Home.

That is where we will be as we finish out the year. The events that occurred on Friday leave me with emptiness. I have no energy to focus on anything new. I want normal. I want comfort. Comfort for the families who have lost their babies. It's such a senseless tragedy. The only sense I can make of it is proving that life is meant to be cherished. Procrastination must end for the old saying, "there's always tomorrow" takes on a whole new meaning. You might not be so lucky to have your tomorrow. America needs a wake-up call. We need to start acting like humans again, going back to the simple things we learned in Kindergarten. Where have we lost compassion for another person's life? There isn't one thing we can point to for blame. It's our society that has created a perfect storm. Guns are bad. Doesn't anyone get that? Violent replications of killing on video games must immediately be banned. Really? Hours and hours of watching people get blown up has to have a desensitized reaction to the brain after a while. Especially for brains that can't separate reality from fiction. I have no answers. God will sort this out and guide us along the way. We must keep the faith.

This week is the cookie countdown. Sunday, the girls spent hours over at their Uncle "Bs'" house, baking cookies and frosting them. Katy had the most fun. She took a nutcracker and made it a Frankenstein! Andy has the baking schedule organized. Monday he whipped up our famous Sweet Cereal Mix while Elie churned out a pretzel wreath (this needs a more clever name). I'm gaining weight as we speak... Looking forward to the blizzard to tuck into our home so we can dance and sing and bake cookies in our jammies. Ok, so I'm dreaming. The kids may not have school tomorrow but us working folk will battle the roads in the cold.

Running out of time to post last night's baking. Stay tuned.

Where's the Beef?

S-T-E-L-L-A......From the famous movie scene in a Streetcar Named Desire (1951), comes the story of yesterday. I'm not saying I was a raging animal at the hands of savage like Stanley Kowalsky but lets just say "Calgon" wasn't going to help me. Well, maybe if I had time!  My plan was solid. Crockpot, how could anything go wrong?

Well well, it all started after I carefully fried up the bacon, sliced the onion real thin and was reaching into the refrigerator for the meat. Where's the beef? I searched high and low. Even made a trip out to the garage fridge. Even checked the freezer thinking I had tossed it in there. No beef. Really? I failed to pick up the beef at the grocery store this week. It was on the list of ingredients I didn't buy at Target on Sunday. I was going to pick it up. It would have been easy. I think I've been to the store at least twice since my Target trip. Andy even asked if we needed anything else the night before when he was going to the store...so you see, I'm really trying to keep it together. I told the girls we were having bacon and onion for dinner....

Between this highly stressed out time of the holiday prep and my work schedule being the busiest its ever been in the last three years, I'm ready to snap. Vice-gripping headaches and all. My Boot camp leader announced that if life was too stressed, that we should skip class to get that extra sleep... the gym is the only thing keeping me SANE. So sorry, Jen, only illness will keep me from attending.  On the bright side, Andy and I are road tripping to KC on Saturday without the girls. Shopping and great dining, a little R&R to get us through the next two weeks.

I've heard so many wonderful things about Belgium cuisine and feel we have been robbed of enjoying this country this week. Oh well, there's always next year. We did finally eat the meat and it was comfort. Though, Elie chimed in that it really had no flavor. Hmmm.. all that work to feed the family. I hope they don't starve while we're gone.

Flemish Carbonades
Ingredients:
2-3 lbs. of boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (12 oz.) beer
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
3 Tbl. corn starch
1/4 cup water
Cooked Noodles

Directions:
In a slow cooker, combine meat, onion, slt, pepper, brown sugar, garlic, beer and bacon. Cover an cook on LOW 5-7 hours or until meat is tender. Turn control to HIGH. Dissolve cornstarch in water. Stir into meat mixture. Cover and cook on HIGH 20 to 30 minutes or until slightly thickened. Server over noodles.
Recipe from Mable Hoffman's crockery cookbook.

p.s. ok, maybe the blandness came in because I forgot to add the salt. The power of a tsp...wow. Who knew?

Belgium Waffles.

How can you go wrong with serving breakfast for dinner. The girls really got a kick out of this notion. They kept asking me what was for dinner, starting with Monday night. It continued. I knew they had heard me the 1st time. They either wanted me to slip or they needed to be reinforced that yes, we would be eating breakfast for dinner. I even caught myself saying "breakfast" at dinner. Funny. Even funnier at the family attempt to throw it down in 20 minutes, bacon and all!

I had a Hair Dr. appointment which threw timing off a hair (ha). I needed to stop and buy bacon. Meanwhile, home was calling. I screamed out orders. Unstack the dishwasher... "uh, dad is doing that". Ok, I screamed, start making the waffle batter. And Elie took charge and whipped up the mix. Ok, we're in Belgium, but we're taking shortcuts. We're Americans, people! Whipped up a few "to-go" orders and the girls were on their way to Southeast Polk for swim practice....if only my night were now going to relax a bit....I indulged on a waffle myself. I even added a little crunchy peanut butter to take me back to my childhood where my mom served us breakfast for dinner on occasion. What a great memory I have of eating waffles for dinner. Comfort at its best.

Well, it wasn't quite time for a "Calgon" moment. I took off for Valley High School to volunteer in concessions. So the buzz when I arrived was that the sophomore game had gone over their normal play time. Which pushed the girls varsity back. Which pushed the boys varsity back. Which pushed my 8:30 completion into 10:00 pm. Overtime. I left before the game was over. Valley won! Tuesday. Crazy. I wish Saturday was going to greet me in the morning.

Let us not forget that Christmas is two weeks away...no worries...eat waffles...Happy is.

Mojo Missing?

We served up what is considered the National dish of the Philippines this week. It gets its name from the Spanish, Adobo...meaning marinading in vinegar and garlic. Evidently it has something to do with when the Spanish conquered the Philippines in the late 16th century. That's as far as my story goes.

I'm really losing my mojo this month. It's been quite blurry, I must say. Just keeping up with the daily household is enough to keep me crazy. Now top it off with a VERY busy work life (I know, not complaining about the thing that feeds us) and added holiday craze and you've got a slightly crazy old lady. We don't even have our cheap chocolate advent calendar yet and we're 8 days into the countdown!!!! I missed the 1st Sunday of Advent at church for crying out loud. Talk about Catholic guilt pouring out of me.

Ok, I'm done with the soap box. I'm the cup half full kind of girl, really. So, I'm thankful that I may have talked Elie and her friends into doing my holiday baking this year. How perfect for a bunch of 13 year olds who have taken "Foods" class at school to come in and whip a few things up. This idea was prompted by the cookie bake-off that occurred in our house last night. 4 girls, two recipes. Blindfolds. The cookie with the best chocolate won! You really CAN tell the difference in a chocolate chip.

We're heading to Iowa City today for a swim meet. Very excited for our road trip, all five of us. Alone. Spending the day together.  I'm half tempted to have everyone turn in their phones to me. But I know that won't happen. Andy won't abide by the rules since he's always dealing with truck drivers. Oh well, it's going to be a golden day. I never thought I would get to a place where spending a simple day with the girls seems like such a gift. It makes me pause. Life is so short. Pausing for the simple things is so much more rewarding than money could ever buy.  I'm going to enjoy my girlies and my guy today and tune out the bickering that may occur along the way. I didn't say life was perfect:)  Happy is.


Filipino Adobo Pork
Ingredients
3 -4 lbs pork (cut in 2-inch cubes) or 3 -4 lbs chicken (cut into serving pieces)
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
Fresh ginger (which I forgot!)
1 cup water
2 -3 bay leaves, crumbled
2 teaspoons peppercorns (whole)
4 garlic cloves, crushed 1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 teaspoon ground pepper 2 teaspoons salt (optional)


Directions

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker. (suggest tying the spices into a cheesecloth to so that you get the flavor but don't bite into the peppercorns while you eat the dish - a stainless tea ball works too. Do whichever please you).
2. Allow meat to sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. 
3. Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours until pork or chicken is done (time depends on your slow cooker). 
4. Serve with rice.

Please Pass the Pancit, Pam.

It feels good to be back on our tour again. Typical Monday night for us. Swimming and dance. I decided to drop Katy off and spend a little alone time at the mall, scouring opportunities vs. going home to prepare dinner. It was a marginal success. I'm chipping away at the holiday shopping, trying not to get stressed out. I only dipped into a little stress at Younkers when there was nobody there to help me. I swear I waited nearly 3 minutes before I became irritated. I was ready to pull out my old Younkers employee badge and charge to the back room to find my own shoe size! Ok, so I'm busted. I saved my ID badge after quitting Younkers 21 years ago. It was such a great picture of me:) I couldn't resist. I'm wondering if I could flash it in the store today or if they would have me escorted out? I may have to try it in my mature age....

We are dining in the Philippines this week and tonight we enjoyed Pancit which is really defined as "Noodles" in Filipino cuisine. Pancit was introduced by the Chinese, meaning something cooked fast. Now we're talking my kind of meal! It was a really simple meal to prepare. I had fed the girls Caesar Salads before swimming and now was out to whip up a hot meal for them to come home to after swimming. I will admit, it was a little late to start cooking (after 8pm) but the recipe had the word "quick" in it so I thought no problem.

I thank Andy now for making this meal quick. He quickly became my Su Chef, slicing onion thinly, oh and the cabbage too. I tossed in the already chopped matchbox carrots and pulled the chicken off the bone from my store bought Rotissouri. He then sliced the chicken too. I had purchased Rice Stick noodles which look like hay and soaked them in water. The recipe was overly simple so I'm not sure if that was the correct noodle or not but it ended well and the girls all raved over the success of healthy cooking.

All in all solid meal. I would add more veggies next time. Too many noodles. I would up the garlic and soy sauce as well. It's going to be fun to try this again and toss whatever is in the pantry. Maybe a little Sesame Oil next time too. The cool thing is how easy this pasta toss was to prepare (with a Su Chef, anything is easy:). I love my 1990s Wok. Happy is.

Quick and Easy Pancit

1 (12 ounce) package dried rice noodles (the bag I used said 7 oz. which makes me think my noodles were different)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil (I would add a Tablespoon)
1 onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups diced cooked chicken breast meat
1 small head cabbage, thinly sliced (only used 1/2. Would add the entire thing next time)
4 carrot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce (I added a few Tablespoons more)
2 lemons - cut into wedges, for garnish (didn't do this)

Directions

1.  Place the rice noodles in a large bowl, and cover with warm water. When soft, drain, and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in chicken cabbage, carrots and soy sauce. Cook until cabbage begins to soften. Toss in noodles, and cook until heated through, stirring constantly. Transfer pancit to a serving dish and garnish with quartered lemons.

Land of Leftovers and More.

 So I kind of went off the grid this past week. We noshed on leftovers. Turkey Noodle soup and Pecan Pie! I shared our food with my co-workers every day as well. 1st was an entire Pecan Pie that hadn't been touched (my mom made 4 pecan pies), topped with a container of cool whip. The next day was a pecan cheese ball and crackers. I've spoiling them a bit. Withdraws may appear this week as I've cooked nothing. I know, failure. My mom said not to beat myself up over it. I'm a busy full time working mother of three for crying out loud! I did attempt a meal in Austria. It was an interesting take on beef stew. I had no fans so I'm quietly putting that country behind me. It also could be that I searched for Veal and failed. No Wiener Schnitzel to be had.  Toss in the towel. But know that we've surfaced again.

Thanksgiving week was a lot of work, hosting family for 4 nights. We topped off the weekend with a themed Japanese night after Thanksgiving, Kimono's and all! My parents recently traveled to Japan for a few weeks and brought back a little bit of culture to share with us. It's tradition, really. We've dined in Greece and Russia in the past and now Japan. It was a very cool experience. I transformed my Thanksgiving table into Japanese and we laughed and listened to Zadie's speech on the culture and enjoyed a non-traditional evening wearing Kimonos. We even Skyped Ashley, Matt and Hazel to join the party!

We enjoyed Sushi, wonderful marinated salads and Japanese Salmon and vegetables. Let's not forget the Saki that was poured as well. I guess my theming is rooted in my heritage. I have a family that LOVES to theme everything. It makes life so much more interesting that way, I find. With just a little extra effort, details deliver memories that can be cherished forever. Family who likes to "theme"...Happy is.

This week we're heading to the Phillipines. I am certain we will complete this week. We have come so far on this journey. It's a countdown to the end. It's a really tough month with the holiday prep but thank god I've had the competitive training in my past to make it through to the end.

Mayflower Memories.

I came across this old photo awhile ago from a Thanksgiving gone by. It's a picture of my siblings, Greg on the left; Barb in the lovely borrowed sweater of brother Greg's; Deb on the right, wearing quite the outfit. Not sure what's on her head. Though, not really sure what's on mine either. It appears to be a coon tail and some sort of animal pelt on my shoulder. We were performing for the family. Barb was reading a poem. What a memory. Also noted is the wax flower arrangement on the wall behind Deb. We definately could have walked off the Mayflower in this get-up. 

Flash forward to today. We're hosting Thanksgiving this year for my family. We've been busy preparing for the meal, including the table setting which is finally complete. It's my favorite part of the meal. Decorating the table. Erich and Kiley decided to give all of us Indian names so our name tags reflect that. My name is "Wistful Deer."We are serving 17 for dinner. We wish we serving more. Missing is my brother Greg and his two boys, Colter and Brandon. They live in Seattle. And my niece Ashley and her husband Matt and little Hazel. And lastly, Jack. This is our second Thanksgiving without him. It's not easy.

I am thankful for traditions and I'm thankful for family and friends. I'm thankful for kindness and to have given the sense that it's easy to be kind to others. It takes little effort and can mean the world to someone you have helped, in even the smallest way. Stay tuned for more Thanksgiving highlights as the evening unveils. Now I'm just waiting for the tribe to arrive to make modern day Mayflower memories! 

Freedom of Worship.

I haven't had an opportunity this week to do much research on Pakistan. What I do know is their dedication to faith. The majority of the population are Muslim. There are five pillars of Islam  – a Muslim is required to profess faith in one God and God's prophet, Muhammad and to pray five times daily facing Mecca, Saudi Arabia. They eat with their right hand. Sit on the ground in rural areas. Support arranged marriages where the bride meets her groom on the day of the wedding. Pakistani food is generally spicy and oily... makes sense now for the meal I prepared on Wednesday. I thought it was a typo but went along with it anyway.

The week is over. It's time to come home and begin preparing for our Thanksgiving feast. It will be another quick week. Lots to do. I am very much looking forward to a break. With family. My kind of worship. They make me happy.

Pakistani-style Beef Stew
Ingredients:
8 tablespoons vegetable oil
20 whole black peppercorns
6 whole cloves
2 whole bay leaves
6 whole cardamom pods
2 medium onions, chopped fine
6 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 ginger root, 1" cube, chopped fine
2 pounds beef, cubed, (1")
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, optional
1 teaspoon coriander seed, ground
2 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons yogurt, beaten
2 pounds chopped spinach, fresh or frozen (I used 1 bag of fresh spinach)
1 teaspoon garam masala

Preparation:
This is spicy, but not 'hot', (note that the only 'hot' spice, cayenne, is optional....) and a different change of pace from everyday beef stew. You could also use lamb in place of the beef.
Put the ginger, onions, and garlic into a blender container, and blend to a paste, adding a Tablespoon of water if necessary. Set aside. Put the peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, and cardamom pods in one bowl. Put the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne and 1 teaspoon of the salt in another bowl. Put the yogurt into another bowl. Wash and chop and drain the fresh spinach, have it ready to add into the dish. (Or defrost the frozen spinach.) Put the remaining teaspoon of salt into another bowl.
Now, heat the vegetable oil in a large dutch oven. When hot, put in the peppercorns, cloves, bayleaves and cardamom pods. Stir for a second. Now put in the onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir and fry until the paste starts to develop brown specks. Add the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Stir together, then add the meat. Stir and fry for a minute. Next, add the yogurt 1 teaspoon at a time, until the yogurt has been mixed throroughly with the other ingredients. Keep on frying until the meat has a slightly browned look. Add the spinach, bit by bit, stirring in more as the spinach in the pan wilts. Keep stirring and cooking until the spinach wilts completely. It should give up its juices, to cook the meat.
Now, put the entire mixture in the slow cooker/Crock Pot, and allow to simmer for 6-8 hours on high or 8 - 10 hours on low, until meat is tender.
When done, sprinkle the garam masala over the meat, and stir in, then simmer for about 5 minutes longer. If there is too much liquid, simmer uncovered for 5-10 minutes until sauce is thicker. Serves 6.
This is usually served with flatbread, but is good over rice or noodles.

Silently in Pakistan.

We've been in Pakistan this week, though silently expressing our journey. Like most weeks, busy is the name of the day. And especially this week as my work was crazy busy. To the point that I hit the brim of a flash back of feelings I used to have in my old work life... and I didn't find it pleasing. I've been spoiled with my work life balance for the past three years and I'm not sure I want to go back. I can't complain, busy means work and work means employment. I'm just ready for a vacation from it all. At least a day would be nice:)

We at two meals this week from Pakistan and decided tonight, I wouldn't test fate with a third. So what was meant to be Aloo Keema Potato minced curry turned in to grilled burgers and french fries. The food has been quite interesting. A heavy influence of India in the flavors.

Meal 1 on Tuesday night:
Chicken, Rice and Spices Bake
4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons olive oil 8 -10 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 medium onion
1 garlic clove (chopped, minced or crushed)

1/2-3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) or 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
3/4-1 teaspoon salt
2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and drained or 2 cups regular medium grain rice or 2 cups long-grain rice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. 
2. Bring water to boiling and add chicken bouillon cubes, lower heat and simmer till dissolved--keep it hot.
3. Sprinkle chicken with half the spices (except the garlic).
4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on med-high to high heat and fry the chicken till both sides are brown, lower heat to medium and remove the chicken to a plate.
5. In that same skillet sauté the onions for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and remaining spices and sauté another 2 minutes, then turn off the burner.
6. Add the rice and stir for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, till well coated. 
7. Spread rice in the baking dish and place the chicken thighs over the rice. 
8. Gently pour in the chicken stock and cover tightly with foil. 
9. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Mad-a-gas-car.

4 words in the game of Boggle!

Madagascar was founded by Indonesians over 2000 years ago. The influence of cuisine stems from not only Indonesian cooking but Africa, India and China as well. Which makes sense from the recipes I've stumbled upon. This recipe was simple to prepare. I was able to whip it up while girls were at church. They were able to eat and be on their way to swimming and gymnastics thereafter. Or so it seems. Apparently Elie ate Pizza at church, Katy ate mainly beef leftovers from Tuesdays meal and Hannah claimed she really wasn't hungry... interesting. I see a pattern. The girls have been so polite around me and the meals I prepare. I guess they don't want to see the "mad mama" come out of her shell again....

Any whiles, the dish was interesting. I could taste the sweet coconut flavor and then the tart lemon, followed by the hot spice from the cayenne. The problem I face in my palate was that I tasted all three ingredients separate from one another. Maybe it didn't have time to fuse. At any rate, it was delicious but yet missing some ingredient that would pull all the flavors together.

Crazy, it's almost like I'm wine tasting my meals all of a sudden.

Madagascar Chicken
Ingredients:
Package of boneless chicken breast halves, cut in bite size chunks
3/4 cup canned coconut milk
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper or tomato, sliced and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/3 tsp (or to taste) cayenne powder
salt
pepper
lemon juice
oil

Directions:

Marinate chicken in lemon juice 30 min, drain and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Saute over medium heat until cooked on outside but slightly pink inside.
Drain oil and place chicken in a container and set aside.
Saute onions, stirring constantly, until slightly browned.
Add bell peppers and garlic and saute 3-4 min, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat to simmer, add coconut milk, ginger, cayenne powder, and lemon rind. Add chicken back to stew.

Cover and simmer 30 min or until in thick stew consistency. If mixture is too thin simmer with lid removed until desired consistency is reached. Serve over a bed of steamed white rice.

NOTE: One pound shelled and deveined shrimp can be added to or substituted for the chicken.

Indivisible.

What a day. So proud to be an American. I started out the day at the voting polls. I timed it so there would hopefully be no wait. Jackpot. Apparently, 9am is the time to go! After my given right as an American to vote, I decided to treat myself to a Latte at Starbucks. You would think this is a treat, which is IS. Only, I've got a bad habit of treating myself to this establishment quite frequently. So frequently in fact that I gift myself $20 to load onto my Starbucks Gold card so I receive the points to get free Lattes. It's comical, really. So easy. I really need to stop! I'm such a loyal brand fan. Starbucks is sooo consistent. It comes down to the Barista on whether they overdose the milk in my drink. To my surprise, after receiving my coffee, they handed me a bracelet with an Indivisible on it. They encouraged me to go out and vote, which I replied, "I already did". My gal told me to celebrate being an American and supporting jobs in America. Wow, such an unexpected treat I received. Yeah, the bracelet has flare, but the message on this given day struck me hard.

We are all excited for the Social Media Political Fanfare to come to an end. It's gotten so tense. So negative. So blinding to the fact that it takes more than one person leading this country to make a difference. It takes Americans. Americans to take action. Becoming motivated to make our own change. Whomever is elected this year, each side will adjust. Life continues. The difference is whether we embrace our own destiny, regardless of the obstacles, or we fall back on blaming the political parties. At the end of the day, both the Democrats and Republicans are fighting to make America the best it can me.  I challenge all of us to quit judging and work in your own little piece of the world to make it better. Lets BE Indivisible. Not to your party. To your Country. Undivided makes things happen!  I donated shampoos and soap to the Iowa Homeless Youth today. My American Act of Kindness.

Ok, I'm done with my soapbox. I would much rather be consumed with traveling the world. We enjoyed our 1st meal in Madagascar.  The girls were off to club swimming. I need to adjust meals around this new schedule before me for the winter. They swim late, 7:15-9pm so I really need to pump up the speed of delivery to have them fed unless I start sticking meals to heat up in the fridge.

The meal was delicious. Flavorful. Asian influence.

Boeuf aux Noix de Cajou (Beef with Cashew Nuts) Recipe from Madagascar
This is a traditional Malagasy (from Madagascar) recipe for classic dish of beef strips fried with onions, garlic, ginger and cashwe nuts in an Asian-flavoured sauce thickened with cornflour (cornstarch).

Ingredients:
600g beef, sliced thinly 
4 tbsp oil cooking time 
3 onions, peeled and sliced 
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
90g unsalted cashews
250ml water 
1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) 
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce 
1 tsp sesame oil 
1 tbsp oyster sauce


Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Working in batches, add the slices of beef and fry for about 2 minutes per side, or until nicely browned all over. Remove the meat from the pan as they are done then cook the next batch.
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a flame-proof casserole. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 1 minute then add the cashew nuts and cook for 1 minute more. Now add the meat slices.

Whisk the cornflour into the water to form a slurry then beat in the sesame oil, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Pour over the meat and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes, or until the meat is done through and the sauce is thick.

Rockin' Our Kasbah.

Well, Halloween may be over, but I'm still finding traces of it in our home. Like the candy that I'm trying to avoid. Or the 3 pounds I've packed on by eating so much candy and cookies... I got a new phone this week. My phone plan was ready for an upgrade. I'm now the proud owner of the 4S. I'm not an early adopter so the 5 doesn't excite me in the least. I was really going to settle for the 4 and then go buy a new pair of jeans but Andy talked me into the 4S. I told him I was still going to go buy a new pair of jeans...

Anyway, the kids are excited about my phone. My phone that I've not had a chance to sync up with my old phone so right now, it's just a phone with no apps. I just noticed these Rockin' photos appeared on my phone, mysteriously. Someone was supposed to be in bed sleeping... a sign that Halloween lingers. Maybe we have a ghost in the house.


Last night we had our last meal in Morocco. It was a Beef Stew and I actually heard the kids say it was good! Katy wanted more chicken... we had to tell her it was beef. I also whipped up the last batch of Pumpkin Seeds. I was so clever, making different flavors. I had a garlic seasoned batch on the pan next to my Moroccan flavored batch. Andy came in and stirred them up together during the cooking process and now we have a Moroccan Mess. Oh well, they are still very tasty.

I head out for a soccer tournament in Kansas City this weekend and Andy travels north to Marshalltown on Saturday for girls high school state swim meet. Although Hannah won't be swimming, she will be cheering her team along to small victories. Our house was treated nicely this morning too. It seems that the Tee-Pee capers were Rockin' out at our Kasbah last night.



Slow Cooker Moroccan Beef Stew
Ingredients
2 pounds lean beef, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
4 carrots, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp yellow curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 cup tomato puree
24 ounces low sodium beef broth
1 14.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
2 T chopped cilantro, leaves only
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

Directions
Pat the meat dry with a paper towel.
Place a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the oil to the hot pan, then add the meat. Sear the meat on all sides, then remove the meat and set aside. While the pan is still hot, add the carrots, garlic, and onions. Saute, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add the spices and tomato sauce and stir to combine. These steps can be done the night before.

Add the beef, vegetables and stock to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours, then stir in the chickpeas and chopped fruit. Cook one more hour.








Notes: I halved the recipe, knowing we wouldn't be home to eat leftovers this weekend. I also omitted the raisins and forgot to add the cilantro leaves.

Happy is... a happy Kasbah!

Catch of the Day.

Guess who was the Catch of the Day in the month of October? Elie was! She was honored with being selected Tiger of the Month at her school. This award is chosen by the faculty for the student who demonstrates great character and academics. So proud of our Bubby!

 Playing catch-up this week. Wednesday night was a little crazy. Elie had soccer practice which is not our Normal. So the girls missed church, I had to pick up soccer carpool, make dinner and get Katy to Gymnastics. It all sounds normal. But the catch of the day...my fish was still frozen:|  Ok, so I'm busted. I don't always catch and clean my fish. Anyway, throw in the fact that Elie decided to go to swim practice after soccer, and you've got yourself one crazy mama.

Long story short, Andy and I ate this beautiful restaurant looking meal at around 9:00 pm. At least it was light and simple.

Moroccan-Style Tilapia with Cumin, Mango and Cilantro

Ingredients
4 (5-ounce) tilapia fillets
Salt and ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ripe mango, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions
Season both sides of tilapia fillets with salt and black pepper. Rub cumin and coriander all over both sides of fillets. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add tilapia fillets and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, until fish is fork-tender. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine mango and cilantro. Top tilapia with mango mixture just before serving.

Spooky Meal.

Halloween 2012. Katy started out the night dressed as a Vampire. The end of the night came and she morphed into a Candy Corn Hippy Clown... gotta love Halloween!

We enjoyed our first meal in Morocco last night. So delicious. Well, at least for Andy and I. The girls reacted as if they were scared to even try it. I made them have one bite. And then the oven was preheated and ready to throw a frozen pizza in the oven.

It was Beggars Night so everyone was busy preparing their costumes and gathering their loot bags. Katy went as a Vampire this year. Crazy. You would think having three girls, costumes would start repeating themselves. Why couldn't she be a fifties girl in a poodle skirt? We have that costume already! Or a clown or a football player? It's funny how kids choose their costumes. And so, another costume thrown into our costume bin after Halloween 2012.


Andy played his role as Dad walking around with the other neighbor Dads while the women handed out candy. This year, Hannah was my candy girl. While I roasted Pumpkin seeds and visited with Gramma Jane. Elie and her friend, Maddie decided to give it one more try at trick-or-treating. At age 13, when is it too old to be a kid? Always such a cozy night on Beggars night. Everyone participating in their own way, all for the same cause. Giving candy. Taking candy. Protecting the children. Cooking.


Easy Crock Pot Moroccan Chicken, Chickpea and Apricot Tagine
Ingredients
6 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into large chunks (or assorted chicken pieces, about 3 lbs)
1 tablespoon flour or 2 tablespoons cornflour
2 large onions, chopped
3 -4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 -2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 inch fresh gingerroot, finely chopped
6 ounces dried apricots
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 (14 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
2 (14 ounce) cans chickpeas
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 pint chicken stock
1 pinch saffron or 1 teaspoon turmeric
4 teaspoons ras el hanout spice mix (or make up spice mix below)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
salt and black pepper
chopped fresh coriander, to serve (Cilantro) OPTIONAL
2 carrots, peeled & diced (optional)
1 preserved lemon, chopped into small wedges (optional)

Directions:
PLEASE NOTE: This recipe lists canned chickpeas in the ingredients, NOT dried! If you use dried chickpeas, you MUST soak them and cook them first!

1. Heat up olive oil in a frying pan/skillet & saute chopped onions & garlic for 5-10 minutes. 
2. Add chicken stock & gradually mix in flour or cornflour until well mixed & not lumpy.Add honey &tomato paste & mix well. 
3. Add herbs,spices & finely chopped ginger with salt & pepper to taste. 
4. Finally add tinned tomatoes & mix well. 
5. Pour the above tomato,onion & spice mix into slow cooker or tagine. 
6. Add chicken & chickpeas & mix well. 
7. Add dried apricots making sure they are covered by juice. (Add the carrots if using.). 
8. Give it a gentle but good stir to mix everything together well.

Crock Pot or Slow Cooker - Cook on high for about 3 to 4 hours OR automatic with keep warm facility for up to 8 hours. (Please note that the cooking times depend on your crockpot, the cooking times I have suggested work fine with mine which is a Morphy Richards Slow Cooker.).

If cooking in a Traditional Tagine, do as above & cook SLOWLY over gas or barbeque for about 2-3 hours.

Electric Tagine cooking - same as the slowcooker. If you need to thicken it up towards the end of the cooking time, add cornflour which has been mixed with a little water & add to the tagine - mix well.

Serve with freshly chopped Coriander/Cilantro sprinked on top & either with couscous, rice, fresh flat bread, pitta bread or salads. It is also good (if not traditional) served with fluffy pureed or mashed potatoes & pasta.