dessert · Main entree

Something Savory, Something Sweet for Valentine’s Day

RefreshHer1 Comment

Salmon 1

It’s February!  If you’re thinking ahead to Valentine’s Day and a special dinner for your sweetie, I have a couple suggestions for you!  One is a main dish and side, and the other is a dessert.  Both would are special, but not complicated and taste like elegant restaurant food!  Dessert comes last in the meal, so we’ll look at the entree first.

Honey-Soy Glazed Salmon is a recipe I found in my Southern Living Magazine and pinned onto my Pinterest board.  It’s cooked in about 10 minutes and the prep takes about 5!  

Here are the ingredients:

Honey-Soy-Glazed Salmon and Veggies

4 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 pound fresh medium asparagus
8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed – I used just the asparagus
1 small orange, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices – (I just added orange peel instead of the oranges)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt – I found this way too salty! 1/4tsp. would work!
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 (5- to 6-oz.) fresh salmon fillets
Garnish: toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Hands-on: 25 Minutes
Total: 25 Minutes

1. Preheat broiler with oven rack 6 inches from heat. Whisk together honey and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl.

2. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Place asparagus, green beans, and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl, and toss to coat.

3. Place salmon in center of a heavy-duty aluminum foil-lined sheet pan. Brush salmon with about 2 Tbsp. honey mixture. Spread asparagus mixture around salmon.

4. Broil 4 minutes; remove from oven, and brush salmon with about 2 Tbsp. honey mixture. Return to oven, and broil 4 minutes more. Remove from oven, and brush salmon with remaining honey mixture. Return to oven, and broil 2 minutes more. Serve immediately.

salmon 2

You could make this on a busy weeknight and have dinner on the table faster than going out for dinner!  This is a healthy meal and absolutely delicious!  It won’t make you feel too guilty about eating this dessert.  It is from Cooking Light, so that’s another reason you can eat it and enjoy it!


I love, love, love chocolate and raspberries together.  When I saw this next recipe in my new cookbook, I couldn’t wait to try it!  I made it for our deacons group and it was a hit!  These were so yummy that it would have been dangerous to have a whole pan of these lying around.  Talk about temptation!  There was one left in the pan.  =)

Rasp. brownies

Cream Cheese-Raspberry Brownies

Ingredients

FILLING:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg white
BROWNIES:
Cooking spray
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, melted
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
3 tablespoons raspberry preserves

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare the filling, beat the first 5 ingredients at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended, and set aside.

To prepare the brownies, coat the bottom of an 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray (do not coat the sides of the pan). Lightly spoon 3/4 cup flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine 1 cup sugar and the next 6 ingredients (1 cup sugar through the 2 egg whites), stirring well with a whisk. Add to the flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spread two-thirds of batter in bottom of prepared pan. Pour filling over batter, spreading evenly. Carefully drop the remaining batter and preserves by spoonfuls over filling; swirl together using the tip of a knife to marble. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool on a wire rack.

These cut much better after being refrigerated, if a clean cut is important to you…and if you can wait that long before tearing into them having a square!

Rasp. brownies 2.jpg

You could win any heart with this meal!  Who else is planning a Valentine dinner?

With love from my country kitchen,

 

 

home · Uncategorized

Take the “Eeeew” Out of the Shower

RefreshHer4 Comments

When I go to a hotel, I take a look into the shower to check and make sure it’s clean.  I get the heeby-jeebies if there’s a shower curtain that looks slightly questionable.   Anyone else like that?  I’m thankful that most hotels now have the shower curtains without a liner that is replaced with each guest. Whew.

shower.jpg

 

BUUUUT, What can we do about the shower at home?  We can’t replace the curtain liner every day, like the hotel does.  My method for keeping the curtain from getting to the  “eeeew” stage is to:

  1. Take the liner down about once a month and toss into a hot cycle in the washing machine.
  2. When it’s finished, shake it out a bit in the washer to get out puddles of water.
  3. Toss it into a laundry basket and take it back to its home and hang it up to dry.

When I hang the wet liner back up, its hem is clean, the soap splashes are gone, and it is even worthy of a finicky guest…me!

What are your tips to taking the “Eeeew out of the shower?

Stay refreshed,

Blessings
Praise · Uncategorized

Blessings

RefreshHer2 Comments

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We have had a week full of blessings.  My cup is literally running over.  The Lord is so good to me, and I am praising Him for His wonderful work in my life.

Blessing of snow ~ Last week my husband and I were talking about three wishes we would make.  One that I mentioned was, “I’d love to be snowed in for three days.”  Wishes are not prayers, but my God knows the desires of my heart, and in His love and kindness, He allowed me to have that desire last week!  It began snowing on Thursday night and it dumped enough snow to keep us inside for three + days! It was wonderful!  I’m not sure how anyone could really get bored at home.  I could keep myself happily occupied for weeks!  Let me show you some of the fun we had while snowed in…

Blessing of another birthday ~ Friday was my  husband’s birthday, so I made him a cake.  His favorite is Carrot Cake.  I opted for a lighter version, and he loved it almost as much as my fattening recipe!

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Blessing of a warm, cozy home ~ We sat by the fire and enjoyed our steaks, onion rings, salad and cake.  Then we played games while we listened to some old songs on Pandora.  Fun times!

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Blessings of family traditions ~ It’s our family tradition to have breakfast in bed on your birthday.  Since my husband needed to be out early on Friday, I delivered his birthday breakfast to him on Saturday.  Eggs Benedict is what he’s requested for the last couple years.

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Blessings of leisure time ~ Sunday services were cancelled, so I took the time to enjoy my coffee and my Bible reading from the warmth of my bed – something I usually only do on my birthday!  It was so nice to be unrushed and able to really focus, unlike most Sunday mornings when we’re scrambling to head out the door.

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Blessing of time in worship together ~ I don’t have a picture of this, but my husband had sent out a Bible study for families to do while home from church.  Our time in the word and in prayer was precious to me for many reasons.  What a blessing to worship together and to pray, knelt beside the family room sofa!

Blessing of beauty ~ What’s prettier than a snowfall?  The picture below was early in the morning.  Any direction we look shows God’s handiwork in so many ways – the moon, the sun, the snow, the mountains…What a Creator!

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What blessings are you thanking God for this week?

With love from the snowy countryside,

 

Marriage

Marriage Matters

RefreshHer5 Comments

For the last two weeks I’ve asked you to post pictures on Monday of your efforts to show that Marriage Matters to you.  I had some great photos, and rather than just choosing one favorite, I thought I’d show you a gallery, that share some really great truths about how to keep a marriage moving forward.  My friends did a great job showing how its done!  These are in no particular order. You can click on a picture to enlarge it.

 

Whitney’s post is the snowy one.  She said, ”

Paul had to work on Saturday, even though our roads were covered in ice and snow. I got up early and made his favorite hot breakfast. I really wanted him to stay home and watch movies with me, and I’m sure Paul would have enjoyed a rare day off. But I made sure he was aware of my admiration of his incredible work ethic and dependability. He needs to hear those words of respect from me!

This picture is an important reminder that we show respect to our husbands for who they are and what they do.  Using the words, “I respect you for…” are critical.  Good job, Whitney!  Whitney blogs at Come Home for Comfort and is linking up with me today!

Angie posted the picture of the lit up deer.  Her comment about her post was:

Pretty Christmas decorations when we had a date night while visiting family in Huntsville. We don’t get date nights very often, so I cherish that time together.

I think the truth in her post is that our date with our spouse might not be exactly what we’d dream, but when the opportunity avails itself (babysitters are provided, a little extra cash is available, or you have a few rare minutes), make use of that time!  Don’t let it slip by because it isn’t a cruise!  Thanks, for participating, Angie!

The picture of the wedding bands was posted by Kellie yesterday.  She said,

This week for#mondaymarriagematters I thought I would share two verses that I say to myself every morning as I put my wedding band on. My wedding band is a visual reminder that I am to be a good thing to my husband every day for as long as I Iive. I want to be a good thing to him because that is what God expects of me as a wife and I want my marriage to glorify God. It isn’t easy, and I fail often. But when those verses go through my mind, as they often do throughout the day, I’m reminded that my marriage matters and I want to be a “truly good wife” like the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31.

I think it’s easy to forget that God’s Word gives clear instruction to couples – and lots of it!  Memorizing Scripture that will help you be what you need to be as a wife is the best way to have a meaningful marriage. Way to apply God’s Word, Kellie!

The two hearts is my picture.  I shared the very simple day-to-day things my husband and I do for one another.  My demonstration to him was to iron his handkerchiefs and spray a little of my cologne on them.  He tucked a “Love is…” clipping from the paper into my make-up bag.  The little things that cost nothing are sometimes the most effective.  What little demonstration could you do today?

“Please forgive me” was posted by my sweet, humble friend, Melissa.  Here’s her honest admission:

I can be so selfish. 😞 I can be so proud. 😖 Sometimes I need to humble myself and go to my husband and ask for his forgiveness for my attitude towards him. 😢 It’s not always easy to do that, but it is what is pleasing to the Lord. And, it is what will restore the sweet relationship with my love that I desire. ❤️ I have been greatly challenged by a series of lessons on@reviveourhearts called My Personal Petitions. I need Him every hour of every day. I am praying that through the tough times, He will continue to shape me into who He wants me to be.

“I’m sorry” are hard words to say, but we all need to practice asking forgiveness when the Spirit of God convicts.  Do you need to ask the Lord to help you ask your husband’s forgiveness for an attitude that is sinful?  Good job, Melissa!

Alli’s picture shows her and her husband at a ballgame.  I happen to know that this was a last minute privilege allowed them.  Her comment about the photo was simply

Watching the #etsu basketball game with @andrew 🏀

The truth this reminds me of is spontaneity.  Go with the flow!  When your husband suggests doing something, be ready with a positive answer!  “Sure!” “That’s sounds great!”  “I’d love that!” Don’t be a fuddy-duddy.  Be fun. Be spontaneous.  Looks like you all had fun, Alli!  Way to go!

I’m going to keep posting pictures on Mondays of our marriage efforts.  Marriage really does matter, and I want the world to know!  This was God’s great plan, and I’m so thankful!  I’d love for you to join me using the hashtag #mondaymarriagematters.  What a great testimony to a watching world!  We picture the Gospel when we live out our marriages with love and forgiveness.  Let’s preach it!

Of these ideas posted, do you have a favorite?  Who else will join us?

With love,

baking · Side dish · Uncategorized

Indulgences/No Guilt

RefreshHer1 Comment

I don’t always eat indulgences, but there are cravings for yummy things that hit like the recent winter storm – hard and with little warning!  But I like to eat what I love in a way that doesn’t bring guilt.  How to eat  delicacies and still feel good?  Enter Cooking Light.  You’ve seen their links all over my blog because with their recipes you eat real food, but it’s just lightened up and tastes outstanding!  

I tried a recipe on Cooking Light for Chocolate Chip Cookies that are a cross between cake and cookie.  Excuse me?  That means Delicious in my book. So would they be called Cakies or Cookes?  I think I’ll go with Cakies – Chocolate Chip Cakies. To make them low-fat, they replaced some of the fat with applesauce and you don’t miss anything but the calories! These are SO good!

Cakie a

Chocolate Chip “Cakies”
Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray
Cakie

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk.

Spoon applesauce into a fine sieve over a bowl; let stand 15 minutes. Discard liquid. Scrape drained applesauce into a large bowl. Add sugar and butter; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in vanilla and egg. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed until well-blended. Fold in chips.

Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until almost set. Cool on pan 2 to 3 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire racks.

Now for my next low-fat cooking test…I’ve been playing around with Oven-fried Onion rings, trying to find the perfect combination of crunch and flavor.  It’s a little tricky to do when you’re not deep frying.  My old recipe, which will always be my favorite onion ring on a day when I want to splurge, requires oil and deep oil at that, so in order to live without clogging up my arteries, I thought an oven-fried method would be better!  This recipe was found on Food Network’s sight on the Sandwich King’s recipes.  The mix of flour and Panko breadcrumbs give it the perfect crunch with a fraction of the oil!  

onion rings

These little guys had to be husband-worthy, because they were part of his Birthday dinner!  It would be safe to say, he LOVED them!  I had a few…he had the rest.  End of story!  Here’s the recipe…

Oven Fried Onion Rings

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups buttermilk
4 eggs
3 cups panko breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 large yellow sweet onions, such as Maui, sliced 1/4-to-1/2-inch thick

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place parchment paper onto 2 baking sheets and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, paprika and 2 teaspoons salt. In another bowl or shallow dish, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs. Add half of the flour mixture to the buttermilk and beat until smooth and thickened.

In a separate bowl, combine the panko, olive oil and remaining 2 teaspoons salt.

Lightly dredge the onion rings in the flour mixture and then drop into the buttermilk. Drain the excess batter and then dredge in the panko mixture.

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Arrange on the prepared baking sheets in a single layer. You can place smaller rings inside bigger rings if necessary, just make sure there is space between them. Then place in the oven. Cook until golden brown, 14 to 20 minutes. Halfway through the cooking time, flip over each onion ring to ensure even crisping and browning.

Recipe courtesy of Jeff Mauro

I feel for people who settle for substitutes for real food when they want to cut back.  There’s no need to do that when there are recipes this good!  I hope you’ll try a Chocolate Chip Cakie or an Oven-Fried Onion Ring!

What do you do to enjoy your favorite foods without the guilt?

With love from my country kitchen,

  P.S. Don’t forget to enter a picture on Facebook or Instagram today for #Monday Marriage Matters, then check back tomorrow for a post about my favorite photo(s)!