Wrapping Up!

This past week has been full! That is not a complaint :) A garage sale, lots of meals with friends, hiking, visit from mom, checking things off the C'ville bucket list...



View from Old Rag in the Blue Ridge Mountains



I've actually had time to try several new recipes! Some were just ok (probably based on my taste, not quality of the recipe...) Two stood out.

The first was Almond Icebox Rounds from Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I was in a hurry and didn't take pictures. Shocking. They were a simple shortbread cookie, but you rolled them into a log, wrapped them in saran wrap, and put them in the fridge until you needed them. Then they were just like slice 'n bake cookies! The recipe makes 2 rolls so you could definitely wrap and freeze one, or they freeze well after baking too!

These, though, were the real winners. I took these to our rained out picnic. I ate them as soon as they came out of the oven, they smelled that good! I will definitely be making these again. I know puff pastry is on the pricey side, but its well worth it in this recipe and a little goes a long way!

Spinach Feta Puffs courtesy of Bon Appetit magazine

- 1 (10 oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed

- 1/2 C crumbled feta

- 1/4 C minced onion

- 1 Tbs olive oil

- 1 tsp chopped dill

- 1 tsp minced garlic

- salt and pepper

- 2 large eggs

- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed, rolled out to 12 inch sq., keep chilled

1. Using your hands, squeeze spinach until dry, forcing out as much water as possible. It should be about 2/3 C well-drained spinach.

2. Mix spinach and next 5 ingredients and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. In a small bowl, beat 1 egg to blend; fold into spinach mixture.

4. Cut puff pastry into 3 equal strips. (I forgot to roll it out, I just stretched it a little and had plenty!) Grease a muffin tin and place a square into each muffin cup, pressing into the bottom and up the sides, leaving the corners pointing up.

5. Divide the filling among the cups. (I had enough filling for 12 big muffin tins and 12 little ones) Fold pastry over filling, pressing the corners together to meet in center.

This recipe can be prepared up until this point, covered and chilled for up to 3 hours before baking.

6. Beat remaining egg in a small bowl. Brush pastry with egg wash.

7. Bake at 400* until pastry is golden brown and puffed, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let puffs cool in pan for 10 minutes. Run a sharp paring knife around pan edges to loosen; turn out puffs onto rack to cool slightly before serving.

 

Scenes from our rained out picnic! 

 



4th July- America's Day

Forgot to post this one...



Sweet memories of the 4th in Uganda a couple summers ago. This year's holiday was so fun! Full of lounging by the pool, hanging out with friends, grilling and eating great food (bacon wrapped steak tips anyone?!), and, of course, my all-time favorite- fireworks!!!

I made a by-the-pool snack, a dinner side, and attempted a cheesecake. Attempted. While it tasted good, the brownie crust did not set in the middle, so there was gooey brownie everywhere when you cut into it. I need some more practice on that one!

Lauren's Fresh Bean and Corn Salsa

- 1 can white corn
- 1 can black beans
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 small container Feta cheese (star ingredient!)
- 1/4 C white vinegar
- 1/4 C vegetable oil
- 1/4 C sugar

Mix all of the ingredients together, store in the refrigerator for 2 hours, and enjoy!

 

  

My dinner side was Pioneer Woman's spicy creamed corn casserole. While it was a little on the spicy side for me, that can be easily fixed by cutting down or cutting out the jalapenos, and there was not much left so my friends apparently enjoy spice!

Fresh Corn Casserole with Red Peppers and Jalapenos courtesy of Pioneer Woman

- 8 ears corn (still in husk)
- 2 red bell peppers, diced
- 2 fresh jalapenos, diced
- 1 C heavy cream
- salt and pepper
- 1 stick salted butter, cut into pieces  (I only used about 3 Tbs and it was plenty!)

1. Remove the corn from the husks. In a large, deep bowl, slice off the kernels of corn with a sharp knife. Turn the knife to the dull side and scrap e the cob all the way down to remove all the bits of kernel and creamy milk inside.

~This is an essential step! These bits and milky liquid are what make the casserole so creamy! Along with the heavy cream of course....

2. Add the red bell peppers, jalapenos, heavy cream, salt and pepper to taste.

3. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish and scatter the chunks of butter across the top of the casserole.  Bake at 350* for 30-45 minutes.

You know I like my chicken fried....

This week, I finished reading Julie and Julia. I love that both Julie Powell and Julia Child spared no expense in getting their ingredients, and would run all over the city finding the exact ingredients they needed. I really have been wanting to try "Man-catching Fried Chicken" from the PICU cookbook, courtesy again of my friend Cailla, and so I set out to channel my inner Julia Child and find just what I needed for this recipe!

Many times I don't like to make trips to multiple grocery stores, but this was an exception. I needed a whole chicken, but I had seen whole chickens already cut up at Whole Foods for a great price (and I trust their quality), so that was my first stop.

Other key ingredients for my recipes for this meal were bread flour and pecans. I also stopped by our local farmer's market to grab something green to go with our meal.

Fried chicken is about as southern as you can get, but I was nervous to try it! Jess and Kathleen were willing to join me in this experiment though- and it turned out well! No men were in attendance though, so I won't vouch for the title ;/ I also made biscuits with this meal, my goal has been to master biscuits before leaving Charlottesville. This was not the night for mastered biscuits....but the chicken and the company were good!

"Man- Catching" Fried Chicken

- 4.5 lb chicken pieces (breast, drumsticks, thighs)
- 2 C buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- vegetable oil
- 2 C self-rising flour
- 1 Tbs salt
- 1/2 tsp ground red pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 C butter
- 1/4 C honey
- 1/2 C pecans

1. Place chicken pieces in a large baking dish. Whisk buttermilk and egg until blended and pour over chicken. Cover and chill 1-8 hours, turning chicken every 30 minutes.

2. Pour vegetable oil to depth of 1.5" into a cast-iron dutch oven; heat over medium heat to 340*.

3. Whisk together flour, salt, red pepper, garlic powder, and black pepper in a shallow dish.

4. Dredge the chicken in mixture, shaking off excess. 

5. Fry chicken in batches, in hot oil, 20-22 minutes or until done, turning occasionally.

6. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels and keep warm in a 200* oven. 

I forgot to take pictures of the real gem of this recipe- the sauce!

- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; whisk in honey until blended. Toast pecans for 5 minutes in a 350* oven, then add to mixture. Bring to a boil, whisking often. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Drizzle over chicken and serve immediately.

This was really not as hard or scary as I thought it would be, and it's definitely good enough to make again! I'll put this in the success pile :)

I've a thousand miles behind me, and a thousand more that I have yet to go...

I have a handful of recipes and blog posts to finish and share here, but first a long overdue post about the change in the blog look and official web sharing of what I will be up to in the coming year!

First, the blog look. I owe a huge thanks to my lovely college friend Lindsey Jo (check out her blog A Cup of Lindsey Jo) and her husband for the new look! She was endlessly patient with my questions, Type-A perfectionism, and frequent mind-changing about what I wanted. She made time for designing my blog while being an incredible example of a fabulous and fun momma to Isaac Henry and Grant, wife, and craft-extraordinaire. She's awesome and I'm so thankful for her :)

Where to begin... In a nutshell, I'm leaving my job and Charlottesville the last week of July, moving home to TN to spend some time with friends and family, and moving to the Republic of Congo at the end of August to be a nurse on the Mercy Ships. Jump to the end of this post to see more!

Until August, I will be keeping up with my resolution to try a new recipe every week and blog about it, though my posts may be interlaced with a few more reflections on life and preparing for this adventure!

Currently, I'm trying to get ready for a garage sale to hopefully minimize the things I am storing, trying to maximize time spent with people here in C'ville, check things off my C'ville bucket list and my cooking bucket list, and enjoy my last shifts at work. It's an interesting transition- I'm so excited for Africa, but at the same time sad to be leaving this community I have grown to love. It's weird- choosing to leave; not because I don't like it here, but because I know this is where God is calling me to go right now. I'm not quite sure my brain and heart have the capacity to fully grasp both of these things, much less be able to put them into words. Part of the journey and for now that is where I am.

Hopefully these questions and answers cover some of the things you are wondering!

- What exactly will you be doing?
        I will be working in the pediatric wards on the ship. I will be caring for kids after their surgeries. Occasionally there will be kids who need ICU level care that I will take care of.

- Do you know anyone?
        Sort of! Which is a better answer than no :) Working at UVA, I have met lots of great travel nurses. Just this week, a couple of them put me in touch with another nurse who will be returning to Mercy Ships for her third field service! I am so thankful to at least have a familiar name when I get there, someone willing to answer questions before I go, and reach out to me when I get there!

- What kind of hours will you work?
        I will work an average of 40-45 hours a week in 8 hour shifts. These will be rotating days/evenings/nights. In my time off, I can venture off the ship and explore, make new friends, try to work on my never ending list of books to read, and who knows what else!

- Where exactly will you be?
       The Africa Mercy will be ported in Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo.

- What language do they speak there?
        Mainly French, but also local languages, Kituba and Lingala.

- Is it safe?
         The Congo has had a multi-party political system since the early 1990s and a relatively stable political state since then. (This is not the war torn and unruly DRC that is commonly thought of when Congo is mentioned.) Mercy Ships also takes conservative safety precautions in every country they go to. So yes. And my mother says that if I get taken by pirates, they will realize that I talk too much and give me back.

- Will you be able to cook/bake?!
        I don't know! This is one of the big questions in my mind also! My meals are provided for, though maybe I could volunteer with the kitchen crew :) I know there is a crew kitchen that we are allowed to use. So I think I will be able to cook occasionally, it will just be a question of what, based on what ingredients are available!

- Are you going to be paid?
        Mercy Ships likes to say that their volunteers "pay for the privilege to serve," which is exactly how I see it. I have known this is what I wanted to do for a long time and have been saving for this opportunity for a long time.

- What happens when you are done?
        I don't know! I have a long bucket list of things I want to do and places I want to visit, so I'm trying to keep an open heart and mind about what is next!

Here's where my Mercy Ships journey started. 
August 2013-

I was 14 when I first read of Mercy Ships (Angel of Mercy by Lurlene McDaniel). I decided with the all the wisdom of an 8th grader that this is what I was going to do with my life.

Now, starting this August, I'll be serving as a volunteer nurse on the world's largest non-governmental hospital ship for 10 months. We will be ported in Pointe- Noire, Republic of Congo. My contract at this point is through June of 2014. Read my first blog post and FAQs about this here :)

Mercy Ships follows the model of Jesus to 'bring hope and healing to the world's forgotten poor.' I'll be serving with strangers (at first) from all around the world providing free health care and surgeries to those desperate for what we have to give. Check out their website under the Mercy Ships tab! 

Why now?

I'm 23 years old and I've been a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) nurse for the past 2 years. Every day, good or bad, I leave my job knowing this is what I was made to do. (Despite my bold statement the first day of my pediatrics class "I will never work with kids...") 

I work with 10th grade girls at my church, have great friends, incredible co-workers, a supportive family, and live in a great community. I'm blessed beyond measure and I'm comfortable here.

Yet I've been waiting on this day for years. To be challenged, stretched, emptied, and changed in ways I never have been before. To experience a joy so deep words can't describe. To recognize my need for Jesus at every moment, for my heart to ache for his overflowing love, a need and longing I often forget here.

Is it still scary? Yep. Am I overwhelmed? Daily. Excited? More than ever!

But my God is faithful to make every dream come true; I am confident this is just the beginning.



"Dance With Me" Ben Rector

Goodbyes are a little easier with good food...

This weekend was my friend Jess's last weekend at work. Therefore, we had a potluck Saturday and Sunday night. When we focus on the good food that everyone has brought, we don't have to think about being sad that one of our team is leaving :/

I had a recipe in mind for Saturday night (Kahlua Brown Sugar Baked Brie), but I would have to buy most of the ingredients and bake it before work. We usually don't pull out snacks until 11pm or later, not so good for brie baked at 530pm.

I had some fillo dough in my freezer that I wanted to use up, and thought that I could find a recipe for brie, brown sugar, and fillo dough. 'Googled' a few key words and found several recipes that were similar to what I was picturing in my head. I took pieces from each recipe and came up with these delicious bites!

Brown Sugar and Pecan Brie Bites

- Fillo dough sheets
- Brie, cubed into 1/2 in. pieces
- Pecans
- Brown sugar
- Strawberry jam, optional

 

1. Roll out fillo dough and cut into 1.5"-2" squares.

 

 

2. Form into mini muffin tins. Spray with olive oil if you have it. 

 

3. Place cubed Brie into each cup.

4. Top with 1/2 tsp brown sugar.

 

5. Top each with a pecan half.



 

6. Bake at 350* for 4-5 minutes, until cheese is melted and filo toasted.

 



 Optional spin- add strawberry or raspberry jam! I remembered the homemade strawberry jam in my refrigerator for my last batch :/ But if you add 1/2 tsp of jam instead of brown sugar, they may be even more delicious! It's a toss up, I ate many of both!

Sunday night. Again trying to use things I had. The farmer's market this week had great blueberries and Ina Garten has a blueberry crumb cake that I had been waiting to try- perfect! I used this recipe- Blueberry Crumb Cake!