Final Dished-Up December!

Tonight, it was really cold in the house. Well that, or I am just inheriting my Mom and Grandma's "always cold" syndrome that came along as they aged. I hope I am not at that age just yet! LOL. Anyway...I was cold and wanting something hot and creamy to warm me from the inside. In the fridge, I found left-over rice. YES!!! Reis Milch!
Reis Milch (german for rice milk) is essentially like Rice Pudding, but less sweet and can be a little more "milky" depending on the cook. I prefer mine with a lil' extra milk. It becomes a creamy sauce of sorts. Mine is a simple version using pre-cooked (left-over) rice. So delicious!

Reis Milch

~Appx 2cups Cooked Rice
~Enough milk to cover rice (maybe just a bit more if you want it extra creamy)
~2TBS. Sugar (I don't like mine too sweet. You can add more to your liking.)
~1TBS. Parkay Butter
~1/8tsp. Saigon Cinnamon
~1tsp. Vanilla
Combine all ingredients and heat to boiling. Reduce and let simmer until rice softens up and milk becomes creamy. Serve hot!
This is the type of stuff to keep ya warm on a cold, December night!
Thank you for joining me as I blog along.

With love, from my kitchen to yours...

Dished-Up #12

 

Today, I am posting Salmon en Papillote. I made this last night and I must confess....it was the MOISTEST salmon I have ever made! It's juices were released with each press of the fork. Soooo yummy! I had pre-formed parchment bags on hand. I have never formed the parchment pouches myself, so I cannot attest to the difficulty or ease of such a task. The possibilities of cooking salmon en papillote are endless, so just let your creative juices flow.

Salmon en Papillote

Parchment Bags
4 Salmon Filets, skinless
1 lemon, thinly sliced
4 Sprigs of Fresh Dill
Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Olive Oil
Pre-mixed Fish Seasoning, if you have it. If not, garlic powder, onion powder or whatever you have in your pantry.
Preheat oven to 375°. Place filets in bag. Sprinkle with fish seasoning, salt and pepper. Place a sprig of dill on each filet. Top with a slice of lemon. Drizzle olive oil on top. I was out, so I used a small dot of butter on each. Fold edge twice and crimp well. Bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on thickness of filets. Done. Easy Peasy!!

 

 

 

 

 

Dished-Up 10 & 11

My dishes today feature CREAM CHEESE! I am just going to jump right in today and knock these "catch-up" recipes out....wooohoo!!

Ham Rolls

1pkg. Ham lunch meat, pre-packaged square/rectangular shape
1 tub Chive and Onion Cream Cheese
Toothpicks
To prep each Ham slice for the cream cheese, dab with paper towel to remove moisture. Using a butter knife, spread a thin-ish layer of softened cream cheese onto each Ham slice. Roll each slice, cutting into halves or thirds to create bite size pieces. Stick a toothpick into each. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tai's Scrambled Eggs

4-6 eggs, lightly beaten
Salt and Pepper
Green onion, chopped
1 Roma tomato, diced
2-3 TBS. Cream Cheese
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Scramble eggs in skillet; salt and pepper to taste. Add tomatoes, onion and cream cheese. On low heat, stir around eggs until melted. Plate and top with shredded cheese.

With love, from my kitchen to yours...

Dished-Up December 7, 8 & 9

So, I am behind again. My heart arrhythmia's have kicked in and I have not been in the mood to do much of anything. If you suffer from them, you probably know how distressing they can be. This time around, I was experiencing bigeminy. Those are PVCs coming every other beat. Super irritating. The forceful regular beat (which I assume pumps the backed-up blood out) was giving me headaches from pumping so hard it pulsed in my head. Anyway, I won't drone on about all of that today. I wanna use this time to catch up on my recipes. I am going to post some simple, yet delicious ones today. I don't have pictures for these, sorry. If you have any questions, just post them in the comment section. Enjoy!

Momma's Picadillo

1lb. Ground Beef
1 onion, diced
Appx 4 Potatoes, diced
2-3 Carrots, thinly sliced
Salt and Pepper
Flour Tortillas
Brown ground beef in a deep skillet. Drain. Add onion, potatoes, and carrots. Cover with water and cook until carrots and potatoes are tender. Strain, reserving 1 cup of the broth. Using a potato masher, mash ingredients until it makes a thick hash. Add reserved broth as needed. Should be thick enough to hold shape when spooned. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in heated flour tortillas like a burrito.
*My Mom made homemade flour tortillas for her Picadillo. They were the best. She would pre-make Picadillo burritos and freeze them for us. A great after-school snack or quick lunch...just pop in the microwave, top with Pace Picante Sauce and....mmmm!!!

Taco Salad

1 block Cream Cheese, softened
Lettuce, chopped
Green onions, chopped
(Reserve chopped dark green ends)
Tomato, chopped
1-2cup pkg. Finely Shredded Cheese, Mexican blend
1pkg. Taco Seasoning
In casserole dish, spread softened cream cheese in bottom. Top with a sprinkling of the pre-packaged Taco Seasoning. Top with lettuce, almost to the top of the dish. Sprinkle with tomatoes and green onions. Cover with cheese. Shake remaining Taco Seasoning onto cheese, using a fork to blend.  Garnish with reserved dark green onion tops, chopped. Serve with tortilla chips or alone as side dish perfect for BBQs.

Quick And Easy Chicken Soft Tacos

1 Rotisserie or left-over Chicken, meat shredded
Caldo de Tomate bouillon powder
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cumin
Pepper
1/4 cup hot water
Fajita Flour Tortillas
In skillet, add shredded chicken. Add 1/2 tsp. of each of the Caldo de Tomate, garlic and onion powder.  Add 1/4tsp. Cumin. Add pepper to taste. Pour hot water over and heat on medium heat until water is absorbed. Serve in warm fajita tortillas and top with lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese.
With love, from my kitchen to yours...

Dished-Up #5&6

My two dishes are Chicken Tuscan Soup and Butternut Squash sauteed in White (weis) Gluhwein Butter. Both are very easy to make.
The Chicken Tuscan Soup can be made a couple of different ways depending on preference or convenience (white meat/dark meat, cooking own chicken/purchased rotisserie chicken).  I created this soup for my son. He always ordered a bowl of Chicken Soup with Gnocchi at our fave restaurant while living overseas. Having sampled his soup a couple times at the restaurant, I figured I could make something similar at home for him. My son, Josh, loves my homemade Chicken Tuscan Soup and requests it often....so I think I did a pretty good job in recreating it for him. Note* The mushroom shown in the ingredients pic and finished soup pic was added for Dad and is optional!
The Butternut Squash can be sauteed with the Gluhwein or any white wine. I chose Weis Gluhwein because this seasonal wine brings back memories of Christmas in Germany. Gluhwein is a traditional spiced wine served steaming hot in adorable little keepsake mugs throughout Germany at Christkindlmarkts (Christmas markets). Traditionally, it is a red wine, but occassionally you'll find it in white. My favorite is the white version. The flavor is more delicate~which complimented the squash well. I hope you enjoy these fall/winter comfort foods I share with you today.

Chicken Tuscan Soup

2 TBS olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz. (a handful or two) baby spinach
3-4 cups cooked chicken, diced
Appx 11 cups (90 oz.) chicken broth/stock
1 large tomato, diced
16oz. Gnocchi (prepackaged)
Fresh basil, chopped
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped
16oz. Half-n-half or 1 pint heavy cream
Salt and Pepper to taste
Freshly grated parmesan
Cook onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is transparent. Add spinach and wilt. Add chicken and broth. Heat to boil. Add tomatoes and gnocchi. Cook gnocchi for 2 mins or as directed on package. Reduce to simmer. Add about 4-5 chopped, large basil leaves and 1-2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley. Add half-n-half or cream. Salt and pepper to taste. If the broth is not rich enough, add a little chicken bouillon. Heat through. Top with freshly grated parmesan and a leaf or two of fresh basil. Serve with crusty French baguette bread.

Butternut Squash Sauteed in Gluhwein Butter

1 butternut squash
2 TBS unsalted butter
1 TBS white gluhwein wine
A sprinkle of brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut squash in half. Scoop seeds. Peel skin. Dice half of the squash (the other can be diced and frozen for later use). In stainless pan, add butter. Heat on med heat. Toss in diced squash. Drizzle wine on top. Sprinkle a bit of brown sugar over squash. Cook until squash is firm, but done (slight resistance to fork but not crisp). Salt and pepper to taste. About 5 mins.
With love, from my kitchen to yours....

Dished-Up December!!

In honor of one of my most favorite things to do....COOK...I decided that I would blog several dishes during the month of December. Some will be my favorites that I serve throughout the year and Holidays. Others will be family recipes or recipes that intrigue me from other sources. If it is a recipe from anyone other than myself, I will certainly give credit where credit is due. So, since I am already four days behind, let's get this party started!!

Browned Butter and Sage Pumpkin Gnocchi

Prepackaged Pumpkin Gnocchi
2TBS Unsalted Butter
2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
Pinch of Rubbed Sage
(would have used a fresh sage instead if I had it)

Cook and strain gnocchi according to directions. Using a stainless steel pan (so you can monitor the changing color of the butter), throw in the butter. Add the thyme sprigs and sage. Once melted, the milk fats will foam. They will eventually sink to the bottom and make brown bits which are yummy. If you do not want the brown bits, remove the foamy milk fats from the butter with a spoon. Cook on medium heat until the butter is almost brown and has a nutty aroma. Turn off burner as the butter will continue to cook and brown. Remove sprigs of thyme. Toss in cooked gnocchi and stir until covered in carmelization. Remove with slotted spoon. Plate immediately.
*Where do I find unique food items, like the Pumpkin Gnocchi above??....BIG LOTS! Surprisingly, they carry a lot of european specialty items. I have found items that I was buying while living in Germany, like Spekaloos paste (a dutch paste made from graham cracker-tyyype cookies). The prices are always cheap, too!! I think I paid $1.29 for the package of gnocchi.



CHAMPAGNE TURKEY
(A recipe shared with me from my sister. I do not know where she found this recipe. We have served this for many, many years and it always goes over well with guests.)

1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 apples, cored and halved
1 tablespoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 (750 milliliter) bottle champagne
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
...

Rinse turkey, and pat dry. Gently loosen turkey breast skin, and insert pieces of butter between the skin and breast. Place apples inside the turkey's cavity. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place turkey in a roasting bag, and pour champagne over the inside and outside of the bird. Close bag, and place turkey in a roasting pan.
Bake turkey 3 to 3 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees F (85 degrees C) when measured in the meatiest part of the thigh. Remove turkey from bag, and let stand for at least 20 minutes before carving.
*I use enough apples to fill the cavity. Since I buy turkeys larger than 12lbs., it takes about 4 apples.
**I do not always use champagne. I have used Prosecco, Asti Spumanti and a dry Reisling. All work well. I use the whole bottle minus one glass. Hey! The cook has to taste test, right??

 

 

 SQUASH CASSEROLE

3 cps. Pepperidge Farm Corn Bread Stuffing

4 tbs. margarine, melted

1 can Cream of Chicken soup
½ cp. sour cream
2 small zucchini, shredded
2 small yellow squash, shredded
¼ cp. carrot, shredded
½ cp. cheddar cheese, shredded

• Mix stuffing and margarine. Reserve ½ cup of stuffing mixture for topping. Spoon remaining stuffing mixture into 2-qt. SHALLOW baking dish.
• Mix soup, sour cream, yellow squash, zucchini, carrot and cheese. Spread over stuffing mixture. Sprinkle reserved stuffing mixture over top.
• Bake at 350°F for 40 min. or until hot and squash is cooked through. Serves 8.

TIP: Do not try to cook this casserole in a deeper dish without adjusting the cooking time. The deeper the dish, the longer the cooking time. The squash will be nice and tender with a great flavor. If there is any crispness left in the squash, it is not done. Yes, I speak from experience. I made this ONCE without following the 2qt. baking dish direction and served it without checking. Needless to say, RAW Squash Casserole does not go over well on Thanksgiving and will be the source of many laughs in the family!

 

 

Two Minute Fudge

1 box Powdered Sugar
1/2c. Cocoa
1/4tsp. Salt
1/4c. Milk
1TBS. Vanilla
1/2c. Butter
1c. Finely Chopped Pecans (opt)

Stir together first five ingredients. Slice butter on top. Microwave for exactly two minutes. Beat until smooth. Blend in pecans and pour into an 8"x8" pan lined with wax paper (or buttered pan). Chill. Cut into squares.

 

 

I hope you enjoy these recipes. If you have any questions or comments, be sure to post them below!

 

With Love, from my

kitchen to yours....

 

 



 

 



Belated Thanksgiving Recollection

During Thanksgiving, I was a little busy because my husband was in the field. I have neglected my blog a bit. I hope everyone had a wonderful time with family and friends. I hope you left from your Thanksgiving dinner with full bellies and full hearts. I know that I thoroughly enjoyed my day at my Aunt Betty's. I love spending the Holidays with my Aunt and her family. She reminds me so much of my Grandma and my Mom in her ways. To look at her, I am reminded of my Grandpa's gentle blue eyes and warm smile. I have always treasured her friendship and advice. Now that my Mom is gone, I treasure it even more so (even though I don't socialize as much as I should since losing my Mom). Seeing all of my Aunt's family pile into her home evokes memories of my childhood where the whole Walker clan would gather in my Grandpa and Grandma's small two bedroom home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here is a short recollection of a typical Thanksgiving from that time:

Some of my most special childhood memories involve Thanksgiving at my Grandma Walker's house. In preparation for the feast, I would oftentimes help her with the grocery shopping. I would try to decipher her hen-scratched, handwritten list (where she used a lot of abbreviations as well) as we made our way down the aisles: t.p., b. soda, c. st, oleo, c. meal, b. pow, HB, etc.. Her arthritis made it difficult to write, so some lists were worse than others. I jokingly mentioned that I needed a secret decoder ring to read her writing. She laughed. She had a great sense of humor...a gift she passed along to her descendants. When the cart could hold no more, we'd make our way to the checkout. Once home, the daunting task of finding room for everything began. Nevertheless, it was all accomodated....even if some of the canned goods ended up on top of the dryer.

The baking usually started on the day before the feast. The most mouth-watering aromas would drift out of that tiny, galley kitchen enticing a grandchild or two into sneaking a sample unnoticed as soon as Grandma's back was turned. Beautiful pies and cobblers magically appeared on the table, one after another, next to a slightly opened window for cooling. On Thanksgiving Day, Cornbread Dressing, Casseroles, Mashed Potatoes and Giblet Gravy marked their spot on the buffet as they waited to accompany the showstopper...the golden-brown masterpiece with its juices perfectly sealed within and meat so tender it melted in your mouth!

Soon this tiny two-bedroom country home was bursting at the seams with daughters and sons, grandkids and great grandkids and longtime friends. With hands held and heads bowed, Grandpa would lead us in prayer and bless the food just as he did before EVERY meal. My Grandpa always sat at the head of the dining table surrounded by some of his children and their spouses. The rest of us tried to find a place in the living room, on chairs, on the floor, on the beds...where ever we could find a spot! And Grandma...still in her handmade apron, would have to be persuaded out of the kitchen to "sit down and eat, Momma" by one of her children. She was truly an amazing woman, Mother, Grandmother....and COOK. If you were to look in her kitchen after she had left her "post" and finally sat down to eat the meal she'd prepared, you would NOT have found a cookbook or recipe lying around!

My Grandparents had a huge influence in shaping the person that I am today, just as they did their daughters and sons, granddaughters and grandsons. I learned many things from them. Some things they taught me from their spoken word and other things by example. One of the greatest things they taught me was....LOVE! Unconditional love. It makes my heart happy to join my family in my Aunt's home and still feel that same love abound.

God bless you all during the Holiday Season. Thank you for joining me as I blog along!

As always, with love

from my home to yours....



I Heart My Mastiff!!

 

He was caught in the act again. Sooo....I created his own meme! lol I love my "Momma's Puppy".



IT'S OFFICIAL!

It's official....we're PCSing! We have orders to the beautiful state of Missouri. We will be "lost in the woods"! Yes, we just moved from Germany two years ago. Yes, we just moved onto post this summer. However, this time we were actually able to request this move. My husband wanted to go the the "school house" to become an instructor. As much as I would love to remain in Oklahoma with my extended family, I love my husband more. So....it's time to stop hanging pictures on the walls of own new home and begin the preparations of moving to an even newer one. Ahhh....such is the life of a military wife! :)



Fortunately, I have visited the post we are moving to on several occasions. My husband has attended schools there in the past. Being only 6-7 hours away from where we lived, my son and I would visit Daddy during those times. Also, we've visited some of my husband's family that live approximately and hour away from the post. It is beautiful country. Trees everywhere. Rolling hills. Much different that my southern Oklahoma landscape. It seems to have a lot to offer for family fun. Camping. Lakes. Caverns. Horseback riding trails. Snowboarding. I could go on and on. I am happy to learn that they have a composite Civil Air Patrol squadron for my son. He absolutely loves being in this program.

 

Having been there before gives us a sense of familiarity. We know what to look forward to and what the area feels like. It is rural living, which we like. It also has major cities within a short drive. Branson is nearby, too. All in all, we are finding blessings in this move. Let me rephrase....I CHOOSE to find blessings in this move. To all of my military spouse friends, I hope you choose the positives in your moves as well. Try to find things to look forward to prior to making the move if you are given ample time. I say that loosely, as we were given orders to Germany 5 weeks prior to my husband's report date. My son and I didn't even have our passports by the time my husband had to fly out. If you fo have the time, get your kids excited. Get yourself excited. Choose to make your next PCS move a great ADVENTURE.

As always, much love

from my home to yours...

Easy CHICKEN CACCIATORE (no wine needed)

I usually create dishes out of availability. I may have a limited selection of ingredients from which to choose or cannot find a crucial ingredient due to unavailability in our area. This creation came from a selection of veggies that I had remaining after cleaning out the fridge. I also had about 6 frozen chicken tenderloins left in a bag. Not enough to do much with for a family of three (to include a growing preteen boy that loves chicken). The left-over veggies from my husband's Thai Curry Chicken were diced zucchini, mushrooms and carrots. In the crisper, I had a bag of shredded carrots and flat leaf parsley. I located some onions, garlic, a jar of capers and several cans of Muir Glen Organic whole tomatoes in the pantry. I decided to make a Chicken Cacciatore of sorts. I didn't have red wine on hand, but I had chicken broth. Not a comparable substitute ;) but an available liquid none-the-less. So here is how I set about making this super easy meal. Note* This is NOT my Mother's Cacciatore recipe. Her recipe is a deeper, more complex flavored dish....made with red wine....and very, very YUMMY!

YOU WILL NEED:

 

6 TENDERLOINS, CUT INTO PIECES

2 TBS BUTTER

2 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED

1 SMALL ONION, PETITE DICED

DRIZZLE OF OLIVE OIL

1/8 CUP CARROTS, MINCED

1/2 CUP ZUCCHINI, DICED

1/4 CUP MUSHROOMS, SLICED

1/4 CUP CARROTS, SLICED

1/4 CUP GREEN PEPPER, SLICED IN SMALL PIECES

2 1/2-3 CUPS CHICKEN BROTH

1 CAN (14.5OZ) WHOLE TOMATOES, CHOPPED IN HALF

1/4 tsp DRIED OREGANO

1 BAY LEAF

1/8 CUP FRESH FLAT LEAF PARSLEY, MINCED

2 TBS BRINED CAPERS, RINSED

(I love capers so I add alot. You can add less.) 

SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

 

In a skillet, brown the chicken in the butter. Remove from pan. Add to skillet: garlic and onion. cook until fragrant. Add the olive oil. Then add remaining FRESH veggies. Saute briefly. Return diced chicken to the pan. Heat through. Add chicken broth to cover chicken. Add canned tomatoes, bay leaf, dried oregano, flat leaf parsley, capers, salt and pepper. You can add more broth here if needed to cover ingredients. Cook on med. heat for about 10 minutes and then reduce to a simmer for approx. 20 minutes or until sliced carrots are done. I added the minced carrot because I did not have enough sliced carrots. I had a bag of shredded carrots that I minced to make the broth more flavorful and thick. You can omit the minced and just add a few more sliced carrots. I served this dish with mashed potatoes, but pasta or rice would work as well. This dish fed a family of three with a little left-over. You can adjust the ingredients to feed more. (the pic below was before I added the remaining liquid from pan)

 

 

 

With Love, From My Kitchen To Yours....

 



Finding Our Way Through The ADHD Maze

I always knew that there was something different about my son since he came into this world. Straight from the womb, he was bright-eyed and alert. I remember him turning his head to look at people talking to him at just a day old. He wasn't a fussy baby at all. Very easy-going. However, he was very stimulated by sight, sounds and smells. He did not sleep like other newborns. It seemed as though he was awake more than he was asleep. He also had reflux after almost every feeding, no matter what we tried. So, this exhausted Mommy would finally lay her sleeping baby down thinking he was not going to reflux and up it would come a few minutes later...soaking his clothes and his bedding. This, in turn, would make him wide awake again....for hours. Then it would be time for another feeding and hopefully reflux before I laid him down again. A change of clothes and then soothe him to sleep. Finally....asleep.....for 2 hours...hopefully! As he got older, it became more difficult. Any sound would wake him. Trust me, I didn't start out being the quiet Mom. I wanted him to be adjusted to sleep through household sounds. That....was turning out to be for other babies, not mine. The slightest little sound would pop him up in his crib. I would turn off the phone, the tv and shut the front door if I was trying to rest in those precious moments while he slept peacefully. I would cringe if a car drove by our house because without a doubt, I would soon hear him rustling around in his covers. I broke down crying on many occasions due to sheer exhaustion. I even made an appointment with a Pediatrician. I remember the Pediatrician walking into the room and saying under his breath, "...the nerve of these Mother's wanting me to make their children sleep now". I quickly informed him that I was not just some young Mother who did not understand young children. I knew children! I had worked with children for nearly 10 years (at that point).  Heck, even before that. I started baby sitting our neighbors kids when I was in 4th grade. I have always been the one taking care of the babies in the family, the neighborhood and for friends. I knew what babies were supposed to do and how they do it. I knew something was different about MY CHILD. Needless to say, the Doctor did not prove to be very helpful. I found swaddling to be the most soothing for him, but it was hard trying to not shed a tear or two when your baby is squirming and crying trying to wriggle out of his coccoon....fighting it every step of the way. There was a period from about 7-9 months of age that he followed a schedule of wake, eat, play, eat, sleep.

As a toddler, he quickly figured out how to climb out of his crib. This created a new problem. I tried the "put them back in bed, over and over and over again" method. Yeah, this was not a good method for a child with a duracell battery pack. Swaddling during this age was not ideal, but certainly proved helpful in putting him to sleep. He still maintained his usual routine of waking up several times during the night and trying to get into our bed. He also remained hypersensitive to sounds and smells. If he smelled a neighbor's dinner wafting through the window, his eyes would fly open and he'd say, "Mommy, what's that smell?" That would send the whole process back to square one. I tried my best to "wear him out" during the day. Needless to say, he had an untapped energy reserve from which to pull and could outlast either parent. By pre-school, he could be put to bed with one of us sitting close by to ensure that he did not get up and wander around. It still took at least an hour for him to wind down. I asked him one time why he kept moving his legs while lying next to him in bed. He told me that it was because his legs wanted to keep running. Bless his heart. His body just did not want to slow down! He still woke up throughout the night, several times. He was always wide-awake no later than 7:00a.m. everyday....no matter what time he finally fell asleep or how many times he awakened during the night.

By first grade, he could be put to bed with a kiss and sometimes a story. He did not need supervision. He would not fall asleep for hours and still awakened several times during the night. He also began to have a few problems in school. He was very talkative. He would get out of his seat many times throughout the day, sometimes preferring to stand up to do his classwork. He was forgetful, inattentive and unorganized. Homework time was a nightmare. He would inevitably argue over every little detail. I had always thought of ADHD as super-hyper, aggressive children with behavioral disorders (like ODD) as well. I had worked with many ADHD/ADD children. I just didn't see my child as being classified in that group. He was personable, happy-go-lucky kid. I just didn't want to label him ADHD and give him meds. I wanted to explore other options. He was a bright child, so I figured that his needs were not be met at school. He wasn't being challenged enough. I thought his new second grade teacher was not understanding that he was in a second grade classroom the year before (when he should have been in first). He was just bored. By third grade, the same complaints came in...talking, impulse control, getting out of his seat. Fourth grade rolled around and still the same complaints. His teacher, whom I admired greatly, let me know that he was receiving a lot of negative feedback for his behavior and that it might be affecting his self-esteem. She also stated that she helps him a lot, but other teachers may not. He could possibly fail higher grades if he did not get help. This really sunk in with me. I thought about what she said. I realized that he received a lot of negative attention at home. I thought, "what kind of life is that for my child...to get negative attention at home and at school...all day long. How is that NOT affecting how he perceives himself. Why am I not doing what I can to make sure he has a positive environment? If he has ADD, a medical condition...a learning disorder...why am I not doing what I can to make his life better for him?"

My son was seeing a Neurologist for other medical reasons and he had asked if Josh was on ADD medication once in his office. We had an appointment coming up with him that week. I decided to talk to him about it. He was happy I had asked since he had noticed Joshua's behavior during our visits. He prescribed him his first medication. We followed up with his Pediatrician for ADD (we had been released from the Neurologist after Josh got a medical clearance concerning the other medical issue). The first one ended up being too strong. We were told it was a "baby dose" and it wasn't made in smaller doses. So, the Doc switched to a new one. He stayed on that one for awhile. Josh began having near-fainting episodes. He had an echocardiogram to rule out an abnormal heart structure. He was cleared to remain on the med. We stayed on that medication for months. We moved and Josh began a new school. He began getting into trouble A LOT due to ADHD behaviors. His grades were dropping. He was also getting bullied relentlessly by other boys. He was called gay in some form or another daily. By fifth grade, he had more near-fainting episodes combined with palpitations. The new Pediatrician changed his meds to a non-stimulant. That one made him worse and he was getting into even more trouble at school. His bullying had increased as well. I was in contact with his teacher and Principal concerning his ADD. I kept his teacher informed of the changes and his heart issue. I discussed the bullying with them on many occassions. Josh had been kicked with cowboy boots (removing the skin on his shins), hit under the eye by a thrown piece of candy, had bruises up and down his arms from "frogging" to prove how tough he was and called every name in the book. He even got into a fight with one of his soccer team mates because the child called him "gay Lizzie McGuire" for the umpteenth time and kicked Josh in the shin. Josh snapped and began punching the kid. Josh was yelled at by the Coach. I followed up with the Principal the next day. The Principal actually said to me, "You know Josh has ADD and talks a lot. He interupts others and can be annoying to the other children because of that. That's why he is getting bullied. He draws attention to himself and brings it upon himself." He did not ask the names of the children or ask what could he do to help. Nope! He basically just let me know that due to my child having ADHD, he would be subject to harassment. I was furious. I immediately called the Superintendent. He was out-of-town so I spoke with his secretary. I told her what the Prinicipal had said. I asked her if my child were autistic and had behavioral issues that other children might find annoying, would he have said those things to that child's Mother? That it was the child's fault for being bullied?? I told her that I was going to do all that I could to find out what I could do about that. That logic was unacceptable. My son WAS NOT going to be the subject of "excusable" bullying because he had symptoms of ADD. She agreed. I had only been made aware of getting an IEP or 504plan the evening before. I was complaining to my cousin, Lorrie, and she mentioned them. I honestly was not aware that a child could get one of those for ADD. I told the secretary that I wanted to see about obtaining either of those for my child. She gave me the number to the Special Education Administrator. I called her and she asked me if I wanted to do the intelligence tests, even though they were not required. I told her that I would love to do that because my child is very intelligent, yet he is failing several classes. I wanted to show them that it was due to his ADD symptoms. After the testing, my son was denied an IEP based soley on his scores on the intelligence tests. You know, the ones that were not required. His teacher was thoroughly surprised that my son scored several grades above in many areas to include scoring a freshman in college in one area. I thought to myself....if you would have spent any time talking to my child, you might find out that he is more than just this kid with issues. Anyway, I did not know of an appeal and I thought that the determination applied to both IEP and the 504 plan. We continued on with Josh getting in trouble and struggling in school. One night, Josh woke me up and said that his heart woke him up because it was beating fast and hard in his chest and skipping around. He said he made his way to the bathroom, where he lost all vision and fell back into the toilet almost passing completely out. We went to the ER. He was tachycardia, but he stated he wasn't feeling as badly as when he was awakened. We went to the Pediatrician for a follow-up. All meds were stopped at that point. His Doctor wanted to put a referral in for a Pediatric Cardiologist and a Psychiatrist. He wasn't comfortable prescribing meds to Josh any longer. The Cardiologist was scheduling about 6-8 months out. Even without the ADD meds, Josh continued to experience near-fainting spells. He also began having arrhythmias. The Psychiatrist changed Joshua to new non-stimulant. It helped his symptoms in school somewhat. He only had a month of school remaining and he faired well. Sixth grade began in a new building. He started off with the same non-stimulant. It wasn't managing his symptoms well, but it was all we could do until the visit with the Cardiologist. I spoke with every one of his teachers during open house. I made them all aware of the ADD, the meds that were barely managing symptoms, his heart issues and the bullying. I even told them that I had attempted to get him an IEP/504, but was denied. Within the first month, Josh was given 5 days of detention as a first offense. A child who had called him names before was walking in front of him. Josh rushed around him and accidentally bumped him. That child responded by saying, "watch it faggot!" My son replied, "f you". My son went to a teacher nearby and reported it. He didn't hold back and told what he had said as well. They were both sent to the disciplinarian. They both received 5 days of lunch detention. I was told by the Asst. Principal (disciplinarian) that Josh should not respond to bullies or he would get into trouble as well. That he just needed to not say anything at all and just report the bullies. I explained to him that after being bullied since he began school here a year and a half ago, my son was getting pretty sick of it. He had turned into a different child and was starting to fight back. He changed in his personality as well. He was irritable, emotional and just not the happy kid he used to be. He wasn't faring any better in his classes. He was forgetful, inattentive and impulsive. He would blurt out random things to the teacher when they were supposed to be reading or working. One teacher referred him to lunch detention nearly everyday. So many things happened in the months following...bad things...really really bad things. I will save those for another post about bullying.

The psychiatrist never mentioned any behavioral modifications other than telling my son to put his hand over his mouth to control his talking/blurting stuff out. We couldn't change any meds because we were still waiting to see the Cardiologist. After many incidences, I called the Special Education Administrator in September to try to get an IEP/504 again. I told her about some of the issues and she stated that she would get it in motion. After a two months, I called to see where we were in the process. The Administrator asked me, "So were you wanting a 504 or IEP or what?" I was stunned that she hadn't called me at any time to ask so that we could progress in the process. I told her that I did not know the difference. She told me to research it online and get back with her. She also asked me if we wanted to put Josh in a Special Education classroom. I asked her if she meant for testing or quiet time to complete work? She stated that she meant full-time. She said that she had talked with all of Joshua's teachers and she felt that the Special Education classroom would be best for him. I mentioned, "Well...my son had an intelligence testing done and was denied an IEP/504 because he scored in the 8-9th grade levels while he was in 5th grade. He had also scored a freshman in college on one area, but you feel that he would be best served in a special education classroom?" She said, "Well, talk it over with your husband and get back with me tomorrow." I told her that we had an appointment with a Pediatric Cardiologist concerning some cardiac issues the following day. I explained everything to her and how I had told all of his teachers about first aid procedures in the event he passes out or begins having arrhythmias during class. She told me that we could add his medical needs to the 504. I called her after Joshua's appointment and let her know that 1) we were not interested in the special education classroom, 2) the pediatric cardiologist had written out special instructions for Joshua that needed to be implemented into his plan and were to begin immediately, 3) we wanted the 504 plan (we did not want to chance being denied again based testing results). I even went to her office to drop off a copy of the doctors written script to be implemented into the plan. I provided copies to the school as well. This was in NOVEMBER. December passed. January passed. More incidents happened, many many more detentions that my son incurred....finally I called and asked her what the hold up was. She said, "Oh, are you still interested in the 504 plan?" Ummm....YES!!! I went to her office to speak with her. She had not even begun to write the 504. She didn't even remember me dropping off the Cardiologists instructions. She asked me what I wanted in the 504. I listed important things that I felt would help him. She said that we would be met with resistance from the Principal. I specifically wanted it to mentioned that a teacher would not be allowed to single my son out in front of the class for his behavior/make fun of him. I had reported one of his teachers recently for saying "Duh, Josh" whenever my son realized something pertaining to what she was teaching. The class was also now saying it to him in the classroom and laughing. The children would back her up and say, "Yeah Josh, Duh!" She also said, "Why can't you learn like the other children?" and she made a big deal out of him drinking his water to stay hydrated (which was part of his cardiologists orders to prevent fainting). She would ask, "Why can't you just be like the other kids?" Finally five months later in February, we had our 504 meeting with my son's teachers. It was a very watered-down version of a 504. It pretty much pertained to his heart issues and not so much to help with his ADD issues. On one of the areas, it asks the teachers to check his planner to make sure he has written down the day's assignments. The teacher mentioned above commented that she did not have time to check every student's planner to make sure they write in it. I told her that I was not asking her to check EVERY child's planner, just MY child's. Also, since the teachers had smart boards, it was asked that they print out copies of the notes on the board as my son had an issue of seeing notes on the board and being able to write them to paper. The above teacher did not provide notes at all until my husband went into her classroom 2 weeks later and asked her to start doing it. She did it for about 2 weeks and then stopped. During this time, Joshua started on new med combined with his non-stimulant. It was too strong and caused him to be angry, emotional and off-the-charts hyper. He was changed to a lesser doage. Also at this time, the height of his bullying peaked and a major incident happened. I pulled my son out of school for three days. I also received a referral to a Therapist from my son's ADD Psychiatrist. She felt it would help with the school issues. When he returned, things changed somewhat (but not really). My son began having more arrhythmias and tachycardia. He had to wear a 30 day monitor during the months of March and April. The principal gave my son one final detention for 3 days during the last week of school in May. It was because he told a child who had called him faggot many times in the past (he had reported it to teachers), who kept interrupting his conversation to "Be quiet. Nobody is talking to you." My son received detention because the child added "nobody likes you" to his complaint, even though the other child involved in the conversation denied that that part was said at all by Josh or anyone involved. My son received detention because his remark was "rude and insulting." It was at this time that we decided to move. My son was not to attend this school next year.

So, skip to new school. I talked with the new counselor about my son's 504 and asked if we had to get a new one coming into their school. He said that we did. We did that. It is basically the same as the previous one. I did not have any knowledge about how he was going to do in this school. I was hoping for the best. He continued seeing his Therapist. He continued seeing his Psychiatrist and started his two meds back up for school. He also had to go back to his Cardiologist because he had arrhythmias during the summer. He also continued to have ADHD/ADD symptoms. He was talking incessantly and impulsive (getting out of seat while teacher was talking). He received 3 detentions in the first month. I asked his Therapist if she could also help us with his ADD issues because his Psychiatrist only tells him to cover his mouth. I told her that I had read many books and we had tried many meds, but I just couldn't figure out something that worked. I was at a loss on what to do. She began working with him/us. After I was called in for a parent-teacher conference after his fourth detention, I called his Psychiatrist for help. She was very irritated upon our arrival. I told her about the detentions. I told her what the teachers had said about his talking and getting up during class. She began aggressively and loudly scolding my son. She told him that he needed to cover his mouth with his hand when he felt like talking. She told him that she now felt that all of the problems at his former school were not because of his teachers, but because of him (most of the issues had to do with bullying and how the issue was handled..it most certainly was not his fault). She also told us that she was running out of options and she could not dope our son up to make him mind. I am not one for medication anyway, so she was way off base here. I would rather my son NOT be on medication. My husband began asking questions. She informed my husband that she always charges us for only 30 minutes of her time, but that we always take 45 minutes or more. She said that she does not have time to talk about all the personal issues with us. She said that Josh needed to see a Behavioral Modification Specialist (first time I ever heard of that). I told her that we were seeing _____. She said, "Oh no. She is a Therapist! Not a counselor/doctor." I was thinking...wait, you referred us to her! My husband asked that maybe my son did not need medication then and could just see the Behavioralist. She told my husband that he was in denial. She said that she would write a script or not. She didn't care. Whatever we wanted. She didn't care. All said in a sarcastic tone. My husband told her that he was just trying to find out what was best for Josh, med or not or behavior modification. He didn't know what to do. She said that Josh needs to just close his mouth. She said that she did not have time for this. My husband said, "Fine. The next appointment, we will know that we only get 30 minutes and we should only talk about his meds and nothing else." She said that it was fine! My husband asked her why she was being aggressive and rude. She stated that she was not aggressive, she was just blunt and if he didn't like it..then? My husband said, "We are just trying to find out what to do. We didn't know you we only authorized thirty minutes. We have never heard of a behavioral specialist until today. My wife has asked you for help many times and you just tell her to tell Josh to cover his mouth with his hand. What kind of help is that?" She and my husband got into a heated argument and we left. My husband called our insurance provider and found out that she was authorized a 45-50 minute visit. If she needed more time, she could call and get it authorized. No biggie. He asked for a new psychiatrist. There is only 1 other pediatric psychiatrist in our area. We see him in late October. We met with my son's Therapist later that day. We told her of the appointment earlier that day. She was floored. She asked to meet back with us in a few days. She researched some behavior charts to start in the home and also gave us the number to a Behavior Specialist/Psychologist. She said that Josh needed to be seen to get a baseline on his ADD and do a Psych Eval since none had ever been done. She recommended that we start over from square one in treating Josh. We have independently starting giving Josh sublingual b12 and multi-vitamins.

He also take DHA/fish oil daily. That has helped. I saw results the first day. He is still....Josh. We heard back from the Behavioral Specialist and she cannot see Josh until late January. Yikes! With that said, I received a lot of information from her assistant. He informed me of the services she provides and how she can help us with behavior modification at home and assist us in the CORRECT 504 or IEP at school. I am very excited and hopeful for my son. I only want the best for him. I want to help him be able to help himself and set himself up for success! And that my friends....is where we are in this big ole ADHD/ADD maze! I cannot imagine the hoops parents must jump through when their child is autistic, mentally impaired or physically impaired or facing other issues. God Bless You All!  

Creme Fraiche....made AT HOME???

Why pay out the wazoo for things you can make AT HOME?!?!?! After living and shopping on the German economy for almost 4 years, one can get quite accustomed to having gourmet/organic cooking ingredients at your fingertips. I miss being able to go down to the local markets to buy...at very reasonable prices: warm brotchen, fresh flutes (baguettes), shinken, light Gouda and Lasiter cheese, krauterbuter, Lurpak and Kerrygold butter, fleur de sel, truffle oil, mascarpone, creme fraiche, organic vegetables, fruits and herbs...etc., etc., etc.!

Now my reality is living in rural-ish Oklahoma and not having much access to many of these. When I have been able to locate some of these items....it's at a premium! There is always the internet you might say....but that means shipping costs...which means something that is already expensive is even more so. Ugh! Sooo, I decided that I am not going to miss out on all my faves from Germany. I am going to start making some of these things at home. One item that I am most pleased to make is....CREME FRAICHE! It is surprisingly easy to do. Anyone could do it!! Plus, it saves me an arm and a leg. You have no idea how happy I am that I can make this in my home. I have been unable to find it locally. I would have to drive to either Wichita Falls (45 mins) or Oklahoma City (1 1/2hr) to purchase it. I got used to cooking with it overseas. I would mix it with fresh dill to use on Smoked Salmon, spoon it into soups, and blend with herbs for dips. My most favorite food using creme fraiche....

 

FLAMMKUCHEN!!!
MMmmMMM Flaaaammmkuckennn!
(eyes roll back)
OHHH YES, you delicious little tarte flambe, you! I WILL be making you very soon!! And I will slowly savor your creamy, salty, oniony goodness like never before!!!!
(shakes head to return from my Alsatian dreamland)

Ahhh yes, back to my story! I made this creme fraiche for a Pumpkin Soup recipe that a friend of mine shared. The Pumpkin Soup recipe is from the Hoffest Hitscherhof (scroll to the bottom for English). This farm is located near Massweiler, Germany. The town has been around for 700 years. They have a huge craft, food and family fun fair in September to mark the Autumn Equinox. When my son and I went there, we ate the Flammkuchen, of course! We should have tried the soup as we soon found that we had really missed something delicious! I have heard numerous raves about their soup and really, really wanted to try it. Thank you Tephanie for sharing!

 

I made two versions of creme fraiche. One slightly thick and one slightly thin. You can see the difference on the double spoons pic.

Recipe for THIN:

1TBS Yogurt (I used greek) and 1 cup of heavy cream.

FOR THICK:

2TBS Yogurt (same greek) and 1 cup of heavy cream.

 

Mix well in jar. Cover with clean cloth (to keep the bugs out, but allow air) and leave out on the counter or warm spot overnight (between 12-24 hours depending on how tangy you like it). The pics here are shown at about 16 hours. When they are to your liking, cover with lid or press and seal. Refrigerate. These will keep up to 10 days in the fridge. On one of the jars, I have a brown area. I sat the jars on my stove to warm them up and start the process. It was a little chilly last night and my cream was cold out of the fridge. I had just broiled dinner so I thought I'd set them up there to gently heat (the top of the stove didn't feel that hot..lol). Wrongo! The immense heat still coming up from the stove vent scorched the cream in the area that was closest to the hot air. THANKFULLY, it did not affect the flavor of the creme. Here are the results.

PUMPKIN SOUP AND FLAMMKUCHEN...HERE I COME! :)

The thin one is on the left and the thick is on the right.

Thinner one.

The consistency. It slowly dripped off of the spoon.

Thicker one.

Consistency. It stayed put on the spoon.

Here you can see the difference.



 

 

With love, from my kitchen to yours....

Shrimp Stuffed Poblanos with Roasted Tomato Salsa

In my family, there are a two ethnic foods that reign supreme: MEXICAN AND ITALIAN!

My husband and I dabble in other areas, but we thoroughly enjoy creating dishes in these two areas. We also love to experiment with different vegetables, spices, cheeses, etc.

With that said, I would also like to point out that we like to cook on a small budget.

We use what we have on hand and try to keep it as cheap as we can.

However, cheap doesn't have to mean flavorless!

We make sure that the dish is loaded with as much flavor as we can fit in.

Last weekend, I decided to throw down some delicious SEAFOOD MEXICAN!

MY FAVE!!

Seafood Mexican really is a treat for me. I fell in love with it on a trip to California.

We were cruising along the coastline and decided to stop at Laguna Beach.

We spent the day on the beach enjoying some much needed family time.

As we were leaving, we noticed a little place right off of the beach named

 WAHOO'S FISH TACO.

 The name alone piqued our interest. The Fish Tacos and Enchiladas were AH-MAY-ZING!

Since then, we have found another favorite place to get seafood with our beloved Mexican dishes.

If you are ever in the San Antonio area, you must try

LOS CUCOS!!

 We enjoy the Enchiladas Del Rio and the Shrimp Burritos. Our son always gets the Puff Tostada.

MMMMmmm, just thinking about it makes me wanna go there right now!

 

Back to my original story about last weekend's delicious meal. I found these recipes a long time ago and cut them out of a magazine. I didn't use them at that time and kinda forgot about them...as I am known to do. While cleaning out the fridge, I decided to use up some poblanos that were getting to the point of no return in the crisper. Also, I had about 12 roma tomatoes that I had bought on sale that needed to be used. Obviously, I planned on making a lot of salsa! (wink)  I had 2 serrano peppers and that were starting to turn a slight orangey-red...shame on me!

 

Seeing as how I had been on a salsa kick lately, I initially wanted to make something "roasted".

I miraculously remembered the magazine clippings with the roasted salsa recipe and that "other one" that looked interesting. Afer reviewing the ingredients, I learned that the "other" recipe needed shrimp. Thankfully, the week prior I had printed out some coupons for shrimp. I sent my Hubby to the Commissary with coupon in hand to buy the bag while I started prepping. Come to find out the shrimp was on sale. With the addition of the coupon, we got it for quite a steal!

Woohoo! Now that's my kind of shopping!

 

Now that I've bored you beyond belief with my storytelling, here is the actual recipe!

 

Shrimp Stuffed Poblanos

 

1 pound fresh or frozen shrimp

2 TBS olive oil

2 TBS butter

1c. chopped onion

3/4c. chopped red sweet pepper

3/4c. fresh or frozen corn kernels

(I used fresh because I froze ziplocs full of them after purchasing a bunch of corn on clearance.)

1/4c. dry white wine (sauvignon blanc, reisling)

1 tsp. chili powder

(I used new mexico chili powder)

1c. each Sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack, shredded

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Non-stick cooking spray

5-6 poblanos, roasted

 

Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Peel and devein if needed. Rinse and pat dry. Chop shrimp and set aside. Roast poblanos on a cookie sheet lined with foil. I broiled them 6" away from flames for about 8 minutes. Wrap them completely in foil and leave to steam for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet. Add onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add the shrimp, red pepper, corn, wine and chili powder. Allow to cook on med-high heat until shrimp are cooked and turn opaque, about 4 minutes. Allow to cool. Then, stir in cheese and the beaten egg, salt and pepper. Once the poblanos are finished steaming, carefully remove the shriveled skin from the pepper. Make a slit lengthwise and remove the seeds and veins. I always rinse mine under warm water to remove all of the seeds.

 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a square or rectangular dish with cooking spray. Lay poblanos flat in the dish. Spoon shrimp mixture into each poblano and pour the remaining on top. I sprinkled it with a little bit of pepper before placing in the oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

I topped the dish with a cream sauce prior to serving.

 

Roasted Tomato Salsa

 

6 roma tomatoes, cut in half

1/2 onion, quartered

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 serrano pepper, halved and seeded

2 TBS canola oil

1c. fresh cilantro, snipped

small squeeze of lime juice

1/2 tsp. sugar

 

Line rectangular baking pan with foil. Place all vegetables into a large bowl and toss with the canola oil. I added a little sea salt and cracked black pepper. Place vegetables into pan (tomatoes and peppers cut side down). Broil 6" from the heat for about 8 minutes, turn over and broil for about 8 minutes more. Check periodically to prevent burning. When finished, pinch tomato skins off and discard. When cool, coarsely chopped tomatoes, serrano and onions and add to small bowl. Mash roasted garlic and mix into salsa. Add sugar and a tiny bit of lime juice. Season with salt if needed (I added it prior to roasting, so it didn't need anymore.)

*Note: I roasted these before the poblanos to free up the oven for the main dish.

 

And there you have it! A simple, yet delicious meal. Serve with cilantro rice or red Mexican rice. I used this salsa with a pinch of mexican oregano and cumin for a quick version of "red rice" in the pic above. I pulsed the salsa in a processor first.

With love, from my kitchen to yours.....