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.

Life Lessons.

I feel that I've been off the grid for a few days. What a trip it's been. We had state qualifying swim meet this past weekend for Hannah. A meet that confirmed her destiny to move onward to the State Championship. I heard it termed as a day that you must have "the swim of your life" to advance. Well, although Hannah had a nice drop in times, they weren't enough to solidify her destiny. My heart has been so heavy for my baby girl. All her hard work. Ended. A season struck with injury. A season where she wanted to succeed but her body said no.

So, I told her she could wallow in her disappointment or reflect on the positives of her swim season. She had so much fun with all the tradition that prepared them for this meet. I told her "that" was the point of her journey. Not the end result. The experience. Her experience. She told me she had always wanted to be an alternate deep down. She's still on the state team. But she now gets to be the cheerleader and stay up all night with friends.  Such a brave statement to make from my little swimmer. So, although it didn't go her way, she was so happy for the two seniors that made the state team. It was their turn to have the swim of their lives. She has next year, they don't.

I'm proud of my Hannah Girl. She understands the lesson that was thrown her way. She's not about to wallow. She will make lemonade with the lemons she was handed. Physical Therapy begins again to mend her knees and a fresh start is what she's aiming for. For now, she will enjoy the State Championship meet as much as if she were swimming in it. It may tug at her a little once she's on deck, not suited. But her bubbly spirit will sure make everyone smile.

We are dining in Morocco this week. I'm going to throw a crock pot meal on for our trick-or-treat night. It should be interesting.

Happy is.

Four Eyes and Tickled Pink.

My baby just got glasses! And she is tickled pink. This year Katy didn't need a physical because she wasn't due for shots and she isn't in school sports. Gotta love insurance. Well, she DID need an eye exam. Thankfully her teacher noticed that she was mixing her numbers and letters when sitting in the third row. And so as the story goes, she is now a proud member of the four-eyed club.

It took over a week to have the glasses arrive and Katy made sure to ask every day where they were. When they finally came in, she had concluded that they had screwed up her order. Gotta love her. She proudly wore them to school and all her little friends loved them. I'm so happy that glasses have been coined "cool". She is so proud, she told me that she was my "mini me"...hhmm... made she really doesn't need glasses?

Because I Knew You...

MORLEY B. SMITH

1938 – 2012

It may well be

That we will never meet again

In this lifetime

So let me say before we part

So much of me

Is made from what I learned from you

You'll be with me

Like a handprint in my heart

And now whatever way our stories end

I know you have re-written mine

By being my friend...

- "For Good," from Wicked

We wake up to a new week, back to routine living. Yet, I cannot forget this man, Morley. His memorial service was superb. We all felt a little guilty the next day for having such a wonderful time reconnecting with friends gone by and toasting to a wonderful man who touched our lives. Love you, Uncky.

I mentioned the journey in the Eulogy and my friend, Kristen sent me this link. Pause and take time to think about your life and what you're doing with it. Click on the Life and Music video.

• http://souljerky.com/articles/south_park_zen_alan_watts_trey.html#a000345
• 
  

  Souljerky: South Park Zen: Alan Watts, Trey Parker, Matt Stone

  souljerky.com
  

  Trey Parker and Matt Stone ofSouth Parkinfamy have recently (and quietly) been dishing out some ill animation slices that illustrate gems from the archives ofAlan Watts. Check 'em out below!—

This week is Hannah's week. We are going to keep it real, dining in America. She has a big swim meet on Saturday and needs a solid meal every night so experimenting isn't going to happen. No worries, we'll be traveling again next week. 

Maltese Monday.

I nearly cancelled my food journey this week. You see, the most wonderful man named Morley left this great earth on Sunday, after inspiring the world with his presence and his talents as an artist. Morley is Andy's uncle, his only uncle and the brother to my mother-in-law, Jane. "Uncky" is what he was known as in the family. From the moment I met him as a young college student while dating Andy and was introduced to fried oysters, I connected with this charming man. He asked me to do the Eulogy at his funeral...so the week begins.

Because death is unplanned, I had already planned the meals in Malta, an Island off the southern coast of Italy. It's Elie's week. I decided we had to eat so here it goes. I won't commit to much in terms of learning about Malta. Only wishing I could escape there. From what I've seen in pictures, it's a beautiful corner of the world.

Morley had a passion for theatre so his celebration is going to be themed, playing broadway tunes, his dying request. Tonight I'm listening to broadway songs on Spotify, finding the most appropriate selections to share. It's going to be a quickly long week as we prepare for the Final Act. We're at peace with knowing that Uncky is done with his suffering of cancer and is probably singing a tune in heaven right now. Happy is Morley.

The meal was a hit so that's good. It was actually surprising. I was concerned as I pieced this poorly written recipe together, I managed to survive it. Improvising. Acting, really. It worked. Hungry bellies filled.

Chicken Rissoles
Ingredients
3 Tbl. wholemeal breadcrumbs
4 tbsp skim milk
1 lb. ground chicken
1⁄2 tsp mixed herbs
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 egg
14.5 oz. chicken stock
14.5 oz. diced tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 bay leaves
Rice or cous cous
Parsley to garnish






Preparation

1. Mix breadcrumbs and milk in a bowl. Add chicken, mixed herbs, garlic and egg. Mix well and let the mixture rest before forming the rissoles.
2. In a saucepan, cook the chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaves on moderate heat until boiling.
3. Cook Rissoles in a frying pan, using small amount of oil to keep from sticking. Fry the patties, 3 minutes or so on each side.  Add them to the simmering sauce (I only added half so my picky kids could enjoy without the sauce).
4. Garnish with parsley. Serve with steamed green vegetables. (oops, missed the veggie)

Faux Dinner ala Chile.

Thursday night was simple. The kids screamed for Tacos. I gave in after the Bust of Wednesday. So I whipped up my famous ground turkey tacos and the kids were happy.  I screamed for wine and shazaamm... a beautiful red Carmenere appeared before me. Like magic. Chile is known for great wine. I picked this bottle up at Trader Joe's for $4.99. Bam! Great taste. Muy Bueno. 

Carmenere is similar to Malbec, though much better from the reviews I've read. It appears to have a more sophisticate taste than the Malbec. I like both tastes so I can't quite agree. They are both unique and delicious. 

I found an extra flavor to serve with our tacos as Chile is also known for Tamales. Although these were made in Mexico, I still felt worthy that we were tasting a snippit of Chile. My stretch, it's all good.

I would recommend the Tamalitos which also came from Trader Joes. We used our steamer insert for our dutch oven that has been buried in a bottom cupboard for 22 years. Crazy how this food adventure has opened up many new doors... or cupboards. 

Last night we went up to Fire Creek for a quick late dinner. Of course, to keep within our country, Andy and I split the Chilean Sea Bass. Delicious taste. Not quite worth the $ we spent. So we say good bye to Chile. Not sure where we're going next week. I need to do some fast talking to Elie to persuade her to stay out of America!

Chile is a Bust.

Meal #2. My audience pushed it away, literally. I wish I would have had a video camera on them (sparked an idea...hidden camera). Katy screamed, "ooh, there's hard boiled egg in this"... Elie replied, "this looks gross", pushing it away, "I'm not eating it".... Hannah, "then what are you going to eat Elie?...cereal?" So I thought I had won Hannah's vote. She ate it like a trooper, only mentioning that she really didn't like the onion in it. I claimed, "at least one of my kids is in my camp". But I spoke too soon....

Andy arrived home and I told him I had supper in the fridge that he could warm up. I even brought the pan in from the garage fridge for him. I ran upstairs to grab a load of laundry and as I came down the stairs, I caught Hannah telling Andy not to bother eating it. That is was bad... so BUSTED. What a little phony. I guess I should feel good that she was sparing my feelings by acting so honest.

I'm really not upset. It's actually comical, really. I'm crazy to think they could possibly be ready for a casserole. Andy and I grew up with casseroles. They were always edible. Andy claimed, "poor mans meal". It was a hearty meal that you can really add anything to. Whatever happened to the casserole trends of the 70s? Why hasn't the casserole remerged as a cool trend-spotting moment?

My view is that this meal was good. It satisfied the hunger and it made for a great lunch leftover today. So for that, Happy is. I AM a little worried that Elie is going to throw America back into the picture next week when she chooses. I need to convince her otherwise.

For those who want to try this meal, here's the recipe, courtesy of Marian  Blazes from the about.com website:

Chilean Beef and Corn Casserole - Pastel de Choclo

Ingredients:
3-4 medium onions, chopped (I used two onions)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1.5 pounds of ground beef
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen) 1 cup whole milk (I used skim)
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup chopped black olives
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped (I used two eggs)
1 cup shredded roasted chicken
2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preparation:

1. Sauté the onions in the vegetable oil until soft and translucent, 5 minutes.
2. Add the ground beef, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the beef is crumbled and browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Place the corn kernels in a food processor or blender with 1/4 cup milk. Process for 1 to 2 minutes, until corn is blended and appears creamy.
4. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a pan, and add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, and the corn mixture. Add the remaining 3/4 cup milk and simmer, stirring, until mixture thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the chopped basil and remove from heat
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
6. Drain the liquid from the browned beef mixture. Place the ground beef mixture in the bottom of a 3-4 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle raisins, olives, and hardboiled eggs over the beef, then layer the chicken on top.
7. Spread the corn mixture over the top of the casserole so that it covers the rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle the powdered sugar on top. 
8. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until the corn mixture is golden brown. 
9. Serve warm.

Happy it's Over.

Tuesday night always feels like a Thursday night this time of year. It was our last dual swim meet for Valley. We swam against Johnston which we haven't competed with since 2009. The year Johnston beat Valley. Unfortunately, the dream came true again for this fine team. The senior class can say they beat Valley twice in their high school career. Happy for the Johnston seniors. Not so happy for our team. I'm excited for the girls to slow down and get some rest. They have been working so hard, they have no steam left in their engines. So we move into the end of the season with Conference, Districts and State.

The meal plan was purposefully planned. Leftovers were in order tonight from Sunday night Ziti... Monday we ate our first meal in Chile. Some family members may say "Happy it's over"...I thought it was delicious. Very basic. Not spicy. Andy was turned off by the frozen veggies. Hannah thought it had not taste.  Katy ate it. It's her country so all is good!

Pollo Arvejado is a very popular meal in Chile. It's traditionally prepared using a whole chicken cut up. I've made the quicker version. Imagine that. It was Monday, people.

Pollo Arvejado
Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3-4 tablespoons flour
1 cup white wine or beer
2-3 cups chicken broth
1 16-ounce bag frozen peas and carrots

Directions:

1. Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally. Dredge chicken pieces in flour, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter and oil in a deep, large heavy skillet and sauté the onions and garlic until soft and fragrant. Add the celery, cumin, paprika and oregano and sauté 2-3 more minutes.
3. Add the chicken pieces and sauté, turning once, until browned on both sides.
4. Add the wine and scrape bottom to deglaze the pan. Add enough chicken stock to almost cover the chicken. Add the peas and carrots and stir. Cover and simmer chicken for about 10 minutes.
5. Check the chicken for donenes (cut into the thickest section of a piece). Chicken should be tender and no longer be pink, and the juices should be clear. Remove from heat as soon as the chicken is cooked through.
6. Serve chicken over rice. Serves 4-6.

Katy's pick – Chile.

Apparently, the chili talk we had yesterday made Katy think that Chile should be our next country to dine in this week. She asked today if they ate a lot of chili in Chile. I smiled and politely said, "not exactly". So back to South America we travel.

The week is a lot less crazy than the last. Don't get me wrong, we still have the usual dance, soccer, swim meet, church, gymnastics and science club on the menu. It will just be a little easier....I hope:)

We may have to go back to Germany before the year is over. It was such a crazy week that I feel like we missed a lot of culture to be had. I have a strong connection to this country. My Mom's maiden name is Irsfeld. Our ancestors are from Germany. I won't go quoting history here since I have many relatives that would quickly correct me. But what I do know is that this picture shown was the last of the old Mill that my relative's based their livelihood on in Germany and it was recently torn down to make room for a nursing facility. My niece, Ashley lived in Germany a few years ago and my parents visited and went up to Schönecken to visit Hans, my mom's cousin. So cool to have a connection to a country where our heritage formed. I won't say I've got more than an 1/8 of German in me. We have such a mix of nationalities to round out our American roots.

Happy is.

Deutscher Chili

Oh Saturday. How fun you were. Thanks. What a day. It started at 6:00 am. Tired wasn't an option. My red wine overload at a festive wedding the night before was simply a memory. It was time to conquer the day. Elie awake. Check. Scrambled Egg McMuffin prepared for her. Check. Washed and prepped berries for swim team Super Saturday practice completed. Another sandwich prepared for Hannah. Katy? Dragged her out of slumber, dressed her warm and threw her in the car with a slice of Canadian Bacon and chocolate muffins. Breakfast complete.

Elie's team lost their 1st game. A bit chilly at 37 degrees. Came home. decided to make Chili to satisfy the cold yearning comfort. But we're in Germany... so I found a recipe that solved my dilemma. A woman from Texas married a guy from Germany and they created a German Chili (posted on Allrecipes.com). Perfect. Sign me up. I raced to the store to buy a few ingredients. Came home and began to brown the meat. Elie shouted at me that we needed to leave. I told her I had 20 minutes to do whatever I wanted and to back away from the kitchen... I felt like the Food Network show where they're racing to complete their meal. Again, loving my crock pot. It was thrown together and we drove away knowing that dinner was complete.

Elie's team won their second game, yippee! After the game, we raced home to have her change and get ready to march in the Valley Fest, marching band competition. She plays Trombone. Yet another moment in the fresh air. Brrrrr. The day was nearing the end. Happy to be home. We decorated for Halloween and watched the good snippit of the Nebraska game. I was also able to watch a movie while folding 3 loads of laundry. Relaxing Saturdays. Heaven.

German Texas Chili
Serves 12,
 I halved this recipe, only making 6 servings which really seems like more. Lots of leftovers. Also added a can of dark red kidney beans. 

1/4 cup olive oil
 4 red onions, chopped
 6 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped, or to taste
 1 pound hot pork sausage (such as Jimmy Dean®)
 2 1/2 pounds ground turkey
 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes with juice (such as Hunt's®)
 1 (28 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes (such as Hunt's® Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano)
 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer (I poured the whole can in...oops.)
 1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
 3 tablespoons ground cumin
 1 tablespoon chili powder
 1/4 cup paprika
 1/4 cup brown sugar
 4 cinnamon sticks (didn't have cheesecloth so I tossed them in)
 12 whole clove ( I used ground)


Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a very large skillet over medium heat, and cook the onions and chipotle peppers until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Place the hot sausage and turkey into the skillet and cook until brown, chopping the meat up with a spoon into crumbles as it cooks, 10 to 15 more minutes. Spoon the meat mixture into a large slow cooker, leaving excess grease behind in the skillet. Stir the crushed tomatoes, Italian-style diced tomatoes, beer, garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and brown sugar into the meat mixture until thoroughly combined.

Tie the cinnamon sticks and cloves into a piece of cheesecloth, and drop the bundle into the slow cooker. Set the cooker to Low, and cook 6 to 8 hours. Remove the cheesecloth spice bundle before serving.

I served the chili with Pretzel rolls to tie-in the German theme. And served Beck's German beer too. I was shocked at how good the beer was. I was looking the the heavier wheat type of beer but the store I was at didn't have it. I grabbed the Beck's thinking I would be drinking skunky Heineken and was pleasantly surprised. I can now say I've tried Beck's and I like it. Happy is.

Succulent Shortribs.

Playing catch-up with dining in Germany this week. Thursday night was another swim meet. Senior night which meant all the extra work was coming to an end. My posters were completed. The gifts were wrapped. Only two have to be redone thanks to good ole Costco photo dept. No worries. I threw together a German crock pot recipe from my dear friend Mable Hoffman (author of the bestselling crockery cookery cookbook.

Mable describes the recipe as "Succulent ribs with a tangy sauce". And oh so true. The flavors were uniquely melded together. It was a perfect meal after a long week.

German Short Ribs
3 - 31/2 lbs. beef short ribs
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup chili sauce
3 Tbl. brown sugar
3 Tbl. vinegar
1 Tbl. Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp chili pepper
2 Tbl. cornstarch
1/4 cup water
Cooked Noodles

Directions:

In a slow cooker, combine ribs, salt, pepper, onions, wine, chili sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and chili powder. (I put the onions on the bottom of crock pot and then added everything else). Cover and cook on LOW for 6 - 8 hours. Turn control to HIGH. Dissolve cornstarch in water. Stir corn starch mixture into rib mixture. Cover and cook on HIGH 10 - 15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve hot over cooked wide noodles (I used whole wheat egg noodles).

Calgon Take Me Away.

Have you ever had a week where everything was out of control? Kind of a post-it-note overload in the brain? I've been juggling schedules, household and an exceptionally busy workload for the last three weeks and this week finally caught me. Big time. It's been a week of Katy acting out (she must sense the stress) which only has caused more. Two swim meets. Senior night committee where I had issues all week trying to make posters from Costco. Soccer carpool confusion and so the list goes on.

It's actually becoming comical. For example today, I went to Starbucks on my way to work and ordered my usual, Grande non-fat Latte. I didn't sip it until I was settled in at work on a conference call. Pumpkin Spice. Arrgghh. Really? Of all weeks even my Starbucks has let me down. I marched in an hour and a half later and all I got was a "oh, sorry"...I asked Andy tonight, "what would you call this week?" he replied, "Hell". Most likely from living with me:) Now you get the vibe.

I've always been so good at juggling. My mom always said that I have an imaginary "bubble" around me that can tune out the stresses around me, making me calm and cool. I think my bubble has a giant leak...I'm really not trying to have a pity party here. I'm simply out of air. No down time. It's been a marathon. The weekend is here so I can look forward to a wedding tomorrow at 4:30pm followed by a reception. A wake-up call Saturday morning at 6:00 am for a soccer tournament. Happy is.

We really are in Germany dining this week. due to the mad woman craze, I just haven't had time to post. So here's a couple nights of meals for you to enjoy:

Tuesday's Meal:
This recipe was quite interesting in flavor. The mix of brown sugar and cider vinegar made the cabbage melt in your mouth with a tartness that was so yummy. And the pork of course was tender. A shoulder cut tends to have a large amount of fat stuck to it. I made this to eat after the swim meet. Funny. Nobody was hungry. So Andy and I enjoyed it. Elie had a small slice of meat. Why I ask do I try sometimes?

German Crock Pot Pork with Cabbage

Ingredients:
4 cups shredded red cabbage
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 lbs boneless pork shoulder

Directions:
Combine cabbage, onion, brown sugar, and vinegar in 4 to 4 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper and brown in heavy skillet, about 5-6 minutes total, turning until browned on all sides. Place pork in slow cooker; cover, and cook on Low for 7-8 hours until pork registers 160 degrees F.

Wednesday's Meal:
Leftovers on Wednesday's work well for us. Church night followed up by gymnastics. Not enough time to prepare an intense meal. We utilized the leftover pork. A standby meal we live on with crock pot meat. No complaints.

BBQ Pork Sliders
Shredded leftover German Pork shoulder simmered in your favorite BBQ sauce. Place a spoonful onto a cocktail/dinner roll. Easy peasey. My kind of meal this week.

Stay tuned for tonight's meal...and a happier mood:)

Curry in a Hurry.

Dreadful Monday. A trip out of town for work. Never a good thing. Left town at 8:30 am after feeding the Valley swim team. Returned to Des Moines at 7:30 pm. Picked up soccer carpool and was finally home at 8:30 pm. Vietnam was cut short due to hectic schedules. Not happy. Must go back. I had so much to tell and journey about. Just not enough time in my real life to get it done.

In honor of Oktoberfest, we are now hanging out in Germany. It's Andy's week so it seemed rather fitting. The only problem is, no time. We have two swim meets coupled with soccer, dance, gymnastics and church. And a Friday wedding that begins at 4:30pm! Holy Batman. We will survive. Breathe. 

Tonight we noshed on a simple meal, Currywurst. Apparently anything with a "wurst"in it is German. This meal consisted of using Kielbasa, the mild flavored sausage you get at the grocery store.This dish is considered fast food in Germany; therefore felt fitting in our household.


Currywurst
3 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 pound kielbasa
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pinch paprika Curry powder to taste
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to Broil/Grill. 
2. Pour tomato sauce into a large saucepan, then stir in the chili sauce, onion salt, sugar and pepper. Let simmer over medium heat, occasionally stirring; bring to a gentle boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer another 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, broil/grill kielbasa sausage for 3 to 4 minutes each side, or until cooked through. Slice into pieces 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick.
4. Pour tomato sauce mixture over sausage, then sprinkle all with paprika and curry powder and serve.