Catching Up

It's been 2 months since I last wrote and I have a lot of catching up to do :) Some big things have happened around here!


Spring has come. Hopefully we'll have some apricots this year from this tree. Last year we didn't. Now summer is on the way...


This is unleavened bread. We had a Passover celebration at Luke and I's house with several friends over. It was a great time of comparing the Passover and what the Israelites were remembering to what Christians have to remember with Christ's death and resurrection. He was our Passover Lamb! Thank you God!


I got to plant flowers in my pots. They are so beautiful. This is my favorite flower I've planted so far.


I've been experimenting with kefir. This is a jar of water kefir. (Sorry I didn't have time to rotate the photo!) Kefir is still a mystery to me. Strange little growing creatures...but I do like to drink it. To find out more info, check out this site: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/expert-advice/compare-milk-kefir-versus-water-kefir.html


And the BIGGEST happening of all...I'M PREGNANT! It was a surprise, but we are happy. I am now 4 months along and as you can see in the picture, am starting to grow a belly. My due date is October 15th. So that is definitely something you will be hearing more about later.

That's what has been going on in my life in a nutshell. Talk to you later!

"Do the Next Thing"

Here is a poem that I read in a book recently. I love it! It's been such an encouragement to me these past few weeks.

"Do the Next Thing"
(Author Unknown)

At an old English parsonage down by the sea,
There came in the twilight a message to me.
Its quaint Saxon legend deeply engraven
That, as it seems to me, teaching from heaven.
And all through the hours the quiet words ring,
Like a low inspiration, do the next thing.

Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from heaven,
Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrow, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, do the next thing.

Do it immediately, do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care.
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand,
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe 'neath His wing,
Leave all results, do the next thing.

Looking to Jesus, ever serener,
Working or suffering be thy demeanor;
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance, be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
Then, as He beckons, do the next thing.

Venison Bourguignon

I have been having fun trying out new recipes from a book that Luke got me this Christmas, Nourishing Traditions. This past week I tried their "Beef Bourgignon" recipe with venison instead because we have a lot of that right now. Here is the recipe (with my additions in parenthesis) with some pictures that I took of some of the steps along the way. The recipe is found on page 336 of Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.

Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients:
3 pounds stew beef (or venison), cut into 2" pieces
2 cups red wine
4 cups beef stock
6 tbsp butter
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or coconut oil)
1/2 cup unbleached flour
several small slivers of orange peel (didn't use)
several springs of fresh thyme tied together (used 1/2 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp dried green peppercorns, crushed (used red)
1 lb fresh mushrooms
2 pounds medium boiling onions
sea salt and pepper

Marinate beef in wine for several hours or overnight.
(I forgot about this and so mine only marinated for 2 hours. It still turned out well. And don't throw the wine away, you will use it later in the recipe! If I wouldn't have read the directions well, I would've done that probably.)


Remove and dry well with paper towels. This is important. If beef is too wet it will not brown.


Melt 3 tbsp of each butter and oil in a heavy flameproof casserole. (Okay, I guess it might depend on the casserole pan, I used a dutch oven type, but that was way too much oil when I tried this and my meat didn't brown well. My advice would be to only use 3 tbsp of oil.)


Brown the meat cubes in small batches, transferring with a slotted spoon to a plate when done.


When all are browned pour out cooking fat. Add remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the casserole, let it melt and add flour. Cook the flour in the butter, stirring constantly for several minutes. Add wine from the marinade and the stock.


Bring to a boil, stirring up scrapings from the bottom of the pan and blend well with a wire whisk. Return meat and juices that have accumulated in the plate. Add thyme, crushed peppercorns and orange peel.


Transfer casserole to a 300-degree oven and cook 3 or 4 hours or until meat is tender. Meanwhile (as in 45 minutes before you're going to take the meat out of the oven), brown the mushrooms, either whole or sliced. Peel the onions (there were directions on the package of pearl onions I got, that made this step much quicker) and saute them gently in butter and oil for about 20 minutes.


When meat is tender, remove from the oven. Season to taste.


Remove thyme (unless you are cheap like me and didn't want to buy fresh). Stir in onions and mushrooms and serve. (I also served it with cooked quinoa to add a little more substance.)



Overall it turned out great! It's a time consuming recipe, but delicious. In Luke, my taste tester's opinion :D it was, "Really good. Tell them I loved it. I really like the spicy-ness. And it tasted even better the next day as leftovers!" So mission accomplished! My husband liked it. And he never even knew until today that there was thyme in it (which he usually dislikes and points out right away even if I try to sneak it in, lol!). And I loved it too.

Now it's your turn to try it.