Reflection: Do It Anyway

source: Microsoft Office

Ever had one of those sleepless nights?  You know, the kind where you can't get comfy, the bedroom's too hot and stuffy, you doze off just to wake up 15 minutes later?

Yeah... me too...  I had one of those this week. Yuck. I felt like a zombie the next day.  Somewhere around 3 a.m. I decided enough was enough and I got up to read for a while.

I'm glad I did.  I picked up at the beginning of chapter 17 in You Matter More Than You Think, by Leslie Parrott.  I've been working my way through it, but put it down a few weeks ago when things got really busy and hadn't gotten back to it... until my providential sleepless night.

Oooo... that sounded dramatic, didn't it?

Penelopes! (Otherwise Known As Empanadas)

I asked the Hubby what he wanted me to make for dinner and he said, "Penelopes!" I'm thinking, huh? He proceeds to describe the mysterious food item and it dawns on me... empanadas... yes, I see the similarity.  We had a good laugh over that one.  Now it's our joke and he's got me saying it too.

Side note:  a few readers have asked me to put the text of recipes into the posts and to keep showing the step by step photos. So, I happily complied. Since this is really two recipes in one, this post will be quite lengthy.  If you'd prefer to skip all the photos and details, jump right over to the condensed (and printer friendly!) versions on my recipage, here and here.

This is my first attempt at making Penelopes, er, Empanadas. We had them at a party a few weeks ago and they were so good, I knew I had to recreate them.  With my own twist, of course. These aren't just any old chicken stuffed into a piece of store bought pie crust run of the mill empanadas... no sir...

USS Alabama Walking Tour

M and I are history geeks... especially military history... Not too long ago, we headed over to Mobile, Alabama and spent the day wandering around an old ship and submarine exhibit.

Ahem, that's a battleship, or to get even more technical, a South Dakota Class Battleship christened the USS ALABAMA.  If you're a history buff, you can read all about it here.

By the way, in case you're wondering, Mobile is pronounced Mo-BEEL, not MO-bill... Just sayin'.

Of course, I had to take a look at the kitchen, the mess halls (at least 3 of them!) and the bakery.  I don't remember how many thousands of loaves of bread they baked a day, but it was astronomical.

Eggplant Mini Pizzas

I was at the Farmer's Market this morning and had to laugh when I overheard a conversation between a vendor and a customer.  She asked how much he was selling his eggplant for and he told her her it was free for the taking.  Apparently, he planted a few too many and they're coming out his ears...

Are you in the same boat?  Eggplant and zucchini tend to the be garden gifts that keep on giving... and giving... and giving...

This recipe takes a little prep, but it's worth it.  I highly recommend using a Mandoline slicer if you have one; it will cut your prep time in half and your slices will be even (and they'll cook more evenly).