Rain's Thursday Art Date - Mermaids and Water

Here we are at the end of March!

 Welcome to Rain's Thursday Art Date's 'Mermaids and Water' theme!  I thought it would be fun to have my mermaid waving from the turquoise water.

Meme Wednesday

Gas prices have been horrendous this past month, it is being reflected in the humour going around:

 And I got this hilarious one from Suz

One's Own Mortality

 My aunt recently notified me of the death of my former work colleague who happens to be a relative of her husband.  It was a bit of a shock as he was only 62 years old, my age in fact.  He had lung cancer.  He was still working, never married and was looking after his mom.  There is also another brother living with her.  Things like this emphasize one's own mortality.

Coincidentally I was on a spring walk with a good friend a few weeks ago.  We decided to stop in at Panera Bread for coffee.  They had a small section opened up at the front for dining customers.  The remaining sections of the restaurant were blocked off to customers.  I had been concerned about sitting inside but it was not crowded so we removed our masks as we sat with our coffees and replaced them to leave the restaurant.  As of March 21 we are no longer required to wear masks in restaurants, gyms and retail stores.  I will continue to wear mine for now.

 Anyway, my friend mentioned her girlfriend of around our ages is dying of brain cancer.  It has made her determined to clean  up her affairs for when the time comes.  

Baked Potato Wedges

I am linking this post to Kathy's Food Wednesdays.

I had a ten pound bag of all purpose potatoes simply because they were on sale for $1.47.  I decided to bake some potato wedges with some of them.

We have been ordering pizza from Papa John's a chain that recently opened up nearby.  They include a free dipping sauce (also pictured in the photo above) with each pizza but son K doesn't like this dip and they don't substitute other flavours although it is included with the pizza.  Rather than throw them out, I googled a copycat Papa John's garlic sauce recipe to see what the ingredients were.  It is margarine, garlic powder and salt.  I decided to add a packet to flavour these potato wedges. It is maybe a 1/4c of margarine.

Cut 3 med-large potatoes in half lengthways, then in half lengthways again to make quarters, and then cut each half in half lengthways on the diagonal to make two wedges (you’ll end up with 8 wedges per potato; make sure they are about the same thickness and size).

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, season the potatoes with onion powder, oregano and or parsley, paprika, a packet of garlic sauce (or margarine, garlic powder, salt), and black pepper.  You can use olive oil in place of the margarine, maybe a 1/4c.

Bake at 425F for 25-30 minutes.

(I have also used the Papa John sauce to make garlicky scrambled eggs.  It is satisfying to not have perfectly good food items go to waste. It is also fun to create).

On Tulips

 Jan had such an informative post on tulips recently, a perfect spring topic.

Tulips are not native to the Netherlands, but came from Turkey.  The name is derived from the word 'Turban' due to its resemblance to how a turban looks on the head.

They are in the lily family.

Tulips are edible and the Dutch used them as food in the 1944 famine.

I love tulips don't you?

Happy Mother's Day in the UK!

Bulgaria yes and no

 I was watching a Rick Steve's travel video on TV and he mentioned that in Bulgaria they nod to mean 'No' and shake their head to say 'Yes' as explained in this video.  The video goes on to explain the reason for this which goes back to a time when the residents were being persecuted for being Christians.  So they developed this way so that when asked 'are you a Christian' and they would say 'No' but nod their head. Hope I got that right but hopefully you know what I mean.

Had you heard of this?

Another interesting thing I learned from Denise the other day is the reason Canada geese often stand on one leg.  They are conserving heat.  They will shift legs from time to time.

PPF after party and Friday Art going forward

The grand finale after party is today, Friday March 25th.  I must have been posting my art for the Paint Party every Friday for the past 11 years.  How time flies.  Be sure to stop by and see a planned collection of everyone's party collages.

So that we can keep in touch, my PPF friends can also find me at Instagram as @ms_facile and I contribute weekly to Rain's Thursday Art Date.

I decided to continue posting my Friday art going forward.  Today, I am showing show my splatter painted wave ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") in acrylic.  Husband M had no idea what it was at first so I decided to add the fish jumping out of the wave.  I think this works now.

Rain's Thursday Art Date - Unicorns

Welcome to Rain's Thursday Art Date's 'Unicorns' theme!  I painted a blue-eyed unicorn with a blonde mane for you today.
 

Meme Wednesday

 

Eye of Round Roast

meat thermometer

a perfect medium

all sliced with gravy

I am linking this post to Kathy's Food Wednesdays. Thanks Nicole for suggesting this over and over!

I had great success with this 6 pound eye of round roast that was on sale at my local supermarket.  I decided to use my thermometer that can be left in the meat as it roasts.  Of course I changed out the battery when it was not responding at first.  Try turning it on Christine, duh.  I hate gadgets.

Here is how I did it:

6lb eye of round beef roast

marinade:

2 tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper 

1 tsp dried thyme

1 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

2 tbs worcestershire sauce

1/2 can tomato paste (or ketchup)

1 tsp dijon mustard

gravy:

2 c low sodium beef stock

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tbs unsalted butter

drippings

preheat oven 450F

rinse and dry roast, rest roast at room temperature 45 mins

marinate roast with ingredients above

roast 20 min fat side up

lower to 350F

roast 1 1/2 hours (135F-med rare) or 30 min/kg

remove from oven and rest 20 mins (internal temp will rise to 145F- med)

make the gravy by bringing the drippings, stock, cornstarch and butter. to a boil

can roast potatoes and carrots separately.

Crockpot method (not tried yet):

marinate roast

brown the roast

add to crockpot 6-8 hrs on low  or 4-6 hrs on high (depending on size of roast)

remove roast

add cornstarch to drippings till thickened

references

https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/beef/beef-bottom-round-roast-perfection.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TA2jZH4_G0&t=531s

Edible Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

 

Ivy's Closet posted Emma Fontanella's edible cookie dough recipes and I made the chocolate chip version for son K who loves eating raw cookie dough to begin with.  It is definitely not something I would eat.  He loved this one, thanks Ivy!

6 tbs flour

1 1/2 tbs unsalted butter melted

2 tbs sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp vanilla

2 tbs milk

2 tbs chocolate chips

sprinkles if like

Mix flour, salt and microwave for one minute, cool.

Add sugar, butter, milk, chocolate chips, mix and add sprinkles if you like.

Scoop into shape with an ice cream scoop.  I made one large scoop with mine.

Omit the chocolate chips for the sugar cookie version.

My sister told me she makes an edible cookie dough using almond flour and peanut butter as follows.  This is one I may like myself.

1/3 c creamy peanut butter

1/4c maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2c almond flour

chocolate chips

And it is officially spring now!

Slow CookerTaco Soup

 

Welcome to Spring!  I was trying to delete an extra photo in my post yesterday and managed to re-arrange the right sidebar, oh well!  Fortunately it is just for that post.  I have no problem adding photos but haven't found the delete photo button.

This slow cooker taco soup is basically a recipe Pam posted.  It is delicious, son K guzzled his bowl pictured above!

1 lb ground meat (I used pork mince, ground chicken sounds like another tasty option)

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 can black beans drained

1 can corn drained

1 can beef broth plus a can of water

one can crushed tomato

1 jalapeno de-seeded and chopped (optional)

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 onion chopped

2 tbs olive oil

Brown the ground beef in olive oil.  Drain any fat and pour the meat into the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on low for 6 hours.

Optional toppings ( it is good on its own):

Sourcream, shredded cheese, green onions, tortilla chips

You can also make your own taco seasoning and use maybe a tablespoon of it instead of a seasoning packet:

2 tbs chili powder

1 tbs garlic powder

1 tbs cumin

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

Wild Honey Mushroom appetizer and a Cabbage Stew

We got this jar of wild honey mushrooms as a Christmas gift, a pickle sort of. It is so delicious on this pita cracker!

I also want to recommend this Cabbage Stew with Minced Meat and Potatoes that Denise shared many weeks ago.  I added some cauliflower and a chopped and deseeded jalapeno to mine, it is the kind of recipe you can adjust easily to what you have in your kitchen.  I used cauliflower and less potato as diabetic husband M shouldn't really be eating potato.

Paint Party Friday - 11th Birthday

 Welcome to Paint Party Friday's 11th birthday!  Yes, it has been 11 years which seems to have gone by in a flash.  I made the above collage to celebrate, I chose a random painting I did from each year 2011 - 2022.  It seems like I created each one yesterday, how quickly time flies.

So that my PPF friends can all keep in touch, you can visit me on Instagram @ms_facile and I also join Rain's Thursday Art Date every week.

Thanks again to Kristin and Eva for their dedication and kindness in running this art co-op and to all the participants who have come and gone over the years!  There will be a final after party next week (on the 25th) where Kristin and Eva will post everyone's the collages, be sure to visit here.

Rain's Thursday Art Date - Angels

Welcome to Rain's Thursday Art Date's 'Angels' theme! Here is a baby angel for you today.

And Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Irish Soda Bread

I made this Irish Soda Bread using a recipe Denise posted recently.  A slice of it is perfect for breakfast with coffee.  The dough is very wet, I added lots of extra flour so it would be easier to handle, however my sister says it is supposed to be very wet.  It tasted ok though.

Wednesday Memes

 

One for the Grandmas

Tuna Melt Tater Tots

 On Ash Wednesday March 2 we were trying to stay to a fish diet.  For dinner I found this recipe and made these tuna melt tater tots based on it.  It came together quickly and I used 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt along with 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise instead of the 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise in the recipe.

It tasted very good, nothing with Tater tots will be refused around here.

850g package of frozenTater Tots

2 cans of tuna in water, drained

2 tsp dried parsely

1/2 onion finely chopped

2 tbs Greek yogurt

2 tbs mayonnaise

1 1/4c grated cheddar cheese

Bake the tater tots 375F for 12 mins

mix mayo, onion, Greek yogurt, parsely, cheese, tuna.  spoon this mixture over the potatoes.  bake for another 12 minutes and enjoy!

Roasted garlic dip

 Lori posted a recipe for roasted garlic dip.  It was well received by husband M and son K.  It has a mild flavour due to the head of garlic being roasted.  I will be making it again.  Here is Lori's recipe with a few adjustments:

1/2 Cup light mayonnaise

1/2 Cup plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)

5 Tablespoons mashed roasted garlic (this is one head of garlic)

2 Tablespoons milk

1 tbs flax powder (optional nutritious addition)

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce

In a small bowl stir together all ingredients.

I had never roasted garlic before so I used  this recipe.

Salsa Chili

 I had a jar of salsa close to expiry and found this recipe for salsa chili.  The dish was a success!

It is healthier than eating tortilla chips and salsa.  You can serve it with rice or bread.

1 jar of tomato salsa (418 ml)

1 can of tomato sauce (398 ml)

1 can (540ml) black turtle beans, drained.

1 onion chopped

1 lb of ground meat

2 tbs olive oil

Heat olive oil in a saute pan. Brown the onions and ground meat.  Mix in salsa, beans, and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Matzo Balls

 I got this box of Matzo ball mix and decided to make it.  It said to mix 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to one of the packets of the enclosed mix.  After refrigerating for 15 minutes, it was time to form the one inch matzo balls.  Next I boiled 10 cups of salted water and added the matzo balls.  After simmering covered for 20 minutes they expanded quite bit and were ready.

I had leftover broth from poaching some salmon earlier that week.  I added a matzo ball to a bowl of that broth and it was delicious.

Paint Party Friday - Whale in Antarctica

 Welcome to Paint Party Friday!  I am sharing an ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2") of a whale based on a photo my brother shared on a trip to Antarctica.

Rain's Thursday Art Date - Fairies

 Welcome to Rain's Thursday Art Date's 'Fairies' theme.  Here is my little Fairy ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2").

Wednesday Memes

I got this one from Lori's blog, isn't it great? 

Homemade Pizza with Instant Yeast

 I made this whole wheat pizza with instant yeast, it seems it is interchangeable with active yeast for the most part.  For the toppings in the first pizza I used stuffed olives, antipasto, onions, ham and some poached salmon I had on hand.  The second pizza had just ham and onions.

1 1/3c warm water

2  1/4 tsp instant yeast

1 tbs sugar

2 tbs olive oil

3/4 tsp salt

3 1/2 c whole wheat flour (can use white flour)

In a smaller bowl mix warm water (100-105F), yeast, sugar and rest for 5 minutes until the mixture foams up.  Add olive oil.

In a larger bowl mix salt and flour together.  Add the yeast mixture.  Knead into a ball for a few minutes, oil the ball.  Turn into an oiled bowl and cover to rise for an hour.  Punch the dough down divide in half.  Roll each ball into shape.  Place on sheet covered with parchment paper.  Add sauce, shredded cheese, toppings.  Bake 475F 15-20 mins.  Makes 2 pizzas.

My Poached Salmon

season salmon fillets

low sodium broth

simmered until just cooked through

with creamed mashed squash

I had some frozen salmon fillets and decided to poach them. Here is my recipe:

4 skinless salmon fillets

salt

pepper

herbs (dried or fresh parsley, tarragon and/or dill )

2 tbs olive oil

284 ml can of low sodium chicken stock

284 ml water

a few squirts of fresh lemon

onion powder

garlic powder

Season the salmon with herbs and spices to taste.  Add lemon juice, olive oil.  Bring stock and water to a boil  in a skillet.  Reduce to a simmer.  Add the seasoned salmon and cover 5-10 mins until just cooked through.