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My Big Fat Greek Goulash

December 29, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 28 Comments

I have tendency to be a little over-zealous when the New Year rolls around. I want to train for a marathon and read 52 books in a month and reorganize my whole house and take sewing, photography and dance classes. All today. Right now. And I usually set lofty goals only to be reminded a year later that I’m only one person—with plenty enough to do everyday—aside from visit the Sistine Chapel and learn to quilt. So while I work on a very bold and bright ’40 Things to Do While I’m 40 list’ (in photoshop) I thought I’d share with you one of my favorite recipes. And if you have any wonderful suggestions for my 40’s list, leave them in the comments section and maybe I’ll add them to the list. And now, lest you think I have no recipes that aren’t laden with butter and cream, I give you

My Big Fat (Butterless, Creamless) Greek Goulash

What you’ll need:
1 ½ pounds ground beef

½ t. ground cloves
1/3 pound bulk sausage

½ t. cinnamon
1 large eggplant

1 T. balsamic vinegar
2 large onions

1. T. worcestershire
2 cloves garlic

1 T. olive oil
1 can tomatoes

2 T. honey
¼ t. Cayenne pepper

salt, pepper to taste
AND
Tzatziki Sauce (16 oz greek yogurt mixed with 2 T. lemon juice, 2 T. olive oil, 2 T. honey and chopped cucumber)

Brown beef and sausage together adding salt and pepper to taste and a little olive oil if the meat is ultra-lean. Add cayenne and chopped garlic. (This photo makes me almost want to be vegetarian.)

Cut eggplant into small bite sized cubes and add to meat mixture. The eggplant will soak up all the liquid but be patient and it will release its’ liquids soon.

Chop onions into thinly sliced half moons and add to a separate pan with 2 T. olive oil.

If the meat and eggplant mixture get too dry, add a little olive oil if necessary and cook on medium heat until the eggplant is softened.

Add one can of diced tomatoes (with juice) and then cloves, cinnamon, vinegar, Worcestershire, and honey. Taste and add more salt as necessary.

Continue to cook the onions—it usually takes about 30 minutes until they are carmelized.

Cook 1/3 package of orzo pasta according to directions on package and then add the fully cooked pasta to the meat mixture. Then make the tzatziki sauce using the greek yogurt.

Serve by layering each plate with meat/pasta mixture then onions topped with feta cheese and tzatziki sauce. The carmelized onions are like a party in your mouth. Do not attempt to skip this step or worse yet add the ‘fried onions’ you can buy at the store. Don’t do it. Carmelize your own and soon you’ll be adding them to your Raisin Bran. Enjoy with pita bread and a greek salad!

Download a copy of the recipe here.

And for those of you blog stalkers who care, I’m leaving on Saturday for a quick visit to Philadelphia/Atlantic City for my 40th birthday. I’m going with my sister and JamieKnoxville. It should be big fun. I’m taking every precaution and forbidding Washington apple martinis! (a very funny inside joke). I plan to laugh till I cry, spend hours chatting with two of my favorite people, spend the afternoon in Anthropologie, take hundreds of pictures, and read a book. What other suggestions do you have for me?

Photoshop and Lounge Pants

December 26, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 30 Comments

I’m sitting in my lounge pants, drinking the world’s best coffee, in my very quiet house (all kids are somehow briefly gone), desperately trying to figure out how to use my new Christmas present (photoshop cs4). It’s kinda complicated—with a very steep learning curve. Any suggestions?

So far, with Cindy’s help, I can make a simple collage, resize it, posterize it, and fiddle with the saturation and exposure. I was able to add text an hour ago and can’t seem to make that work at the present moment. Maybe by next Christmas I’ll have the hang of it. Hope you get to spend lots of time in your lounge pants today! Stevie was kinda disappointed that he didn’t get a new pair so I may have to venture out later. We decided we either need a new exercise and diet regimen or some new lounge pants. I vote for lounge pants.

Christmas Brunch 2009

December 24, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 12 Comments

We gathered to eat and open a few goodies with my extended family. Oh what fun!

taylor and corey and their loot

that scream and horrible face was brought to you by a creme brulee flame torch

american girl heaven

and Marcus’ love for the cheese balls seemed out of proportion to the quality of the gift—but he carried them around all day and thought of all sorts of scenarios where they’d come in handy.

the men folk

sisters’ new jeans—very nice

facebooking together–i’m pretty sure the cheese ball pic is uploaded!

Kris and the kids with Grannie and Papa G

Sis (Gina), Mark, Corey, Hope and Marlea

the sibs

the motliest crew of all

and Grannie and her new Northface jacket! (she said three times “What are you calling that, North what?” She’s the same dear mother of mine who says “I need to go to the Walmart.”

You gotta love her. At least she’ll be nice and warm in the Northface.

Now I’m busy making the bouillabaise and pizza bianca for dinner and then off to a candlelight and communion service. Hope your day is merry and bright.

Things I learned while Christmas Crafting

December 22, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 20 Comments

1. There’s hardly anything more endearing than pictures of little ones crafting. The actual real life crafting is a little more stressful than the photos reveal.

2. When 75% of your crafts involve straight pins, there will very likely be screams of pain…..and 8,765 straight pins on your floor.

3. There’s hardly anything more endearing than pictures of little ones crafting.

4. When 50% of your crafts involve gum drops, there’s a good chance you will find gum drops in odd places for the next 5 days.

but it will most definitely be worth it!

5. When you plan too many crafts in one day……

the children will leave you for dead in a pile of straight pins, gum drops, fabric scraps and felt birds to……..

make some fun of their own.

6. Those of your children who are very diligent and slightly perfectionistic will continue the ‘creating’ and complain that the “snow” is very runny this year.

7. Everyone works better if the projects are edible.

Check out the crafts we attempted here at my tumblr site (the place where I store links/things I don’t want to forget).

Update on photo: Thanks a million for all your funny and thoughtful responses to my Christmas card dilemma. I think I have a win/win solution. I got an email today from Vista for 50% off New Year’s cards so I think I’ll take that option. I also plan to use some of the funhouse photo cards to give to people at church and to some other folks whom we see often (who know that our real life faces are not quite that wide). How’s that for compromise?! Hope your week is merry.

And thank you Cindy for the PS tutorial. Now I need 4 or 5 good undisturbed hours (or weeks) to play!

Lots of love to you all!

Decking, Wrapping, and Christmas Card Woes

December 19, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 51 Comments

I’m still decking the halls in preparation for Christmas Eve Brunch (I’m hosting my extended family), which includes a little cleaning, a little table setting, and a lot of snipping from my magnolia, holly and pine trees. It took all morning to clean the gum drops and toothpicks off my kitchen floor from crafting day (yesterday). You can visit here to see the crafts we made and I’ll post about it soon. I’m collecting recipes for the brunch (which shall include the lightest fluffiest angel wing biscuits and my blueberry coffee cake among others yummies) and wondering if I should add homeade waffles to the already bulging menu?! I’m gathering my hodge podge of dishes and adding festive touches with Christmas napkins and mugs.

And then there’s the wrapping. Did I mention we have eight kids? And every year, we purpose to scale down the commercialism and focus our attention on the blessed work of Christ on our behalf. But we also want to use this opportunity to give with a cheerful heart to our kids and to our family. So, there’s a certain amount of commercialism that creeps in, despite our best efforts. If all goes well, most of the ‘work’ will be done this weekend, which will leave plenty of time for movies and board games and ‘rocking around the Christmas tree’. We’re looking forward to ‘time off’, Christmas and Advent services, time to knit and read and enjoying the company of those we love most.

I’ll likely be about as scarce around here as I have been at the gym lately. I’m sure I’ll miss you more though. Actually, I already have a couple posts ready for next week so I take that back—I’ll definitely be more scarce at the gym! Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

P.S. I need your help. I ordered Christmas cards from Vista Print and they arrived 2 days ago, in perfect time to quickly mail them out. However, the picture on the card is very distorted and makes us look like we’re standing in front of a fun house mirror. The cards themselves are so perfect and I really wanna send ’em anyway. Vista refunded my money but couldn’t get any new cards to me before Wed. Dec 23rd. So here’s my question. Do I?

1. Send the fun house picture and hope the recipients enjoy the wee bit of Christmas entertainment they provide.

2. Upload a picture to Walgreens and pick one the their photocards that can be printed in an hour.

3. Don’t send anything at all and use the cards we have to make paper airplanes to throw at each other on Christmas morning.

4. When the family is together for Christmas, take a picture and do New Year’s cards instead. (I’ve done this before and it’s not so bad)

Please advise.

The Bridegroom

December 17, 2009 by Edie Wadsworth 29 Comments

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” C.S. Lewis

Yesterday, he:

Went to work, just like every other day, and tried to make a difference in someone’s life–if in no other way than to relieve suffering.
With great interest and love, made sure that our girls know that their daddy is on their side, that he is their biggest fan, their protector and their provider.
Came home early, gave out smooches and hugs galore, read most of the afternoon from Paradise Lost by Milton and commenced to draw parallels between C.S. Lewis, George McDonald and John Milton.
Discussed Issues like this and this and lamented the large gaps in our education.
Decided to take us to dinner out and then to our churches’ third Advent service.

And walking out from church, that’s when I felt the weight of it—-a glimpse of true joy, of complete contentment, a transcendent and yet very physical reassurance that this moment is a foreshadowing of the fullness we have in Christ. And this man, this husband and father is a picture of Christ—the very means God uses to nurture wives and children. A tangible, wonderful taste of what Christ ultimately gives us in Himself.

I receive it all with gratitude, take mental note of how handsome he looks in the white shirt (and the well- fitting jeans) and close my eyes to bask in the light.