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.