Moroccan Spice Mixture

The count down to the end of the school year is ON!  For some (teachers and students alike), it has been "on" since Day 1 (or 180, if you are counting down instead of up).  While I love this time of the year: spring is in the air, the rebirth of a new season of possibilities, I know I'll be able to spend more time with my own family . . . I dread this time of year, as well: too much to teach and assess in too little time with too little attention.  Most students shut down days, if not weeks, ago.


I look forward to having TIME to rejuvenate myself, my home, and my family over the next couple months.  I'm sure I'll be taking some credit hours, so it's not totally "off."  We have 3 planned trips for highland games (Alma, MI, Chicago, IL, & McPherson, KS).  I hope to try more recipes and share more here, as well.  


Too much grading and too little time!


In the meantime, here's a little nugget from the Fareway weekly circular (2012 May 01): Moroccan Spice Mixture.

• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp salt (optional)
• 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves.

Mix these ingredients in an air tight container for your own ready-to-use seasoning for grilled meats, vegetables, stews, and rice.


As Whitney Packebush, Fareway's Corporate Dietician, shares, "Today's home cook has at least 40 different herbs, spices, and seasonings on hand. Compare that to 1950 when the average home had fewer than 10 spices."  

Anna's Lettuce Wraps

I hit the jackpot this week at the grocery store: 1 pound packages of ground turkey on sale for $1.99 and iceberg lettuce on sale for $0.59 per head!  AMAZING!  I remember about dying this winter when it was over $2 per head.  Too bad you can't freeze it and stock up.  


Anyway, this means that it's time to break out the LETTUCE WRAPS!  We love these at that well-known restaurant that starts with a "PF" and ends with "Chang."    However, now that we have my friend Anna's recipe for her lettuce wraps, there's almost no reason to travel to west Omaha to enjoy these.  In fact, I think these are better!  

 Lettuce Wraps

• Cook & drain 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (I used 2 lbs and then just made all measurements a little bit more)
• Add to the turkey: 
• 1/4 c chopped green onion
• 3 T minced fresh cilantro
• 2 T soy sauce (I use Bragg Liquid Aminos, a soy sauce alternative made from soy, but with insane amounts of protien and way less sodium -- found at HyVee in the Health Food Store)
• 3 T creamy PB (I used super chunky, and then omitted the chopped peanuts at the end of the recipe)
• 2 t. red chile paste (I could only find this at Papillion HyVee in the produce section with the tubes of minced garlic, crushed herbs, etc.)
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes.

Cook the above together 3-4 minutes until heated through and mixed together. 

Serve atop lettuce leaves with shredded carrots (1 cup) and chopped peanuts (1/4 cup).  NO DIPPING SAUCE NEEDED!  

So good!  Perfect balance and not too spicy.  This serves 2 people as an entree, but if you have it as a side this could serve 4.  I find it is best served fresh.  

Moving Away From Facebook Notes

I am writing this in an attempt to move from Facebook, and to share my recipes and other things going on in a more user-friendly environment.  


Many of you may be familiar with my (long dormant) Etsy.com store, Bramble Buzz, so I figure . . . Why not just recycle the name (at least it was one no other Blogger had selected yet) and graphics?  Plus, I hope to get back into Bramble Buzz in the future.  My life's just been a little busy lately!  


I hope if you are just starting to follow along that you'll enjoy the ride.  


Stephanie