Morning Prayer: OJIBWAY

Grandfather

Look at our brokenness,

We know that in all creation

Only the human family 

Has Strayed from the Sacred Way

We know that we are the Ones

Who must come back Together

To Walk in the Sacred Way,

Grandfather

Sacred One

Teach us love, compassion and honor

That We May Heal the Earth

And Heal each Other.

Amen

OJIBWAY Prayer from Earth Prayers Edited by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon

posted by Crescent Moon aka Cathy Burleson

Breakfast: Apple, Potato Bread Sandwich

Homemade placemat on the table.

One half of a granny smith apple with a pat from a stick of M80 butter. (M80 is a local restaurant)

Two ends of potato bread toast with a smattering of sunflower seed butter. One with a little honey.

The last remains of Spicy Maple Cashew Mini Artisan Crisps, from Albertson's, including the crumbs on my fingers.

A 2-cup mug of 2-minute nuked tap water.

Yum Yum

P.S. The crisps, aka crackers, can serve many purposes and have a slight sweet date-like taste. M80 is a local restaurant in Missoula, and their butter blend is especially noteworthy. I wish I had their recipe. I was using my imagination and currently sticks of M80 butter are not available., At the M80 restaurant only about a tablespoon of their butter is accompanied with some meals. I"ll make that a project of mine and try to get their recipe or something close to share with us.

CB.

Breakfast: Grape Nuts

 Around 8ish this morning I got out of bed. Walked into the kitchen with a cup I left in my bedroom and man were the lights bright. I had to turn all of them off and use the one over the stove. 

I proceeded to fill a 2-cup mug with water and nuked it for 2 minutes and added a couple of teaspoons of Pero. This is my usual morning coffee, as I have a caffeine sensitivity. I asked myself what do I want for breakfast? I checked the fruit basket and there were some leftover dehydrated grapes from our garden. Then I checked the pantry and saw some grape nuts cereal. I bet these two will go good together.

I filled a 1-cup mug with half and half and a pat of butter and nuked it for one minute, added 1 teaspoon of Pero and proceeded to pour this mixture over the cereal and home-grown raisins. And said a little prayer, "Heavenly Father Bless this FOOD for the nourishment of OUR Body and help us grow in your Grace and Love. Amen. I proceeded to take a mindful taste. Oh, was it ever delicious. I think I could have settled for one bite but ate it all. 

Let's see who do I feel like today? Sally Clarkson?, Brooke Davis? Joyce Meyer? No, just plain Cathy.

Freeze Dried Kale

Check out the freeze-dried Kale at Garden City Harvest on River Road. I'm not sure if the gates are unlocked though. But it sure looks pretty. Bring your children. Have a drink (water) have a drive (I prefer walking) go out and see what you can find.

CB

A Fresh Raspberry in the Winter on the Sidewalk

I spotted a fresh raspberry on the sidewalk near the Food Bank. I double dog dared myself to eat it.  It tasted almost but not quite as fresh off the vine. (a little too watery)

Pork with Apple and Prune Braise

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 green apples, remove seeds and cut into wedges

4 pork loin steaks

3 tablespoons cooking sherry

2 tablespoons seeded mustard

3/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup pitted prunes

1/2 cup half and half

Heat oil in large sauté pan. Cook the onion and garlic for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring often, until softened and beginning to brown a little. Add sugar and apple and cook, stirring regularly, until the apple begins to brown. Remove the apple and onion mixture from the pan.

Heat the pan and lightly brown the pork steaks on both sides. Remove the pork from the pan. Add the sherry to the pan and stir until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the mustard and stock and let return to a simmer. Add pork steaks and apple mixture back to the pan, cover with lid and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until pork is cook through.

Add prunes and half and half. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste before serving.

Submitted by Cathy Burleson, Blessed Trinity Catholic Community, adapted from 1000 Best Recipes cookbook

Coconut Curry Collard Greens, Butternut Squash and Tofu Bowl

2 bunches collard greens, stemmed, cut into 1-inch strips, and rinsed clean with water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces.

1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 

2 teaspoons ground turmeric or yellow curry powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 cups vegetable broth

1 14-ounce block of extra firm tofu diced into bite-sized pieces

juice of 1 lemon

warm cooked rice

3 scallions, thinly sliced for serving

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add the collard greens, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer partially covered, until very soft and tender, about 1 hour. Drain well and set aside. 

In a large pot heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until fragrant and soft, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until fragrant. Add the butternut squash, coconut milk, salt, pepper, turmeric or yellow curry powder if using, and cayenne. Stir until evenly mixed, add broth, and bring to a simmer reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes or until squash can be easily pierced with a fork. Add cooked collard greens, tofu, and lemon juice. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

To create the bowl, place about a cup of cooked rice in an individual serving bowl, top with the squash stew, and top with some scallions, and cilantro, and serve. Tip: extra coconut milk can be stored in ice trays. One cube is approximately one tablespoon.

Submitted by Cathy Burleson, Blessed Trinity Catholic Community, adapted from Pierre Thiam, Simply West African

 

Slow Cooker Pot Roast and Potatoes

1 boneless beef chuck roast

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

3 tablespoons butter, cut into three pieces a tablespoon each

1 cup beef stock

3 potatoes

1. Season the roast: Place the roast in a nonreactive baking dish. Sprinkle salt and pepper over all sides of the roast patting them into the meat with your fingers. Sprinkle all surfaces with the thyme, pressing it into the meat. Cover and store in the refrigerator overnight.

2. Cook the meat. In the morning, place the roast into the slow cooker, put the three tablespoons of butter on top of the roast, and add the beef stock slowly along the inside of the slow cooker. Place the lid on the slow cooker put it on low and cook for 6 hours. After six hours place the meat on a cutting board or sheet pan, cover, and let cool.

3. Cook the potatoes. Slice the potatoes into quarter-inch slices. Put in the slow cooker to cook for a couple of hours.

When the potatoes are done. Slice the roast into half-inch slices, return to the slow cooker, and put on warm for about 15 minutes. In a bowl or plate put the meat and potatoes with some sauce over the top and serve.

Submitted by Cathy Burleson, Blessed Trinity Catholic Community, adapted from Linda Carucci's Cooking School Secrets

Delicata Squash Soup

1 medium Delicata Squash

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large onion peeled and diced

grated zest of 1 orange

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth or a mixture

1/2 a small cabbage, cut into 1/2-inch dice

salt and ground black pepper to taste

Cut the squash in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and discard or save for toasting. Cut squash into 1/2-inch dice, no need to peel. Add oil to a large saucepan or Dutch oven and heat over medium-low heat, cook onion until soft about 10 minutes. Add the squash, orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg; cook for 2 minutes. Add broth and cook until squash is tender when pierced with a knife, about 25 minutes. Let cool a little bit and working in batches puree the squash in a blender or all at once in the saucepan with an immersion blender. Return the squash puree to the pan if using a blender, reheat on medium-low, add the cabbage, and cook until soft about 10 to 15 minutes add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Submitted by Cathy Burleson, Blessed Trinity Catholic Community, adapted from Martha Stewart Living Cookbook