Breakfast Quiche

So, I have been trying to get out a bit more to make new friends.  My excuse for the better part of a year has been "Oh, I am waddling pregnant," or "I have a little baby".  Now the boys are moving and social.  I feel like getting out of the house is the best plan on most days.  I have been trying to go to events with other FAO (foreign area officer) spouses, play groups, and Stroller Warriors (I could...maybe will... probably write a whole post about this group).  One of the wonderful ladies at the playgroup shared this wonderfully tasty breakfast quiche.  I made this for dinner earlier this week and we devoured the whole thing.

Breakfast Quiche

from Playgroup Mommy friend

Ingredients

1 frozen deep-dish pie crust
4 eggs
1/2 lb cooked, drained meat
6 oz shredded cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Steps

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake pie crust for 10 minutes while combining other ingredients.
2.  Combine all other ingredients.
3.  When pie crust is done, pour mixture into the crust.
4.  Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.
5.  Turn off oven and leave oven door closed for an addition 20 - 25 minutes.
6.  Remove and enjoy!

The Final Product

This really hit the spot.  Every now and again I enjoy breakfast for dinner.  This fit the bill.  I used 6 slices of thick cut bacon and 6 turkey breakfast sausages (crumbled) as my choice of meats.  I also used 1 cup of shredded Mexican taco cheese mix in place of the two cheese mixture.  Enjoy!

Quick, Easy Chicken Quesadillas

Normally, Saturday evenings are my easy dinner night.  I just throw in a ready to eat, prepared meal from Costco in the oven and sit back to relax - a little.  Lately, my mind has been going to the dogs.  I can not seem to remember much of anything despite my lists upon lists.  This past Saturday I forgot to add the usual prepared meal to my Costco list.  Let the panic begin!  Here is what I came up with - I have a stack of tortillas, some chicken defrosted, and cheese - light bulb!

Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients

1 lb chicken tenderloins
6 8-in tortillas (makes 3 quesadillas)
3 tsp taco seasoning
1 cup mexican taco shredded cheese

Steps

1. Season chicken with taco seasoning
2.  Cook chicken with a little olive oil over medium heat in a fry pan, approximately 5 minutes per side.
3.  Remove from pan and shred chicken with forks.
4.  On a flat griddle, heat some butter and lay down one tortilla.  You will use one third of the cheese per quesadilla.  Using half of the third of a cup of cheese, lay down cheese onto tortilla.  Then lay down one third of the shredded chicken.  Spread remaining half of cheese on top.  Then carefully press second tortilla on top.
5.  When bottom tortilla is browned, careful lift the quesadilla and lay another pad of butter on the griddle.
6.  Once the butter has melted, flip the quesadilla over to brown the other side.
7.  Remove quesadilla from griddle when bottom is browned.
8.  Cut quesadilla into sixths.
9.  Repeat for remaining two quesadillas.

The Final Product

This was pretty quick and not to hard to make.  I was quite impressed with myself that it came out pretty tasty.  JT enjoyed three sectors and Thomas ate 2 sectors.  Between the two of them they devoured almost an entire quesadilla!  I am definitely going to put this one in the rotation!

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Broccoli over Rice

This was my new for September slow cooker recipe.  It will not disappoint!  Did I remember to take a picture of it?  Alas, I did not but if you go to original link- the picture there will excite your eyes - and then you should make the recipe.

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Broccoli over Rice

from TheRecipeCritic

Ingredients
4 boneless chicken breasts
14oz can cream of chicken soup
14 oz can cheddar soup
14 oz can chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt <- I did not add this, when I made it!
¼ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
1 Cup sour cream
1 12 oz frozen bag broccoli florets or 4 cups fresh broccoli lightly steamed
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

Steps
1.  Spray crockpot with cooking spray and put cream of chicken soup, cheddar soup, chicken broth, salt, cajun seasoning, and garlic salt into the crockpot. Stir the soups and seasonings together until smooth. Place the chicken in the bottom of the crockpot.
2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH 3 hours. The last 30 minutes of cooking, shred the chicken with two forks and add the broccoli, sour cream, and cheese. Cook for about 30 more minutes until the broccoli is tender and heated through.
3.  Serve over white rice and garnish with more shredded cheese if desired.

The Final Product
First, I used about a pound of chicken tenderloins instead of breasts - just want I happened to have from Costco this week.  I left out the salt - between the cream of chicken soup, the cheddar cheese soup and the chicken broth there is no need for extra salt.  I did not have Cajun seasoning so I switched it out for a 1/4 teaspoon of blackening seasoning and I think that did the trick.  I definitely plan to make it again, especially when the severest of critics says "This is taste-ee!"

Slow Cooker Bacon Smothered Chicken

If bacon is in the title, or heck even just an ingredient, I know I need to try the recipe.  This one made the house smell soo delicious.

Slow Cooker Bacon Smothered Chicken

from SixSistersStuff

Ingredients

8 slices of bacon, cooked and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cups fat-free chicken broth
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 8 oz package of fat free cream cheese
4 cups egg noodles, uncooked
2 Tbsp. dried parsley

Steps

1. Cook onions on medium heat over the stove top. Cook until they are golden brown.
2.  Add your chicken to the slow cooker; cover with the cooked onions and cooked bacon. Pour your chicken broth over top.
3. Cook on low 4 to 5 hours (or on HIGH 2 to 3 hours). About 15 min. before ready to serve, put your cream cheese in the slow cooker.
4. Cook your egg noodles as directed on the package.  When the slow cooker is ready, shred the chicken and mix well.
5. Then place your chicken on your cooked egg noodles and sprinkle with dried parsley. Serve warm.

The Final Product
Ooops, this is what happens - I forget to take a picture, then I forget to post the recipe.  So when I do get around to posting the recipe, I don't have a picture to remind myself.   The aromas from the slow cooker just made me want to rip open the lid throughout the day - that I do remember.  Overall it was a good dish, it seemed to me to follow the same vein as a beef stroganoff - except not so beefy.  Give it a whirl, at least your nostrils will thank you!

Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole

I love tater tots!  Who doesn't??!?!  So I thought I would give this recipe a whirl.  The comments mention that this is crowd pleaser and they like to serve it with salad and be done with it.  That wasn't quite the case when I made it.

Tater Tot Casserole

from The Crockin' Girls

Ingredients

Non-stick Cooking spray
32 oz frozen tater tots
1 lb ground turkey, cooked
dash of fennel seeds
1 cup light sour cream
10.5 oz cream of mushroom soup
4 - 6 pieces cooked and crumbled bacon
2 cups of shredded cheese (I used a combination of cheeses)
1/2 onion diced finely

Steps

1.  Combine the turkey, sour cream, mushroom soup, bacon, 1/2 cheese, and onions in a bowl.
2.  Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray.
3.  Place enough tots in slow cooker to cover the bottom.
4.  Pour half of mixture over the tots.
5.  Use the rest of the tots to make another layer and cover that with the other half of the mixture.
6.  Sprinkle top with remaining cheese.
7.  Cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 5 hours.

The Final Product
I apologize for not having a picture.  Honestly, I would not eat this meal for dinner.  I loved it for breakfast the next morning.  This turned out tasting like a healthier version of corned beef hash (I love corned beef hash!).  It was fantastic with a couple of sunny-side up eggs and a muffin.  So make this yummy meal - but make it for breakfast - you will thank me later!

Oh My!

I have let my little blog go silent for over a month.   How rude of me!  Life has been extremely busy - with visits from grandparents, birthdays, and trips.  I suppose the main culprit of my lackadaisical posting is the final push to train and run the Disneyland Half Marathon.

With a bit of help from the hubby, we completed the 13.1 mile race in 2:12.56.  That put us at just under 10 minute pace.  I am very proud of our accomplishment and I am now looking forward to my next big race - the Big Sur International Marathon in 2015.  I think I might just be crazy.  

They did capture some video of us running, which was super cool.  I am going to see if I can get that posted to blog once I edit it.

I did try out a few new recipes during this time so I am going to try to get those recipes posted soon.  I could not go this whole time without trying something new!

Grilled Pizza

After an amazing cooking class at the aquarium back in May, I finally got up the guts to try making Chef John Ash's Grilled Pizza recipe.  It did not disappoint.  I did have a bit of a hesitant assistant - okay, grill master - oh all right, husband who did most of the at the grill work.  But I think even he was surprised that this worked and we didn't have sticky pizza dough all over the grill.

Grilled Pizza

Chef John Ash

Dough Ingredients

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
2 tsp sugar
1 1/1 tsp salt
1/2 cup ground cornmeal or whole wheat flour
3 tbsp olive oil
4 - 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Steps

1.  Using an electric mixer with a dough hook, stir yeast into warm water with sugar.  Then let sit for 5 minutes.
2.  After 5 minutes this mixture should begin to bubble.  Stir in salt, cornmeal, and one tbsp of oil.
3.  Begin slowly adding flour, mixing at a slow speed.  Dough should form a rough ball and pull away from the sides of the bowl after about 4 minutes.  Add additional flour or water if dough is too sticky or dry.
4.  Let dough rest in missing bowl for 15 minutes.  It should be soft.
5.  Remove dough from bowl and divide into 6 equal pieces.  Round each piece into a ball and brush with olive oil.
6.  Place each ball in a ziploc bag, drizzle some additional oil in the bag, and seal the bag.  Let balls sit out for at least 30 minutes.  Refrigerate dough if using next day, or freeze up to 3 months.
7.  Before using and rolling the dough, leave them out for about an hour to come up to room temperature.

Pizza Stuff

olive oil for brushing
Monterey Jack cheese
Pecorino cheese
Mozzarella
Pizza sauce or just some crushed tomatoes in puree
basil
red pepper flakes
or whatever else you would like to top your pizza with

Steps

1.  Set grill to high heat - temperature should read at or above 500 degrees.
2.  Roll dough into 10-inch free form circles about 1/4 in thick.
3.  Brush one side of the dough with olive oil.  Place it oil-side down onto the grill.  Cover the grill.
4.  After a minute or so, check the dough.  It will puff and bubble, the underside should be stiff and there will be some grill marks.
5.  Flip the dough and add toppings to your liking.
6.  Quickly recover the pizza and let cook for another minute or so, until the cheese is melted.
7.  Move pizza to cutting board and cut into wedges.  Enjoy immediately!

The Final Product

I have a convert!  The process turned out to be quite quick and easy.  The dough was just the right amount of crunchy.  I used sliced fresh mozzarella but I think next time I will use shredded - would make it easier to cut when it comes right off the grill.  Try it - I think you will enjoy it.  Lucky us - we have the remaining 3 dough rolls in the freezer to enjoy again at another time.

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese

I can not hide it.  I am a Williams-Sonoma junkie.  If I want to kitchen tool, pot, pan, etc, I always check there first.  On one of my many trips there, I walked away with a recipe card for Spaghetti Bolognese.  I think I have been holding on to this card for well over a year.  I tend to shy away from doing Italian dishes in the slow cooker because they are just so much fun to make at the oven or stove.  I had been paring down my cookbook menagerie when I saw this recipe card.  I decided to give it a whirl before it met the doom of some other recipes/books.  I am glad I did - this one can definitely be added to the rotation.

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese

adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

Ingredients

6 oz bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch slices (I used about had a package of center cut bacon)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 lb ground beef
6 oz tomato paste
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup shredded Italian six cheese mix
1 lb spaghetti cooked, water reserved

Steps

1.  In the slow cooker insert (or use a large sauté pan/skillet) over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp (about 10 minutes - I like mine crispy so I went a bit longer).
2.  Spoon off the fat but leave about 1 tbs in the pan.  Add onion and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
3.  Add the garlic - cooking for another minute.
4.  Add the ground beef, stirring until the beef is no longer pink.
5.  Stir in tomato paste, heavy cream, milk, and cheese.  Remove from heat.
6.  Place insert in slow cooker (or transfer contents of pan to slow cooker).  Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours.  When done, you may want to skim any fat from the top of the sauce.
7.  Added the cooked spaghetti to the sauce.  If the sauce is to thick, add some pasta-cooking water to loosen the sauce.
8.  Enjoy immediately!

The Final Product

This was tasty - good enough to satisfy my most severest critic - son number one downed two bowls!  For mom and dad, this was a great starter but needs some herbal/spice additions.  I think next time I will throw in some Penzey's Italian Herb mix (or basil, parsley, and oregano).  For the hubby's part, he said he would want to give it some kick - some red pepper flakes would do the trick.  I might add a little salt in as well next time.  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Artichokes

We live about a half an hour away from the Artichoke capital of the world - Castroville, CA.  So I thought it high time I cooked with them.  I am familiar with them - I used to have them all the time as a child.  For some odd reason though, I could never remember how to make them.   This recipe is pretty easy to do - although working with artichokes can be a little time consuming.

Slow Cooker Artichokes

Ingredients

4 large artichokes
2 cups chicken broth
at least a cup of herbed bread crumbs (I used garlic and herb bread crumbs)
olive oil

Steps

1.  Wash artichokes.  Cut off the stem at the base so that the artichoke can sit flat.  Then cut off the top inch of the artichoke.
2.  Use kitchen scissors to cut the tops of the outer leaves as they are still prickly.  Pull the out the very center leaves creating a tiny bowl in the center for the bread crumbs.
3.  In a mixing bowl, drizzle some olive oil into the bread crumbs.  Keep adding and mixing the oil until the crumbs begin to clump together.
4.  Fill each artichoke with the bread crumb mixture and cover the top with crumbs.
5.  Place artichokes in slow cooker, drizzle some additional olive oil on top of each, then fill bottom of slow cooker with chicken broth.
6.  Cook on HIGH for 3 - 4 hours.

The Final Product

These were great!  I have not had them in so long and they just hit the spot.  I plan on making them much more frequently now.

Samosas with Kheema

A few days ago my husband got the urge to cook Indian food.  Lately, we have had the pleasure of enjoying samosas made by some of the international students that my husband goes to graduate school with.  So he gave it a whirl this time with a little twist.

Samosas

from An Invitation to Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
oil for frying

Steps

1.  Combine oil and flour.  Rub together.
2.  Add salt and mix.
3.  Slowly add water until you have a firm dough.
4.  Knead for 7 to 10 minutes.
5.  Brush with a little oil, cover with a cloth and set aside until you are ready to use.
6.  Divide dough into 16 - 20 equal balls.
7.  Flatten each ball and roll until it is about 4 inches in diameter.  Cut the round in half.
8.  Wet the edges of the half circles with water, then fill with stuffing.  Press the edges together to seal.
9.  Heat oil for frying.  Fry each samosa for 2 to 3 minutes.  Drain on a paper towel.

Kheema stuffing

Ingredients

2 onions chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped
ginger, 2 in long by 1 in wide, chopped
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 stick cinnamon
4 whole cloves
4 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
red pepper flakes to taste
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 large can of tomato
2 lbs ground lamb
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice

Steps

1.  Blend onions, garlic, ginger in blender with some water until you have a smooth paste.
2.  Heat oil in dutch oven over medium heat.
3.  Add cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaf and red pepper flakes.
4.  When peppers turn dark (10 seconds), add paste from blender.  Fry for about 10 minutes. (add water if food gets stuck to bottom).
5.  Add coriander, cumin, and turmeric.  Fry for 5 minutes.
6.  Add tomato (chopped) and fry for 2 - 3 minutes.
7.  Add meat and salt.  Break up meat until it is browned.
8.  Add 1/2 cup water and lemon juice.
9.  Bring to a boil and cover.  Let simmer for 1 hour.
10.  Take off cover and cook until there is no liquid remaining.  Discard any fat.  It is now ready to use as stuffing.

The Final Product

Super tasty.  Really yummy.  I could have made a meal out of them alone - but we also had chicken and potatoes and naan.  But where is the twist you say?  We started to get a little antsy at the length of time it took to roll out each samosa and fill them.  You may notice in the picture that the samosa have cute little cut edges to them.  Well, we gave it a bit of an Italian twist.  We busted out my ravioli tray! We rolled out two pieces of dough long enough to cover the ravioli tray.  Next we laid one piece of dough down on the tray.  Then wet along the parts that we knew would be cut.  Added filling to each of the ravioli areas, the covered with the other piece of dough.  Then cut the raviolis.  Soooo much faster.  We will definitely try our hands at it again.  It was so good even JT had 3 of them.

Crab Cakes a la Chef John Ash

I vowed after taking the cooking class with Chef John Ash last month that I would take a chance on making crab cakes at home.  Yesterday evening was the fateful day of reckoning!

Crab Cakes

Chef John Ash

Ingredients

1 egg, beaten
5 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp minced parsley
1 tbsp minced green onion
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, white preferred
salt, white pepper, and hot sauce to taste
1 lb fresh cooked Dungeness crab meat, picked over for shells
1/2 cup coarse dry bread crumbs, panko preferred
clarified butter or olive oil

Steps

1.  Combine egg, mayonnaise, parsley, green onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and hot sauce in a large bowl.  Stir to combine.
2.  Stir in crab and then half of the bread crumbs.  Do not over mix.  The cakes should just hold together and be delicate in texture.  Mix in additional bread crumbs if too moist.
3.  Form into 8 mini cakes.
4.  Lightly dust both sides with additional bread crumbs.
5.  Saute in clarified butter or oil until lightly browned on both sides - about 3 minutes per side.
6.  Serve with a little dollop of aioli on top.

Smoked Paprika Aioli

Chef John Ash

Ingredients

4 blanched garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp smoked paprika or to taste
Salt, pepper, and drops of lemon juice to taste

Steps

1.  Add all ingredients to a mini food processor and pulse until smooth.
2.  Store refrigerated for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to blend before using.  Makes 3/4 of a cup.

The Final Product

Making crab cakes has always seemed like a daunting task.  The meat is so delicate that I always worry about over working it.   After taking this class with Chef John Ash, I felt more confident and the cakes turned out wonderfully.  I will add that I did not have all of the ingredients listed above.  I traded out the green onions for some Penzey's Minced Onions, used light mayonnaise, and regular Worcestershire sauce.  I kept my mixing of ingredients to a minimum and almost all of my 7 crab cakes (okay I made them bigger) stayed together.  I can't wait to make them again!

Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup

June Gloom has hit our area.  It has been relatively gloomy for most of the morning to mid-afternoon.  It makes me yearn for hearty soups, even though it is not exactly what one would call "cold" outside. This soup really hit the spot.

Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup

from Family Fresh Meals

Ingredients

24 oz jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups water
1/4 cup diced onion
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup diced carrots
1lb ground beef, browned
4 cups of loosely packed fresh spinach leaves
4 cups beef broth
8 oz cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
16 oz refrigerated  cheese tortellini (you can also use frozen, just add 30 more minutes to cooking time)

Steps

1. Combine spaghetti sauce, water,  meat, onions, garlic, carrots,  spinach, cream cheese, beef  broth, and mushrooms in a slow-cooker. Cook on LOW for 7 hours, on HIGH  for 5  hours.   

2. Before adding in the tortellini, take a whisk to your soup to break up any chunks of cream cheese. Stir in tortellini.  Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes or until tender and hot.

The Final Product

Wow!  This was totally yummy.  I ate three bowls.  Fantastic - and I don't really like vegetables.  For your reference, I used a 24 oz jar of Bertolli Tomato and Basil sauce.  I used a whole package of baby spinach because I didn't feel like measuring.  My cream cheese was still quite chunky after 7 hours so I had to do a bit of mixing to get the consistency a bit creamier.  I have two ideas for the next time that I throw this in the slow cooker:

1. Cut the spinach in half and add a drained can of kidney beans.
2. Use 8 oz of soft cream cheese and not a block - the soft cream cheese from a container tends to meld better in the slow cooker.

Now go make this soup on those down and dreary days - it will certainly brighten your day.

Slow Cooker Beer Cheese Soup

I am amazed to have landed on two great slow cooker recipes in a row.  I adapted this one slightly from FamilyFreshMeals.com.  I did come up with some ideas for next time as well.

Slow Cooker Beer Cheese Soup

adapted slightly from FamilyFreshMeals.com

Ingredients

28 oz chicken broth
12 oz beer
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup cornstarch

Steps

1.  Mix first 9 ingredients together in your crockpot.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6 - 8 hours.
2.  When done cooking, stir in cheese and heavy cream until the cheese is melted.
3.  Whisk in cornstarch.  Cover and cook for 30 minutes on HIGH.
4.  Smooth soup by blending in batches in blender or use an immersion blender.

The Final Product

It must be good when this kid likes it so much that it drips all over his shirt.

This soup tasted fantastic.  I used a bottle of Kona Brewing Co's Big Wave Golden Ale.  It was so cheese-y and beer-y (can I just make that a word?) that I wish that I had some hard pretzels to dip in the soup.  Everyone loved it, so clearly there were no leftovers, which incidentally left me with the only option of getting pizza for dinner tonight.  There was only one note for the next time we make it - and yes, there will be lots of next times.  The soup did thicken up but not as much as I had anticipated.  So next time, I might only use 1 can or 1.5 cans of chicken broth to get a thicker soup.  I also learned that I need an immersion blender - using the blender was fine but it allowed the soup to cool a bit much for my taste.  Enjoy!

Happy Anniversary!

In just a few short days the hubby and I will be celebrating our six year wedding anniversary.  We decided to indulge a a week early by going out to dinner and attending some fun events at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

We started off by enjoying dinner at the Chart House restaurant.  It was delicious!  I ordered the crab cakes, which were superb.  Not to mention the Molten Lava cake.  Really no anniversary meal is complete without a chocolate lava cake.  Fantastic!

We spent the remainder of our evening at the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Cooking for Solutions - Party with Alton Brown.  With a little prodding, I convinced the hubby to come take a picture with me and Alton.

 

More like I said - I'll wait in the line and you get some drinks!  So very cool!  We spent the rest of the evening tasting different organic sustainable foods and drinks.  An even bigger plus was that there were only about 700 people there, so we could wander around the aquarium looking at the fish and not worrying about the 40 other people trying to look at the same tank as you.  Sadly, the new tentacles exhibit was closed off - I guess once they get those cephalopods on a schedule you don't want to mess them up.

The next day we wrangled the kiddos up for yet another trip to the aquarium.  This time for some cooking/drink classes.  I had an absolutely fabulous class with James Beard award winning chef John Ash.  There were just under 30 people in the class.  He showed us how to make a grilled pizza.  He told us that it is probably the best way at home to imitate those huge wood burning ovens because the surface of the grill does in fact reach the 700 degrees that is obtained in those ovens.  And yes, we did cook the dough right on the surface of the grill.  Yummy grill marks.  I am set to put this on my meal plan calendar for next month (then I'll share the recipe!).  

Chef Ash then mentioned that we had extra time - so why don't we make some crab cakes?!?!  I thought - major score.  I just had the great crab cake last night at dinner, now I'll know how to make them myself.  Holy macaroni, I was so surprised at how simple the process was and how few ingredients created a super tasty cake.  I actually think the crab cake I made was even tastier then the one I had the evening prior.  Yet another recipe I plan on trying next month.

Creepily, there was a photographer there for the aquarium - so I am a little weirded out there may be photos of me cooking/enjoying wine at the this class.  I might try to do some searches to see if I find them.  I can't imagine they look great.

We passed off the kiddos and the hubby attended a class on pairing beer (Sierra Nevada) with food.  He said it was pretty good.  They let you sample food and beer.

I didn't take many pictures of my experience but I did walk away with these:

 

Given this army lifestyle, I am now a believer in if you can take advantage of an experience - do it.  You may not get another chance too.

Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli

It has been a while since my last update.  I have been trying out a few new recipes and unfortunately, they have been a little lackluster -- until last night.  I have been scouring the web for ethnic slow cooker recipes - specifically, Chinese food.  If you have not been paying attention, I have been really disappointed about the lack of good Chinese takeout.  So I somewhat reluctantly threw together this recipe after having looked at several online.  It is a combination of a couple of recipes - so I have no idea to whom I should give credit.  But thanks to everyone for all the ideas - because this one pretty much nailed it on the head.

Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli

Ingredients

1 lb stew beef
1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 pkg frozen steamer broccoli florets
rice

Steps

1.  I had big chunks of stew beef.  I took a minute to cut them into smaller strips.
2.  Mix together the broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, and garlic.
3.  Place beef pieces in slow cooker and cover with mixture.
4.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
5.  When done, create a slurry by mixing the cornstarch and some of the slow cooker liquid together.
6.  Stir the slurry back into the slow cooker and add the package of broccoli florets.  Cook on low for another 30 minutes.
7.  Serve over rice.

The Final Product
I wish I had taken a picture.  The flavors melded wonderfully.  It reminded me so much of good east coast Chinese takeout.  The only thing that I was disappointed with was that my sauce did not thicken up as much as I would have liked after having added the cornstarch.  I suspect it is because the slow cooker didn't bring the sauce up to a boil in the last half hour.  I think I will wait until the very end to make the slurry.  I will remove the beef and broccoli to another dish and pour the remaining sauce into a saucepan.  Add the slurry and bring the sauce up to a boil to get it to thicken.  Then pour the sauce back over the beef and broccoli once it is the right consistency.  Give this one a try!

Keep Running!

This week marks the start of training for the Disneyland Half Marathon.  I am very very excited about this.  What better way to start things off then by having this happen:

A good friend, who ran the Big Sur Marathon, which happened today, let me tag along to hear Jeff Galloway speak at marathon expo.  Jeff Galloway ran on the US Olympic team in 1972 - in the 10K event.  He is infectious to listen to.  He is almost 70 - just completed the Boston Marathon last Monday, flew cross country, and ran the Big Sur Marathon today.  Talk about energy.

He went on to explain his method of running these long races called the Run-Walk-Run method.  Since I started running in high school, I have only really ever known running all out.  What is this "walking breaks" nonsense?  But after listening to him speak, I am pretty convinced that this will help keep me running (bum knee and all) for a long time.  I also got a chance to ask him about running with two boys in a stroller.  He said wow! His wife was the one who got that lucky job.  He said to keep at it and if possible try to do the long runs with them if they stay happy in the stroller.  "It will make your half marathon seem really easy if you run it without them". ::wink::

So I have picked out my training schedule - "just finish" and not for time.  I think I can do pretty well time wise even if I don't try to go for speed.  I know it won't be anywhere near as fast a high school (not that I was exactly fast) but I would be happy with a 10 minute pace.  On the "off" days I hope to get in some sort of abs/arms routine, pilates, or a light walk with the dogs.  This way maybe I can improve my fitness level.

Hey, maybe this training will knock the last of the baby weight?!?!

Easter Eggs

I have read the past year or so about how easy it is to make hard boiled eggs in the oven.  I have kept off actually trying it because I did not believe that you could get the same results in the oven as on the stove top.  I don't know why I waited so long to try it - this made my easter egg making a lot easier.

Hard Boiled Eggs

Ingredients

eggs - however many you need to make
muffin pan

Steps

1.  Preheat oven to 325.
2.  In the mean time, place your eggs in the muffin pan.  This will help the eggs from rolling all over the place.
3.  Cook eggs for 30 minutes.
4.  Just a few minutes before you remove the pan from the oven.  Make an ice water bath.
5.  Remove eggs from oven.  Using tongs, place eggs in ice water bath for 10 minutes to stop the cooking process.

I used my first batch for our Easter eggs.  I thought it was so much easier than watching my pots for when they began boiling.

Crispy Cheddar-Ranch Chicken

I will be honest I was very hesitant to try this recipe.  It just seemed way to simple to come out well.  I was pleasantly surprised.  It is a quick and a great alternative to just have chicken for dinner.  I have reposted it below.  Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures so that you could see just how nice and crispy the chicken got.  My apologies!

Crispy Cheddar-Ranch Chicken

from Hyvee

Ingredients

4 (3 oz each) boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used a package of chicken tenderloins)
1/2 c. Hy-Vee light ranch dressing (I didn't have light - so we went with regular)
4 c. Hy-Vee cheddar harvest chips, crushed (I just used Sun Chips harvest cheddar)

Steps

1.  Place chicken and ranch dressing in a resealable plastic bag; shake to coat. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
2.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
3.  Remove chicken breasts from marinade and discard marinade. Coat chicken with crushed chips. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Employed!

I have been doing a bit of a happy jig for the past week or so.  All of my job searching has paid off!  I have a job that I am very happy for.  It fulfills my goals of being able to stay at home with my boys when necessary and it gives me some personal purpose.

I am very excited to get started.  I will be working through orientation/training materials for a while so I may not post as frequently (but I do have a few new recipes slated for the end of the month and next month).

Excitement abounds!

Job Search

I hit the breaking point.  I love my boys.  I love how Thomas is beginning his exploration of the world and how JT is becoming his own little man - having likes and dislikes (I do not however enjoy the fact that it comes with "end of the world" meltdowns - but that could be a post of another day).  

I have reached a point where mommy wants - needs - space and activities that engage and entertain my brain.  So I decided I would like to get back into the work force.  Below are a few of things that I did to help my searching:

1.  I signed up at the base Civilian Personnel Advisory Center for a military spouse preference.  It essentially bumps your name to the top of the hiring list if (and it is a big if) you can be termed "Best Qualified" for a government position.

2.  Dusted off the old resume and gave it a bit of a facelift.  I included all of my volunteering time while at Fort Riley to compensate for time gaps.

3.  I joined LinkedIn.  *I'll be honest - I don't really like having a bunch of social media outlets to have to deal with - but this one is worth it if you are job searching.*  I added my now rejuvenated resume to the site and it provides me with job openings that match some of the positions I have previously held.

4.  I joined flexjobs.com for one month.  Why one month you ask?  Because I had managed to get membership discounted to $5.  Why flexjobs.com?  Because I still have a desire to "be at home" with my boys.  I want to have the flexibility and freedom to deal with the little things or - in JT's case - catastrophes as they arise.  I do not want to have all of my earnings go straight to a daycare service.  So flexjobs.com provides a lot of positions that give you the freedom to work remotely.

I hope some of these tips can help you out if you are looking to re-enter the workforce.

Updating!

As you may have noticed, I did a little updating to the blog.  While I liked the background of the previous layout, I did not like how the dynamic template loaded.  So as you can see, I went with something a little simpler.

I also said goodbye to our family website, which I almost always forget to update.  Most of my favorite recipes are already up here and I post pictures in the posts, so there is no need to have photo albums up on the site.  The only thing I did save was the page that listed our favorite haunts at each of the places we have been assigned too.  This way I can keep it updated a little bit easier.

A little less hassle makes life easier, don't you think?

Slow Cooker Tandoori Machi

Aha - new Indian recipe.  This one is not too overpowering - also it is a short slow cooker recipe.

Slow Cooker Tandoori Machi

adapted from The Everything Indian Slow Cooker Cookbook

Ingredients

2 tbsp Penzey's Tandoori Seasoning
1/2 tbsp garlic paste
1/2 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 tilapia fillets (any white or oily fish will do)
olive oil

Steps

1.  In a bowl mix together the first six ingredients.
2.  Rub the spice mix on both sides of each fish fillet.  Brush the fillet with a little oil.
3.  Wrap each fillet in aluminum foil.
4.  Line the fish packets inside the slow cooker. (If they all do not touch the surface, make sure to rotate the packets halfway through cooking time.)  Cover and cook on LOW from 1.5 - 2 hours. 

The Finished Product

Make sure your fillets are thawed - we had to let it go a bit longer because they were still very frozen.  The spice mix is fragrant but does not overwhelm your tastebuds.

Edible Playdough

Sometimes you just need a recipe that will entertain the kiddos.

 

  

 

Edible Playdough

adjusted from cooks.com

Ingredients

1/2 c. water 

1 tbsp. oil 

1 and a 1/2 c. flour 

1/2 c. sugar 

1 pkg Kool-aid, any flavor

Steps

1.  Mix together water and oil. Microwave on HIGH for about 2 minutes.
2.  Mix flour, sugar, and kool-aid in a bowl.  (I did not have any kool-aid packets so this was just dough colored.)
3.  Add water/oil to dry mixture in stages and mix well with wooden spoon.
4.  Add extra flour to get to desired stickiness.

License and Registration Please!

Life in the military means moving...a lot!  One aspect that we have luckily avoided is relocating vehicles.  This past move - no such luck.  Since we will be here in Cali for quite an extended period of time, we recently replaced our Kansas plates with shiny white California ones.

The DMV process was a little bit of over kill.  We had to fill out registration paperwork containing all of the pertinent information about the cars.  Then 20 minutes later a dmv worker "verified" our vehicles using another form that contained essentially the same information.   Seems redundant, does it not?

But after an hour and fifteen minutes, we walked out of the DMV to our vehicles and attached the new license plates.  The final vestiges of Kansas are now stored away and it seems like we may not see them for a very long time.

Slow Cooker Chianti-Braised Short Ribs

I have been hanging on to this particular recipe for what seems like a lifetime.  This week the fancy struck me to actually make the recipe.  Below is the original recipe and I will discuss my additions/subtractions at the end.

Slow Cooker Chianti Braised Short Ribs

from Rachel Ray

Ingredients

8 beef short ribs on the bone (4 to 5 pounds)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups chianti wine
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon tomato paste

Steps

1.  Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the ribs and cook, turning often, until browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large slow cooker.
2.  Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon fat from the skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly softened, about 4 minutes.
3.  Stir in the wine and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker and cook on low heat until tender, about 6 hours.
4.  Transfer the ribs to a platter and cover to keep warm. Strain the cooking liquid into a large measuring cup and skim as much fat as possible from the surface. Transfer to a saucepan, bring to a boil and cook until reduced to about 1 cup. Whisk in the tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the ribs.

The Final Product

The ribs turned out quite tender.  It was a tasty dish.  I was unable to find bone in short ribs so I used boneless.  I had about 6 ribs that amounted to about 2.5 pounds.  To cut down on chopping, I threw in a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes.  I also started this late, so in the rush of hunger I forgot to add in the tomato paste to the cooking liquid.  I don't think it was a major detractor.  It was quite a yummy au jus instead.  I paired it with some fried polenta - simple to make.  Get a prepared roll of polenta.  Slice into 1/2 inch pieces and fry in a pan with a little bit of butter.  Delish!

Beer Bread

I fear this January has been a little lacking in new recipes.  Out of the blue yesterday, I received a sudden urge to make something.  I wanted fresh bread - all warm and delicious - but I had a few issues.  First, most of my bread making, although it follows the very easy no knead method, requires waiting overnight for chemistry to do it's thing.  Second, my store of bread flour is for some unknown reason very low.  Then I remembered seeing a bread recipe in the recent Penzeys spice catalog.  Beer Bread here I come!

Beer Bread

adapted slightly from Penzey's Catalog

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp smoked sea salt
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp Penzeys Italian Herb mix
12 oz beer (I used a Hefeweizen), at room temperature
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Steps

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and herb mix.
3.  Add the beer and stir until blended.
4.  Put dough in a lightly greased loaf pan (4 1/2 x 8 1/2) and bake for one hour.
5.  Combine butter and garlic powder.
6.  After removing the bread from the oven, pour the butter mixture over the top.  Allow the bread to rest for 10 - 15 minutes before removing.

The Final Product

Wow!  Boy did this recipe hit the spot.  It was fast, easy, and so tasty.  We consumed half the loaf in the first half hour it was out of the oven.  The sea salt was a yummy alternative to regular salt.  Next time I think I will try some different herbs or a different beer.  Definitely keeping this one in the rotation.

Bowl of Gravy

Earlier this week I made meatloaf for dinner.  It was very tasty considering I switched out my usual tri-meat concoction for something a bit leaner.  I used only two meats - ground beef and ground turkey.  I still enjoy the taste of the beef and have can not bring myself to phase it out completely.  But that is neither here nor there.

I did run into a bit of a snag.  We had enough for leftovers later this week - even with JT gulping down an adult size portion of it.  There was enough mashed potatoes to split between us but the gravy, which I sadly make via the packet-water-boil method, was finished.  To make matters worse, I had no additional gravy packets.

What's a gal to do?  Time to make something up on the fly because I am not trucking both boys out on a search for gravy packets.  Here it is:

Meatloaf Gravy

Ingredients

2.5 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp Penzey's Beef soup base
2 tbsp flour
1 cup beef broth
water

Steps

1.  Bring a small fry pan to medium heat.  Add butter and soup base to warmed pan and mix with a whisk.
2.  Slowly add flour, whisking while you do so.
3.  Allow the flour to brown.
4.  Add beef broth and bring to a boil.
5.  Let it simmer for about 2 minutes allowing the gravy to thicken.  You may want to add a bit of water to get it to the consistency you desire.

The Final Product
My apologies for the lack of picture.  It turned out pretty yummy and provided the moisture the meatloaf needed after it had been microwaved.  I might try adding some spices next time but it stood up on it's own.  I am just proud that it turned out so well and I didn't screw up royally.  I hope this helps you if you are ever stuck in a gravy pinch - I might just make gravy this way from now on to save some money on those gravy packets.

Reflection on a Christmas in California

We had our first Christmas here in California last month. I am finding that one of the things that I really enjoy about our new stomping grounds is also something that will bother and irk me for the remainder of our time here.

The weather. It is gorgeous. We did have a cold spell where it only got into the mid thirties but it returned back to the 50 - 60 degree range shortly thereafter. In this area there really is no excuse to spend any part of your day indoors. This has been a boon for me as I try to exercise my way back to pre-pregnancy form. It also means JT can get a chunk of his energy out running through the playground. Since downsizing our home, there is not a whole lot of space that he can call his own. Not to mention Thomas is starting to grow, grow, GROW and he is impinging on JT's space.

But for my entire life, I equate cold, blustery, and snow with winter and Christmas. It is hard to think holiday spirit when it is 50 degrees, the sun is shining, and there is no snow in sight. It made me rethink our usual decoration scheme. We went minimal is year and that was partly to blame. Usually the onset of cold weather ignites an urge for baking - a lot of it. I made one batch of chocolate chip cookies (just in time to leave them out for Santa!). I even tried making myself drink hot cocoa but to no avail.

I am going to try to keep my hopes up that next year will be different. Maybe we will get a cold spell right around Christmas to jump start my holiday spirit - or maybe we will head back east for some cold weather. Not sure if I could make California a permanent home without it.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Bourbon for Dinner

My brother got my husband a cookbook filled with recipes that all contain bourbon.  We picked out two recipes last night for dinner.  I thought I would be a little overcome with the smell/taste of whiskey but thankfully most of it dissipated with cooking.

Bourbon Ginger Pork Tenderloin

from Bourbon by Kathleen Purvis

Ingredients

1 package of pork tenderloins
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup bourbon
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tbsp ginger, chopped
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Steps

1.  Place tenderloins in resealable plastic bag.  Mix together remaining ingredients.  Pour into bag and seal.
2.  Place bag in refrigerator for at least 8 hours (overnight is preferable).
3.  Place meat over direct heat on the grill.  Cover and turn every 5 minutes until all sides are browned.
4.  Move to indirect heat and cook another 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
5.  Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Bourbon Glazed Carrots

from Bourbon by Kathleen Purvis

Ingredients

1 pound carrots, sliced in 1/2 inch rounds
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp bourbon
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt

Steps

1.  Place carrots in large skillet and cover with water.
2.  Cover skillet and bring to a boil.  Change heat to medium and simmer for 8 minutes.
3.  Meanwhile, mix together remaining ingredients
4.  Drain the water and then place the carrots back in skillet.
5.  Over medium - high heat, cover the carrots with mixture.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes.
6.  Serve hot.

The Final Product

What I liked about this meal is that is was not work intensive.  That being said - there are some things I would adjust next time.  The pork was definitely tasty but it lacked a little sauce.  I whipped out a jar of mustard and that did that trick.  The carrots were yummy and sweet but I am pretty sure I have made similar veggies that had that flavor profile but without the bourbon.  I also feel like the carrots lacked a little kick.  Maybe add some red pepper flakes next time.

And I Say Hello...

to 2014.  My goals for the year:

Finish converting our old families movies from VHS to DVD
Learn some Hindi
Run a Half Marathon
Lose the last 15 pounds from pregnancy number 2
Go exploring
Be a calmer me

We shall see how this works out.