Pics from the Hospital
Here are a few pics I took at the hospital on Friday with Adriana. My cell doesn't take the greatest pictures, but it gave me something to do.
My hunk-a hunk-a husband
My incredibly cute new shoes—a birthday gift from my in-laws.
Adri in a tangle of leads. For the first hour or so she looked like a marionette.
Adri kickin' back with some Veggie Tales and oxygen while waiting for the respiratory therapist to come in with her treatment.
Once the steroids kicked in, it was hard to keep her down.
Obviously feeling like her old self.
Anyone Got a Rock?
...Or something that I can use to BEAT some sense into my parents?!?!?!?!?
Ben and I have really been struggling lately because we NEVER get any time alone together. I mean EVER. So we decided to look into having my niece Emily watch Adri for a few hours on a Saturday while we go do something together. We came home and I asked Mom and Dad if they would be okay with Emily watching Adri over here, and Dad blew a fuse. "I've had it. I'm hiring someone to finish that basement. I'm tired of all the bickering and no one wanting to do any work downstairs.
I finished the sanding downstairs and
I'LL prime it and then get someone to finish the rest." Wat the heck??????? Last thing I was told was don't worry about doing anything down there yet because no one will be here this weekend. We'll work on it next weekend. Then he comes in and says, "Do you know when I get time to MY self??? One o'clock in the morning, that's when!" While trying to keep my cool, I said, "with all due respect, Dad, you are responsible for you. We are doing what WE are responsible for, and this is something very necessary right now." He just walked away mumbling. So I genuinely asked my Mom if I was asking for too much—two or three hours every other week so Ben and I can have time together. She flipped her lid and said, "Since when is that Dad's and my problem? And how do you think you're going to afford to pay a babysitter? If you are only this far into paying off your debt and are already having problems like this I don't know how you're going to make it to the end" Again I scream,
what the heck???????????? She said, "I'm with Dad. I said from the beginning that I didn't want you guys living here. We went through the same bulls*** with Michael and Bridget. What made me change my mind is that you said, 'Do you ever want to see your grandchild again?' and it nearly killed me." BULL!!!!!!!!!! SHE IS MY CHILD, NOT A BARGAINING CHIP!!! She may have done that I WOULD
NEVER SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I NEVER asked for that basement to be finished. All I asked for is if we could clean out the basement so Ben and I could sleep down there instead and let them have their space back. Finishing it was Dad's idea. And they both thought us moving down there was a good idea.
Really, are we asking for too much? I'm about ready to find an apartment, file bankruptcy and call it good. I can't handle much more of this.
The Best-Laid Plans of Mice and Men Often Go Awry
Well, last night's dinner was SUPPOSED to have been
Balsamic Chicken. We didn't even get to prep it!! Gosh...where do I start? Starting about Tuesday of this week, Adri started getting a runny nose. I didn't think much of it, because it was clear and she wasn't coughing. Wednesday she started coughing a little bit, but I still didn't see anything to worry about. Thursday things started turning. That afternoon she had been running around the living room after Rosie and when she came to sit on my lap to have a snack, I noticed that she was beginning to wheeze a little bit. So I made plans to go pick up a nebulizer that evening from my sister and get her started on breathing treatments so that it wouldn't get any worse than it already was. I started at 7 o'clock when we got home, and strapped her up to the machine every three hours through the night. We got up Friday morning, and the treatments had done nothing. Her poor little chest looked like it was filled with cement and she was desperately trying to get it out. Her belly would fill out while her chest would cave in—it wasn't a pretty sight. So I made an appointment with her doc, put all the pets in their rightful places and hopped in Alice's van and headed to the doctor.
We got in and the first thing the nurse said was, "Well, she doesn't look too bad, now does she?" That's because she was walking all over the office and playing with the toys in the bucket. So I said, "Yes, that's what they said the last time she ended up in after-hours care for 5 hours and was almost sent to the ER. I bet if you take her
pulse-ox it's going to be in the 80's." (anything under 90% requires oxygen). Her's was 86%. Score one for Mommy. Anyway, six breathing treatments, 3ml of oxygen, and a dose of Prednizone later, the doc comes in and says, "Well, she's still wheezing considerably, and she's not responding to the breathing treatments. I really think she would be better served and monitored at the emergency room at Children's Hospital. I've called an ambulance to take you guys over and they should be here shortly." At that point I was trying not to freak out, because my 12 year old niece Emily was with me and I didn't want to freak her out. So I just smiled and started calling people like crazy. I called my sister Bridget (the nurse) and let her know what was going on. She knew how serious it was too but was also trying not to freak out for my sake. I called my parents and let them know. They didn't care—they freaked out anyway. Then I called Ben. there wasn't anyone in charge there, so he just started calling and leaving messages with everyone he could think of and left. Luckily his office is only about 15 mintues from the doctor's office. The ambulance team we got was REALLY good (not to mention hot!!). They immediately took to Adri (in between playing with the office scale and other equipment). She played coy, but that just made them work harder to get her to smile or laugh. They got her carseat strapped to the gurney and we headed out the front door to the truck. Ben rode in the ambulance with her and Emily and I followed them in the van to Children's Hospital. I think that was about 1 o'clock. We didn't leave Children's Hospital until 6:30pm!!!!!!!! I totally understand why—they wanted to make sure that her oxygen saturation was going to stay above 95% and that she could go without a treatment for four hours (or close to it). Adri was having a grand time, but the rest of us were bored. They brought toys in for her and they had a TV/VCR in each of the triage rooms and brought in videos for her. And while I was wandering around trying to find my way to cell service, I saw a couple of older kids in rooms playing video games! All in all, it's a pretty cool place. And by this time, my mother-in-law was on her way up. She really was worried (especially with all the stuff Ben went thorugh when he was Adri's age), so she drove up from Buena Vista for the evening. She got into town just about the time we were discharged from the ER, so we met her in the parking lot of the Kaiser office, picked up the Jeep and got hugs. Ben and MIL went back to James and Alice's house to survey the damage. The poor dogs had been crated since 10am that morning, and we KNEW poor little Bingo wasn't going to make it past 3pm. We were right. He was pretty messy. But MIL knew what she was in for and cleaned him up with great gusto. Helped Ben get things settled there while I took Adri home for some much needed sleep (for both of us!).
We took her into the after-hours clinic yesterday by order from the ER to make sure that she was still responding to the steroids and her breathing treatments. The doc on call said she sounded great. She's on Prednisone twice a day for the next four days and I'll slowly wean her off the breathing treatments between today and Tuesday. I'll call in the morning to make an appointment with her doctor to discuss treatment options. Two of these episodes in two months isn't a good sign. They want to put her on a daily inhaled steroid, but I'm not real sure about that just yet. I think I'd rather have her tested first before we put her on anything daily. Maybe I'll talk to Bridget and see what she suggests. This is where my natural/organic side conflicts with my medical side. If she needs it, then she needs it. There's no getting around it. But I don't want to just give it to her blindly either.
Oy vey...I'll post pictures later today. Adri was just too cute in the ER not to snap a few pics with my cell phone.
Better Late Than Never
Last night was a little crazy. I never even did the dishes!! Ben was at work yesterday for almost 12 hours!! And not because he wanted to be. The owner of the company had the bright idea to play "musical employees" with everyone. He moved Ben's boss and another co-worker to do Ben's job and the moved Ben into his boss's job and added the work of two other co-workers. It's a VERY long story, but we're pretty sure the owner is trying to get Ben to quit. They don't dare fire him (1, because they have no just cause to and 2, because they'd NEVER get everything done). It's been a rather frustrating couple of days.
So without further ado, here are the recipes for last night's supper. Because I was chasing after dogs, cats and a toddler, don't have a picture for anything but the cheesecake. And I only have the cheesecake photo because it's the most AMAZING cheesecake I've ever made!!!
Skinny Turkey-Spinach Meat Loaf
Originally from www.cookinglight.com
Cooking spray
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
1/2 pound ground beef, extra lean
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen leaf spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/2 cup ketchup
Instructions: Preheat oven to 350°.
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic, and sauté 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Combine onion mixture, breadcrumbs, and the next 8 ingredients (breadcrumbs through spinach), stirring well.
Shape meat mixture into a 12 x 5-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking sprhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifay. Brush ketchup over the top of the loaf. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°; let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
Variations: To lower the carbs, substitute 1/2 cup of bread crumbs for 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.
Calories: 292
Cholesterol: 66 mg
Fat: 9.6 g
Saturated Fat: 2.9 g
% Calories From Fat: 87.6 %
Protein: 31 g
Carbohydrates: 20.2 g
Sodium: 765 mg
Fiber: 3.1 g
We also had twice backed potatoes, recipe courtesy of
The Pioneer Woman Cooks. The thing I like about this is that they are SO easy!!! All my life I've heard how complicated twice-baked potatoes are, and it's simply not true. Maybe it was just because no one wanted to make them for me. I'll leave that one to my counselor and let you have the recipe.
This recipe calls for 6 potatoes. If you use fewer, then cut your other ingredients back a little—you can just eye it. A good rule of thumb is that you'll want one or two more potatoes than you have people. That way you can really stuff the skins generously. Wash and pat the potatoes dry, and put them in a 400 degree oven for an hour and fifteen minutes. You can microwave them if you like. Just make sure they're thoroughly cooked. While you're waiting for those, place together in a bowl, two sticks of butter, one cup of crumbled bacon (you can used pre-packaged stuff if you wish), one cup of sour cream, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of season salt (she uses Lawry's), one cup of Colby/Jack cheese and fresh ground pepper.
Once the potatoes are done, cut them in half length-wise, and then scoop out the insides, careful to leave a little of the potato on the skin so it won't tear or collapse. There's nothing worse in the world than a collapsed potato. Okay, maybe not in YOUR word. Anyway, scoop the insides into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mash 'em up all together. If the mixture looks a little too dry, you can cream it up again with a little milk. Just don't put in too much and make it soupy.
After it's all mixed together, spoon the mixture back into the hollow (but structurally sound) skins. And if you want to be really fancy, you can pipe it in with a pastry bag and decorating tip. If you really stuff them, you'll probably have skins left over. That's why you'll want to fix a couple more potatoes than you have people eating them. Once they're all stuffed, top them off with a little salt and pepper and a little more cheese, and pop 'em back in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until everything is warmed through. You can also freeze these if you want! Just don't put green onions in the mixture if you plan to freeze them. Pioneer Woman says that freezing onioins chemically alters the taste of green onions and ruins the the whole thing.
And finally, my
pièce de résistance, my Key Lime Cheesecake. I've been making my own cheesecakes for quite a while now, and this is THE FIRST TIME that my cheesecake hasn't cracked!! I can't be sure, but I have a feeling that it's due to the extra two tablespoons of flour that I added to the recipe.
Key Lime Cheesecake
1 1/2 Cup finely ground graham crackers
2 Tablespoon white sugar
1/3 Cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 Pound cream cheese, softened
3/4 Cup white sugar
1 Cup sour cream
3 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 Each eggs
1/2 Cup key lime juice
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions: 1. To make Crust: In a bowl stir together the graham cracker crumbs and 2 tablespoons sugar, stir in the butter well. Pat the mixture into the bottom and 1/2 inch up the side of a buttered 10 inch springform pan and bake the crust in a preheated 375 degree F (190 degree C) oven for 8 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth, beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream, flour, lime juice and vanilla. Beat the mixture until it is smooth.
3. Pour the filling over the crust. Bake the cheesecake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, reduce the temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) and bake for 50 to 55 minutes longer, or until center is barely set. Let the cheesecake cool on a rack, then chill it, covered, overnight. Remove the cheesecake from the pan and transfer it to a cake stand.
Variations: If the batter looks a little runny, add two more tablespoons of flour.
Mmmmm....I think I'm going to go have a piece right now....
Blessed Silence
No dogs whining, no toddlers whining. And Rosie has finally stopped barking at the cats while chasing them around the livng room. What's even better is that no one is calling my name! "Brandi, why is the patio light on?" "Brandi, are you finished doing your laundry yet?" All I can hear right now is my daughter playing in the tub upstairs and the oven regulating the heat while it's cooking tomorrow's cheesecake. One of my best friend's from grade school and high school is coming over tomorrow for lunch. he's married now and lives with her husband and four kids in Kuwait. We haven't seen each other in 18 years!!! I'm having a hard time even dealing with the fact that I've KNOWN someone for 18 years! [I'm NOT old...I'm NOT OLD!!!]
Okay, so now on to tonight's supper. Tonight we dined on a pork roast seasoned with pepper lime seasoning, mushroom risotto, and fresh steamed green beans. My risotto needs a little work. It turned out more like sushi rice than creamy risotto, but it was still rather yummy. Oh, and the drippings from the roast combined with some left over grated parmesan cheese made a VERY nice gravy.
There really wasn't a recipe for the pork roast. I just covered it with olive oil and rubbed the seasoning on it. Put it in a pan and booked it at 350 degrees until center temp reached 160. It was AMAZING—VERY tender and juicy! The beans were just steamed with a little bit of salt. Below is the recipe for the risotto.
Gourmet Mushroom Risotto
6 cups chicken broth, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound portobello
mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 pound white mushrooms,
thinly sliced
2 shallots, diced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to
taste
3 tablespoons finely chopped
chives
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup freshly grated
Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
1. In a saucepan, warm the broth over low heat.
2. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and their liquid, and set aside.
3. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet, and stir in the shallots. Cook 1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed. Add 1/2 cup broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter, chives, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serves: 6
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 50
Calories: 459
Cholesterol: 25 mg
Fat: 18.5 g
Saturated Fat: 7.3 g
% Calories From Fat: 167 %
Protein: 13 g
Carbohydrates: 56.3 g
Sodium: 1240 mg
Fiber: 3.2 g
Trans Fat: g
Sugars: 3.3 g
Tomorrow for lunch I'm making a bunch of little pizza crusts and everyone can make their own pizzas. I thought that would be fun for the kids. And for dessert, my beloved Key Lime Cheesecake. Let me tell you—you're gonna want to eat that in private.
Until tomorrow....
Tonight's Meal....
Bacon Parmesan Crusted Tilapia, Fresh Corn Casserole and a Berry Dutch Baby for dessert. The tilapia was pretty decent, although I think next time I'll use the little "bottled" parmesan cheese rather than shredded parmesan. I think it will help the bread crumbs stick to the fish a little better. I also took a shortcut and used already cooked bacon—MUCH easier. Ben made a good point—maybe next time I should wrap partially cooked bacon around the fillets and then let it finish cooking with the fish.
Bacon Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
Coastal Living Magazine and www.myrecipes.com
8 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
4 (5 to 6-ounce) tilapia fillets
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons butter, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Instructions: Combine first 4 ingredients in a shallow dish. Set aside.
Place flour in a shallow dish. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper, and dredge in flour. Shake off excess, dip fish into egg, and press gently into breadcrumb mixture.
Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until butter melts. Add 2 fish fillets; cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Repeat with remaining butter, oil, and fish.
I didn't have quite as much luck with the fresh corn casserole. It's a pretty simple recipe—six ears fresh, uncooked corn on the cob, 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream, 3 tablespoons of butter and salt and pepper to taste. Somehow mine came out a very creamy, but runny mess. Rest assured it was good, though. I'll have to re-experiment some day soon.
Dessert, however, was my pride and joy. Behold, I give you the Berry
Dutch Baby!
A Dutch Baby is similar to a
German Pancake...only somehow it became Dutch. And since my husband is a Dutch baby and my baby is a Dutch baby...(but part German too), I was outnumbered and made this one. Boy, was it yummy!!! And SO incredibly EASY to make!!! It was intended for breakfast this morning, but my friend Sarah had a gallbladder attack over the weekend and wasn't able to make it down. So back in the fridge it went, and I took it out for dessert.
Berry Dutch Baby
A wonderful baked pancake that can be quickly put together without fuss. While this recipe calls for berries, pitted fruits -- peaches, plums, nectarines -- can be used with or instead of berries. If you enjoy tangy flavors, try substituting plain yogurt or buttermilk for half the milk.
3 large egg whites
2 large eggs
1 Cup All-Purpose flour
1 Cup nonfat milk
2 Tablespoon Sugar
2 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine
3 1/2 Cup raspberries or strawberries or blueberries (or a combo)
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions: 1. Pre heat oven to 425 degrees. Place cast iron skillet or other ovenproof frying pan in the oven.
2. Blend together the egg whites, eggs, flour, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
3. Add butter to the hot skillet, swirling to melt butter and coat both bottom and sides of pan.
4. Pour the batter into the pan and bake 25 minutes or until until the Dutch baby is puffy and well-browned.
5. While the cake is baking, mix the cinnamon and berries in a bowl.
6. Spoon the berries onto the Dutch baby and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
7. Serve hot.
And for the first time in I've TOTALLY lost track of how long, Ben and I had an HOUR of uninterrupted time together!!!! Adri decided she didn't want to lie down this afternoon (got too long of a catnap in the car), so she was MORE than ready to go to bed at 8:30pm. It took me all of 5 minutes to get her to sleep!
We're going to HAVE to figure out how to do this at home when we go back. There has to be SOMEPLACE in that house that we can go to get away from prying eyes and ears. Anyone up for drywalling?
My Cooking Vacation
Okay, so I'm not really on vacation. We're at
James and Alice's place house/pet sitting for them while THEY'RE on vacation. It FEELS like a vacation to us because...well, because we're not with my parents. We have a whole 9 days to watch what we want, spend as much time on the computer as we want, and most importantly to COOK what we want. So over the next few days, you can sneak a peek at what the Kuiper's are eating.
Sunday's Meal: Fettuccine Carbonara
1 pound dry fettuccine noodles
1 package bacon
3 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 TBSP chopped garlic
ground black pepper to taste
Instructions: 1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Fry bacon in skillet over medium heat until crispy, remove and drain on paper towel. Chop with knife into bits.
3. Beat the eggs, cheese and cream in a bowl, then add the bacon. Pour over the pasta in the pan and toss gently using tongs.
4. Return the pan to a very low heat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Don't overheat or the eggs will scramble. Season well with black pepper and serve.
Calories: 1106
Cholesterol: 362 mg
Fat: 71.1 g
Protein: 32.9 g
Carbohydrates: 85.8 g
Sodium: 738 mg
Fiber: 3.9 g
I used turkey bacon, so that should reduce a little of the fat/calories. I'm not sure if something like half & half (or fat free half & half)would work as a good substitute or not. I also added some mushrooms. Then I served it with some asparagus. Ben and Adri bowed down and kissed my feet. Alice, your kitchen is in very good hands. The rest of your property is too, of course. The dogs all get along for the most part. Rosie and Maggie get along well, and she likes Bingo, but gets annoyed with him quickly. Scout LOVES to torture Rosie and poor Horace just spends his days upstairs away from all the commotion.
I Will NEVER Use Cream Of Mushroom Soup Again!!
Okay, so I won't use the CANNED version anyway. Let me tell you this evening's plight.
I've been working on waxes most of the afternoon for my Dad (it's paying for my counseling!!), and all of a sudden, my nieces come out and tell me their hungry and ask what's for dinner. I look at the clock and it all of a sudden was 5 o'clock. Well, my Dad refuses to even LOOK at a casserole of any kind. Something about the
SOS they fed him in the army in Vietnam. Anyway, I decided to make my Chicken Noodle Casserole. It's similar to tuna noodle, but it has cream of chicken and chicken and green beans instead of cream of mushroom, tuna and peas. Well, I ran into a problem when I realized that BECAUSE my Dad doesn't eat casseroles, my Mom has no reason to buy "cream of" anything. So I went on a search to find a replacement. I knew I could make a gravy with chicken broth and flour, but it wouldn't be creamy. I didn't have any milk, powdered milk or half and half...or even cheese to "creamyize" it. That's when I found a post on
www.thriftyfun.com for a substitute—evaporated milk!! I ALWAYS have evaporated milk in my pantry. So I used a can of Swanson's Roasted Garlic Chicken Broth, about 3/4 to 1 cup of flour, a little butter, made a thick paste and then over a medium heat whisked in a can of evaporated milk. I also added two tablespoons of Classico Basil Pesto for flavor. We just finished supper, and I had rave reviews! It was SOOOOOO creamy! A little runnier than the other (which was my fault...)but OHHHHH so much better!
You could do so much with this! Make your own "cream of anything" soup!!! Celery, Mushroom, Chicken, Asparagus....the stove is your oyster. Oohh! Cream of Oyster!! Okay....maybe not. And for those of you who like to make and store your own dry mixes, there was also a recipe for that!
Cream-of-Whatever Soup Mix
* 2 c powdered nonfat milk
* 3/4 c cornstarch
* 1/4 c instant chicken bouillon
* 2 tb dried onion flakes
* 1 ts basil leaves
* 1 ts thyme leaves
* 1/2 ts pepper
To use in place of canned cream soups in casseroles or as a base for your own soups. Much lower in fat and salt than the canned versions. The trick is to have it made up ready to use! Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
To substitute for one can of condensed soup:
Combine 1/3 cup of dry mix with 1 1/4 cups of cold water in a saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened. Add to casseroles as you would the canned product.
Makes equivalent of 9 cans of soup.
Hands Down, THE Most AMAZING Hot Sandwich!
I Stumbled upon this website a while back. This woman is hillarious! I love the way she writes (click
here to visit her blog). She and her family live on a cattle ranch out in the middle of southern nowhere. She named her husband (very appropriately, I might add) Marlboro Man. Anyway, this is Marlboro Man's favorite sandwich. I made it for supper tonight and got rave reviews from even the pickiest of eaters, my 8 year old niece Lizzy. My favorite part of the recipe is the last step in the instructions.
Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich
Website:
www.thepioneerwomancooks.com3 pounds cube steak
1 large onion
6 French/Deli rolls
1 stick Butter
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco (we didn't have any, so I used Franks Hot Sauce)
Instructions: -Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside.
-Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with Lawry's.
-Heat 2 TBSP butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown.
-Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides.
-Add 1/2 (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco, and 2 TBSP butter. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine.
-Butter halved French rolls and brown on skillet.
-To assemble, lay bottom half of French roll on plate. Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonfull of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, cut in half, and devour! Now go get on the stairmaster. GO!
Staging:
Variations: Now, if I weren't married to a straight-up-meat-and-potatoes rancher, I would probably cook a bunch of sliced mushrooms with the onions. I'd add a little sherry to the meat mixture. And I'd melt a little sliced mozzarella on the top. But that's just me. Truth is, you could play around with this sandwich as much as you'd like: different veggies, different seasonings (thyme, fresh garlic, etc.), or a topping of different cheeses. Go play! Have fun! And report back to me if you make any life-altering modifications.
Up To Nothin' Much....
I haven't posted in a while. Mostly I've just been busy...and haven't really known what to write and what to keep to myself. Then I figured hey--this is my blog. I can post whatever I want.
On the fun side of things, here are a few pictures of Adri over the last few weeks.
Adriana and her first time in her pool. We've since then gotten a bigger one that ALL of us can sit in.
And this is one of her drying off on the swing. She LOVES the swing, because she can get up there by herself.
Adri eating roasted corn on the cob—her new favorite meal lately. This was taken at Cornerstone Park. We went there with my sister Bridget and her family to watch fireworks on the 4th. I really don't think I'm as fat in the hips/butt as that chair makes me look.
Adri watching the fireworks. I was pretty impressed with this picture. It was taken at about 10pm. I love my digital camera!
Adri and Daddy watching the fireworks. This one was also taken in the darkIn the not so fun category, I started counseling today. Moving back to my childhood home has brought up a lot of issues for me ranging from issues with my Mom to issues stemming from past sexual abuse/assault. I chose this particular counselor because he does
theophostic counseling (it's hard to explain—so you can click on the link to learn more). After going through the process with some issues, Chuck (my counselor) made a very interesting observation. In all of the memories the Holy Spirit brought me back to, I had no voice. When I went back to my sexual assult, I had no voice...I never said anything. When I went back to a memory of sitting at the dinner table and my family forgetting to feed me (no one even knew I was there until they started clearing the table), I had no voice. I never spoke up to remind them I was there. I don't know why...maybe it was because I knew that when you spoke up you got yelled at. That's really the only thing I can think of. I've got two weeks to think about it, though. The good thing is that I at least have a little more hope of being healed than I did when I started.
