Mini Strawberry Tarts

Mini Strawberry Tarts with Mascarpone Cheese

*swoon*

Ingredients - Sugared Pizza Crust, Mascarpone Cheese, Sugared Strawberries, & a Balsamic Vinegar Reduction

I saw this on TV this morning and went and recreated it. That’s my picture. After I did it I hunted down the recipe on the site so I could share!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/mini-strawberry-mascarpone-tarts-recipe/index.html

I pretty much did just that except I used the pizza crust I posted about a couple weeks ago.

Do it. And enjoy.

Oh glorious happy day that was yummy in my mouth!

I only made four to begin with. There are more cooking now. Leah & I both agreed we need more.

And at HER suggestion we’re going to do a couple with blueberries. I love my little chef child! lol

I hear the timer! Perfect timing – gotta go have more…

Haiti

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/first-presidency-statement-on-haiti

22 January 2010

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement today:

Our hearts are filled with sadness as we have watched the suffering in Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake. We turn to the example of Jesus Christ who reached out to “lift up the hands which hang down” and “strengthen the feeble knees.”  We are keenly aware that many in America are dealing with economic challenges caused by the recession. However, we are appealing to members to donate to Church Humanitarian Services as their means allow in order to help our Haitian brothers and sisters.  Many have already contributed and others are anxious to do so.

Money is not the only need in Haiti. People are frightened, bewildered, and wholly uncertain about their future. In addition to what people can do in helping with food, water and shelter, there needs to be a calming influence over that troubled nation. We invite our people everywhere to supplicate God for a spirit of calm and peace among the people as urgent aid and reconstruction efforts continue.

*article about the above statement

Article about Relief Efforts - Despite Challenges, Church Aid Reaching Needy; More Is on the Way

****

The statement made me cry. The amount of deaths and the turmoil going on in Haiti is staggering to me. I just don’t have any words.

Pizza Making

I decided a few weeks ago to do some research about Pizza Crust. I wanted to make pizza crust and I wanted it to be GOOD. And I didn’t want pizza crust that was like American “Pizza Hut” pizza crust. I wanted something Italian. Something authentic…

Best Pizza Dough Ever Recipe – I changed nothing about this recipe. I know a nicely done recipe when I see one! I’m not crazy. (Well okay. That might be overstating things… but alas. I changed nothing about the beautiful recipe in that link). In telling her story on that post she says – “For a long time I didn't really know where to look for guidance - I just knew I wanted pizza the way I'd enjoyed it in Rome and Naples.”

That caught my attention. AUTHENTIC. That’s what I wanted!

And it’s good. It’s an involved recipe. And you don’t get to make it and eat pizza the day you  make the dough – so no instant gratification going there but this is GOOD. So very very good. Perfect texture. Hmmmmmmmm… (I’m so glad while I write this I made dough today and I get to eat more tomorrow!)

Once you have this beautiful crust there are topping decision to be made. I really don’t think you could totally screw this up – unless you just put way too much stuff on the pizza. She recommends four things or less – and that includes your sauce and cheese. She called what we often get as pizza the “kitchen sink” approach. I thought that was funny.

So here’s the choices I made -

Cheese – Olive oil with garlic crushed and heated in it to intensify the flavor – brushed it on the crust then mozzarella and parmesan. It was like this delicious melt in your mouth giant breadstick. This was Leah’s favorite. “MOM! This is GOOD!” in some kind of shock at what had just happened in her mouth. It was very funny.

Basil Pesto, herb seasoned chicken, a little mozzarella, a lot of parmesan:

a small batch of Alfredo, brushed it on the crust, sprinkle with nutmeg, fresh spinach that I blanched and squeezed all the water out of obsessively (heaven forbid I risk my crust with soggy spinach!!), and then a lot of mozzarella, a little parmesan…

Drew requested that one of the pizza’s be “Hamburger Pizza”. I swear I didn’t think I could bear to just sprinkle hamburger on the pizza. Seriously. It seemed wrong to put that on this crust. Like it wasn’t worthy or something (I’m so MENTAL!!!). But I love the man so…

tomato sauce that I’d made the day before (fresh basil, some dried Italian herbs, garlic – very fresh tasting), the hamburger (which I browned but added to it: cumin, garlic powder, onion salt, pepper, white pepper, red pepper, Italian herb mix –), then as the hamburger was almost browned I added about half a diced onion and then cooked until totally soft onions, covered in a lot of  mozzarella. This all satisfied my mentalness about jut putting hamburger on a pizza but this was AWESOME. lol

This is the only one I remembered to take a “before” picture of – the hamburger pizza.

And that’s it. Pizza.

*happy sigh*

John Taylor Song

January 19, 2010 - I was thinking this morning about human beings and all the connections and I had a vague memory of writing a post on the topic before. I wasn't specifically thinking about adoption this time but I don't really want to rewrite the post so I've bumped it up. :)

The link doesn't have the song on it anymore - but you read the lyrics here - http://www.asklyrics.com/display/james-taylor/shed-a-little-light-lyrics.htm - Shed a Little Light -

Written January 7, 2007 -

http://www.authorsden.com/categories/poetry_top.asp?catid=69&id=109389 - you can hear the song on this website. It's playing in the background so turn your sound on.

This song (given the first line is about Martin Luther King, Jr.) is obviously about racial issues but I was listening to this CD while I drove home from Denver yesterday and I had been thinking about the adoption world and the war of words happening all over the Internet and in forums everywhere. (Leah was asleep, the car was quiet, & I'd just visited a friend who was adopting her second baby boy - what a wonderful visit! Oh wait... I digress)

So the above song comes on & when it gets to this part at the beginning I start to bawl:

And recognize that there are ties between us
All men and women
Living on the earth
Ties of hope and love
Sister and brotherhood
That we are bound together
In our desire to see the world become
A place in which our children
Can grow free and strong
We are bound together
By the task that stands before us
And the road that lies ahead
We are bound and we are bound

I have a soft spot when it comes to the connectivity of humanity. I cry when everyone pulls over for an ambulance to go by... Why you asks?

In my mind, it's just a smaller reminder that we are connected as human beings on this earth. I'm out running errands and I take the time to get out of the way of an ambulance because someone needs something more urgently than I do. It could be a birth, a death, a car wreck - whatever. I, of course, never get to know where that ambulance was going or who needed a few moments of my time to get help to them more quickly - but I give it because we all matter.

I think sometimes when I'm driving about how I might pass a car on the road & for just a moment our lives are in the same place and headed in the same direction. Where are they going? What are they doing? Is it something mundane? or happy? or heart wrenching?

We don't ever know. I think those things when I'm getting mad at other drivers. Maybe that woman wasn't paying attention because her 3 year old is in the hospital?

Anyway - the song. I was thinking about the momentous task of adoption reform. It's soooo hard. Can it ever be done?

Can I make sure that my daughter grows and feels strong and free?

I will try with all my might.

Sometimes this world is a rough place. Will it defeat her? Can I give her the knowledge to find the inner strength it takes to live life? To do it happily despite the challenges?

She's so smart and so strong and so amazing.

My thoughts are so jumbled about it I'm not quite expressing everything I wanted to.

Oh I know! This was the other thing.

I think sometimes when the different sides of the triad get to discussing things on forums - the goal gets lost. What are we all doing here? We need to remember our bond and what we are striving for.

we are bound together
In our desire to see the world become
A place in which our children
Can grow free and strong
We are bound together
By the task that stands before us
And the road that lies ahead

As members of the triad we ARE bound.

I know that's simplistic and I know the real problem is that people don't agree on the road that will lead to our children growing free and strong. But maybe some of the nastiness would decrease if we remember the task that lies before us...

It’s you.

because it sure isn't ME!

Rice Pudding

for Erin :)

(Pizza Crust post later – promise Renee!)

I’m very glad I’m actually typing this one up. I have the original recipe printed and all kinds of notes all over it as I changed things over time. It’s messy looking and sometimes it takes me a minute to decipher my own notes. lol

3 cups of cooked rice (great way to use up leftover white rice!)
3 3/4 cup milk

Combine rice & milk in a saucepan. Bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat to medium low. Cover the pan but leave the lid slightly ajar – don’t completely cover it. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes – or until the rice is soft and the mixture is thickened.

While that is going combine:

3 eggs, beaten
4 1/2 – 5 TBS, DARK brown sugar *
3/4 tsp vanilla **
scant 1/4 tsp salt
full 1/4 tsp cinnamon

When the rice mixture is ready, slowly drizzle in the egg mixture while stirring the rice – be careful – scrambling the eggs because you don’t it all in at once would be… well… disgusting. lol

Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

I like to eat this warm. I think traditionally rice pudding is supposed to be cold.

* okay. It doesn’t HAVE to be dark brown sugar. Regular brown sugar will do. But I do love it best with dark.

** I love vanilla flavor so I use a double strength one.

Oh and PS – Yes, I don’t add raisins. If you really want them you have two choices.

1. Put them in when you start the rice/milk mixture. They’ll do the soft gooey thing.

2. Just sprinkle some on top when you eat it.

Personally, I sprinkle more cinnamon on my bowl of rice pudding. I don’t care about the raisins and I don’t love raisins that have been cooked so long they're practically grapes again. ;) But that’s just a personal preference. lol

I totally forgot to take pictures. Oops!

Ordinary Day

There isn't really much going on here right now.

Today Leah is sick. She's had a fever since about 9:30 last night. She's very quiet today. Saturday is our day where she gets to pick several games we play and she wanted to do it in spite of the fact that she doesn't feel good. She got through three before she decided she just couldn't do it anymore and now she's on the couch. Sick kids are the saddest thing ever!

I have backlog of picture/recipe posts I need to do. I think I'll go through those today. Maybe

The Ordinary Day Experience:

I had this funny experience with Leah the other day while I was cooking. I got her an apron for Christmas and she likes to put it on and come cook with me in the kitchen.

Anyway, I was making fresh pasta (I'm on a roll with that lately) and she wanted to help. So she comes in the kitchen and we cooked for 4.5 hours. Just her & I. We made fettuccine, linguini, angel hair, and ravioli. The filling for the ravioli plus 3 different pasta sauces. We just cooked and cooked. And she hung in there and helped the entire time. Then we had them all ready at once, we put 3 forks in each dish and the three of us sat down and just ate fresh pasta dishes until we couldn't eat anymore!

It occurred to me several times to get the camera and take pictures but - I don't know. Some how it felt like it would ruin this moment we were having. It was such a precious happy day. I want to remember it forever but I guess not with pictures. We were all so relaxed. Drew came in and out as we cooked to chat.

Some moments just belong to your memory only.

And all I could think throughout the day was: I love my life.

I love my child. I love my husband. And I love to cook!

Corn Casserole

I've had this recipe for like 10 years but I haven't made it for awhile. I'd forgotten how easy it is and how much I love it.

1. Mix all together:

1/4 c butter, melted
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 c milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 12 oz cans corn, drained
nutmeg (just a dash)
1/2 - 1 green onion, depending on taste - optional

2. Pour into a buttered casserole dish

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

***
It takes awhile to bake but I just put it together, stick it in the oven and then do the rest of dinner at a leisurely pace.

Yummy and better than just having a can of corn.

One of these days I'm going to remember to try this with fresh corn just cut off the cob. Of course then I'll ruin it for myself and not be able to go back to the canned corn so maybe I shouldn't!

PS There ya go, Dale! :)