My Favorite Recipies

Here is a meal I like to make from time to time

For the Appetizer:

Crab Filled Wontons

Ingredients:

6 ozs crabmeat,

minced6 ozs softened cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

40 wonton skins

1 slightly beaten egg

Vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Place a heaping teaspoonful of crabmeat mixture in the center of one wonton skin. Cover remaining skins with damp towel to keep them pliable.

2. Top with another wonton skin and press edges to seal. Brush dab of egg on center of both sides of puff.

3. Use fingers to pleat each edge, pressing to seal. Repeat with remaining wonton skins. Cover puffs with damp towel or plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.

4. Heat 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil in wok to 350 degrees F. Fry 4 or 5 puffs at a time until golden brown, turning 2 or 3 times, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towel.

For the Main

Oven Pot Roast with Red Wine

Ingredients:

4 lb. boneless rump roast

Salt and pepper

Flour

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, slivered

1 stalk celery,finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1 Tbs. Dijon-style mustard

1 can (14 1/2 oz) beef broth

8 medium carrots, cut lengthwise into quarters

1 cup dry red wine

2 Tbs. cornstarch

Chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions:

Sprinkle meat lightly with salt and pepper, coat with flour. Brown well in heated oil in a large frying pan. Reduce heat. Add onion and celery, cook until limp.

Transfer roast to a deep 4-quart casserole. To vegetables in pan add garlic, thyme, mustard and broth. Bring to boiling, stirring in pan drippings. Pour mixture over meat.

Cover and bake at 325 degrees until meat is almost tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Add carrots and wine. Cover, continue baking 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove meat and carrots to a platter, keep warm. Strain cooking liquid; skim fat, reserving 2 tablespoons. To this fat in a saucepan add cornstarch, stirring; cook until bubbly. Remove from heat. Gradually mix in cooking liquid (about 3 cups). Return to heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Taste; add salt, if needed.Slice meat, serve with sauce spooned over. Sprinkle with parsley.

For Dessert:

Apple-Yogurt Chiffon Pie

6 servings

Time to prepare: 20 minutes

Difficulty: Average

Ingredients:

Graham Cracker Crust (below)

4 Tbs. sugar

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/8 tsp. salt1 cup apple juice

2 eggs, separated

1 carton (8 oz.) Dutch apple low-fat yogurt

Apple slices for garnish.

Graham Cracker Crust:

Finely crush about 24 graham crackers to make 1 1/2 cups fine crumbs.

Add 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon.

With hands, mix in 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine.

Set aside 1/4 cup mixture for garnish. Press remainder on bottom and sides of 9-inch pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes.

Directions:

Prepare Graham Cracker Crust and cool.

Mix 2 Tbs. of the sugar, gelatin, cloves and salt in small heavy saucepan.

Stir in apple juice.

Slightly beat egg yolks, Stir into mixture.

Cook, stirring, over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.

Pour into bowl. Cool. Cover and chill until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon.

Beat egg whites until foamy.

Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff.

Fold whites and yogurt into chilled gelatin mixture.

Pour into prepared crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs.

Cover and chill 2 to 3 hours or until firm. Garnish with apple slices before serving.

That Time of the Year

Uggh I can't believe that there is less than a week left until its time to head back to school. Buying all my textbooks yesterday just resigned me to the fact that summer is almost over and there is nothing I can do about it. I wish there was a way in which I could press a button and magically make summer last longer but sadly there isn't. My summer wasn't as productive as I hoped it would be, but at least I managed to fit in lots of beach time and sleeping in =)! Sadly a lot of people left on vacation or had work so there wasn't enough time to hang out with the people I wanted to. My week has been pretty interesting though full of good food, good drinks and spending time with the one I love. Unfortunately we only had a week together after he was gone for seven weeks which is the longest we have been apart. He's currently on a fishing trip, and he was telling me of how another boat got lost...that just scared me. So I hope and pray that nothing bad happens to him =(

Mistakes are Just Mistakes

There is always such stigma attached to mistakes and the making of mistakes. But mistakes are natural; they are what define us as humans. The ability to deal with the mistakes and to learn from them truly makes us grow as a person. And although it may take some of us a longer time and we may make the same mistakes over and over again, in the end it is pivotal to defining us as a person. I could truly say that I do not regret any of the mistakes that I have made over the years, although some of the outcomes may not have been pleasant or easy, I have learned from them and hopefully it has made me into a better person. I believe that if I had never made these mistakes I would not be the person I am today.

Mistakes aren’t meant to dwell upon and to base our future upon the mistakes of our past. We must learn to deal with our mistakes and to hopefully change our behaviour and thinking so that we no longer commit the mistake in the future. Although mistakes can shape the person we become, dwelling on the mistakes of our past may hold us back from the person we are to become. So many people are so afraid to live because they are afraid that they will commit the mistakes that they have made in the past, but by doing that they are committing the biggest mistake of all, and that is to let the mistakes of their past dictate the course of their future. If we convince ourselves that we should not do something simply because we will make the same mistakes we are setting ourselves to do just that. Mistakes can help guide us through the maze of life, but we should not let the fear of making mistakes consume our lives.

Being able to adapt and respond to the mistakes we have made and to be able to recover and to right our wrongs strengthens our resolves and contributes to our character. Mistakes instil a sense of humanity within us all, in that we are all susceptible to be wrong. We should never judge people for the decisions or the mistakes that they have made because we could easily be in their shoes. Even the most seemingly perfect person could have been at the other end of the spectrum if they had made mistakes.

I just think this is a great way to put down all my thoughts and to continue writing