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.

 

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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.

You Say Goodbye...

2013 is coming to a close.  It has been a whirlwind year - filled with some important goodbyes.  Yet every goodbye is followed up by a new hello.

Our goodbyes this year:

• Command of Delta Battery 1 - 5 FA
• Our First House - and the mortgage and all that jazz!
• Family Readiness Group Leader
• Webmaster of the Fort Riley Our Community Spouse Club
• Kansas
• Our fantastic wonderful friends (many of whom also moved)

Our hellos this year:

• The Foreign Area Officer functional area
• New Stomping Grounds in CA
• India - culture, history, food!
• Graduate School life at the Naval Post Graduate School
• Making new friends
• Thomas Jacob (This is my favorite hello this year!)

I hope your 2013 has been satisfying!

Cheesy Gnocchi Casserole

I know I have been a bit quiet lately.  We have had some visitors and the end of the first quarter of graduate school is taking some adjusting.  I shall regale you with a new recipe that I have tried.  This one comes from the Food Network.  I bookmarked it one day while I was trolling through posts on Google+.

Cheesy Gnocchi Casserole with Ham and Peas

from The Food Network

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
One 8-ounce piece deli ham, diced
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
One 17.5-ounce package potato gnocchi
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese

Steps

1.  Preheat the broiler to high heat.
2.  Melt the butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
3.  Add the ham and thyme and continue to cook until the ham is lightly browned.
4.  Add the chicken broth and 3/4 cup water and bring to a simmer.
5.  Add the gnocchi, stir well, cover and cook until the gnocchi is slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
6.  Uncover and stir in the peas, cream, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
7.  Sprinkle the cheese over the top and broil until golden and bubbly, about 3 minutes. Serve.

The Final Product

This turned out pretty tasty and was fairly easy to put together.  Some notes - I had a bit more that 17.5 oz of potato gnocchi - I think I had two 10 oz packages.  So I don't think they cooked as evenly as they should have.  Unfortunately the "cream" sauce that was supposed to form never really did.  It was definitely more soupy than creamy.  It might be user - I thought my chicken broth and water was at a simmer but maybe it never made it there.  Not a bad first run for it.  I would definitely do it again and incorporate some of the reviews others had made on the dish: use a hot italian sausage instead of ham, try some different veggies (broccoli, carrots), use a mixture of cheeses besides just swiss, and I may try using an alfredo sauce to get more creamy texture.  Definitely a quick weeknight meal!

Thanksgiving

As we sat down to our Thanksgiving feast, the hubby and I discussed Thanksgivings past.  We had one at his parent's home and several with a very good friend in Kansas.  I have not had to make the entire meal by myself in a very long time.  With two boys who have not had stellar behavior as of late, we decided to keep our affair at home.  With that, I decided to try a new recipe.  Normally, I have done my birds (on occasions other than Thanksgiving) in a roaster oven which is a fantastic tool.  As it was only the 4 of us, (well 3 of us because Thomas is not eating solids yet) I made the call to not cook a full bird.  I decided on turkey breast roasts instead - in the slow cooker!

Bacon Turkey Breast

from Crockin' For the Holidays

Ingredients

1 bone-in turkey breast (or at least 5 pounds with or without skin)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/8 - 1/4 tsp pepper
1 can turkey gravy
2 1/2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 - 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 tsp rubbed sage

Steps

1.  Rub turkey with garlic, salt, and pepper.
2.  Place in slow cooker.
3.  Mix gravy, flour, Worcestershire sauce, bacon, and sage together.  Pour over turkey.
4.  Cook on LOW for 8 hours.

The Final Product

The entire meal was yummy.  Son number 1 would probably tell you the biscuits were the best part.  The turkey turned out really well.  Next time I might only cook for 7 hours as it was not as moist as I like.  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't dry when it came out - just after it was cut it lost a bunch of juiciness.  You can not quite tell from the picture but I complemented our turkey with a green bean casserole, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and biscuits.  Even better, everything came out at just about the same time.  It made me feel great.  It also got me thinking to a couple of years down the road - will I be able to put together a yummy feast in India?  I guess I will find out in a few years.  This Thanksgiving post is not complete without my two hams: