Leftovers.

Well, sort of. That was the intention of the evening until I picked up Hannah from Syncro and had to stop at the store. She came home with Chinese sesame chicken to go because she was SO hungry. Dropped her off and went to pick up Elie and Katy from church. Headed to the mall to buy a birthday gift. Decided to feed Katy in the food court. Elie followed. Chic-a-filet was enjoyed by both. I on the other hand didn't eat dinner after consuming a 7 pound burrito from Bandit Burrito this afternoon after a client meeting. WOW, that's all I have to say...and I even ordered the "slim". Go figure. Andy was out with clients at the El Bait Shop so he was the only one who actually took part in leftovers night after coming home.

Something nice about an evening where there were no food issues. Thank goodness as I'm up to my ears in work this week. Everything aligns for a reason, I strongly believe.

I'll just bet these kind of nights happen all over the world, even Russia.

Defining Bland.

It was a tossed vote this evening with our simple country meal of Russian Pork Chops and Potatoes in Sour Cream Sauce. Hannah couldn't help but throw it out there that she was not pleased with the flavor or lack there of that her meal provided. In fact, I'm really not sure you could say she ate the meal unless you call cottage cheese and strawberries a meal.  She picked at the pork which everyone claimed to be a bit dry.  Elie and Hannah argued over the meal. Elie didn't think it was bland at all. She liked it (except the dry pork comment...and the mushrooms). Katy didn't like the pieces of fat attached to her pork pieces. Our little culinary connoisseurs have really become quite vocal!

The meal was a solid meat and potatoes kind of meal. I forgot the steamed peas until the end so Hannah ate a bowl of peas to make up for the rest of the meal. I too thought the meal was lacking in flavor. But I do think it's largely because of the sour cream which seems to be the "paprika" of Russia. I'm not a huge fan of an ingredient that tends to mellow out the other flavors of the meal.

So we ended the meal with much debate, enjoying the fact that our family has such an opposite culinary palate. I wonder if it will change as they get older....very interesting.

The spicy part of my day was going to Katy's 2nd grade parent-teacher conference and watching her in a video on the big screen in the room. Katy presented to me her report on how she is doing in school. A worksheet she filled out and read to the camera. Simply priceless. I requested a copy from the teacher, who by the way is brilliant in capturing the true essence of your child so innocently self reflective of what they enjoy, what they excel in and what is hard about school. They also said what they would change which Katy sited, school lunches! Hmmm... is there a thematic pattern or connection to that comment? God love my baby girl who is growing up quite nicely despite our lack of over parenting. Happy Is.

Russian Pork Chops and Potatoes in Sour Cream Sauce
1⁄2 lb potato sliced 
1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder 
1⁄4 teaspoon onion powder 
1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup mushroom , sliced 
4 center-cut pork chops 
2 to taste oil
3 tablespoons water
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. Spray skillet. Heat it over medium heat. Add potatoes and brown lightly. Set aside.

2. Season chops with powders and pepper. Put a little oil in skillet. Cook chops for one minute on each side. Drain fat if necessary.

3. Add water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. 

4. Add potatoes and mushroom. Cook for 10 more minutes. 

5. Stir in sour cream. Heat thoroughly, but don't boil.

Count Stroganoff.

Tonight, we enjoyed our first meal in Russia, Beef Stroganoff. A meal consisting of strips of lean beef, sour cream, onions and mushrooms. The meal takes its name from Count Paul Stroganoff, a 19th century Russian noble. Though there are conflicting reports that the recipe actually surfaced in 1891. Unlike the French who name dishes after the chefs who devised them the Russians have usually attached the names of famous households to their cuisine — the cooks were usually serfs.

This meal was a hit x5. The only complaint was the mushrooms and onions which I handled in the most positive Monday way... "you don't have to eat the mushrooms or onions. They are simply there to make the flavor of the meal. Without them, your meat would be bland, with no flavor".  No response from the galley.

So my Russian blog fans have suggested trying a combination of pickles, sour cream and honey... I encourage everyone to sample this and let me know what you think. We can have our own little foodie forum. I'm sure everyone already has the ingredients in their fridge/cupboard.

This meal is from Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery Cookbook, the most wonderful, well used crock pot book I've ever used. Mable rarely lets me down!

Beef Stroganoff 
2 lbs. round steak, sliced in 1/4 inch strips
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
1 onion, sliced
1 can condensed beef broth
1 Tbl. Worcestershire
1 Tbl. ketchup
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp paprika
2 Tbl. dry red wine
Fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 Tbl. cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 cup sour cream
Cooked rice or noodles (we used whole wheat egg noodles)

Cut steak in 1/4 inch strips. Season with salt and pepper. Place steak and onion in crock pot.
Mix broth, worcestershire, ketchup, garlic salt and paprika in a bowl. Pour over steak.
Cook on LOW 6-7 hours or until steak is tender.
Turn control to HIGH. Add wine and mushrooms. Dissolve cornstarch in water in a small bowl. Add to meat mixture, stirring until blended. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir is sour cream; turn off heat.
Serve over noodles.

Russia Is.

That's where we're heading this week! We had a swim team banquet this evening for Des Moines Swimming Federation. Great spread of American Food, including the finest brisket and pulled pork in town from Uncle Wendall's.

A weekend filled with kids activities. Happy Is.

Late Night Greek Quesadilla.

Last night was very active for us which is why blogging wasn't in the cards. We had a pack-filled day starting with the Hoover High School Jazz Fest where Elie's Jazz band performed. She had to be there at 8:30am. They placed 4th, yippee! Though, Elie was quick to say there were only 4 bands competing in her division.

I was very excited to go back to the school where I graduated from. It was a bittersweet moment. They have done a lot of remodeling and it looks great. I entered the building to walk over the Wall of Fame where my swimming career was always displayed. To my surprise, the 1983 State Champion Swim team photo had been REMOVED! I was robbed. Sure, 1982 picture was there, for placing 2nd, but really? What on earth happened to it. Maybe there's a shrine somewhere else in the school, I'll bet that's it. It was great seeing pictures of my old friends, Pat Clark, Mary McDonald, Danielle Littke, Tami Cortez, to name a few...

The day went on and Katy had a Birthday party to attend at Monkey Joe's, followed by Spirit Night at Crossroads Park elementary. Then it was time for baby Grayson to arrive. He was going to hang out with us while my niece, Kiley and Erich went to dinner. We were all giddy with delight at a baby in the house. He stared at us and cracked a few smiles until Andy made him cry. It couldn't have been from my "Mary Katherine Gallagher" routine I did for him...

Andy and I enjoyed a late night Greek Quesadilla after Grayson went to sleep and Iowa State won! Wondering what the girls ate? Elie ate a mexican meal at Spirit Night... Katy had a Hot Dog around 9pm... Hannah...hmm.. not sure. She worked at Spirit Night and then went to a movie. Maybe she had popcorn. Our last night in Greece...

Greek Quesadillas
1 small onion chopped
2 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 7 oz. package fresh baby spinach leaves
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
flour tortillas

Directions

1. Cook onion in the olive oil in a large skillet until tender, 5-6 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and heat until fragrant.

3. Add the spinach and cook several minutes until the spinach starts to wilt.

4. Drain the spinach on paper towels and allow to cool while preparing recipe. (we didn't do this)

5. Mix feta cheese with cream cheese, ricotta, lemon juice, ground cumin, salt and pepper until smooth.

6. Add the spinach to mixture, and stir to combine.

7. Spoon mixture onto tortilla,place another tortilla on top. 

8. Cook over heat on stove. Flip and continue until both sides are lightly browned.

9. Cool. Cut. Serve.

Rome meets the Middle East.

Tonight we departed from greek culinary cuisine. We had a play to get to! Our friends Al and Jody were proud parents of their son, Spencer who landed the role of Aladdin in the Indian Hills middle school play. Little Caesars was our food choice for the evening. Cheese for the kids, veggies for the adults. (it is Friday during Lent). So, we dined in Rome then were off to the Middle East to enjoy a great play.

Elie immediately found her 7th grade friends and sat with them. Hannah brought a friend and Andy, Katy and I sat with our friends. It was delightful, watching young kids perform on stage. They were so confident and great. A very well done performance by all.

To keep it greek, I enjoyed leftover Greek Salad at lunch in my handy dandy lettuce keeper where you dump the lettuce and toppings into a cup and the lid has a secret compartment where you pour the dressing. Then you push down on the lid when ready to eat and presto, a tossed salad, after shaking the container from side-to-side for a while. I added a side dish of pita chips and hummus. επίθ. νοστιμότατος, υπέροχος (delicious).


Recipe
Pizza + family going to play + going to friends to celebrate thereafter.
Happy Is.

Family Greek Life.

I think families all have their own sort of Greek life, living with a secret code of laws, mottoes, rituals and handshakes.  It may not be exactly set like an organized group, but it's the little things that bring us all together on a daily basis. In our household, humor is something that keeps us all connected, a relief from everyday life. Instead of being too serious and stressed about something, we tend to find humor in things to really say, it sucks but it's not the end of the world.

Noshing over a delicious Greek Salad this evening, we discussed Hannah's parent-teacher conferences. It ended in much laughter with all of us. It all started with her math teacher. Not the best apple in the bunch. Basically, the conversation ended with, "she's just not grasping it"...hmmm. So you're saying she's a DA (you can fill in the blanks). That's how I felt, leaving the conference.  We had a lot of fun, playing off this new term, thinking she's going to arrive tomorrow to say, "hey, I heard you told my parents that I'm a DA"... tears were flowing. Maybe that's because she left me with teachers names with no subjects attached so when I thought I was talking to the spanish teacher and was surprised with her A, I said "wow, she's been struggling in this class". This was after the teacher suggested that Hannah talk more in class, which I replied, "she talks so much you had to move her"... funny is. Not the spanish teacher, rather current events teacher. The teacher must have thought I was a looney tunes...

Back to Math. Elie chimed in that Math was easy. Hannah screamed to be quiet. Followed with my comment, "no worries, we will visit Elie in her winter home in the tropics someday"... high five! In a nut shell, our modern family moments were loudly displayed this evening.

The beauty of our secret Greek life was shining. A storm passed the night before, and everyone loved their meal this evening. Chicken strips and fries were golden. Greek Salad with garlic pita toasts, heavenly.

Our Greek life works for us. It's our normal. Happy Is.

Greek Salad
Fresh spinach and romaine
Diced carrots
Diced cucumbers
Diced tomatoes
Diced chicken (from chicken packets meal on Monday)
Diced Kalamata Olives
Greek Vinaigrette Dressing (bottled-wishbone)
Pita Bread, sliced, buttered, garlic salt, broiled