Last Saturday I created a page on facebook called “Pass the Peas.” It’s inspiration to answer the daily question, “What’s for dinner?”
On Pass the Peas, you’ll find dinner menu ideas, recipes, cooking tips, links, and pictures, too.
You’ll also find inspiration from the 81 member (and growing) community of women (and a few men) who prepare dinner for their families (almost) every single day.
If you’re on facebook and you’d like to check out Pass the Peas, just type Pass the Peas in the searchbox on facebook. Then “like” the page. That’s it and you’re golden. Just like buttermilk cornbread.
I am so in awe of my mother. She made the best suppers every day for years and years and years. Two things we could always count on for supper: our beverage was always tea (Sweet – We didn’t know it was served unsweetened.) and either cornbread homemade in a cast iron skillet or biscuits from scratch. There was never anything instant and every meal was always delicious!
Salmon Love at First Bite
Some days I am stumped for what to fix. And I have to admit that lately meal planning has fallen to the wayside.
Tonight’s dinner was inspired by WWMM ~ What Would Mother Make?
Salmon sliders
When Mother made salmon patties, it was usually accompanied by cottage fries and onions, LaSeur English peas and biscuits. My meal tonight was: salmon patty sliders, purple hulled peas, and tater tots!
I never make salmon patties the same way twice. However, the basic recipe calls for a can of drained salmon, diced onion, diced bell pepper (mine aren’t so diced ~ no patience for dicing), one egg, 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs and salt/pepper to taste. I dredge the patties in cornmeal then fry in a bit of canola oil, turning once. I googled “salmon patties” and there are lots of variations.
My daughter, Audra, and I were talking about a book she read in which the main character, June Parker, sets out to accomplish a list of 20 things. The twist is the list is not hers. It belongs to a new acquaintance, Marissa, whom she met at a Weight Watcher’s meeting. Inspired by her 100 pound weight loss, June offers Marissa a ride home. There is a car accident and Marissa is killed. In an attempt to move past her guilt and honor the young woman, June vows to achieve each of Marissa’s goals of
“20 Things To Do By My 25th Birthday.”
Inspired by the story line, I decided to make a list of:
“10 New Things to do this Summer.” I made my list in random order as I thought of things I would like to accomplish this summer.
#1Try 10 new recipes.
I have already made 2 new recipes, one of which I am sharing here with you. This weekend I wanted something desserty to accompany the strawberries and cream I had on hand.
I decided upon crepes. I used Alton Brown’s recipe but, as I usually do, I tweaked it a bit.
But first let’s look at the fish tacos I am craving lately. I have made fish tacos in the past but I am trying to perfect it. So far, this is my best effort.
Grilled Tilapia ~ seasoned with McCormick Grill Mate’s Seafood Rub, Old Bay and a squeeze of lime on each fillet. Corn tortillas ~ fried in a bit of oil in a non-stick pan, just until they get to the beginning stages of crispy. Slaw mix ~ (Trust me. With fish, it’s better than lettuce.) Sauce ~ 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 cup sour cream, shake of cumin, shake of red pepper, shake of onion powder, chopped cilantro, and a good squeeze of lime. I started with this and added more of everything for extra sauce. Red onion ~ add to slaw mix Cilantro ~ add to slaw mix Lime ~ just squeeze away Dress slaw with sauce. Make extra sauce ’cause it’s just that good. Corn tortilla, sauce, fish, slaw w/sauce, squeeze of lime. Make two at a time so you don’t have to wait on your second one.
We ate this with a side of black bean and corn salad or salsa. Call it what you will. If you eat it with tortilla chips, it’s salsa. As a side dish, it’s salad. This is a recipe I got from my friend, Jen. It is my second new recipe for the summer. I’ll ask Jen to share this recipe when I feature her in an upcoming blog post. 8 more to go!
My tweak: I used buttermilk in place of “milk.” I always figure if “milk” is good, “buttermilk is better.”
I filled the crepes with: cream cheese, powdered sugar and a good squeeze of lime. Lay crepe flat, spoon the cream cheese mixture down the middle, a line of whipped cream and sliced strawberries. Roll crepe and dust with powdered sugar. Top with more strawberries.
~A Bonus dish for Tasty Tuesday~
Blueberry Cobbler
Preheat oven to 350* Put a stick of butter in your big cast iron skillet.
Let it melt in the oven while you do this:
Mix 1 cup of self-rising flour, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of milk (I use buttermilk.)
When butter is melted, gently pour batter into skillet. Add your fruit of choice to the batter.
DO NOT STIR.
I used frozen blueberries dusted with a bit of extra sugar.
Bake until golden brown…about 30 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
I still have a red light on sugar. That does not mean I am using the artificial stuff! However I have decided to use honey in small amounts.
Also, can I mention Stevia again? If you use it, too, let me know how, okay?
What about Agave nectar? Anyone use that? Guitar Girl uses a bit of Agave nectar on her South Beach pancakes!
Several weeks ago, as an experiment, I stopped using sugar. This includes artificial sweetener which I only consumed in a Diet Pepsi! However I never shared exactly why I was giving up the sweet stuff.
For many, many years I have had migraines. If I don’t use a prescription medication when I feel one coming on, it lasts for 3 days. There are different triggers for migraines and I was wondering if sugar might be one of mine. I was headache free for several weeks from the start of giving up sugar. However when the pollen count went way up, sinus headaches triggered migraines. So my results are mixed. However there are so many other great reasons to avoid sugar and at the very least, cut back on it, that I intend to find other ways to sweeten baked goods. After all, I don’t need sugar in my tea or lemonade when I can use an herbal sweetener (stevia). So that only leaves baked goods in which to find a good substitute.
I have tried 3 recipes so far. I’ll share the Pumpkin Granola Bar recipe today. And I already gave you my recipe for Whole Wheat Banana Muffins.
The other recipe I have made is a chocolate cookie that does not have flour or sugar. The recipe called for splenda, but I subbed stevia. I was happy enough with the results that I have made them several times.
Guitar Girl raved over the granola bars and said they were even better than the Kashi brand! Here’s the recipe: *
3/4 c canned pumpkin
1 egg
1/4 c butter – soft
1/4 c honey
2 cups rolled oats ( I used old fashioned.)
1/2 c chopped nuts ( I used walnuts.)
1/4 c wheat germ
1/2 t ground cinnamon
Blend pumpkin, egg, butter and honey in a mixing bowl. Add the oats, nuts, wheat germ and cinnamon. Mix well. (I accidently added all ingredients at the same time, then mixed it.) Spread the mixture into a lighty greased jelly-roll pan. Bake @350 for about 35 minutes or until golden brown. While still warm, cut into bars. For very crisp bars, remove from pan to wire rack and cool completely.
* The recipe I used above is one I tweaked from an adaptation from a recipe in Get the Sugar Out: 501 Simple Ways to Cut the Sugar out of any Diet by Ann Louise Gittleman. I found the “adapted” recipe online.
Above is the recipe I used. Mine is tweaked from the “adaptation” because I didn’t have some of the ingredients. The other thing I will do differently next time is put the batter into a 13 x 9 dish instead of my jelly roll pan. It didn’t spread completely to the corners so the edges got done faster than the rest. I’ll let you know how that turns out. What I left out: 2 T of shredded, unsweetened coconut, 2 T molasses, 1 T. grated orange rind. Maybe that made the difference with the jelly roll pan.
What do you think? Is this a recipe you would try? Are you interested in finding healthier alternatives?
Last night we had a simple supper of chicken tenders (Tyson from Sam’s Club) tossed salad, biscuits (Pillsbury), and green beans sauteed with whole wheat orzo (Bella~Mella). It was simple yet tasty. But what made it even more enjoyable for me was using pretty serving pieces. The salad bowl is from Pier 1, but I got it for $2 at a thrift store last year! The Flamingo platter is fun with the perfect spot for honey mustard.
Tonight I am serving another simple supper: Crockpot potato soup and toasted cheese wedges. Even though it is in the 80′s here, we like soup any time of the year.
Word Walk
The boys asked if I would take them to a local park today. As they tested their fitness in the fit circuit area of the park, I ran a little and walked a little. I had my mind on developing a new teaching topic. Knowing I had a little Gideon Bible in my van, I stopped and picked it up just to double check the wording on Philippians 4:8. As I continued my route of running/walking I memorized, “Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy~ meditate on these things.” My learning style is visual but I find it easier to concentrate when I am walking/running. So that would be a combination of visual/kinesthetic. Do you know how you learn best? Are you a visual, auditory, tactile or kinesthetic learner? Do you know how you can use this to your advantage?
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