Slow, but still existent progress...

 Since I got my new grain mill, I've been experimenting with different whole wheat recipes. Here are two of them. I've also finally given in and bought the new version of the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. After this post, the page numbers will refer to this new version, unless otherwise noted... :) 

Whole Wheat Bread (p. 40)

 

Whole Wheat Bread adapted from the recipe by Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery - delicious! 

 

Boiled Gnocchi (p. 275)

 

Cream Puffs (p. 133) with Vanilla Pudding Filling (p. 132)

 

Cinnamon Rolls (p. 53) with Cream Cheese Frosting (p. 88)

Old-fashioned Beef Stew (New Cookbook 15th edition, p. 570)

Mirjam's completed recipes: 110

Slowing down on the cooking and posting...

With work starting again full swing, the effort put into cooking and blogging significantly slows... But hey, I managed to make a few! :)

Stirred Rice Pudding (p. 135) - which wasn't as yummy as my Swiss milk rice... with Fruit Sauce (p. 139). 

Ham-and-Cheese Puffy Omelet (p. 151)

I also made a Date-Nut Ring (p. 64), which was really yummy but unfortunately did not make it on a picture. In part, I'll blame our dog, Cody, who helped himself to the rest of it!!

The Lentil Stew (p. 381) worked out nicely. Charles admitted to liking it as long as he didn't think of what it was... :)






Mirjam's completed recipes: 103

Taking the opportunity, before I get too busy...

 Breakfast: Creamy Poached Eggs (p.143)

 Dinner: I made a double entree for dinner since I wasn't sure whether Jessica would like the salmon. Turns out she did like it - yeay! Marinated Salmon Steaks (p. 167), Chicken with Papaya / Pineapple (p. 310), Carrots in Almond Sauce (p. 398) and Couscous. For dessert, I made the Swedish Fruit Soup (p.126) - interesting dessert to say the least.

Mirjam's completed recipes: 98 - almost breaking a 100

Inching forward

Spaghetti Sauce (p. 242) and my first attempt of a bread according to the directions of "Healthy Bread in five minutes a day". Charles generously ground barley and wheat berries with our hand grinder. The bread was quite yummy and was not much effort.

Dinner: Dijon Chicken (p. 304), Brown Rice Pilaf (p. 273) and Brown-Sugar-Glazed Carrots (p. 397).

Very yummy Chicken Enchiladas (p. 317) and Spanish Rice (p. 272).

Barley-Beef Soup (p. 376) with another loaf of the five minutes bread - yum!

Macaroni and Cheese (p. 160)

Mirjam's completed recipes: 93

Moving Right Along

Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork (p.136)

Tossed Salad (p. 265), Sloppy Joes (p. 121), and Delicious White Bread (P. 42)  Hamburger Bun Variation

 and Sandwich Loaf

Jessica: 56

Breakfast and Dinner

Baked Eggs (p.246)

Spiced Apple Bread (p.55)

Basic Dinner Rolls (p.56)

Baked Potato Soup (p.76)

Garlic Roasted Chicken (p.160) and Fettucine Alfredo (p.222)

Jessica: 52

Three Kings Dinner & a Sunday Breakfast

We had 'crazytown', my sister-in-law's family of five, over for dinner: Lasagna (p. 246), French bread with Flavored Butter (garlic & Parmesan, p. 368) and a salad with Creamy French Dressing (p. 357). It was very yummy!

For dessert and to celebrate Three Kings Day (January 6), I made Chocolate Swirl Bread (p.45) shaped according to our Swiss Three Kings Day tradition with a hidden plastic king in one of the buns. It was delicious! I didn't care all that much for the chocolate filling - since I don't like chocolate, but the dough was great and would be perfect for any sweet bread! Maybe with raisins, dried fruit....



Sunday breakfast: Leftover Pillsbury biscuits with Cream Gravy (p. 324). The bowl of fruit salad did not make it on the picture.

 On Saturday, Jessica and I went to a cooking class by the sourdough girls and learned how to make a variety of Ethnic breads. I am now really excited to try a bread-baking method called 'Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day'. According to an article written by the authors of the method's books, it's supposed to enable busy people to bake fresh European bread on a daily basis - now if that doesn't sound enticing, I don't know what would!! Click here for the basic recipe and information on the baking method - I'll let you know how it works out for me... :)

Mirjam's completed recipes: 85

Back to school

Today, I went back to school to prepare my classroom for the second semester. I have a feeling that my cooking will slow considerably, once I'm back to work...

Yesterday I made Tortilla Roll-Ups (p.252) as a dinner snack and for lunch leftovers and tonight we had Chicken Stew with Dumplings (p. 378) that I made, using my own Chicken Broth (p. 373). It turned out yummy, although the dumplings from a 'can' of store brand biscuits could certainly not keep up with the ones I made recently following allrecipes.com's Chicken and Dumplings III.

Mirjam's completed recipes: 80

Family Dinners

Monday night we enjoyed dinner altogether trying to savor the last few days that G-Ma was in town.  I made

Poached Chicken Breasts (p.65) to go in Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas (p. 176), and Spanish Rice (p.318).  It was delicious but I was a little scared of the Spanish rice because it called for bacon?  Who puts bacon in Spanish Rice?   

Last night I made Chicken Marengo (p. 168) and Israeli Couscous.  It was very yummy and tonight it will turn it into soup by mixing all the leftovers and chopping up the chicken.

Jessica: 46

New Year's Appetizers

We rang in the New Year with an appetizer cook off.  I made; Caramel Popcorn (p.444), Cranberry Glazed Appetizer Meatballs (p.3), Deviled Eggs (p.3), and Cream Cheese Puffs (p.4).  They were all good but my all time favorite was the Caramel Popcorn, super easy, fast, and delicious!

Jessica: 42

Brunch and a 'Jessica' Dinner

Yummy Brunch: Granola (p. 274), Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls (p. 50) and French Bread (p. 39). My husband, Charles, did a wonderful job baking these two kinds of breads for us. Together with a Swiss Birchermuesli, it made a great brunch.

Choose-a-Flavor Milk Shake (p.29) - Vanilla - as a pre-bed snack for my lovely husband.

 Tonight I made a yummy 'Jessica' dinner for my mother-in-law's last meal in Alaska for a while: Swedish Meatballs (p. 241) with Herb Buttered Pasta (p. 267), salad and Bread Pudding (p. 135) with Vanilla Sauce (p. 140) for dessert.

Mirjam's completed recipes: 77

New Year's Eve - Time for Appetizers!

We had a great New Year's Eve at Allen & Jessica's. Jessica and I made a whole bunch of appetizers - yum!
But first of all: Breakfast - Charles made a perfect French Omelet (p.150)






In the early afternoon, the twins and Diana had some root beer floats (Choose-a-Flavor Float p. 29).

And then came the appetizers: Pastry-wrapped Olives (p.17), Pepperoni Bites (p.9), Toasted Chili Nuts (p.10), Nachos (p.10), Guacamole (p.13), Pretzels (p.49), Hot Cheese Dip (p.12), Shrimp in Garlic Butter (p.181) and Homemade Soda Pop (p.29).

Mirjam's completed recipes: 69