Gingerbread Houses & Gingerbread Cookies

I wont be posting the recipe for gingerbread, as I am sure that all of you know how to make it! I made these gingerbread houses for the christmas season for gifts for friends and relatives, also bringing the christmas cookies to work. I found placing them in the fridge even made them taste better. M this photo of one is just for you! haha

~V

French Toast

Super tasty and easy and quick to make!

6 slices of bread
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon brown sugar (add less if you like it more savory-if you want a really savory french toast add 1/4 cup grated cheese instead, I would use Monterrey Jack cheese, something simple and mild)
Sprinkling of salt

Beat eggs. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Soak bread, just enough to moisten and soak the surface, do the same on both sides. I don't like to soak the bread completely because after it cooks the middle of the slice will still be moist and mushy (I don't like that-if you do just soak for longer).

Cook in fry pan with butter until both sides are golden brown.

Serve with confectioners sugar or maple syrup, berries, bacon, strawberries especially tasty. Be creative!

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Galley Gourmet

Dessert to follow...White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Cranberries carry the taste of the holidays, perfectly paired with gourmet white chocolate.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 bar of Lindt white chocolate
6 oz sweetened dried cranberries
1 tablespoon milk

Set oven to 350F or 175C. Makes about 2 dozen.

1. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
2. Beat butter in separate bowl until creamy. Add one egg, beat. Add the second egg, beat until smooth. Add sugar.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry. Add milk. Slowly fold and mix together.
4. Scoop out heaped table spoons. Press with palm of hand and spoon to pack and slightly round.
5. Lay on baking tray on cooking parchment paper.

Recipe adapted from The Peach Kitchen.

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

This recipe is perfect for the upcoming winter. Warm soup with good French baguette. I made this the other day and everyone absolutely loved it, all gone in an instant! Enjoy!

3 tablespoons of butter
1/2 small sweet onion
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk (I just happened to have 2% reduced fat milk)
1 cup heavy cream (feel free to use a reduced fat for this, since I had reduced fat milk I decided to go all the way ;) )
4 cups of low sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
2 bay leaves
1 large carrot, grated
2 crowns of broccoli (add more if you just love broccoli)
8 ounces of medium Cheddar (going to make it again this week with sharp Cheddar, I'll update if it's better!) cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of sugar

1. Melt butter over medium heat and add onion cooking until tender.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, whisk flour, milk, and cream until smooth and silky.
3. Add chicken stock. Continue whisking until smooth.
4. Add nutmeg and bay leaves. Add salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.
5. Add onions, broccoli and carrot. Let simmer about 20 minutes.
6. Add cheese and whisk until melted.
7. Serve with fresh sweet baguette.

Recipe adapted from Blog is the New Black. 

Call that gratitude?!! Defend our troops!

I just had to post this. I was doing some homework when I came across this post on the townhall.com a conservative news blog site. This post stunning. A letter authored by an Iowa State University came up and this is what it said...

Please, please click on the picture or click here to respond to this letter. Being strong women we also must support our men while they are overseas on duty to this kind of attack. People don't realize what soldiers have to go through on deployments because of lack of knowledge. A friend of mine's son has been through many deployments and in very futile and dangerous places. A lot of the time without food at all. His mother even had to send him proper oil to oil his gun so that it would work. 

Please also copy your comments to the letter, and comment on this post. I want to hear all of your reactions. 

~M

Wisdom Tooth Removal! Oh no I hate the dentist!!

Hey peeps! So guess where I have to go? Yep the dentist! To have my appointment to take my wisdom teeth out on my left side.

I used to have braces and to get those on, I had to get four teeth out. I have already got my wisdom teeth out on my right side. I had a horrific last experience, the lady forgot to give me the last needle of anesthetic, and my two friends in the waiting room could hear me screaming because my mouth wasnt numb. She just said "Oh my bad, forgot that last needle". Anyway, I have an appointment with a different dentist! Never going there again for sure. When I left, they said I didn't need anything luckily my friends were there to take me home I literally left the surgery holding gauze to my face bleeding from my mouth and non stop all afternoon. It was horrible!

Because I have already experienced getting them out before, I know what to expect. You NEED to prepare before you get them out on the day. With food, pain killers, gauze! Plenty of movies and dvd's!

Here's my list:

Do not eat or drink for as long as you can on the first day after you get them out!

1. Up and Go drinks - their these breakfast drinks
2. Never drink through straws they can rip your stitches out empty those drinks into a cup!
3. Don't eat or drink on the first day after getting your wisdom teeth out
4. Mashed potato & gravy
5. Don't eat food where bits of it can get stuck in your mouth wounds!
6. A large assortment of DVD's day time TV is not great!
7. A whole lot of gauze, not repeating the last time with no gauze
8. Pain killers
9. Jelly
10. When you brush your teeth the next day do NOT brush where the wounds are.
11. On the second day also gargle with salt and water, every time you eat!
12. custard

If you have any more ideas to add to the list feel free. Wish me luck for my appointment!

~V

Easy Meal Planning and Recipe Organization

Home page of Pepperplate.com

Recipe list/collection

Week planner for morning, noon and evening

Good morning beautiful readers! I thought this post appropriate for the morning since most of us start thinking how am I possibly going to make dinner at the end of this busy day. I'd like to share the program or website that I use and introduced to my mom also and she loves it! It is called pepperplate.com. This site is for help in the kitchen as it states on it's front page. You can easily manage recipes, make shopping lists by recipe, and add meal plans for the week in advance. The recipe list allows you to add your recipes into your account and even import them from popular recipe websites (like allrecipe.com). You can share these recipes with friends through the site. The planner allows you to add recipes for the week, for morning, noon and evening. This really helps me because instead of running to the store for small errands and picking up things I need for one meal, I can plan a week of meals and shop once a week. The shopping list is also amazing. Either add a whole recipe for those ingredients needed in it, or add individual items you commonly use. This just gets even better, there's an App for this on your smart phone. I believe it is in the Android marketplace, and I know it's there for my iPhone. You can have your shopping list on the go without needing internet. It's becoming super useful, especially when we have two cooks in the house (myself and my  mom..although I cook less) we can compile both our recipes and shop for the both of us in one go. Try it out and let me know you found it! If anyone else wants to share how they plan meals comment bellow! I'd love gather ideas! Have a good day and happy cooking! xoxo                                        

Shopping list

                          ~~M

It's that time of year...achoo!

When December comes around you start hearing the sneezing and coughing and sniffling noses, and you just know your turn is coming. My turn has come. I have been struggling to balance letting myself rest and recover with school and work. You can do all that you can to avoid the sneezes and splutters but sometimes it just isn't enough. Instead of giving you all some preventative measures to keep from getting sick which we have all heard a million and one times and still seem to get those nasty little bugs, I decided to talk about some cold comforting suggestions. I try hard to follow these when I get sick.

1. Over-the-counter pain reliever-- I find that not many "cough and cold" stuff works so I stick with the basics. Usually Tylenol (although I know in the US I don't think they're on the shelves anymore because of some scare, try something similar). Take in the morning before you get going, it will help you through your day and at least give you a running start. If you're worried about taking medicine so much, don't, these simple over the counter drugs won't hurt you. If you are really suffering, maybe the first couple days of your cold, take one at night too, to get a good nights sleep.

2. Hot tea with lemon and honey-- All through the day! Soothing to your throat and provides lots of liquids too! Breathing in the steam from your mug can also help clear your nose!

3. Water, water and more water-- Fill up on liquids!

4. Oranges and other citrus fruits-- I have half a grapefruit everyday for breakfast, whether I'm sick or not.

5. Soups, chicken especially-- Any soup is good and soothing, and I've heard chicken soup helps with anti-inflammatory.

6. Vicks-- Always good to rub on chest and back around your lungs. Sooo soothing and the smell, though very strong, can clear your nose in an instant.

7. Warm and cozy-- Always nice to have your special blanket that you can bring with you to the couch when watching TV. It's important to always keep warm, especially your fingers and toes!

8. Hot steamy showers-- The vapor and steam is good to moisten your skin, and sooth sore areas but it's also important to breath in the steam. Breathing in steam will clear your nose and relieve that pressure on your head.

9. Pile your pillows-- When you sleep have an extra pillow under your head, the elevation will also help with the pressure a stuffy nose puts on your head.

10. Exercise-- Surprising? Exercise actually helps your immune system. Don't go all out and tire yourself so much though. It's good to get moving, and it will help you feel better too. Sometimes acting like you don't have a cold and going around your normal day helps fight it too, keeping your body strong.

Well lovely readers, plenty of rest is also an important factor in the the getting well process, and it's time to get mine. Keep these things in mind when you start feeling the sniffles! Stay healthy!

xoxo
~M

Beouf Bourguignon

I watched the movie Julia and Julie and it contrasts the life of the chef known as Julia Child in the early years of her career with Julie Powell who aspires to cook all 524 of Julia Child's recipes in 365 days.

After watching this movie I was intrigued to try some of her recipes and also to bring myself up against a challenge. The first recipe I tried was her famous "Beouf Bourguignon". It took literally hours to make but the end product was worth it! I used a nice red wine and used boiled potatoes and buttered peas. I learned how to saute mushrooms in which I actually ate mushrooms for once and braised onions. I served this on rice. The dish was so rich in flavour it was amazing! Something that would be perfect for serving while guests are over for dinner. Here is the recipe below:

Beouf Bourguignon (aka Beef Stew in Red wine with Bacon Onions and Mushrooms)
Boiled potatoes are traditionally served with this dish I found it perfectly complemented the dish because it was so rich in flavour therefore buttered peas and buttered potato is a must! Also if you are serving the dish with a wine, use the same wine as you used in the stew or something similar to complement the food. This dish makes 6 large servings.

Ingredients:

• A 6 ounce chunk of bacon
• A 9 to 10 inch fireproof casserole 3 inches deep
• 1 Tb olive oil or cooking oil
• A slotted spoon
• 3lbs lean stewing beef cut into 2 inch cubes
• 1 sliced carrot
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1/4 tsp of pepper
• 2 Tb flour
• 3 cups of full-bodied young red wine such as those suggested for serving or a Chianti
• 2 to 3 cups of brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
• 1 Tb tomato paste
• 2 cloves mashed garlic
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• A crumbled bay leaf
• The blanched bacon rind
• 18 to 24 small white onions brown braised in stock
• 1 lb quartered fresh mushrooms sauteed in butter

Method:

1. Remove rind and cut bacon into small piecces. Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes with water just covering the bacon, drain and dry (you must simmer the bacon in water if you don't do this the flavor of the bacon will overpower the entire dish). Also keep the bacon rind aside.
2. Preheat over to 450 degrees.
3. Saute the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you saute the beef.
4. Dry the beef in paper towels (it wont brown properly if the meat is damp). Saute a few pieces of meat at a time in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.
5. In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sauteing fat.
6. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set aside the casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to over for 4 minutes more (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust). Remove the casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
7. Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate the heat so liquid simmers slowly for 2 and half to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
8. When the beef is cooking prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set aside until needed. See these two recipes below.
9. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.
10. Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 and half cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix it in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over meat and vegetables.
11. For immediate serving, serve with boiled buttered potatoes and peas with rice if preferred. If serving later when cold, cover and refrigerate and simmer later. I found it even tasted better when reheated again!

brown braised onions:

Ingredients:

• 18 to 24 peeled white onions
• 1 1/2 Tb butter
• 1 1/2 Tb oil
• A 9 to 10 inch enameled skillet
• 1/2 cup of brown stock, canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, or water.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, and a 1/4 tsp thyme tied in cheesecloth.

Method:

1. When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet add the onions (just peel them and keep them whole) and saute over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful and try to let the onions stay intact.
2. Pour in the liquid, season to taste and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove the herb bouquet. Serve them as they are, the liquid should have formed a type of gravy that will taste amazing!

Sauteed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• A 10 inch enameled skillet
• 2 Tb butter
• 1 Tb oil
• 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms washed, well dried, left whole if small or sliced or quartered if large.
• Optional: 1 to 2 Tb minced shallots or green onions
• salt and pepper

Method:

1. Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating that is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their saute the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove the heat.
2. Toss the shallots of the green onions with mushrooms. Saute over moderate heat for 2 minutes.

The recipe is difficult and a long process. Though so worth it! Enjoy!

~ V

Welcome to our blog!

Hi everyone, welcome to the first post of our blog! We thought it appropriate to do our first post together. As you will read in the About Us page, we are Army girlfriends of the US and of Australia, both going through the same troubles, heartaches and adventures across the Pacific. Hardheaded as we are, after experiencing the lows and self pitying that this "Army girlfriend" title requires us to, we pulled ourselves out of the brooding stage and decided that all this negative emotions were doing nothing for us except affecting our day to day lives - realizing it wasn't really always the distance but more ourselves we needed to work on. In this blog we will share everything from our life experiences to good recipes, "me time" ideas to house work methods and motivation, interior decorating ideas to always handy knowledge - we'll learn things like changing a tyre or painting the house for example (haha), inspiring exercising ideas to fun fashion trends, money saving and investment ideas, study tips and things that we've tried for the first time. We hope you will join us on our journey and work with us, sharing your own ideas and experiences. This is a pick-me-up blog, not a downer. No matter where you live, who you date, what color eyes you have, we all in this together and should all maintain a healthy, strong and independent lifestyle. We will share things that make you giggle, things that make you cry and things that make you feel strong inside (did I just rhyme?). This blog is for strong women, and those that want to be. Come along for the ride as we strengthen ourselves.

~ Love M & V