Berriness (Recipe 23)

Summer has the best fruits and veggies. Strawberries are still on sale. And this week all the blackberry bushes in the forest around us have burst into bloom. I went out Monday morning and picked over three cups full of blackberries. My legs look like I went through a war zone (thorns are vicious!) but it was worth it. 

Blackerries don't last very long, and I knew I wanted to make some sort of berry dessert with strawberries and blackberries. I googled away and came up empty handed. I was already coming up with my own recipe for dinner (fish tacos) and I figured, why not go all the way and have dessert be a made up recipe too. And that is exactly what I proceeded to do. 

The Recipe: 

• Blackberries
• Strawberries
• Apple
• Sugar
• Lemon Juice
• Sour Cream
• Marie Cookies (or Graham Crackers)
• Butter

I'm terrible at measuring when I'm just making something up off the top of my head. So, bear with me. I first mixed together some Marie Cookies (they only sell them in Europe and Africa... I think Graham Crackers would be the closest substitute in America) with butter, vanilla, and cinnamon until it was a good crust consistency. I then smushed that mixture into the bottoms of greased muffin tins. 

Next, I mixed together enough blackberries and strawberries as well as one apple. I then poured in a little bit of sugar (probably 1/2 a cup) and some lemon juice. I also am still on a sour cream roll, so I put in a dollop of sour cream as well. 

I then put them in the over for about 25 minutes on 350ºF. 

When they came out, I let them cool for a while. As they cooled I whipped up a concoction for the top. I basically grabbed everything white in our fridge and whipped it together. 

The Recipe: 

• Whip Cream
• Cream Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Vanilla Yogurt
• Vanilla
• Powdered Sugar

I mixed enough together to get the consistency and flavour that I wanted. Again, so sorry, but I don't know how much of everything I put in. Oops. 

When the berry things were cooled I put on some of the whipped topping and dusted the topping with a bit of Lime Zest. 

And Vwala. The nameless dessert that was probably terribly difficult to follow. It was good though and had the flavour of Summer fruit. Mmm. If you can come up with a name for it, I would love to hear it!

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa (Recipes 21 and 22)

Cooking is like an art. There is a variety of colour to visually appeal to the eye. Yet, the art of cooking goes deeper than aesthetic beauty. There is also the beauty of texture. Knowing that pudding will be smooth and light when you eat it is all in the art of whipping it together. There is art in putting together the right foods to create a flavour that appeals to all the tastebuds. Cooking is an art that appeals to many of the senses. And so I say again, even though I feel like I say it every time I write, God is an amazing Creator. I am thankful that He created a world with colour and taste, smell and texture. It definitely makes cooking all the more fun. 

And with that little shpeel out of my system, here are recipes twenty-one and twenty-two.

It began in San Diego. Our flight touched down a little after lunch time and after realizing we couldn't check into our hotel until 4pm we decided to wander around and find something to eat. We came across this little shack advertising Fish Tacos. I like trying new foods, plus Damarise had eaten one before and said they were amazing. So I ordered one and my tastebuds were rejoicing. They were great. (And yes, I couldn't help it... I wanted to post a picture of my family from our time in San Diego. I love 'em!)

The Fish Tacos led to me and Damarise raving about them when we got home the following Friday. Matt heard us and told me that that should me my next new recipe. I needed no more convincing. I researched the web for a fantastic fish taco recipe and came up empty handed. Correction, I'm sure there are many, but they all called for ingredients I didn't have. Thus began my adventure...

Everything in this post follows no recipe. I just mixed a little of this and a little of that until I got what I wanted. Yikes. 

I wanted to try making a salsa for on the fish tacos. I was searching around our fridge when I realized I had several mangoes that needed to be eaten immediately. Orr...made into Mango Salsa. 

The Recipe: 

• 2 Mangoes (diced)
• 1 Purple Onion 
• 4 Orange, Yellow, and Red Peppers
• 1 Large Tomato
• A pinch of Salt
• Some Lime Juice
• Sugar to taste

(I apologize for the blurry picture, but I only took a picture for Instagram.. not on the camera. Oops). Mix up the ingredients and let it sit in the fridge for a while to get some juice. Mmm. So colourful and delicious. 

Next I whipped up some guacamole. The avocados were ripe to perfection. I added some salt, lemon juice, and sour cream until it tasted just right. I also love the pale green colour of guacamole. 

And then came the fish. Fish is incredibly easy to make. It cooks in under 5 minutes and can be seasoned easily.

The Recipe:

• Fish 
• Lime Juice
• Bread Crumbs
• Salt
• Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Paprika

I covered each piece of fish in lime juice, the spices and bread crumbs. Then I let them marinate in the fridge for a bit.  

After they were done cooking I put them in a bowl, cut them up and poured in a packet of Ranch Dressing mix. This added a flavour that blended well with the guacamole. 

The table looked so colourful. And, just like they served them in San Diego, I put a lime on everyone's plate. Thank you, Aldi, for having limes on sale! 

My the time everything (rice, refried beans, fish, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and mango salsa) had been piled onto a tortilla it was a bit hard to close, but tasted so fresh. 

These were my wonderful eaters: Jimmy, Sonya, Megan, Janessa, Faith, and Damarise. I just love them all! If it weren't for their willingness to come sit in our hot house (our A/C still doesn't work) and try whatever new concoction I've made... well, this blog wouldn't exist and I probably wouldn't even want to try 50 new recipes. They are always generous and provide awesome feedback. 

Also, even though everything was made without a recipe... I think it was a hit. I definitely want to make it again!

Easy Chicken (Recipe 20)

I am finally getting around to posting this chicken recipe. It all began on Memorial Day and Damarise was craving some BBQ. And of course, once she began craving it, I did too. However, we had no pulled pork and chicken seemed like too much of a hassle. So I rummaged through the fridge in search of anything that would suffice.

And then I found it. The easiest dish to whip up in the world. (Okay, maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but it is easy!). I claim that many dishes are easy to make, because I get lost in the fun of cooking. Time slips by way too easily while I'm busy prepping food and to me it is simple. However, this recipe truly is simple.

I took out some chicken breast and defrosted them. Then I cut them into cubes (ish... I'm not a pro at chicken cutting) and placed them in a pan. I then took out ranch dressing, dijon mustard, and BBQ sauce and poured generous amounts of all three over the chicken. Smother the chicken in it.

I cooked the chicken for 10-20 minutes at 350ºF and vwala – BBQ chicken that is so simple to make. I think my favourite thing about this meal is how tender the chicken is with all the sauces on top of it. It is a quick meal that can serve lots of people without much hassle! I would definitely recommend it. 

Sour Cream Brownies (Recipe 19)

I have been on vacation in San Diego, California for the past week. On the flight I was trying to keep myself entertained and began thinking about recipes to make. Correction: I frantically realized that it is almost July and I am not even half way through 50 recipes. (hence posting yet another recipe for brownies... even though this one is different!) When I realized that I had over half way to go, I quickly began jotting down foods that sounded good that I'd never made before.

If you happened to be on that flight, that was me who was yelling to Damarise, "How about meatloaf? Do you like meatloaf?" She had in her headphones... it was hard to communicate.

Vacation in San Diego was beautiful. I got sun burnt, got to hang out with the family, and tried an amazing dish – Fish Tacos. Which will definitely be my next recipe to try. (So, stay tuned!)

I also read a lot. I have been on a reading spree this Summer. When I got home I decided to read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Roald Dahl is a writer who makes me chuckle. One of my favourite quotes from the book had to do with Willie Wonka describing cereal:

"But Mr. Wonka," he shouted, "can you send other things through the air in the same way? Breakfast cereal, for instance?"
"Oh, my sainted Aunt!" cried Mr. Wonka. "Don't mention that disgusting stuff in front of me! Do you know what breakfast cereal is made of? It's made of all those little curly wooden shavings you find in pencil sharpeners!"

Maybe cereal isn't the most flattering food, but I still like it.

While reading through Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and being enticed by Dahl's description of smooth hot chocolate I couldn't help it and started to crave hot chocolate. I looked in our cabinets for a packet of hot chocolate, but to no avail. The next best thing: bake a batch of brownies.

The Recipe:

• 1/2 cup Melted Margarine 
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 cup Sour Cream
• Chocolate Chips

Mix it up, pour it in a greased 9x9 baking pan, and bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes. Then top it off with whipcream, strawberries, and freshly picked blackberries. Yum! My chocolate craving was satisfied. 

My eaters for this recipe were the wonderful Faith and Jimmy. They arrived just in time to have a brownie fresh out of the oven. It was the perfect food for a fun evening of chess and hanging out. And it helped me finish Dahl's book with a content stomach. 

Sourcream Onion Burgers and Corn on the Cob (Recipes 17 and 18)

As soon as I said I would get better at posting pictures I immediately got worse about posting in general. Oops. However, regardless of my two week hiatus, I am back with recipes to share! This one I made the day after National Corn on the Cob day. I have never made corn on the cob, even though it is probably one of the easiest foods to cook. Simply place the cob of corn in a pot of water and boil it until perfection. (Easy, right?)

I knew I wanted to make corn, but I had to have a meal to go with the corn. And that is when I remembered a recipe I had seen on Pinterest. Sour Cream and Onion Burgers. Yum. I have been on a sour cream kick lately (just ask any of my friends). Sour cream and nutella makes a good strawberry dip. Sour cream in brownies makes them moister with a hint of cheesecakes. Sour cream makes anything taste richer. So, how could I resist making Sour Cream and Onion burgers? The answer: I couldn't.

The Recipe:

• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 1 (1 ounce) envelope Dry Onion Soup Mix
• 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
• 1 Egg
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix it all up to perfection. And add spices you want. I tweeked this recipe a bit by adding breadcrumbs from a leftover doughnut instead of real bread crumbs. It gave the burgers a little bit of a sweet flavour as well. 

Then comes the grilling. We do not own a grill, but we do own a George Foreman grill. (Fun fact: George Foreman was a boxer... I had thought, until about a year ago, that he had only invented this handy grill. Oh, the things you learn!) 

The lovely thing about burgers is the colours that come out. There's the soft sea green of lettuce, the rich fire engine red of tomatoes, the yellow of mustard, all on a canvas of a rich dark burger. It's like looking at art. I'm so glad God didn't create food as dull and colourless. 

I served up the burgers with a side of corn on the cob (which I would post a recipe for, but literally all it is is boiling it in a pot of water) and some ranch potatoes. 

The eaters for this meal were: Megan, Faith, Greg, Janessa, Sonya, and Austin. Our air conditioning hasn't been working and our house was probably around 90ºF plus humidity. So, amidst the sweat and stickiness we enjoyed our meal. Nobody complained and it was a great Summertime meal! 

Doughnuts (Recipe 16)

Did you know that there is (usually) a holiday every day? If yes, that's wonderful! If no, there is and it's great because there is always something to celebrate! At the beginning of every month I go on to a website that lists all the holidays for the month. (Today, by the way, is Ball Point Pen Day!). I write down all the holidays that sound most exciting on a calendar and then celebrate certain ones throughout the month.

The calendar I write on also has various food holidays written in and I was excited to see that June 7th was already filled in with National Doughnut Day! Oh goodness! What a terrific holiday. 

I thought about buying doughnuts at Aldi and just giving them to friends on National Doughnut Day. But, National Doughnut Day only comes once a year and I figured it would be more fun to celebrate with homemade doughnuts. And so, when June 7th rolled around I was ready to try out a new recipe – Doughnuts. 

Since finishing student teaching I have not set my alarm in the morning and just get up when my eyes open. This generally happens between 6:48 and 7:23 every morning. I love it. I love early mornings. The sun is shining in its new morning way. The mist is rising off of the grass. Birds are singing their praises to God. And there is a stillness that can't be matched. 

On Friday morning I woke up at 7:21 and whipped up a batch of doughnuts. I found a recipe online for baked (not fried) doughnuts and decided to try it out. 

The Recipe: 

• 1 1/3 cups Warm Milk
• 2 teaspoons Yeast 
• 2 tablespoons Butter 
• 2/3 cup Sugar 
• 2 large Eggs 
• 5 cups Flour 
• A pinch or two of Nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon Salt

Simply mix it together (no need to let the yeast proof) and knead. It should be a little sticky. Let it rest for an hour, or until doubled in size. 

I sat down and ate some breakfast, read through some Psalms, and read a bit of Peter Pan (which is an interesting book) while I waited for the dough to rise. 

After an hour, punch the dough down and roll out to about 1/2 an inch. Then cut. I used a cup to cut out the doughnuts and an empty ibuprofen bottle to cut out the center. After cutting them out, let them rise for another 45 minutes to an hour.  

When they have risen bake them at 375ºF for 7 minutes. Let them sit for about a minute when they come out and then coat them in butter and sugar/cinnamon, or roll them in a cream cheese icing glaze, or spread Nutella on them and sprinkle them with nuts or colourful sprinkles. Really, do whatever your heart desires and I'm sure it will be delectable. 

Then, celebrate! Damarise and I drove around and delivered them to our friends at work. I made a little over 50 doughnuts and by the end of the day they were all gone (Yes!). They were fun to make and it was fun to spread the joy of National Doughnut Day by giving people doughnuts. 

Enchiladas (Recipe 15)

One picture. Oops. I told you I was getting worse at documenting the meals, and here is proof. I'm going to try to do better. (Hopefully!)

This meal was so easy to make. I think I say that about a lot of meals because I love cooking/baking and I lose track of time while doing it and therefore think it is quick, fun, and easy. But this really was easy and quick. So quick and easy, in fact, that I threw it together in between babysitting and working out (which was like 20 minutes...). 

The Recipe: 

• 2 (10.5 oz) cans Cream of Chicken Soup 
• 3 cups Shredded Chicken 
• 1 (4oz) can Diced Green Chiles 
• 1 cup Salsa 
• 1 cup Sour Cream 
• 1 tsp Salt 
• 1 tsp Chili Powder 
• 1 cup Cheese

Mix the ingredients together. Throw some on tortilla shells. Roll them up. Stick them in a pan. Cook at 350ºF for about 30 minutes. Serve with refried beans, avocado, sour cream, and salsa and tada! 

The eaters for this meal were: Sonya, Damarise, Faith, and Jimmy. We quickly ate it before going to watch a movie (which was not that great!). The enchiladas were filling and we had lots of leftovers which has been great. I would definitely make it again if I needed a quick meal to make. 

Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, and Biscuits (Recipes 13 and 14)

Yikes. I have slacked off on writing. My excuse (which I think is a good one) is that our home still does not have internet (hopefully today though!). However, excuses or no excuses, it's about time I write. I've made a few new recipes since I last wrote. There is a sad lack of pictures though because I got too engrossed in cooking and completely forgot to document the process. Whoops. Also, making fried chicken is a hard process to document... let me just explain.

Thursday we decided to invite some friends over for a little house warming meal. I've never had a house warming party and really don't know what it's for except to tell people, "Hey! This is where we live now. Come visit... please!"

I was trying to decide what to make for dinner that night and realized how much I rely on the internet to find new recipes. Usually I'll go on to the food section of Pinterest and scroll through the pages until a recipe pops out at me. However, the lack of internet left me sitting on the couch surrounded by stacks of recipe books. I flipped through page after page looking for something...anything to cook.

And then it came to me. Of course! A house warming dinner should be some sort of comfort food. And what better comfort food is there than good ol' fried chicken and the works!

I found a delicious recipe for homemade biscuits that called for five ingredients! I'm always a little leery of recipes that call for few ingredients. But after reading outstanding comments about the recipe I decided to give it a go. And I'm glad I did.

The Recipe:

• 2 cups Flour
• 1 tablespoon Baking Powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt 
• 1 tablespoon Sugar
• 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream (I just used Half&Half)

Simply mix all the ingredients together...

Then roll the dough out to about 1/2 an inch height. And cut with a round object (I just used a glass). 

 Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425ºF for 12-15 minutes. 

After the biscuits came the chicken. Ohh fried chicken. It is easy to whip together, but a pain (literally) to cook. 

The Recipe: 

• 2 cups Flour
• 1 tablespoon Dried Thyme 
• 1 tablespoon Paprika 
• 2 teaspoons Salt 
• 1 teaspoon Pepper 
• 1/3 cup Whole Milk 
• 1 Egg 
• 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl and all the wet ingredients in another. Then, dunk the chicken in the wet ingredients, then the dry, then the wet again, then the dry one more time and then stick in a pot of boiling oil for about 8 minutes on each side. (I had my chicken marinating in buttermilk the night before to keep it moist). 

There were a lot of hot pots on the stove!

(Yes, Damarise documented the process of the chicken frying...it got a bit hectic and I forgot about taking pictures). 

Vwala. The chicken frying. And a word of warning... boiling oil is HOT! And the chicken will spit boiling oil at you. Beware! I didn't realize how far it would spit and got a nice sized droplet of oil on my left foot. It has left a scar in the shape of Antarctica on my foot for forever more. (But it makes for a cool story!). 

The chicken fried nicely, the potatoes were mashed, the gravy was tasty, the biscuits were warm, and dinner was served! 

The lovely eaters for this meal were: Faith, Damarise, Micah, Jimmy, Matt, Sonya, Megan, and Janessa. We had a full table with lots of laughs and a great game of FffBasketball and sprinting afterwards. There were also leftovers for days which is always nice. I'd definitely make this meal again. Although, I'll cook the chicken a bit longer. Some people ended up with their chicken a little raw. Whoops. But, it was a fun and simple meal to prepare and a perfect house warming meal.