Peachy Keen

I got new boots! and new hiking shoes to "boot"! Dillards is having a 70% off ladies shoes sale; I was lucky enough to stumble upon it yesterday. I've needed new boots but didn't want to spend crazy amounts of money for some, so a sale is just my cup o tea. I've never heard of Keen before, but these look cool. Instead of $120, they were $36! What a bargain, and cute too. I'm never stylin' on purpose, I just happen into it. =) The hiking shoes are by Keen too. They were originally $125. The salesman couldn't find the official price code, so he gave them to me for $21! What a bargain! I'm now a fan of Keen. I'll show off my new acquisitions to anyone who wants to see...and even those of you who don't. ;-)

La-de-dah Sauce

As some of you know, I took a sauce class last month with my friend Maghann. I've been wanting to learn how to make a decent sauce to spice up my meals. A few nights ago, I made the berry sauce I learned at class and paired it with the salmon the chef recommended. I served it with asparagus and couscous. It turned out beautifully. Nadine isn't a big fish lover. She ate all the salmon and said the sauce took away some of the fishiness. She scraped up every bit of the sauce. The little ones didn't like the sauce as much, but then they belong to the "Give me Basics" club, so their opinion is to be taken lightly. Making a sauce can add a few extra bucks to the cost, but it really brings variety to any meal. My photo is just so-so, but trust me the sauce is good. Once you learn the principles behind a tasty sauce, you can substitute other fruit and pair it with other meat. I did a peach sauce with chicken that was pretty good. Use your imagination and happy cooking!


Gastrique - A thick classic French sauce
2 Cups Blackberries (fresh or frozen) /
you can use other fruit
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
(white wine or rice vinegar for pale fruit)
1/2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup minced shallots
1/4 cup dry red wine
(white wine for pale fruit)
salt and pepper

Place thawed berries in the mixer and puree. Strain several times to remove seeds.
In a sauce or frying pan mix sugar with water; cook, uncovered, over medium high heat until reduced to a thick caramel-colored syrup, 5 to 8 minutes. (It might not change much in color.) Remove from heat; add vinegar. Return to low heat and stir until caramel/sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and pour into bowl.
In the same pan, melt butter over medium high heat; add shallots and cook, sirring often, until just soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and cook, uncovered, until most of the liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Add berry puree and cook, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Add half of the vinegar liquid from bowl. Stir. Add more, depending on how you want the flavor. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Strain at least 3 times to remove shallots and produce a thin sauce.

The Birds Sing Good Morning

We put some bird seed out on our patio a few weeks ago and have enjoyed watching the little birds that come to have a breakfast nibble. They are very jittery and fly away at the slightest noise, so it's been difficult to get a photo. Here are a couple a managed to get. I love the one of the bird in the tree. The twig fell perfectly so that the bud looks like the bird's eye. I even caught the seed in its mouth! Yes, I'm patting myself on the back. When my friend Angie, a bird expert, gets back from her birding trip to Omah a, she'll have to tell me what kind of bird this is.

25!

Well, it took me ten weeks, but I'm now up to 25 push ups, 25 situps, and 25 tummy crunches! How do I feel? Hmmm...first part of me feels stronger and ripped...but mostly, just sore. I'm thankful for Bengay, wonderful creation. There are times when I say "Teresa, you goddess, you deserve a break. You have so much to do today, you don't have time anyway. It's okay to miss a day of exercise." And then my more truthful self says "You miss one day, and the whole thing will go to shambles. Get your butt moving and hit the trend mill. Look at those puny arms...give me twenty!" Or should I say "25". ;-)

Moonlight so Becoming

Have you noticed our moon this week. It has been full, and large and so beautiful. In the early evening it has been so big that you could see the dips and color changes across its surface. My little camera couldn't catch it's magnificence, but my eyes could. I have enjoyed it every night. It is so peaceful to look at it and think of its wonders.

The moon is also a tribute to our sun. It produces no light of its own, but it can reflect enough light from the sun to brighten thousands of miles at once. What a powerful sun! Sometimes it is overwhelming to think of the countless, fabulous creations out in our Milky Way. Though I cannot see them all, I appreciate what I can behold and treasure it. Good night everyone.

Happy Birthday Maghann!!

My sister Patricia did such a fabulous job making me feel special on my birthday, that I thought I'd follow her example...starting with Maghann, my oh, so divine friend. In no particular order, I thought I'd list some of her lah-de-dah qualities:

*She has a talent for teaching children and the patience to do it. (She's been Joseph's teacher, and he loved it!)

*She listens to all my stories and laughs at the appropriate times, which I adore.

*She has amazing style and a fashion sense to rival any celeb. (I want to copy her...except in her stilletos...I can't handle the height. lol She has like, a gazillion pairs of shoes, so they always match her outfit perfectly.)
*She inspires me to stay healthy and get in shape. We all need friends like these. You all should check out her fitness blog: http://www.blitz-dubnutrition.blogspot.com/

*She goes along with my plans and scemes. She even came along to a cooking class with me which featured seafood...and she HATES seafood. What a good sport. What a great friend.
*Maghann has the same qualities I see in my sisters: kindness, marvelous sense of humor, a good listening ear, class, knows how to work hard and get the job done...and so many more. It's a blessing for me to have a new "sister" so close, when my others are so far away.

I love you Maghann. Happy Birthday!

{And yes, Maghann, I totally stole these photos from you...so I guess the last thing I love about you is you are so forgiving, right? ;-) }

The Golden Spiral

My friend Lisa Mangum is launching her second book "The Golden Spiral" this spring. It is the continuation of the story of Abby Edmunds (yes, love the choice of last name - I'm sure it's all about me lol). Copies should be available the beginning of May. Another "well done" and "Congratulations" to Lisa. I look forward to reading it.