Mmmmm. Stew!

This is one of the very first recipes I tried in my crock pot, years ago. It continues to be a favourite in my household. It is a bit cumbersome, but the results? Worth every minute of preparation!

WINE-BRAISED VEAL WITH ROSEMARY
This is an elegant, simple, delicious meal. The flavours are wonderfully subtle. What could be better?

1 Tbsp Olive Oil (15mL)
3 oz. Pancetta diced to 1/4" (90g)
2 lbs Stewing Veal, cut into 1" cubes (1Kg)
3 Leeks, white part only, coarsely chopped (3)
30 Baby carrots cut in half (30)
2 Celery stalks, diced (2)
2 Garlic cloves, minced (2)
1.5 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary Leaves, chopped (1.5T)
1 tsp Salt (5mL)
1/2 tsp Freshly ground pepper (2mL)
2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour (25mL)
1/2 C Dry Red Wine (125mL)
1/2 C Condensed Chicken Broth, undiluted (125mL)

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring until browned. Use slotted spoon to transfer to slow cooker stoneware.

Add veal to pan in batches. Cook, stirring until batch begins to brown. Use slotted spoon to transfer to slow cooker. Continue cooking in batches until all veal is browned.

Add leaks, carrots and celery to pan and cook, stir until softened. Add rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle flour over mixture and cook for 1 more minute. Add wine and chicken broth and stir until mixture thickens.

Pour thickened mixture over meat in slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 6 hours. Serve with Polenta, mashed potatoes or crusty bread.

The best part of this recipe, over the years the kids have decided to help out! Here is the process:

 

I make sure I have all of my ingredients before I start. 

 

Chloe and Caden help peel the carrots while I take care of the sizzling pancetta. 

 

  

The leeks, carrots and celery are all chopped up (big chunks) and wait in a bowl.

  

After the veal is browned and moved to the crock pot all of the veggies are added and softened in the pan.

Caden continues to be helpful as my sous chef. Here he's adding salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary to the cooked vegetables. 

The vegetables have been floured and chicken stock has been added, along with the wine. Now it's time to wait! Six or seven hours later. Delicious!

I know this is not your typical stick-it-in-the-pot-and-wait slow cooker recipe and you do need a bit of time to prepare, but my, is it ever worth the effort! If you find you have a slow, damp day that screams for some comfort food, this is the perfect solution. 

One thing to note: my kids are not crazy about Rosemary and I have modified the recipe to less than the original. The original calls for burying a whole sprig in the middle of the pot while cooking. So, if you like Rosemary, feel free to add more!

Enjoy your day!

Photography Challenge: Shoot from the Hip

How about a fun, different and EASY photo challenge?

This challenge will work best if you have your camera set on its auto setting. Leave your camera hanging from the strap around your neck and start snapping away or have it on your lap if you are sitting. No looking through the viewfinder or at the screen. This will give you a totally different perspective than looking through the viewfinder. If you have young children this is more likely to be at their eye level and what they see when they are walking through a crowd. If you have family members that hide their faces every time you bring your camera up to your eye this may be a way to sneak some photos of them. Don't worry if your photos are crooked or the subject isn't centered like you hoped.....That is part of the fun!

I hope you have fun with this challenge and will share your photos either by linking them in the comments section here of on the Feeling Scrappy Facebook site.

Here are some samples of some I've taken.

I Spy ...

Plenty of gorgeous layouts have been finding their way onto our Feeling Scrappy Facebook Gallery.  I have a few favourites:

 

Big Bright Eyes by Tricia Cox Garrett

I have to say that even though there is a ton going on with this page the central focus is still the photo and those bright eyes! The tones are perfect!

 Junior Challenge by Debra King

This jumped out at me on the gallery. What bold photos and a great event to remember! Love the three circles on the bottom. Gorgeous.

 

Waiting for Santa by Carrie Ann Chesney Dressler

I love the use of universal elements to draw in the viewer. In this case the "Santa belt" is so recognizable it reinforces the title. The papers are gorgeous, too!

Which layout appeals to you? Scraplift it! Then post your lift on our Facebook page for all of us to admire. Remember, a scraplift can be based on topic, colours or design. Whatever tweaks that creative spark. Go for it!

I chose all of the layouts from our Facebook gallery and they are all fabulous - but we don't have nearly enough of them! You'll notice that Becky and I have contributed quite a number but we want YOURS. Your gallery layouts do not have to be based on the Feeling Scrappy Sketchapalooza sketches as we have the gallery on the class site for that. Please feel free to use the Facebook gallery to post your work in between the classes and keep connected with your classmates and friends!

Olympic Inspiration

If your family is anything like mine you have spent every evening for the last two weeks in front of the television watching the 2010 Winter Olympics. I am in awe of every single one of these athletes. Their time and dedication to be one of the best in the world in their sport is beyond my comprehension. (Although, I definitely dedicate a lot of time to my scrapping hobby as well.)

Today, before plopping down to watch the closing ceremonies, pay tribute to these great athletes by going out and creating your own Olympic Game! Do you have snow on the ground? Challenge the family to see who can sled down a hill the farthest, or throw a snowball the farthest. No snow? How about heading to the local ice or roller skating rink and practicing your figure skating, speed skating or hockey moves (or if you are like me just attempt to stand in the skates!) Do you have your own rollerblades? Get them out and skate around the neighborhood. You get the idea. Use the Olympics and its wonderful athletes to inspire you to get out and do something as a family!

Remember to take photos and share them on our Facebook page!

Please post a comment here and share what you plan to do!

Looking for WARMTH!

I don't know about you, but I've been cold for far too long and I'm tired of winter. Though in my part of the world we haven't had much snow, it's been drab and I'm ready for summer! So, for a bright spot in your day, here are some summer layouts from last year to warm you - and if you're in the Southern Hemisphere, perhaps inspire you:

 

 

 

I had to add four layouts so all of my kids are represented :)

And, a bonus: after all, what colour can warm you more than a dose of YELLOW:

This last layout is based on a sketch from Sketchapalooza 5 held last fall right here at Feeling Scrappy. Have you signed up for Sketchapallooza 6? If not, what're you waiting for? Click here and join me, Becky and Jayne in all the fun! Don't miss out, sign up today! The course starts May 3rd and runs for four weeks - mark us in your plans for spring :)

Enjoy your day!

Back to Basics

The world of scrapbooking is filled with so many wonderful products. Products that fit every style imaginable but if you had to cut it down to the basics what would you choose? Today, I want to share my top five "basic" products. I reach for these product over and over again and they never fail me :)

1.) My Creative Memories tape runner. I have tried every adhesive under the sun and I always come back to this trust little blue darling. I find it to be the smoothest, strongest and easiest to use.
2.) We Are Memory Keepers page protectors. I changed over to these about 2 years ago and I have never looked back. Sturdy and strong, these protectors come in a variety of sizes and shapes and allow me freedom when I scrapbook which I love!

3.) American Crafts slick writer pens. In black thank you very much. I have a gazillion (literally) different colors and brands of pens but these are the ones I reach for most often.

4.) Bazzill cardstock. Love the colors. Love the texture. Love the weight. Love the line.

5.) Carl 12 inch personal rotary trimmer. This one may well be the biggest surprise on the list (I know it was to me!) I picked up this little baby about 8 years ago from Staples when I was heading to a over night crop because it was compact and cheap. I have tried many trimmers since that time but this is the only one that I have found that cuts straight time after time. I have a spare blade but have never had to change it yet and believe me when I say I have given this trimmer a good work out over the years.

So there you have it - my top 5 basics. What are yours?

Strawberry Spinach Salad

I was so excited to see fresh strawberries in the produce department this week I just had to make my family's all-time favorite salad. The measurements are just approximate as I tend to add things until it looks right. I hope you will give it a try and let me know what you think.

Strawberry Spinach Salad
1 package Fresh spinach
1/2 cup Sliced strawberries
1/4 cup Sliced almonds, toasted
1 Tablespoon Sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 cup Dressing (recipe below)


Dressing (makes approximately 1-1/4 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon poppyseeds
1 1/2 teaspoons minced onion
1/4 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil

Mix ingredients and heat for about 5 minutes, then toss with salad ingredients. Dressing will keep in refrigerator. Reheat to use on future salads.

Enjoy!

Becky