The Last few Months....

These last few months have just flown by. In that time, we have lost a beloved pet, packed up over 10,000 pounds worth of our belongings, drove 400+ miles to our new duty station, unpacked nearly 10,000 pounds of said belongings, celebrated our 14th Anniversary, celebrated our son's 13th birthday, and begun to settle into our new home located in a beautiful area that reminds us of Germany. I have not had much time to dedicate to my blog. I have many things on which to blog! Several pictures to post! A few new recipes to tempt your tastebuds! So, check back often because...I'm back in the saddle again.

As always, thank you for joining me

as I blog along!

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....

 

 



 

 



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....

 



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.....

 

 

 



HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!

So, it has cooled off a little here in Southern Oklahoma. We have had temperatures ranging from the cool high 60's to the warmer high 90's. That's Oklahoma for ya. Don't like the weather....wait a few minutes! This time of year brings some of our favorite family things to do 'round here. Although it starts a little bit before Fall, we still love to watch our favorite football team throughout the season...OU SOONERS, baby! Of course, we like OSU...but, only if they're playing teams we don't like AND they're not outranking us! lol We have the Oklahoma State Fair happening in September. We went on the 15th and had a blast! In October, we have the Pumpkin Patch in Cyril at the Jahn's Farm and the Corn Maze in Weatherford. I can hardly wait to go this year. We have not been since we moved back from Germany. Now that my son is older, he'll get to enjoy the Haunted Maze and Laser Tag with his friends instead of Dear Old Mom and Dad. :) Although my son will not be trick-or-treating this year, we will still take part in some of the festivities. Maybe this year, he is old enough to walk WITH DAD (:oP) through the Trail Of Fear. Then, we'll make our way into November where our family will gather around a monumental smorgasbord of good-ole-down-home-cooking! Yup, I'm talkin' 'bout Thanksgivin'!! I make my same specialties every year. Every now and then I'll venture out and try something new, but I have been cooking these dishes for so long that my family expects these favorites to be on the TG menu. The Big Hungry Bear, aka The Husband, starts asking if I'm making the Potato Casserole days in advance. He knows I make it every year, but he just has to ask to make sure that "I" haven't forgotten about it. I am getting up in age ya know! ;)



Jahn's Pumpkin Patch

I hope each of you have a wonderful time outdoors as you get this much needed break from the heat. In Oklahoma, it doesn't last that long so we'll take it when we get it!! It's the perfect time to for you to: ride your horse(s) more often, knock some of those "honey-dos" off the list, rotate your wardrobe, plant some mums, paint some pumpkins, go on a photography road trip, pick some apples and plan more family outtings. The third season of the year makes it more pleasurable to do more of these things.

In addition to the changing landscape and getting to sport our favorite hoodies, there is another seasonal transformation that takes place...IN THE KITCHEN! With cooler weather comes our cravings for comfort foods. You know the ones.....all savory and hearty, cheesy and rich. Throw in a few Autumn-spiced sweets and you'll have a well- rounded Fall feast.

 

I have been cooking like a champ for the last few weeks. I've doled out some delicious Mini Apple Pies, Shrimp Stuffed Poblanos, Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and Lobster Ravioli with Tomato Cream Sauce to name a few. I'll start posting some of these delicious recipes along with a few others soon. If  a particular recipe looks good, like the post . If you have a question, ask. Critique or advice, drop a line in the comment section. I would love to hear from you!

 

And now....here are a few pictures from the past for you to enjoy.

.

 

A FEW COSTUMES

A Truck Driver (complete with Preperation H)

As Daddy



A Black Eyed "P"

George Washington

 

iPhone

Soldiers Dressed Up For A Fall FRG Party

 

A Little Fall Fun

Decorating Your Yard

Smores And Roasted Marshmallows Around The Firepit



Yes, in the military life...sometimes you gotta combine Thanksgiving AND Christmas!



Getting Stuffed!

With Your Beloved Animals

Taking A Few Family Pics






Enjoying A Nice Ride In The Cool Weather



 

      Again, thank you for joining me as I blog along

and I wish you all a....

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!