Anna

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

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strawberry rhubarb pie
 
Well, I was going through doing some edits on posts and found this in Drafts.  I don’t know how it got there, but it was supposed to have been published in July 2015.  This is obviously not the season for rhubarb but I am releasing it for your future enjoyment!
 
I have collected so many recipes over the years, but the ones I have kept the longest were from college–from  roommates or classes or church homemaking activities.  This is a favorite every time I make it–which isn’t often enough.  Everyone raves about it.  I had never even heard of rhubarb until Mom Metzger made it for Sunday dessert when I went home with my roommate, Cindy, over break.  I was like, “That looks like celery, but it’s red.  Is it a fruit or a vegetable?” (that’s probably not what I actually said.  It was 1980.  Who remembers?)  Whatever…it was amazing.  I made the pie a few days ago and decided I needed to know what kind of food this was.  Check out the collage below for the answer.
 
 
 
 
strawberry rhubarb collage
 
Source: Cindy Wilson’s Mom in Buhl, Idaho, 1980.
 
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
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Ingredients
  1. 1 qt. rhubarb, cut up into 1/2″ little chunks
  2. 3/4 – 1 cup sugar
  3. 1/2 t. cinnamon
  4. 1/4 cup tapioca
  5. 3-oz. strawberry Jell-O
  6. about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of water
Instructions
  1. Mix everything but the Jell-O together in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
  2. Add the Jell-O and stir to evenly combine.
  3. Pour into prepared pie crust. Dot with butter, if desired.
  4. Place top crust over pie and flute the edges to seal.
  5. Cut slits in top crust to vent.
  6. Bake 40 minutes at 425 F.
  7. Cool in refrigerator.
Notes
  1. The filling may boil over a bit so be sure to have something under your pie to catch any drippings.
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

How Strong is Your Magnet?

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 I posted this in 2015.  Somehow the topic keeps coming up to me–just had a conversation about this a couple of days ago with my daughter.  Looks like a still have some work to do on my magnet.  What are your thoughts?
 
 
Do you have women that you look up to, that have qualities and traits that you would like to emulate?  Is there one in particular that you would really like to hang out with, spend time with, hoping that some of what she has will rub off on you?   These could be qualities like humility, the ability to light up a room when they walk in, someone who is well-versed in the scriptures, or who knows just the right kind of service to give.  Maybe it’s someone who knows how to perfectly put a room together, knows just the right style and colors to wear to enhance her already natural beauty.  Whatever it is, temporal or spiritual, you might feel you lack that and want some of what she’s got.
 
Well, this is pretty typical for me.  I often observe women that I know that have something about them that I wish I had about me.  Maybe I do have it deep down inside, you know, but it just hasn’t emerged yet. As I sat in church one Sunday, pondering over this issue because I had just seen one of those women in the congregation, I likened the pull I had toward this person to a magnet.  Why am I pulled to her?  Why is this someone who doesn’t naturally gravitate towards a friendship with me, beyond just an occasional chat in the hall?  And then it occurred to me.  How strong is MY magnet?  My pull must not be strong enough to bring someone like that in.  Do you understand what I mean?
 
As I thought about this whole magnet analogy, I realized that at some point this woman had paid the price, prepared herself, and had done what she needed to be the kind of person the Lord wanted her to be–and I am sure she has more to accomplish.  The more temporal traits were just something she developed, as well.  
 
Have I paid the price?  Have I prepared myself and put in the time and prayer to develop traits within myself that are there for the taking?  Probably not to the degree that I should.  So instead of comparing myself to others and coming up short, I just need to do what I need to do to bring out the traits and qualities the Lord instilled in me and hoped I would recognize and strengthen.  Then my magnet will pull others to me–those with whom I can associate and we can strengthen each other.
 
Just some Sunday morning musings for you to consider, if you’d like.  Thanks for listening.
 
Image from FreeDigitalPhotos/Danilo Rizzuti.
 
 

Because of Him

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I hope you are enjoying this beautiful Easter Sunday.  We have been watching the sessions of our faith’s General Worldwide Conference from Salt Lake City.  How appropriate to also be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ during this time.

Please enjoy this short video with your family as we all remember our Savior, Jesus Christ, and all that He did for us.

Scotch Eggs

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Originally published on May 9, 2013. 

Do people still do “Throw-back Thursday” on Facebook?  It’s kind of a fun thing to do and so I thought I would do that today by bringing back an oldie but a goodie.  Seriously, if you have never tried Scotch Eggs before, you should.  The first time I had one was at Disney World…

 

My daughter ordered Scotch Eggs at an English Pub at Epcot.  She went bonkers over them so, of course, I had to have a taste.  I was gobsmacked!  Could not believe how yummy they were!  She asked our waitress for the recipe and she was happy to share how she, personally, makes them at home in England.  Did we find the napkin she wrote the recipe down on?  I don’t think so.  So, the other day I was looking through a magazine and I found a recipe!  Yahoo!   Chasity LeGrand shared this recipe via allrecipes.com.  I have made my variations to her recipe, below:

Ingredients:
1 quart oil for frying
4 hard-boiled eggs, cooled and peeled
1 pound pork sausage
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten (did not take that much so I scrambled the rest for someone else to eat while I was making this)
2 cups dried bread crumbs, seasoned



1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees.

2.  Flatten the sausage and make a patty to completely cover each egg and gently shape into a ball.  Very lightly flour the sausage and coat with beaten egg.  Roll in bread crumbs to cover evenly.

 

3.  Deep-fry until golden brown, then bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

4.  Cut eggs in half to serve.  I served mine with spring mix salad and coarse ground mustard.

Source:  Chasity LeGrand via www.allrecipes.com

Frittata in a Flash

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Well this just happened–Frittata in a Flash!  I am visiting in my sister’s home for a few days and today I was put in charge of throwing together some lunch.  We were trying for something kind of Keto and kind of Abs Diet-y and I thought this would do well.  I think it is totally Keto, by the way.  Keto aficionados, please let me know if I am wrong.

So, I just kind of threw this together.  Someone wanted omelettes and this was just quicker since there were 5 of us eating and it was a busy day of errands, odd jobs around the house, and homeschooling.  A huge time-saver was using Thrive freeze-dried vegetables. 

This was a big hit!  And super easy.

Frittata in a Flash
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Ingredients
  1. 10 eggs,
  2. Turkey sausage (about 1/4 or so of a bulk package)
  3. 2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
  4. 1/2 cup Thrive freeze-dried asparagus
  5. 1/4 cup Thrive freeze-dried green onions
  6. 2 T. sour cream
  7. 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (shred your own from a brick of cheese)
  8. Salt and pepper to taste
  9. Olive oil or spray
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Refresh the asparagus and onions in a little bit of water in a container with a lid. Shake a few times while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Drain off excess water before adding to the sausage.
  3. Spray a large oven-proof skillet with olive oil spray and heat on medium-high heat.
  4. Add the turkey sausage and brown it as you chop it into small pieces.
  5. Add the tomatoes, onions, and asparagus and saute for a few minutes to bring out the flavor. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Whisk the eggs to blend well, adding sour cream and cheese. Pour egg mixture into skillet and stir to incorporate the vegetables and sausage.
  7. Cook for a few minutes and then reduce to medium and cook until almost firm. Check the bottom of the frittata to make sure you aren't over browning it, since you will be putting it in the oven.
  8. Put the skillet in the oven for about 8 minutes to complete the cooking.
  9. You're done! Eat it!
Notes
  1. An afterthought: mushrooms would have been a great addition!
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Mexican Hot Chocolate Oatmeal

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You haven’t tried Mexican Hot Chocolate Oatmeal?  Never thought about it?  I needed breakfast this morning and I have been wanting to try this idea since I bought some Abuelita Hot Chocolate Mix–not the tablets.  That’s for making it the non-instant way.  

So the original idea for chocolate oatmeal came from my Grandma Brew.  She would put Hershey’s chocolate syrup or Nestle’s Quik in my Uncle Reggie’s oatmeal–not when he was a kid.  He was a teenager.  The first time I saw that on a summertime visit I was a little shocked, but then I tried it and I was an immediate fan–try it yourself sometime when you need some chocolate in your most important meal of the day.

Back to this post.  Mexican Hot Chocolate is an acquired taste–I think mainly because it is like dark chocolate and the amount of sugar is not up to par with your usual hot chocolate recipe.  Also, there is cinnamon in the mix–or canela if you are serving it to your abuela (grandmother).

Feel free to adjust the amount of mix and maybe add a little sugar.  I added Truvia this morning and served it up in a Mexican pewter molcajete just to keep with the theme.

Here’s a fun tip: get yourself some of these cute measuring spoons so that you have the right measurement for dash/smidgeon/pinch and oh my goodness this set has a tad and a drop.  Be still my heart.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Oatmeal
Serves 1
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Prep Time
5 min
Prep Time
5 min
Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
  2. 1 cup water
  3. Dash of salt
  4. 1 T. Abuelita Hot Chocolate Instant Mix
  5. sugar to taste
Instructions
  1. Bring the water and salt to a boil in a small to medium saucepan.
  2. Add the oats and cook on medium for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add the hot chocolate mix and stir.
Notes
  1. Adjust the amount of mix depending on how chocolate-y you want it.
  2. You will probably need to sweeten this.
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Old Settler’s Beans

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old settler's beans

 

 I thought I would bring back one of my favorite bean recipes because it has turned cold this week and this sounds like something I might want to eat for supper soon.  Also, we got to meet our friend Tim for lunch recently and he gave us the recipe. He flew in for a job interview and it was great to catch up!

Make a double batch–there were no leftovers at my house!  Loved by young and old alike, this will be a hit at your next covered dish supper or BBQ.

Originally published February 25, 2016.

Old Settler's Beans
Delicious side dish, perfect for grilling out.
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 lb. ground beef
  2. 1/2 lb. bacon, cut in small pieces
  3. 1 large onion, diced
  4. 1 can green butter beans (I think it's probably Lima beans, so that is what I used)
  5. 1 can kidney beans
  6. 1 can pork & beans, undrained
  7. 1/3 cup brown sugar
  8. 1/3 cup white sugar
  9. 1/4 cup catsup
  10. 1/2 T. dry mustard
  11. 2 T. molasses
  12. Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
  1. In a dutch oven, brown the hamburger, bacon , and onion together. Do not drain.
  2. Add all the beans and stir together.
  3. Mix the remaining ingredients together and then add to the bean/meat mixture. Stir to combine.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Notes
  1. This can be cooked in a covered dutch oven over hot coals for about an hour and would be great on a camping trip.
Adapted from Tim & Casey Van Buskirk of Tucson, AZ.
Adapted from Tim & Casey Van Buskirk of Tucson, AZ.
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Balance vs. Chaos

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I have just finished reading  Amanda Sullivan’s book entitled “Organized Enough“.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I am passionate about de–junking/de-cluttering/streamlining…whatever you want to call it, I love to ORGANIZE!  

Somehow, though, over the last year and a half, I have lost structure and routine and the peace that it brings to my soul.  Oh heck, I retired a year and a half ago and that’s when it started.  Do you know what I mean?  

My scheduled little life blew up in my face when that Monday – Friday,
12 -5pm routine was just GONE.  

You start saying yes to all kinds of stuff because you’re like “Yes, I have all kinds of time now.  Bring it on!” 

You lose the focus and planning that got you through your busy–but orderly–days.  

Your cleaning routine…LOL…what routine? I am lucky to get the laundry done in 2 days instead of on Tuesday when it’s scheduled.  Where did all those dirty clothes come from? We’re Empty Nesters!

Cleaning is hit-and-miss.  

You DO get to travel more, though! We’re driving all over the place–doing the good, better and the best.

But here is the sweet stuff:  visiting family and going to the beach more often because you don’t have to find someone to fill in for you at work. You can finally serve others because you have the time to do it right when it is needed.

Don’t get me wrong.  Retirement is a good thing and there are lots of great things you can do with your new-found freedom, but you do need to balance everything and put things in their proper perspective.  

For the first time in my life, I find myself running around like the proverbial “chicken with her head cut off.”  You know you’ve been there, too.  I saw you the last time I was there.  

You are working on one thing, like getting through the layers of TO DO/TO FILE/TO PAY piled on your desk, and you think of something you need in the next room.

You go to that room and see something that needs to be taken care of, and BAM!  About 20 minutes later you remember you were supposed to be organizing your desk for the umpteenth flippin’ time.

This book is a great resource for you if you crave balance in your life and you are tired of just doing a balancing ACT, which  leads me to something I highlighted on p. 196, in the chapter on cultivating the habit of consistency:

“A solid routine fosters a well-worn groove for one’s mental energies and helps stave off the tyranny of moods (Ann Rice)…”

Consistency and routine free up your brain for more important tasks…Scientists have shown that we experience a mental drain when we switch back and forth from one task to another and…when we have to think too much about our next move.  Consistency, whether it’s about what we wear to work or the time of day we open our mail, eliminates the back-and-forth deliberation and the decision making, so we don’t have to think about it.  We just do it.

So I am re-learning something that I realized years ago: you have got to get the ‘housekeeping’ done in your life.  

A good routine can take care of all those things that just have to be done every week, and leave you with the physical and mental energy you need to do the things that give you peace and make your heart smile.

I hope all of that made sense to you.  Comment below and let me know what you think…

 

A personal note:  Today is my sweet  Mom’s birthday.  She passed away from Alzheimer’s almost 2 years ago.  What a sweet, quiet spirit she had. 

 

Copycat Wendy’s Chili

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Okay, this is going to have to be quick because I have to get back to watching the Winter Olympics.  Every time.  

My sister shared this recipe with me when we visited one time during a cold winter weekend.  Comfort food at its best and it smelled so good in her house while it was cooking.  Super easy recipe, and could easily be done in the slow cooker.  Be sure and get some of those cute Premium Saltine Minis.  I think they just taste better because they are so small.  Kids I love to snack on them.

Great dish for a baked potato bar while you are watching ballgames or any time you are feeding a crowd.  We had a baked potato bar when I fixed this and now I have leftover spuds.  Stay tuned for my next recipe–baked potato soup!

 

 

Copycat Wendy's Chili
Serves 12
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Ingredients
  1. 2 lbs. ground chuck
  2. 1 29-oz. can tomato sauce
  3. 1 29-oz. can dark red kidney beans (with liquid)
  4. 1 29-oz. can pinto beans (with liquid)
  5. 1 c. diced onion (medium)
  6. 1/2 c. diced green chilies
  7. 1/4 c. diced celery
  8. 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
  9. 2 t. cumin
  10. 3 T. chili powder
  11. 1 1/2 t. black pepper
  12. 2 t. salt
  13. 2 c. water
Instructions
  1. Brown the beef in a skillet over medium heat; drain off fat.
  2. Using a fork or other tool for chopping meat, crumble the cooked beef into pea-size pieces.
  3. In a large pot, combine the beef plus all remaining ingredients, and bring to simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring every 15 minutes for 2-3 hours.
Notes
  1. I had a big crowd over for dinner so I doubled the recipe, but only 1 1/2'd (is that a word?) the spices and water.
  2. Add-ins: sour cream, shredded Mexican blend cheese, saltine mini crackers.
Adapted from Amy Eason
Adapted from Amy Eason
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Why We Are Baptized

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We have an exciting event happening in our family this coming week.  My 8-year-old grandson is being baptized at church!  We are taught that children reach the age of accountability–they are able to distinguish right from wrong–at 8 years old.  So this is a big milestone in his life, as it is for anyone, and we will be able to participate in that this Saturday afternoon.

Today I just wanted to share this really good video with you that shows children telling what they know about Jesus Christ’s baptism and about why it is important to follow His example.  In case you have trouble viewing it, here is the link:

  https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/collection/childrens-bible-videos/baptism