Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Herb Butter

I am finding myself falling in love with fresh dill weed!! It's so good and brings a new taste to common things. Here is a spread I made for my bagel. Delicious!

Herb Butter
2 tablespoons softened butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon fresh dill weed, rinsed and chopped
dash of Parmesan cheese
Blend and spread over bagel and toast.
This makes a great spread for any kind of hearty bread and will go along with your pasta dish quite nicely.

Friday, March 26, 2010

My Very Own Kissing Ball


I had so much fun making my own kissing ball which was inspired by Creative Jewish Mom. If you are wanting to make one, follow her instructions. I did not have a hot glue gun so I worked with thin bendable wire and beads with holes in them. I strung the wire through the beads, pinched off one end under the bead with a wire cutter and left about a 1 inch stem to poke through the center of the felt rose and then into the styrofoam ball.










It cost me about $15 dollars and a week to make during quite moments like when Savannah was happy playing by herself or taking a nap. I watched "North and South" on YouTube while rolling rose buds. WOW! I really liked it. Margret is a bit quick with voicing her opinions but stands so strong on what she believes. That Mr. Thornton is also opinionated but cruel at time... I am a real sucker for Victorian-type movies with great accents.


Here's the finished project








I'm really happy with it!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Tilapia for Dinner- Leftovers in a Pita



I came across a few good recipes, altered them and served it for dinner.
Cajun Tilapia with Pineapple Salsa
Vegetable Rice Pilaf
Cold Cucumber Salad


Cold Cucumber Salad- Let’s start by making this because it take a while to prepare. Fresh dill weed makes all the difference. It’s a wonderful herb that needs to be discovered. I had so much on hand so I started experimenting with it. Don’t be afraid to add it to something you are making. It just might revolutionize it! It’s wonderful in scrambled eggs, btw. Now back to the recipe.
Peel and thinly slice a large cucumber.
Add a little chopped onion.
Place in a bowl- mix with a pinch of salt. Cover and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Cucumbers retain LOTS of water and we want to get most of it out before adding the dressing (which will turn soupy anyway). Meanwhile, mix the dressing-
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup fresh dill weed, rinse and pat dry
Mix together and adjust taste to your liking. I really like lemon juice so I’d add a bit more. We will only use two-thirds of this batch on the cucumbers and save the rest with our “leftover pita lunch”.

Drain the cucumbers and add dressing. Mix well. Serve cold.

Vegetable Rice Pilaf
1 cup rice + 1 ½ cups water
Minced garlic, carrot, onion, green pepper, tomatoes, mushroom (anything you want)
1 chicken bullion cube ( or substitute water for chicken broth)
1 tablespoon fresh dill weed
Cook until fluffy.

Pineapple Salsa for Tilapia
Combine equal amounts of chopped pineapple, tomatoes and onion (maybe ¼ c. of each).
Fresh cilantro
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
Mix and let marinate for a bit.

We saved the tilapia for last since it cooks so fast!

Cajun Tilapia
4 Tilapia fillets (we love this fish because it's such a light tasting fish)
Rinse them off and pat dry.
Brush some oil on both sides.
Mix 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning and 1 teaspoon of salt into a bowl. Sprinkle both sides evenly with spice mixture.
Put a tablespoon of oil in a fry pan and get it HOT before adding the fish. Fish cooks fairly quickly so once you add the fish to the pan, watch for the sides to turn white (about 3 minutes) and flip. Cook for a few more minutes. It's done when the fish splits a little and is flaky inside.

Leftover Pita Lunch
I discovered that placing warmed leftover tilapia and rice in a pita pocket and drizzling the mayonnaise mixture over it was delightful!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Online Journaling?

wow- It's been forever since I've used xanga but I have an urge to start a new kind of blog of recording recipes i make, crafts i put together, pictures i take and anything else I feel like putting on here.

Here's to a new adventure!