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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

What's For Dinner Wednesday~

My husband and I prepared this meal a few weeks back and it was delicious.  We also prepared the shrimp recipe for another night and combined it with linguine noodles with a bit of garlic butter added.  Both were winners.

This recipe comes from Clean Eating magazine's Jan/Feb issue, and is prepared by Chef Christopher Brown.





Spiced Beef Tenderloin with Chile Sauteed Shrimp
Chef Christopher Brown-Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients

2- 3oz beef tenderloin medallions
Olive oil cooking spray

Spice Rub
2 Tbs sweet paprika (chef’s tip:  opt for the Hungarian variety)
1 tsp organic evaporated cane juice
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper

Sauteed Shrimp
4 shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp sweet paprika
Pinch chile flakes

Instructions:

One: In a small bowl, combine all spice rub ingredients.  Using about 1 Tbs per beef medallion, coat both sides with mixture, gently rubbing into meat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. (Tip: store leftover spice rub in an airtight container for up to six months).

Two: In a small bowl, stir together all sautéed shrimp ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 45 to 60 minutes.

Three:  Preheat oven to 425*. Mist a medium, ovenproof saucepan with cooking spray and heat on medium-high. Add beef and sear on one side for 4-5 minutes.  Turn over, transfer pan to oven and roast to desired doneness; about 7 minutes for medium-rare or 9-10 minutes for medium (internal temperature should register 145* F when tested with an instant read thermometer.)

Four:  In a nonstick sauté pan on high, add shrimp and sauté for about 3 minutes, until just cooked through.  Top beef with shrimp.

Side Dish:  Carrot-Infused Wheat Berries with Butternut Squash

Ingredients:
1 Tbs olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 1-inch thick stick cinnamon or  ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1 cup wheat berries, rinsed
1 Tbs chopped garlic
1 ½ cups low-sodiu chicken or vegetable stock
1 ½ cups carrot juice
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup peeled, seeded and finely chopped butternut squash (1/4 in cubes)
2 Tbs chopped fresh mint leaves

Instructions:

One:  In a medium saucepan, heat oil on medium.  Add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.  Add cinnamon, bay leaf, wheat berries and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes.

Two:  add stock, juice, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 45 minutes.  Add squash, cover and cook for about 15 minutes more, until wheat berries and squash are tender.  Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, covered. Strain remaining liquid from mixture. Garnish with minte. (Note:  if you end up with extra wheat berries, store covered in the refrigerator and reheat for a quick and easy side dish.)

Enjoy!!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Happy Valentine's Day~


Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope everyone has a day filled with love and laughter, and a little chocolate wouldn't hurt either!!

The family is off to see baby girl in the morning.  Praying Texas will show us a little sunshine as it has been raining here ALL week.

Be back next week with a few organizational posts and the return of What's for Dinner Wednesday!

XOXO

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

A Winter Centerpiece~

I had the pleasure of accompanying my sweet husband last week to his company's annual awards luncheon.  We were treated to a delicious Italian meal along with a wonderful motivational speaker.

Upon the conclusion of the awards ceremony, my husband's boss approached me and asked if I would like to take home the centerpiece that was on our table.  Hmmm...fresh flowers, uniquely arranged...no twisted arm required.  Almost a week later the arrangement is still gorgeous.

What I loved the most is the little house that is part of the centerpiece.  It lights up!  One light is constant, while another flickers giving the appearance of a fire lit in the fireplace on a cold winter's night.  I intend to keep the little house to use in the future...perfect for the Christmas holidays.


I hope to return to What's for Dinner Wednesday next week.  We have some wonderful dishes we have prepared to share with you!!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

A Fresh Coat of Paint~

Isn't it amazing what a fresh coat of white paint can do???

Our back coat closet hadn't seen a fresh coat of paint since...umm...just before we moved in...back in...'92!

Let's face it, coat closets aren't normally on the high priority list. However, we do access it EVERYDAY for shoes, coats, purses and such.  I was really tired of looking at the beat up walls that were no longer white.

So a fresh coat of white paint, new shelving and a few new baskets (courtesy of Target) were all it took to make a dingy old closet look like a gem.

(yes, bad blogger...I got so excited about getting it done I forgot the before pics).


It really is the little things.  Hoping to share some Master Closet organization and Kitchen organization photos soon.  However, it has been raining here for days and it makes for lousy pictures.

Friday, February 1, 2013

American Girl Fashion Show~

If you happen to be in the Atlanta area and are either grandmothers, aunts, moms of young girls and LOVE Amercian Girl dolls, this is the event for you!!