One more amazing recipe--Eggplant Salad

Olimpia, the missionary who works with us from Romania, made us this salad when we ate at her house last week. We would think of it more like a dip, but I made an absolute pig out of myself!

- 2 eggplants Roast these under the broiler, turning every once in a while until the skins are blackened. Cool, skin, and drain. Remove seeds that are easy to remove. Then kind of mash them together with:
- sunflower oil (Until you have kind of a paste)
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- lemon juice
- salt
- garlic
Serve as is with crackers or bread, or with roasted peppers or tomatoes.

Isn't it easy to forget how big God is?

There are times--like now, for example--when my problems loom so big and I have a niggling feeling that things are NEVER going to change...NEVER going to get better. And then hope starts sliding down the drain. And then I read a Scripture like I read this morning in Romans 11, and I realize once again how big God is!

33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
35 or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen.

Here's the Other Good Recipe

Cream of Tomato and Basil Soup
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Serving Size: 4 8 12

Ingredients
4 Tbsp butter
1 ea small red onion, diced
2 cups dry white wine
3 cups canned diced tomatoes (or 1 12-oz can)
2 cups heavy cream (I substituted 1/2 milk and 1/2 plain yogurt because I didn't have cream)
3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Procedures
1.MELT butter in a heavy sauce pan. Add red onions and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add white wine and reduce by 3/4. Add tomatoes and heavy cream, bring to a simmer and reduce by 1/2.
2.PUREE soup in a food processor. Stir in 2 Tbsp chopped basil, salt and pepper.
3.GARNISH with remaining fresh basil and tomatoes and serve.

2 good recipes and 1 terrible one in the same week

When I discovered my wheat flour was full of bugs, I tried making Mike some rye pancakes. I got the recipe from Mr. Breakfast, which is otherwise a great website. However, whether operator error or the fault of the recipe, my rye pancakes had a hockey-puck quality that filled the stomach and not much else.

BUT, I found 2 amazing recipes on the Olive Garden web site. The tomato soup is quick, cheap and delicious. The beef recipe is a little pricey (for me the beef was $12, but that's still a lot cheaper than going out to eat at a nice restaurant) but we couldn't stop groaning with pleasure as we ate it. So here you are:

Beef Filets in Balsamic Sauce
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serving Size: 4 8 12

Ingredients
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, medium and sliced thin
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 fresh rosemary sprigs, finely chopped (I didn't have any and used dried.)
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup beef broth
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 beef tenderloin filets (6 oz each)
1 dash parsley, finely chopped
Rosemary sprig, for garnish

Procedures
1.HEAT oil and butter in large saute pan over medium heat. Add sliced onions, salt, and pepper.
2.COOK 10 minutes or until caramelized (softened and golden brown), stirring frequently.
3.ADD wine, broth, vinegar and chopped rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until sauce is reduced by half.
4.RUB beef filets with oil, then season with salt and pepper. Grill to preferred temperature.
5.PLACE grilled filets on a large platter; top with sauce. Garnish with parsley and rosemary.

I can't get to the tomato soup recipe right now, but I'll post it soon.

Vertigo is not always a bad thing

I just looked up the definition of vertigo in one of my prized possessions--a reproduction of Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English language. Vertigo = giddiness; dizziness or swimming of the head; an affection of the head, in which objects appear to move in various directions, though stationary, and the person affected finds it difficult to maintain an erect posture.

This time of year can easily become overly-packed and stressful. For me this means report cards, students half-crazed with the nearness of vacation and Christmas, online shopping, and church events. But for you, my dear daughters-in-law, I know it is even more frenzied.

Today I am home trying to ward off severe vertigo by dealing with it at the medium stage where the world isn't spinning, but jolting around a bit. Usually a day in bed with a lot of reading heads it off.

And I'm struck by the blessings of a totally quiet day. Mike is out of town. (Although I do wish he were here.) Reading the psalms quiets my soul. Reading a delightful young adult book feeds my writer's eye as I enjoy the deft writing. I haven't even opened my mouth to speak to anyone. Sometimes in the midst of frenzy we need a tranquil pool. Vertigo knocked my legs out and gave it to me, perhaps you can choose it somehow, in some creative way.

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