3 Friends and Our Food

Dragon Cake

2011-03-14T14:16:00.000-07:00

My son wanted a Dragon cake for his birthday party. I found this idea on familyfun.go.com. It was pretty easy and turned out really cute! They give complete detailed instructions. The only things I did different is make a chocolate mold for the wings instead of use fruit roll ups. Also I made the mouth open by cutting a section out of the mouth and putting a broken egg shell in the mouth. My intent was to have the mouth breath fire but my vanilla coated sugar cubes wouldn't catch fire. I made the tongue and teeth out of red this candy strips, I'm not sure what they were, and cut them jagged to make them look like a tongue and teeth. My son loved it!!!

Strawberry Cake

2011-03-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from allrecipes.com. It was really tasty! I made it for my son's birthday. He loves strawberries and requested a strawberry cake. My daughter and son decorated the top with strawberries.

2 cups white sugar
1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs (room temperature)
2 3/4 cup sifted cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup strawberry puree made from frozen sweetened strawberries (I used unsweetened and it still turned out fine)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and dry strawberry gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. Blend in vanilla and strawberry puree. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a small knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in their pans over a wire rack for at least 10 minutes, before tapping out to cool completely.

For the frosting I found this one on whatmegansmaking.com and changed it just a bit.
1 stick butter, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries and juice
2 tablespoons milk

Place the softened butter in a large mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 20 seconds. Add the powdered sugar and strawberries. Blend on low speed until the frosting is creamy and of a spreadable consistency. This is where I added some milk to make it a little thinner and easier to spread.

Chicken Pot Pie

2011-03-05T14:51:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything. I'm still cooking but just forget to put any new recipes up. My friend here in Texas taught me how to make pie crust. I was so excited when they actually turned out. Then she taught me how to make chicken pot pie from scratch using my new pie crust baking talents! Here's the recipe and if you like chicken pot pie you'll love this!

All the inside fixings! This is good to eat just as a soup. I had to much filling and ate some for lunch

The pot pie before baking!

The potpie after baking and slicing into it!

Chicken Pot Pie
2 chicken breasts boiled and shredded- save the broth
4 potatoes chopped
3 celery stalks chopped
3 carrots-good sized- chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 cup peas- I use frozen

Sauce
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sage
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups broth or water if you didn't save your broth
3/4 cup milk
1 tbs chicken bouillon or 4 cubes
2 tsp parsley

Pie Crust
1 1/8 cup shortening
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
5-10 tbs cold water

This makes enough for a 9x13 casserole dish. I split mine into two pie plates and froze one because the 9x13 is to big for us. First you take your chicken breasts and boil and shred them reserve the broth. Then you boil your potatoes, celery, carrots, and onion. Combine your chicken with your vegetables including your frozen peas.

Next make your sauce. Make a roux with your butter and flour and slowly add your milk. Then add the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir until it thickens.
After your sauce is done add your chicken and veggies to your sauce.

Next make your pie crust. Cut your shortening into your flour and salt. Make sure it is well blended. Then add your cold water being careful not to overwork your dough. Then split in half if using a 9x13 dish or into 4 if using two pie pans. Roll out and put into your dish shaping the dough around dish. Place chicken and veggies sauce into dish and then roll out second ball of dough and place on top of pan and chicken mixture. Bake at 350 for one hour. Enjoy!

Hoping to get back to this thing!

2010-10-02T02:36:00.001-07:00

Again, it's been awhile! I know for me it's been a crazy year! My husband deployed earlier in the year and this summer we had a new baby! Life is starting to get back to "normal" and I hope to get back to this blog!

So here is my first post in awhile and hopefully not the last for awhile!

This might sound kinda funny but, I don't like eggs. However, I really WANT to like eggs! Every time I smell them when they are being cooked or when I see recipes, I really want to like them! So I am trying to make myself like eggs. Today I set out to make the perfect omelet. I watched many youtube videos and read many articles on making omelets. This is what I came up with today! My husband who does like eggs, and my 8 year old daughter both LOVED the omelets! My husband said "it was a 9 out of 10!" That's pretty good if you ask me! Here are the links to 1 video that I found helpful-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgHgbn_sVUw

To our omelets, I made some homemade hash browns. I made those by peeling and shredding 3 potatoes. I squeezed out the excess liquid from the potatoes in a dish towel.Then I fried them up in some oil with salt and pepper. Probably the most perfect hash browns I have ever made! Then I started to fry up my eggs. I added some Canadian bacon, cheese, salt and pepper and hash browns (to my omelet I added green onion). Cooked the omelet until it was done and served them with sour cream and more cheese sprinkled on top!

Now, how did I feel about my omelet? Did I feel as strongly as my daughter and husband? No. But remember, I DON'T like eggs! I did think it was tasty and I would like to try it again sometime. So, not to bad for a first timer though!

~Sarah T.

It's been too long!

2010-05-17T06:29:00.000-07:00

Hello out there to all our faithful followers! It has been too long! I have an excuse!! There is always a good excuse, right? I haven't been doing a lot of cooking/baking lately since my husband left. He was deployed to Iraq last month. So, since the “big eater” in our family is gone, I really struggle with what to cook!

So, I come to you, my friends, for help! What can I make that is healthy, fast and kid friendly? It is really hard to make dinner for myself and my 3 kids! I need your ideas and you recipes!

Also- here is another question for you! As I have said before, I am really into menu planning. My question for you is this- do you have a theme for each night of the week? Example; Taco Tuesday, Breakfast for dinner Wednesday, etc... I have been thinking about this lately and have been trying to figure out some good themes.

There you go! You now have two assignments! Let's see how you do! Thanks everybody!

~Sarah T.

Bread Bowls and Clam Chowder

2010-03-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

I already posted the recipe for the Clam Chowder in January '09. This time though I made it, took a picture and even made bread bowls to go with it. It was really good. I got the recipe for the bread bowls from Melskitchencafe.com and used the Artisan bread bowls.

Here's a picture of the final products.

Happy Be-Lated St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-18T00:44:00.000-07:00

I seem to be running behind this year on my holidays! So, just like Valentine's day, St. Patrick's Day is also late for us this year. I hope by Easter, I can get things together! Today, we are eating our traditional St. Patty's Day meal of Corned Beef. For dessert, I made these tasty brownies! I used a brownie recipe I got from my friend Meghan and a frosting recipe I got from here.

Brownies from Meghan-
3/4 c butter
2 c sugar
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 c chocolate chips
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in large bowl in microwave. Then add all other ingredients, except for chocolate chips. Mix until smooth. Then stir in 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Pour into a greaed 9x13 pan. Sprikle remainin chocolate chips on top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Mint Frosting-
2 c powdered sugar
4 T butter, softened
1 tsp peppermint extract
1 to 2 T milk
green food coloring

Combine all ingredients until smooth. Spread on top of cooled brownies.

Another thing we always eat with our Corned Beef is my father-in-laws mustard sauce. This sauce is great with any meat dish! My husband loves it! And he hates pickles and mustard but, he loves this sauce!

Lin's Mustard Sauce-
Add 1/3 c pickle juice to 2 T mustard. Add 1 heaping cup of mayo. Add more juice if need for desired constistancy.

Enjoy!
~Sarah T.

Blueberry Muffins

2010-03-01T06:58:00.000-08:00

Honestly, I am not a blueberry muffin fan. But, I got this recipe from a friend in California and they are delicious! Give them a try and you will like them, too! I promise!

Rinse and drain 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries. If using frozen, do not thaw!

1 1/2 flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 c Wheat Germ

3/4 c sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

Mix together dry ingredients

1 egg

1/2 c milk

1/3 c oil

grated rind of 1 lemon

Beat egg. Add oil then milk and lemon rind. Mix into dry ingredients until moistened. Gently fold in blueberries. Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin tin. Sprinkle with regular or course sugar. Bake at 375 degrees until golden, about 20 minutes.

~Sarah T.

Shrimp Tacos

2010-02-20T11:12:00.000-08:00

I surprised my husband today for Valentine's Day. Yes, I know, I am a week late. But, I have a good excuse! I was sick! Being pregnant and sick is not a good combo. So, I made up for it tonight by making shrimp tacos for my husband. They turned out really well and he loved them!! Here is what I did-

First I made the Pico de Gallo with chopped tomato, onion and flat leaf parsley.
Then, I made a white sauce, just like they serve at Rubio's. I used 1/2 cup plain yogurt and 1/2 cup mayonnaise.
Next, I fried up the shrimp. I made 2 drudges for the shrimp. The dry with flour, corn meal, salt and pepper. The wet with eggs, water and some Tabasco sauce. Drudge the shrimp in the egg mixture, then the flour and fry until golden brown.
Warm some corn tortillas. Put the shrimp in the tortilla, top with the Pico de Gallo, white sauce and shredded cabbage. Serve with lime wedges that can be squeezed on the taco for extra flavor!
Enjoy!

~Sarah T.

Chinese New Year Food

2010-02-15T11:57:00.000-08:00

I had some friends over and we made Chinese Food for Chinese New Year. It was so Good!!! Sarah, Sarah, and I celebrated this in California and it always turned out really well. I just decided to carry on the tradition in a different part of the Country.

First I made Honey Walnut Shrimp, this was so good! Here's the recipe:

1 lb. 31/40 count shrimp/prawn
1/2 up Walnut halves, must be the walnut halves
3 TBSP Mayonnaise
1/2 TBSP honey
1/2 TBSP sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 egg white
1/2 cup corn starch
oil for frying

For the Walnuts:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Peel and deveined the shrimp/prawn. Pat dry with paper towels, add the egg white, mix well with the shrimp and set aside.
Rinse the walnut halves with water, drain and set aside.
Heat up the water until it boils and add in the sugar.
Keep stirring until it turns thick and golden color and then add the walnut.
Boil for 2 minutes, then drain and place walnuts on a cookie sheet/parchment paper to dry.
Heat the oil in a wok over high heat.
Coat the shrimp with a thick layer of corn starch and then fry in the hot oil until golden brown. Remove the shrimps from the wok and drain on paper towels.
In a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, honey, condensed milk and lemon juice.
Add shrimp and toss with the mayonnaise sauce.
Transfer to a serving plate and garnish the candid walnuts on top of the shrimp and serve immediately. Here's the website it came from rasamalaysia.com/chinese-food-recipe-honey-walnut/

Cream Cheese Rangoon

1 pkg. of won-ton shell
2 to 3 (8 oz.) pkg. of cream cheese
1 TBSP. fine minced green onions

Beat cream cheese until soft. Combine minced green onions with cream cheese until blended. Put a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each shell. Pinch the sides of the shell together to form a triangle. Fold and pinch the two ends toward the center point. Deep fry in hot oil until brown. Serve with sweet and sour sauce, and hot sauce. Found this on Cooks.com

Orange Chicken

2 lbs boneless chicken pieces, skinned
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. salt
white pepper
oil(for frying)
1/2 cup cornstarch PLUS 1 TBSP. cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
1 TBSP. minced ginger root
1 tsp minced garlic
1 dash crushed hot red chilies
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 TBSP. rice wine
1/4 cup water
1 tsp sesame oil

Orange Chicken Sauce
1 1/2 TBSP soy sauce
1 1/2 TBSP water
5 TBSP sugar
5 TBSP white vinegar

Cut chicken pieces into 2-inch squares and place in large bowl. Stir in egg, salt, pepper and 1 TBSP oil and mix well. Stir cornstarch and flour together. Add chicken pieces, stirring to coat. Heat oil for deep-frying in wok or deep-fryer to 375 degrees. Add chicken pieces, small batch at time, and fry 3 - 4 minutes or until golden and crisp. (Do not overcook or chicken will be tough.) Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside. clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat. Add 1 TBSP oil. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Add and stir-fry crushed chilies and green onion. Add rice wine and stir 3 seconds. Add Orange Sauce and bring to boil. Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed, Stir water into remaining 1 TBSP cornstarch until smooth. Add to chicken and heat until sauce is thickened. Stir in 1 TBSP oil and sesame oil. Serve at once. You may want to add grated zest of 1 orange to the sauce for flavor. Found this on cdkitchen.com.

Awesome Alfredo!

2010-01-16T07:57:00.000-08:00

No, your eye's have not deceived you! This is a new recipe! The three of us have had pretty busy lives over the last few months! For me, I was in the states for 3 weeks, where I got to see Sarah! But unfortunately, not Angela :( Then, we found out we are expecting baby number 4! So, I have had little desire to eat, let alone cook, over the last few months. But, I am starting to feel much better and actually starting to cook again!

So, here is the new recipe I have for you today. This awesome Alfredo sauce! I got is from my mom's friend, Jolene. Give it a try and you will love it too!

Ingredients:
2 TBSP Olive Oil
2 TBSP butter
2 to 3 cloves fresh garlic
1 TBSP flour
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
8 oz(1 triangle) fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp dried basil (or 2 to 4 TBSP fresh, chopped basil leaves)
salt and pepper to taste

Gently saute garlic in oil and butter. Sprinkle in flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic! Stir in cream and milk. Bring to gentle simmer until it begins to thicken. Add cheese, basil, salt and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted. Serve over pasta with cooked chicken. And enjoy!!

~Sarah T.

Tri-Tip Marinade

2009-10-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

I've made this recipe twice now and my family loves it! I had never cooked a tri-tip before but it was on sale and I found this great marinade recipe and thought I'd try it. I suggest that you marinate the meat for 24 hours. I did it for 6 hours the first time, but much preferred the flavor of the meat when I marinated it longer. The grilling time is approximate depending on how thick your cut of meat is. The most important thing is too let the meat rest for at least 10 minutes before you slice it. Also, leftovers make delicious sandwiches the next day. Enjoy!

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 (2 lb) tri-tip roast, trimmed

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients except for the beef in a large mixing bowl to make the marinade. Place trimmed tri-tip in a plastic container or a Zip-lock bag and pour the marinade over. Let stand in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.

Heat grill to medium temperature.

Place tri-tip on grill at a 45 degree angle to establish grill marks and cook about 35 minutes, or until cooked to desired doneness. Remove the tri-tips from the grill and let rest about 10 minutes before slicing.

Sarah R.

Oatmeal Pancakes

2009-10-04T01:31:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to find fast, healthy, freezable meals. It seems like our evening tend to get a little wild and crazy and leave me scrambling to find something quick for dinner! I found this recipe on My Kitchen Cafe. My kids love pancakes so I knew we had to try it!

Oatmeal Pancake Mix-

3 1/2 c quick rolled oats
3 c whole wheat flour
3 c white flour
3 TBSP sugar
3 TBSP baking powder
1 TBSP salt
1 TBSP baking soda
1 c vegetable oil

*This mix makes 10 cups dry mix!*

Mix all dry ingredients. Slowly add the oil. After the oil is added, with your fingers press the mix together. If it stays in a clump, then it is done. If it is still crumbly, add oil one tablespoon at a time until it is the right consistency. I didn't have to add any extra oil.

I took out 2 cups of the mix to make for breakfast this morning. The rest I put into a Ziploc bag to put in the freezer for later meals.

When ready to make, add 1 cup mix, 1 cup buttermilk and 1 egg. Mix and then cook on griddle until done. You can substitute the buttermilk for 1 cup of a 1/2 and 1/2 combination of plain yogurt and milk. 1 cup mix makes about 6 to 7 pancakes.

~Sarah T

2009-10-01T21:36:00.000-07:00

Soft Pretzels

This is a fun and yummy recipe to make with your kids!

1 (.25 oz.) package active dry yeast
2 T. brown sugar
1 t. salt
1 ½ c. warm water (110˚F)
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. bread flour
2 c. warm water
2 T. baking soda
2-3 T. butter, melted
Kosher salt and/or cinnamon and sugar to top the pretzels

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast, brown sugar and salt in 1 ½ cups warm water. Stir in flour and knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes (I usually do this in my stand mixer for 4 to 5 minutes with a dough hook). Place in a greased bowl and turn to coat the surface. Cover, and let rise for one hour.

Combine 2 cups warm water and baking soda in a 9x9 square pan.

After dough has risen, cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 12” rope, approximately. Twist into desired shape (i.e. letter, heart, knot, etc.) and dip into the baking soda solution. Place six pretzels at a time onto parchment covered cookie sheets (I use my Silpat) and let rise 15 to 20 minutes (I usually just put mine right into the oven).

Bake at 450˚F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt, garlic salt or cinnamon and sugar.

Sarah R.

Pumpkin Pie Squares

2009-10-01T01:29:00.000-07:00

I love fall! It is by far my favorite time of year! The feeling and crispness in the air, the beautiful fall colors on the trees and of course... the food! And today, my house is filled with the smell of delicious fall food! I am making this Apple-Crisp for my daugther's school class, and I also made these Pumpkin Pie Squares!

Pumpkin Pie Squares from Pillsbury Casseroles and Slow Cooker Meals

Crust:

3/4 c flour

3/4 c rolled oats

1/2 c chopped nuts

1/2 c butter, softened

1 box (4-serving size) butterscotch pudding *I can't find butterscotch pudding at the Commissary, so I used vanilla instead and it came out great!*

Mix together crust ingredients and press into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

Filling:

2 eggs

1 c flaked coconut, if desired *I left this out... Not a coconut fan.*

1 1/2 tea pumpkin pie spice

1 15 oz can pumpkin pie filling (2 cups)

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

Beat eggs. Then stir in remaining ingredients. Pour over crust.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Cool completely and serve with Cool-Whip. Refrigerate leftovers.

P.S.-Sorry, I have had no time for pictures! We are getting ready to leave town for about 4 weeks! We are lucky I have even had time to cook!!

~Sarah T.

4 Layer Delight

2009-09-19T02:54:00.000-07:00

My husband actually got this recipe while he was on his mission in Canada. The title on the recipe card is Sex in a Pan. Then it has this side note- Please rename the title of this dessert when feeding it to the missionaries! Or any other time it may be inappropriate. My husband said that when it was fed to him on his mission, they called it "dessert in a pan". But, he knew that wasn't the real name and made them tell him what it was. He said he then pretended to be shocked and offended when they told him what it was called and that they would feed it to the Elders! My mom used to make this when I was younger and we always called it "4 Layer Delight". So, since I am actually feeding this to the Elders tonight, we will call it 4 Layer Delight!

Crust:

4 c graham cracker crumbs

3/4 c brown sugar

3/4 c melted butter

nuts optional

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then cool completely

2nd layer:

8oz cream cheese, softened

2/3 c powdered sugar

1/2 pf a 32oz tub of Cool Whip

Mix togetehr and spread over crust

3rd layer:

1 large box of chocolate pudding

Mix together only using half of the milk called for in the directions on the box.

4th layer:

Rest of the Cool Whip

Chill before serving. You can also top with chopped almonds and/or chocolate flakes before serving.

~Sarah T.

Katsu Chicken

2009-09-07T10:31:00.001-07:00

Katsu Chicken is a family favorite on my husband's Dad's side of the family. We have it quite often and especially on special occasions. And thanks to my in-laws, they keep us well stocked with all the ingredients to make our own Katsu here in Germany!

Katsu Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken tenders

flour

seasoned sat

eggs, beaten

Panko

You will need 3 bowls for dredging; one with flour and seasoned salt, one with eggs, and one with Panko. Dredge the chicken in the eggs, then flour, back in eggs, then in the Panko. Fry in hot oil until brown, crispy and cooked throughout. Serve with rice and Kagome sauce.

You can find Panko in the grocery store in the Asian food isle. Now Kagome sauce you will have to look for a little harder! I could only find it in Asian markets. But, it is well worth the extra trip! You can also make this with pork cutlets and it is called Tongkatsu. That is also a favorite!

~Sarah T.

Crockpot Lasagna

2009-09-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

12 Lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 jar (28 ounces) spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup water
1 carton (16 ounces) cottage cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

Break noodles in half. Place half of the noodles in bottom of greased 4-quart slow cooker. Stir Italian seasoning into meat and spread half over the noodles already in slow cooker. Then layer half of the sauce and water, half of cottage cheese, and half of mozzarella cheese over beef. Repeat layer. Cover and cook on low heat 4-5 hours. Do not cook more than 5 hours. Makes 6-8 servings.

For mine I used Turkey Sausage instead of the ground beef. Then I took a can of tomato sauce and mixed half a package of spaghetti seasoning in it. I also filled the can with water and mixed that with the tomato sauce. I substituted this for the jar of spaghetti sauce. The kids really liked it along with Ryan.

Brownie Overload

2009-09-04T12:56:00.001-07:00

So, I got a chocolate craving on Sunday and this is what I came up with to satisfy it.

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt

Cream together butter, sugar and eggs. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Bake in an 8 x 8 inch pan at 350 for 20 minutes.

Of course I added a few other things to mine. To the batter I added caramel balls that I found in the grocery store here. Here's a picture.

Then after baking them for about 15 minutes I sprinkled Heath bits on top! Then when they were cool I frosted them with chocolate frosting. Here's that recipe.

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate frosting
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
2/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa
3 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on medium speed to spreading consistency. Add more milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.

Chicken Taco's

2009-09-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

This is a simple crock pot recipe and tastes so good!
Chicken Breast's (they can be frozen)
1 package taco seasoning
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP onion powder
1 cup salsa

Put in crockpot on low for 8-10 hours. Enjoy!

Spanish Rice

2009-09-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe that I got from my sister Amanda. It is really good!
1 cup long grain rice
2 TBSP. butter or corn oil
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. crushed garlic
2 cups chicken or beef broth

Optional:
1/2 cup canned or frozen corn
1 cup red or black beans
1/2 cup diced green chili's
1/2 cup sliced black or green olives

Put oil in pan with rice until rice starts popping. Add onions and garlic saute together. Add Broth, tomato sauce and other optional items. Cover and let simmer 20 -25 minutes. If it starts to look dry add more broth.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

2009-08-31T22:37:00.000-07:00

I have seen this recipe on a few blogs and the name of it always kinda threw me off. Honey? Lime? Enchiladas? I love enchiladas. I would have to say they are my most favorite food! So, I had to give them a try, and... they were very good! I was amazed! So give them a try and let me know what you think! You will be amazed too!

Honey Lime Enchiladas from The Sister's Cafe

1.5 pounds of chicken or pork, cooked and shredded

Sauce:

1/3 c honey

1/4 c lime juice

1 TBSP chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix sauce ing. and put in the shredded meat. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.

You also need:

2, 10oz can of green enchilada sauce

equal parts mixed together of shredded cheddar cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese

flour tortillas

Lightly spray you dishes ( this will make one large pan or one 9x13 and 1 9x9 pan). Pour enough of enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of your dish. Add some cheese to the meat mixture. Place meat in tortillas and roll and place in dish. When finished, pour remainder of enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with lots of cheese!

Bake in a 350 degree oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Then, turn on the broiler and let the cheese brown. Then, enjoy!!!

~Sarah T.

This Week for Dinner!

2009-08-31T04:25:00.001-07:00

There is an awesome blog that I totally love (not more than this blog, of course!) It is called
This Week for Dinner. It is a blog all about menu planning. Jane, the writter of the blog, posts her weekly menu and then all the readers also put up their menus. Jane will also add recipes and other helpful kitchen tips from time to time. It is so much fun and great for ideas when you have the menu planning blues! I already added my menu for this week but I will also post it here! Just this once ;)

M-Honey Lime Enchiladas
T-Baked Chicken and Pastina
W- tacos
TH- lasagna
F- eat out!

What are some of your favortie dinners?

~Sarah T.

Homemade Pizza Dough

2009-08-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe I found in Cooking Light. The dough turned out to be really good and it makes enough for two pizzas so you can freeze one and use it for another meal if you want.
1 Package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water
1 1/4 cups cold water
2 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp salt
5 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour, divided
Cooking Spray

Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Combine 1 1/4 cups cold water, oil, sugar, and salt in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.
Lightly spoon about 5 1/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, yeast mixture, and cold water mixture in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low 8 minutes or until dough begins to form Let rest 2 minutes; mix on low 6 minutes or until dough is smooth. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 2 minutes); add enough of the remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 TBSP at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).
Divide the dough in half, and place each portion in a large zip-top bag coated with cooking spray. Seal and chill overnight or up to 2 days. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before using. You can also freeze the dough in heavy duty, freezer-safe zip-top plastic bags for up to 2 months; thaw dough overnight in the refrigerator.

I used the dough right away and then froze the other one for another time and it turned out great. I made turkey sausage pizza cooked it in the oven at 450 for about 15 minutes. Just check on it because the recipe didn't give me a time or temperature so I guessed and it turned out good. Here are some pictures of my pizza. You can also make 4 cal zones out of the dough.

Pizza dough after I kneaded it and before I divided it into two.

The pizza dough all ready for the toppings. I put olive oil on my stone and then just shaped it around the stone with my hands.

This is the pizza sauce that I used.

The pizza with the sauce and half of the cheese on it.

The completed Pizza, Yummy!!!

Zucchini Banana Chip Muffins

2009-08-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

Well I'm back! We are now settled into our new Homestead in Oklahoma and I'm back in the kitchen. I'm so glad to be cooking again and not eating fast food!!!! Here is a recipe I tried from a cookbook from Sarah T.'s Mom. The muffins turned out really yummy!

3 eggs
1 cup oil
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup shredded zucchini (2 sm. or 1 lg.)
1 cup mashed bananas (2 soft bananas)
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cup flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup nuts (opt.)
Beat eggs until fluffy. Add oil, sugar, zucchini, bananas and vanilla. Mix well. Combine dry ingredients and add to mixture slowly while mixing. Add chips and/or nuts. Line muffin tins with cupcake papers. Fill cups with batter. Bake at 350 for 18 - 22 minutes.

No Fuss Cinnamon Rolls

2009-08-22T00:48:00.000-07:00

I really like cinnamon rolls but the task of making the dough just always seems so daunting! So, I tried and experiment! I got a loaf of Rhodes Dough and let it thaw. Then, I rolled it out until it was about 1/4 inch thick. I spread butter on the dough and then sprinkeld it with a combination of brown sugar and cinnamon. Rolled the dough up and cut it evenly with floss in to 9 rolls. I put them on a cookie sheet (something I will change next time) and placed them in the oven while it was warming to help them to rise a bit. I baked them for about 7 minutes (you have to watch them so they don't brown to much). When they were done, I poured a simple butter cream frosting over the top. They turned out great!! My family loved them, even my picky eater ate 2! I will for sure be doing this again soon!

Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting from Sarah R.

1/2 c to 1 cup butter, softened

4 c powdered sugar

1/3 c whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream the butter until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients until smooth and creamy.

* For the cinnamon rolls, I halfed this recipe and made it a little more runny so it was easy to pour over the rolls.

~Sarah T.

BBQ Chicken

2009-08-22T00:35:00.000-07:00

We really like to eat BBQ Chicken. It is a fast and satifying main course. But, we always have had problems with the chicken being dry or the BBQ sauce caramelizing. But, not any more! We have discovered a new way of cooking BBQ Chicken and it turns out great every time! Here is what you do-

Season the chicken with some thing like McCormick's Montreal Chicken. Season it real good! Put it on the grill. When you flip it, wait until it is just about done and lather the top side with BBQ sauce. Once the bottom side is done, flip it again and lather that side with BBQ sauce. Leave it on the grill until the sauce is warmed through and take it off the grill. And, Wa-La! There you have it! Awesome BBQ Chicken!

~Sarah T.

BBQ Pulled Pork

2009-08-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks everyone for the dinner ideas for the missionaries! I am looking forward to winter coming so I can make soups for them! I love soup but just can't eat it in the summer! But, here is the latest meal I fed the Elders. It was really good! My husband really loved it! It is call the "Ultimate Cheater Pulled Pork" from a blog called the Bitten Word. Here is the recipe and the way I did it:

-One 5 to 6 pound boneless Boston butt pork roast or the same weight of boneless country-style pork ribs
-1/4 cup Cheater Basic Rub*
-1/2 cup liquid smoke
-BBQ sauce of your choice

Cut the pork up into 2 to 3 inch cubes. Place in slow cooker and coat meat with Cheater Rub. Pour liquid smoke over meat. Cook on high 5 to 6 hours or 10 to 12 hours on low. When meat is done, take it out of slow cooker and shread with 2 forks. Add a little of the juice from the slow cooker to the meat. Coat with you favorite BBQ sauce and serve on hamberger buns. Makes 12 to 14 servings.

*Cheater Basic Dry Rub:
Makes 2/3 cup

-1/4 c paprika
-2 TBSP kosher salt
-2 TBSP coarsely ground black pepper
-1 TBSP garlic powder
-1 TBSP dry mustard powder

Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake to blend.

~Sarah T.

Mrs. Field's Snickerdoodle Cookies

2009-08-17T21:53:00.000-07:00

So as I mentioned in my last post, my life has been consumed with wedding plans this past month since I had the bride-to-be living with me. One of my assignments for the day of the wedding was to bring 5 dozen cookies to eat as part of a sack lunch for family and friends after the sealing at the San Diego Temple. I wanted to make giant snickerdoodles and found this recipe in my search. I'm not sure if they really are a Mrs. Field's recipe but they're super yummy!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with an electric mixer on high speed. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.

In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees while you let the dough rest for 30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the cinnamon for the topping.

Take about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the dough and roll it into a ball. Roll this dough in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and press it onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining cookies. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes. The cookies may seem undercooked, but will continue to bake after they are removed from the oven. When the cookies have cooled they should be soft and chewy in the middle. Makes 16 to 18 cookies.

Sarah R.

Coconut Cream Pie

2009-08-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

My newest sister-in-law, Suzy, came to stay with us a month before she married my brother-in-law this past weekend. The two of us went through my cookbooks to decide what to make for her bridal shower/bachelorette party. We both love coconut cream pie so we decided to make this recipe out of my "Baking Illustrated" cookbook. This was so easy to make and a hit with everyone at the party!

Crust

5 T. unsweetened shredded coconut
9 graham crackers, broken into rough pieces
2 T. sugar
5 T. unsalted butter, melted

Filling

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk, well stirred (not cream of coconut)
1 c. whole milk
½ c. unsweetened shredded coconut
2/3 c. sugar
¼ t. salt
5 large egg yolks
¼ c. cornstarch
1 ½ t. vanilla extract
2 T. unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

Whipped Cream Topping

1 ½ c. heavy whipping cream, chilled
1 ½ T. sugar
½ vanilla extract

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread 5 tablespoons coconut in a 9 inch glass pie plate and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 9 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times. Reserve 1 tablespoon for garnishing the finished pie.

Pulse the graham crackers and the remaining 4 tablespoons toasted coconut in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl and stir in the sugar to combine; add the melted butter and toss with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Empty the crumb mixture into 9 inch glass pie plate. Use the bottom of a ½ cup measuring cup to press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and up the sides, forming a crust. Bake the crust until deep golden brown and fragrant, about 20 minutes. Cool the crust on a wire rack while making the filling.

Bring the coconut milk, milk, shredded coconut, 1/3 cup sugar, and the salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. When the mixture reaches a simmer, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl to break them up, then whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and cornstarch until well combined and no lumps remain. Gradually whisk the simmering liquid into the yolk mixture to temper it, then return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until 3 or 4 bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened, about 30 seconds. Off the heat, whisk in the vanilla and butter. Pour the filling into the cooled crust, press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling, and refrigerate until the filling is cold and firm, at least 3 hours.

When ready to serve, beat the cream and sugar in the chilled bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed to soft peaks; add the vanilla. Continue to beat to barely stiff peaks. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the chilled filling. Sprinkle the reserved 1 tablespoon toasted coconut over the whipped cream. Serves 8 to 10.

Sarah R.

Ideas? Anyone?

2009-08-14T03:44:00.000-07:00

Wow! It has been a long time! Sorry for the break, we have just been enjoying our summer! And, we haven't done any real fancy cooking eithetr. But, we will be getting back into a normal schedule when school starts and I hope to have some more recipes to post!! Sarah R. and Angela are still working hard on there new adventures this summer. I hope that I can whip them into shape soon and get them posting more on here!! Love you guys ;P

So, here is my question- I need some help and some ideas. We feed the missionaries every Thursday night. Right now we have 4 Elders in our ward and they are all young growing boys. So, I need some meal ideas! I am quickly running out of ideas of what to feed them! Now, I need meals that are cost effective, filling and that are good for a large group. Because when we feed them, I am cooking for a total of 9 people! And my husband likes to eat a lot and so do the Elders. I have asked the Elders for their ideas and if there is anything they would like to eat. I don't think they really have any ideas or even care! So that makes it easy! Please send me your ideas!! I need them!

~Sarah T.

"She got the way to move me, CHERRY...CHERRY baby!"

2009-07-06T04:58:00.000-07:00

The other day while I was in my backyard, I noticed that my neighbor had a cherry tree. I secretly hoped that he would bring us some and... HE DID!! He is such a sweet German man! He brought us a HUGE bucket full if cherries! After spending all day eating them yesterday, we still had a ton left. I knew I wanted to do something with them before they went bad.

My husband and I spend a while pitting them this morning. We were very creative and used a chop stick to push the pit out. I think after that experince, I need to invest in a cherry pitter.

So, this is what I did with them- I made some pie filling and froze the others. I found a recipe on line here
We took the chance that they are sweet cherries. So I followed the directions for sweet cherries. The filling turned out great and it was very easy! The cherries that I froze, I tossed with a little lemon juice and placed them in one layer on a cookie sheet.

All I have to say is, I am loving all these fresh berries in Germany! It's awesome!
~Sarah T.

p.s.- the title of this post is for my mom. She loves Neil Diamond!

Cake Batter Cookies

2009-06-30T02:46:00.000-07:00

My friend, Stephanie, brought these cookies over for a BBQ a couple of weeks ago. I just had to get the recipe from here! These cookies are easy, moist and soft!

1/4 cup butter

8 oz block cream cheese

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix these ing. together then slowly add:

1 box cake mix, any flavor. Add mix slowly.

Place in fridge for 1 hour. Then bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 mintues. One piece of advice from Stephanie- don't eat them warm! She said they are pretty gross warm! So don't do it!! Enjoy!

~Sarah T.

Freezer Jam

2009-06-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

If you have access to fresh strawberries (we have an awesome self-pick strawberry field right out our front door!) then make some freezer jam!

Just get some Sure-Jell and follow the directions for freezer jam and there you have it! Tasty strawberry freezer jam! You can freeze it up to 1 year. I am saving mine and giving it out at Christmas!

~Sarah T.

Creamy Black Bean Salsa Chicken

2009-06-18T06:08:00.000-07:00

I love these 2 books! And from one of these 2 books I got this recipe! Creamy Black Bean Salsa Chicken. It is really good and I would say, pretty healthy!

Here is how you make it!

2 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 c broth

1 c salsa

1 can (15 oz) corn, drained

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained

1 package taco seasoning

1/2 sour cream

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Place chicken in greased 3 1/2 to 5 qt. slow cooker. Pour broth, salsa, corn, beans and taco seasoning over chicken. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon. Mix in sour cream and cheese into sauce in slow cooker, then pour over chicken.

We put our over brown rice and it is very good!

Here is a few tips for using your slow cooker- 1st, always spray your slow cooker with Pam or some kind of non-stick spray. It really helps when it's time to clean up! 2nd, always make sure you use the size of slow cooker that the recipe calls for. 3rd, never open the lid while the food is cooking! It adds up to 20 mintues of cooking each time you open it!

~Sarah T.

Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad

2009-06-17T01:07:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting around to posting some more recipes from the Birthday Bash!! This recipe I got from Sarah R. So she gets the credit for it! It's really good and has replaced all other jello salads in our jello salad arsenal! It has a really great combo of sweet and salty. We really love it, if you haven't been able to tell already!

Crust:
2 c. crushed pretzels
3/4 c melted butter
3 tsp sugar

Mix pretzels, sugar and melted butter. Press into a 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool completely.

Filling:
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 c sugar
1 medium sized Cool-Whip

Mix together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in Cool-Whip. Spread onto cooled pretzel crust.

Topping:
1 6oz box of strawberry jello
2 10oz boxes of sliced frozen strawberries
2 c boiling water

Dissolve jello in boiling water. Add stawberries, the boiling water will thaw them. Pour over cream cheese mixture.

Refrigerate for 2 hours and enjoy!!

~Sarah T.

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

2009-06-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to this recipe. My husband loved it, and so did our friend we gave our leftovers to!

Bacon Wrapped Grilled Apricot Shrimp

~Sarah T.

Craving... Satisfied

2009-06-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

I layed in bed the other night with the worst craving for a really good hamburger. We don't have many burger joints to choose from here in Germany... make that NO burger joints to choose from! We have McDonald's and Burger King. Not my idea of a burger joint or a really good burger. I made hamburgers tonight and they were AWESOME! Homemade patties, toasted buns, swiss cheese, BBQ sauce, mustard and pickles. UUMMMMMM! My craving was totally satisfied!

Oh, I will still post the recipes from our birthday bash, don't worry!

~Sarah T.

Birthday Bash Menu!

2009-06-02T23:47:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my husband's birthday on Sunday. I made him a special birthday dinner that was very tasty and all of his favorite foods! He loves bacon and he loves shrimp. So I found a recipe for bacon wrapped shrimp! So here's the spread- we had the shrimp, steak (I hate seafood! Yuck!), twice baked potatoes, and strawberry-jello pretzel salad. To drink we had Raspberry-Lime Ricky's. And of course the star at any birthday party, the cake! It was his favorite Philabaum cake. It all turned out really good and I will be posting recipes for all the yummy food over the next few days! So be sure a check back for those! Happy Birthday to my Hunny!

~Sarah T.

Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies

2009-05-26T04:48:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on the back of the Reese's Peanut Butter Chip bag. They are very easy to make, that's part of the reason I like them! Not to metion how good they are! You can make these as cookies or bars. Here's what you need:

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tea baking soda

1/2 tea salt

1 1/4 cups (2 and 1/2 stick) butter softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tea vanilla

1 2/3 cup (10 oz package) Reese's Peanut Butter Chips

Heat of to 350

Sitr together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Slowly add flour mixture until well combined. Add peanut butter chips. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes.

~Sarah T.

Good Food+Great Friends=Priceless!

2009-05-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

We had a really fun BBQ with our friends today! Here was our menu:

7up Chicken
Bacon and Cheese Brawts (you have to have brawts, we are in Germany after all!)
Ruffles Dip
Pasta Salad
Marinated and grilled yellow squash and zucchini
Strawberry Jello salad (made by one friend and it was very tasty!)
Anything but the kitchen sink cookies
Peanut Butter Cookies with Hershey Kisses (made by my other friend and they were also very tasty!)

It was an amazing Sunday afternoon! Couldn't ask for much better!

~Sarah T.

Anything but the Kitchen Sink! Cookies

2009-05-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from a family friend. I love it because it is so flexible and they are really yummy!

Basic recipe:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
Cream these together. Then add:
2 eggs
1 TBSP vanilla
Beat until fluffy. Sift together and add:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Now you can add any combination of add ins. Here are some examples:
2 cups chocolate chips and 1 cup toffee chips
or
1 cup oatmeal, 2cups Honey Bunches of oats cereal, and 1 cup chocolate chips
or
2 cups oatmeal, 2 cups raisins
or
1 cup coconut and 1 cup Rice Krispies
Anything but the kitchen sink!! I made them this morning with oatmeal, Honey Bunches of Oats and peanut butter chips! Yum!

~Sarah T.

Ruffles Dip

2009-05-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

You might read this and think, huh? But trust me, this dip is sooooo good! Please try it!

1 24oz. cottage cheese
1 medium cucumber, seeded and finely chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
3/4 cup mayo
1 tsp. Accent
salt and pepper to taste.

Mix all ingredients together. Serve cold with potato chips.

~Sarah T.

Lemon Cake

2009-05-12T00:17:00.000-07:00

My mom used to make this cake all the time when I was growing up. It is super easy and a good recipe when you have eggs in your fridge you need to use!!

2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
Dash of salt
Cream these ingredients together.
Add 6 eggs one at a time. Mix well.
Add:
2 cups flour
2 tsp lemon extract
Mix well and pour into a well greased Bundt pan. Bake at 350° oven and bake for 50-60 minutes.

You can make a lemon glaze with powdered sugar and lemon extract. I actually like it just as it is! I have used almond extract, instead of the lemon extract before and it was also good. This is just an easy and delicious cake! Give it a try!

~Sarah T.

2 New Recipes

2009-04-28T08:40:00.000-07:00

Sorry, no pictures today! It's hard to remember to take pictures of you food because I just want eat it up! But, here is the 1st recipe. I got it from my friend, Carla. I made it last week and it is sooo good!

Pasta Salad

3 TBSP white vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp. dried basil
2 TBSP chopped green onions
2 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper

Mix all these ingredients together in a blender. Then pour over:

8 oz cooked and cooled spiral tri-color pasta
1 small green pepper cut in thin strips
1 small red pepper cut in thin strips
1 tomato cut into wedges
1/2 c sliced black olives
6 oz crumbled feta cheese

This is so good and a great side dish for a BBQ!

Now, here is the next recipe. I made this for dinner tonight! I found this a long time ago in a magazine and I sorry that I don't remember which one! It was one that they sell in the check-out isle in the grocery store. It is good, fast, and easy!

Pizza Crescent Braids

Take 1 container of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. Press into a large rectangle in the center of a cookie sheet. Put your toppings down the middle. We like spaghetti sauce, pepperonis, black olives, cooked ham and mozzarella cheese. Then, make cuts along the sides of the dough and fold over, kinda like a braid, over the toppings. Place in a 350 degree oven and bake until browned about 13 to 15 minutes.

So, there you go! Hope you enjoy these as much as we do, well did!

~Sarah T.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2009-04-20T03:59:00.000-07:00

My husband loves Strawberry Rhubarb pie! I got this recipe form my friend, Danna. My husband loved it and I make it for him every year when it’s Rhubarb season.

2 cups strawberries
2 cups rhubarb
Both cut into ½ inch pieces
1 frozen pie crust (by all means, use homemade if you can make one! That is something I have yet to master!)
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ cup flour
1 TBSP corn starch
¼ tsp salt
1 egg, beaten

Cut up strawberries and rhubarb. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour, starch, and salt. Beat egg and add it to fruit, stir. Then add dry ingredients and combine. Pour into pie crust.

Crumble top:
¾ cup flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
¾ stick of butter, softened

Combine with pastry mixer and sprinkle over top of pie. Bake pie in a 350˚ oven for 45 minutes.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!
~Sarah T.

More Menus!

2009-04-19T21:58:00.001-07:00

We are doing lots of grilling this week! Yay for no dishes to wash!

M- Chicken salad, green salad and fruit
T-out to eat for my daughter’s b-day
W-grilled ribs, grilled zucchini, pasta salad
TH- grilled chicken, leftover pasta salad, grilled corn on the cob
F-hopefully grilling again with friends! Yay!

~Sarah T.

Beans, beans that magical fruit!

2009-04-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

I love beans! Just about every kind of bean! Black, Kidney, refried, Pinto, you name it! So, I got this really good recipe from my friend Kirsten for some baked beans. They are very tasty! I just made them tonight! I added some of our leftover ham from Easter and it was so good! So, here is the "Kirsten version" ;) Thanks again Kirsten!!

Brown 1 lb of hamburger
Microwave 1 package of pre-cooked bacon
Chop up 1 small white onion
1 can kidney beans
1 can butter beans
2 cans pork and beans
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c ketchup
2 Tbsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp yellow mustard

Throw all ingredients in to a crock-pot.

Turn crock-pot on high until beans bubble then cook on low until ready to serve.

Super easy and delicious!!

~Sarah T.

3 Friends, where have you been?

2009-04-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

So, we start this blog and then disappear! Where did we go? Here is what has happened-

Sarah R. - Just moved and had been busy helping with her brother’s wedding. She even made 14 lbs of pasta salad for the wedding! That is amazing!

Angela- Her husband is getting ready to graduate and they are also getting ready to move. She has been busy trying to enjoy her last few months in California

Me, Sarah T. - I honestly have had a LEFTOVER NIGHTMARE!!! I have soooo many leftovers it is ridiculous! And I really hate leftovers so for me, it truly is a nightmare! Any suggestions on what to do for left over roast? But, I went to a very inspiring BBQ this weekend, the trees are blooming, the weather is gorgeous and I am ready to grill away! I am ready to get back into the swing of things and grill until my hearts intent!

Don’t give up on us now, we are just getting started!

~Sarah T.

2009-03-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

Right now, we are living in Germany while my husband serves in the military. Everyone always talks about Germany and chocolate. Who doesn’t love chocolate? I really love chocolate, maybe even too much. This chocolate has to be my favorite chocolate! Not only does it taste amazing, it is cheap! There are all kinds of flavors of Milka chocolate. They have some with strawberry filling, yogurt filling, marzipan, dark, hazelnut, caramel, just to name a few. But I think the 2 strangest filling would have to be watermelon (which is very similar to Pop Rocks) and the Fire filling (it has a spicy, hot taste. It sounds really weird but it really wasn’t too bad!) But, I am a purest and most often buy just the plain milk chocolate. If you are ever in Germany, try some of this Milka chocolate! It is delicious!!

~Sarah T.

Menu #3

2009-03-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

Here is our menu for this week!

M- Enchiladas
refried beans
frozen vegetables

T- grilled pork chops
baked potatoes
salad

W- buttermilk waffles w/ coconut syrup
smoothies

TH- hot dogs
chips
BBQ baked beans
(I know that this has been on the menu now for 3 weeks but, we just haven’t gotten around to eating it!)

F- homemade pasta sauce
garlic bread

~Sarah T.

Scones

2009-03-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

Today I made some scones. They were delicious! I found the recipe on Our Best Bites. We topped ours with some raspberry jelly and some Nutella. Of course we had to have Nutella. That is a must here in Germany! Give ‘em a try and let me know what you think!

~Sarah T.

Guacomole Dip

2009-03-19T18:29:00.000-07:00

2 large ripe avocado (or container of guacamole)

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can drained/ rinsed black beans

2 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice

1/2 tsp. salt and pinch of pepper

1 - 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 jalapeno, finely chopped (you can also use small can of diced jalapeno)

1 - 2 Tbsp. Picante or Tabasco

Mix together. Chill at least an hour before serving, overnight works well also. Serve with tortilla chips or with whatever else is good with guacamole dip.

This looks good-

2009-03-16T04:30:00.000-07:00

Just found this on the back of the can of Dole Pineapple juice. I think it sounds delicious!

1 cup Dole Pineapple Juice
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 gloves garlic, chopped

Marinate chicken, pork or fish steaks in marinade for at least 15 minutes then grill.

~Sarah T.

Menu #2

2009-03-15T23:37:00.000-07:00

Menu time again! This is for the week of Mar 16-22. Last week turned out to be a little crazy so, we have a few repeats. But here is what it looks like:

M- grilled chicken Teriyaki kabobs with brown rice and grilled zucchini (I am so ready for summer and more grilling!!)

T- Corned Beef, mashed potatoes, and carrots (Happy St. Patrick's Day!)

W- I am at another RS Activity so the fam at home is having pancakes and smoothies

TH- We have the Elders over every Thursday. This week we are having hot dogs, chips and BBQ Beans with homemade Rocky Road ice cream

F- fettuccine Alfredo

~Sarah T.

Easy Shredded Beef for Tacos

2009-03-12T01:48:00.000-07:00

I have seen this done with chicken for tacos, I thought I would give it a try with beef!

1 beef roast
1 16 oz jar of salsa
1 taco seasoning packet

Spray Crock-Pot with cooking spray. Place roast in Crock-Pot. Blend salsa in blender until smooth. Pour over roast and add taco seasoning packet. Cook in crock pot until done and easy to shred (8 hours on low, 4 on high). If the roast is to dry, add a little chicken broth to moisten. Serve with corn and/or flour tortillas and all you favorite tacos toppings!

~Sarah T.

What's on the Menu?

2009-03-08T05:53:00.001-07:00

If you haven't already, you have to check out this site, This Week For Dinner. It is one of my favorites! I am all about menu planning and this site is awesome for that! I try and post my menu there every week but perhaps I will start doing it here too! So here is what's for dinner this week at our house!

M-Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and peas, salad and carrot sticks
T-Ranch House Pork Chops with mashed potatoes
W-I am out to eat with some ladies from church, the fam at home will have pancakes and bacon
Th- taking the Missionaries out to eat
F-hamburgers and chips

Happy menu planning everyone!

~Sarah T.

Granola

2009-03-07T03:39:00.001-08:00

I have been trying to eat better (ha ha ha) and exercise (another ha ha ha). For breakfast on these cold winter days, I enjoy a nice hot bowl of oatmeal. But, in the summer, the last thing I want is a nice hot bowl of anything! So, I decided to make some granola! I love granola, especially for breakfast! I found the recipe on All Recipes and made my own adjustments. Click here to see the original recipe.

Ingredients:

8 cups rolled oats

1 1/2 cups wheat germ

1 1/2 cups oat bran

1 cup chopped almonds

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 1/2 tea salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup honey

1 cup canola oil

1 tea cinnamon

1 tea vanilla

2 cups cranberries

Directions:

Combine oats, wheat germ, oat bran, almonds, pecans, walnuts in large bowl. Stir together salt, brown sugar, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in sauce pan. Bring to boil over medium heat. Then pour over oats mixture to coat. Heat oven to 325 degrees and line to baking sheets with foil. Spread granola evenly over baking sheet and place in oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then stir and bake for another 7 to 10 minutes until crispy ( it will be crispy once it cools). Let cool and then stir in cranberries. Store in air tight container.

~Sarah T.

Cranberry Orange Nut Bread

2009-03-06T20:17:00.000-08:00

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 T. grated orange peel

1 c. granulated sugar

2 T. shortening or softened butter

1 tsp. salt

1 well - beaten egg

1 -1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 -1/2 c. fresh or frozen cranberries coarsely chopped

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 orange juice

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in orange juice, orange peel, shortening, and egg. Mix until well blended. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, turn bread out of pan onto a wire rack and continue cooling.

*I substituted white whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour. It turned out really good and added extra nutrients! This bread is pretty addicting so Beware!

Do YOU have a green thumb??

2009-03-05T07:10:00.000-08:00

Because I am about to find out if I do! We are going to try out the Square Foot Gardening method and see how it works out! We are very excited! We are starting out with green beans, yellow squash, broccoli, zucchini, romaine lettuce, celery, cilantro, and cucumbers. Later when it warms up, we will buy a tomato plant. We are going to try and revive the black berry bush and hopefully enjoy some apples from our tree! Wish me luck!

~Sarah T.

Calzones

2009-03-03T22:42:00.001-08:00

I promise to get better at my "food photography"! Yikes!

When we lived in the states, we used to eat out a lot. But, since moving to Germany, I think I have done more cooking than I ever have in my entire life!! And, I am learning to cook a lot of different things and some of our favorite comforts foods. The other night, we made calzones and they were delicious! I used this basic pizza dough recipe:

1 cup warm water

2 TBSP olive oil

3 to 3 1/2 cups flour

1 pkg. active dry yeast or 1 TBSP yeast

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Combine yeast, warm water, and sugar. Let yeast bubble. Mix flour, salt, and oil. When yeast is ready mix into flour mixture. Knead dough for 8 to 10 minutes. Let rise for 45 min. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 min.

You can fill your calzome with whatever you like. We filled ours with ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Italian sausage, peperoni's, and olives. I closed up the calzone, cut some slits on the top so it could vent, brushed it with melted butter, and sprinkled Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Then, popped it in the oven. Then I made a dipping sauce of 1 can crushed tomatoes and seasoned to taste with olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic salt and a little sugar. Heat that up and you have a great dipping sauce!

Give it a try!

~Sarah T.

BANANAS... B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

2009-02-04T23:56:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to find a good Banana Bread recipe. I found this one from Blog Chef that is really good. I made a few adjustment though and it came out great!! Here is the recipe with my changes:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 brown bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Add applesauce and bananas and combine. Add eggs, vanilla, baking soda, flours and salt. then add buttermilk. pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes* or until toothpick comes out clean.

*My loafs were done after only 45 minutes! But, I have a crazy German oven so, just keep an eye on it!

~Sarah T.

Foil Packet Vegetables

2009-02-04T23:43:00.001-08:00

This is something I have been doing lately and we love it! I cut up some vegetables, season them with olive oil, salt pepper, and add a few onion slices. Join 2 pieces of foil together down the long end. Place the vegetables in the middle, seal it up and pop it in the oven on a cookie sheet! Cook for about 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender at 375 degrees! It's that simple, easy and they are yummy!

~Sarah T.

Clam Chowder

2009-01-24T15:46:00.000-08:00

2 cans of Baby Clams
2 cans Crab Meat or Imitation Crab Meat
3 cans of Cream of Asparagus
3 cans of Cream of Potato
1/2 quart Half and Half
2 cups Whole Milk
2 Tbsp. garlic (cloves or minced)
1 medium onion (chopped)
Pepper and Olive Oil

Saute garlic and onions in olive oil and pepper until onion is clear. Add Crab Meat and Clams saute for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and warm through. If you like Clam Chowder you're going to love this! It's super easy and delicious.

Welcome!

2009-01-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

This is 3 Friends and Our Food! And that is just what we are! We are friends, that used to be neighbors. We all love cooking, baking and eating! Every time we would get together, the conversation would quickly turn to food. This is our way to stay in touch and to share our love of food! We hope you enjoy!