November 24, 2024

Roasted Potato and Cabbage Salad

potato cabbage salad

I found this delicious recipe here and I’m so glad I did!  This Roasted Potato and Cabbage Salad makes use of winter veggies to create a hearty and healthy side dish.  Next time I make this, I plan to add either raisins or another dried fruit, maybe diced apricots; I think a bit of added sweetness would set off the herbs and cabbage wonderfully.  Eat this with eggs cooked to your liking for a light supper.

Roasted Potato and Cabbage Salad
(recipe courtesy of www.eyecandypopper.com)

Ingredients:

  • 8 small potatoes (use different colors!)
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1 or two tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1/2 head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • handful of almonds, crushed or chopped coarsely (I used pumpkin seeds)
  • fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450*F.  Wash potatoes and sweet potato, slice thickly, and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil.  Line a pan with parchment paper and bake for about 25 minutes.  Take care they don’t burn!
  2. While the potatoes bake, prepare the dressing:  in a resealable container, shake together the mustard, vinegar, tahini, maple syrup, olive oil, and salt and pepper.
  3. Slice the cabbage and onion very thinly.  Put them in a large bowl and toss with the dressing.
  4. When the potatoes are roasted, remove from the oven and let cool 5-10 minutes, then toss into the salad.  Top salad with almonds and cilantro (and next time I’m adding dried fruit here too!)

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana


To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

Lunch for One: Baked Potato with Broccoli and Cheese

Broccoli Cheese Potato

There are many reasons you’d want to have a stash of “table for one” recipes:  You could be a stay-at-home mom (or work-from-home mom, like me) and you don’t want hot dogs or buttered noodles or whatever it is your toddler will deign to consume this week; it could be you live alone and don’t need to make a recipe that serves 6; or it could be a case where the other people around you want something else, and you need a dish you can whip up quickly just for you.   Whatever the case, this Baked Potato with Broccoli and Cheese feeds one person perfectly!

I cooked both the potato and the broccoli in the microwave.  You could use leftover baked potatoes; you could also use frozen broccoli instead of fresh.  The important thing is the cheese sauce!  No Velveeta here – just regular ingredients you have around your house come together in 4 minutes for a creamy, healthy sauce.  I had a little Boursin cheese leftover – about an ounce – or you could use goat cheese or even cream cheese if you don’t have Boursin.  If you have none of those and are just using grated cheese, add about a quarter cup more cheese, plus a hefty shake of garlic salt or garlic powder.

Lunch for One:  Baked Potato with Broccoli and Cheese

Ingredients:

  • 1 potato (any kind – I like Yukon Gold)
  • 1 small head of broccoli (or use about 8 ounces frozen broccoli)
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese
  • 1 ounce Boursin or goat cheese (or use cream cheese, plus garlic powder, salt and pepper)

Directions:

  1. Chop the broccoli into smallish pieces, and microwave until steamed.  Not too crisp, but definitely not mushy.  Set aside.
  2. Microwave the potato.  I poked holes in the potato with a fork, wrapped it in a wet dishcloth, and microwaved until soft and pliable.  Set aside.
  3. In a pan, melt the butter and add the flour over medium-low heat.  Stir together (this is a roux) for about 2 minutes.
  4. Add the milk and stir until it blends into the sauce and starts to thicken.  Add the cheeses (and spices if using) and stir until hot and melted.
  5. Stir the broccoli into the cheese sauce.  Split the potato in half and smother with broccoli and cheese.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana


To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

Curried Potato Salad

Curried Potato Salad

No matter what you think of Martha Stewart, you can’t argue that she doesn’t know what she’s doing in the kitchen.  Sometimes when I’m looking around for inspiration and new recipes, I come across something that I might be on the fence about.  Maybe it sounds unusual, or I don’t know if I can make it right, or sometimes the measurements or directions don’t seem correct.  But when you make a Martha Stewart recipe, you know you’re going to end up with something pretty good.  And that’s what you get with this recipe for Curried Potato Salad!

My husband bought me the Martha Stewart Living cookbook 12 years ago, and we’ve certainly gotten our money’s worth out of it.  This was one of the first recipes we made and it has become a family favorite – my Dad, in particular, requests it.  Every ingredient is easy to find in the grocery store, although you may have to look a little harder for cilantro and curry powder, depending on where you live.  Trust me (and Martha) – this recipe is a keeper!

Curried Potato Salad

(Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart Living)

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds baby white potatoes, scrubbed (I’ve used red potatoes, too – just make sure they are small, and all the same size)
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I’ve used red wine vinegar too – it’s fine)
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons homemade mayonnaise, or from a jar
  • 3 tablespoons curry powder
  • 1 medium onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Directions:

  1. Place potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover by several inches.  Bring to a boil over high heat, add 1 tablespoon salt, and reduce to a gentle boil.  Cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 15 to 20 minutes.  Drain into a colander. Using gloves or paper towels to protect  your hands, cut potatoes into wedges while still hot.  Drizzle with vinegar, and set aside to cool.
  2. Place eggs in a small pan with enough water to cover by 1 inch, and place over medium-high heat.  When water comes to a boil, turn off heat, cover, and let stand for 13 minutes. Drain, and place in a bowl with cold water to cover. When cold, peel hard-boiled eggs, and cut into quarters lengthwise.
  3. Place mayonnaise, curry powder, and remaining teaspoon of salt in a large bowl; whisk to combine.  Add potatoes to mayonnaise mixture.  Add eggs, onion, and cilantro.  Stir to combine.  Chill until ready to serve.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana


To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

GCH: What’s on Your Plate? – Food For Thought…..

Today, I want to take a little different approach to this blog, and share some food for thought for this holiday season.  I know the holidays can be a trying and lonely time for some, and I pray that my message today will speak right to your heart!  <3

Image from
www.bibleverses.com

Isaiah 26:3

“You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.”

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John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I now give and bequeath to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.  [Stop allowing yourself to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]”

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Proverbs 16:7

“When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies live at peace with him.”

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2 Thessalonians 3:16

“Now may the Lord of peace Himself grant you His peace (the peace of His kingdom) at all times and in all ways [under all circumstances and conditions, whatever comes.]”

We can clearly see here that the Lord instructs us to live in peace, in all circumstances and conditions.  But what about times when “life” happens, and you just don’t feel like living in peace?  Or it’s hard to walk in peace because of the circumstances?

Sometimes we have things happen in our lives that are devastating.  They rip the rug right out from under us.  They cause much stress, anger, bitterness, and more.  How in the world are we to walk in peace during those times?

First, we have to recognize who or what is causing the stress, anger, bitterness, and lack of peace in our life.

John 10:10

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy.

I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance to the full, till it overflows.

The “thief” is satan.  (I refuse to capitalize his name!).  His job is to cause destruction, steal and kill my life, and my joy.  He is the god of the world (for now).  He is a fallen angel that has set his ways against God and all that God stands for.  Anything he can do to turn us from God, or cause those who are not yet walking with God to think that God’s love is not real, he will. It’s his pleasure to try to ruin the children of God!

Cancer, adultery, rape, molestation, divorce, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and more, are just a few of the tactics that satan uses to destroy God’s children!

But what about hatred, grumpiness, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, depression?  How do we enjoy life, as God wants us to, if our hearts are filled with these things?

You wake up in the morning and you just feel this heaviness that has set its sites on you.  You just can’t shake it.  You feel numb.  You feel like a zombie.  Nothing looks or tastes good.  Even the sunshine outside looks miserable to you!

You feel fat, ugly, mean, nasty, miserable.  You don’t want to talk to anyone.  You just want to be left alone to work through this, if you can.

How do you get past these feelings?  How do you live beyond these things?

____________________

I will say right here that I am absolutely NO expert in this area, but I have learned a few things over the last few years, that I would like to share with you.

I have a tendency to suffer from depression.  Moderate depression.  I’m not talking about clinical depression here, which is far worse and more serious than mild to moderate depression.  If you suffer from clinical depression, please seek counsel from your doctor and/or your pastor.

I do not have any degrees in counseling or psychology.

I am just a person who has struggled with these types of things in my life, and the Lord has brought me through it.  That is what I want to share with you today.  The how’s…..

People used to tell me “Christi, you just need to get over it.”  Yes, I could clearly see that.  But what I didn’t know was HOW!  How was I suppose to just “get over it”?  How do I get past the anger, bitterness, depression, unforgiveness, and even more emotions that sometimes can toy with people’s emotions and hearts?

Stay in the Word.  Stay in the Word.  Stay in the Word.

It can’t be that simple, can it?

When people would tell me this in the beginning, I would think “Right! I’m in the Word every single day! I’m still struggling!”  But you know what?  I had to keep on keepin’ on, as the expression goes.  My “cure” wasn’t going to happen overnight!  I had to learn how to be at peace with who I was and what God was doing in my life!  Without His peace, I struggled every day!!!

 I could only learn about His peace through His word!  

Staying in the word doesn’t always been reading the bible all the time!  It can also include good books by Christian authors.  Watching DVD’s from Christian evangelists.  Turning on praise and worship music to allow your mind to be filled with the word through music!  There is so much more to it than just reading the bible!

You will also notice that in order to suffocate the negativity in our lives, means that you actually have to get up and do something!

 Do something to fight the negativity!

You can’t just sit there and expect it to just go away on its own!  You have to actually do something to fight these emotions daily!  To read the bible, you have to get up, go get your bible, and turn the pages, correct?  To listen to music, you actually have to get up, go to the stereo, choose the music and then turn the stereo on, correct?  You have to ­do something first!!!

James 1:22 — “But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it…”

To be a “Doer”…

means you have to DO SOMETHING!

So what are some things that we can do to remove the negativity out of our lives?  Below I have listed some tips that have helped me over the years.  If you have other tips, I’d love for you to share them in the comments section below.  The tips below are listed in no particular order.

  • Read the Word
  • Pray
  • Listen to Praise Music
  • Go for a walk
  • Go outside barefoot
  • Call a friend
  • Go to lunch with a friend
  • Take a warm soothing bath
  • Find a hobby that will take your mind off of problems
  • Seek Counsel
  • Go for a massage
  • Get a new haircut
  • AVOIDS NEGATIVE PEOPLE!
  • Try to find the GOOD in your situation
  • Stop saying negative things to yourself
  • Practice breathing slowly
  • Read a positive book curled up in bed
  • Ask someone to be your “vent partner”
  • Practice grace under pressure
  • Be responsible for your feelings
  • Learn to meet your own needs
  • Exercise every day
  • Learn the words to a new song
  • Write a note to a far away friend
  • Keep a journal
  • Practice a monster smile
  • Quit trying to “fix” other people
  • Get enough sleep
  • Talk less and listen more
  • Volunteer at a Shelter or Food Pantry
  • Freely praise other people
  • Have a support network of people, places and things

These are just a few tips on how to get past a negative attitude and walk in peace and joy!  But truthfully, it all starts with YOU!  What will YOU do to change your circumstances?  Choosing to do something means that you give God Glory for what happens in your life, and you have put satan in his place and he does not win!  He learns that you will not tolerate the weapons that he puts in your life, to keep you down!

I will also say that these tips are not for just a quick-fix.  These are not things you get from a drive-thru window!  They are things that you need to do on a consistent basis!  You can’t just expect life to change overnight, especially if you are dealing with some pretty tough situations!

Don’t just do something….Give it time to work!  Whatever you do, don’t give up!!  Let Jesus set you free!!!!

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I pray this message reaches at least one person!  I know for myself, things did not change overnight.  I had to be patient and allow God to do what He needed in my life.  I am here to tell you that the steps I have shared with you here today, WORK!!  But YOU have to put some effort behind them first!

Be Blessed & Be a Blessing to Others,

Christi