Designs By DW - Up and Running on Etsy

I've reopened my Etsy Shop and am excited to be posting some of my pictures here.  I create hand-crafted quality jewelry with natural stone and sterling silver.  This hobby lets me be creative and have some fun.  I might get a bit dirty and ruin a manicure here and there but it is worth it.  The dirt eventually washes off and my nails will grow back.

Here are a few of my latest pieces of jewelry that I've added to my shop...

Nataural stone and silvertone bracelet.  The clasp is sterling silver.

Sterling silver wire cuff bracelet.

Copper earrings with cherry quartz and pink coral.

Much more available at http://www.designsbydw.etsy.com/

Cubanos with Black Bean Soup

Roast pork for dinner on one night generally means we will be having Cubanos (Cuban Sandwiches) for dinner the next night.  I really like this sandwich and you must use good roasted pork to make it.  The sandwich consists of roast pork, sliced ham, Swiss cheese, thinly sliced dill pickles and grainy Dijon mustard.  I have read of others including Genoa Salami too.  Once assembled, the bread is toasted in a sandwich press similar to a Panini.

For each sandwich spread the insides of both halves of a split Kaiser Roll with grainy Dijon mustard.   Pile on the pork, ham, cheese and pickles.   Spread the outside of the bottom half of the Kaiser roll with a little softened butter and the outside of the top half of the roll (this is like making a grilled cheese sandwich).  I don’t have a Panini press so I use the iron skillet and the lid of a pan to press it into the pan.  Since I’m using this method, I wait until the bottom is grilled before I butter the top.  Once the bottom has a good browning, I butter the top, flip, press and gill the top.  Once the sandwich is good and toasted and the cheese has melted it is done.  Enjoy while still hot.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/black_bean_soup.html.

We had the sandwiches with Black Bean Soup.  I used the Eating Well’s recipe.  I changed it a little by using Chicken Stock in place of the Water called for and adding in some garlic powder and onion powder.  It is delish topped with the optional sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Roasted Winter Vegetables

Note:  This is more of a technique than a recipe because you can use whatever group of root vegetables you’d like for this dish.   A good rule of thumb would be to cook about 1/4 to 1/3 pound per person for a side dish.  Other suggested vegetables are Parsnips, Turnips, Celery Root, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Fennel, and Sweet Potato.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Clean, peel and cut the vegetables so that they are all pretty much the same size, Onions can be a bit larger because they will cook quicker than the other vegetables.



2 Sweet Potatoes, 1 Ruttabaga, 4 Carrots & 1/2 Large Onion
Enough to feed 4 as a side dish.  I'd use the whole onion next time.

Put the vegetables in a large bowl and toss with enough olive oil to coat all of the vegetables.  Sprinkle on some salt & vegetables.  You can add some fresh chopped herbs here as well.  2 or 3 sprigs of rosemary, sage, and/or thyme work nicely.  You can also add a few unpeeled cloves of garlic and roast that with the vegetables.  A couple of tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar are a pleasing addition.

Spread the vegetables on a large baking sheet.    I usually line the pan with foil or parchment so that they don’t stick and clean up is easy.  Roast in the oven, turning when they are about half done and cooking until they are tender and golden brown. This is usually about 40-45 minutes depending on the size of the vegetables. 

If you are roasting meat and want to cook the vegetables at the same time and temperature, adjust the cooking time according to the heat of the oven.  If the meat is cooking at 375 degrees, give the vegetables an hour to cook.  If the meat is cooking at 425 degrees, they will most likely only take 30 minutes.



We had Roast Pork and Gravy with the Vegetables.
Something green on the plate would have been nice.



Zuppa Toscana (Italian Sausage, Potato & Kale Soup)

This is a wonderfully flavorful soup and takes less than an hour to make.  Great for a cold weenend lunch.  We had it today with a bit of warm bread on the side.  I don't suggest freezing this soup.  Neither the potatoes nor the cream care to be frozen.



Ingredients-remember I used one of the links for yesterday's breakfast,
 so this isn't a full pound put it was plenty for the soup

1 lb. Mild Italian Sausage, cases removed and roughly chopped

1/2 large Onion, diced

3 cloves Garlic, minced

3 cups Chicken Stock (low-sodium broth works)

1 cup Water

2 large Russet Potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise, then into ¼ inch slices

2 cups chopped Kale

1 cup Heavy Cream (Half & Half is a lighter option – 1 used ¼ cup Cream & ¾ cup Half & Half)

Salt & White Pepper

1/4 cup chopped crisp-cooked Bacon

Brown the sausage on medium-high in a large heavy Dutch Oven or Soup Pot.  If the sausage is very lean and the pan is too dry, add a tablespoon of Olive Oil.  If the sausage was fatty and there is a lot of oil in the pan, drain all but a tablespoon before proceeding.  

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and garlic to the sausage and sauté for a couple of minutes (just until the onions are translucent). 

Add ½ cup of the Chicken Stock and use a flat wooden spoon to scrape up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Then add the rest of the stock and the water.  Cook for 10 minutes or so to bring up the temperature of the liquids.

Add the potatoes and kale and cook on medium heat just until the potatoes become tender (10-15 minutes or so).

Add the Cream and heat through.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Ladle into 4 soup bowls and top with the crisp bacon.  Serve while still hot.

Italian Sausage Scramble

Here is the list of ingredients that I used for this mornings breakfast.  It was quite easy and very tasty.

We don't have any breakfast sausage or bacon in the house but I do have a pound of Mild Italian Sausage for tomorrow's soup recipe that I plan to make.  Altough the soup usually calls for a pound of sausage, I figure, it is soup so noone is going to miss one link out of the pound.


The herbs and scallions are added to the eggs



Browning the sausage (it was removed from the casing and broken up into pieces)



I added the red onion and green pepper to the italian sausage and sauteed it until the vegetables softened.  The eggs are scrambed up with the rest of the ingredients.

Round it off with some toast and clementines.  Three of us ate it all but it could have fed four.



Breakfast is done.



Seared Scallops

Here is a simple entree that can be whipped up in minutes but is nice enough to serve company.  The scallops are seared and served with an herbed butter sauce.  Shrimp can be done in the same way.  For a nice but simple meal add a salad and some Creamy Parmesan Orzo.  Here's a link to Cooking Light's recipe for the Orzo:  http://www.food.com/recipe/creamy-parmesan-orzo-180576. 

Be sure to read through the instructions ahead of time to ensure that you understand the techniques and have everything you need.  Note that 1 pound of scallops will serve 2 or 3 people.


photo from www.finecooking.com



If you feel any grit on the scallops, rinse them under cold water to remove it.  If they still have the tough abductor muscle on them, they should be removed.  (see the picture to the left of the muscle that you'd be pulling off)  Some scallops are sold with it already removed so if you don't see it, you can obviously skip this step.

Dry each scallop well with a paper towel.  They need to be quite dry to get a good sear, otherwise they just steam.

Lightly salt & pepper both sides of each scallop.

Heat a 10-12" fry pan over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes.  Note:  You want to use a stainless steel fry pan, not a non-stick pan.  The stainless steel pan will alow for a sear and for a fond to develop. (Fond is what they call the brown bits that form on the bottom of the pan and the stuff that adds much of the wonderful rich flavors to the sauce.)  Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan (vegetable oil, not olive oil - olive oil doesn't do well with the heat we want here).  Remember that we aren't deep frying so don't put a lot of oil in the pan, just coat it well so they don't stick. 

Put some of the scallops in the hot oil but make sure you don't crowd them.  You need some space between each scallop to allow them to sear well.  Let them sear for 3 or 4 minutes, then turn them over to finish on the other side.  You want the scallops to feel almost firm to the touch so cook for 2 or 3 minutes on the second side.  Transfer the scallops to a plate and continue in the same manner with the rest of the scallops, adding more oil to the pan only if needed to keep them from sticking.

Once all of the scallops are done searing, the sauce will be made in the same pan.  Add a good pat of butter (1 tablespoon wouldn't be too much).  When the butter has stopped foaming, add as you like a clove of garlic that has been minced fine and/or a tablespoon of minced onion or shallot.  What you have on hand and feel like adding will be fine.  Saute for a minute or so but don't let them brown too much or the garlic will become bitter.  Add to the pan 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Dry White Wine or Dry Sherry.  Let the liquid disolve all of the fond in the pan while scraping the bottom of the pan with a flat wooden spoon.  Once the liquid and fond have melded together, add a couple of tablesppons of finely chopped fresh herbs (parsely, chives, thyme, oregano -  any or all of these are good).  Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for a couple of minutes. 


picture from www.finecooking.com

A squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a half teaspoon of lemon zest would be a wonderful, though not necessary, addition at this time.  You can also swirl in another tablespooon of butter at the end if you'd like.  Return to the pan the scallops and any juices that may have escaped them and gently warm them in the sauce.  Taste for needed salt & pepper and serve at once with lemon wedges on the side.

2012 - Let's do this thing.

Welcome.
“The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.” ~Emily Dickinson

Happy New Year!   Here’s to 2012 surpassing 2011!  I’ve seen too many family and friends going through rough times.  Friends were lost, jobs were lost, and homes were lost.  Not a very good year at all.  Good riddance to 2011.
We all need to start off the year on a positive note and hope for the best for the next year.  That’s why I’m not watching the moving 2012 anytime soon.  Who needs the doom and gloom?  It just isn’t the positive vibe I’m looking for.  The next movie I want to see is We Bought a Zoo.  This movie is based on a true story of a widowed father that buys a zoo in hopes of making a fresh start.  The zoo isn’t in good shape but with a small loyal staff and hard work he hopes to reopen it and start a new life for his family.  Now that’s my kind of story.  One with some hard work and hope.

Exercise.
“Strength does not come from physical capacity.  It comes from indomitable will.” ~Mahatma Gandhi

Strong – Feminine 

Those are my focus words for 2012.  I’m not going to obsess about losing weight.  I’m going to focus on getting stronger.   I don’t mean ‘weight lifter’ stronger…just stronger than I am.  I still want the curves of a woman.  I figure a little weight lifting each day will get me to where I want to be.  A little each day is better than trying to overdo it a couple of times a week.  I’ve got all year to get where I want to be so I’m not going to rush it.  Slow and steady – I’ll get there.

And, well, what woman doesn’t want to be pretty-pretty at times?  I’ve seen some beautifully romantic feminine styles on the internet lately that I really like.  The combinations of pink & black with lace, teal and black with swirls, girly pink & white, oh my.  The shoes – I’ve seen some beautiful shoes.  But, I’ve got to strengthen up my legs and ankles before wearing the heels.  I’m bookmarking the ones I like the most for motivation.  Oh, and did I mention the snakeskin bags?  I love the Michael Kors snakeskin bags that I’ve see.  I need to save up some money for one of those!

Have Fun.

“For every Way there’s a way of following that Way that’s fun.” ~the Oaqui

My feminine side has been doing her nails.  A lot.  I bought a Konad nail stamping kit and a bunch of the stamping wheels right before Christmas.   The pictures show a few of the manicures I’ve done with the stamps. It takes a bit of time and patience but I find it fun.  I

 enjoy spending the time on something so frivolous and female.   And I’ve noticed that the more time I spend on doing my nails, the less time I spend doing things that aren’t good for me.  I can’t each junk food with wet nails.  And I’m reading more while I wait for them to dry.

Eat.

“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are. ~Brillat-Savarin

I’m going to commit to eating seasonally this year.  We’ll be eating foods that are at their best for the month and as local as possible.  January may seem like a barren month when it comes to eating fresh and local but there are some wonderful surprises on the list for this month.   Leeks, Carrots, Kale, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Potatoes, Oranges, Clementines, Pears, Pomegranate, Pineapple, Artichokes, Chicory, Rhubarb, Rutabaga, Walnuts, Scallops and Mussels are at their prime right now.  Some of these are already favorites of ours.  I know my hubby has been craving mussels lately.  And we love scallops.  Rutabaga, Chicory, Artichokes & Rhubarb aren’t a staple for us but I’m game to try them.