Almost Peruvian…..lomos saltados

While we were in Peru, we found a dish that we both really enjoyed called Lomos Saltados. We have been missing Peru lately, so I thought I would make my own version of this meal for dinner tonight.

Peruvian's typically have white rice. I substituted with wild rice.

This was the prettiest onion I had ever seen. It was perfect.

All the veggies cut.

Veggies on top of the steak in my stone crock to cook.

Almost Lomos Saltados

1-2 pounds beef sirloin tip roast
1 red onion, cut into 1" wedges
2 peppers, cut into strips (red & yellow; to be authentic use Peruvian aji amarillo)
3-4 garlic cloves, diced
8 small red potatoes, quartered (Peruvian recipes call for thick french fries instead)
3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and quartered (I admit I omitted these tonight.)
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
1 dash soy sauce
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
cumin to taste

I put all this in my Pampered Chef deep covered stone baker and cooked for 40 minutes in the microwave. Check around 30 minutes depending on the thickness of your meat. (Mine was 2 inches thick, so the cooking took a little longer.)

Traditionally, Peruvian meals are served with white rice. We prefer the long grain, wild rice, so that is what I prepared. I must admit, it tasted amazing, and my hubby was glad to have a meal with steak.

take heart

Like many other women, I have enjoyed the works of Jane Austen, particularly "Persuasion" and "Pride and Prejudice." She captures so perfectly what is elegant and proper to ladies, and describes the yearning of a heart to be loved. She speaks of grandeur and estates and maids and groundskeepers. As I was reflecting on this the other day while I was weeding my garden, I started to have this nagging feeling in the back of my head that I was about to get a lecture, sometimes known as my time with the Lord. He had something he wanted me to think about.

Who has deemed this to be proper? A love story written by a woman who never married. Have women been duped into thinking they have a husband less than perfect because he does not have the social clout of Mr. Darcy? Or that he is lacking because he cannot sit through an hour of Brahms without thinking that it is his own lullaby and sleep away?

At the time when Austen wrote about the finer things of life, there was a different breed of man across the pond in America fighting for a different way of life. These men looked and acted differently. They were fighting for freedom, for their faith...they were fighting to live to see the next day. They loved their God and their family and the right to see justice for every person.

The Lord asked me, "What do I say is important in a man?" My mind was flooded with the character of a Godly man: honesty, obedience to the Lord, caring for others, generous, hard working, just, and wise. Those things matter. Ripped jeans and proper etiquette can take a second row. God looks to the heart and judges a man as such. I have looked to my husband's heart, and do you know what I have found? A good man. And in that I can be so very thankful!

when Real Simple was simple

Back in the day I used to subscribe to Real Simple magazine, and as it has been several years since my subscription expired, I decided to pick up a copy (and because I had a $1 off coupon).

Back in the day is was simple...beautiful photography, few ads, and the articles could easily be moved from print to life. Fast forward to today's Simple and it isn't so simple. Loads of ads, inserts, cluttered articles and very little stand alone photography worthy of the art desk. In fact, the best photos were clothing ads; no surprise.

With my vent session over, I will list my three favorite things from the April 2011 issue I purchased:

1. Kate Spade New York dress (don't worry...at $395.00 I won't be buying it as it is well out of my budget for a dress, but the bold print was eye-catching). Maybe I'll just make one like it!
2. Cottage entrance. Like the look for a garden shed. Stone steps leading to a white cedar shingle house, lite green door, pots of lavender and vines climbing from a terra cotta pot. Wellies on the step. Very me. Casual and comfortable.
3. So very wrong! A short blurb questions whether it was ethical to check your spouse's credit card and account balances. Seems it was only OK if you suspected him of acting in a fiscally irresponsible manner or running massive debts (and you were legally responsible of paying if he couldn't pay)....but you don't have the right without his consent. What has happened to marriage and finances??? Since when is it acceptable to live separate lives, unaccountable, untrusting of one another? Wow, I was blown away by such a tiny little article. BTW, a Christian marriage is where two become one, love, support, and share with one another....including finances.

So if you really want to have a real simple life, skip the magazine. Psalm 15 has always spoken a simple, yet strong message to me.

"Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, and who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man, but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath, even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken."

He who does these things will never be shaken. That's a promise!!!