Fortunate Friday

Thoughtful Thursday Verse 14

That which cannot be seen is called invisible.

That which cannot be heard is called inaudible.

That which cannot be held is called intangible.

These three cannot be defined;

therefore, they are merged as one.

Each of these three is subtle for description.

By intuition you cans ee it,

hear it,

and feel it.

Then the unseen,

unheard,

and untouched

are present as one.

Its rising brings no dawn,

its settling no darkness;

it goes on and on, unnamable,

returning into nothingness.

Approach it and there is no beginning;

follow it and there is no end.

You cannot know it, but you can be it,

at ease in your own life.

Discovering how things have always been

brings one into harmony with the Way.

I spent many days reading this verse to try to understand its meaning. What allows us to be, my knowledge tells me it is my Heavenly Father who has provided us with all. Acknowledging Him in everything when looking at a tree, the fog outside my window this morning, the distant mountain which I know are there but cannot see, I am able to grasp the principle that allows everything to just simply exist. Today I am looking forward, with gratitude, to the awakening of springtime which I know will soon blossom because it has always existed…unseen…unheard…and untouched!

Wordless Wednesday

Pizaco Ring

Oh this was so scrumptious, not a piece left to enjoy tomorrow. DH said he could eat this a couple nights a week, so I'm glad it was easy to put together. It baked up so nicely on my pizza stone. It looks like it takes hours to prepare.....don't tell it goes together in no time!

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

2 tablespoons water

4 tablespoons taco seasoning

1 pound ground beef, divided

2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls

lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, avocados........you add what you like

Sour cream and salsa

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup cheese, water and 2 tablespoons taco seasoning. Crumble 1/2 lb of ground beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 16 balls.

Place meatballs in a greased shallow baking pan. Bake uncovered, at 400 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Drain meatballs on paper towels.

Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees.

While the meatballs are cooking:

Brown the other 1/2 lb of ground beef with 2 tablespoons of taco season and set aside.

Arrange crescent rolls on a greased 15 inch pizza pan, forming a ring with pointed ends facing the outer edge of the pan and wide ends overlapping. With a pizza rolling pin, roll the dough together to form a pizza crust, leaving the pointed tips to fold over the meatballs.

Place a meatball on each roll; fold point over meatball and tuck it under the meatball. The meatballs will be partly visible. Spread the other 1/2 lb of ground beef that has been brown in the center of the ring.

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.

After baking fill the center of the ring with additional cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, avocado, sour cream and salsa as desired. Makes 16 pizza slices.

From My Window ~ Wordless Wednesday

Risotto Venezia Antica

Somehow I’ve turned into a “foodie”…..hence the many extra pounds that I carry around with me! Risotto is a very tough dish to pull off. It’s labor intensive and you must stir the rice grains until they puff up…..honestly it feels like your arm might just fall off….and it’s all about timing. Chef Elio Scanu of Zucca Trattoria can cook it to perfection. Chef Shawn Bucher made a lovely batch for us during our Orson Gygi cooking class. He was very clear on the point that timing with risotto is everything. If you stir to long, the rice will turn into a glob of paste (aka wallpaper paste…you get the idea), not long enough and all you have a very simple broth with grains running through it. So if you attempt this lovely recipe be patient, be loving, and then you can enjoy this soft, golden risotto with its fragrant smell of sweet butter, cream, and yes the delicate taste of “Saffron”.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups Risotto (Italian-Style Rice) Creamy, Al Dente’ Grains

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed

4 cups chicken stock

4 tablespoons EVOO

8 cloves garlic peeled – after cooking chop to desired size

1 tsp. shallots, chopped

2 oz white wine

1/2 lb asparagus, sliced into 1 – 1 1/2 inch pieces

1 pinch saffron threads

1 tablespoon butter or so…..

2 oz heavy cream

Parmesan

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Trim chicken breast of any fat. Slice lengthwise into strips and then cut into 3/4” cubes. Bring chicken stock to a boil, meanwhile in a 4-5 quart pot, add 2 tablespoons EVOO and garlic cloves. Sauté’ garlic until brown on all sides. Remove garlic and cool. Chop cloves into desired size and set aside. Add 2 tablespoons EVOO to the pot and add chicken. Cook until chicken is brown on all sides then add the chopped shallots and risotto to the pot and stir for 30-40 seconds. Add the wine and asparagus and let the wine reduce. Add the saffron threads. Slowly begin to add enough boiling chicken stock to keep the risotto completely covered with liquid. Keep the liquid at a low but constant boil at all times. As the liquid absorbs, continue to add just enough chicken stock to keep the rice completely covered. You know the drill now…..stir, stir, stir to avoid burning or sticking on the bottom of the pot. Total cooking time is about 15 – 18 minutes. Risotto should be served how……”AL DENTE”

Turn off the burner, add butter, heavy cream, parmesan and roasted garlic and mix until creamy. This last step, to cream the risotto with the butter is called “mantecare” in Italian it means “to stir in a circular motion consistently”, do this for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. This is the most important step to achieving great risotto results!

You must “LOVE” risotto for me to make this dish for you. Buon Appetito

Time Out For Women – Friday February 5, 2010

Friday evening ~ how grateful I am that I was able to attend such a phenomenal event. There is so much to share with you and I know how difficult it is to read very long posts, so I promise to keep it simple….. and over a few Monday Musings!

Jenny Oaks Baker is one of America's most accomplished classical violinists. She began playing
the violin at age four, and made her solo debut in 1983 when she was only eight years
old. She received her Master of Music degree from the renowned Juilliard School in New
York City and her bachelor's degree in violin performance from the Curtis Institute of Music
in Philadelphia. She has performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the
Library of Congress and as a guest soloist with the Jerusalem Symphony, the San Diego Symphony,
the Utah Symphony, the Orchestra at Temple Square, and the internationally
acclaimed Mormon Tabernacle Choir…….

Wow….you must visit her website and listen to her music with awe! http://www.jennyoaksbaker.com/

Her spirit radiates with enthusiasm for Our Savior and the gospel. My favorite quote from Jenny, “Mother’s guilt is much stronger than wife guilt.” Oh yes she loves her husband immensely, but those little ones, on loan to us from our Heavenly Father, fill our hearts with immeasurable love. John Bytheway always brings smiles and laughter to the audience when he speaks. Gotta love his “Don Knott’s” impression! John is a religious studies instructor at BYU, currently focusing on the Book of Mormon. He works as an advisor in the publishing department of Deseret Book. He also serves on the Aaronic Priesthood/Young Women Writing Committee for the LDS Church. John, his wife Kimberly, and six children live in Utah.

John spoke on Remembering the Savior and how to best fill our lives with Hope. He reminds us that our outlook and attitude on life will make the difference. If we will watch the first 5 minutes of our interaction with our family we can learn to be more appreciative. His 3 words “Appreciate/Expect/Demand” How we treat each other is reflected in those 3 words. Have hope and be kind…..everyone we meet is fighting some kind of difficult battle.

Chieko Nishimura Okazaki was the first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency of LDS Church from 1990 to 1997. She was born and raised in Hawaii as a Buddhist, the daughter of Hawaii-born Japanese. At the age of fifteen she converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She married Ed Okazaki and they have two sons. By profession she is an educator, teaching in Hawaii, Utah, and Colorado, and also serving as an elementary school principal.

In 1961 she was appointed to the YWMIA board in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1990 she was called to be the first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency. She was the first non-Caucasian to serve in these positions.

She has continued to be a voice for women in the Church.

What a remarkable woman. At the age of 83 she is still sharing her love for our Heavenly Father through her delightful stories. She reminded us that our greatest treasure is our testimony of Jesus Christ. To make our lives brighter and happier she shared with us the ideas of giving liberally and abundantly. Embracing the spirit of giving without buying is easy with the gifts Chieko shared with us from our own treasure box.

GIFTS FROM OUR OWN TREASURE BOX:

Smiles – pass them around we all have one. We could give one smile every minute for the next 100 years and we wouldn’t run out! Fabulous!

Wonderful Greetings - Say hello

Song – Chieko had us all stand and sing along with her as she played “You Are My Sunshine” on her ukulele. I’m going to spend more time strumming!

Time –Give with open hands and open hearts, rejoice and be glad to spend time with others.

Prayer – We all have a prayer to give – offer them in faith, hope, and memory.

Compliments – What a simple yet powerful relationship building tool. Compliments change the giver as well as the receiver.

Forgiveness - Forgiveness is an act that changes us from prisoners of the past to liberated people at peace with our memories. There is no future in the past. Forgiveness is the most important single process that brings peace to our soul and harmony to our life.

Thanks for a wonderful afternoon and evening friends old and new. Tomorrow I’ll share with you my yummy lunch/dinner from Friday night! Life is Good!

Sentimental Sunday

One of my childhood memories is of the many hours I spent watching black and white television with my grandmother. She had several favorites, but her allegiance was to Perry Mason. Nothing interrupted Perry Mason! Good Old Perry managed to get his clients off week after week. I know because we watched every episode. How he was able to convince the real criminal to confess was certainly very impressive….every single blasted time he tricked the guilty party into confessing right there on the witness stand or maybe from somewhere in the courtroom. I was always so astonished that he could figure out who done it every single time….and it was never his client --- who always looked so guilty! The cast of characters: Della ---his secretary (ahem-girlfriend) Paul Drake ---side kick office help(just like Festus from Gunsmoke) Hamilton Burger ---the prosecutor (never did like him much) and Lieutenant Tragg --- I always called him Lieutenant Dragg!

Gotta love memories from the good old days!

Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Pudding and Cream Cheese Frosting

Want to know the best way to make friends and family happy...... Make Cinnamon Rolls! You'll be a hero!

Here is the recipe I used this week for vanilla pudding cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting. You simply add vanilla pudding to the dough to make it extremely soft and airy - and on my goodness you will be in love with these. I asked 4 of my close friend to give me an evaluation of the finished product....it was 4 thumbs up. One wanted just a hint more cinnamon, which I'm always afraid to do because I don't like it to over power the soft and sweet dough.

And who doesn't love cream cheese frosting? Of course I eat it right out of the bowl......

The filling is brown sugar, cinnamon, golden raisins, and chopped walnuts.....oh my, oh my, it is really that good! The recipe made 24 rolls....I ate my share and gave the rest to friends so dear who were suppose to share them with their friends.....sorry James!

Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Pudding and Cream Cheese Frosting

Rolls:

1/2 cup warm water

2 tablespoons active dry yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

3.4 ounce package instant vanilla pudding

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

6 + cups "KING ARTHUR" Flour......my all time favorite flour

Filling:

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature

2 cups brown sugar

4 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste - (Thanks Julie for the tip)

This makes such a difference.....you'll never feel the same about vanilla after you have

tried it! Orson Gygi carries the finest quality Madagascar Bourbon

3 cups confectioner's sugar

2-3 tablespoons milk

In a small bowl combine water (110 degrees), yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside for about 10 minutes. In large bowl, take pudding mix and prepare according to package directions. Add butter, eggs, and salt. Mix well. Then add yeast mixture. Blend. Gradually add flour; knead until smooth. Do not over flour the dough. It will be very soft but not sticky. Hopefully you have a bread mixer that does this job for you! Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until double. Then roll out on floured board to 34 X 21 inches in size.... I know it huge! Spread 1 cup of soft butter over the surface. In bow, mix 3 cups brown sugar, 4 teaspoons cinnamon, golden raisins, and chopped walnuts. Sprinkle over the top of the butter. Roll up very tightly. With a knife put a notch every 1 - 1 1/2. Cut with dental floss or serrated knife. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Cover and let rise until double again. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 -20 minutes, just until they are to turn golden ....be careful not to over bake.

Frost warm rolls with cream cheese frosting. Combine butter, cream cheese, vanilla and mix well, add powdered sugar and mix again, then add milk for desired consistency. Make 24 very lovely rolls.

Time Out for Women

This weekend I am one of the lucky ladies who has a ticket to “Time Out for Women”. This is my first ever and I am over the top excited. I often think that I am sharing way to much of “ME” with the internet world…..maybe I’m being more than a little pretentious………after all who has time to read my blog anyway? Does it bother me….oh for sure not…… so without worries (on my part)….I’ll post lots of pictures, share with you the new things I learn, the new things to see, and maybe some new habits that I might be able to pick up! So see you on Monday morning after I’ve had a marvelous time!

Bean Soup

On a wintery cold day comfort food always calls to me. This bean soup got my attention today because I met a nice elderly man in the grocery store who was buying dried beans. I knew from the minute he said hello to me that he knew what he was doing with bean soup! He had that accent that screamed….Yes madam I know how to make bean soup. Also the store had ham hocks on sale today…………I’ve never cooked a ham hock in my life!

So here is to my mid-winter life……..a pot of Bean Soup for the weekend!

Ingredients:

1 - 2 lbs of ham hocks

1 cup onion, chopped

2 carrots shredded

2 – 3 stalks of celery chopped

1 quart of “Dad’s” home grown bottled diced tomatoes…..maybe you can buy that in a grocery store!

1 tsp chili powder

Juice of 1 lemon

1 –2 cloves garlic, minced

2 sprigs of rosemary

1 20 oz bag of dried “Bean Soup” beans

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Place rinsed beans in a pot with 3 quarts of water. Bring to a rapid boil. Reduce heat, cover and continue boiling 60-70 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. After 60 minutes, add ingredients. Place everything in your favorite crock pot and continue cooking for several hours. I cook mine most of the afternoon.

Verse 13

Favor and disgrace seem alarming.

High status greatly afflicts your person.

Why are favor and disgrace alarming?

Seeking favor is degrading:

Alarming when it is gotten,

Alarming when it is lost.

Why does high status greatly afflict your person?

The reason we have a lot of trouble

Is that we have selves.

If we had no selves,

What trouble would we have?

Man’s true self is eternal,

Yet he thinks. I am this body and will soon die.

If we have no body, what calamities can we have?

One who sees himself as everything

Is fit to be guardian of the world.

One who loves himself as everyone

Is fit to be teacher of the world,

 

Don't take your own self too seriously, and all your troubles will disappear……can that be true?   What if our thoughts and feelings are like clouds in the sky or reflections in the water?  We surely don't have to feel responsible for them, because we aren’t.   The Tao teaches that whatever is suppose to come our way will come with perfect alignment.  We are also taught that other’s opinions about who we are, shouldn’t be taken into account, because what they think of us, is none of our business. 

What we do have control over is how we are going to feel and react.   Choosing to feel peaceful gives yourself the right to feel good.  If we feel offended, we are judging others to be foolish, inconsiderate, rude, or insensitive.  No one can define you with their judgments, and you don’t have the privilege of defining others.  When we stop judging we will find inner peace, free of contention, free of negative energy, and free of resentments.  The gift will be inner peace and love which holds no resentments and quickly offers forgiveness.  “Love One Another”

 

Technorati Tags: reflections,judgements,tao verse 13,usujason photo

Utah's Sundiata Gaines buzzer beater vs Cleveland. 1/14/10

It's been almost a month since this dramatic victory.....I think we should still be celebrating.

Wordless Wednesday - At the Basin

Snicker Doodle Bars

I love Snicker doodle Cookies and I have a couple of very dear friends who can put Mrs. Fields to shame when it comes to cookies. I am not anywhere near the top 100 cookie bakers in my little town so when I came across this recipe I decided......."I can do this!" Easy recipe, all ingredients in my pantry, fridge, and vuala ..Snicker doodle Cookie in a Bar! The house smells so scrumptious while they are baking. A very rewarding treat for a dreary winter day in February. I have no idea who originally came up with this recipe, but Thank You who ever you are Mrs.

Ingredients:

Dry:
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 scant teaspoon kosher salt

Wet:
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
1 t. pure vanilla bean paste

Topping:
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 X 13 pan. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar for 3 - 5 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, and whip until smooth.

Stir into the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan. The mixture looks just like cookie dough and it takes a little work to spread it out in the pan....you can do it!

Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon, in a little bowl. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture on the top of the batter. I use my mesh strainer to sprinkle with.

Bake 25 - 30 minutes until surface springs back when touched gently. Cool completely before cutting. Makes 2 dozen bars.....well depends on how big you cut them!

WARNING - There is seriously "No escape" when these come out of the oven......the pan was gone within minutes! Buon Appetio

Ground Hog's Day.....

Could someone please put a blindfold on these guys???

Monday Musing

What a treat this weekend was! Got to watch the “Girl” show us her basketball skills. She’s mighty good, if I do say so myself. No pictures….camera didn’t have its smarts in it! She impressed me to the point that I figure it is time to be looking for a good agent! I know she’s only 8…..but she’s got the skills!

Next adventure of the day was “early” dinner with the girls! If you get to Sonora Grill before 4:00 you can order off the lunch menu……..think we are looking to save a few pennies???? The huge chips and colorful salsas were great. You get tostada sized chips with two types of salsa - a flavorful fire roasted flavored red salsa and a very tasty cilantro flavored green salsa along with them. The ambiance of the place is fabulous and the decor is definitely ---one of a kind and gorgeous. The Sonora Grill is located in the Junction in downtown Ogden. A great place to meet up with a group of friends.

After dinner we found our way to the Egyptian to see the Sundance Film Festival ..... "Get Low"


As the film opens we see a very dramatic scene of a house burning, a man flying from the upstairs window of the home.....the scene closes and we see children throwing rocks at the home of hermit "Felix" who is the mysterious star of this film! Duvall brings the character to life with remarkable ease. I've given away just enough of the secrets of them film so that....you'll want to seek out this film when it comes to a theatre near you.

Bill Murray - the funeral director - of course has the lines to fill the theatre with laughter! He delivered as expected!

Bring on Sundance 2011