We have been trying to eat meals that are lower in carbs. I found a tasty recipe for beef brisket that I’ve adjusted a bit, that has been a real hit.
Buy a small beef brisket (two pounds or less) and cut off all the fat. Spray a 13 x 9 metal cooking pan with Pam and set the brisket in the pan. Sprinkle the brisket with a 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt, and grind fresh black pepper over it, to taste. Put two to three teaspoons of minced garlic into the pan, along with two bay leaves. Slice two large onions into rings and cover the brisket with the onions. Then, pour 3/4 cup of red wine over the onions and beef. Cover the pan with foil and bake for five to six hours or until very tender, at 300 degrees F.
When you are ready to serve, remove the brisket to a plate and keep it warm. Lift all the onions out of the pan, and puree them in a blender. Return the onions to the wine and juice in the pan and blend them for a wonderful sauce. Cut the brisket into slices across the grain. We served roasted potatoes and baked apples, although garlic mashed potatoes would be wonderful (if higher carb) addition to it.
Daily Archives: February 16, 2004
Prayer
God and I have very informal talks. There are times when I have the opportunity to hear a new pastor speak and I am overwhelmed by the quality of his prayers. I think….”I WISH I could put my thoughts into phrases that have such a lovely sound.”
Usually my prayers are apologies for my shortcomings, and pleas for help to be a stronger, better person. Sometimes they are a litany of the woes in my life. Occasionally they ask for help for friends and family, and some times they are the simple formulas we learned as children…..”Now I lay me down to sleep….”
I trust that God will forgive me for my shortcomings in the quality prayer department, because I’m sure that he knows they are heartfelt and sincere. I hope God has a sense of humor, because the prayer that frequently flits through my brain is “Dear God, please give me patience, NOW!”
Window Treatments
The front of our house has two half-round windows. Each of them sit above three vertical windows, and they bump out of the roofline in two barrel shapes. Both of those windows are in the rooms assigned to my mother, her sitting room and bedroom.
I wouldn’t presume to tell my mother how to decorate her rooms. Besides, she has better taste in decorating than I have. However, it was important to me that the two windows present the same appearance outside. Mother first chose verticle blinds to cover the bottom windows and then she selected honeycomb Duette fans to fill in the half rounds. Those fans are a pale raspberry color. The final touch was a layer of lace curtains with a swag in the center, over the verticle blinds.
I would NEVER have though of combining those three styles, but she made it work. Her decor is very Victorian, and though she’s used modern textures, she’s created a very feminine room that’s faithful to Victorian style.
Boil It! 3
I’m delighted to say that we no longer have to boil our water. TEN days after the boil order was put into effect, we have finally been told that our water is safe again. The city tests in thirty-three places and until seven days ago, two of those tests each day would come in positive for coliform bacteria. Friday and Saturday all the readings were clear, but they held off until Sunday afternoon to announce the relaxation of the restrictions.
Thursday and Friday we ate out. I was so sure that the boil order would be lifted that I delayed doing dishes Saturday. Finally, on Sunday morning, I couldn’t stand it any more. I emptied the dish washer and soaked the dishes in bleach water for 60 seconds and set them out to air dry. I bleached the counters and loaded up the dishwasher again. I did about six loads of laundry, fixed lunch, and repeated the entire process with the dishwasher again. Then I started working on dinner. Just about that time they phoned to say it was all clear.
So, after we finished cleaning up from dinner and bleaching the counters one more time, I cleaned and bleached all the screens in the faucets. I ran the ice cube maker to purge the system, and we ran hot water through the kitchen to clean out the lines. Oddly, the instructions in the newspaper were much less detailed than the original information on what to do following a boil order. I wonder if the situation was less serious than they originally expected.
At any rate, I’m damned happy we’re done with that!