Love: A Special Meal

I like to have a special meal on Valentine's Day.  Usually, we don't go out to eat to celebrate Valentine's Day.  It's just not very romantic to deal with the crowds.  In fact, there have been several years we've had other couples join us at our house on Valentine's Day for International Potluck.  That's been fun: everyone saves money and still gets to enjoy fabulous food.

Anyway, this year Valentine's Day was on Sunday, and Sunday is always really crazy for us.  I decided to prepare our special meal on the day after Valentine's Day.  (I like to get as much mileage out of every holiday as I possibly can.  My children appreciate this about me.)

I happened to have some salmon fillets and shrimp in the freezer that needed to be used.  So I went a little crazy with the seafood.  It was so good.  So very, very, melt-in-your-mouth and scream for more good.  If I do say so, myself.

Before I show you what was on the menu, I have to tell you this:  I wasn't going for a crowd pleaser when I came up with this entree.  I was planning on pleasing my husband (who loves seafood) and tossing out a few PB&J delicacies for the children if they turned up their noses.  No PB&J was served that night, because no noses were turned up.  In fact, the children ate their food, asked for second helpings, and asked if there were any leftovers the next day!!!!!!!!!  That never, ever, happens at our house.  Unless I serve ice cream for dinner.

But I didn't serve them ice cream that night.  I served them......

Salmon Stuffed with Shrimp and Brie

accompanied by Sauteed Green Beans and Roasted Red Peppers

Not only did the children and the Bionic Man love it, it was easy to make, too!  I looked at several recipes and came up with my own.  I wasn't sure how it would work, and I'm not the Pioneer Woman,  so I can't provide an illustration for every step.  Sorry.  But trust me, it is easy.  If you love seafood and yummy fattening stuff, you'll love this.

To make this recipe, you will need:

8 salmon fillets

6 oz. cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp (variation: 3 oz. shrimp, 3 oz. crab--you can use canned!)

2 tablespoons mayonaise

2 teaspoons artisan/gourmet mustard (I used the Walla Wall Sweet Onion mustard my husband brought home from a business trip, but I'm sure Grey Poupon would work, too!  If it is very spicy, don't use this much.)

4-5 oz. brie cheese

1/2 - 3/4 cup plain bread crumbs

1 bunch scallions

3 tablespoons butter, divided

salt & pepper (I prefer fresh ground sea salt and peppercorns)

dillweed (fresh or dry)

Hollandaise Sauce (recipe below)

A good knife

Step 1:  If you are using frozen salmon and shrimp (like I did), make sure that yours are completely thawed.  You want to use fillets that are at least 1-1/2 inches thick.  I purchase my frozen seafood at Sam's Club or Aldi.  If you are lucky enough to use fresh seafood, you can skip this step.

Step 2:   Put the 6 oz. of shrimp and/or crab into your food processor or use your knife to cut it into fine pieces.  

Step 3:  Once the shrimp is chopped up, dump it into a mixing bowl and add the mustard and mayo, salt and pepper to taste, and 1/2 teaspoon dillweed.  

Step 4:  Cut the brie cheese into small pieces and add to the shrimp mixture.  If you don't use brie, you could try substituting another soft cheese.  Just remember, brie doesn't melt as quickly as other cheeses, so the consistency of your stuffing may be a little different.  Try cream cheese or swiss cheese and let me know how it works!

Step 5: Lightly sautee the scallions in 1 Tablespoon of the butter.  Once they have softened slightly, add the breadcrumbs to the frying pan and toss them around a little until they are just lightly toasted.  This will happen very quickly--don't walk away from those breadcrumbs or they will burn!

Step 6: Remove the breadcrumbs from the stove to cool for a minute while you cut the salmon fillets.  Use a good knife to slice the salmon on three sides, so that you can open it like a book.  I believe this is called butterflying by people who know how to cook, but I'm still learning, so I won't call it that.  You can be preheating the oven to 375 degrees while you are working on this step.  

Step 7: Add half the breadcrumb/scallion mixture to the shrimp mixture and mix it well.  If the stuffing seems too dry, feel free to add a little more mayo.

Step 8:  Line a large baking dish with foil and spray it with non-stick cooking spray.  Open each fillet and place a generous scoop of stuffing inside.  Close them up and place the fillets in the  baking dish.  (It is okay if the stuffing looks like it is going to pop out of the fillets.)

Step 9: Top the fillets with the remaining breadcrumb/scallion mixture.  Take the remaining butter, cut it into small pieces, and put a small piece of butter onto each fillet.

Step 10:  Place the stuffed salmon, uncovered, into a 375 degree oven.  Cook the salmon until it will flake with a fork, about 15-20 minutes.  (This is longer than you would normally cook salmon for, because of the stuffing.)  Check the salmon at about 10 minutes, because you never ever want to overcook fish!

Step 11: Garnish each fillet with hollandaise sauce and a sprinkle of dillweed.

Hollandaise sauce is so yummy and I have found a no-fail method to make it.  You have to try this sauce on asparagus, sometime.  It is carnal food bliss.

To make hollandaise sauce, you will need:

1/2 cup butter

3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

dash of white pepper

A blender

Step 1:  approximately 5 minutes before the salmon is finished, place the butter in a microwave-safe dish and melt it in the microwave.  

Step 2: put egg yolks, water, lemon juice, and pepper in the blender.  Blend on high.

Step 3:  while the blender is on, carefully pour in the melted butter.  Continue to blend for about a minute.  

That's it!  You have a perfect hollandaise sauce.  Drizzle it over your stuffed salmon and relish the savory tang it adds.  If you need to keep it warm, pour it into a small glass bowl, put some hot water into another, larger, glass bowl, and float the bowl of  hollandaise sauce in the hot water.  That worked for me. 

And one last recipe.....

Melt-in Your Mouth Green Beans

1 package frozen whole green beans 

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt & pepper to taste

Put the beans and butter into a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Add seasonings before beans are fully cooked.  Add toasted almonds or pecans, green onions, or chopped roasted red peppers for additional texture and flavor.  Beans are finished when they are fork-tender.

Enjoy a special meal at your house sometime soon!

I've linked this post to V.O.T.W. at Design-Aholic.

and the Weekend Wrap-Up Party at Tatertots and Jello

Love: Valentine Recap

Happy February 15th, Everyone!

Valentine Pins from Isle B. Stitching.

So, I had grand intentions of sharing lots of fun ideas with you PRIOR to Valentine's Day.  Mmm, those grand intentions didn't quite materialize into action.  The Bionic Man was away all week for business, and that left me to manage the transport, support, and rapport of three school-age children and their accompanying activities.  It was crazy, I tell you.  Not to mention the responsibilities I had taken on for myself: room parent duties, Primary quarterly activity, teaching a class about inexpensive gift-giving, making chocolate truffles......it was a little crazy.

And don't even get me started on our Saturday.  You really want to know?  Here's the run-down: 2 birthday parties, 1 Mardi Gras celebration, a piano competition, and a basketball game.  Poor Bionic Man.  Gone all week and then we throw that at him.  He really does have to be bionic to keep up around here, sometimes.

My house is still in recovery.  My sugar levels are through the roof.  This is the first blog post I've written in DAYS.  My apologies.

So.....I'm going to get a leg up on next year, and post all my great ideas for Valentine's Day NOW.  Prep for them this week and you are all set for next year!  Or you could just print off the list and save it for 364 days.  You can manage any of these ideas without much advance prep.  These ideas were part of my presentation for the class I taught this week to our church's group for women (Relief Society) and were gleaned from my own imagination and the imaginations of some of my favorite creative friends.  (You know who you are, Bethany, Heidi, and Leesa!)

Easy and Inexpensive Ways to Show a Little (or a Lot) of Love

Surprise! The element of surprise and a little creativity can go a long way when it comes to showing and sharing affection. It makes the gift far more memorable than traditional displays of affection (cards, flowers, stale chocolates...). It also gives a clear message to the recipient that they can be creative in return and don't have to be tied to traditional (or pricey) gift-giving cliches.

1. Use a washable marker to write a note of appreciation or affection on a) the bathroom mirror b) a window or c) the windshield.  Lipstick also works.....
2. Send a care package via mail to someone's workplace. Plaster the package with stickers and write on it with a bright marker to attract attention.
3. Decorate the baby's undershirt or diaper with sweet messages using puff paints or markers. This can be a fun way to encourage someone to change the baby's diaper more often.....
4. Secretly post a love message on someone's back before you send them off for the day. Hint: warn the family in advance so they won't say anything and attach it when giving a good-bye hug.  I've done this successfully several times!  "My wife thinks I'm hot!" worked particularly well.  No one told the Bionic Man that he was wearing that particular post-it note until late in the day.  He couldn't figure out why so many people asked him about his wife that day, or mentioned how adorable his wife was.
5. Give someone a “heart attack”: cover a door, wall, vehicle, etc. with hearts. (These can be cut out of paper.) Add words (conversation heart style) for a personal touch. This is a fun one if you want to get the whole family involved!  (See video footage below.)
6. Decorate the bed/bedroom with 100 hearts; each expressing a reason for your love.
7. Kidnap someone early in the morning and take them out for breakfast in their pajamas.
8. Purchase or make a gift. Make a treasure hunt to find the gift. (Alternative: let him find you at the end of the treasure hunt.
9. Make a board game or card game to play and personalize it just for each other. You can use a game you already have and cover the existing game with additions of your own, or you can use poster board, construction paper, etc. to come up with your own version. Here are some suggestions:
   • Family Trivial Pursuit: use questions about family members and ancestors. Where did Grandpa meet Grandma? How long did Mom and Dad date each other before they got engaged? What is sister's favorite flavor of ice cream?
   • Big Daddy (instead of Old Maid): laminate matching pictures of family members, cousins, grandparents, etc. Take a funny picture of Dad and make that the Big Daddy card. Play the game just as you would play Old Maid. This is a great game for children who live far from relatives—it helps them remember faces.
   • Use your imagination to create a fun game to play just as a couple. Anything involving chocolate as game pieces is particularly fun.

10. Hide notes of love/affection/admiration/thanks in unexpected places where they will find them later (lunchbox, underwear drawer, toolbox, seat of car, etc.).
11. Make a “trail of love” for someone to follow: scatter small items like rose petals, tissue paper hearts, confetti, Hershey's kisses, etc. to a special or favorite place. Have a treat/gift waiting there.
12. Singing Telegrams! Change the words to a simple song to suit the occasion and sing over the phone. This is a great last minute idea—no postage or shipping time involved! It is also a fun one for getting the kids involved. Grandparents love it! For a high-class alternative, hire kids from the local high school choir to sing the message.  (We had so much fun with this last night!)
13. Use the magnetic alphabet letters on your fridge to spell out an expression of love.
14. Write a sweet (or suggestive!) message in something unexpected: the bar of soap in the shower, the cube of butter on the table, etc.
15. Surprise him with a “virtual” trip to the place you honeymooned or another location that is special to both of you. (You can get the kids involved in this, they'll love it!) For instance, if you honeymooned in Hawaii, decorate your dining room like a tropical paradise, greet him with a lei, and enjoy fruit smoothies, seafood, etc. If you went out to a certain diner all the time when you were dating, recreate the diner feel, dig up some clothes like you would have worn back in the day, and serve him a hamburger and fries.
    
    
    Enjoy some video footage demonstrating 
    the fine art of giving heart attacks.  
    Starring: Endeavor, Justone, Bethany, Bethany's children, infamous commuter vehicles,
    and narrated by me.
    * Please forgive the four short clips; I'm still figuring out video technology!
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    HAPPY BELATED VALENTINE'S DAY!

Love: Nine Year Old Boy Version

 

See that cute, chubby, little bundle of all-boy joy sitting on my lap?  He grew up.

He grew taller.  Thinned out.  Got teeth.  Lost teeth.  Grew bigger teeth.  Needs braces.  Got glasses.  Picks out his own clothes.  Earns straight A's.  Wishes he was taller, but guards his guy on the b-ball court with a determination that makes up for what he lacks in size (no one Justone guards scores a point).  Wants an Austin Collie jersey before the Superbowl, badly.  Knows more about electricity than I do.  Recently fixed the automatic door on the minivan when the problem stumped me and dad was away.  Doesn't sit on my lap anymore.  Wouldn't accompany me to the school's mother-son *dance because my dancing "would embarrass him" and "it would be more fun to go bowling with you, Mom."  

How and when did all that happen?  I've been awake, haven't I?

Well, happen it did.  But, I was glad to discover recently that some things haven't changed.  

This week, for Family Home Evening, I borrowed an idea from Shawni at Life.  (Shawni has lots of great ideas.  Thanks, Shawni,  for sharing them!)  After reading some passages from the Bible about love, and discussing how important it was to love others and let them know how much and why we love them, we made our own "heart attack".  We wrote down on paper hearts--construction paper, made by my daughters earlier that day--reasons why we loved one another.  A heart for each reason, that we posted all over the kitchen to enjoy until Valentine's Day.  

Superkid drew pictures.  I wrote paragraphs.  The Bionic Man wrote short statements that meant a lot.  Endeavor was careful to make sure that her reasons were warm and thoughtful.  And Justone was very honest.

My favorite of Justone's hearts:

It reads, 

MOM:

she makes food

Now, scroll up and take another look at that chubby, darling, full-of-breastmilk baby.  And then a look at the growing nine-year-old boy, who still appreciates a good meal.  Probably will when he's home from college, visiting.  And I'm sure his future wife will never be able to make a death-by-chocolate-cake that is as good as mine.

It's quite possible that Justone could have come up with other reasons he loves me.

MOM:

she has a college degree

and could probably get a job somewhere

but she wants to be at home when my sisters and I

come home from school.

MOM:

she has a great sense of humor

and likes to make us laugh.

MOM:

she plans the best family vacations

MOM:

she's very pro-active about my health

and well-being.  If it weren't for her,

I'd still have a chronic sinus infection.

MOM:

among her other talents,

she can come up with great ways

to help us memorize our

spelling words.

But you know what?  I'm really content with being loved because I make food.  

After all, don't they say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach?

*Note:  AFTER the dance that we did not attend was over, I was relieved to discover that it wasn't all my dancing that was embarrassing.  Only one specific dance.  When Endeavor was trying to memorize all the states and capital cities earlier this year, she was having some trouble with Charleston, West Virginia.  I did the Charleston for her, which made the capital city of West Virginia unforgettable for all my children.  Justone explained that he was afraid I would do the Charleston at the mother-son dance.   Because I'm like that, apparently.  A dancing fool.

Love: CSI Version

The Scene of the Crime:  A front yard, Midwestern USA.  Suburbuan cul-de-sac.  Nice home, quiet street.  Not the kind of place you would expect something like this to happen.

The Date and Time:  Valentine's Day, 2007, early in the afternoon.  All the crazy stuff seems to happen on holidays, right?  But no one around here has ever seen this kind of thing.  Not here.  Folks in these parts thought this stuff only happened on TV--not right in their front yards.  

The Crime:  Graffiti.  Obviously, a crime of passion.  

Let's take the evidence to forensics and really get a good look at this.  Right on the front lawn, too.  It's a darn shame, that we let lunatics like this run around, that we let them get away with this kind of stuff. 

What we're looking at here is a closer shot, taken from the upstairs window.  The screen's in the way.  Can we get our resident computer geek to move that screen out of the way so we can get a look at what's really going on down there?

There we go, that's better.  I think I can make out some writing, there. 

Yep, there it is.  They've written, "RUTH (heart)'s BEN".  I think that means "Ruth loves Ben."  Are you seeing it?  Uh-huh, right there.  But what could it mean?  Hey, call down to the lab and see if they've been able to get some DNA from that sample we sent 'em.  

What do you mean?  There's no DNA?  There's gotta be some DNA!  It's written in blood!  Oh, that's not blood we're looking at?  It's a mixture of food coloring and water, huh?  That explains a lot.  I'm beginning to see where we're going with this one, now.  Someone with a little too much time on her hands filled up a squirt bottle with water and red food coloring, and took aim at the snow covered front lawn.  Real class, there.  

Like I said, it's a crime of passion, heheh.  Kids messin' around, probably, pulling some kind of a prank.  Those hooligans and their shenanigans.  You know, these teenage girls showing off for some guy they like.  Case closed.  Happy Valentine's Day, and all that.  

  

Note from Ruth:  This was actual footage from Valentine's Day 2007 at our house.  And I confess: I'm the hooligan who made that shenanigan!  I also confess that I heart Valentine's Day.  I enjoy coming up with new things every year to show my family how I love them.  I especially take evil delight in finding slightly embarrassing ways to show the Bionic Man how much I love him.  Oh yes, I have stories to tell!

Join me from February 1-14 for some Valentine fun

as I blog about fun ways to celebrate the Day of Love

with your family, friends, and Special Someone.

I can't wait!  In the meantime, here's some evidence of how things worked out on Valentine's Day 2007.  I give you a picture taken on February 15, 2007:

That's Superkid, who fell asleep on the couch holding a rose she'd stolen from the lovely bouquet her dad gave me the night before.  (She justified the crime later by reminding me that her middle name is Rose, making her the obvious owner of any rose that enters our home.)  How could I do anything but take a picture of this?  

But let's not get sidetracked by the cute sleeping child.  The point is, the Bionic Man was reminded of Valentine's Day by the graffiti on our lawn before he pulled into the driveway, giving him a second chance to do things right.  Yep, that's how we roll!