Each couple celebrated their own weddings uniquely. Jeanne and Mark got married at a summer camp and I remember being so cold in the early evening and wanted to stand in front of the big fireplace where the air was warm and cozy. Jeanne and Mark wanted their friends from back east to, "experience all that Oregon offers." The camp was rustic and damp from the fall rains and perfect for this couple who wanted to do something different and original for their day. Some friends and family even spent the night of the wedding in the cabins but not those who wanted the comfort of the nearby hotel.
Jeanne and Mark celebrate their 3rd anniversary this month and we found out recently they will be bringing the twins home for Christmas. We haven't seen the twins for quite some time and I'm looking forward to spoiling them and giving them hugs and kisses as much as possible. Having all of them home will be special and we will cherish their visit.
Sarah and Patrick had a classical and traditional wedding, with a different twist on candles. They had pillars lining the aisles and also on the front stage. The flowers they had were beautiful too showing Sarah and Patrick's originality and vision. The reception was held at a winery on a hill. The sun was setting during the first dance and I remember looking out over the hills wondering at the beautiful sight of all the fall leaves and colors. They have been married 8 years (I think) and have one son. One of the things I will never forget was driving into the church parking lot on their special day and seeing all the leaves on the trees brown, orange and red. Since these were the colors of the wedding, the trees became part of the color palet.
Speaking of this one grandson, I had the privilege of watching him from Tuesday while his mom got ready for a trip through Friday evening. He was a joy and I learned he liked Stroganoff so I'm going to give you my recipe for a fast and quick Straganoff everyone will love.
Happy Anniversary Jeanne and Mark, Sarah and Patrick and soon to be Justin and Crystal.
Stroganoff
1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (if you have any other type of steak, or beef you want to use, this is fine)
1 teaspoon salt while the beef is browning
Brown the beef in a bit of vegetable oil and while the beef is browning, bring pasta water to boil, salted liberally (I usually use 1 tablespoon salt per large stock pot of boiling water).
Once the water is hot, add any type of pasta your family likes. (I like the Farefalle or flat type of pasta.) Use 1/2 box or 1/2 package, or if you use elbow noodles, 2 cups. Cook the pasta to al dente since the pasta will cook a bit more in the beef sauce.
Once the ground beef has browned, add two cups of beef stock and simmer for about 10 minutes. Then add a slurry (a slurry is usually a thickener and for this recipe I use 1/2 cup COLD water and 1 Tablespoon cornstarch).
Add the slurry to the beef mixture and stir until thickened. Dont worry if the sauce is too thick as it will be thinned out by the sour cream. If you don't think the sauce is thick enough, use more slurry. At the end of the thickening, add 1 cup sour cream and stir until just blended. Cooking the sour cream will curddle the sauce and you want a creamy sauce.
Add the strained pasta to the beef mix and serve immediately. Feeds 4-6 people so if there are only two or three of you, put any leftover in the freezer for later use.
Variations:
You can always use any type of seasoning to "kick-up" the flavor like Onions, garlic, pepper flakes, basil or parsley.
Some people add 1 cup of frozen peas making this dish a one-pot meal.
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