Simple pleasures

Today my nephews were over and they love to go out in the yard and pick anything they can. They mostly like the lemon tree and the roses. Vance picked a beautiful bouquet and he and Austin also both made some delicious fresh squeezed lemonade. 3 gallons to be exact! It is indeed a simple pleasure to see them enjoy such things.

Just look at those puppy-dog eyes.

Vance took this photo!

WDW - Homemade Salad Dressings

I don't buy any bottled salad dressings. Well, that isn't entirely true. I confess to sometimes buying Bob's blue cheese dressing. I can't help it. It's just something I grew up with and it's just so doggone delicious. And I just love the jar it comes in - so retro - it just looks cool in my fridge. Bob's Big Boy is still one of my favorite restaurants and I just have a very real connection to Bob personally. If you think that is strange, you obviously have never tried dipping their french fries into this dressing. Nor have you stolen the humongous statue of Bob from the front of the restaurant in the middle of the night and put him in the courtyard of your high school. Ahem.

Isn't he a hunk? He truly takes my breath away.

Anyways, back on track, here.

Bottled salad dressing, besides Bob's, is not in my fridge for the following reasons:

-It won't fit in the door because I have about 8 different types of mustard jammed in.
-I can't read the super-long ingredient list on the bottle without my glasses on. Wait, I think I can make out "partially hydrogenated" and "soybean oil" ...
-I can't stand the names. Cheese Fantastico? Green Goddess? Weird.
-One word: Goopy. Artificial. OK, two words.
-I can make it for pennies and it tastes better (best reason).

I have already posted my all-time fave dressing, the one I use for my Caesar Salad. I make that about 72 times a week. I constantly crave it. No wonder I can't lose weight.

Well, today I'm going to share two other dressing recipes I go to often. One is a simple vinaigrette and the other is a creamy ranch dressing. If you have kids, you really should have a good ranch dressing in your repertoire. Every mom knows this is the secret a helpful way to get kids to eat their vegetables. And my kids still love chicken tenders with my homemade ranch dressing. And so do I - I admit it.

This ranch has cilantro added in. Beautiful color!

Ranch Salad Dressing

1-2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 T. dried or fresh parsley
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. red wine or white wine vinegar
fresh ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients with a whisk or in the blender. Add more buttermilk if too thick.

For a great variation: Add 1/4 - 1/2 (depending on how hot you want it) of a canned chipotle pepper (find it in the Mexican section - they're called "chipotle peppers in adobo sauce"), and a good handful of fresh cilantro for a Mexican ranch dressing. Lime juice can stand in for the vinegar in this variation, if you like. Use the blender for this to pulverize the cilantro. Toss this dressing with romaine, corn kernels, black beans, chicken or tri tip, avocado, diced tomato or salsa, Cotija cheese (Mexican crumbly cheese- optional) and crushed tortilla chips for a truly superb main dish salad. Mmm.

This vinaigrette's color is due to the addition of cumin and chili powder.

For the vinaigrette, the basic recipe is to begin with 1/2 cup good olive oil and 1/3 cup acid. The acid can be any kind of vinegar (I usually use red wine, apple cider or balsamic), or you can use a combination of half fresh lemon or lime juice and vinegar. Add some salt and pepper to taste, a clove of minced garlic, and a drizzle of honey. This is the basic dressing -whisk either by hand or in the blender. Sometimes I add a small splash of half and half, or a teaspoon of dijon or a tablespoon of mayo for a little creaminess. In addition, you can add fresh or dry herbs. I sometimes even throw in a little cumin and chili powder, like today. I seem to make it different every time. And if you don't like the garlic just leave it out. Just remember the olive oil to acid ratio, that's the important part.

"Not Me!" Monday

Well, it's probably about time I joined Mck Mama's little "Not Me!" Monday game.

Each Monday, she posts all the things she did not do (but really did do) and encourages us all to play along for a little amusement (and self-deprecating humor). Confused? You'll get it as you read.

This week, I did not...

...take our absentee ballots to our neighborhood voting place (the elementary school down the street) on Monday instead of Tuesday. I knew very well that the election was Tuesday and that no one would be there to collect my ballots on Monday. I was not at all embarrassed when the lady in the school office gently reminded me of the correct election day. Nope, not me!

...buy a book entitled The flat belly diet. I would never fall for any type of fad diet, knowing plain well that to lose weight I must simply eat less and exercise more. Besides, my abdomen is so ripped anyways that I would never even think of buying a book like that! Nope, not me!

...get inspired to download three Heart songs on itunes after seeing Allison Iraheta perform "Alone" on American Idol. I did not then proceed to sing along loudly to these songs in the car. I would never listen to any secular music - especially rock - nope not me!

...go to Do-It Center with Rich, fill up our cart with stuff, proceed to the checkout and then realize that neither of us had any money on us. We did not then leave our cart, go home and get money, return to the store, and then sheepishly go through the checkout again. Not me (or us)!

...eat a Krispy Kreme doughnut, a huge ice cream in a waffle cone at Disneyland, chocolate raspberry trifle, and a dozen or so of the amazing Italian cookies that one of my Shepherds' Conference guys brought. I would never eat those kinds of unhealthy, fattening things. And I would never gain weight if I did. Nope, not me!

WDW - Easy Enchiladas & Homemade Refried Beans

I don’t make many dinner things in 9 x 13 dishes. I’ve never been one for layering ingredients like chicken with cream of mushroom soup (gag!) and peas and weird things like Durkee onions. But, this is one of my few “casseroles” if you will, and I love to make a whole bunch and freeze a few pans. You might as well make a bunch when you do it. The way I look at it, you are making pretty much the same mess whether you make one pan or eight.

Disclaimer! These are not super-authentic Mexican enchiladas – they are more like a gringo like me made them. But, they are absolutely delicious!

You can make these out of chicken or beef. Last weekend I made both types, since we hosted a bunch of folks last night before the Shepherds’ Conference begins. To save myself time, I picked up two roasted chickens and a package of shredded cooked beef from Costco. The shredded beef can be found in the fresh section with the lunchmeat, sausages, etc. And you don't need me to extol the virtues of Costco roasted chickens. I am addicted. Have I ever mentioned the time that they were sold out and I nearly had a heart attack right there in the meat section. Mercy!

This is a handy product!

To begin, dump the shredded meat (beef or chicken) into a large mixing bowl. Dump in a good amount of shredded jack-cheddar cheese, sour cream, and some of your favorite fresh salsa (we like Jack’s from Costco). I used to chop up green onions, garlic, tomatoes, and cilantro until I had a revelation that I could just substitute salsa. Brilliant! But, be sure to use the fresh kind. So, that’s it -mix well. Sorry for not giving exact proportions, but trust me – you can’t mess these up. Especially if you’re a gringo like me. By the way, is gringo a bad word? If someone tells me that it is, I will stop saying it. Anyways, this is what the mixture should look like:

Chicken filling

I use flour tortillas and packaged enchilada sauce mix from Lawry’s. I know, I know… you hear me bagging on packaged foods pretty regularly around here, but I do have my few crutches, OK? I made 5 envelopes of sauce for the amount of filling I had. I pour a little sauce into each pan before I lay the enchiladas in. These are so easy to make. Follow me...

Sorry for the "Chef boy-are-dee" sauce color here. I use point and shoot.

And there you go. Cover with foil and freeze, or cook right away. Bake covered in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes (be sure to thaw enchiladas before baking if they are frozen).

This made seven 9 x 13 pans. I did myself a favor and used disposable pans. Can I tell you how much I love disposable pans? I buy them at bulk at Costco, if that tells you anything. I suppose it's environmentally irresponsible, but I'm not super-concerned with the environment. I am actually more concerned with how many dishes I have to do. Wait, doesn't using disposable pans save water? Yes, it does! See, I am doing my part to save the world after all.

If you are interested in an enchilada making extravaganza like mine, here's what I used to make my 7 pans of enchiladas:

From Costco: 2 roasted chickens, 1 packaged shredded beef, 1 package (5 lb.) shredded jack-cheddar cheese, 1 container Jack's fresh salsa (I used half), 2 packages tortillas (I used 49 tortillas).

From the grocery store: 1 container (16 oz) sour cream, 5 packages Lawry's enchilada sauce packet mix, 5 cans (6 oz each) tomato paste for the sauce, 2 large cans sliced olives.

And since I’m feeling rather gringo-ish today, I will also share my recipe for homemade refried beans to go with these delicious enchiladas. Super easy- you make them in the crock pot. All you do is simmer them all day, and mix with your boat motor stick blender. If you don’t have one, then you can use a regular hand mixer.

Refried Beans for the crock pot

1 lb. dry pinto beans, rinsed
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
¼ lb. raw bacon, chopped
6 cups water
½ tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on high for 4 hours, and then on low for 4 more hours. Use stick blender to puree. Adjust salt if necessary.

Yield: 8-10 servings

Note: May double recipe, but only use 10 cups of water.

Rave Review for the Melting Pot

Last night Rich took me on a "hot date" to the Melting Pot in Old Town Pasadena. Drew gave us a generous gift card to the place for Christmas, and we have been eager to use it. So, when we discovered the kids had plans for the evening, we didn't hesitate to make plans to go!

We had been there a couple of years ago with our friends, the Hoffmans, the night before they packed up their house, their 7 kids and dog and drove to Nashville to live. We talked for hours late at night over pots of cheese fondue and chocolate fondue. It was such a fun time, I knew I would love to come back someday for the full dinner experience.

First of all, I just love the vibe of this place. It is upstairs, very elegant and dark, kind of like a nice steak house but more hip. It feels very festive and special. We were seated by a wall of windows overlooking Colorado Blvd. I felt kind of like I was in New York.

We ordered one of the four course dinners for two. It started with a cheese fondue of our choice, which came with a bowls full of assorted bread, veggie, and green apple chunks. The apples were especially delicious. They put a pot atop an electric burner that is built into the table, and assemble your fondue right at the table. Our server mixed in several different cheeses ("butter" cheese, fontina, and blue), along with white wine and some green onions. We quickly mopped up every drop of cheese, it was so good!

I had to steal this photo off the internet, as I forgot my camera! (We don't drink wine.)

Next, we had our choice of salads -Rich had the Cobb and I had spinach. As much as I love salad, I was eager for the entree and would have gladly skipped that step! After we dutifully ate our greens, the main event arrived. It was so cool - a platter full of assorted chunks of raw meats and seafood. We had marinated pork, marinated chicken, filet mignon, salmon, shrimp, a lobster tail, and fresh cheese ravioli. They gave us a bowl filled with potatoes, broccoli, and mushrooms as well. The cooking liquid is not oil, but a flavorful broth of your choice. We chose "coq au vin" which was a red wine/broth mixture flavored with garlic and shallots. Each item only took a minute or two to cook in the boiling broth. They also provided a broad selection of delicious sauces to dip everything in. It was such a feast for the eyes and tastebuds with so many options before us. We thoroughly enjoyed everything!

Then, for the grand finale....chocolate fondue! We chose "yin & yang" which was half dark chocolate swirled with white chocolate. Mmm, is all I can say. SO good. The dippers for this amazing dessert came on an artfully arranged platter which included a slice of cheesecake, chunks of pound cake and brownies, two kinds of amazing marshmallows - a regular marshmallow that was dipped in coconut and the other a chocolate marshmallow dipped in oreo crumbs (my favorite), little cubes of Rice Krispie treats, and fresh banana slices and strawberries. That all quickly disappeared too.

It was such a great dining experience! Everything was a surprise and so fun to eat. Our server did a great job helping us make our choices for everything and the service was excellent. I highly recommend this place if you have an anniversary or special occasion coming up. It would also be fun to go with a group of girlfriends! The food is delicious and the experience is one you won't forget.

A Study on Humility

I've been reading Humility: True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney. What a life changing book! Just this one sentence from Scripture has had a great impact on me:

God is opposed to the proud, yet gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6)

I have felt truly challenged to mortify pride and put on humility, as well as encouraged to put into practice some of the practical application C.J. offers. Humility requires both purposeful application and a practical strategy, and here are some of C.J.'s recommendations for our mornings:

Reflect on the wonder of the cross.

C.J. believes this is the most important habit. We must survey the wonderful cross of Jesus Christ on which the Prince of Glory died. What else could crush our pride more than the continual realization of why Jesus went to the cross. It was for my sin. A few lines from the hymn When I survey the wondrous cross sum it up: When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride. I love this quote by John Stott: "Every time we look at the cross, Christ seems to be saying to us, "I am here because of you. It is your sin I'm bearing, your curse I am suffering, your debt I am paying, your death I am dying."

Begin your day acknowledging your need for God.

This is purposing by grace that our first thought of the day will be an expression of our dependence on God, our need for God, and our confidence in God.

Begin your day expressing gratitude to God.

Michael Ramsey said "Thankfulness is a soil in which pride does not grow." How true! When we greet our Savior with gratitude (rather than grumbling) we can grow in humility. Is this statement true about you?

I am an alert observer of answered prayer and am constantly sweetening my spirit, inviting others to join me in giving thanks.

That's a very good one to ponder and strive for. An ungrateful person is a proud person. There are countless signs of God's provision, presence, kindness and grace in our lives, if we are careful observers. C.J. exhorts us, "Let us recognize every moment that whatever grace we receive from God is so much more than we're worthy of, and indescribably better than the hell we all deserve."

Practice spiritual disciplines.

Prayer, study of God's Word, and worship. I love how these are called disciplines. Discipline is never easy. We must work to accomplish this. So many things pull us in a million different directions all day, but we must discipline ourselves and our time to make these priorities. These things are a daily demonstration and declaration of our dependence and need for God.

Cast your cares on Him.

What a privilege that He loves us so much and doesn't just encourage us that He is there for us, but He commands us to cast our cares on Him. C.J. explains how pride is really at the center of anxiousness and worry. When we are experiencing those, the root issue is that we are trying to be self-sufficient. God wants us to acknowledge our need for Him, be free from care and worry, and be characterized by joy and peace.

WDW - Baked Oatmeal

It may look humble, but it's really, really good!

It's probably about time that I post this family favorite. I got this recipe long ago from a friend (thanks, Donna!), and it has been part of our Sunday morning breakfast repertoire ever since. It's really like oatmeal meets cake. It's so delicious, moist, sweet but not too sweet, and actually even rather healthy. I feel like I need to redeem myself after last week's carrot cake. Ahem. And there is still one wicked, evil delicious piece left in the refrigerator!

What I love about this, other than the fact that I can make it with my eyes closed (which is what they are when I am in the kitchen early Sunday morning), is that it's fast and easy to fix and pop into the oven. And, while it bakes, I can continue to get ready for church. It is made in one bowl - no fancy equipment needed - no mess. No exotic ingredients either. If you don't keep unprocessed bran in the house, you can pick up a bag at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. Oat bran or wheat bran is fine. It's cheap, and if you want to know what to do with the leftovers, just ask(I have another yummy recipe I can share with bran).

My whole family loves this and never gets tired of it. It is truly warming, filling and downright comforting. I like to cut it into generous squares - it cuts like a cake. If you like, you can put a little butter on top (or a lot if you are my family), or even drizzle a little half and half over it. Be sure to serve this warm.

This recipe serves 4-6. Leftovers should be refrigerated and re-warmed to eat.

Baked Oatmeal

½ cup oil
½ cup honey
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3 cups old fashioned oats
2 Tbsp. flour (whole wheat or all-purpose)
2 Tbsp. unprocessed bran
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
brown sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine oil, honey, eggs and milk in a large bowl. Whisk together. Add all remaining ingredients, except brown sugar. Stir well. Pour into a greased 8” square pan. Top with brown sugar (a nice layer). Bake 30-35 minutes. Cool 5 minutes (important - it will fall apart). Cut into squares and serve.

P.S. A little trick - if you measure the oil first, then the honey, the honey will slip right out of the measuring cup!

Welcome!

Welcome to my remodeled blog! I have officially retired my Country Living…Shadow Hills name and I will henceforth be known as the "e-wife." This is a longtime nickname that Rich has had for me, since I use my computer so much. E = electronic, as in e-mail… I hope none of you just had a revelation there (oh…so THAT’S what the “e” stands for). Anyways, I had my blog custom designed by a darling gal named Jennisa over at Once upon a blog. I just love it, and I hope you all will, too.

My address has changed to www.ewifeblogsagain.blogspot.com Please make a note of it!

Ooey, Gooey Sunday

Neato- check out the reflection in the KitchenAid bowl!

I stayed home from church today to keep Emma company. She's progressing well from her wisdom teeth surgery last Friday, but it's hard for her to talk or smile so we thought it best for her to stay home today and avoid social situations! It's been a relaxing weekend watching TV, designing my new blog (coming soon... I can't wait!), and preparing for my upcoming Shepherds' Conference guests next week. The weather has been great to just cozy down.

Of course, this type of low-key weekend puts me right in the mood for baking. I needed to stash some baked goods in the freezer for Shepherds' Conference week - so I had the perfect excuse to make my favorite chocolate chip cookies. Mine are nice and soft - just the way I like them. Be sure not to overbake these babies. I cook them only until there is just the slightest moisture remaining on top - they are barely set when I take them out of the oven.

Karen’s chocolate chip cookies

1 cup butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

3 ¼ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine butter and sugars together in KitchenAid. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.

Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix just till combined. Add chocolate chips and mix just until incorporated into the batter.

Scoop dough (I like a cookie scoop for ease and uniformity) onto cookie sheets, 12 per sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Makes approximately 3 dozen.

WDW - the BEST carrot cake!

If you didn't get your fill of sweets on Valentine's Day, have I ever got a sweet dessert for you. This may pretty much be my most favorite dessert ever. If you like carrot cake, you have got to try my recipe. Anyone can make it - it's a snap. And, of course, everyone knows that carrot cake is healthy. It contains carrots, for crying out loud! I think it even counts as a serving of vegetables. I guess it would be rather healthy, without the frosting...

But, don't even think about making this cake without the insanely delicious cream cheese-powdered sugar frosting. That would be utterly ridiculous. If I find out that you did that, I will block you from reading my blog.

I like to make this in two round cake pans with frosting in between the layers. It's pretty stunning, even though it comes off a little on the rustic side. It makes a downright respectable birthday cake for someone you like a whole lot. If the idea of removing the cakes from the pans and frosting the center freaks you out, just use a 9 x 13 pan. I promise you it will taste just as good, and you will be spared of any panic.

I am making this cake today for a special friend of mine's birthday. Let's just say she's 40-something, although the birthday candles will say 30. That is a tradition I have with my girlfriends. No matter how old we get, we always put the number 30 candles on the cake! We're not in denial or anything like that. We just like the number 30, OK?

A few tips on the cake:

- For the oil, you will see that I use "extra light olive oil". Extra light olive oil (I guess Rachael would call it "ELOO") is a lesser grade and less expensive olive oil. I get it by the jug at Costco. I don't know how widely available it is. The only oils I use are coconut and olive, so this is my choice for baking when a recipe calls for vegetable oil. I read something that all oils except olive oil and coconut oil are already rancid at the store, and the same source convinced me that I am endangering my health by consuming rancid oil. So I banned them from my pantry. ELOO does not have a strong flavor, and is great for baking. It is not called "extra light" because it is lower in calories, only lighter in color and flavor. ELOO is also great for sauteeing, as it has a lower smoke point than regular olive oil.

-If you are going to attempt the two layer round option, here is a recommendation for frosting. First of all, the cake layers will be less crumbly when cold, and will frost easier. However, you do want to remove the layers from the pans when cooled to room temperature after baking. Remove the layers, place on plates, cover and refrigerate. Be smart and put one of the layers on the cake plate you intend to serve it on, so you won't have to move it. This chilling is not a necessary step but helps keeps the crumbs to a minimum.

Be sure to put a lot of frosting in between the layers!

-When frosting, first do a very thin coat to seal in any crumbs. Wipe the knife if crumbs start to appear on it as you go. Then, go back and lay it on heavy, baby.

The cake with its first thin layer of frosting

-I like to top my cake with walnuts, and toasted candied walnuts are even better. I toast the nuts in the oven for about 15 minutes (about 300 degrees), then I toss them into a hot skillet with granulated sugar (as much or as little as you like). Over medium heat, toss and cook the until the sugar melts and walnuts are well coated. Turn onto waxed paper to cool. Break into pieces if they stick together. Great for salads, too. Or just eating out of hand!

-I saw some carrot cupcakes that Ina Garten made, and she topped them with raw carrot curls. Quite pretty. That is another option if you think it sounds good. Just warn everyone not to eat them. Raw carrots have no place on baked goods. Think about it.

And now, without further adieu, here is the recipe.

Carrot Cake

CAKE:
3 cups grated carrots
1 ¼ cups extra light olive oil
3 eggs
¾ cup craisins or raisins
1 tsp. vanilla
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple in natural juices, undrained
1 cup sugar

2 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. baking powder

walnuts for topping, optional



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix carrots through sugar and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour through baking powder.

Add dry to wet and stir just till combined.

Pour into a greased 9 x 13 or two round 9” pans. Bake 25-35 minutes and test for doneness. Do not overbake.

Cool and turn out of pans to cooling rack (for rounds only). Let cool completely before frosting.

FROSTING:
6 ozs. softened cream cheese
1/3 cup softened butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. half and half or milk

1 lb. powdered sugar

Combine cream cheese through half and half in mixer bowl. Beat until well combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. May add more half and half if necessary.