Oh How I Love Thee. Let Me Count the Ways…

A few years back for Valentine’s Day I made a list of 100 things I loved about Roland. At the time it was an affordable gift and he seemed to really appreciate the kudos. I recently came across the document on my computer and re-read my list. It was interesting to me how quickly it sparked a strong emotion of love and affection for my partner, even just in the middle of a Thursday morning. Similarly, Roland has expressed to me that there have been days when he re-read the list and it makes him feel great to be reminded of so many of his great qualities and the appreciation I have for him.

We have used this as example and suggestion to others close to us as a way to get back in touch in their relationships. Though it seems simple, I wanted to offer this as a suggestion to others. Make a list of the things you love about your partner. What makes you feel good? What makes you laugh? What makes you smile? What do you miss the most when they are not around? What are you grateful for? You can choose to share this list with them, as I did, or it may be more appropriate to keep it to yourself. But understand the power of words. Just the act of making this list will create emotion in you and remind you of your blessings and the things you appreciate about each other. It only takes a few minutes and you will be surprised how quickly you can come up with 100 things. It is a great exercise to complete and I believe gives a positive result every time.

Regardless of your current situation, you will benefit from this process. If you are happy and madly in love, this will communicate those feelings to your significant other. If you are struggling in your relationship and feel frustrated or angry, this will draw your attention back to the positive things and the reasons you fell in love in the first place. Or, if you are simply in a lull or rut, as we all find ourselves occasionally, this is a great way to keep yourself from falling into complacency as day to day life can sometimes feel redundant. 

Our primary relationship is a huge part of our lives. It is essential that we keep it at the top of the priority list and nurture it regularly. This is just one way I have found to make sure I am focused on the blessings in my life and communicating those as well. Take a few minutes to do this, just because, for no specific occasion or reason. Or, use this as part of a Valentine’s gift. Revisit your list regularly. You will be surprised how grateful it will make you feel and how great it will make your partner feel. 

What is the best Valentine’s gift you have ever given?

Primal Elk Chili

Roland came home one day and announced that we were buying 1/3 of an elk. As a girl raised in a non-hunting family, I was excited for the new experience, but a little intimidated by the prospect of what to do with elk meat. So, I have been on the hunt (pun intended) for new recipes and uses for our freezer full of elk. Some have been terrible, others acceptable, but this one turned out delicious. Which is a good thing since I made enough to feed us for 4 nights in a row. I'm sure somewhere, Martha Stewart is cringing.

I adapted this recipe from one I found over at Civilized Caveman. Check out his site. He's got some great recipes.

Primal Elk Chili
2 lbs ground elk meat
4 medium zucchini, peeled and chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 yellow bell peppers, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 (14.5 ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
3 T chili powder
1 T cumin
1 T garlic salt
2 t cayenne
2 t oregano
2 t black pepper
2 cinnamon sticks
3 T butter

In large stock pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped onions and saute for about 10 minutes. Add in zucchini and peppers and continue to saute for another 5 minutes. Add elk meat and all spices and mix well. Continue to cook, stirring often, until meat is no longer pink, approx 10 minutes.

Add in tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and whole cinnamon sticks and stir to combine well. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and serve hot with shredded cheese if desired.

Homemade Eggnog

This is a delicious recipe perfect for your winter parties and celebrations. We made a batch for New Year's Eve and invited friends to stop by for a glass before heading out to their various get togethers. It is smooth and mild, which is my preference. You could easily make it stronger if that is your taste. Or, if you prefer a non-alcoholic version, just leave out the rum. This makes a great tasting eggnog either way.

Homemade Eggnog
4 cups milk
5 cloves (whole)
2 1/2 tsp vanilla, divided
1 tsp cinnamon
12 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups light rum
4 cups half and half (or cream)
1/2 tsp nutmeg

In a saucepan over low heat, combine milk, cloves and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Heat on lowest setting for 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-low and slowly bring mixture to a boil.

In large bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Whisk until smooth and creamy. Slowly whisk hot milk mixture into egg mixture. Return new combined mixture back to saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not allow to boil. Strain to remove whole cloves and allow to cool for 1 hour.

Stir in rum, half & half, remaining 2 teaspoons of vanilla and nutmeg. Refrigerate at least 6 hours (or overnight) before serving.

Traditions

At this time of year we tend to focus on traditions; those we continue and those we hope to put in place. What are your traditions?

I believe traditions are essential in our lives. They create a foundation for our values and also provide a way for us to connect with those we love and create memories for future generations. In a way, our traditions are what keep us connected to loved ones that came before us and those that will come after. Everyone wants leadership. Often, the person willing to uphold the tradition will serve as that leader. Knowing that certain activities and gatherings will happen each year provides a sort of comfort and certainty for our families and friends. I have found that even traditions that seem "silly" are held as important to those involved. While you might expect people to grow out of some traditions, they often look forward to the event and find ways to involve their children or growing families.

Growing up, my family's traditions around Christmas are many of my best memories. My mom made sure to be consistent in activities and even foods that are now an integral part of what I consider "the Holidays". She always made sugar cookies which the kids would decorate together. After we grew older, we still would come together as teenagers to ice the sugar cookies (though our designs became less child-like and more competitive). After moving out of the house, this tradition faded and I found that I missed it. A few years ago I decided to revive this tradition in my own home. Not having kids, it seemed a little unnecessary, but I determined that if the activity and memory make me feel good, it is worth doing. I invited my step-daughters and siblings over to participate. Some years they came, other times they didn't. This year, I convinced myself that I was the only one interested in continuing the sugar cookie tradition, so I planned to just do it alone. I was surprised to have a couple of people ask me about it and whether or not I was hosting it again this year. This goes back to my point that people feel good being involved in traditions. They may not go out of their way to plan it, they may not be as attached as you are, but if the opportunity is presented to participate in familiar family-oriented activities, they will jump at the chance.

In our home, Roland and I have made it a point to create and continue traditions. It is easy to get discouraged when others choose not to participate sometimes, but over the years we have learned that if you provide the consistency, they will always come back. Our families know that we are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. While their lives take them out on many paths full of excitement and stress, eventually we all seek out that familiar comforting place we fill with traditions.

So, what are your traditions? I love looking for new ones to share with my family or maybe even good ideas to expand on some of our existing ones. A few of ours include:

• Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner on St Patrick's Day. We recently turned this into a dinner party to invite friends over for the evening.
• Lamb Dinner on Easter. Our families always join us for a lamb roast and mint jelly.
• 4th of July Parade. We meet up at about 4:00 am to go stake out a spot at the local parade. We always stop for Krispy Kreme donuts and then follow it up with a BBQ.
• Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt. This was a new one for us this year (thanks to Roland's sister for the idea!) but it was a lot of fun and I think we will continue this in years to come. We handed out a scavenger hunt list a few weeks prior to Thanksgiving and invited everyone to collect their items and bring them to Thanksgiving dinner where the winner would receive a prize. The competition was fun and it created an opportunity for family members to work together to help their team win.
• Sugar Cookies at Christmas. I love to make my mother's recipe and invite the family over to help decorate and take home a plate of treats.
• Homemade Ornament Exchange. Roland's mother and sister started an ornament exchange a few years ago. They were nice enough to let me join in. Each year the women make a homemade ornament for each of the others and we exchange. The photo at the top of this post was the ornament I made this year.

So, what are your favorite traditions? Do you think tradition plays an important role in your home?

The Newest Member of Our Household!

No, we did not have a baby. And no, we did not get another dog. Although Roland makes fun of me because every time I see a Humane Society commercial I get emotional and am convinced I must adopt every hungry and/or neglected puppy.

Today my Christmas gift from my honey arrived! A brand new, smooth ceramic surface range/oven. I am excited to say the least. Our old range (may that terrible beast rest in peace) had many issues. If you have ever cooked on a stove with a short in the burner, you can sympathize. Mid-cooking your pan goes cold and you realize the burner has stopped working. Take the pan off the stove, use a hot pad to push the burner into the socket and hope a fresh connection is made before you lose the momentum of whatever you were cooking. Then there was the bottom drawer, where you store the pans. The thing never sat on the rails right so it was always crooked and made a racket anytime you opened it. 1st world problems? Of course. But for someone who loves to cook, this was enough for my sweetheart to take pity on me and surprise me with this beauty on Christmas morning!

Many recipes will be shared. Many hours will be spent cuddling. Okay, maybe not actually cuddling, but I do have a slight crush on this machine. It makes me want to dress up like Donna Reed. Who wants some celebratory cookies?

Roasted Cabbage

I am always looking for easy and tasty vegetable options, because, let's face it, you can only eat steamed broccoli so many times. This is a great way to prepare cabbage. It is easy and always gets a great response from the dinner guests. I used this preparation for our St Patrick's Day dinner party also, since it seems like crock pot cabbage always turns out soggy and flavorless. Give this one a try along side your favorite meat dish. I recently served this with a dry-rub seasoned flank steak and it was a delicious meal!

Roasted Cabbage
1 large head green cabbage
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a baking sheet or roasting pan with non-stick spray. Wash outside of cabbage head. Cut head in half (through the core) and then cut each half in half twice more, leaving you with 8 wedges. Arrange wedges on baking sheet and brush each wedge with a little olive oil. Flip wedges and repeat on other side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast in oven for 15 minutes. Carefully flip each wedge and roast for anther 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Scotch Eggs

Scotch eggs are delicious! If you haven't tried one before, you will love this recipe. Traditionally, scotch eggs are rolled in bread crumbs and fried. They are a common "pub" food in Britain and often eaten cold. I've never tried that version, but this Primal grain-free version is awesome and has become a favorite breakfast at our house. It is great to eat hot and fresh, but also easy to pack up and reheat later if you need breakfast on the go. I usually make enough for a couple of days as the leftovers taste just as good.

Scotch Eggs
1 lb hot Italian sausage
5 hard boiled eggs, shelled
3/4 cup almond flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Divide the sausage into 5 equal parts. (I have noticed at some stores it is cheaper to buy Italian sausage links than the ground sausage. They are usually by the bratwurst in the meat section. This is great because the meat is already divided for you. Just remove the casings and you are ready to go.) Flatten 1 portion of sausage in your palm like a patty. Place an egg in the middle of the sausage and use your hands to mold the sausage around the egg, making sure to seal the meat completely around the egg. Repeat with all 5 eggs. Roll each sausage ball in almond flour and set on foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake the eggs until the outside is browned and the sausage is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow eggs to rest for 5 minutes. Once ready to serve, cute each egg in half and serve plain or with hot sauce or mustard.

"Spaghetti"

Spaghetti has always been a favorite meal at our house. But since we have given up grains in our diet, I thought we would have to give up this meal as well. Luckily, I found an easy and healthy substitution....spaghetti squash! Roland was hesitant the first time I made this. He really did not want me messing with the spaghetti recipe he loves, but after tasting it, he was sold. We love this recipe and I use it often for dinner at our house. Hope you enjoy it too!

Primal "Spaghetti"
1 medium (or 2 small) spaghetti squash (I usually can get about 6 servings from a medium squash)
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 lb ground hot Italian sausage
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (or use the recipe below to make a homemade sauce)

Tomato Basil Sauce
1 can (28 oz) tomato sauce
1 large avocado
Handful of fresh basil leaves (or use dried if necessary)
garlic powder, to taste

To make homemade sauce, combine 4 above ingredients in blender and blend until smooth, adding a little water if sauce is too thick.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Use a metal spoon to scoop out all the seeds and stringy center (like you would on a pumpkin). Rub a small amount of olive oil on the exposed squash in each half and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Turn squash halves face down in a roasting pan. Add about 1/4 inch of water to pan. Cover pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, combine Italian sausage, onion and minced garlic in a large sauce pan.

Cook over medium high heat until sausage is browned and cooked through. Add spaghetti sauce to meet mixture, reduce heat to low and simmer until squash is done roasting.

Once squash is ready, remove foil, and turn squash halves face-up. Using 1 fork to hold the squash in place, use a 2nd fork to scrape from the edges toward the center of squash. The "meat" of the squash should easily shred into "noodles".

Serve "noodles" topped with meat sauce (and a little fresh grated Parmesan) along with a green salad and you are all set!

Penne with Italian Sausage

This recipe is a favorite at our house. It is fresh, delicious, and can be made to be low fat and healthy. I've made it for company a couple of times and it has always gotten rave reviews. I generally use spicy Italian sausage for the extra flavor because we like a little kick, but you can use the mild version for less spice or turkey Italian sausage for a lower fat version. I've made all of these versions and they are all great.

Penne with Italian Sausage
1 lb Italian sausage links (generally there are 5 links in a package)
1 medium onion, chopped (yellow or white)
2 cloves minced garlic
28 oz diced tomatoes (1 large can or 2 regular cans)
2 T pesto
1 1/2 cups penne pasta
3 cups fresh spinach
2 oz feta cheese

Cut sausages into 1/4 inch slices. In large saute pan, combine sausage, onion and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until sausage is cooked and no longer pink in the center, stirring frequently.

Add diced tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium saucepan, prepare pasta as directed on package. Once cooked, drain and set aside. Once finished simmering, add pesto to sausage mixture and stir to combine evenly. Spread cooked penne in bottom of 13x9 inch baking dish. Pour sausage mixture over pasta. Add spinach and feta and use spatula to carefully stir and turn all ingredients in pan to mix well (we are going for a casserole feel here, not separate layers).

Baked uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Stuffed Blueberry French Toast

This is a fantastic recipe for brunch. I recommend serving it with a frittata or quiche (super easy recipe coming soon) and fresh fruit. Although it is pretty easy to put together, it tastes great and presents nicely, so guests love it. And, since you can prepare most of it the night before, it makes for less work the day of your event.

Stuffed Blueberry French Toast
12 slices thick bread, crusts removed and cubed (Potato or buttermilk work the best. Something light and fluffy.)
8 oz cream cheese
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen blueberries, or 3 cups fresh blueberries
10 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 T butter

Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish. Place 1/2 of the cubed bread in dish and spread around evenly. Cube the cream cheese into small pieces and arrange evenly in dish over bread. Add 1/3 of the blueberries over the cream cheese. Arrange remaining bread over the top. In medium bowl, beat together eggs, maple syrup and milk. Pour evenly over the bread so everything is moistened. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil cover and bake for an additional 30 minutes, until top is lightly browned.
While dish is baking, prepare your sauce. In saucepan combine water, sugar and cornstarch. Stir together to dissolve the sugar. Heat over medium-high heat adding 1/2 of the remaining blueberries. When sauce is cooked and thickened, add the remaining blueberries and the butter. Continue to heat until sauce is hot all the way through.
Remove french toast from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Cut into 8-10 pieces. Spoon desired amount of sauce over each individual potion when serving.