Kapusta

every year the Bigneys celebrate Christmas eve by preparing a Ukrainian feast of some of my favorite things to eat. there is usually baked Orange Roughy or some type of fish, and fried Cabbage known as Kapusta. the Kapusta is then used to fill homemade pierogi types which are called Venereki. there is also a delicious potato/cheese filling that is used to stuff the Venereki. there is a baked cabbage roll with pork called Holubtsi which i have not made on my own as of yet. there are other things too, like rubber duckies, which i believe is cooked Barley. my brother in law, Alex, always makes an exquisite pot of Borscht. i never really cared for beets until one eve when that beet and dill flavor had me yearning for more. he lived in Russia for a few years and really knows the secret to making this soup.

again, every year this is a family tradition that i love to be apart of, even though i am not Ukrainian. i've come to the understanding that there are family members who do not have these recipes and every year i hear how these members of the family wish they knew how to make these dishes. the food is just too good not to share with you, so here is the first recipe of many to come.

Kapusta. i've learned to make this watching my father in law and have obtained the recipe from him, as well. enjoy.

things you'll need:

large head of cabbage
1 quart of fresh, high quality sauerkraut, drained
a large onion ( i personally like to use more)
a few stalks of celery
optional- 1/2 lb pork loin or salt pork, give or take ( i prefer the loin)
1/4 lb butter
honey
cinnamon
salt and pepper
large chef knife
food processor
large pan and buttered baking dish ( i like to use cast iron)

before getting started, i enjoy a cup of coffee with Stevia. i like to make the Kapusta in the morning and refrigerate for later, so this is something you can definitely make in advance and/or freeze.

first, by using a nice chef knife or food processor, chop cabbage, onion, celery. these items will cook down greatly, so i chop rather thick. make sure to core the cabbage first.

second, you will need to grind the pork if you choose to use it. i love the texture it gives the whole meal. i like to use my processor for this step. chop the loin or salt pork into pieces. this will ensure a better grind.

after you have ground the pork, you are going to place your pan on the stove and set at medium heat. i like to use a cast iron wok, but any large frying pan will work nice. after your pan is warm, add a few tablespoons of butter, then add ground pork. cook pork till just beginning to brown. there is no need to over cook as it will have hours to bake in the oven as well. set pork aside.

 add another few tablespoons of butter to your pan and add your chopped onions and celery. you will cook the onions and celery till they are nice and brown, caramelized. go ahead and turn up the heat a bit to do this.

next, you are going to add your cabbage and kraut to the pan. you want to wilt and cook the cabbage till it too, is nice and browned. 

after the cabbage and kraut have been integrated and are nice and browned, it should look like this.

preheat your oven to 350 degrees. now is the time to transfer the cabbage/ kraut mix into your baking pan. add your ground pork and mix well. then, i like to start by adding 1 tablespoon of honey, making sure to mix well. then you will add 1 tablespoon cinnamon. again, making sure to integrate the spice into all of the cabbage/kraut mix. add salt and pepper to taste, although i don't think i have ever added salt. the kraut and pork add just the right amount of saltiness, if you ask me. taste it. add more honey, cinnamon as you see fit. my father in law says that baba would generally taste and add as it cooked, as to get that right mix of flavor. after you are pleased with the flavor, pop it into the oven uncovered. let it bake for a few hours, as this will add the rich carmalization that makes this dish so good. take it out every half hour or so to turn and re-taste. the top layer will caramelize, and it is important to keep turning the cabbage to evenly cook. after a few hours it will turn caramel and rich in color. i usually end up cooking mine for about 2 hours. 

 

this is how it will look when it is ready to eat, or ready to turn into Vereneki. whatever you choose to do, this is one very delicious dish. let it cool and freeze it, if you'd like. if eating alone, add a dollop of soured cream and enjoy! i like to make this all through the year, and maybe bake a fillet of fish to go with.

 please look forward to my next post on making the fresh pasta and sauce for Venereki.

please feel free to comment and tell me what you think. if i have forgotten something or you'd like to add to, please do. 

new year, new perspective.

7 weeks and counting till "due day!" the anticipation is building and i'm pretty sure nesting has already begun. the carseat, the breast pump, receiving blankets and clothes are all ready for action. this little baby boy is already about 5 pounds so who knows how big he will be upon delivery. i've gained about 22 pounds and feel pretty good about it. yes, less would be better for me, but i'm doing well. i feel pretty confident with keeping my weight right about where i am as my midwife has been having me check my blood sugar 4 times a day. my 3 hour glucose screen came back a teeny bit elevated on the fasting value, ( 4 points ) so everyday i have had the ability to see first hand what happens when i eat certain foods. my numbers have been great and they have no real reason for concern. the education i have received has been very eye opening, and is something i'm excited to take with me after this experience is over. although i was irritated at first with having to take these tests everyday, i now know how important, or better, how devastating sugar can be to our systems. yesterday, we drove into Portland for a family outing and stopped by an Italian market we had been meaning to visit. there, we purchased a slew of bad foods. we bought a Panettone loaf, 6 old fashioned donuts, one grapefruit San Pellegrino, and one blood orange San Pellegrino. this was one of the first days since checking blood sugar that i inhaled a ridiculous amount of sugar. i ate probably a 1/4 of the bread, 2 donuts, and consumed 12 ounces of sparkling flavored soda. i took my blood sugar right after, just to see what i had done to myself and our baby. 160. not good, but i knew it wasn't going to be...about 2 hours later, i checked it again...134. just to give you an idea, my number shouldn't rise above 120, 2 hours after eating. i immediately thought of all the times i had done something similar to myself. pigging out. truth be, i was in a horrible mood the rest of the day and night. i didn't logically apply the havoc the sugar took on my system until this morning, when i tested my fasting blood sugar first thing. 116. my fasting blood sugar should never rise above 95. it usually sits between 83-93. it was then that i took a step back mentally, and realized what that intense burst of sugar did to me, even 15 hours later. disgusting. lesson learned.

32 weeks pregnant

i've been more active this pregnancy...dance videos, dancing with Duncan and i have recently taken up yoga. i'm sure to make yoga apart of my life after pregnancy. i remember as a child that stretching was one of my favorite parts of activity. my husband is also excited to start yoga- he apparently use to use yoga before i met him. i am using this time to figure out the things i wish to implement in life after pregnancy. my hope is to really thrive in 2014. i started this weight loss journey/blog and haven't been very happy with my drive or lack of success. my goals for this year are definitely to be more active. my hurdle/excuse has been that i am now a mother and lack the ability to be more active. NONSENSE! it is my commitment to myself and my family this year to not only teach myself how to be active with kids but to teach my kids how to be active. 



Duncan has been spending more time out around other children, which is another goal of mine- socialization for myself and Duncan. i have had fun taking him to the mall, even if it is an hour and a half away, to mix and mingle with other kids. ( who knew malls were such an exciting place for kids?) the fact that my son literally hugs each and every child shows me he really needs this interaction. it's then that the 4-5 year olds look to their mothers like why is this kid hugging me? parents are usually very sweet and explain he's much younger and to go along with it. it simply melts my heart. this boy of mine is such a lover...and i'm excited to give him a brother of his own.

what are your goals for 2014?

although the end of 2013 was rather rough on the Bigney clan, i'd like to share a highlight of the season-

my absolute favorite part of the day is when the love is flowing in our home. the past few weeks have been bitter sweet, but i've been able to witness a new love form and grow. my husband has been spending a lot more time around the home. ( he was laid off a week before Christmas) i have had the pure delight of watching my son and husband grow closer, share more laughs and kisses, and literally watch a new relationship all together come into existence.( whose mom?) Duncan has always loved his daddy, but the amount of time and energy that is usually expended outside our home has blessed the walls and hearts of both my son and myself. it is also in this time where i have witnessed steady growth for Duncan in maturity and in conscientiousness. many of the ideas and practices put in place for his development have been fully accepted simply by teachings from someone new, his dad. 

i've also delighted in the numerous 3 am meetings in the dining room- just Sam and i- talking, laughing, regrouping, connecting, playing games. my son hasn't been the only one enjoying all this new free time.

 i will always remember this last Christmas season as a season of birth for our                                          family once again.