An Outing for Two

We had the best weekend.  A lazy one.  We had no plans for the whole three days!  Saturday I woke up early (stupid body clock!) and had a message from my brother, he sent me The Office season 6 episode 1!  AHH!  I woke Nick up from my laughter, we started the whole episode over again and laughed the entire time.  Nick schooled me at the game mom sent, which was quite upsetting because i KNOW i used to kill that game at Grandma and Grandpa's house!  Grandpa Shine taught me how to win!

We then proceeded to take a nap.  When we woke back up at NOON, we went for a drive... I asked him to please pull over to this beautiful field of yellow flowers (weeds) because i have been wanting to run through it for weeks!  We did, i was bitten on the food and my shoes needed a good washing but we did it, and i am so happy we did!

This was my artsy atempt.  The sky looked SO cool!  Then... on the way home Nick pulled out his mad skills and took this picture, which i love!

Sunday after Church we went to the Pumpkin Patch!  We left at 1:30... we arrived at 6:30! NO JOKE!  Our directions were AWFUL!  "Take the exit"... what does that mean google maps?
The pumpkins were beautiful and we had fun in the end.  We got some pumpkins that i had never seen before except in the Martha magazine last year, that was fun!  I am now in love with them and don't want to carve them.  Next week carving... and babysitting the cutest little boy!  I think we will make pumpkin seeds and pumpkin butter!

Every year since i don't know when, we have gone to Shultz Farms in Auburn, picked our pumpkins and taken our picture by the "How Tall this Fall sign.  Now that we live in Germany, this is a little difficult... this year we painted a "How Tall this Fall" sign for mommy, tradition will now be carried on! Why do i look like i am either going to fly a plane, or ride a horse???

This weekend we also...

Made fall tortilla chips

Banana Bread Pudding (for Nick)

Mozzarella, Basil & Peppered Salami skewers

(Thanks Mom, they were DELISH!)

To finish off our kid friendly day of playing in the leaves and hay... Chicken fingers and Honey mustard.

and Weight Watchers Crab Cakes

(I wasn't impressed)

I think to make them less fat and calories they took out most of the "glue"... making the cake not hold together too well.  Hmm...

Chicken & Dumplings... and more baby booties

3 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced

1 stalk celery

1 bag baby carrots

1 red onion

1 cube butter

32 oz. chicken broth

3/4 cup light cream

pepper

 salt

red pepper flakes

garlic salt

Dumplings:

1 cup bisquick

parsley

3/4 cup milk

saute celery, carrots and onion in butter.  Add milk, cream and chicken, bring to boil.  Mix dumplings by hand & drop dumplings into soup and cook 30 min.  cover and cook 10 minutes.  Serve

Invitations

This is my Halloween Invitation Photo Shoot!

The moon is full, the wind is chill...

This Halloween will be quite a thrill!

A howling time awaits you this eve,

but beware for you may not want to leave!

Join us for some spooky shenanigans if you dare!

Baby shower purchases

These are the Burp cloths that i bought.  They are double sided, one with an adorable print and the other with Chenille.

I bought these from Theposhtots on Etsy

This is a twilight onesie because the mother loves twilight.  I thought it was cute.

I bought this from Chefcouture on Etsy

This is the diaper wipe case that i bought, so cute!

This is from Opiebaby on Etsy

Another Twilight onesie.  This one says "I am just a baby Bella looking for my baby Edward"

I bought this one from Babycon on Etsy

These are Halloween shirts, beanies and gloves that i bought of Spangdahlem yard sales and put in my cute little frankenstein pot.  The baby i bought them for is one year old this month and i accidentally bought 3-6 month clothing... so this cute little present will have to wait until i meet a baby that is the correct age for this.  Oh well...

My dream bed...

Now my dream for our bed...

Thank you Pottery Barn, now i want to work all the time to be able to sleep in that bed.

Yum.

Spicy Moroccan Soup

2 breasts of Chicken

1 can chick peas

1 can diced tomatoes

32 oz. chicken broth

1 box cous cous

6 oz. shredded carrots

spinach

cumin

curry powder

cayenne pepper

cinnamon

*garam masala

Grill the Chicken, and in the mean time bring the carrots, chickpeas, tomatoes and chicken broth to a boil.  Add the spices.  I added about a teaspoon of everything except the garam masala i added 2 tablespoons.  I bought this at the local asian food store, it isn't necessary if you can't find it.  Once the pot is at a boil, lower the temperature and continue to cook until carrots are at your liking.  (AND if you don't have shredded carrots at hand, like I, I bought baby carrots and diced them).  Add the Chicken, Cous Cous and Spinach.  The spinach can be anywhere from 1 cup to the whole bag if you are like us and love spinach.  Take the pot off the heat and let cook 5 minutes.  Serve!  Easy as that, and it was good.

Beef Satay

Cilantro

2 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp. ginger

2 tsp. sesame oil

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

1 lb. Sirloin cut into bite size pieces

Throw everything except the steak into the food processor.  Blend and toss the steak in the mixture.  Skewer the steak and grill.  Easy and tasty!

Last week of September!

Doesn't time fly?  Why does it fly now that we are older?  Time at recess used to seem plentiful and now months and years fly by.  It is going to be 2010 in a few months!  AHH!   Anyway...

These are the new pillows i made for our dining room table.  The two side ones are from dishtowels my mom bought for me at Anthropologie, LOVE THEM!  The pillow in the middle was a napkin from Pier 1.

A few new pairs of booties for Etsy.  Nobody has bought any yet... but i am faithful.

Side note:  I am currently listening to Nick's "Gym" playlist on his ipod it is officially the weirdest compilation of music ever:

Carmina Burana: O Fortuna

The Distance Cake

I Will Survive Cake

Never There Cake

Sandstorm Darude

Bring Me to Life Evanescence

Times Like These Foo Fighters

Somewhere I Belong Linkin Park

Alive P.O.D.

Sussudio Power Music Workout

Stronger (Workout Remix) Power Music Workout

Don't You (Forget About Me) Simple Minds

Jump Van Halen

Food, Food, Food

This Week I made...

A mushroom Tart

I infused olive oil for the first time to use in my mushroom tart.

This was fun and the whole house smelled lovely.  I just warmed the olive oil (1/4 cup) with the rosemary sprigs and red pepper flakes in it, and then let it cool.  Done and done.

I took puff pastry dough, shaped it into a 8"x8" square and baked it for 15 minutes.  Then i mixed up some heavy cream (about 2 Tbsp.) and feta cheese and spread that mixture on top of my dough.  I baked the portabello's for about 15 minutes until i could smell them.  I sauteed the rest of my mushrooms in the oil ( i wouldn't recommend using all of the oil.)  I placed all of my mushrooms on top of the dough and feta and sliced her up!  yum!  I didn't flavor the portabello's at all because i love their nutty flavor.

Greek Chicken Salad

Olives, Cherry tomatoes, Feta, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Chicken and some homemade dressing.  Easy.  Although i wasn't a big fan of the dressing.  It was greek nonfat yogurt, lemon, and salt and pepper.  I added chopped cucumber but i would recommend trying a different recipe.  Bummer.

Rosemary Potatoes Au Gratin

Just for me... Nick doesn't like carbs, but i love em.  I made it about a 1/4 through the pan before i hit my coma.  But it was worth it.

PLUMS!

My friend Kari had mass plums and i came over to steal some.  I had never cooked with plums but Nick loves them so i gave it a whirl.  I had two recipes for things with plums in my house.  Plum Bounce (stewed BOOZED plums) and a plum cake.  Neither were sounding especially good so i tried to make something up.  I poured vodka on the plums (for you Grandma) and then added sugar, cinnamon and flour.  I placed some on a pie sheet and made these guys, which Nick enjoyed and i thought were cute, and then i made a pie.  I then realized i didn't know the difference between a pie and a tart.  Is it just the pan? Because if so, i made a tart.  Here is what Wikipedia had to say.

A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough shell that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients. Pies can be either "filled", where a dish is covered by pastry and the filling is placed on top of that, "top-crust," where the filling is placed in a dish and covered with a pastry/potato mash top before baking, or "two-crust," with the filling completely enclosed in the pastry shell. Pies can be a variety of sizes, ranging from bite-size to ones designed for multiple servings.

A tart is a pastry dish, usually sweet, that is a type of pie with an open top not covered with pastry. Sweetened fruit is arranged on pastry, often puff pastry, with or without custard, after which the tart is baked in an oven. The Tarte Tatin is a particular kind of "upside-down" tart, of apples, other fruit, or onions. Savoury varieties include German Zwiebelkuchen (Onion tart), or Swiss cheese tart made from Gruyere.

I guess i am still confused.  A tart is a pie.  But what did i make?  hmm... 

Thanks for the Plums Kari!

Chili 

2 Tbsp. oil

2 cups chopped onions 

salt & cayenne to taste

2 lbs. stew meat cut into cubes

1 Tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. cumin

crushed red pepper

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 cups crushed tomatoes

1 can tomato paste (about a cup)

6 cups beef stock

2 lbs. ground turkey

2 Tbsp. cornstarch (mixed with water)

1 cup red kidney beans

Add onions to hot oil and saute until tender.  Season with salt and cayenne.  Stir in the meat, chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper and oregano.  Brown the meat 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef stock.  Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Add the turkey, cornstarch mixture and beans and continue to cook for 30 minutes.  Reseason with salt and cayenne.  

I placed Blue corn tortilla chips in the bowl, then the chili, cheese, sour cream and jalepenos.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese muffins

Muffin:

3 cups flour

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. freshly ground nutmeg

2 tsp. cloves

4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. soda

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups canned pumpkin

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

Filling:

8oz. package cream cheese

1 cube butter

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

walnuts or pumpkin seeds

For the Filling, beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in a mixture until light and fluffy.  Pour onto a piece of tin foil and shape into a log.  Place in freezer until firm (about 15 minutes.)  When ready cut into chunks about 1/2 in thick.

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix muffin ingredients together.  Fill muffin tins half full with mixture.  Put a chunk of your cream cheese frosting into the middle, pressing down.  Sprinkle with nuts.  Bake for 20 minutes.

  

Welcome Fall!

Fall is here and i finally took my first craft store class!  I have been meaning too since we arrived here at Spangdahlem (March 2008), and i finally got around to it!  I thoroughly enjoyed the class.  I knew i liked to tole paint, but the company was nice and just the creative release that you feel when you paint.  It was also nice to walk out of there with something i wasn't embarassed to hang up in our house.  Nick didn't think i made it though :(  BUT he also thought i was painting a TOTEM POLE!  haha.  I asked him where we would put that, he said he wondered the same thing.  He also wondered why we would need a totem pole in our house, i told him it was to support our indian heritage!  I love my husband.  He makes me laugh.

I am open on Etsy!

YAY!  A few kinks still, like my shop header... but they will work themselves out.  (by that i mean i will get someone to help me :) ).  These are my newest booties and i want to keep them... but Nick won't let me because i don't have a baby.  Lame.

Booty booty booty booty rockin' everywhere.

One pair of my new baby booties for my Etsy shop.  These are actually for Kari, but this is the idea at least.  Another thing to be aware of, yes i did use the vignette setting in my new photo program.  A little fun!  Oh, and sure i am a little crazy for making baby booties with no baby... but it's for a good cause!  I am donating the proceeds, so check em' out!  (well not yet, i am still not up and running).

Apple Praline Bread

Sinfully delicious!  Kind of healthy... yeah i didn't fool you with the goop dripping down the sides did I?  It was September bread i decided.  Why not use the fresh picked apples... and throw in some butter and brown sugar.

1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped
8 oz. sour cream
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups finely chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat sour cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla until blended.  Stir in apples and 1/2 cup pecans.  Spoon batter into a greased and floured bread pan.  Press remaining pecans into batter and bake 1 hour.  Cool on rack.

Bring butter and sugar to a boil stirring constantly.  Boil 1 minute, pour over bread and let cool completely.  Enjoy and Happy Fall!

Concord Grape Disaster.

So i thought i would give Martha's Concord grape pie thingy a whirl.  You make jam out of the grapes, but there wasn't any pectin in the recipe.  Just the lemon and sugar which seemed strange but i was letting Martha lead this one... I shouldn't have.  I made the crust, partially froze it to set on top.  It looked pretty until it sank into my grape juice.  I still had some confidence even though my spirits were down with my drowned grape shaped crust.  I baked her... she came out gooey.  We could have drank her.  Nick was supportive and said "It tastes good."  I tried a bowl, it was good but it had an AWFUL aftertaste.  Sick.  Martha you are mean with all of your perfection.  You just are making the plain old housewife feel ... stupid!

T-T-T-Tacos

I was in the mood for mexican and colorful... here it is.  Tomatoes, black beans, yellow rice, avocado and grilled chicken.  Good to the last drop, and SO easy!  These are my favorite meals, and every night is a good night for mexican!  Anybody with me?

Finally

So for days now my camera and or computer have not been wanting to cooperate.  I did make Boeuf Bourguignon  that night and here it is.  I can't make notes on this dish as the integrity was compromised. I did not have access to all of the ingredients with my limited grocery store WOOP WOOP!  I also am not Julia Child and therefore i would definitely say hers must be magnificent compared to mine.  This was however a great dish.  The flavors were great, the meat melted in your mouth and i even enjoyed the carrots (which i never like cooked).  However, my favorite were still the mushrooms sautéed and on the side.  BUMMER!  They were nothing fancy, Nick just told me i could throw some butter on there for a treat and oh was it!  YUM!

My Etsy Shop

COMING SOON!

I currently have booties ready and am working on many more!  I am also finally putting together my "Baby Shower in a Box" idea... to throw on there and see if there are any biters!  My brother made me this adorable header so as soon as i figure out how to scale it... then my shop will be officially open!

Petunia Pickle Bottom

Dear Petunia Pickle Bottom,

I understand that i am at the time being, not pregnant.  I am writing to you to ask if you would mind making a more affordable but just as cute line by the time i am pregnant as i am in love with your collection and do not want to go into debt over it.  Thank you!

Sincerely,

Brittany Cooley

Yes, it's my turn to be Julia

Boeuf Bourguignon

Recipe created by Julia Child

As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good boeuf bourguignon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavored, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man, and can well be the main course for a buffet dinner. Fortunately you can prepare it completely ahead, even a day in advance, and it only gains in flavor when reheated.

Vegetable and Wine Suggestions
Boiled potatoes are traditionally served with this dish. Buttered noodles or steamed rice may be substituted. If you also wish a green vegetable, buttered peas would be your best choice. Serve with the beef a fairly full-bodied, young red wine, such as Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, Bordeaux-St. Émilion, or Burgundy.

Ingredients:

Serves 6

Kitchen Supplies:

• 9- to 10-inch, fireproof casserole dish , 3 inches deep
• Slotted spoon

Boeuf Bourguignon:

• 6 ounces bacon
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil
• 3 pounds lean stewing beef , cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 sliced carrot
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 3 cups full-bodied, young red wine , such as a Chianti
• 2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cloves mashed garlic
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• Crumbled bay leaf
• Blanched bacon rind
• 18 to 24 small white onions , brown-braised in stock
• 1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms , sautéed in butter
• Parsley sprigs

Remove rind from bacon, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.

Dry the stewing beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers
very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.

When the melt is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.

Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.

For immediate serving: Covet the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.

For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

I will post later how it turns out! For now, i am just enthused and inspired by the movie!

Visual Aid

Just trying to get a new job, we will see if it works!

Swedish Pancakes with a twist

Our Swedish Pancakes

I think it is funny that everyone in our family makes them differently, because we all grew up on Grandma's! But... now Nick and i have joined the clan because we have been making ours with coconut and vanilla. I don't think Grandma even uses Vanilla in hers... hmm.

Today we had fresh strawberries which are SO good in the hot swedies. I of course needed something extra so i headed to my purse to grab my personal stash of chocolate chips and i threw a few of those in my swedies. MMM mmm good! A little cool whip and these would have been perfect. But, when i said that to Nick he said "Well then they would be dessert", and i thought to myself "Yeah". Have i been raised incorrectly? I think eating dessert for breakfast is a perfectly acceptable thing to do. ... hmm... something to ponder.