Monday, June 7, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

 


I know I am a little late with this, but I wasn't going to do Menu Plan Monday at first. Then I got a call today that the nursing home I was suppose to help at this week doesn't need me, so I have the whole week again for summer break! Yay! So here is my tentative plan for this week (as always, subject to change). 

 
Mon – Fish, Broccoli and noodles
Tues – Grilled chicken, salad, and mash potatoes
Wed – Southwestern Vegetarian Pasta, Salad, corn
Thurs – Vegetarian Faux chicken patties over rice and a garlic cream sauce
Fri – In-laws house for supper/vespers (at least I think so, it is their turn this week, haha).
Sabbath – Italian potatoes (family secret recipe) for church pot-luck


So there you have it!

~ Heather

Home-school Ideas...

I was looking for a project for Sabbath school this past weekend and found a really neat website that I wanted to share with those of you who have preschool age kids. The site is: http://www.daniellesplace.com/index.html . She has a section on there titled Home School Lessons and all the lessons are Christian based. I thought it looked neat and I am going to keep this tucked in the back of my mind (and in my favorites). :)


Heather


1950's and Present

Completing Him Challenge


Courtney at Women Living Well has challenged wives for the dates above to participate in the Completing Him Challenge. Each Monday there is a topic and/or homework for the week for you as a wife to complete on your blog or with your husband. Based on the topics it sounds like it will be very good! So go over to Stacy's blog and join!!

Pork Medallions with Grapes in Sauce

    
  
I couldn't decide if this recipe was more appropriate for the fall or not, but it appeared in my local newspaper's food section last week and I decided to give it a try.  Perhaps the brandy and fruit made me think of apples and apple brandy recipes of early fall.  Pork can be an alternative to menus overpopulated by chicken, but in time raises the same issues of how to prepare it in an interesting new way.  Having a new pork recipe made me try it and I was rewarded.  This recipe is extremely quick, which makes it a good mid-week item as it was advertised.  The sauce is also very tasty.  Last night, I didn't have brandy on hand, so I just added some apple juice.  Similarly, out of brown sugar, but it was still very good.  Just goes to show that recipes are flexible and can be made your own.  Another note, I buy my pork in the form of pork tenderloins, not least because my local market frequently offers them 2 for 1.  They are also very flexible, in that you can roast, or in the summer grill the whole thing, or cut it into medallions, as I did for this recipe, or into cubes for other recipes.  Whether you like tenderloin, pork chops, or boneless pork loin chops, they will all be good!  Serves 4.
    
Ingredients:
4 thick pork chops or boneless pork loin chops, or 2 tenderloins cut into 3/4" medallions
1/4 cup flour (if desired for breading)
salt/pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large shallots, diced
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved lengthwise
2 tsp brandy or apple juice
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp dark brown sugar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
    
Directions:
Lay out the chops or medallions and season both sides with salt and pepper.  In a large saute pan heat the oil over medium-high heat.  If breading the pork, dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess.  When hot, add the pork and cook, 4 minutes per side until lightly browned.  Remove the pork to a plate and turn down the heat in the pan to medium.  Add the shallots and grapes and cook 4 minutes to soften the shallots.  Deglaze the pan by adding the wine and brandy (or apple juice) and scraping up the cooked bits with a wooden spoon.  Increase heat to high and boil down the wine until almost evaporated.  Add the chicken broth and brown sugar and cook a few minutes to reduce by half.  Return the pork to the pan and turn and coat a couple of minutes to reheat the pork.  Place the pork on individual plates.  Whisk the mustard into the remaining liquid and pour equal portions over the pork on each plate.  Serve.
     

Lentil Recipes


French-Style Warm Lentil Salad: (V)
http://orangette.blogspot.com/2007/05/spring-clean.html


Red Lentil and Rice Patties with Mint-Cilantro Sauce: (V)
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/04/red-lentil-and-rice-patties-with.html


Ethiopian Lentils: (V)
http://vegandad.blogspot.com/2009/11/ethiopian-lentils.html

Are we in Rome already?

We didn't have a hostel booked for our two nights in Rome, so after exiting the train station, getting lost, eating gelato and walking forever with our backpacks on, we finally found a bed. That was always a relief...just to know we had a bed to go to at night.

Oh, but first things first. The train ride to Rome was the best yet. We laughed so hard. It was hilarious. Okay, I'll explain -though it was one of those had-to-have-been-there moments. We sat across from two Italian guys. One was studying English, had a dictionary with him and everything, and full of questions! He thought a lot and wanted to learn everything he possibly could. The other sitting back comfortably, with ear buds in listening to the football game, began to laugh at the one trying desperately to communicate and get his point across in English. Or maybe he was laughing at us trying to figure out what he was trying to say. Anyhow, he couldn't keep out of the conversation. His English wasn't very good, but he was trying his best to help the one guy out. He'd take a deep breath, pretend to wipe the sweat from his brow and dive in. It was hilarious. He obviously thought the one guy thought way too much and told him so. We had the best time though, just trying to communicate and help the one sort out his English and the other totally miss his football game. We also decided that we need to hone our English skills!

Okay, Rome in one word...crowded!!!!! If you can't tell yet we're not fans of crowds. But Rome was amazing! We did like it better than Paris! It at least felt safe -for the most part. The Roman Centurions swarming the Colosseum, and trying to rip you off by getting their picture taken with you, with your camera, were scary. But mainly, Rome was full of tourists just like us.

We started our last day in Europe, the morning of the 26th with a tour of the Colosseum.

It was really hard to comprehend the history that actually took place here.


The animals - lions, tigers, bears and other exotic beasts were kept here, under a floor that is now gone.




These are actual pieces of marble from the original work. Most of the marble was striped from the buildings and other artifacts that used to be covered with it.



Here you can see part of the floor that they replicated. This floor was covered with straw and was where the horrid, bloody fights took place. It's hard to imagine it even standing there where it happened. How can people be so cruel?



The Arch of Constantine






The Roman Forums were a highlight for me. We had an awesome guide too. I'm thinking I could have spent a whole day just meandering through the incredible ruins and beautiful gardens.





You can see some of the remains of the marble here.


Samples of the magnificent marble that once adorned these ancient ruins.








Wow! Ruins everywhere!














We so got lost looking for the Vatican. But we did find some gelato along the way. Gelato shops were great places to get information, rest our weary feet and backs, and get re-energized for more walking.

Saint Peter's Basilica


The guard.










The mosaics in St. Peter's are fascinating!






The following are views from the top of St. Peter's Basilica. It was a long narrow climb, but well worth it!















Traffic was DAUNTING!!! so glad we weren't driving!


Beginning our night walk through Rome.


An obelisk: Obelisco Sallustiano, at the top of the Spanish Steps (or in Italian: Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti).



At the bottom of the Spanish Steps... Piazza di Spagna



Fontana di Trevi...

Can't tell from these pics, but it was soooo crowded here.

Another fabulous cheese and meat shop!!

The following pictures are of the Pantheon. We didn't get to go inside and the outside was under construction, but pretty neat anyway.








Arrivederci!

Anna and Sarah