For Sunday, March 6th, 2016

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

SUNDAY, MARCH 6TH, 2016

13 DAYS UNTIL SPRING

Sunrise: 6:55 am

Sunset:  6:26 pm

Life is a Special Occasion!

Hallmark

Today is National Frozen Food Day.  Frozen Food Day celebrates all the foods in your freezer! It was proclaimed in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan. Freezing food preserves it from the time it is prepared to the time it is eaten. Since early times, farmers, fishermen, and trappers have preserved their game and produce in unheated buildings during the winter season. Freezing food slows down decomposition by turning residual moisture into ice, inhibiting the growth of most bacterial species.

If you can't see the Bright Side, polish the dull side

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four unless there are three other people.

Orson Welles

I do appreciate my freezer and the frozen food I have.  It’s nice in the middle of winter to be able to take out some frozen vegetables and fruit.  Right now there is a frozen turkey breast in the freezer for the next 3rd Sunday dinner. In celebration of today I’m sharing a recipe for an easy Apple Cinnamon Bread made with frozen bread dough.

1 loaf frozen bread dough
2 medium yellow delicious apples, peeled or diced
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Let dough rise. Knead dough on floured board for 3 minutes. Roll out dough. Brush lightly with water. ( I think I’d use melted butter instead) Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and spread over dough. Spread diced apples on top of brown sugar and cinnamon, roll up like jelly roll. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until brown. Baked bread will sound hollow when topped.  Put on the glaze of milk and powdered sugar.

I also found this recipe for a Sunday Dinner Stew that sounds really tempting.  Meals like this one just invite themselves to be divided and half of it frozen for another meal later on.  Unless I’m having company, I  usually don’t make large quantities like this.

Stew

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Butter

2 pounds Beef Stew Meat, chuck roast cut into chunks

Salt And Pepper

 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced

3 cloves Garlic, Minced

 4 ounces Tomato Paste

4 cupsBeef Stock Or Broth, more if needed for thinning

Several Dashes Worcestershire

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

 4 whole Carrots, Peeled And Diced

2 whole Turnips, Peeled And Diced

 2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Parsley

delicious served with Mashed Potatoes

Salt and pepper stew meat. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add butter, and as soon as it melts, brown half the stew meat until the outside gets nice and brown, about 2 minutes. Turn it as it browns. Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and put it on a plate. Add the rest of the meat to the pot and brown it, too. Remove it to the same plate. Set the meat aside. 

Add the onion and garlic to the pot, stirring it to coat it in all the brown bits in the bottom of the pot. Cook for two minutes, then add the tomato paste to the pot. Stir it into the onions and let it cook for two more minutes. 

Pour in the beef stock, stirring constantly. Add the Worcestershire and sugar. Add the beef back to the pot, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours. 

After 1 1/2 to 2 hours, add the diced turnips and carrots to the pot. Stir to combine, put the lid back on the pot, and let it simmer for another 30 minutes. The sauce should be very thick, but if it seems overly so, splash in some beef broth until it thins it up enough. Feel free to add beef broth as needed!

When the carrots and turnips are tender, stir in minced parsley. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve piping hot in a bowl with mashed potatoes, letting the juice run all over everything. Sprinkle with extra minced parsley at the end.

MASHED POTATOES

5 pounds Russet Potatoes, Peeled

1 package, 8 Ounce,  Cream Cheese, Softened

1 stick Butter, Softened

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt

Salt And Pepper, to taste

Cut the potatoes into quarters and cover with water in a large pot. Boil until potatoes are fork tender, about 25-30 minutes. Drain the potatoes, then put them back into the same pot. With the heat on low, mash the potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes to release as much steam as possible. 

Turn off heat, then add cream cheese, butter, cream, seasoned salt, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve potatoes immediately or spread them into a buttered baking dish to be reheated later. To reheat, put them in a 375 degree oven, covered in foil, until hot.

The pictures today are of my dining room table all set for dinner around this time last year.  The tulips were a gift for my birthday, which is coming soon.  I’ve already started celebrating as I went out to dinner with DS#5 and his family this past Friday.  There will more celebrations coming in the days ahead too.  

I hope you all have a RELAXING Sunday !

COUNTING MY GIFTS

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Counting at least 3 things every day that I'm thankful for.  There is truly is always something to be thankful for.

3652. for my freezer, it’s still working

3653.  for frozen foods of all kinds

3654.  for stews and soups, they are my wintertime favorites

Enter into His courts with thanksgiving — and in His presence is fullness of Joy!

PRAYER FOR OUR TROOPS

  

Please pray for God's protection of

our troops and HIS wisdom for their

commanders.

 

Almighty and eternal God,

Protect our military

as they discharge their duties

with the shield of your strength,

may the power of your love

enable them to return home in safety

that with all who love them

they may ever praise you for your loving care.

AND bless our Police Officers, Firefighters

and Paramedics and EMT’s

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

ADVICE FOR TODAY

After dinner sit awhile, after supper walk a mile.

English Proverb 

A little smile, a word of cheer, 

A bit of love from someone dear…

Love,

ma