store or scrapbooking/craft supplies)
• Washi tape

 

Cut a very long strand of string, I used roughly 18 inches.  Fold it in half and wrap it around the gift card and cinnamon sticks. then stick the end through the look and keep wrapping.  I just tucked the tail end into the loops of string.  Then cut another roughly 8-10inch piece of string and tie it around the wrapped twine in a big bow (feel free to trip the ends shorter if you like).  This would be fine as is, but we'll be adding tags so I wanted to show you those as well. 

 

I am using gold washi tape from my collection.  You can find it in the scrapbooking/craft section of target or at a local craft store.  I just wrapped it once around the end.  We will then write our greetings and thanks on the tags. 

 

I attached the tag folding the string in half, threading it through the tag, and tying another big bow of twine around the whole thing.  

 

I think they are cute and they took no time at all to complete.

I hope you found some gifts that work for you and that you have a delicious, happy holiday season!

Ps.  If you don't live nearby or don't want to venture out, call the shop at 405-525-9119 or email them at okc@savoryspice.com and they will gladly mail your order to you or to your intended recipient! 

Ten on Tuesday

1.  Day two of Healing Scraps was a rousing success helped along in large measure by local TV news coverage.  We gave away so many things, but there is much more there.  Starting tomorrow it is open to public school teachers for classroom use as well.  

 

2.  Sunday Brent had to work all afternoon and into the evening.  I took the kids on an outing to the Science Museum.  This was really our first outing like this with E mobile and on the go (not in the stroller for the most part).  It went really well for the first 1.5 hours and then it was a huge debacle.  Clearly I know that 1.5 hours is how long we should stay and really should have left then.  Lesson learned and one six year old went to bed very early.

3.  We're basically set for back to school and diligently not talking about it too much as we think that anxiety may be part of B's behavior issues of late.  We did get the excellent news that he will once again be a member of the Dragonflies soccer team come September.  It will be great to reunite with the old crew and hopefully he loves being back on the soccer field.  We bought yet another pair of cleats and a soccer ball... I really should be keeping count of how many soccer balls we purchase over time.  It is astonishing. 

3. Last year, I was on maternity leave during the summer and instituted what I hope will be a new tradition of visiting the Wainrights in Tulsa just before school starts.  Today was our second annual back to school play day. This time we began with a visit to the Tulsa discovery lab.  It was very popular, hands on, and lots of fun. Above, M is in the toddler area learning about color. 

4.  They also have a make and take room. The theme this month is "fiber arts."  There were maybe 10 different projects to choose from in the general topic.  Both bigs chose to make pillows and diligently sewed around the edges with yarn and a plastic needle before stuffing them full of scraps.  Clearly we need to go get some plastic needles and yarn for more of this fun as I literally had to tear them away as E ran out of patience.

4.  The big play feature right now at the discovery lab is this awesome tape tunnel that runs through a few tree house type areas ending in a hug slide (See B going down like a penguin in the first photo).  B loved going through it and it made for some awesome photos (all iphone btw as not enough hands for the real deal).  There was also this smaller version that lil'E enjoyed. 

 

5.  After lunch, we went back and spent all afternoon playing and chatting with our friends. It was such a fun day.  I did miss the daddies and remembered that driving makes me sleepy.  I am so excited to do it again next year!

6. My mom is off in the wilds of New Mexico somewhere beyond cell service, but if you see this mom, we miss you and be safe!

7. There is a lot of hair experimenting going on here.  M has started sucking on her hair so we're experimenting with ways to keep it away from her face until she can get a hair cut from cousin Janna.  B, meanwhile, is trying out spiking up some of his hair with gel.  M, of course, then wanted some in her hair and could not comprehend how it wasn't going to work the same way.  We put some in anyway...

8.  For almost all of the summer B & M have gotten along so well.  They have had these imaginary adventures and been quite the team.  Strangely, that is falling apart right now. The over analyzing person in me suspects it is also tied to back to school and mostly B's doing as he keeps telling her she isn't a big girl, etc... but whatever the cause it is so sad.  He oddly seemed to be the most this way with our most recent babysitter who was also a 1st grade teacher (not at his school).  I've so loved their togetherness this summer and have high hopes for a bit more peace again when our routines settle in. 

9.  Brent's school has already started and is full of the usual back to school excitement.  This semester he is teaching Vertebrate Zoology.  It is his second pass at teaching this course and he's feeling much more comfortable than he was last fall at this time.

10.  One week from today B will start 1st grade.  The next day, M and E will begin their year at MDO.  The summer has passed so crazily fast, slow, and everywhere in between.  Back to school preparations have gone on in fits and spurts for a week.  I think I'll outline somewhere all the things that entails to remember later, but for now.  I'm going to rest and savor every moment I can playing in summer's waning days. 

Use Your Spices: A Taste of Summer (revisited)

Last summer, while reveling in the joys of weekly vegetable deliveries from the CSA* I wrote a series of posts entitled "Taste of Summer."  They each feature one delicious sip of summer foods cooked the way we've loved them. 

They were:

Prior posts in this series are here:

• Part I - Zucchini

• Part II - Summer Beans

• Part III - Eggplant

• Part IV - Okra

At the time, I was very new to the Savory Spice world as my family's store hadn't opened yet so there are no blends in these recipes, just individual spices I blended to my own combinations and experiments to discover were very good.
Of these recipes, my favorite, by far, is the Blakley Fried Okra.It is nothing like the fried Okra in most restaurants with the thick bready coating.  Instead, it is fried with a light dusting of cornmeal, flour salt, and pepper.... at least it always has been.  Yesterday, I discovered that if you add about 1/2 a teaspoon of the Savory Spice Panhandle Chicken Fried Steak Seasoning you add another layer of delicious.  We also discovered that baby E and big sister M love Okra. As with last year's post, she helped me all through the process.  Then they took the cornmeal outside and played with it like sand, with the added bonus that if either of them ate it it was totally fine and the bugs would get a feast afterwards!
We've been exploring other ways to work our spices in to summer favorites too.  You may want to consider:


Corn on the Cobb with Supreme Shallot Salt or Peruvian Chili Lime Seasoning


Berries of all kinds sprinkled with Vanilla Bean Sugar or Lavender Vanilla Bean Sugar


Steamed Squash sprinkled with Dill Dip or Pink Himalayan Sea Salt


Vegetable dips made by mixing yogurt or sour cream with Paris Cheese Sprinkle or Cherry Creek Seafood Seasoning or any of the other dip blends they have.

What are your tastes of summer? What else should we be trying? Hope your summer is delicious!

(Note: My Mom and Brother own the Savory Spice Shop in OKC and would be glad to help you out with recipe or spice information and supplies.  You can reach them at 405-525-9119, okc@savoryspiceshop.com,  or visit the store at 43rd & Western.  They will also gladly ship products to those out of state).

Use Your Spices: New Blends!

Yesterday, I stopped past the Savory Spice Shop in OKC to make a custom gift set as a house warming gift for my best friend.  It seems like the perfect way to welcome her into her amazing new home.  (Love you, Tracie!)

E found a new secret hiding place while I talked to Uncle Able & Grandma

While they assembled my gift set and spice refills, I smelled and tasted some of the new blends.  I bought my two favorite ones - Memphis BBQ Rub and Canyon Road Red Enchilada Seasoning: (all the new ones are listed at the end of this post, if you're curious).

The "obvious" thing to do would have been to go to Savory's website and look up the Enchilada Sauce recipe, but I was in a hurry so I made Enchiladas my own way and Brent and I loved them!  The kids found them a little spicy, but a generous dose of sour cream solved that problem. 

Abbey's Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

2 c. cooked, shredded chicken (we used left over cooked chicken thigh meat)*

1/2. c. water, divided

3 T. Canyon Road Red Enchilada Seasoning, divided

1.5 c. Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 tsp olive oil

6 medium tortillas

* If you don't have pre-cooked chicken, I'd suggest boiling your chicken of choice in water with a bit of the enchilada spice and then shredding it with two forks. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat chicken, 1/4 c. water, 1.5 T Canyon Road Red Enchilada Seasoning in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes.  Add 1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese and stir to melt and combine the cheese.  

Lightly grease an 11x7in baking dish.  

Enchilada Sauce:  In a separate measuring cup, add 1/4 c water, olive oil, and 1.5 T Canyon Road Red Enchilada Seasoning.  

Gently add about 1/3 c. of the chicken mixture to each tortilla, wrap up, and add, seam side down, into the baking dish.  Pour any remaining sauce from the skillet over the rolled tortillas.  Then pour the Enchilada Sauce you mixed above over all of the tortillas and sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 c. o f  Cheddar. 

Bake for 20 minutes.  There should be bubbles around the edge of the baking dish and the edges of the tortillas may be slightly crunchy.

We served ours with fresh pineapple and cucumbers.  SO good. 

New Savory Spice blends -- **marks those I selected today. 

Bajan Seasoning: Bajan seasoning originates on the Caribbean island of Barbados where it is used as an all-purpose seasoning and also as a base flavor before adding another seasoning like curry powder or lemon pepper. Bajan has a savory herb flavor with hints of lime and touch of heat that stands up perfectly well on its own.  Ingredients:Salt, onion, thyme, garlic, coriander, turmeric, black pepper, parsley, marjoram, ginger, fenugreek, cumin, anise, allspice, habanero, Kaffir lime, cinnamon, mustard, mace and cardamom.

**Canyon Road Red Enchilada Seasoning: Handcraft enchilada-inspired seasoning that has a robust chile flavor with a medium heat. Ingredients: Kosher salt, crushed brown mustard, black pepper, coriander, cumin, chiles, and thyme. 

**Memphis BBQ Rub:Barbecue is all about "low and slow". Tennessee has been doing barbecue right for generations. The city of Memphis has a distinctive style of barbeque rub, although every family's recipe can vary significantly. One consistent component is a blend of brown and white sugars. Sauces and mops are generally set aside. Unique rubs, wood smoke, and cooking methods combine to create the true flavor of Memphis barbecue. Ingredients:Brown and white sugar, paprika, kosher salt, garlic, onion, cumin, black pepper, chiles, coriander, ginger, thyme, rosemary, and Mexican oregano.

Nashville Hot Fried Chicken Spices:  Hot fried chicken is a Nashville thing and what a tasty thing it is!  This dish is hot, spicy hot! Cayenne is the reason, lots of it. Traditionally the seasoning for this dish can be as simple as pure cayenne, this one has with more depth of flavor. Ingredients: Cayenne, kosher salt, sugar, black pepper, paprika, cinnamon, garlic, sage, onion, rosemary, ginger, thyme, parsley, marjoram, bell peppers, coriander, allspice, oregano, and summer savory.

The Q Steak Rub: Uses coarsely ground spices, often found New Mexican cuisine, to balance the bold flavor of crushed brown mustard .Ingredients: Kosher salt, crushed brown mustard, black pepper, coriander, cumin, chiles, and thyme.

(Note: My Mom and Brother own the Savory Spice Shop in OKC and would be glad to help you out with recipe or spice information and supplies.  You can reach them at 405-525-9119, okc@savoryspiceshop.com,  or visit the store at 43rd & Western.  They will also gladly ship products to those out of state).

Use Your Spices: Local Twist

I grew up on a small family farm in northern Oklahoma.  One of the consequences of that heritage is a desire to support local farmers and small businesses.  When my mom and brother opened their Savory Spice Shop last fall they could only carry products provided by the parent company, but this spring Savory invited their franchisees to add local products to their stores and I am loving the new additions!

My immediate recommendation was that they try to get honey from Hilltop Farm (far left above) s as it is my absolute favorite.  It tastes amazing and just like the honey we used to extract from our own hives when I was a kid.  The next jar over is peach salsa.  I was curious, but strangely satisfied by the combination of sweet and spice.  I admit that I usually skip most of the "chunks" in salsa as I'm not a pepper person, but here I was searching out every tidbit of peach.  So good. Also, it can be used to make a dip in a similar way as the Pepper Butter I talk about below. 

Next to the peach salsa is pasta from Della Terra.  I admit, I was skeptical about the pasta.  Aside from very freshly made pasta I've rarely tasted much of a difference between dried pastas.  Furthermore, more than half of the offerings were whole wheat and so far whole wheat pasta has not been very popular at our house despite many attempts. That said, I trust my brother and decided to buy some whole what campanelle pasta to try.  It was phenomenally better than any pasta I've ever made.  I'll share my recipe here, but I strongly suggest trying the pasta as it made all the difference:

Simply Delightful Campanelle Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb Della Terra Whole Wheat Campanelle Pasta

3 T Unsalted Butter

1/4 c. Evaporated Milk

1/4 c. drained pasta water

1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp Dried Herbs (I used Savory's Pasta Sprinkle --- creative, I know). 

Parmesan to sprinkle on top 

Cook Pasta according to package directions in a large pot of heavily salted water.  I recommend staying with the time recommendations for "al dente" pasta. ( I know we typically go beyond this to slightly more mushy, but this particular pasta does live up to the al dente hype).  Reserve a cup or so of the pasta water and drain the rest.  Mix the above, adding only as much pasta water as needed to keep the mixture loose.  

Keep in mind that those dried herbs will taste more delicious if they have a couple minutes to soak up the liquids before serving.  Mix everything gently, but well and serve with a sprinkle of grated parmesan.  

This is easily adjustable to match the flavor profile of your meal.  We were having this balsamic basil chicken dish so an Italian take worked perfectly and baby E ate this pasta for days afterwards, loving every bit!

Finally, on the bottom shelf, there are a variety of different pepper products from Mingo.  As noted above, I am not a pepper person and thus planned to avoid this entirely.  However, I needed an appetizer for our forth of July gathering and had been told the Pepper Butter made an awesome, and easy dip.  Ever one to experiment, I selected the Mild Pepper Butter and followed the recipe on the side for a simple dip.  I actually increased the ratio of Pepper Butter to Cream Cheese slightly as I wanted a little more kick (maybe I should have bought the medium heat version?)  Anyway, it was a big hit with everyone on the fourth, including the kids!  (Recipe is below and on the jar).  I've also poured this all over tamales and practically eaten it with a spoon.  This is all very confusing as I was not a pepper person, perhaps I'm being converted?

Mingo's Pepper Butter Dip

3-4 T. Pepper Butter (available in Mild, Medium, or Hot)

8 oz cream cheese

Mix well (I used my kitchen aid to make it extra fluffy) and enjoy!  Dipper suggestions are:  Carrots, Fritos, Scoops Chips, and Wheat Thins. 

I am so delighted that my family can now both bring high quality spices to Oklahoma and showcase and support some of Oklahoma's own producers.  Do you know of any products they should considering featuring? Let me know and I'll pass your ideas along.  Meanwhile, seriously go try that amazing pasta!

(Note: My Mom and Brother own the Savory Spice Shop in OKC and would be glad to help you out with recipe or spice information and supplies.  You can reach them at 405-525-9119, okc@savoryspiceshop.com,  or visit the store at 43rd & Western.  They will also gladly ship products to those out of state).

Use Your Spices: Beef & Vegetable Stew

Brent and I adore those beef stews that just have incredibly soft, amazingly flavorful chunks of beef in a thick, rich tomato, wine sauce.  It took us (mutter mutter) "some" time to perfect this, but I think we've arrived and as yet another cold spell persists in OK here's one more trip to the magic of stew before the blaze of summer.

Beef & Vegetable Stew:

Notes: Our current favorite attempts begin with the Pioneer Woman.  This spicy version was amazing, but a bit much for our kids and sometimes our tummies. We tried something like her Sunday Night Stew, but wanted more spices and depth somehow.  So the below is our take.  Yes, we did make the mashed potatoes to go along with it.  I have now had five servings total-- Dinner, then Breakfast & Lunch two days in a row, if that gives you any indication of how much we like it!

• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoon Butter
• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 pounds Beef Stew Meat (We used an Arm Roast Cut Into 1in Chunks)
• Salt And Pepper
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1/2 to 1 c. red wine
• 3-4 T Tomato Powder
• 4 cups Low Sodium Beef Stock Or Broth, More If Needed For Thinning (We used water + Beef Boullion).
• 2 T Worcestershire
• 1 teaspoon Sugar ( or 1 tsp Maple Sugar, very tasty)
• 5 whole Carrots, Peeled And Diced
• 8 oz Crimini Mushrooms, cut into 8ths (Or insert other vegetable of your choice, but probably not potatoes as we serve it with mashed potatoes). 
• 1 1/2 T. Great Plains Bison & Beef Rub
• 1 tsp. Homestead Seasoning
• 1 Bay Leaf
•  3/4 tsp Supreme Shallot Salt, (because I'm currently obsessed.) 

Preparation Instructions

Salt and pepper stew meat.  Toss with the flour until all sides are lightly coated.  Heat 1/2 of the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 of of the butter, and as soon as it melts, brown half the stew meat until the outside gets nice and brown, about 2 minutes. (Turn it as it browns.) Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and put it on a plate. Add the remaining butter and olive oil and the rest of the meat to the pot and brown it, too. Remove it to the same plate. Set the meat aside.  (Scrape bits off the bottom as you go). 

Add the onion and garlic to the pot, stirring it to coat it in all the brown bits in the bottom of the pot. Cook for two minutes, then add the tomato powder and wine to the pot. Stir it into the onions and let it cook for two more minutes.

Pour in the beef stock, stirring constantly. Add the Worcestershire, sugar, spices, and bay leaf. Add the beef back to the pot, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours. (Note - this is a minimum time and your meat may need longer.  Taste it around this point and see if it is getting even close to tender, if not, let it go another 1/2 hour to an hour). 

After 2 hours (or so), add the mushrooms and carrots to the pot. Stir to combine, put the lid back on the pot, and let it simmer for another 45 minutes to an hour.  Check that the vegetables are softenend and that the beef is very tender.  Continue cooking if either needs a bit more softening. The sauce should be very thick, but if it seems overly so, splash in some beef broth or wine until it thins it up enough. Feel free to add beef broth as needed! 

When the mushrooms and turnips are tender, taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve piping hot in a bowl with mashed potatoes, letting the juice run all over everything. 

Enjoy, tremendously. 

Anything you'd add to our stew? We're always looking for suggestions.  What other ways do you make oozingly tender beef?

Our Special Drinks

On Friday, I struggled.  I have no words for the tragedy of the day, only tears.  Tears when a police car was parked across the front of my own Kindergartner's school.  Tears for not knowing what to say or do.  Friday afternoon I let the quietness and peace of Ave Maria wash over me as it came along in the midst of our Christmas Carols.  I let the latin words and  music of my Catholic Church roots reconnect the dots of my sad spirit as best I could and gave myself permission to keep enjoying and living fully this season with my kids.  Permission to be present in our moments and not overwhelmed by grief as my kids need me and I want their memories of this Christmas week to be full of special, happy moments and joy.  

In that spirit, I am sharing with you our home made "special drinks."" These are warm beverages designed by me to make my kids and me feel special.  I recently read an article for Babble by Asha Dornfest about what kids cherish about holiday memories - the short answer - specialness & repetition.  The kids "special drink" was developed before I saw this article, but it has both.  It is touted as a special treat and enjoyed rarely, but routinely. 

Richards Kids Special Drink

1 mug whole mile

1/2 tsp vanilla sugar (plain sugar is fine too)

1/8 tsp Cassia Cinnamon (plus more for sprinkling)

Whipped cream

Mix Milk, sugar, & cinnamon in the child's special Mug (B's special mug, for example is one Mary gave me years ago with Winnie the Pooh on it.  M's is a mug with pink flowers that might be from Heather).  Warm the milk gently in the microwave, 30 seconds is usually enough.  Top with whipped cream and sprinkle the whipped cream with cinnamon.  Our kids prefer theirs with a straw as well.

In the last year or so, I've strangely come to enjoy Mint & Chocolate together where only a few years ago I did not.  In the course of experimenting I've designed my own, much cheaper versions of a Peppermint mocha.

My Mock Peppermint Mocha

8 oz skim milk 

1 T chocolate (I use Giradelli 60% Cocao)

1/2 tsp vanilla sugar (or aritficial sweetner or for extra peppermint the peppermint vanilla sugar from Savory)

1 -2 drops Peppermint Oil (from Savory)*

1 tsp espresso powder**

Warm the milk, chocolate, and sugar in the micorwave. Once nearly boiling, add Peppermint oil and Espresso.  Stir and enjoy!

* For a very long time I used the Peppermint Vanilla Sugar instead of peppermint oil, but it just doesn't have quite the intensity.  Either one works, but the Peppermint Oil is more reminiscent of the Starbucks version to me with a stronger Peppermint flavor in just a drop or two. 

**Alternatively, mix half a cup of milk and half a cup of strong coffee.

For now, I'm hanging on so tight to my special moments and repeating them to make these simple sweet memories together.  May the week to come be much merrier than the days just past and may we all find healing and the power to make changes in our own way.

Right Now

This photo is so much of me right now. B's shoes were left out overnight and had to be dried and taken to school late so he could participate in gym.  That quick run past the school reminded me so much of why I am so happy to telecommute as well as all the crazy circles we're spinning in these days. 

Right now, I spend a lot of time in the minivan dropping off and picking up. (Roughly 1.5 hours per day).

Right now, I am loving that my work is so close to my kids' schools/caregivers so I can be there if quickly if need be, drop things off, or run home for that forgotten thing and maybe not be late to the next drop off.

Right now, I love that our world is a mesh of boys and girls, pink and dancing shoes alongside star wars and light sabers.

Right now, I'm trying to rebalance and figure out how to make things flow more easily; to make sure I'm using my time well,

Right now, always, our kids need our patience and we need theirs, but that is sometimes hard.

Right now, Thursday is my favorite weekday as we have no activity or commitment, most weeks.

Right now, I create daily activities or errands for the two hours between when I pick up M and E,  and when B arrives home on the bus.

Right now, I'm not exercising enough and missing it so much, but haven't figured out where it fits in the new timeline; soon.

Right now, I am so ready for fall.

Right now, I am loving the rolling thunder and raindrops over head as I sit wrapping up a little more work in a quiet house.

Right now, I'm trying to be in the moment whatever moment that might be.

Note: I'm linking up with Ali Edwards' Prompt from her weekly Creative Lifts Newsletter and Blog.