{ A day in the kitchen }

 

 

The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home!

 

I think we've all heard that quote, and I for one am a firm believer in that it is absolutely true.  It is where we cook meals for our families, where we bring family together and where we sustain our bodies with nutritious food.

 

I love being in my kitchen and love spending time in it, pottering around, cooking, or doing dishes (I know that sounds weird, but I find doing dishes by hand, very relaxing).   Most of the time, you will find me in that room, in my happy place, where I feel the most at easy and calm.

Cooking is something I have enjoyed since very little.  I've told the story, I think a few times, of when I first started being interested in pots and pans and cooking.  I was just 5 years old, sitting at my great grandmothers feet.  I wanted so much to have my own set of pots, so my grandmother took me to the local store, in a small village in Portugal, and bought me a set of play pots and pans.  

I still remember it as if it was today.  They came in a big transparent bag, with a knot at the top, and I proudly carried it all the way home.  I wouldn't let my grandmother carry it, I was so proud of that set, that I wanted it all to myself.  Hahahah

When we got back home, my great grandmother was sitting at the kitchen table peeling potatoes, for lunch.  I sat at her feet, pulled out one of the pots, and asked her if I could cook too.  She passed me a small peeled potato, which I asked her to chop into small pieces and she obliged with a smile on her face.  I popped it in the pot, added water and salt and pepper and said I was going to make a soup.  She just smiled through it all, encouraging me.

So, as you can see, cooking has been ingrained in my soul since a very young age, and I think that's why to this day I absolutely adore being in the kitchen cooking for the family. 

So come into my kitchen with me.  I had my family over this weekend, and I decided to surprise them with some Portuguese desserts.  The first is for Bolas de Berlim, which if I were to translate would be Balls from Berlin.  Not exactly a great name, but it apparently was brought over to Portugal by German Jews fleeing World War II, and since Portugal was a neutral country, a lot of Jewish people immigrated there.  

 

Anyway, these fried donuts, filled with a delicious egg cream, are typically sold not only in bakeries throughout Portugal, but you will find them all over the beaches during the summer.  They are very reminiscent of our childhood in Portugal and one of our favorite desserts.  They do take time to make, and of course since they're fried and full of sugar, it's not something I make very often at all.  

 

I think the last time I made them was years ago.

 

So before I got to work on those, I quickly got dinner in the crockpot, so I wouldn't have to worry about it.

Then I got to work, and oh my word, the result were delicious perfect looking Bolas de Berlim, which my stepmother actually thought were bought at a bakery.  What a blessing and a wonderful compliment to me!

I may have a recipe on the food blog already, I'm not sure, I will check and if I do I will leave it linked here for you, but if not, then I'll be sure to get these on the blog this week.

They take some effort but are well worth it.

The recipe called for 12 but I actually ended up with 28 because I made them a bit smaller and doubled the recipe.  We have a big family of 16, so always need to make more.

The recipe I just linked for you above is not the recipe I used, this one came from an old Portuguese cooking magazine which I have collected for many years.  Teleculinaria!

Gorgeous!!!  (although I will say, I am regretting eating 2 of these, because I'm still paying for it today and that was Saturday that we had the family over lol)

I also made another Portuguese dessert which is kind of like the Portuguese Cookie Cake which I've shared here before.  You can find the recipe here if you want to make it, and I do suggest you give it a try because it's delicious.

This one however, is made the same way, but instead of a buttercream filling, it is layered with whipped cream that is mixed with pineapple jello and pineapple chunks.  It is so refreshing and easy to make and yummy too.  

I don't have this recipe on the blog yet, so this one will be going up very soon.

I ended my day in the kitchen, with a yummy dinner of Coney Island Hotdogs, and two amazing desserts to serve to the family.

They were a hit, and nothing was left, not a crumb.  

There is a pleasure that comes from serving your family, and seeing everyone enjoy your food.  It's a blessing for sure.

Thank you for joining me in my kitchen.  I hope you all have a blessed Wednesday.  Take care friends ♥

{ Busy day in the kitchen }

 

 

It had been a long time since I walked into the kitchen, and spent some hours pottering around, cooking, baking, prepping and just enjoying being in that little space. 

 

The kitchen is the heart of the home!

 

I have always said that my favorite room in my homes, the many we've lived in, has always been the kitchen.  But when Curt retired from the Air Force, 7 years ago, our lives took a huge tumble, and everything that I was used to, the routines, the schedules, the moments I had perfected over the years, just fell to the wayside.

I've struggled to find my footing since then.

"But it's been 7 years Sandra, surely by now you've gotten back on track?".

Well, no.  You would think that 7 years is long enough to get back to that way of doing things, but the truth is that life has changed and I don't think I will ever truly get back to exactly how I used to do things.  It's understandable, I'm older, my children are older, we are in a different State, we've been through a lot and frankly, we are not the people we were back in those days.

 

I've slowly been molding a new way of doing things, pulling some of the old habits and incorporating newer routines and so forth.

Yesterday though, was a day that very much reminded me of the way things used to be.

I was in my kitchen for hours, and I loved every second spent in there.

I was mostly trying to do some food prep and getting some things ready for Thanksgiving, and by that I mean making sure I had all the ingredients I needed on hand, ordering some last minute things from Walmart pick up, and doing some baking because I needed to use up cranberries before they went bad.

 

 I had picked up this magazine from Taste of Home, a while ago, and the recipe on the cover was calling my name.  I had everything I needed on hand so quickly whipped up this Chocolate Chip Cranberry Bread, the recipe will be on my food blog today.

 

I have about 2 cups of cranberries left so I'm going to make some homemade cranberry sauce today.  I have never made it myself so we will see how that turns out, and of course I'll share with you my thoughts and the recipe too.

I also had some oranges that were starting to go back, so got those sliced up and in the oven to dry, for my orange garlands.  I make one every year, to hang over the fireplace and as a decoration for my real Christmas tree.

 

While working in the kitchen, I put my instant pot to good use.  I don't know about you all, but I love mine so much and use it at least 4 times a week, some weeks I am using mine every single day.

I cooked up some sweet potatoes, I realized I only had 2 so I've added a bag of sweet potatoes to my Walmart pick up.  My Jasmine will never forgive me if I don't make some sweet potato casserole for her.

And with the remaining potatoes, I will make a sweet potato pie and then slice some up for fries, blanche and freeze them for future meals.

If you're wondering how to make sweet potato in the instant pot, I place them on the metal trivet, or you can use a steaming basket (which reminds me I don't have one for my pressure cooker, so I think I'll add that to my Christmas wish list lol).

Anyway, wash the potatoes, add them to the trivet or basket, add a cup of water, and then pressure cook on HIGH for 26 minutes for 4 to 5 potatoes.  Quick release the steam.

Since I only had 2 potatoes I cooked them for 20 minutes, and it is the perfect timing.  Once they were out, I let them cool slightly and then pulled the skin right off, and put them in the fridge until I use them.

 

While the food was cooking and baking in the kitchen, I gave my fireplace a quick clean to get it ready for winter.  We have had pretty good temperatures so far, and we never light the fire unless it gets to 30 degrees or below.

I must say, these cold winter like mornings have been wonderful.  Oatmeal has been my go to breakfast, and now that I've figured out how to make it in the instant pot, I'm loving it even more.

 

I'm a creamy oatmeal kinda girl, my daughter on the other hand loves thick clumpy oatmeal. 

 

If you enjoy creamy oatmeal like I do, then here is the recipe for you, give it a try and let me know what you think.

 

Instant Pot Creamy Oatmeal

 

1 and half cups old fashioned oats

1 and 3/4 cups of water

2 and 1/4 cup milk

4 tablespoons brown sugar

 

Cook on HIGH pressure for 6 minutes, then do a quick release.

 

Note:  If you use steel cut oats, cook for 5 minutes on HIGH,  then naturally release for 20 minutes.

If you use quick oats, cook for just 1 minute on HIGH and do a quick release.

Today, I plan on making all of my pies, and then just do the turkey and side dishes tomorrow.   I think I will more than likely put up a Thanksgiving post with the food I'm making including the recipes.  

Are you having a Thanksgiving dinner with family, or is it just you and your immediately family at home?  What are you fixing, keeping with the traditional big Thanksgiving meal or making it smaller, changing it up this year?

Would love to know what your plans are, let's have a chat down below :)

{ Kitchen day and a little change in publishing posts }

Good morning everyone.  It's a gorgeous day here in North Texas, there is not a single cloud in the blue sky, 63 degrees and just beautiful. 

Yesterday was a kitchen day for me, and I'll show you below what I did, but I first wanted to talk about the blog posts and when I'm putting them up and so forth.

First and foremost, I have to say I'm so proud of myself for sticking with the daily posting all month long.  I didn't think I could do, it's been a while since I've deliberately taken the time to sit down and put up and update every day, and you know how it goes,w hen you lose that habit it's quite hard to get back into it.

But I pushed through, the first two weeks were the hardest, I would sometimes get ready for bed and realize I didn't get the post up so quickly get back up, turn the computer back on and edit photos, post and so on.

I'm happy I did though because I have the love for blogging back and I'm enjoying the daily blogging again.

{ Let them eat cake }

Sunday's are my kitchen days.  I usually bake, especially if I have anything that needs using up.  I stock up on cookies, replenish any homemade mixes that are running out, or make freezer breakfast burritos.

Today I baked 3 different cakes.  A delicious Victoria Sponge which is a family favorite.

 

A banana bread because I had bananas that were going bad.

 

And a Date and Nut Loaf which my sister in law loves, so mainly did it for her.

Now this wasn't all for us, we had the family over for coffee/tea and cake this afternoon.  See my sister in law's mom and aunt are visiting, like I mentioned yesterday.  But Tiffany also just got married and she came by just for a 2 days to pick up her stuff and then is heading on to San Diego with her new husband.

It feels so weird saying that about my little girl, I feel like it was just yesterday that I was babysitting her as a baby.  Time sure flies.

Anyway, everyone came over so we could say goodbye to Tiffany and Steven, as we're not sure when we'll see them again, probably just Christmas time.

We sat at the table, we enjoyed delicious cakes, we had coffee and tea and we laughed and told family stories, and so on.  Goodbyes are never easy but the kids are growing up and setting off on their own and it's just a hard thing to get used to.

I've always found the kitchen to be one of my favorite rooms in the house, it makes me happy to be surrounded by pots and pans and cooking utensils, ingredients and cookbooks and everything that makes a great meal.

Also helps when you have beautiful bakeware to enjoy.  You know it's been so many years since I purchased these Temp-Tations.....wait, actually I think my husband got me these for Christmas one year.  That is right, he did, he knew I had been wanting these for a while.  :)

Oh and here's one of my latest tips in the kitchen.  I have this adorable Grease crockware that I didn't know what to do with.  I just popped it next to my sink with a plastic bag, and it's become my trash little container for when I'm cooking or baking etc.  Makes it easier to have a place to pop everything in instead of constantly walking back and forth to the trash can across the kitchen.

We also did a bit more yard work and cleaned and reorganized inside the house.  I know it seems like that's all I say the past few days, but it's honestly what is going on around here.

No matter what is going on throughout my day, how busy it is, or how many chores I have to get through, I always end my day with a smile on my face, because I'm doing what I love. 

I'm hoping to make a few cute things tomorrow and I'll share them with you if I get to it, but I'm not sure if I have everything I need to make them.  We'll see!!!

We are also having a 4th of July Barbecue on Tuesday, with the whole family, so I'll be getting ready for that as well tomorrow.  Just another normal day of homemaking. 

How are you all celebrating the 4th this year?  Any of you vacationing somewhere, having barbecues with friends and family, watching a fireworks display in your town?

In the Kitchen - Homemade Hamburger Buns

I already have a recipe for homemade hamburger and hotdog buns, here on the blog, but this is a different one and I think I prefer this one for the hamburger buns, to be honest.

The other recipe is great for the hotdog buns though, so give that one a try.

Yesterday I was making sloppy joes for dinner and realized that I had completely forgotten to buy the bread.  Good thing about making your own is that you don't have to rush out to spend money, and they usually turn out better, cheaper and more delicious than store bought anyway.

These do take time to rise, but aside from that, they are easily one of the easiest bread recipes you'll find.

Hamburger Buns

Source:  Chef John

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast (such as Fleischmann's ActiveDry Yeast(R))
1 pound all-purpose flour, or as needed - divided
1 cup warm water (105 degrees F/41 degrees C)
1 large egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk


Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Place yeast into bowl of a large stand mixer; whisk in 1/2 cup flour and warm water until smooth. Let stand until mixture is foamy, 10 to 15 minutes.

Whisk 1 egg, melted butter, sugar, and salt thoroughly into yeast mixture. Add remaining flour (about 3 cups).

Fit a dough hook onto stand mixer and knead the dough on low speed until soft and sticky, 5 to 6 minutes. Scrape sides if needed. Poke and prod the dough with a silicone spatula; if large amounts of dough stick to the spatula, add a little more flour.

Transfer dough onto a floured work surface; dough will be sticky and elastic but not stick to your fingers. Form the dough lightly into a smooth, round shape, gently tucking loose ends underneath.
Wipe out stand mixer bowl, drizzle olive oil into the bowl, and turn dough over in the bowl several times to coat surface thinly with oil. Cover bowl with aluminum foil. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.

Transfer dough to a floured work surface and pat to flatten bubbles and form into a slightly rounded rectangle of dough about 5x10 inches and about 1/2 inch thick. Dust dough lightly with flour if needed. Cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into a round shape, gently tucking ends underneath as before.

Use your hands to gently pat and stretch the dough rounds into flat disc shapes about 1/2 inch thick. Arrange buns about 1/2 inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Dust buns very lightly with flour. Drape a piece of plastic wrap over the baking sheet (do not seal tightly). Let buns rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Beat 1 egg with milk in a small bowl, using a fork, until mixture is thoroughly combined. Very gently and lightly brush tops of buns with egg wash without deflating the risen dough.

Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned on top, 15 to 17 minutes. Buns will stick together slightly where they touch. Let cool completely, tear the buns apart, and slice in half crosswise to serve.

In the Kitchen - Creamy Beef Noodle Bake

If my kids could eat but one single thing for the rest of their lives, it would have to be Pasta.  They will have seconds, sometimes thirds during dinner and if there is any leftover, they will snack on it late night, they love it that much.

Which means, I'm sure to put pasta dishes on the menu quite often, and any pasta recipe I come across has to be tried, at least once in this household.

This creamy pasta bake is delicious and filling and I'm sure your families will enjoy it just as much as we did.

Creamy Beef Noodle Bake

Source:  Together as a Family

1 lb ground beef
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
12 oz egg noodles
3/4 cup sour cream
1 container (16 oz) cottage cheese
2 cups grated cheese, I always use Colby Jack


Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the ground beef in a skillet until no longer pink. Drain any excess fat.
Add in the tomato sauce, salt, pepper, and onion powder into the meat and let simmer on low while you prepare the rest.

Cook the egg noodles according to package directions [don't forget to salt the water!]

In large bowl, mix together the sour cream and the cottage cheese.
Drain the noodles and pour them into the mixing bowl with the sour cream and cottage cheese. Stir to coat all the noodles.

In a 9x13 sprayed with cooking spray. Start with half the egg noodle mixture, top with half the ground beef mixture, and then half the shredded cheese. Repeat.

Bake for 20 minutes.

In the Kitchen - Thai Peanut Beef

Asian food of any kind is one of my family's favorites, so anytime I come across one such recipe, it immediately goes on my menu.  Such is the case with this Thai Peanut Beef.

I changed the recipe slightly by adding in some pear juice, and it turned out fantastic, it was quite reminiscent of a Korean Beef Bulgogi.

Thai Peanut Beef

Adapted from: Le Creme de La Crumb

1-2 lbs beef, cut into thin strips (suggestion: flank steak or stir fry beef strips) +
2-3 teaspoons oil
*if using more than 1 pound beef, double the sauce recipe below

sauce

¼ cup creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons tabasco hot sauce
pear juice, I just poured in a little, didn't measure


Whisk together all sauce ingredients excluding peanuts, set aside.

Add oil to large pan or skillet and heat over medium high heat until hot. Add beef strips and cook 8-10 minutes, stirring throughout to ensure even cooking. When Beef has browned around edges and cooked to desired doneness.

Add ½ of the sauce to the pan. Stir and cook 1-2 minutes longer. Serve beef hot and top with remaining sauce and chopped peanuts. Garnish with sliced green onions if desired.

In the Kitchen - Macho Nachos

I have to start by thanking you all so much for your opinions and comments on my last post, I so appreciate my readers and I'm glad to know that you are all so welcoming of the changes.

I guess it's official, I'm going to start posting my recipes here and then just copying them to my food blog for safe keeping.  The comments on the food blog will be disabled, so I guess in a sense, you will be able to also use the blog as an online recipe folder for your own use :)

I've decided that my recipes will fall under the category of In the Kitchen and I will add them to my linkbar up above as I post them.

There are a few recipes I'm going to share today, so this will probably be the only time you'll see so many in a row, from today on I'll just post them as I make them.

Right, here's the first one, a good recipe for a quick meal and one that your husband and kids will surely enjoy.

Macho Nachos

Source:  I wash you dry

6-8 large handfuls of corn tortilla chips
1½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1½ cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 (15 oz) can of chili (your favorite brand works)
½ cup sliced black olives
½ cup sliced, pickled jalapeños
½ cup diced tomatoes
¾ cup sour cream
2 green onions, diced
salsa


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In an oven safe pan or baking sheet lay half of the chips, then top with half the can of chili, ½ of the cheddar cheese, and ½ of the pepper jack cheese. Repeat the layering; chips, chili, cheese.

Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and gooey.

Quickly top with the black olives, jalapeños, diced tomato, sour cream, and green onions. Serve hot with a side of salsa. Enjoy!

In the Kitchen

Welcome to my kitchen!!!

I developed a love for cooking at a very early age.  My great grandmother, grandmother and stepmother were the most influential women in my life, especially when it came to homemaking and cooking

We always had a very big family and dinner around the table would usually involve up to 15 people at a time, every night.  The meal preparation usually fell to my great grandmother as she loved cooking and taking care of the family as much as I do.

I grew up surrounded by a big family, by hearty home cooked meals, and a love for the family that can only be described as unconditional.

If you ever visit my home and wonder where I am, bets are, in the kitchen whipping something up.

There is such an amazing feeling that takes over when I'm able to put on the table a comforting meal for my family, and watching them enjoy it is reward enough for the time I put in.

In this section of my blog, you will find recipes for some of the meals I make for my family.  I will never post something that I don't enjoy, or something that is expensive to make or uses gourmet ingredients.

I'm a easy, out of the pantry, cook with what you have on hand, everything from scratch, kinda girl and I hope you find something here that will catch your eye and please your family :)


QUICK AND EASY MEALS

Macho Nachos


ASIAN INSPIRED

Thai Peanut Beef


PASTA

Creamy Beef Noodle Bake