Saturday Scribblings

St. Monica by Gozzoli

After a couple of really warm days, I was happily surprised to wake up this morning to feel a cool breeze coming through the open window. What a great way to start out this feast day of St. Monica. Since Joshua started his pathway to The Church 8 years ago, I knew there must be someone praying for me specifically. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I first read of St. Monica. I have entrusted my prayers to her intercession on numerous occasions~ especially for my family. Tomorrow is the feast day of her son, St. Augustine, who happens to be Joshua's patron saint. Because it will be Sunday, St. Augustine won't be celebrated in Mass, but we'll be doing a little something special before driving Joshua back up to Mt. Angel Seminary to start school.

Since it was so hot (100 degrees) yesterday, I took some time in the late afternoon to spend some time in the backyard. Normally this view would frustrate me as we need to do so much back there, but- whether from the heat or not- I decided to just enjoy the breeze and being in God's nature. It was definitely a much more relaxing time!

I had found a recipe for eggplant "bacon" and decided to try it last night for eggplant "BLT's". After his first taste, Josh said it tasted like crispy...marinated eggplant. We all agreed it was delicious but no way could ever replace bacon in our house. It was low sodium despite how much salt is in the recipe. Since you rinse the salt plus only use a bit of marinade on each slice, it is a good recipe for folks needing to watch their sodium intake. With all that in mind, I am sharing the recipe because it was a really good way to cook eggplant!

Eggplant Bacon recipe~adapted from The Spirited Spoon

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp vinegar (I used red wine, but balsamic or apple cider would work too)
• 3 tbsp liquid aminos (I get mine in bulk at Winco)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp olive oil (plus more for brushing)
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/8  tsp chili powder

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Remove the stem of the eggplant and quarter it lengthwise, making 4 even long, thin sections.
3. Slice each piece of the eggplant lengthwise into thin strips. 
4. Arrange eggplant strips in a single layer on a paper towel and generously sprinkle with 2 tbsp salt. Allow this to sit for at least 30 minutes. During this time the eggplant will start to bead up with water.
5. After 30 minutes, rinse off the eggplant strips to remove the salt added in the previous step and allow the strips to dry on new paper towels.
6. Brush each strip with olive oil, and arrange in a single layer on a well-greased pan.
7. Cook eggplant strips for 14 minutes, flipping half way through.
8. Remove the strips from the oven and let cool. Reduce the heat to 350F. 
9. Combine vinegar, maple syrup, liquid aminos, olive oil, liquid smoke, salt, paprika, black pepper and chili powder in a small bowl.
10. Line a cookie sheet with foil, and place a baking rack over it. (The foil is optional, but it certainly makes for an easier clean up).
11. Dip each strip of eggplant in the marinade and place strips in a single layer on the baking rack.
12. Bake at 350F for about 14 minutes, or until the strips are nice and crispy.(Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your strips)
13. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit before using. 

Enjoy your Saturday & do something that you enjoy as you prepare for Sunday and the joys that day brings!!

A New Look & End of the Summer Recipe

If you've ever visited my blog before, you'll notice Mangia Mamma now has a new look. Thanks to my oldest child, who is much more computer savvy than I will ever be, the blog now has a bit more of a polished look. I had once again thought about just giving it up then Cari (the aforementioned oldest child) noticed how many people actually check it out. I was so shocked that I had her double check, and sure enough, I get enough "hits" that I decided to keep going with it. 

I also now have a page about my Etsy shop, Piccolo Di Luce. It'll link you right to the shop as well as have updates on new items I'm working on & selling. 

Since I'm going to try to start blogging a bit more consistently, I thought I'd let you know what the weekly menu will look like here at MM:

~Tuesday posts will be "Tasty Tuesdays" and feature a recipe from my plethora of cookbooks or new creations from my kitchen

~Thursday posts will either be a link up to Like Mother, Like Daughter's {Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real} or a post on homemaking,, movies, books, podcasts that I've been enjoying and other things like that.

~Friday or Saturday posts will be all about empty nesting & having young adult kids. I am hoping to have some guest posts about these topics as they are relevant to so many people, even if not today then in the future.

I thought I'd add an easy and inexpensive recipe for one of our family favorites during this last part of summer. When it gets too warm to put on an oven, you can still cook up a batch of Mangia Mamma Tostadas! Another bonus for us is that it's gluten free, nut free, low sodium & can be made with lactose free cheese. All of the toppings can be cut up/made ahead of time, so you can just heat up the meat & beans for a quick weeknight dinner.  Enjoy!

Mangia Mamma Tostadas

It's less expensive plus so much better tasting when you fry up corn tortillas to make the shells yourself. If you do use store-bought tostada shells, be sure to heat them for 5-7 minutes in a 300 degree oven which makes them taste a little closer to homemade goodness.

• Yield:
 Serves about 6

METHOD
INGREDIENTS

Vegetable oil
12 corn tortillas
Salt
21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe's
1 lb. lean ground beef 

1 finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons tomato paste
2-3 tablespoons low sodium taco seasoning 
2-15 oz. cans refried beans 
Toppings can include the following plus anything else your family may like:
cooked rice (I either make a batch or just reheat what I've got in the fridge in my rice cooker), chopped lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, guacamole or avocado, salsa, cilantro, grated or crumbled cheese of your choice (we do whatever we have along with some goat cheese for our lactose intolerant kid), chopped fresh cilantro, green onions, sour cream

1 Heat refried beans in a saucepan, until warm. If you are using regular canned beans, drain them, then add them to the pan with a little water, mixing them as you heat them. Keep on low while you prepare everything else.

2 Heat a little bit of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently until opaque. Add ground beef, cooking until no longer red. Add taco seasoning and tomato paste. Keep on low heat while you prepare the tortillas.

3  Pour enough oil to about 1/4" into another frying pan. Heat the oil on medium high heat until sizzling hot, but not smoking then turn down to medium. As soon as it seems hot enough, fry the tortillas in the oil, one or two at a time depending on how big your pan is.  Fry until golden brown on both sides, cooking about a minute per side. Using tongs, push the tortilla down in the oil, and to turn and lift the tortilla out of the pan, gently shaking the excess oil as you do so.  Place the tortilla on a paper towel-lined plate, to absorb the excess oil. Sprinkle with a little salt (or the 21 Seasoning Salute for anyone who needs to eat low sodium). 

You might need to add a bit more oil to the pan as it gets low, but be sure the oil heats enough before adding another tortilla.

4 We like to serve this buffet style. I just place the pots of beans and beef on trivets on the kitchen counter along with the rice in the cooker plus various toppings in various bowls (I like to use jars or tupperware sometimes in order to expedite clean up). Have everyone serve themselves stacking their tostadas with what ingredients they like.

I usually have leftover oil and tortillas, so since I don't like to waste what can be reused, I make chips with what's left. Cut the tortillas into any shape you want and fry the same way for the tostada shells. Also, you can also use any kind of leftover meat or even eggs instead of the beef. This makes a great "Faithful Friday" dinner when you just use the beans and no meat. 
I'd love to hear what kind of tostadas your family likes to eat as I'm always happy to learn new ideas for recipes!

{pretty, happy, funny,real} Spring Has Sprung edition

{pretty}

                                            

So the weather has been pretty wonderful here in the Mid-Valley over the last couple of weeks.  Of course, we're due for four days of rain starting tomorrow, but I just need to remember it's what keeps everything green.  While the sun's been shining, I took a little bit of time and popped some flowers into the two pots that sit on our front porch steps. I don't really know how long they'll last due my less-than green thumb, but they look so {pretty} at least for now.

{happy}

I made a really yummy low-sodium BBQ sauce today to pour over a small pork picnic I found on sale at Winco.  I've been trying to cook more for just the two of us as we have noticed that leftovers are good for a day or two but not a whole week. The smell of the sauce cooking has been making me {happy} as it has brought back memories of going to Chris & Pitt's BBQ with my grandparents when I was a little girl.

I adapted this recipe from The Daily Dish, and here it is for you to try (trust me, you'll never miss the salt)!

LOW SODIUM SMOKY BBQ SAUCE

2- 8 oz. cans no-salt-added tomato sauce (I use Hunts)

1/2 c. finely diced onion (half sm/med onion)

2 t. minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. olive oil
2 T. unsulphered molasses
1 T. honey
1 t. liquid smoke
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground paprika
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 t. ground cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add remaining sauce ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a clean lidded jar or other airtight container. Refrigerate until use. 

{funny}

I've joined a Catholic women's pen pal group, and it's been so enjoyable.  I've also tried to write more letters to my kids and others who would hopefully like to receive a letter. While this endeavor may not seem to fit the {funny} part of this post, I realized this photo of my tea, vanilla ginger cake & letter writing fits it exactly.  I can't believe how much frosting I had put on that cake until comments like "lots of frosting, little cake" and others came up. All I know is that I didn't want leftovers, so I used the whole batch.  Of course, I think it was enough for a full size cake when this little one was only 6". At least it tasted delicious!

{real, oh so real}

Well, you can't get much more {real} than this.  A bunch of gals on Instagram have been posting photos of themselves with no make-up and no filters. I took this one yesterday, and I can't tell much of a difference. I thought of making this the {funny} part of the post, but I think it's just so {real}. I've tended to not worry about the physical things that come with getting older, and I'm glad about it. I've got too much other stuff to think about that is a while lot more important.  I hope you can focus today on what's truly important in your life as that's where we will be truly {real}.

Be sure to visit Like Mother, Like Daughter and check out the other bloggers who have {pretty, happy, funny, real} stuff to share.

                                               

It's a Friday the 13th Feast Day

     

                                     

"Friday the 13th"s have never really bothered me. It's so cool to know that today's Friday the 13th is actually Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini's feast day.  Mother Cabrini is a great example of taking what you've been given and using it to the glory of God. You can read more about here amazing life here.

In honor of St. Frances Cabrini,and since today is Friday, here's a recipe for a low sodium spaghetti with meatless meatballs from The Daily Dish.

Low-Sodium Spaghetti with Meatless Meatballs

Serves 6.

SODIUM CONTENT: 81 mg per serving

INGREDIENTS

Meatless Meatballs:
1/2 c. low-sodium vegetable broth
1/3 c. uncooked bulgur
1 t. olive oil
4 oz. baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1/2 c. sliced scallions
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1/3 c. chopped walnuts
1/3 c. panko
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. red hot-pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

1- 25-oz. jar no-salt-added pasta sauce
1 lb. dried spaghetti
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

In a small saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Add the bulgur, stir to combine, and remove pot from heat. Cover the pot and let stand 20 minutes. Drain any excess broth and set aside.

In a skillet, heat oil over medium. Add the mushrooms and scallions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar. Remove from heat and spread mixture on a plate to cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

Place the mushroom mixture and walnuts into a food processor. Pulse until coarse. Add the bulgur and finely chop. Add the remaining “meatball” ingredients and pulse to combine. Let stand 5 minutes to absorb liquid. 

Pour the pasta sauce into a pot or saute pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, use a tablespoon to scoop out the meatball batter and gently add the meatballs to the pan. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes, until the balls are firm. Turn the meatballs halfway through the cooking time, being very gentle so as not to break them.

Meanwhile, prepare the pasta according to package directions (omitting salt). 

Serve the pasta topped with meatless meatballs and sauce, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Buono Appetito!

"A Traffic Circle in the Road"

I have come to what normally I would call a "fork in the road", but in my case, I'd say it's more like a traffic circle.

A month ago I went to the doctor to find out what had been causing dizziness/vertigo I had been experiencing for a few days. After my check up, she told me it was most likely being caused by an inner ear virus and should go away on its' own after a bit. I ended up having the dizziness for another week until it went away. I started back at work as well as the rest of my life getting back to what it was before the virus hit. For two & a half weeks, everything seemed to going smoothly. Then it hit again- this time with a vengeance. The dizziness/vertigo was back, along with nausea, tinnitus and head pressure plus migraines. I prayed and hoped it would go away for over a week. Finally, I ended up back at my doctor's office to see what was going on this time. She did another check up and this time the diagnosis was Meniere's Disease (MD). The Mayo Clinic defines MD as, "a disorder of the inner ear that causes episodes in which you feel as if you're spinning (vertigo), and you have fluctuating hearing loss with a progressive, ultimately permanent loss of hearing, ringing in the ear (tinnitus), and sometimes a feeling of fullness or pressure in your ear. In most cases, Meniere's disease affects only one ear.

Meniere's disease can occur at any age, but it usually starts between the ages of 20 and 50. It's considered a chronic condition, but various treatments can help relieve symptoms and minimize the long-term impact on your life."

Umph- I wasn't actually taken aback as I had already read a bit on MD along with other possibilities during the first round. I might have been thinking that she would tell me I have MD which is why it didn't really come as much of a shock as it could have. After talking a bit and getting a referral for the ENT plus a couple of prescriptions, Brian and I went on our way. Once home, I pretty much felt sorry for myself for a while while eating my dinner of way too much Taco Bell. Thankfully, my ENT nurse friend, Shelly, had been texting to see how I was. She asked if the doctor had put me on a low salt diet. I answered no, while thinking all the while of all the fast food I had just consumed. Knowing more than I about this subject, I followed her advice and started reading up on MD and a low sodium (lo-so) diet. It looked like a really good idea, and so I set forth on my new quest of low sodium cooking and eating. 

Well, since I can't do a whole lot, I've been on the Internet a lot lately. I'm excited to say I've found some great websites with terrific recipes, my favorite being thedailydish.us. Not only does Christy have a touching story about her own journey with MD, her recipes are mouthwatering! If that's not enough, she's got great tips and suggestions making eating low sodium easier than it seems. Sodiumgirl.com and the Food Network website have some yummy recipe ideas too.

There are even a lot of packaged foods that are lo-so.  Brian and I shopped today at Natural Grocer's and found a few things including these-

And this-

Needless to say, I'm not as worried as I was when first facing this new unknown. I've pretty much got the gluten free, lactose free & nut free thing down when the kids are home, so hey- I know I can do this..

So where does this leave me? For now, I spend a lot of time on our borrowed recliner while the world spins around- sometimes more literally than others. I've learned to pray more for others (some I've never met, like my "friends" on Instagram), and am finding the joy of being able to read for fun again. I'm thankful for my iPad and phone, so I can do whatever work I can from home. I miss being at the salle a lot, but I'm learning to at least try to be content with where the Lord has me for now.

With all that being said, if you have a prayer request, I'd love to pray for you. Just leave a comment or email me with your need, and I'll add you to my list!