We had a nice surprise in our planter this morning. The beautiful lavender and burgundy sweet potato flowers produced one lovely potato.
Potato
18 Friday Jan 2013
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Tag Archives: eco-fashionable food prep
Charise’s Magic Potatoes
28 Friday Dec 2012
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A friend of mine brought an enormous sack of organic, non-gmo potatoes to share with our church family at Hope Bible Fellowship.
Charise encourages me every day through her posts to add healthy rich herbs and spices with natural antibiotics to give my system a boost.
We have a health-conscious congregation and it was a great blessing to everyone.
As you can see from my recipes, I’m not as careful as most cooks in the church.
I love to use butter, and sour cream and cheese.
I decided to make a potato dish every day.
It was fun to get creative, challenge myself in my cooking (which can get lazy) as I make my favorites over and over.
Monday – Cubed and sautéed potatoes with pumpkin to serve with the morning eggs with thyme.
Tuesday – Mashed potatoes with roasted garlic, thyme, and sour cream and butter. 
Wednesday – Scalloped potatoes with garlic, chili powder…extra cheesy!
Thursday – Baked potatoes with basil and garlic.
Friday – Boiled potatoes served with peas, fresh mint and pats of butter.
Saturday – Baked steak fries in the oven topped with rosemary.
Weighed myself Sunday morning and I had magically lost 3 pounds eating potatoes!
God Bless Charise for sharing the goodness of God’s great bounty!
Steamed Pumpkin
10 Friday Aug 2012
Posted in Uncategorized
Skin pumpkin just like a cantaloupe and slice in the same way.
Pour an inch of water in the bottom of a pan and toss in the sliced pumpkin.
I served with chicken breasts topped with pesto and a side dish of steamed kale doused with balsamic vinegar.
Waiting for something to grow in our lives takes patience.
Therefore, be patient brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. James 5:7-8
The pumpkin picked too soon would have been bitter.
What to do while you wait?
Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one’s heart to a dear friend. People who have no secrets from each other never want subjects of conversations; they do not weigh their words, because there is nothing to be kept back. Fenelon
Red Velvet Cake
16 Saturday Jun 2012
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I’ve been making this cake for twenty-five years now. The cake seems to take on a life of its own and will improve every time you attempt to make this grand and elegant southern favorite. It has long been my husband’s favorite birthday cake. This cake takes time, focus and a clear head, so I set two days aside to prepare the cake in stages, making room on my calendar to do so. Do not try to answer the phone, text, answer the doorbell or multitask in any way shape or form while in process.
The original recipe was from Marilyn Southard, my mother-in-law, a wonderful Southern lady from Alexandria, Virginia who last year went home to be with the Lord. Red Velvet is her birthday cake legacy. She always made delicious desserts, and whether we traveled to the mountains, or the beach she talked about her great love of God as we talked, laughed and cried together while cooking for our family. As great a cook and mother/mother-in-law as she was, I remember her most for her faith in the Lord, strength of character, and her exemplary work ethic without sacrificing anything of her femininity, power and sense of style. For me she defined what it means to live well for the Lord.
Here’s my recipe:
1 c shortening 
4 oz. red food color
3 c sugar
4 T. cocoa
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. salt 
2 tsp. soda
2 c buttermilk
2 T. vinegar
5 c. sifted cake flour
Frosting
20 T. flour
4 c. sugar
4 c. sweet milk
4 tsp. vanilla
4 c. butter
Cream shortening, sugar. Add and beat eggs, add salt, buttermilk and cake flour. Make a paste of food coloring, cocoa and vanilla and beat into batter. Mix in at last-minute, but (do not beat): soda and vinegar. Bake in 4 cake pans/ layers at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Frosting : Cook flour and milk over medium heat until thick. Chill. Cream butter and sugar. Add chilled paste along with vanilla. Beat until fluffy. Ice cooled cake.
I made this frosting the wrong way for ten years, mistaking “sweet milk” for sweetened condensed milk. I couldn’t understand why I had to pat it on in handfuls until Marilyn, walked me through the recipe very slowly and caught my error. Turns out “Sweet milk” is a southern expression for whole milk where she grew up. The two of us would chat throughout the two days leading up to my husbands birthday and although she is in heaven I like to think she can hear my thoughts as I continue to chat with her. That’s my hope anyway. She’s probably busy singing Handel’s Messiah with the angels, but pretty sure Jesus let her know I was making her cake.
( I doubled the ingredients from the original recipe to make four layers)
Oh Kale it’s a Wrap
28 Saturday Jan 2012
Posted in Uncategorized
My friend Becky was joining me for lunch yesterday and with only a quick fifteen minutes to relax I told her I would bring our lunches. The City of Austin is encouraging us to cut plastic from our lives, so in lieu of water bottles, I filled 2 small mason jars with filtered water for our beverage. Classy. In a hurry, I slapped together the strangest combination of ingredients and produced a most delicious Kale, hummus and roast beef egg roll wrap. OK, it doesn’t sound great, but what joy it brought me when I took my first bite. Turns out Becky couldn’t make it, so I doubled down on this delightful surprise with little worry of consuming too many calories. Yum! here’s what I did:
Lay kale leaf flat tearing off stem
Place generous dollop of roasted garlic hummus in the center
4-5 slices of roast beef
2 slices of tomato
2 slices of hot pepper jack cheddar
1 tsp. of horseradish (optional)
Wrap contents in wax paper tightly and weight a heavy book or marble if you have it for just a minute or two.
Place contents in egg roll wrap (wheat)and brown slightly in pan with just a drop of vegetable oil. Substitue any meat, vegetable, evoo, or spring roll wrap (rice) would do nicely also.
Sopa de Pollo con Calabaza
31 Monday Jan 2011
Posted in Uncategorized
Don’t be frightened by the size of the task, for the Lord my God is with you. 1 Chronicles 28:20 TLB
We saved our Cinderella Pumpkin from fall and decided to break it open and see if it was still fit for consumption. Our pumpkin was so heavy I could not pick it up so my beloved did the hard work, lifting, not to mention cutting and cooking.
Nobody else can do the work that God marked out for you. Paul Lawrence Dunbar
We had been storing it in the garage. Todd stepped in at this point cutting one-quarter of the pumpkin up into cubes and simmering it on the stove top for about ninety minutes. From the sofa reading I watched as he drained off cooked pumpkin and set aside leaving the lovely orange broth in the pan. He added 2 tablespoons of butter to a small metal dish …floated it on top the broth for a couple of minutes, and dangerously pulled it with his bare hands added 2 tablespoons of flour to the butter and made a roux.
Next he added the breast of one chicken from a rotisserie chicken(hand shredded) from the market. (I try to keep one on hand at all times as my back up plan) sprinkled a bit of curry, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste, added the roux and garnished with green onions.
The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done. Arnold Palmer
The Green Monster
15 Thursday Apr 2010
Posted in Uncategorized
Todd is always trying to squeeze more veggies in my diet. 
My box of Jugy Fruit ( chewy, fruity candy) apparently did not count yesterday.
The Green Monster
1 head of kale
1 half bunch of spinach
4 tbsp. of unsweetened applesauce
1 c of soy milk
Squeeze one orange into mix and blend well in food processor or mixer.
The big surprise was the taste and color were fantastic.
Feeling energized,
Trish
Patty’s Cakes
22 Sunday Nov 2009
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We ran out of flour so I made do with a substitution of 1 cup of “Hodgson Mill”, whole grain brown flax seed and 1/4 c of 100% whole grain whole oats. The family raved about them, and we have now switched over on a permanent basis.
1 c of whole grain brown flax seed
1/4 c of whole grain whole oats
2 ts baking powder
1 beaten egg
1 c milk
1 tbsp oil (your favorite)
2 tbsp sugar
Mix well till smooth, and allow to cook thoroughly on the griddle. Take care when flipping and use two spatulas if possible. Makes 8 small patty-cakes.
Serve with a dash of sugar and a squeeze of lemon.
Flipping cakes,
Patty
aka Trish
The Pumpkin who dressed up as a Sweet Potato ~ Margie’s Pumpkin Squares
23 Friday Oct 2009
Posted in Uncategorized
Here is the recipe for the delicious Autumn dessert that Margie Orr made for the church potluck. I posted a note on my wall asking who had made the tasty flavorful dish and no one fessed up. I ran into Margie at the Women’s Retreat last weekend and she said very humbly it was hers and she gave me permission to share on my blog. Margie is a lovely lady, beloved Sunday School teacher, mother of 4 grown children, and volunteers as the Hope Treasurer. All the flavors of fall, and a colorful comfort-food that fooled me into tasting sweet potato when it was actually pumpkin. Sweet!
Pumpkin Pie Squares
1 c. flour
1/2 c. quick oatmeal
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. (1 stick) Imperial margarine (the only one I use)
Combine in a mixing bowl. I use a pastry hook to mix well. Pat on bottom of 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
While the crust is baking combine
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
3/4 c. white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Mix well and then pour over crust when done. Continue baking for 20 more minutes.
Combine 1/2 c. brown sugar and 1/2 c. ( about 2 1/4 oz) finely chopped pecans. Sprinkle over pie filling then continue baking for 15 to 20 more minutes or until filling is set. Cool in pan on rack. Cut into 2 inch squares. Top with a swirl of Cool Whip topping. Makes about 2 dozen.
Enjoy.
Margie Orr
Vegetarian Refried Beans
19 Saturday Sep 2009
Posted in Restful Homes for Our Families, Uncategorized
Tags
eco-fashionable food prep, family, Food on Fridays, Foodie, Girlfriends, Rest, Rosh Hashanah, simplify
This week our church started reading Ann’s book “Not So Fast”. We had a lot of laughs as our leader Debbi Keller had us name off all our roles on any given day. The small group spent most of the time just getting acquainted. We will meet for the next ten weeks to discuss two chapters a week, and pray for our children. Two of the Mom’s are vegetarian and from India. Interesting to hear their stories of having arranged marriages. Looking forward to next week and developing friendships with all the women in the group.
Rosh Hashanah is literally the head of the Jewish New Year followed by ten “Days of Repentance.” I think of my Jewish friends on Jewish holidays and of the many blessings they bring into my life. I have learned the importance of planning meals ahead of time for the weekend and lessons of their Jewish faith, both lasting gifts from Stacie, Elisa, Julie and Wendy. They prepare dishes early on Friday mornings so they can enjoy their family over the Shabbat or Sabbath.
Here is a simple, heart healthy starter dish you can prepare for your family in advance for the weekend. Top off salads, fish or tortillas, convert to chili, or do or anything else you imagine for that matter:
Boil 2 pounds of pinto beans for 1 hour and drain off the water completely
Saute in EVOO, one ice-cream scoop full of chopped garlic
Chop 1/4 of a red onion and toss in with the onions
Slice off 1/4 of a fresh jalepeno
1/4 cup of Valentina Salsa Picante
Combine all with drained beans in crock pot on low and add water to about 1/2 way up the beans
Put the top on and set for 3 hours on low
The beans will be quite dry the first time served, but after a day or so in the fridge they’ll be quite nice.
Serve with fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and if your diet allows, La Morenita, Queso Fresco crumbled sparingly on the beans.
The only oil in the recipe to help justify the refried title is the extra virgin olive oil.
Cynthia Heald speaks on the Sabbath and rest in her new release this month.
“Jesus confirmed that the Sabbath, a day of rest instituted by God, was made for us (See Mark 2:27). Christians now set aside the Lord’s Day for worship, for our rest is not in a day, but in a Person. We are no longer bound by the Old Testament law to keep the Sabbath, but nevertheless I think that as we observe the rhythm of God, we would be wise to rest one day a week. I do my best to schedule one day where I do not have to do anything. It doesn’t mean that I sit all day and do nothing, but I avoid pressing appointments or obligations for that particular day. For me, at my season in life, it is a day for quiet, for extended time with God, or for time with a friend. I know what it is like to have children, activities, work, etc., but even with your family, do what you can to keep a day that is commitment free. I think that this is God’s way for us to manage stress – to stop and rest from our labor one day a week. ”
– Cynthia Heald, Becoming a Woman of Simplicity,Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2009, pg.122, www.navpress.com
Rest up this weekend,
Trish
Trish Southard 