Empty House

It has been almost a week since I've sent my daughters to Texas to stay with my mom for track-out.  Two more weeks to go and I miss them so much...

Last night my mother called and asked if my brother could babysit the girls overnight at his house.  Now I love and trust my brother, who is a very responsible adult; however, he is my little brother and he is not a parent himself.  I was torn but the girls really wanted to go and he really wanted to spend some quality time with them.  I only called once last night, to wish them good-night.  Then I really had to let go.  Is this how it's going to feel as they are growing up?

All my plans for a romantic weekend getaway with HM?  Out the window (he's recovering from a horrible case of food poisoning anyway).  All my plans to re-stain the kitchen cabinets?  Well, maybe I should do that one so I can take my mind off worrying about my children...

Word of the Year 2011- Breathe

I am inspired to find my word of the year for 2011...  And the word is breathe.

Breathing is the most essential function of living; yet, we forget about its importance and fail to do it properly - especially when we need it most.  So may this year be a breath of fresh air to remind us to let go of what is not healthy, to be mindful of what is most important in our lives, and to take the time to do the critical things properly.

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!

White Christmas

White Christmases are rare where I live in North Carolina.  The snow usually arrives sometime in January, but this year, the timing is perfect!

As I ventured out of my neighborhood today to pick up friends at the airport, I saw the most magical winter landscape out on the street...  It was as if someone has covered the usual drudgery with lovely fairy powder. The light was soft and hushed, and there was a sense of peace and wonder.  It was amazing.

I am grateful for the small moments that make up my life.  This holiday has been one of the best in recent memory.  We did not travel but stayed home.  We did not make mad shopping dashes but spent time with friends in a prayer novena.  We did not do anything just because it was expected of us but were thoughtful in how we spent our time.  The result?  Lovely dinners, meaningful mass, comforting brunches, fun-filled game nights, snow ball fights, exciting Santa visits, and time spent with people we love...

May this feeling of Christmas lasts throughout the year and remind all of us what is important.

Birthday Broccoli Casserole

Making dinner for a large group of people use to stress me out, but I have learned the secret to keeping my cool and having fun at the same time...  It is preparation (clean the house, prep the flowers, etc. the day before), attitude (it's about time spent with loved ones, not perfectionism) and casseroles (or anything that can be made ahead or does not require being served immediately).

Now I am not a big fan of casseroles, but I had just finished a Thanksgiving where I was not hosting and was only preparing the side dishes (all casseroles).  Wow, that was an eye-opener because I was done in a couple of hours and had time to spare!  So I vowed to cook up more casseroles- especially whenever I'm hosting a dinner party.

Last night we celebrated my father's birthday and I decided to make a broccoli casserole.  I was initially nervous because my father is very picky.  But I decided to forge ahead and the result was awesome!  Everyone had seconds (or thirds) and I had one less vegetable dish to fuss over as I enjoyed the party!

Birthday Broccoli Casserole

(ingredients)

2 heads of broccoli
1.5 sticks of butter
2 containers of sliced mushrooms
1 onion, diced finely
1 cup of all-purpose flour
2 cups of half&half
2 eggs
1 cup of mayonnaise
12 buttery crackers, crumbled
salt & pepper
parika
garlic powder
onion powder
italian seasoning

Heat up the steamer.  Preheat the oven to 350.

Cut up broccoli florets into smaller pieces (about 1 inch pieces).  Discard stems or save for another dish.  Steam broccoli until tender but still bright green (about 8-10 minutes).

Melt 1 stick of butter in a chef's pan (or any large frying pan).  Add sliced mushrooms, garlic powder (or fresh minced, if available) and onion powder.  After the mushrooms have browned properly, sprinkle the flour on top and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add half & half, eggs, minced onions, italian seasoning, paprika and salt & pepper.

Combine broccoli with mushroom mixture in casserole dish.  Spread crumbled crackers on top.  Slice remaining butter and place on top.  Bake casserole for about 45-55 minutes.

I served the casserole with grilled ribeye steaks, poached trout, freshly-baked bread, buttered corn, green beans and an Italian salad.  My sister made a delectable rum cake to finish off our meal.  All was good :)

Beef Roast

My beef pot roast tonight was a great success.  So much, in fact, that I had promised HM that I would write down the recipe.  Here it is:

(ingredients)

1- A nice marbled piece of Angus beef roast

2- garlic powder

3- onion powder

4- paprika

5- mustard powder

6- sugar

7- garlic cloves

8- onions
9- olive oil
10- carrots
11- celery
12- salt & pepper
13- soy sauce
14- butter

First, make a dry rub of #2-6 and rub all over the roast.  Make slits in the roast and insert garlic cloves.  Allow time (about 15 minutes) for rub to marinate and for roast to reach room temperature.

Heat dutch oven (or any oven-proof pot with lid) until it is VERY hot.  Add oil and brown the roast on both sides (about 10 minutes).  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Add onions, half of the (whole) carrots and half of the celery stalks to the pot.  Cover and place in oven for 4-5 hours.

Take out the roast.  Discard carrots and celery.  Add in remaining (sliced) carrots and (sliced) celery, salt & pepper, soy sauce and butter.  Place on cooktop and cook over medium-high heat until vegetables are cooked, but not too soft.  Season again with salt & pepper, if needed.

I served this pot roast with oven-roasted dill potatoes, brown rice and caesar salad.  

Loss

Someone close to me passed away recently...  It was unexpected and tragic.  Those of us who love her are still trying to come to terms with our loss.  We deny, we get angry, and, finally, we mourn.  We mourn for all the things that will never be, memories that will never be made with her in it...  We mourn for the person who have shaped our lives and have given us so much to miss...  But we also find peace in knowing that she will always be with us because she leaves behind her mark on her hearts.

Sacrifices

I cried after reading the story tonight about Brian Wood, the video game designer who sacrifice himself to save his pregnant wife while being struck by a drunk driver.  It is a sad story, but ultimately uplifting because of his love for his family.

There are so many cruel, senseless and violent stories in the news (especially local news!) that I have been somewhat depressed lately just keeping up with current events...  It doesn't help that we are about to have elections, are in the middle of a recession caused by greed and corruption, and cannot seem to tolerate each others' differences as a nation...  Lately, I have also seen a huge spike in Facebook postings of narrow-mindedness and hateful comments about the state of our world.  This is very worrisome for me as a "friend" and as a member of this world...  I am still debating about stopping all cable and canceling FB altogether. 

It's been a long hot summer.

Politics, finger pointing and ranting Facebook postings aside, I believe that we would all be in a better place if we could just sacrifice a little of ourselves when it is necessary and have a little more empathy for each other.  Perhaps this is why I still read the paper (sometimes it's online- sad but true), watch the news and keep up with Facebook- because I know there are also stories of love, grace and fortitude...