Rollatini Saturday

Michael and I tried our hand at one of Giada's intermediate recipes and it was AWESOME! What a great way to spend a Saturday together!!

Fresh Pasta Rollatini with Spinach and Ricotta

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

Pasta:

• 1 cup cake flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, plus extra, as needed

Filling:

• 12 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chopped, room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• Butter, for greasing the baking dish
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 2 cups warm tomato-basil marinara sauce
• Special equipment: 2 double layer-thick pieces of cheesecloth, each piece 8 by 16 inches in size, 4 (6-inch) pieces kitchen twine

Directions

For the pasta: In a food processor, pulse together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, egg yolks, olive oil, and salt. With the food processor running, gradually add the water in a steady stream until the mixture forms a ball, adding extra water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. Place the dough on a floured work surface and knead for 2 minutes until smooth. Cut the dough in half and shape into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

For the filling: Place the drained spinach in the middle of a clean kitchen towel. Fold the towel in half and squeeze out any excess moisture. Place the spinach in a medium bowl. Add the prosciutto, ricotta cheese, Parmesan, egg yolk, olive oil, butter, salt, and pepper. Using a fork, mix until combined.

 

On a floured work surface, roll out the chilled dough into 2 (8-inch diameter) circles. Place the filling in the center of each circle and, using a spatula, spread evenly over the dough leaving a 1/2 to 3/4-inch border of uncovered dough.

 

In a small bowl, beat the egg and water together until smooth. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of the dough with the egg mixture. Roll the dough into logs, jellyroll style, and pinch the edges together to seal.

 

Roll each log in the prepared cheesecloth and secure the ends with kitchen twine.

Oil a baking sheet. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Lower the logs into the water and cook for 15 minutes.

 

Using 2 pairs of tongs to hold the twine, remove the logs, one at a time, and place on the prepared baking sheet until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.

 

Preheat the broiler. Butter an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish. Remove the kitchen twine and cheesecloth.

Using a sharp knife, cut each log into 12 (1/2-inch thick) slices. Fan the slices in 3 overlapping rows in the prepared baking dish. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the slices with the melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Broil until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve with warm marinara sauce. 

 

*** We DID change the recipe a bit... I added 1tbsp. of red wine vinegar, 2 tbsps. of lemon juice, 1 tbsp. of garlic powder in the filling, an additional 1/4 cup ricotta and 1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano.

*** Also, Michael made the marinara from scratch: tomatoes and basil.

Beautiful Life

I can't believe how blessed I am.

I've done nothing to deserve anything good from God. If you feel like keeping score, I figure that Jesus ensuring my salvation by dying on the cross pretty much left that scoreboard eternally lopsided.  Any offering I give, whether its through service, giving my talents, my money or my devotion will never measure up. Its chump change. But I can assure you that it doesn't present to God that way.

Think of it like this:

Remember those Christmas gifts you made for your Mom when you were in preschool. Your little 4 year old hands worked as hard as they could to insure that your Mom received the very best reindeer Popsicle ornament you could muster. And the next day, when the teacher finally allowed you to present this masterpiece to your Mom, you excitedly and anxiously awaited her arrival so you could see her face as she beheld the one-of-a-kind never-to-be-outdone piece de resistance.

And as sure as the sun rises, your mom never disappointed in her reaction...

(ok... maybe she did but just engage suspension of disbelief for now...) 

"It's beauuuuuutiful! Did YOU make this all by your self! WOW! What is this for his red nose? Felt! How creative! You are so good at ornament making! Are you secretly a Christmas Elf? Oh its so wonderful! I cant wait to hang it on the tree! ..."

Truth be told... the muddled pile of Elmers glue, felt balls, popsicle sticks and glitter that you presented resembles something more like Yoda than Rudolph - but it doesn't matter. It was all you could muster. You put your entire being into that gift and presented it with a fullness of heart that flattered the one that brought you into this world. It was an offering given with all of your everything...

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27

For some reason, the God of the universe has decided to grade us on a curve. For those who receive Him, He magnifies our offerings and diminishes - no - forgives and forgets our iniquities because of His natural Love for us - the kind of Love that is only born from creating something. The love of a Father.

And as if forgiveness isn't enough, God's immeasurable Love goes even further. Not only does He give us intelligence, opportunity, talents and so much more - but he also showers us with all our heart's desires.

"Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

My husband, my home, my puppy, my neighborhood, my neighbors, the neighborhood kids, my car, my other car, my natural family, my new families, the family that will be created through Michal and I one day, dinner and a movie, Christmas cards from far off friends, time to enjoy Christmas for once, spending the Holidays laughing with my new family, having two sets of Grandparents again...

The hits just keep on coming! Each blessing is a reminder that, through no good deed of my own, my Father in heaven just likes to spoil me to see my reaction to it.

Well... this is me saying THANK YOU! It hasn't gone unnoticed. I see You every day. In every way, surrounding me with Your guiding embrace. Thank You for everyone in my life. Thank you for Your provision, but more than anything THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE.

I hope this post reminds you (the reader) to give credit where it's due because...

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights..." James 1:17

Sleepy House

One of my favorite times of the day is when Michael is home from work and snuggling with me on the couch. Soon, he falls asleep while I scratch him and few moments later, I hear the faint elongated snorts of Lily drifting off into a dreamland filled with things to lick, sniff and chew. So there I am awake and listening to the sounds of peaceful dreams around me. I call that time, "sleepy house". 

I guess there is a sense of accomplishment for me in the "sleepy house." I want my home to be a peaceful and calm place to be. I want people to feel welcome and at rest when they enter. 

___________

Lately, I've been feeling like I am in a spiritual desert. I have no motivation to do my daily devotionals. Its not like I don't want to, I just don't feel like I need to. My life is rather calm these days. There's no drama. No peacemaking. No conflict. Just me, Michael and Lily living our happy little life. Still, I make myself sick about not doing it. 

I still feel God all around me, inside of me. I see Him in Michael and in the playfulness of Lily. I see God in the kids I take care of after school and in the kids in the neighborhood that have somehow attached themselves to Lily and I. How is it that wherever I go, God finds a way for relationships with kids to be a part of my life? 


Its just SO quiet in my Spirit. Is that ok? I mean, at Kensington, it was like an epiphany a day but then again, that environment was a lot different than the one I am in now. In fact, it might be the opposite. Stress vs. Peace. Judgement vs. Love. Fame vs. Ambiguity. Assumption vs. Understanding. (You've probably figured out by now that the negative adjectives aren't describing my marriage. Let's just say that Kensington isn't all it seems to be and leave it at that.)  

So here I am. In silence. Wondering what to do with it. 

____________


Today I actually did crack open my devotional and this is what it said, 


"Why does God lead us through desert places? That He might humble us, that He might test us, and that the true condition of our hearts might be revealed. Not that God might come to know  you (He already does), but that You might come to know you. 


There's nothing like the desert to help you discover the real you. When you strip away all of the trappings, peel off all of the masks, and shed all the phoney costumes, you begin to see a true identity - a face that hasn't emerged for years. Maybe never."

____________

Here's a secret if you didn't know...


I lost myself somewhere along the line. I became what people wanted me to be and began believing that who I was was somehow inherently wrong. I made other people's opinion of me paramount in my life. Even paramount to what I thought of myself. 

There were two women in leadership over me that particularly wielded their axe of judgement with glee. I was told that my assertiveness was prideful, my natural ability to lead was selfishness, my being introverted was me being a "lone ranger" and that my God given talent to sing was arrogance and worst of all... that I would never be able to be truly loved unless I changed myself completely.


These two women in my life were so conceded that they believed the way God made them was the right way - the only way. They were right. The way God made them is right - for them, just not for everyone. 


I wonder what God has to say to the people who make his unique creations believe they are defective, "Crap job thy vain and selfish servant"?


So you can see, this devotional made perfect sense to me. I am in the midst of peeling away the layers of everything I was told to be and slowly revealing who I really am - to myself. I no longer have to wear any masks. No costumes. No layers. I no longer have to pretend to be something I am not just so flawed people will allow me to do what God designed me to do.   
__________


So here's how it all ties together. 

Just like its ok in a marriage to sit together in silence or to attentively listen to your love while they verbally work through an issue on their own - God allows us the same honor. 


I feel like, instead of a desert, where God seems far and the land is barren and uninhabitable; that I am in my "sleepy house" with God. I am resting and He is there too. He's never left me. He sits and plays with my hair as I talk about my day, or rest, or ask him rhetorical questions. He just smiles and knows I'll find the answer. 


The funny thing is... my allowing myself to not feel guilty about not doing a devotional every day makes me want to.


Now is not a time to strive, to work, to achieve or to learn. 


Now is a time to find out who God created me to be and begin to love that person - whether anyone else does or not.