These are Better That MRE's

     I have a Nursing exam tomorrow.  I also have a Psychology midterm on Tuesday.  Oh, and let's not forget the 15 page paper that will be hanging over my head until some time in January.  Yet all I want to do is take a nap with my cuddly new kitty, Bruce.  I think it's this time of year.  It's not even that cold out, but I find myself wanting to hibernate until March.  But, there's too much to be done, and so little time to do it all.  The holiday rush is making me feel the pinch, but my husband's looming deployment is also making me want to squeeze in as many activities as possible, so we have a plethora of fun memories to sift through as the months until he comes home pass slowly by.  And of course, I'm still cooking up a storm.  I like to fill J's last couple of months with us with a mixture of his favorites and new dishes I know he'll enjoy so that he'll appreciate my cooking even more when he is living off of galley food and MRE's.  ;-)

     I found this new recipe in my Country Cooking book, and it was really good.  It would make a great  game-day food for a football party or a small gathering.

Crab Melt Loaf
1 lb imitation crabmeat, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup diced celery
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 (1 lb) loaf unsliced French bread, halved lengthwise

In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients.  Stir in cheese, salt, and pepper.  Spread over bottom of bread; replace top.  Wrap in a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated through.  Cut into 8 slices.

Enjoy

     Now that I feel slightly productive for posting a blog, I'm going to keep this tremendous momentum going by flipping through some notecards for tomorrow's test.

Welcome, Fall!

     I've noticed over the past couple of weeks I've had a lot for which I'm so very grateful.  I got into the Nursing program at my school.  My husband got home early from his training exercise.  I got to spend two weeks with my sweet baby girl, and now I find myself sitting next to an open window, enjoying the crisp fall breezes!  That's right; we finally got a taste of Fall here in the south, and of course that means it's the perfect running weather.  And it's not just because I can now run without feeling like my lungs are caving in; I also no longer have to worry about what types of wildlife I'll run into.  Thankfully, since it's been cooler, the most "wild" form of creature I've seen has been a sweet little turtle crossing my path.  I love this weather!

     Of course this type of weather calls for a certain type of food.  The possibilities are endless during sweater weather:  warm soups, savory stews, hearty breads, and filling casseroles are just a few that come to mind this time of year.  And of course, I have just the thing to share to fit the bill.  Here's a recipe for an awesome Shrimp and Rice Casserole from a lovely lady I went to church with as a child:

Shrimp and Rice Casserole
1 stick butter
1 bell pepper
1 stalk celery
1 onion
1 can French onion soup
1 can cream of celery
1 can Rotel
2 lbs shrimp, peeled  *Can substitute crawfish*
2 cups rice, uncooked

Finely chop vegetables.  Preheat oven to 350.  Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat; and in vegetables and sauté.  Add the soups and rotel.  Mix well.  Add uncooked rice and shrimp.  Pour into 3 quart casserole dish.  Cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour.
   

This is one of those "throw it in the oven a forget it" recipes so that you have more time to go outside and enjoy this beautiful weather :-)

It's the Little Things in Life...Like Sushi

     There's something to be said for enjoying the little things in life.  Sometimes I get so caught up in planning for the future, in trying to stay on top of things, and on attempting to not miss out on anything that I end up doing exactly that, missing out.   I've noticed that I want so badly to control everything in my life that most of the time the things in my life start to control me.  This past week I challenged myself to simply let go of the minor things.  I let the dishes pile up; I let the laundry go a bit, and I focused on loving my family and enjoying the things I like to do.  You know what happened?  I had an excellent week!  The chores I was so worried about got done without me, thanks to my husband and daughter.  I started on my first quilt.  My family went for runs together; my husband coached me on boxing as our daughter cheered me on.  Monkey and I went exploring one night, and we were chased by the "Big Bad Mouse".  He almost got me, but Monkey stopped him with her Cyclops powers.  Yesterday we pulled a date from our date jar, and followed the instructions that said, "drive until we see something new, and we can only talk about how much we love each other".  Of course, we had a great family outing, and we found a pretty campsite about an hour away.  Yesterday we topped it off with a great morning at church and homemade sushi for dinner.

     It's amazing to see how many wonderful things we miss out on because we get so "busy" with distractions.  Yes, the house needs to be cleaned, but I need to remember the dishes can be in the sink until morning.  Yes, I need to keep up with my homework, but I can take my daughter to the park and let her run around while I study.  Yes, I enjoy vegging out in front of Facebook, but when I turn off the computer and look around, there are so many more beautiful things to see.  It was a humbling week, and it was a good reminder to stop taking things for granted.  Everything God gave me is precious, and I need to cherish it more.  

     This may shock some of you, but I even took a break from cooking this week.  Okay, that's not entirely true.  I took a break from trying any new recipes, and I stuck to a few of my favorite foods that can be prepared quickly. That is, except for the sushi last night, but I made the exception for Monkey who loves it.  So that's what I want to share with y'all: my sushi rice recipe, and a few tips and tricks on how to make your own.  (I learned using this kit and this book, and I recommend both.)

Making the rice may seem tedious, but it's important to pay attention to the little detailed instructions, so your rice comes out just right.  I suggest you read through the instructions first before attempting.  But don't worry, it's not hard!  It merely requires some attention to detail.

Sushi Rice
2 cups Nishiki rice
2 cups plus 6 tsp cold water
cold water for washing rice
1/2 cup rice vinegar (I use Nakano Original)

You'll also need:
-medium-sized bowl and large strainer
-medium-sized heavy saucepan or electric rice cooker
-clean towel
-large, non-metal platter or dish for cooling rice(I use a glass, 2-quart casserole dish)

First wash your rice by soaking in a bowl of cold water.  Stir rice around in the bowl with your hands.  After the water becomes cloudy, pour the rice into the large strainer.  Once all the water has been strained out, pour the rice back into the bowl.  Add fresh cold water, and repeat the washing process.  Keep washing the rice until the water is no longer cloudy (this usually takes about 5 minutes).  Finally, leave the washed rice in the strainer and let it sit, draining for 30-60 minutes.

Next you cook the rice.  If you have a rice cooker, simply follow the directions that came with your cooker for this step.  If you don't have a rice cooker, you get to do it the fun way :-)  Place the washed rice into a heavy medium-sized pot.  Add the water.  Cover tightly with lid.  DO NOT lift the lid at any point until the rice is finished cooking, or steam will escape and it will not cook properly.  Place over medium heat until the rice steams (about 8-10 minutes).  Turn the heat to high, and cook 2 minutes.  You may notice white foam around the lid and the lid jiggling up and down.  Next, reduce heat to medium and cook another 5 minutes, until the foam stops and you hear a crackling sound.  Turn off heat, and let stand, covered, another 15 minutes.  Next, remove cover and fluff the rice using a bamboo paddle.  Then wrap the cover in a cloth towel, and return the cover to the pot.  Let stand another 15 minutes.

Now we need to season the rice.  With the rice paddle, gently spread out the hot rice in a shallow, large-bottomed, non-metallic bowl or platter-the large surface is necessary so that the rice can cool quickly and the material must not be metal because the vinegar will react with it, creating a bad taste.  As the steam is escaping, sprinkle the rice vinegar over the rice, and with quick, horizontal motions, scooping back and forth along the bottom, toss the rice with the rice vinegar.

Immediately start to fan the rice to cool it.  A piece of cardboard or a paper fan can be used.  The cooling process should last about 2 minutes.  Cover the rice loosely with a clean, wet towel and let stand for about 15 minutes, or until the rice is at room temperature.  Keep the rice covered with the damp towel if it is not to be used immediately.

 Now to make your first rolls you'll need:

Nori (toasted seaweed sheets)
Bamboo rolling mat
Gallon-sized ziploc bags (to cover your mat for quick clean-up)
A very sharp knife
Your chosen fillings/toppings, some of my favorites are:
-cream cheese
-avocado
-julienned cucumbers
-tempura shrimp (found in the frozen foods)
-imitation crab meat
-Crab Salad (recipe below)
-oyster sauce (can be found in the oriental foods section)
-smoked salmon (can be found at Wal-mart)
-sashimi-grade tuna (for special occasions, I splurge and get this from the local seafood market)

Start by having your fillings/topping ready.  I like to slice up all my ingredients and lay them out while the rice is standing for the last 15 minutes.  Have a clean cutting board by your work area with your sharp knife for cutting your rolls into pieces.  Also, have either a bowl of warm water nearby, or work next to your sink and run the tap, so you can rinse the rice off your fingers (this stuff sticks like you won't believe).  It also helps to have a wet kitchen towel on hand to wipe your finger off.  Cover your bamboo mat with the ziploc to save on clean up later, it is especially helpful if you're making inside out rolls.

For regular rolls, where the seaweed is on the outside:

Take a sheet of nori, and cut it to about 3/4 it's original size.  Lay it on the bamboo mat in front of you, with one edge lined up with the mat's edge closest to you, shiny side down.  Cover nori with rice, starting with the edge closest to you, and leaving about 1/4 of it uncovered.  This should be the long side that's farthest from you.  Add you filling to the middle of the rice.  Keep in mind that you will be rolling in a minute, so don't overfill or they'll pop out the sides.  This may take some practice, but you'll soon see about how much you can fit in there.  Now, grasp the mat in both hands, thumbs underneath, and, pressing lightly on the fillings with the index finger of both hands, lift the mat so the edge of the nori closest to you meets the edge of the rice-free margin of nori at the far end.  Press straight down on the sides of the mat, not on the top of the roll.  Lift mat slightly, and finish rolling the roll, so that the rice free edge of nori adheres to the roll.  Press gently alone tops and sides to square the roll a little.  Carefully remove mat.

Carefully move the roll to your cutting board, and use your sharp knife to slice the roll into 6-8 pieces.  You may need to wipe your knife with the wet towel if too much rice sticks to it.

For inside-out rolls, where the rice is on the outside:
Cut the nori as you did before, and lay it on the mat.  This time cover the entire sheet with rice, and then flip it over, so the side with rice is facing down, and the nori is facing up.  Place your ingredients in the middle, and roll as before.

To make Crab Salad, you'll need:
Imitation crab stick
Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
Mayonnaise

Peel the crab stick into strings, (like you would string cheese).  Place in a bowl.  Add a bit of mayo, and a squirt of hot sauce until you get it to the desired heat.

     One of the things I love about sushi is how much you can customize it.  No two rolls have to be the same.  I've tried other ingredients besides the ones listed above, such as chicken, carrots, etc. but these are the things I find work best and taste the most "authentic".  Feel free to experiment.  I hope the instructions helped.  Next time I make it, I'll come back and add pictures to help clarify.

     Oh, and one more thing before you go.  I think it's fair to warn you that by the time you're finished, your kitchen will look something like this:

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday to Me

     I've never been one for making New Year's resolutions.  To me they've always seemed cliche and impersonal.  Just because I bought a new calendar, I'm supposed to make some life changing goal?  I tried a few times, but it never took.  They were always cheesy, and I'd forget in a week.

     As a teenager I began a new tradition of making one big change every year on my birthday.  These were petty things then, new piercings when I was 16, a new tattoo at 18.  My thought process then was that I was changing, growing older and (hopefully) wiser, so the outward appearance should reflect the inward change.  I never thought of this as my own personal "new year" with my very own "new year's resolution" until recently, but that's how it has evolved.

     Last year I made another goal.  Instead of another hole in my ear or the loss of several inches of hair, I decided to get healthy.  This past year I have struggled over countless obstacles that threatened to bring me down and keep be there so that I would never achieve my goal.  I have lost many battles along the way, but today I'm proud to say that the war is over, and I have won.

     This is after one year of hard work:

     Needless to say, I definitely feel better.  I have more energy.  I get out more, and when I do, I have less worries about what I'm wearing or how I look or if I need to sit up straighter so that my belly roll isn't as obvious.  I'm not perfect.  I'll never be a size 0, and I don't want to be.  I like the way I am now.  For once in my life, I feel happy in my skin, and that's an empowering feeling.

    That being said, this year's goal has yet to be announced.  I'm thinking...ABS! lol  Seriously, though, this year my goal is less about my body and more about my mind.  My goal this year is to get into a Nursing program and get 4.0s each semester.  Oh, and run a 1/2 marathon with my sister in the winter.  Here's hoping. :-)

    Now since y'all have been forced to look at pictures of me in a bikini, let me give y'all something else to drool over (just joking).

Rotelle and Shrimp with Yogurt Dill Dressing

2 TBS butter
2 cloves garlic
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise (optional)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
3 TBS chopped fresh dill
3 scallions including green tops, chopped
1/4 tsp paprika
3/4 lb rotelle

In a medium frying pan, melt the butter over moderate heat.  Stir in the garlic and then the shrimp, 1/4 tsp of salt, and the pepper.  Cook, stirring, until the shrimp are just done, about 4 minutes.  Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.  In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, the mayo, the jalapeño, cucumber, dill, scallions, paprika, and the remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt.  In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until just done, about 12 minutes.  Drain the pasta, rinse with cold water, and drain thoroughly.  Toss with the yogurt sauce and the shrimp and garlic.

Enjoy!

From Toddler to Teenager

     I have finally come to terms with the fact that my baby girl is no longer a baby, but I didn't think she would skip straight from toddler to teenager.  That little Monkey has the wit and attitude to try a saint.  Last night for example, my little brother and I were watching a movie after Monkey had gone to bed, or that's where she was supposed to be at any rate.  Then I saw a little head poke out behind the staircase.  I told her to get back in her bed.  She giggled and obeyed.  Then she came back downstairs.  I told her to go to bed again.  She bargained and argued, and I finally told her if she came off those stairs again she'd be in trouble.  She listened.  Sort of.  After our movie was over we were headed upstairs to bed only to find Monkey camped out on the stairs with her blanket and pillow, fast asleep.  She listened to her mommy and didn't come off the stairs again, but that's not exactly what I had in mind.

     In addition to being pretty good at finding the loophole in just about anything, she's also got a pretty sharp tongue in her head.  The other day we were coming through the gate on base, and we stopped at the ID checkpoint.  When the guard stuck his head in the car to check the backseat, Monkey hollers, "Hey old man would you quit looking at me?"  Thank goodness he was old and hard of hearing.  That child is going to get me in trouble one of these days.

     Besides keeping the inevitable grey hairs at bay, I've also been enjoying my down time.  It will be ending all too soon, as school starts up again next week.  In the meantime, though, I did manage to squeeze in a visit to my hometown to see family.  I had a great trip, and it was long overdue.  I missed my kitchen, though.  Since we came home Sunday I've been cooking like crazy, and I have an excuse because my little brother is staying with us.  And of course, I have to share :-)

    First up is a new favorite pasta from Quick From Scratch Pasta Cookbook, which is quickly becoming my go-to for recipes.

Ziti with Honey Mustard Salmon

You'll need:
1 lb salmon fillet
1 TBS honey
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 TBS cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tsp grainy or Dijon mustard
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 TBS fresh parsley, chopped
3/4 lb ziti

     Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly oil a small roasting pan.  Put salmon in the pan, skin side down.  Spread honey over the salmon, and then sprinkle 1/4 tsp pepper over the salmon.  Roast until just barely done, about 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet.  Remove from oven.
     In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over moderately low heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the wine and simmer until about 1 TBS remains, about 2 minutes.  Whisk in the mustard, cream, salt, and the remaining 1/4 tsp pepper.  Turn off heat.  Flake the salmon and stir it and the parsley into the sauce.
     Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the ziti until just done, about 13 minutes.  Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce.

Enjoy!

  Since I've been a slacker and have only blogged twice this month I'll share a few more things.  We've been hunting blackberries just about every night for the past couple of weeks.  They're everywhere on base!

      These are perfect for Monkey's afternoon snack and J's morning yogurt, plus I can freeze what we don't eat for later.  Not to mention they're free!  And I can use them as substitutes in a few baking recipes like this one:

Blackberry Yogurt Cake

 You'll need:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 TBS lemon juice, divided
Zest of one lemon
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz Greek yogurt, plain
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
1 cup powdered sugar

     Preheat oven to 375.  Grease and flour a 10" Bundt pan, set aside.  Sift together 2 1/4 cups flour, baking soda and salt.  Mix in lemon zest, set aside.  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Stir in 1 TBS lemon juice.  Alternate beating in the flour mixture and yogurt, mixing until just incorporated.  Toss the blackberries with remaining flour.  Mix them into the batter gently.  Pour batter into Bundt pan, and place in the oven.  Reduce temperature to 325.  Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.  Allow to cool 20 minutes in the pan.  Then turn out onto wire rack and cool completely.  Once cooled whisk together remaining lemon juice and powdered sugar and drizzle over the top.

    This is a recipe I've adapted from A Spicy Perspective, and it was delicious!  This cake seriously lasted one day in our house.  I kept having to swat J away from the kitchen.  Enjoy!

It's the Final Countdown

      Since my English class is in the online format, it will officially end tomorrow.  However, being the nerd that I am, I already submitted my final paper and received my grade on it.  I officially have a 100 in the class.  Tomorrow the rest of my finals kick off with my A&P II lab final.  I'm not as confident about that one, considering I had to leave the room when they started dissecting the cat, but I'm sure it will be fine.  It's crazy to think that another semester is coming to a close.  This was supposed to be my last semester of prerequisites before I entered the Associate's Degree program at MGCCC, but plans have changed slightly.  Thanks to a chance conversation with a friend from school I discovered that I'm only 3 classes from entering the Bachelor's program at a university up the road a ways.  I will take two of those courses this summer, and then the last one will be in the fall.  Hopefully, I will be accepted into the program Spring 2014, and I will graduate with a Bachelor's Aug. 2015.  I'm a little hesitant in my excitement as I haven't officially been accepted into the program yet.  I'll turn in my application after the summer semester, and hopefully I'll get good news.
     Summer semester will not equal less time at home, however.  I will be taking a hybrid class and a night class, so I will get to be at home with my Monkey during the day.  I'm looking forward to that immensely, and my Crafty Kids board on Pinterest is about to explode.  Quality time has been a little scarce with all the preparations for finals, so tonight we went on a family run, and then we stopped and looked for blackberries.  It was nice to get out and spend time with my loved ones.  There's not enough of that anymore these days.
     Well enough of my blabbing.  I do have a recipe to share with y'all, since my random cat post was lacking in that area.  In honor of me finally taking my mother's advice for the first time ever,  I'm going to post her Crawfish Pie recipe that is to die for!!!  (But only if y'all promise not to tell her; I don't want her thinking she needs to give me more advice.)

Mom's Crawfish Pie
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
1 can cream of celery soup
4 TBS tomato sauce
1 lb crawfish (or shrimp)
1/4 cup parsley flakes
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Tony's to taste
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 (9") pie shells

   Saute onion, garlic, bell pepper, celery, and green onions in the butter until tender and onions are transparent.  Add cream of celery and tomato sauce, crawfish, and parsley flakes.  Cook slowly for 10 minutes.  Turn off heat.  Add breadcrumbs, Tony's, egg, and milk.  Pour into pie shells.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Seriously, though, if you make anything I've posted, make this!  This is one of those down-home recipes I crave when I start feeling homesick.

Shrimp Etouffee and French Bread

   I know that it may seem that I use this blog to vent about my husband more often that I should, and you know, that's not completely untrue, but I just want everyone to understand that my venting about him comes from a place of love.  That being said, I almost beat him yesterday!

   In the morning, we have a little routine.  He wakes up and leaves for PT while I'm still sleeping.  His goodbye kiss is my alarm clock.  I toss and turn for about thirty minutes more; then I get up and start getting ready for work.  Meanwhile Monkey begins to stir, and right about then J returns from PT to shower and change into his uniform before heading out again.  I like it, because we still get to have breakfast together without me having to wake up at an ungodly hour to fix it.  Well yesterday, I was in the middle of getting dressed when Monkey strolled into my room, bright-eyed and bushy tailed.  She hugged me good morning, and then went off to potty and get dressed.  It dawned on me then that I had just washed my work clothes the night before, so the shirt I wanted, well, all of my shirts were downstairs hanging up in the laundry room.  I headed down, shirtless, in time to hear the door unlocking.  I quickened my pace so I could greet J at the door with a hug.  Thankfully, he was quicker because as I was midway to the bottom I hear, "Hey baby, we've got company!"  I high-tailed it back upstairs, tripping over a half-naked Monkey on my way.  I scooped her up and we both got dressed before heading back down to meet what I assumed would be one of J's coworkers.  Now, J has pulled this on me once before, so I figured that the person I would be meeting was just some other guy from J's battalion.  I was only partially correct.  The person I found was J's Chief!  I instantly regretted throwing on my old, tatty night shirt, and ran to the laundry room to change into my work shirt.  Not that it mattered, the guy came to work on J's computer, and didn't even deign to look up when I squeaked out an all-too peppy "Good morning!"  I stood around for about five minutes, awkwardly waiting for J's introduction that never came before finally busying myself with Monkey's breakfast.  That was a bad idea, though, because I then brought attention to the mountain of dishes I had been boycotting (Yeah, Mr. Chief looked up to see that!).  Finally giving in, I politely asked J to get Monkey a Pop-tart while I barricaded myself in the bathroom until the Chief left.  (Still without introduction, or so much as a "kiss my foot").

   Needless to say, tonight I went to town scrubbing, vacuuming, and washing those dishes that I had so vehemently boycotted.  Oh well, you win some; you lose some.  I think I'll be counting this one as a loss.  The recipe I'm about to share, however is definitely a win!  I was feelin' some down-home cookin', so I made Shrimp Etouffee and homemade French Bread.

The Shrimp Etouffe recipe was a jumble of Emeril's Crawfish Etouffee with a bit of my own spices thrown in, and then of course, my step-daddy's advice :-)  Here it is:

1 stick butter
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp (next time I'll use more, so about 1 1/2 lbs)
2 TBS garlic
2 bay leaves
1 cup water
1 TBS flour
Tony's to taste
1 small can tomato paste
1 can stewed tomatoes drained, and pureed
2 TBS finely chopped parsley
3 TBS chopped green onions

In a large pan, melt butter.  Add onion, celery, and bell pepper and saute 10-15 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender, and onions are translucent.  Add the shrimp, garlic, and bay leaves, and cook 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Dissolve the flour fully in the water, and add to the shrimp mixture.  Stir until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Season with Tony's.  Stir in the tomato paste and stewed tomatoes.  Add the parsley and green onions.  Cook 2-5 minutes more.  Serve over cooked rice.

Close up

The French Bread recipe was found on a fellow blogger's page via Pinterest.  The bread was perfect.  It made a bunch though, so I brought one of the loaves to a friend.  Here's what they looked like:

They were really good.  I impressed J, which I'm finding out isn't really hard to do.  Oh well. Here's the recipe:

2 1/2 cups warm water
2 TBS yeast
3 TBS sugar
2 TBS white vinegar
Add the above ingredients together and let sit about 5 minutes, or until bubbly.  (It's really cool to watch when it starts bubbling.)
Next, add:
1 TBS salt
1/3 cup oil (I used Canola)
5 1/2-6 cups flour, one cup at a time

Knead for 2-5 minutes and then put in the oven with a small pot of boiling water underneath it. The water will keep the dough moist. Watch the dough and punch it down when it gets to the top of the mixing bowl. Do this every time it gets to the top of the bowl, preferably 2-5 times.  Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal on the bottom of the sheet.  Divide the dough into 3 sections.  Roll the dough balls into long French bread shapes. Slash tops of bread diagonally 3-5 times and cover with a beaten egg. Let rise 30 minutes (or until doubled) on the cookie sheet.  Meanwhile, preheat your stove to 375 and bake for 30 minutes.  

  I think next time, I'll try adding some garlic and other seasonings to the top of my loaf.  The leftover bread is good for French Toast too :-)

  Well, it's 11:00 pm, and I still have to pack for our weekend back home.  We're taking both dogs, so this should be interesting.  Goodnight all!

And that's what I get for complaining....

   You know, Tuseday night I got on here to blog and thought to myself, “Man, I don’t have anything interesting to say. My life’s kinda boring when J’s not pulling some goofy crap like moving the car around the parking lot while I'm grocery shopping, and Monkey’s not going through any big life changes like sleeping in a big girl bed.”  Well, now I’m eating those words.

   Last night my husband and I were watching two girls who are friends with our daughter as a favor to their mother, who is our dear friend.  Things were going rather well; the girls were all outside playing with J while I was inside trying to put away the giant mass of food another friend of mine had dropped off for us.  She’s beginning a new revolutionary cooking routine that does not include processed foods, so we are the happy inheritors of all her baking goods and misc other items.  As I was putting them away I noticed a large puddle in our pantry.  Thinking Monkey had had an accident, I cleaned it up, grumbling all the way.  Then I walked myself outside to wrestle Monkey inside so I could change her pants.  When I got out there I was puzzled to find that Monkey hadn’t had an accident.  I knew it couldn’t be one of the other girls because the oldest is potty trained and the youngest is in diapers.  I then began wondering how long that puddle had been sitting there and shuddered at the thought.  Finally I shrugged it off and went back inside to cook spaghetti for the girls.  As I was collecting my ingredients from the pantry, I passed by another, larger puddle.  Confused, I looked at the dog, who looks guilty on a good day, knowing that this couldn’t possibly be her work.  She hasn’t had an accident in almost a year.  I walked myself back outside to reconfirm that Monkey was, in fact, dry.  At this point J is wondering why I keep coming outside to stare at our daughter’s butt and why I was not busy cooking.  So I explained to him, and he followed me inside, only to find a puddle right where I had just mopped up the last one.  

  

    Now, I have never heard of a drip pan, except for in passing, and I’ve never cleaned one or dumped one or could even locate one on our refrigerator, but never to be outdone by my husband, I immediately launched into a theory that the refrigerator must be leaking from the drip pan that I have never cleaned/dumped.  Obediently J pulled the fridge from the wall, only to reveal that my cleaning skills really are lacking.  But on a good note, we found all of Monkey’s alphabet magnets.  J mercifully began to clean the floor and diagnose the problem, while I shepherded the kids inside so that I could continue cooking dinner.  Keep in mind that these girls are now trapped in the living room after having the big backyard all to themselves, and my cooking area has now been reduced by about half thanks to the giant fridge sitting in the middle of my way.  Oh, and it was about 6:15, and the girls were getting hungry.  

   So as I was chopping onions and garlic, and browning meat, J was asking for a flashlight or a butter knife or some other tool, and I’m cringing, knowing that we live on base and if he tries to “fix” something and isn’t successful, then it would be our fault and I don’t know what that would all entail to fix correctly.  This is making me a bit snippy with J.  Then he tells me that it’s not the fridge (or my lack of fridge knowledge concerning the drip pan).  Apparently (and this is where he lost me a little) there are pipes in the wall that are setup weird and this weird setup breaks and leaks easily.  And now our tile floors are water logged where the fridge is sitting, b/c who knows how long it has been leaking before the floor couldn’t soak up anymore and it started running out into the middle of the kitchen and into the pantry.  Then I had an attack of mother’s guilt because I kept thinking “How many times were those puddles not a product of Monkey’s accidents?”  Maybe I’ve been blaming my kid for nothing, and now she’s going to have a complex that will cost me a bunch later when I pay for therapy.  And then I was angry with housing for costing me so much money on hypothetical therapy.  Meanwhile I was almost finished with dinner, and I was trying to set the table, but there was a giant fridge blocking me off from the kitchen.  This meant that I had to walk through the living room, around the hall, and into the kitchen to set the table.  Or I could squeeze through the 1/2 foot gap that was a available.  Being a sensible person, I squeezed myself through said gap.  Now, I am no skinny minnie, so it took a bit of maneuvering and a bit more time than my other route would have, but by George I got through, carrying three bowls of spaghetti too, I might add.  J looked up from what he was doing and said, “You know, I’m kind of impressed.”  

   So finally I managed to get the girls to sit down at the table and begin to eat.  Then I remembered that they needed something to drink.  One wanted milk, the other water, and the other just kept repeating what I was saying.  (She ended up with milk too.)  It took about three trips through the tiny crack.  I think my original voyage had widened it, or J had had sympathy and decided to widen when I wasn’t looking.  Either way, I was slipping through there a lot quicker.  

    At this point, J had already made his diagnoses, so I assumed this would mean he’d put the fridge back in its place and call housing in the morning to address the issue.  But   here he was, still behind the fridge.  I was getting a little nervous, thinking he was going to tear down the wall and fix the pipe himself.  When I mentioned that he shouldn’t take it upon himself, he scoffed saying, “Aundraya!  I wouldn’t do that myself!  I don’t have the right tools.”  Well, thank God for that, at least.  So then I’m standing there, waiting for the refrigerator to go back into his place, and it’s not moving.  J comes out from behind the fridge and starts cleaning!  Okay, I’m not ungrateful.  I love when my husband cleans, but not when I need him to restore order to my kitchen! Finally fed up with maneuvering through the tiny crack and getting increasingly move hungry, I finally spit out, “Would you just move the damn fridge?”  (I know, not one of my finer moments.) And my darling J, understanding man that he is, just grinned at me and said, “I love you.  You’re a good Mommy and a great wife.”  Soothed, I rolled my eyes and helped him move the fridge back into its place.  After shoving some towels under there we sat down to enjoy my tweaked spaghetti recipe, while listening to the three girls chit chat amongst themselves.  

    Then J and the girls retired to the living room for a movie while I busied myself cleaning up my kitchen and peace and normalcy was restored.  And that’s what happens when you complain that you have nothing to blog about.

   Oh, and when my dear friend came to pick up her girls, she informed me that there is a 24-hour emergency number for housing, in case of these after hours issues.  Well, imagine that.

    As I said I tweaked my spaghetti recipe, so you can check it out here.  I’m also going to share a quick and easy recipe for Blackened Tilapia Hoagies.  These were super quick, and yummy with out that heavy filling you get from hamburgers or a poboy.

 What you'll need:

4 Tilapia fillets
Old Bay Blackening Seasoning
1 Tbs Olive oil
Lettuce
Tomato
4 Hoagie Rolls


Simply season each fillet with about 1/2 tsp blackening seasoning.  Then heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the fillets and cook about 2-3 minutes per side or until cooked through.  Meanwhile toast your bread if desired.  Serve topped with lettuce, tomato, or whatever you want.

Monkey's pink plate.

    Well I think that's enough excitement for one evening.  Y'all have a good night :-)

Suzy Sunshine meets Shrimp Scampi

    I've seriously got to get on the ball here.  One blog a week???  I know y'all need more of my charming personality than that in your life.  ;-)  At the risk of sounding like little Miss Suzy Sunshine, life's been amazing lately.  I know, I know, "gag me", right?  Well if it's any condolence, being Miss Suzy Sunshine comes at a cost.  I've discovered that I'm rather boring when I'm not forced to carry a 175 lb dresser up my stairs by myself and assemble it single-handedly or wrestle with two dogs and a toddler in the parking lot at PetSmart.  Ah, well.  At least there's one thing that never changes: my love of food.  Second to that is my love of sharing good food :-)  That's where you guys come in.




    So since I'm boring, let's get down to business.  The first recipe I want to share is one that I found on Pinterest.  It's a Cinnamon Roll Cake, and it was quite yummy.  Unfortunately one of my two house-gremlins (They're a mix breed of JK Rowling's house elf and Joe Dante's gremlin.  Instead of destroying everything or cleaning everything they attempt to help you only to wind up causing more harm than good.) moved my camera.  That means I didn't get a mouth-watering image for you, but if you click the link above, you'll see one.  Yes, I'm actually requiring a little effort on your part.


Cake:
3 c. flour
1/4 tsp.salt
1 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, melted

Mix everything together except for the butter. Slowly stir in the melted butter and pour into a greased 9x13 pan.


Topping:
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes.

Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla


After cake has cooked, but is still warm, drizzle glaze over the top.  This is yummy as a dessert or breakfast :-)




The next recipe is something that I've made on several occasions because it's become one of my favorites.  It's Paula Deen's Shrimp Scampi.  It's even in the "lighter side" section of her magazine, so don't feel bad about seconds y'all.

What y'all need:


1 1/2 lbs large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 TBS olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (I buy pre-minced garlic in a jar and use 1 TBS per clove.)
3/4 cups vermouth
3 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS butter
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley (I cheated and used parsley flakes.)
3 cups cooked angel hair pasta


Sprinkle shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp, and cook 5 minutes or until pink and firm.  Using a slotted spoon, remove shrimp.  Add garlic to pan.  Cook 3 minutes or until golden brown.  Add vermouth, and simmer 1-2 minutes.  Stir in lemon juice, butter, remaining 1/4 tsp salt, and pepper.  In large bowl, combine shrimp, parsley, pasta and vermouth mixture.  Serve immediately.  


*There was one occasion when I couldn't find vermouth, so I used white cooking wine.  It wasn't as strong of a taste, but it was still yummy.*


  As my loving J said when I whipped this dish up "Wow that was fast."   Just because delicious doesn't mean you have to spend all day in the kitchen.  Well my little Monkey is calling for me to read her a nigh-night story, so I'm out.  Until next time, I'll leave y'all with a wonderful quote from one of my co-workers, stated during a conversation about the possible end of the world:


"2012! That crap ain't true.  Now Zombies!  Zombies are real!!!"


You've been warned.....