alligator recipe

How is your day when you find an alligator in your bathroom sink? Are there really more words necessary!?
It's the end.

Not the end of the world, just the end of spring break, sleeping in, being lazy and kids free time.

I  have not clue who planted the alligator in the sink, I am just quite sure it did crawl in it by itself, the sink is pretty high up. :), but for once I am not necessarily accusing Chiara in the first place. She was busy anyway, helping cleaning the kitchen up so she could try how her recipe "Brownie in a cup".

All the kids sampled it, liked it and made their own afterwards, just one thinks a little less sugar would be a good idea. Here is the original recipe handwritten by Chiara. Just as a hint. Soak your cups really well afterwards for cleaning. Guten Appetit.

german cooking on the menu

Soren's helping out with my pins and his conversation with my pincushion.

Soren: Mommy, what are these called?
Me: Nadeln. 
Soren. Nadeln, you won't poke me. You won't make me scream, needles.

School is out for spring break and with the drizzling outside it is the perfect evening to just lounge in the house with some home cooking. For a change I actually truly cooked German tonight even the kids are not absolutely happy about my choice of dinner. They love Bratwurst, but not necessarily Sauerkraut, but once a while I crave it even it is not on our regular menu.  I tried a new version with added bacon and apple today which turned out delicious and less sour as just cooking plain sauerkraut. Pst. Soren is just coming again to eat another serving of brats.

German Bratwurst and Sauerkraut

• 6 slices of bacon
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• can of sauerkraut
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tbs. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. chicken stock powder
• 1 tsp. caraway seed
• 1 lb. beer brats
• 1 large apple, peeled and sliced

Cook bacon over medium high heat 4-5 minutes until crisp. Crumble and set aside. Discard all but 2 Tbs. drippings from skillet. Reduce heat to medium. 

Cook onion and garlic in the bacon drippings 4-5 minutes until tender. Stir in sauerkraut and and the rest of the ingredients besides the apple slices. Increase heat to high. Add up to 1/2 cup more water, if necessary, to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil. Add the brats to sauerkraut mixture. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are just tender, stirring occasionally. Add the sliced apple and crumbled bacon. Cover and cook 5-10 minutes more or until apples are just tender. Serve.

The kitchen is not cleaned yet, but Soren's keeps eating anyway so it can wait a little longer while I enjoy a glass of wine and make my pattern for a shirt. I am actually attempting to sew clothes, something I haven't done for a while and not for myself for a long time. 

We are not growing bananas in the yard!

These cucumber seedlings do not fit in the miniature plastic green house anymore and are calling for bigger pots. Cucumbers and also the first squash seedlings are looking good. Everything else needs some more time, eve more sprouts are already seen. Soren was ready to get his hands dirty and helped preparing the new containers for the seedlings with Bella. We had to move our greenhouse from the back porch to the front because it could not withstand the wind when it once started. Nothing is able to hold up in our yard if it if it is not moving with the wind or held by down by cement. Hopefully at least our little veggie garden will grow this year.

Right after the two little ones left for the school bus in the morning, Bella peaked in the kitchen when she heard me making muffins with the overripe bananas from the top of the fridge. Banana bread or banana muffins are not the most favorite baked good in the house, but this time I had to convince Soren to leave some for breakfast in the morning so he definitely approved of the banana-chocolate chips-oatmeal muffins.

banana-chocolate chips-oatmeal

3-4 ripe bananas
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup melted butter

1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup oatmeal
1/1 cup chocolate chips

Mix the first 4 ingredients, set aside. Then mix the rest of the ingredients. Add it to the banana mix and fill it muffins forms either oiled or lined with paper. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes.

kitchen experiment - 파김치 - pa kimchi

파김치 - pa kimchi (green onion kimchi)

 

 

Something new, something different and onions. I love cooking with onions and my new favorites are green onions. I have to admit that I made two half batches of the recipe, because in one I skipped the fish sauce, the other one I optimisticly added it to try the fishy taste because we hardly ever eat fish here. I eat fish very seldom and usually avoid anything that smells like fish. Leland is not much better. There are a few weird exception. But this will be a nice addition to the bulgogi that a favorite on our table by now. Enjoy.

 

Pa Kimchi

• 6 bunches of green onion
• 3 tbsp pickled shrimp  - I skipped it
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup of hot pepper paste
• 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1 tsp of fish sauce
• 1 – 2 tsp salt

Step 1: Wash green onions well, and cut in the middle if it’s too thick. Slice into about 3-4" lengths.

Step 2: Lightly sprinkle with salt evenly, and set aside for about 10 minutes. When it looks like a little bit of water has been removed, rinse quickly in cold water and drain.

Step 3: Mix in a bowl with with pickled shrimp, garlic, sugar, hot pepper powder, fish sauce and sesame seeds. Taste, and adjust salt.

Step 4: Put in a jar and press down firmly. Leave at room temperature for 1-2 days, then put in a refrigerator.

김밥 - kimbap

Somebody ate the prepared beef in the fridge. Guess who? It wasn't the dog.

김밥 - kimbap

However after change of plan and with some chicken, cucumber and carrot strips and the last eggs prepared I finally got to my kimbap experiment.

It is quite easy to make. Husband liked it. Kids not so much. Me. Hmm. The seaweed is definitely a taste that needs to be acquired and I don't like seafood. Even after I made a whole box full of kimbap I still had leftover fixes the next day, so I thought I try a version my kids might prefer. Instead of seaweed I rolled all the ingredients in tortillas. Voila. Happy kids and nothing left.

They are already asking for more.

Perhabs we should wrap the seaweed inside the tortilla?! Okay, it's a silly idea.

cucumber kimchi or where is the cat?

It was definitely not the right time for sewing yet. I am still missing the ONE right fabric I have in mind for my little project to make it work perfectly. That it always such an issue if you want something specific andd it is just simply not there.

Until then we deal with the broken laptop - third time in three month - it just came from the second repair in a row and worked for mmm a week. I also try to stack the dirty laundry nicely in a corner next to the broken washing machine with the huge amount of estimated rapair costs and the not known ones and next the the new one the bounces all over the floor. However our cats love their life and the brandnew installed catflap to the garage, and it it is truly entertaining to get them to go through  in and out for everybody with treats and tricks. And where is the cat?

The day didn't go as planned. Not at all. Not even dinner, but instead of the easy quick meal I planned I spend a few hours trying out new recipes.  We ended up having dinner a little bit late with bulgogi, rice, fresh cucumber kimchi, gamja jorim, yaehobak boekkeum.

오이 김치 - cucumber kimchi

 10 pickling cucumbers

1 onion, chopped

3 green onion, chopped finely

1 carrot, shredded

4 garlic cloves, minces

fresh ginger, minced

Korean red pepper

1/4 cup salt

2 Tbsp sugar

1. Cut the cucumbers in 4cm lenghts and slit-cut the cucumber sections lengthwise several times.
2. Boil water and disolve the salt.
3. Put the cucmbers in a bowl and pour hot salty water over it until they are fully covered.
4. Drain water after 30 minutes, but keep the liquid.
5. Add onion, green onions, carrots, ginger, sugar, red pepper to the cucumbers and mix well.
6. Pour liquid over the mix until they are almost covered.
7. Cover with a tight lid and let stand at room temperature for 8 - 10 hours.
8. Refrigerate.

Pretzls in any shape or form fresh out of the oven

Fresh pretzls are simply delicious. As a snack when you are out and about and grab one at the bakery stand in town. Best if still warm. I used to get them at school at recess when I was little for 50 Pfennig and they truly were the best in town. Everyt time we went back home my kids are getting hooked on "Brezeln". Add a little butter on top and it's a whole meal. Or get the Laugenbroetchen (rolls) with cheese or a little bit of deli.

We found German bakeries here in Texas, too, but of course everything there is so much more pricey and the Pretzls are almost always already gone if you are not really early. 

Two years ago I started trying to think about making my own. I planned on, but time passed until finally last week. I came upon a recipe and just made them. I didn't take the time to roll them all out into pretzls, Bella made a few. I simple made sticks and little and bigger rolls. Pretzl bites. The first batch got rolled into sugar cinnamon as a sweet treat - yes - we americanized - onces. They were gone within minutes. A few we shared. 

Recipe Pretzels

•1 1/2 c warm water

•1 Tbsp sugar
•1 package active dry yeast
•4 1/2 c All Purpose flour
•2 tsp salt

•2 ounces unsalted butter, melted


•10 c water
•2/3 c baking soda
•1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 Tbsp water
•Pretzel salt

Mix the warm water, sugar and yeast in a bowl. Let stand for five minutes until it foams.

Add flour, salt, melted butter and mix and knead it well.

Cover with plastic foil, and let it rise for an hour. I use a big plastic bowl with tight lid.

Heat the water with baking soda. Bring it to a boil.

In between  form your pretzels, rolls, .... out of the dough.

Add them in small portion to the baking soda bath for 30 seconds. Tale them out with a slotted spoon or spatula. Place it on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.

Brush the egg yolk mix and add your toppings, salt for example.

Bake them for 10 to 15 minutes depending of size at 450 degrees.

If your want to add cinnamn and sugar you can brush melted butter on them after baking and roll them in cinnamon sugar.

Enjoy.

Yesterday we made more and extras for the freezer. O am trying to see how to get them freezer ready the easiest way. One batch I just prepped and added to the baking soda bath plus egg wash on top ready for the freezer. The second batch I baked for half of the baking time, let it cool and then they were freezer ready.

In the morning after heating up the oven I put them in for the 8 minutes and voila we had fresh rolls for breakfast. Freezer batch #2 works well. #1 still needs testing.

just the right flavor

Who does not love to BARBECUE? The smell of grilling meat and veggies, eating outdoors. After being married to a military man for almost 14 years and living in warm region for the majority of the time I had two options - #1 figure out how to use a gas grill or #2 live without barbecue for up to 15 months at a time. #2 was not an option. Still I have to admit, my husband is the better grill master.

In Germany at a BBQ you don't find the here typical bottle of BBQ sauce on table necessarily, but more often a roll of garlic butter to add a slice to melt on top of your steak. Delicious. Some fresh salad and freshly baked baguette and voila. My meal would be done even the kids still would ask for Bratwurst and Semmeln.

While we still lived in Germany we came across recipes to make our own flavored butter. We always made the garlic butter and of course had to try the dried tomato butter as much as I love tomatoes and basil and after more as ten years we are still using these recipes, especially since we are in the States and can't find it so easily in the grocery shelf. This year we finally made the chili butter, too, for once Leland is such a big pepper fan, and because is was more a misunderstanding over the phone while shopping for the ingredients. Luckily, other wise we might never have tried.

- from the left: chili butter, garlic, dried tomato butter -

Now we make a big batch, roll it up and slice it and keep it in the freezer to store and only get out the slices we need. It tastes great with fresh baked bread, grilled meat, .... and to flavor rice, while cooking, ...

Chili Butter

1 red pepper, roasted, peeled, and seeded

1 cup (200 g) unsalted butter, softed

1 tbsp lemon juice

1-2 red or green chilies, seeded and very finely chopped

salt

1. Puree the pepper in a blender or food processor. Drain (with cheesecloth-lined) strainer.

2. Place the butter in a bowl; add the drained pepper puree and the lemon juice and beat until light and fluffy, Mix in the chili and the cilantro, if using, and add salt to taste. Roll in waxpaper and chill.

Tomato Butter

3/4 cup (100 g) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, well drained

1 cup (200 g) unsalted butter, softened

2 tbsp shredded fresh basil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Puree the tomatoes, then add the butter and blend well. Add the basil and season with salt and pepper. Roll in waxpaper and chill.

Garlic Butter

1 cup (200 g) unsalted butter, softened

1 tbsp lemon juice

4-6 garlic cloves, pureed

2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

salt and freshly ground pepper

Place the butter in a bowl and beat with lemon juice until light and fluffy. Add the garlic and parsley, season to taste and mix well. Roll in waxpaper and chill.

*** I use the fresh herbs I can find from parsley, basil and cilantro, not everything is always available year around in the stores here, but luckily our herb garden is offering more this year :)

one recipe you need to have on hand with a military man

Recipe for a Military Spouse

1 1/2 cups Patience

1 cup Courage

3/4 cup Tolerance

Dash of Adventure

1 pound of Ability

To the above ingredients: Add 2 tablespoons elbow grease and let stand alone for one year. Marinate frequently with salty tears. Season with international spices. Bake 20 years or until done. Makes unlimited servings.

Serve with Pride.

fresh baked beer bread for dinner with a touch of valentine and superhero

I got to talk to my mom on the phone for a while today and thanked her for looking up an old recipe of hers for me. A plain German cookie recipe she has handwritten in her cookbook since before I even was born. We have  to make these cookies soon, there's just a slight problem I try to avoid eating so many sweets and if we have freshly baked cookies how will the sugarjunkie I am be able to resist?

Instead of cookies Bella and I made beer bread just in time for dinner. Banana bread sounded great for dessert and we could have used up the overriped bananas, but I forgot we already used up all the eggs for lunch. My shopping list is growing with all the things we ran out the last few days or are about to. I guess after three days I have to leave the house again and get into town.

Beer Bread Recipe

3 cups  all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon baking powder

2 Tablespoons spices and herbs - basil, oregano, caraway seeds - was todays choice

1 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese (optional)

12 ounces beer

Heat oven to 375°. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, herbs, and cheddar in a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir in beer and mix just until combined. Batter will be thick. Spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan, brush with egg glaze if desired, and bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Bierbrot Rezept

680 gr. Mehl

1 EL Zucker

1 TL Salz

1 EL Backpulver

2 EL Gewuerze - Basilikum, Oregano und Kuemmel war unsere Wahl heute

225 gr. gerieberner Kaese (optional)

375 ml Bier - a bottle American beer. lol

Den Ofen auf 190 Grad Celsius vorheizen. Mehl, Zucker, Salz, Backpulver, Gewurze und Kaese in einer Schuessel mischen. Langsam das Bier dazugeben und verruehren. Der Teig wird dickfluessiger. In einer gefetteten  Kastenform ca. 45 Minuten backen.

While the house slowly filled with the smell of freshly baked bread we added some stems to the felt rosebuds. We already had silver painted branches from a never finished xmas project and found a couple more plain ones in the yard. I simple cut a small hole in the bottom felt layer of the bud and poked the branch into the bud from the bottom. I removed it again, filled it with hot glue and attached the stem again. I like them in the empty coffee can and don't know if the kids really will give them out for valentines. They found a good spot in my kitchen.

By the way even when one hero just left the premises another little one must have moved in and appeaedr in black tights out of nowhere.

a new family favorite :: chicken strips in beer batter

Leland asked me for years if I want a deep fryer, but I didn't want one. About two years ago I thought a deep fryer would be neat due to a Thanksgiving dinner on which I got to try homemade sweet potatoe chips. I absolutely do NOT like sweet potatoes. Nobody here. However, these chips were really good. Deep frying is not the healtiest way to cook, so I still had no reason to purchase a deep fryer. Last week finally got me to say yes years after asking again and again - as with the bread maker, the freezer, ..... I said NO for years. So now I am trying to figure out how to use it.

Today I tried to make Chicken Strips in Beer Batter. After dipping the chicken strips into batter and adding one layer into the deep fryer, it look good. Until I got to the part to take it out, because it was stuck in the basket. So I only got it out in pieces, but it tasted really good.  The leftover are already gone, too, because Leland couldn't pass by without munching on them.

Well, the recipe is great, but how do NOT get it stuck in my frying basket and get the strips out in one piece?

Chicken Strips in Beer Batter

• large egg
• 3/4 cup beer
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper
• 3 chicken breast halves; skinless, boneless
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

Beat the egg lightly with a whisk. Beat in the beer, then the dry ingredients, whisking until smooth. Cover and let stand for 25 to 30 minutes before using. Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over a medium-high heat until oil reaches desired temperature of 360 degrees (or use deep fryer). Using tongs to hold chicken strips, dip in batter; allow excess to drip off. Remove and carefully lower, one by one, into the hot oil. After about 1 minute, turn the strips. Continue to turn the strips occasionally until they are golden, cooking for a total of 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to to a paper towel lined tray. Pat more towels on top to absorb excess oil. Serve immediately with barbecue sauce or sweet and sour sauce.

Serves 3 to 4.

semplicemente giallo

Life is complicated. Most of the time. At least it appears like it. It always feels like there are always stones thrown in your way to make you stumble. Eventually you figure out a way, but it takes faith and strength and conquering life step by step. Still with every step you keep adding on more to life instead of making in simpler. Simpler in treasuring what you already have. Simpler in enjoying the simple things in life. I love modern life. What the heck would I do without it. However, it is not everything. Taking a or two step back sometimes might gives us more as just keeping on running faster and faster to more.

The last months were extremely stressful and there was absoluely no time for anything. My head was stuck in school books or writing papers. Even the rare trip to the park with the kids and the dog was in the company of my papers to keep on studying while the kids roamed around and climbed andenjoyed the beautiful weather outside. I am not done, I still have more papers, more exams due and more to come, but I finally can see and do something else for right now, too. My sewing machine was tested after getting overhauled and runs so smoothly. Now I just need time.

However, I found the time to try out something new and the house smelled very intense lemony last night after peeling lots of lemons. It smelled so good. The girls came up one by one to figure out where this aroma came from. I started making Limoncello. The bright yellow color of the lemons was already so appealing and the flavor is just amazing that it just had to cheer you up. In a couple days we can check on our started Limoncello and hopefully add the second part to sample it soon and bring a touch of sunny Sicily in our home.

Amerikaner - ready to eat

They are truly favorites in this house and a family recipe since even I can remember. The recipe is out of my mom's handwritten cookbook she wrote down in cooking school before my time - don't even think about asking when that might have been.

You can find them in the  German bakeries with a sugar and chochlate glaze half white half black. We make them a little smaller as there, just because it is fun to get seconds and the real ones are BIG almost as big as your hand and  we they come in all colors from white to black to pink and yellow and green and blue with and without sprinkles and clown faces and bear faces. We already had it ALL. They still taste YUMMY.

RECIPE

Amerikaner

125 g butter

175 g sugar

1 package vanilla sugar

3 eggs

lemon peel

1 pinch salt

500 g flour

1 package  backing powder (3 tsp)

250 ml milk

1Tbl rum

Heat the oven at 310 degrees. Mix all the ingredients. Just take the a tablespoon and dab a spoonful of dough on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake about 10 minutes until the edge is gold yellow.

gone in 3 minutes - apple chips

somehow this post published in front of my eyes without even having words yet - totally empty - but it pretty much fits to the empty bowl standing right here. EMPTY. totally empty. nothing left. all gone  and that within minutes. BUT they were good.

Back to the beginning. LOL.

I keep adding recipes here, because for once at the end of the year I have a collection of our favorite family recipes of the year. If I try to put them in a folder in the house in will disappear in nirvana, I know that for sure or I have to keep digging out links and books and magazines and just don't find them again. At then end I still can print them out all at once to keep if I should decide.

Soren and I brought a a bag of apples home today in addition to all the ones we already have because of course there is no apple tree in this yard here. We really want an apple tree. Someday perhaps in our own yard if it actually would grow in the heat here.

We decided to make apple chips. The ones we bought the day before as snack were so overloaded with sugar that we made them ourselves today. We cut the apples in rings, loaded them onto the dehydrator sprinkled them with cinnamon and very little bit of sugar/splenda. And then it took hours. SIX to be exact.

Six hours later we had these. And Soren was right next to me. Sampling.

It took us 20 minutes to get the apples ready (includes little hands in between), 6 hours to wait and about three minutes to eat them up. Is it really worth it???

Well, the next batch is in the making, because the girls didn't even get one single one. Mmmm. They were already in bed. And they are yummy.

 And it's really fun to peak through the rings, too!

Hot Pepper Jelly

Right before Christmas I had one of those crazy ideas to try out a new recipe, because I needed for once gift ideas and seriously no matter what some people might say "edible" gifts I think are awesome, because they do not cause clutter. And even if you get them double it doesn't matter as long as they are yummy. But of course, instead of just simply going shopping and buying presents I try to make them and it takes more time, more work - stupid me - but at least this time it was kind of funny. Especially for Leland.  We made Hot Pepper Jelly. He had a blast making fun of me seeing me handling Habanero Peppers or listening to me fussing about the after effects itching and burning. HE loves Habaneros, me - okay they are peppers, I try little bit spicy that's usually it. So I after cooking the hot pepper jelly late night, figuring out how to can for the first time in my life in  my pasta pot without all the necessary equipment, because of course I do have crazy ideas out of season, I did not go and taste it right away. We had added red food coloring because Habaneros are HOT.

The next morning a friend and me and the little kiddos sample with crackers and cream cheese and it was sweet. Sweet as jelly. With a little taste like pepper. But good. Perfect for dipping french fries or glazing meat.

So after a phone call we stocked up on more little jars and in the evening I made a second batch wearing gloves with lots and lots of Habanero Peppers (I had a whole bag in the fridge). This time, not much fiddling, seeds and everything stayed in. And believe me the result is HOT and we tinted it green. The bell pepper was green this time. We are good in canning now. Especially after I let Leland grab the hot little jars out of the pasta pot.

And with a little tag added ready were some Christmas presents and of course also our yearly supply on sweet and sour sauce and hot pepper jelly for our pantry. Now I might just need some more ideas what to use it for.

RECIPE

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup hot pepper (this amount can vary according to what type of peppers used and how hot you want your jelly)
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
• 6 cups sugar
• 8 ounces liquid Certo (2 packets) I used only 6 ounces
• 1 teaspoon food coloring (red or green I use red for hotter jelly-green for milder jelly)

Directions

1. Chop peppers and put in blender with vinegar.
2. Blend well and pour into large boiler.
3. Add sugar and mix well.
4. Bring mixture to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute.
5. Remove from heat, strain through sieve and return liquid back to a boil.
6. Boil for 5 minutes.
7. Remove from heat.
8. Add Certo and food coloring quickly.
9. Put into 12 (4 oz) jars and seal.
10. I use heated seal method, where I heat the lids in boiling water, place on jar, secure ring tightly and turn jar upside down for 5 minutes.
11. Turn jar up correctly and allow to cool completely before storing.
12. Newer studies show that it is safer to seal with the hot water bath method. To do this, put into a large boiler with rack on bottom, cover with 1-2 inches of water and boil for 5 minutes. Remove to rack to cool.
    We did both just to make sure.

I found the recipe here and just adjusted it for us