Kaiserschmarrn

My family and I recently returned from a 2 week vacation to Europe. It was so much fun! There will be a few more posts about that trip, but I wanted to start off with my favorite dish we had in Germany.

Germans definitely know how to do breakfast. The first hotel we stayed at had a breakfast buffet with the most delicious rolls with meats and cheese. Amazing.

By the time we got to our third hotel we decided to save a little money and buy cereal and milk and eat most breakfasts in our hotel room. Well, one morning we decided to get breakfast in the town where we were staying, Garmisch-Partenkirchen. We headed to a cafe called Thron. It was a bakery and it had some delicious looking chocolates and treats as well. My husband ordered some pancakes called Kaiserschmarrn. We were a little hesitant to order them, because it said that it took 25 minutes to make and we had our 3 young kids and 25 minutes can be an eternity. So, we ordered other foods to hold them over. We are so glad we waited the 25 minutes. These pancakes were delicious. I looked them up when I got home and found out that they are Austrian Pancakes. They were crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. They had a similar taste to German Pancakes that are baked in the oven, but were a little different. They were cut up into pieces and sprinkled with powdered sugar and came with a side of apple puree.

So, when I got home I hit pinterest to see if I could find any recipes that could compare. I found this one on Dramaticpancake.com. I tried it out and I thought it turned out great! I did not have any applesauce or apple puree, but I did have a jar of apple butter, which was more like apple sauce anyway. It was delicious. I think next time I will make sure that the outsides get a little more crispy, but other than that I thought it was a good recipe. Try it out and let me know what you think! Sorry the pictures are less than stellar again! I blame jet lag. 

Cheesy Taco Buns

This was one of those recipes I pinned and was not sure if it would be any good. It seemed sort of lazy to me for some reason. So, the other day I had one of those days when I needed a lazy kind of meal. My husband was out of town and my kids don't appreciate fancy meals anyway, so Cheesy Taco Buns were on the menu!

I got the recipe: HERE on Centsless deals' website. You can read all of the nitty gritty details there, but here's a quick overview:

Brown up your ground beef and add taco seasoning, preferably in a cast iron skillet, because they're awesome.

Then you have to make a sauce with cream cheese and salsa. Unfortunately, we were all out of salsa, but I did have this taco sauce, which worked out well.

Then you have to get your Pillsbury Refrigerated Rolls. I used these:

Then you roll them out flat, like so:

Put a little dollop (I used that word because Sister #1 hates it) of the salsa/cream cheese mixture, add some meat and cheddar cheese.

Then pinch the dough together to make a cute little taco bundle and place it in our your cookie sheet, seam side down.

I just realized that the recipe said to brush the tops with butter. I didn't do that! Darn. Butter is always a great addition, but mine were still good without it.

Then you bake them for about 15 minutes! Easy Peasy!

Mmmmm..yum. Clearly, not at all authentic taco cuisine, but still a good meal. It was a big hit with the kids. I was kind of expecting that the leftovers wouldn't heat up very well, so I was pleasantly surprised when they did!

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Favorite Places in New York

A few weekends ago, a couple of my friends and I decided to take a trip up to New York City. We left Friday morning and came back late Saturday night. One of them had never been before and the other had been a couple of times. I am by no means an expert on New York, but I've been a couple of times and now have some favorite spots. So, this is my "tourist guide" to New York city.

We decided to ride the bus and I was a little hesitant, because...well I don't know why. I was just hesitant! I'm glad we decided to go with the bus though. We took Mega Bus and it left out of White Marsh. The crazy ladies I was with decided that we should take the 6:20 bus, which got us there around 930. I don't really have any complaints about the bus. The time seemed to go much faster, we didn't have to worry about fighting traffic ourselves, gas money, or parking once we got into the city. It lets you off right in the city. Now, taking it back to Baltimore was a little different. The stop is a little farther away from downtown, but still..not bad at all. Don't forget to bring layers. It gets a little cold in the bus. There are also USB outlets so that you can charge your phones at your seat.

We stayed at the Renaissance Hotel on Times Square and it was a great location and the room was huge compared to other hotel rooms I've seen in New York. We were able to drop our bags off there before we were able to get into our room and we left them there during the day on Saturday after we checked out.

After dropping off our bags we headed to my favorite pizza place of all time, Grimaldi's. It is a chain, but there really is nothing like eating pizza in Brooklyn under the Brooklyn Bridge. It. Is. Delicious. You want to get there right when it opens, because there is usually a line. We got there right around 1130 and were able to walk right in and be seated. Also, it's cash only, but they do have an ATM. 

Then we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. It's always fun to people watch while walking across the bridge. Unfortunately it was pretty cloudy and misty that day, so we couldn't see the Statue of Liberty across the water. It was fun to see all of the locks couples have put on the bridge.

Once we got off the bridge we headed over to see the 9/11 memorial. You do have to get tickets to go see the memorial. They are free, but they ask for a small donation. You have to go to the museum to get tickets and then go over to the memorial. It took a little while to get into the actual memorial, because there is a line and security screening. It is still under construction, so I'm sure when that's all finished that it will be much faster. It was definitely worth seeing. The fountains they built are amazing. It is impossible to get a really good picture from ground level. They really have done a fantastic job.

After that we headed over to Chinatown and Little Italy to look around and to have cannoli! We like to go to Cafe Palermo. I'm actually not a huge fan of Cannoli. It's a little sweet for me. So, I had a lemon blueberry cheesecake and it was delicious! They are known for their cannolis though and I know Sister #4 is a big fan.

At that point we thought we were going to pass out from exhaustion and over eating! So, we headed back to the hotel to check into our room and freshen up a bit. The view from the room was so fun! After a little bit we headed down to Ellen's Stardust Diner. We decided not to go to a show this trip, so we figured we could get a little of the Broadway experience by going to Ellen's. It's a diner where a lot of Broadway hopefuls are the waiters and waitresses. So, they sing and perform throughout the night. I am NOT a fan of crowd interaction, but it was still super fun. The food was actually nothing to really write home about. It's diner food, but it was good and it was more for the experience anyway.

On Saturday morning we woke up early and headed to Central Park. I had never been before and I have to say that it is now one of my favorite spots in New York City. It was so fun to walk around at a little bit of slower pace than we had on Friday and to just enjoy the scenery. We could not figure out where everything was though, so luckily we found an awesome guide there who had a great map. So, if you see one of the guides ask them for a map! It was such a life saver. We really wanted to go on paddle boats on the lake, but they weren't open because it looked like it was going to rain.

Here were some of our favorites in Central Park:

The Alice in Wonderland statue:

Belvedere Castle was fun. It was small and you could go to the top where there is a fantastic view of the park.

This was the John Lennon Memorial.

We got to see a lot of different spots that show up in movies which was kind of fun. I kept thinking of that line from You've Got Mail, "It'd be a shame to miss New York in the Spring."

We ended our trip to Central Park by riding on the carousel. You're never too old to ride on a carousel.

After leaving Central Park we headed to look at the Plaza Hotel. I kept playing that movie, Big Business in my head! Then we walked down 5th avenue and looked at all of the ridiculously expensive things for sale. We walked through Tiffany's which was kind of fun. We went up to the floor with all of the engagement rings and dreamed a little bit. Then we walked over to Rockefeller Plaza and Radio City Music Hall.

After that we headed to Carnegie Deli for lunch. I have to admit that the first time I went to Carnegie Deli I was not really sure what the big deal was. So, we decided to try it again. I'm so glad we did because I really liked it. They have an amazing and huge Reuben sandwich for $27 and they add $3 to share it. We bought one and were able to split it between the three of us. We also split a giant pastrami knish. It was delicious. Also, GET THE CHEESECAKE. Delicious.

Then we headed to the Empire State Building. It ended up being a good time to go because it started to rain and we were inside during the storm and it cleared by the time we got up to the top. For those of you in the military, there is a discount so make sure you ask for that. The wait wasn't too bad. It probably took an hour and a half all together. We walked up and down the last 6 flights which cut down the wait a little. There a lot of people trying to sell fast pass tickets outside and we were told by the people inside that there is no such thing as a fast pass ticket, so it's best to just buy your tickets inside. I kept thinking of Elf!

Once we got out of the Empire State building we did a little bit of shopping and looking around there on 34th street. It started to storm again so we had to rush and find something to eat before getting our bags and heading to the bus. We were just a couple of blocks from Koreatown! I was so excited to find my people! There were a ton of restaurants that looked delicious, but we were in a little bit of a hurry so we went to a restaurant that was a little cafeteria style. It was really good. I want to go again the next time I go so that we can try a different restaurant.

After that we headed to the bus. We used the Subway a lot and got pretty good at it by the end. There was only once when we got pretty confused, but other than that we did pretty well! I saw a giant subway rat, so I figured my experience was complete.

The only other tips I can think of are to make sure you wear comfortable shoes, walking around is part of the experience. I wore my Reef flip flops and my feet weren't at all sore. My calves and thighs..well that's a different story. Also, I was so grateful for my portable charger for my iPhone. I use the Yubi, which is the only one I've tried that works with the 5s. I was also grateful for the New York Subway app. If you put the address into Google Maps on your phone and click public transportation it will switch you over to the Subway App and it was really helpful.

So, there you go..my guide to New York City. It's always fun to visit, but then I like coming home and not living in a city. If you go, then let me know your favorite spots! Sister #4 is going in the next couple of weeks so I'm sure she'll post about her favorite spots as well!

Fish Tacos To Die For!

So, I thought that for the first post in these many months, I'd share my absolute favorite fish taco recipe.

http://www.recipegirl.com/2008/10/02/beer-battered-fish-tacos-with-baja-sauce/ 

I unfortunately do not have a picture of the ones we made, but below I've included a picture from the recipegirl's site.  They are really very good, and very easy to make.  My kids will make several tacos and then just eat the fish on it's own with the sauce.  

A couple of things:  I usually leave the Jalapeños out of the sauce, because some of my younger kids don't like the added spice, but I cut some Jalapeños up for myself and add them separately.  Also, I'm not a beer drinker so I substitute the beer with beef broth I don't know how much it changes the flavor because ... well ... I'm not a beer drinker.  I usually make my own Mexican seasoning and I like it a lot better than the store bought taco seasoning and it's so easy to make.  I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Cheesy Chipotle Chicken and Rice

I promise that I really do cook things other than chicken and meals that are a little more fancy pants, but for some reason I only remember to take pictures of quick, chicken meals. Oh, well.

Tonight, we were going to have stuffed cabbage rolls! That is until I took a marathon nap and read the recipe when I woke up and realized that they have to cook for 2 hours, which at that point meant that we would have eaten at 8:30. So, we had to turn to Plan B. Luckily, I had almost everything for this recipe from Yammie's Noshery for Cheesy Chipotle Chicken and Rice. I did have to adjust some things, because I was missing a couple of ingredients.

The original recipe calls for black beans, but shockingly I didn't have any! Luckily, the rice we cook at home has beans and barley mixed in it so I used that and it worked out great. I also didn't find chipotle seasoning, so I added some Mexican seasoning and a little cayenne pepper and I thought it worked well. I mixed the cheese and sour cream right in with the rice. I kind of love one pot recipes like this. I guess I used two: one to boil chicken and one for the rice. I also didn't have a red bell pepper, but I had a bag of small sweet peppers so I chopped up a few of those and they were delicious.

We ate ours with some tortilla chips. The kids and my husband all loved it. Our 11 month old son ate two bowls of it. If you want you can add some hot sauce on top. I think it would work well as a side dish to fajitas or tacos or even as a dip. It was definitely not the fanciest of meals, but was a really good lazy Sunday dinner.

My picture leaves a lot to be desired...again: lazy Sunday! So, I didn't plate it nicely or sprinkle cilantro on top. Go to Yammie's Noshery for pretty pictures.

Try it out! Don't be dissuaded by my less than impressive picture!

Nando's

My husband likes to try new restaurants, which makes me nervous sometimes. Well last year he really wanted me to try Nando's. I was hesitant and I think a little moody that day so I was not a big fan. I kind of stuck with this.."Nando's is not good" attitude until a few months ago when I decided to try it again. I'm so glad I did! I love it! I like how you can customize how spicy you want your meat to be. I usually get the steak sandwich. Last time I got the chicken caesar wrap and it was delicious. The hummus appetizer is to die for! If you're going with kids, their meals are free on Mondays and Tuesdays. The kids get a bowl of frozen yogurt, which is also really good. If that wasn't enough they also have one of those coke machines so I can get raspberry Coke zero. Delicious. Oh! Make sure you get the chips (fries) with peri-peri mayo.

This is the hummus with the peri-peri drizzle. Amazing.

 

Go check it out! You'll love it.

 

Coconut Oil

A little while ago I was looking around on Pinterest and I saw a bunch of pins about Coconut Oil and all of the health benefits. I had never used it before so I thought I should try it. I ordered some off of Amazon: here. I must say that I love it! I use it mostly as a moisturizer and hair conditioner. I use it on my arms and legs and love how smooth it makes my skin feel, without feeling oily. To use it as a hair conditioner I just put some in my hair (a little goes a long way) and let it sit there for 30 minutes or so then shampoo my hair as usual. The nice thing is that you can buy it in a two pack on Amazon, one for the bathroom and one for the kitchen!

I have also cooked with it and love how it melts clear and has a cleaner feel and taste than butter. I have read some articles that say that olive oil is still healthier, but that coconut oil is a better option than butter. I haven't tried baking with it yet, but I've found some recipes I'm excited to try. The Food Network recently put a video on their website about coconut oil that can be found: here. I haven't noticed much of a coconut flavor to the food when I cook with it. I will say though that because it smells like coconut when you are cooking, it makes you feel like it tastes that way. Does that make sense?

I also have a friend who does oil pulling for her teeth and uses coconut oil. I haven't tried it yet, but if you do let me know what you think!

I found this chart on Pinterest. Who knows if it's entirely accurate, but I've seen these claims in several articles. 

You can buy it in regular grocery stores, too. I just found the two pack for $17 to be a pretty good deal!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

My husband doesn't like casseroles, so I very rarely make them. A couple of weekends ago I went out of town and I wanted to make something he could just throw in the oven. I figured he could just deal with having a casserole. Well, much to my surprise, he liked it! So, I figured I had to make it again so I could try it. I got the recipe from Six Sisters Stuff. The recipe can be found: here. It turned out to be the perfect meal, because I already had leftover ham from Easter (my kids refuse to eat split pea soup) and leftover broccoli. It was simple to make.

You just mix up the chicken, ham, broccoli, mustard and cream of chicken soup.

 Then you layer on some swiss cheese. Is it weird that mine only had holes on the edges?

 Then a layer of chicken flavored stuffing.

And bake it!

I thought it was a good weekday meal, pretty easy! My only critique is that it was a little salty for me. Next time I think I will use low sodium cream of chicken soup or maybe unsalted butter. Other than that, I thought it was great and my husband and kids like it, which is always a plus!

Try it and let me know what you think!

Creamy Italian Chicken

Some days when I've spent the day cleaning the kitchen - removing all those fingerprints from my appliances, the crusty things on the underside of the chairs, swept and mopped the floor - the last thing I want to do is make a meal.  Unfortunately, those rotten kids want dinner every night!  So, I have a couple of stand-by meals that are easy both in preparation and in clean up.  A favorite amongst my children is Italian Chicken.  This is a recipe that I've gotten from my Fix and Forget cookbook.  The thing I love about this meal is that it's a Crockpot meal that doesn't take 8 hours.  I personally like to add Sriracha sauce to the top of mine only, because it lacks the spice I like in all of my food, but the rest of the family likes it as is.

Ingredients:

3-4 Chicken Breasts

Robusto Italian Dressing packet (dry mix)

2 packages of cream cheese (I have cut this down to 1 1/2)

2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup

1/2 Cup of water

Instructions:

1.  Slice chicken breast horizontally first, and then cube.  If your chicken breasts aren't very thick, you can increase the number of chicken breasts that you use.  If mine are on the smallish side, I usually will use one breast per member of my family.

2.  Place cubed chicken into the bottom of your Crockpot.

3.  Mix Italian Seasoning and water and then pour over chicken

4.  Cook on High for 1 1/2 hours or on Low for 3 hours

5.  Mix together soup and cream cheese and pour on top of the Chicken.  I have in the past not mixed the two together, and just put them in separately, and the cream cheese never seems to melt down completely.  You can add the cream cheese, let that melt down a bit, and then add the soup (sometimes you just don't want to clean that mixer!)

6.  Cook for an additional 30 minutes and serve over rice or egg noodles.

Serves 6 - three of them boys that really devour everything insight!

Enjoy!

We had ours with peas tonight, but I have found that this meal is a little on the heavy side, so a nice garden salad sometimes is nice.  

Guess what my house smells like ...

Recipe adapted from Paula Dean's Southern Fried Chicken

Decided to try out fried chicken for dinner tonight.  It was quite good. I changed a couple of things - one change I liked, the other I didn't.

Recipe said to mix water with the beaten eggs.  I decided to substitute buttermilk.  This change I liked a lot.  It kept the chicken really moist.

The recipe also called for 1 cup of Frank's hot sauce, but I was worried that it would be too spicy for the kids (nothing is more frustrating to me than to spend ANY amount of time cooking to have them complain about the food).  I ended up only adding 1/4 cup of hot sauce.  I was NOT happy about this choice.  There was no hot sauce flavor in the finished product.  The next time I make this chicken I will likely use the called for amount.

Seems a little brown.

Overall, I thought the chicken was delicious and it was a hit with the family, it just lacked the spicy bite that I like.  It did make my entire house smell like fried food, but I found that some whole cloves and vanilla boiling on the stove helped a lot!