2011 July

Transition

17 Jul posted by Becky

I’m going through transition in my life right now. For the last 8 months or so I’ve been filling in on a fairly regular basis at a Church here in town. Throughout that time I’ve grown fond of the people there and my husband and son have become quite comfortable. As comfortable as I am, I cannot stay (as much as I might like to) and that’s difficult. Looking at my life right now I cannot take on the responsibility of a full time charge alone. It wouldn’t be fair to them or to my family.

I’ve been off official work for a while now. Being a full time Mom is wonderful but working is something I love as well. I feel like I need to be doing a little more and I haven’t found that perfect fit yet. I require flexibility and I desire to serve. I know I am called to do something, yet I’m not sure what that is. I stay busy with my writing and taking care of Xavier but I think I need another project, something to distract me and keep my mind going. It’s time for me to move into something a little different and I’m sure with time that something will be revealed.

For now I’m open to suggestions. I guess I will just keep reading and thinking. The journey so far has been an interesting ride and I would bet that what’s to come will be filled with excitement, wonder and a great deal of surprise.

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Filed Under: Musings, Random Blog Stuff, Reflections

Crusted Honey-Mustard Salmon

12 Jul posted by Becky

Salmon is a staple around our house but lately we’ve been getting pretty bored of the usual selections. Last night I decided to mix things up a bit and created this tasty dish. I’m a big fan of honey mustard sauce and I have grown fond of a light crust on a fish so here it is. This simple, easy fish is a quick after work dish that can be on the table within 20 minutes.

Crusted Honey-Mustard Salmon

Ingredients:

4 salmon filets
1 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 c panko bread crumbs
sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Set your oven to broil.
Cover a cookie pan with foil and spray pan with cooking spray.
Season each filet with salt and pepper
Place salmon on the pan.
Lightly brush the honey mustard sauce on each filet.
Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the fish so they are lightly coated.
Place the fish in the oven for 8-11 minutes or until done to your liking.
Enjoy!

Extra Information:

I broil my fish in my toaster oven in the top part of the oven.
The fish does cook fairly quickly when you broil it so it’s good to watch to make sure it isn’t too well done when you pull it out.
This would pair well with a light summer salad or some fresh cut veggies.

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Filed Under: Dinner, Eat Clean, Food, Healthy Living, Recipe, Wellness on Whatever Day

Restoration

11 Jul posted by Becky

I am tired today yet I won’t rest. There’s too much to do. I have laundry and dishes. There are walls to be scrubbed. Flowers to water. Jam to make. A service to prepare for. I’m sure if I tried I could find a lot more to do. There are always ways to keep busy.

Why can’t I stop? Why can’t I rest? God stopped. God took a break. Jesus stopped. He took a break. Yet here I stand with bags under my eyes, muscles fatigued from overwork and too little sleep. I’m stupidly pushing through, refusing to take a break, refusing to seek restoration.

Restoration is a concept that we all long for, yet rarely realize. We want to feel whole. To be restored to our full selves. Yet somehow, we’ve developed ways to prevent this from happening. Our lives are too busy. We’ve got technology and schedules and a great many responsibilities heaped upon us. There is too much happening. Too much on our minds. Not enough space. Not enough room for God to enter and help us find peace.

We need to make room for this peace. This restoration of the soul. This idea that we might be able to take time, be still and know God.

I wonder if I can sit in the stillness.
Will I know God today?

4 Comments
Filed Under: Faith, Musings, Random Blog Stuff, Reflections

Poached Hake on Spinach with a White Wine Reduction

8 Jul posted by Becky

This was my dinner last night.

It was tasty.

I’ve been on a bit of a health kick lately. I’m planning menus around the least inflammatory foods, working extra vegetables and fruits into our diet and just generally trying to make us feel great. I’ve been reading a lot about fish lately and how good it can be for you so as I popped my head into the freezer this morning to pull something out for dinner, the fish caught my eye. When I pulled it out I didn’t know what to make but the end result was delicious.

It’s a simple dish that can be thrown together after work or pulled out for an elegant dinner party. I served it with baked provincial tomatoes on the side and they worked nicely with the dish. Next time some grilled zucchini might make the menu. Enjoy!

Poached Hake on Spinach with a White Wine Reduction

Ingredients:

4 hake fillets
1 bottle of white wine (I used Chardonnay)
14 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tsp herbs de provence
baby spinach

Instructions:

Cut your hake into medium size pieces that are as uniform as possible.
Place in the bottom of a large deep pan. I used a dutch oven.
Cover with the white wine and the thyme.
Cook on medium heat until finished for approximately 18-23 minutes. Check often to ensure that the fish does not overcook.
Once the fish is finished remove fish from pot, leaving the liquid behind.
Place fish in casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
Add the Herbs de provence to the liquid and continue cooking so it can reduce. Stir occasionally to get a sense of how well it is reducing.
After it has reduced a bit, remove a spoonful of the liquid and place it in a wok or frying pan.
Remove the thyme from liquid. Continue reducing.
Cook the spinach in the wok or frying pan until it has wilted but is not soggy.
Remove spinach from heat and set aside.
When the liquid has sufficiently reduced into a thick, creamy sauce, remove from heat and strain into a small bowl to ensure any flakes of fish are removed from the sauce.
To plate the dish, place a handful of spinach on the plate. Top the spinach with a piece of hake. Drizzle a small amount of the sauce over the hake.
Enjoy!

Extra Information:

This may sound complicated but it’s actually quite simple. Once you get started it’s really just a matter of watching things to make sure everything is on track.
Once you’ve reduced the liquid there will be very little sauce left but that’s okay, the sauce is quite flavorful and you only need a little to create the desired effect.

4 Comments
Filed Under: Dinner, Eat Clean, Entertaining, Healthy Living, Recipe

Random Thought Thursday: July 7th

7 Jul posted by Becky

Lots of stuff has been happening here! I’ve been struggling to find a balance between Mr. Potato Head, walks to the park, writing my sermons, surviving early morning gym sessions and finding a little quiet. That has really eaten my time. The blog has suffered. I’m working on finding a little balance and promise there will be some new material soon!
The market is an amazing place right now. The vegetables and fruit are full of flavor and color. People are happy and the world seems brighter when faced with a delicious cherry just picked from the tree.
So You Think You Can Dance has taken the place of The Voice in my life. I really like watching the routines and am amazed at what they can do.
I’m growing a basket of strawberries in the yard. They are almost red. It’s the most incredible thing to watch them grow and blossom into edible treats.
I sometimes forget Celine Dion still sings.

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Filed Under: Random Blog Stuff, Random Thought Thursday

Jalapeno Poppers

4 Jul posted by Becky

As I wandered through the produce section this week I happened upon some lovely jalapeno peppers that I had to have. As I thought about ways to use them my mind drifted back to my university days and the nights spent with friends debating theology and life around a bucket of wings and a basket of poppers. Now that I’m older, wiser, and healthier I tend to avoid these things now.

As I’ve aged, my tastes have changed. As tasty as those poppers were, I’m much more interested in clean, fresh tastes. Inspired by the memory and my desire to make a healthier version I came up with these adult poppers. Filled with light lemon cream cheese and broiled in the oven until they are just blackened, they hit the spot with their spicy yet slightly sweet flavor.

Jalapeno Poppers for Adults

Ingredients:

12 Jalapeno Peppers
1 block of light cream cheese, softened
1 lemon

Instructions:

Cut the heads off the peppers and carefully clean out the inside removing all seeds.
Place the softened cream cheese into a small bowl.
Add the zest and juice of one lemon to the cream cheese and mix well.
Place the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag and pipe the mixture into the peppers being careful not to over fill.
Put the peppers on a foil lined baking tray and place under the broiler.
After about 8 minutes (or however long it takes to begin blackening).
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly (for about one minute) before eating.
Enjoy!

Extra Information

I did lightly spray the foil lined tray with oil to ensure if the cheese ran out it wouldn’t burn or stick. This did make the peppers very slippery. If you choose to do it, be careful with the peppers so they don’t fly off your pan.
If you’re not a fan of lemon, feel free to keep it plain.

2 Comments
Filed Under: Entertaining, Food, Healthy Living, Recipe, Snacks, Vegetarian, Wellness on Whatever Day

The morning after…

2 Jul posted by Becky

The morning after a holiday is always a bit of a let down. You wait expectantly for the big day and then as quickly as it came, it’s gone. I think the day after needs a little something to make things special. These Maple Sugar Muffins should do that quite nicely. The gooey, spicy, sweetness should wake up anyone’s morning and cheer up a gloomy mood any day.

Maple Sugar Muffins

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

1 3/4 c self-rising cake flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 c white sugar
1 c maple flakes
1 egg
1/2 c oil
3/4 c milk

For the topping:

1/3 c crushed maple flakes
3/4 c white sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c melted butter

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350.
Spray a muffin tin with cooking oil. Set aside.
In a large bowl mix the flour, cinnamon, sugar and maple flakes together.
Beat the egg in a small bowl.
Add the oil and milk to the egg.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix until everything is combined.
Spoon the mix into the muffin tin.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
While the muffins are baking mix the crushed maple flakes, white sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Melt the butter just before the muffins are finished.
While the muffins are still hot, dip the muffins into the melted butter and then in the maple sugar mixture.
Enjoy!

Extra Information:

These are a seriously tasty breakfast when you have company. Just add some cut cheddar and a few grapes and you’ve got a delicious, quick meal that people can grab at their leisure.

Linking up with the Weekend Roundup at:

10 Comments
Filed Under: Baking, Breakfast, Entertaining, Food, Recipe, Snacks

Happy Canada Day!

1 Jul posted by Becky

O Canada. The true north strong and free. Home of some seriously tasty food. Food like Niagara Peaches, PEI Potatoes and delicious Maple Syrup. Today as we celebrate the birth of our nation, we shall gather at my Grandparents with a few family members and enjoy some relaxing time around a bonfire while we catch up and enjoy a few quiet moments together.

I made these cookies to celebrate the occasion and they were delicious. The not too sweet maple flavor and oh so buttery richness make these the perfect cookie for Canada Day or any other summer barbeque situation you might find yourself in.

Happy Canada Day!

O Canada Cookies:

Ingredients:

1 C soft unsalted butter
1 c maple flakes
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 c self rising flour + 1/2 c for rolling

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cream the butter and maple flakes together until nice and smooth.
Add in the vanilla and eggs. Beat until mixed.
Slowly add the flour to the mix.
Do not over mix but ensure the cookies are well combined.
If the dough is too wet add a little flour until the texture is moist, not wet.
Lightly coat your rolling surface with some flour. Take 1/4 of the dough and roll it out. You want a nice thick cookie so don’t roll it too thin.
Place the cut cookies on the baking sheet.
Once sheet is filled place in the oven for 16 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to brown.
Remove and transfer to a cooling rack to prevent soggy bottoms.
Once completely cool you can eat them or ice them. Enjoy!

Extra Information:

If you’re interested in the maple glaze I used, it’s quite easy. Add 1/8th of a cup of milk, melted butter and maple syrup to 2 cups of icing sugar. Beat well, until thick and smooth. It’s very easy and a great arm work out if you do it by hand.
The length of time required to cook these cookies will vary depending on the size of cookie cutter you use. Just keep an eye on them and adjust accordingly.