Hearty Southern Salad

Instead of our traditional meeting, my cookbook club hosted a Friendsgiving party in November.  In addition to cornbread stuffing, I took a satisfying salad. Y'all, this salad was so good we ate it without dressing. If you want dressing, I'd suggest Buttermilk Ranch, Italian or a honey balsamic.

Mix equal portions torn or chopped spinach and arugula. Toss with halved cherry tomatoes, chopped bell pepper, diced Vidalia onion and quarter sized slices of (soaked, cooked and cooled)  country ham. Add about 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar, if desired. 

For croutons, make Bigger Isn't Better Buttermilk Biscuits with the smallest biscuit cutter. Cool biscuits and then toast under broiler until desired crispiness. Toss into salad. Be sure to add the croutons last as they will eventually soften once mixed with the rest of the salad

Try the World Box 3: Italy

My 3rd Try the World box came last week!

For those new to Try the World, it's a subscription service where each month you receive a box with 7-8 products from that month's featured country. Boxes cost $39 a month. You can read about my other Try the World boxes here.

This month's featured country was Italy. I was so excited when I made this discovery as I love to eat Italian food but don't cook it very often because...nerves!

Here's what came in this month's box:

From left to right: truffle zest (retails at $12.90), balsamic vinegar, hazelnut cream (retails at $10.50) and pesto (retails at $8.90) 

From left to right/back to front: pappardelle (retails at $8.00), coffee, amaretti (retails at $6.90), and mushroom risotto (retails around $13.00)

I didn't search prices on all of items and we already hit over $40 in value. I have gotten more than my money's worth with every box. Also, I love that Try the World sends items I may not think to try on my own.

This is my 3rd box and each box has had a healthy mix of ready to cook items (risotto), pantry staples (vinegar) and treats (amaretti).

Out of this book, I think I will make:

• Pesto pappardelle (pesto and pasta)
• Risotto (risotta and truffle zest)
• Tiramisu (with the coffee)
• Hazelnut Zabaglione (hazelnut cream)

If you'd like to give Try the World a whirl, you can sign up HERE. I will get $15 store credit for anyone who signs up with that link.

Any questions? Or recipe ideas?

Try Around The World Box 2: Sweden!

As, I mentioned in last month's post I signed up for Try the World on a promotional deal. I received a free box with purchase (take advantage of that deal HERE). My first box, was from Brazil.

My free box was the Sweden box. It contains a card explaining the Swedish traditions of fikka and smorgasbord. Fikka is basically a tea break. Smorgasbord, a more well know term, means having a variety of foods out. The card broke down the best ways to use the included ingredients as either fikka or smorgasbord.

In my Sweden box, I received:

A box of oatmeal chocolate sandwich cookies (they included a recipe for a cookie milkshake I can'r t wait to try!), flat bread crisps and a box of licorice 

A good sized bottle of elderflower syrup-a $13-$18 value!!(Any good baking recipes, anyone?)

Nordic fudge (yum!), Lingonberry jam-a $10-$12 value (also yum) and sweet and hot honey mustard

Not pictured: a bag of coffee

Again, I think Try the World hit it out out of the park on this one. I received 8 different items in different food categories (treats, ingredients and condiments). I wish the fudge bag was a little bigger but overall I think the value was definitely there! I am excited to see what my September box holds.

If you'd like to take advantage of the same free box with purchase promotion, use THIS LINK.

For other Try the World reviews, click HERE.

For other subscription box reviews, click HERE.

ATM Favorite Thing: Try the World

After eyeing the subscription service Try the World for quite some time, I finally decided to take the plunge on a promotional deal for a free box with purchase.

So, I paid the monthly subscription fee of $39 and anxiously waited for the mail.

A little over a week after my purchase my two Try the World boxes arrived.

(These boxes are quite sturdy and could easily be re-purposed as gift boxes or to hold craft supplies)

After opening the boxes, I was so happy to have purchased a subscription.

I received eight items in each box. Here's what came in my Brazil box:

Churraso spice rub, Churrasco bbq sauce and  Jabuticaba jam

I tend to collect jams to use in fillings. I'm also excited about cooking some meat flavored with the Churrasco spices. 

Brazil nut cookies, Brazil nut spread and Pao de Quito mix

I can't wait to make the cheese bread for my husband's Brazilian coworker. 

Guava paste

Cupcake filling anyone?

Not pictured: A box of Brazilian coffee

All of the items were actually from Brazil, not Americanized versions. I looked up the price of the guava paste on Amazon. I couldn't find the the same brand but packages this size ranged from $8-$10. Overall, I think this subscription is a really good value and I am excited to see what I will receive next. If you'd like to try the world yourself, use THIS LINK and you'll get the same promotion I did-a free box!

Pantry Challenge!

Merissa from Little House Living has challenged her readers to eat down their pantries and freezers. This challenge came at the perfect time for me as I have just under 2 weeks until my next big grocery shopping trip and my hubby has challenged me to spend as little as possible over the next two weeks.

Tonight  I did a quick freezer and pantry inventory and then made a list of meals that I think I can make completely out of the times in my fridge, freeze and pantry.

Breakfast

I have a gallon bag full of scones in the freezer. These are either from Jessica Fisher or Alana Chernila, 

Lunch

(1) grilled ham and cheese
(3) cinnamon apple oatmeal
(1-2) Tuna salad on Triscuits

Supper

(3-4) Curry porkchops with rice and broccoli
(2) Turkey Pasta Salad
(1) Bacon Egg and Cheese sandwich
(2) Turkey, black bean and tomato bowl
(1) bacon, egg and grits or bacon, egg and toast
(3-4) HomemadeTuna Helper
(4-5) Quiche (either veggie or leftover turkey/bacon with onions and bell pepper)

Snacks
Apples
Raisins/Raisins with PB
Popcorn
Biscuits
Hot chocolate or chocolate milk


If my leftovers don't give me enough lunches once my "lunch menu" is finished I will allow a purchase of deli meat and cheese to go with the loaves of bread in my freezer.

I'm also planning on tidying up my freezer by making a batch of chicken broth and vegetable broth out of the assorted bags of bones and veggies hiding out in my freezer.

What are your favorite "go to" pantry meals? Also, have you ever done a challenge like this? How did it go? Any tips?

Packrat Puddin'

I'm a terrible packrat. I hate to throw away anything that can be used again, especially food. So, when I made apple strudels this weekend and only 2 of the 8 survived the soggy bottom monster my mind started turning. I turned to both Cupcake Project and 365(ish) Days of Pinterest for inspiration and troubleshooting. They suggested a trifle, apple crisp, baked french toast and bread pudding. I'd wanted to make bread pudding for some time now so I jumped at that suggestion. I think this would turn out really good if you had some leftover slices of pie or strudel or turnovers. Like such a thing exists. Just be sure to crisp up whatever you use.

I cobbled this recipe together from Paula Deen and Alton Brown.

Ingredients:

3 cups toasted cubed apple pie/strudel/danishes/turnovers
1.5 cups granulated sugar
2 cups milk
5 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons vanilla
****If your original recipe did not include cinnamon, add 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup granola (I used Lisa Leake's with pecans for the nuts)
1/2 stick of butter, softened

Sauce:
1/4 cup cognac, rum or brandy
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 stick butter butter
1 cup sugar sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Combine granulated sugar, milk, eggs, spices and vanilla. Pour over cubed "bread". Let sit for 10 minutes.
3. In another bowl, combine  softened butter, brown sugar and granola.
4. Pour egg and bread mixture into a 13x9x2 pan. Top with granola brown sugar topping.
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes until set and golden brown.

Sauce:

1. Combine sugar, butter and vanilla in a pot over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
2. Pour in alcohol of choice. Stir well. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until pudding is ready. Pour over top.

What do you like to do with leftover or sabotaged dessert? I usually go the trifle route. Do you even have leftover dessert?

Week 2:

Here is our menu for the upcoming week. It will probably be tweaked here and there, due to the upcoming holidays. I know we are going to a western style buffet Christmas day but as for New Year's I'm not sure of any food related plans yet:

Tuesday- Bacon, Eggs and Pancakes
Friday-Pork Chops with Rosemary Bacon Potato Hash (prep Saturday's chicken)
Saturday-Broccoli Carrot Chicken Ramen
Monday-Pork Chop with Bacon Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Tuesday-Chicken and Dumplings
Wednesday- Vegetarian Chili

Homemade Chicken Stock

I made my own chicken stock for the first time. I made the stock on Monday night, froze it and used it Friday at lunchtime to make Duck Gumbo (link to follow!). The chicken I boiled to make the stock was used for tacos in Tuesday's lunch.

Makes 3 cups of stock. I made so little because we are very limited on storage containers and storage space. This recipe adjusts easily. You need to make sure you have enough water to keep the chicken covered throughout the cooking process.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb chicken
Water
1 onion, cut in half
2 stalks celery (including leaves), cut in half
1 Carrot cut in half
sprinkle of s&p (optional)
bay leaf (optional)

I had just over half a pound of skin on drumsticks so that is what I used. If you aren't using a whole chicken, I recommend using dark meat as it tends to be more flavorful. If you use more chicken adjust the veggies accordingly.

Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 3 hours. If you use more chicken and it isn't cooked at this point, simmer until the chicken is done.

Be sure to discard the veggies and the bay leaf if you used on. I didn't actually use the bay leaf when I made the stock but used it when I made the gumbo. However, I saw several recipes called for the bay leaf in the stock.

What We Eat When We Don't Eat Out

Eating out in Korea is fairly cheap, and in some cases definitely cheaper than buying groceries. It tends to be healthier than a lot of restaurants at home too. Nonetheless, we still enjoy eating from the comfort of couch.

Here's a look at the types of meals we've enjoyed thus far

• Ham and Onion Omelets with Fried Potatoes
• Ham Omelets with Cereal
• Ham and Cheese sandwiches (the bread is thicker and almost stale, the cheese is uber processed and the ham is not the best quality)
• PBJs
• Cereal with Bananas or Apples
• Sausages and Fried Potatoes
• Ramen (spicy, beef)

Coming up on the menu...

Precooked Spaghetti
Sausages and Mashed Potatoes
Ham and Onion Omelets with Cereal and Fruit


Notice a theme? Yeah, its eggs and potatoes.

Two Meals in the Life of an English Teacher in Korea

There is a bakery that seems pretty popular here- Paris Baguette. By popular I mean there is one every couple of blocks.

In addition to baked goods and pastries they also serve sandwiches, preassembled hot dogs, smoothies, coffee etc.

We stopped and picked up lunch today.I picked out what was labeled as "onion toast".

I opened it at home and found a club style toasted sandwich. The first layer contained pizza sauce, cheese and ham. The second layer? A very mayonnaise-y(like) corn salad. They must have been out of onions.

Anyway, I did not care for the corn salad but once I scraped it off I enjoyed the rest of the sandwich.

For dinner, Mike and I stopped at a chicken and beer restaurant. Most restaurants in the S. Korea are not like the ones in the USA. For instance, you could usually go into a restaurant and have your pick of the type of meat for your entrée: chicken, beef, pork, etc. Here, the restaurant usually specializes in a type of meat (pork, beef, chicken, seafood, rice etc) and you can order different cuts or at least a couple of different sauces for it to be drenched in. You pay for the meat and receive unlimited refills on the side dishes.

We ordered the spicy garlic chicken wings. It was accompanied by a side of cubed pickled radishes (not my fave!)

While we waited for our chicken we received our other 3 side dishes:

Yeah. You're seeing that correctly. Those are sea shell...creatures still intact, a bowl of cold corn and corn chip Styrofoam half-breeds.

Neither one of us could muster the courage to try sucking something out of the shell but we did eat the other two to quench our tongues.

All in all, out dinner (over two dozen wings, 2 beers and 4 "side dishes") cost about $19 bucks.



-

Things I Want to Bake Before Moving to South Korea

As I am a list maker by nature, I have been thinking of things I would like to bake before we head over that great big ocean.

My list includes:

• Avocado Truffles....the second part of my challenge on Hot Glue Baking
• Macarons  ....are these as hard as they look?
• Boston Cream Doughnuts...my husband asked challenged me to make these for him)
• Fried Cupcakes...these have been on to my "to do" list for sometime now- they even made it on my 101/1001 list.
• Mini Chocolate Soufflés
• Coconut Macaroon Cupcakes....after seeing this mouthwatering picture on pinterest how do you NOT want to?

 

Pic from http://www.gigiscupcakesusa.com/coconutmacaroon

• A Cupcake Project Recipe...any suggestions? I'm leaning towards either the Ultimate Chocolate or Wine and Cheese........perhaps I can use the ultimate chocolate recipe as the base for my coconut macaroon cupcakes instead of the devils food it calls for. I'm liking this idea...
• A Brown Eyed Baker recipe....I'm thinking Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread
• And last but not least, Francine Bryson's Chocolate PB Bacon Pie

What's on your baking "to-do" list? Do you have any good recipe suggestions for any of the things I'm looking to make?

PS: I'm on the lookout for a good fruit pie recipe

S'moreo Ice Cream

I just love my yonanas machine.

Tonight I experimented a bit and made my own flavor- I call it S'moreo.

Its part Oreo and part S'more.

I started by putting 4 oreos in my banana base.

I stirred mini-marshmallows into the "ice cream", melted half a Hershey bar and poured it on top.

Next, I crumbled a graham cracker square  on top of it all.

Deliciousness!

Do you have a Yonananas machine? Whats your favorite flavor?

Friday Fav Day-Sweet Summertime!

Happy Friday!

Today I'm linking up at  Finding Joy in My Kitchen

Here's a collection of recipes that I discovered this week:

No Bake Boston Cream Pie Strata


Better Than Sex Chex Mix (camping?)


Strawberry Nutella French Toast


Strawberry Mint Lemonade

Bacon Ranch Potato Salad


It looks like if it contains chocolate, strawberries or bacon you can count me in!

** All recipes and pictures belong  to the linked websites

Once a Month/Week Cooking Review

If you remember, a few weeks ago I tried my hand at freezer cooking. I opted to try just a weeks worth of meals to see how the process worked for my family.

Boy am I glad I let me husband talk me into that! Otherwise we would have wasted a huge amount of food.

I made 7 recipes and only 5 came out edible and only 3 were enjoyable.

The pasta tasted terrible, although it had smelled amazing on cooking day.
The pizza crust refused to bake, but the toppings and sauce were delish.
The chicken cordon bleu, was so-so.
The breakfast burritos were a hit with the hubby.
We both enjoyed the breakfast and bean burritos.
The meatloaf tasted okay but took almost 2 hours to cook.
I like the taste of the frozen fruit cups, but they take a good 20 minutes until they are thawed enough to get a spoon into. Maybe my freezer is too hard core. Because they take so long to thaw I have been eating them as dessert instead of breakfast.


I think I'll try the pizza again, make it, bake it and eat it all in the same day.

Overall, I think I will just strive to do my chopping and prepping in advance but leave everything to be cooked the day of.

How have your once a month cooking experiences gone?

PS: I'm going to be looking for a few guest posters soon. Email me at rrwrites at hotmail dot com if you're interested!

Freezer Cooking

Has anyone ever tried Once A Month cooking? I've been contemplating it for some time. And then I was introduced to Once a Month Mom. Its a subscription based site, but does offer quite a few free menus to try before you buy, including diet and whole foods. 

After discussing this with my husband, he suggested that we try cooking only one week worth of meals, to use during the my 5pm week. I spent about 2.5 hours preparing 5 dinners and about 14 breakfast servings.

I made:

BBQ Pizza
Pasta Primavera
Pizza Stuffed Meatloaf
Beef Burritos
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Frozen Fruit Cups (breakfast)
Chorizo and Egg Burritos (breakfast)

Since I was cooking for a only a week I was able to make a menu pieced together from several of the sites menus. I'll update you later in the week on how the recipes tasted.

Any freezer cooking tips?

Friday Favorites!!!!!

Oh man!

I almost forgot it was Friday. What a week. Sheez.

Anyway. Here's what you came for today- a list of things I discovered this week that I'd love to make. Linked up at the lovely Finding Joy in My Kitchen, of course. All recipes and pictures belong to the linked blogs.

1. Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower



2. Chocolate Hazelnut Baklava



3. Avocado Truffles

 

4. Chocolate Avocado Milkshake

 

 

5. Dark Chocolate Avocado Cookies

 

6. Macaroon Kiss Cookies

 

 

Looks like avacado's the thing.

Friday Favorites!

Its been awhile since I've done this, but today I'm linking up again at Finding Joy in My Kitchen!

Here's a list of yummy looking dishes I've discovered this week. (All of the pictures and recipes belong to the linked website)

Creamy Avocado Salad Dressing:



Steak and Mushroom Pot Pies (I adore mushrooms)



Easter Bunny Racecar



Dessert 7 Layer Dip



KitKat Cheesecake Bars:

Real Food

Do you eat a lot of processed food?

We do.

Do you notice sometimes it makes you feel ick?

I've been a follower of a food blog, 100 Days of Real Food, for sometime now but I am only now trying to change our eating habits.

We eat a lot of convenience foods: frozen pizza, frozen perogis, boxed potatoes and mac n cheese from a bag.

It just so easy.

But when I read about all of the crap thats in the food (some ingredients shouldn't even be considered edible) it scares me, makes me question to long term effects and makes me want to change.

But I'm starting slow as to not overwhelm ourselves.

I've switched from flavored yogurt with artifical color, flavor and high fructose corn syrup to plain greek yogurt and fruit and honey that I add.

We've gone back to butter. And butter without any added ingredients.

I've tried switching to peanut butter that contain just nuts and salt, but the texture and taste is just so overwelming.

Are there any brands of nonprocessed PB that you prefer?

What healthy eating changes have you made?

What should be next on our "things to cut out list"?

How do you make eating and cooking real foods, easier for your family?

I'd love any suggestions you'd like to offer!

Easter's On the Way!

Easter is nearing! Spring is almost here!

I'm considering offering to host an  Easter lunch for my hubby's family. Last year it seemed as if there was a lot of hurt and confusion as to who was invited to what so if we host that means I'm committed to inviting a large amount of people into our small apartment. I know not everyone would come but I want everyone to feel welcome.

On my break today I started brainstorming recipe ideas for either an Easter brunch or lunch. To jump start my thinking, I text ed my family and friends and asked (the obviously poorly phrased):

What foods do you think of when you think of Easter?

The responses:

My little sister: Reese eggs! (Yum-O!)
And after clarification: Ham and Au Gratin Potatoes or Potato Salad

Lyric: Deviled eggs, mac n cheese, black eyed peas

K10: Eggs, ham, white cake

Banana: Eggs. Marshmallows. Pastel sweets
To which I replied: Sounds great. We'll have scrambled eggs, marshmallows and lavendar cake.

I guess I should have clarified that I was looking for menu ideas.

What are your favorite Easter dishes? Would you rather cook/eat a lunch or brunch?

A Dessert I Don't Have To Feel Bad About

Craving something sweet?

Want something a little more balanced than a candy bar or half gallon of moose tracks doused in chocolate fudge and topped with homemade whipped cream?

Have you ever had Yoplaits whipped yogurt?

Okay, now stick one in the freezer until its the consistency of ice cream. I love the strawberry and chocolate with this.

Melt 1-2 Tbsp of peanut butter.

Chisel frozen yogurt of the cup and dump into a bowl. Top with a sliced banana, half of a crumbled granola bar (nature valley crunchy are best for this) and the melted peanut butter. You could also sub actual granola for the bar but thats all I had on hand.

You have a crunchy, sweet and salty dessert that is packe with fruit, dairy and protein.

Yeah I know, its still got a good bit of sugar  (from the flavored yogurt, pb and granola bar) but this is a DESSERT. Dessert without sugar is just dert. And you know thats what it tastes like too- DIRT.

Enjoy!