Iced Coffee

I'm not taking any credit for this "recipe"....it is too easy! But this is one of Sean and my favorite things on summer mornings! We brew coffee in the evening the way we always do, put it in a pitcher, let it cool and refrigerate over night. In the morning it is cold, and we serve it over ice. I add soymilk, but you could do regular milk or add sugar or flavorings. No need to spend $3+ on ice coffee when you can make it yourself!!

My garden!

So this isn't a recipe, but wanted to share! This year I've been doing a lot of gardening. I find it to be so relaxing, and rewarding! Plus I've had lots of time to do it with Sean being gone! I've been wanting to do a big veggie garden, but living on base, I don't have much space to do so. I got this idea from another woman on base, and I don't know why I never thought of this! She said she got a kiddie pool, filled it with dirt, and started planting! So I did the same! I did a grape tomato plant, jalapenos (at Sean's request), cucumbers, red bell peppers, and string beans. Then I did some seeds, lettuce, carrots, and peas, and they are all sprouting now! My boys think it is so cool that a pool is filled with dirt (typical boys....), but I think it is so important for them to see where food comes from. In my front yard I have some oversized buckets that I planted basil, roma tomatoes, sweet peas (that are going crazy!), and strawberries! I am considering doing one more pool, since I had a lot of dirt left over, and just doing all strawberries. I am really looking forward to doing some cooking all this!! :)

Hash Brown Casserole

Alright, this is nothing fancy, but everyone loves it!  Just thought I would post this since I am planning a big breakfast, and this will be served!  :)

1 (2 lbs.) package souther style hash browns - THAWED
1/2 cup butter
1/2-1 cup chopped onions
2 (10.75 oz) cans, cream of onion and/or cream of potato soup
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper, or white pepper.

Optional Topping:
2 cups crushed cornflakes
1/2 cup melted butter

Saute onion in butter until soft. In large bowl, combine potatoes, soup, sour cream, cheese, salt and pepper, and onion/butter mixture. Place in a greased 9x13 pan.

For topping: Combine cornflakes with melted butter. Sprinkle on top of potato mixture.

Cover with foil, bake at 350 for 45 minutes to one hour. Remove foil last 15 minutes of baking time.

*This can be assembled one day ahead. Take out of fridge at least one hour before baking, and it may take longer to bake.

Candied Citrus Peel

This is very good, and very easy, but looks fancy. Good to nibble on, gift it, or could add into scones or granola.

1. With a sharp knife, slice off ends of 2 grapefruits, 3 oranges, or 4 lemons. Following the curve of the fruit, cut away outermost peel, leaving most of the white pith on fruit. Slice peel lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips.

2. In a medium pot of boiling water, cook peel until tender, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer peel to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet; spread in a single layer to dry slightly, about 15 minutes.

3. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a boil over high, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add peel and boil until it turns translucent and syrup thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. WIth slotted spoon, transfer peel to wire rack, separating the pieces as needed.

4. Let peel dry 1 hour. Toss with 1/2 cup sugar to coat.

To store, keep in an airtight container at room temp. up to 3 weeks)

Soba Salad!

I have a hard time finding soba out here, but it is worth the search! Soba noodles are buckwheat noodles, and not nearly as scary as they sound! I thought they might have a very different taste, but they are quite mild. This salad is wonderful, and you can add a lot more of the veggies than it calls for!

1 package soba
1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced
1/4 head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs. olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
4 oz. feta, crumbled

1. Cook soba according to package instructions. Drain.
2. In a bowl, combine cucumber, cabbage, shallot, parsley, lemon juice, and oil. Add soba. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. Toss with feta, and serve garnished with parsley.

Tortellini Salad

Very simple, very delicious. This does make a lot, and it is very hearty.

3 bags tri-color tortellini (dried - from the pasta aisle), I have never found the tri-color out here, I usually use the three cheese kind.
1 can black olives, sliced
1 yellow (or red) bell pepper, chopped
1 pt grape tomatoes, you can cut them in half if you wish
1/2 cup chopped italian parsley
marinated artichoke hearts
Italian dressing
parmesan cheese

Cook tortellini until al dente, drain, rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Drain well. Add remaining ingredients. Toss with enough dressing to moisten it. Refrigerate. Add additional dressing if needed before serving. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Summertime Club Wraps

I made these a few weeks ago while Sean's cousin, Sara, was here visiting me. She loved these, and they have been a favorite of mine for a long time, I just always forget about this recipe! Luckily, Sara picked this one out and I was so glad she did! These are easy, have a great bright flavor, and it's all the goodness of a club sandwich but without the added calories of the mayo, extra slice of bread in the middle, and you can use turkey bacon, or eat these with just veggies! These are also really good when made with flavored tortillas, but I have a hard time finding those out here in the middle of nowhere! This recipe says it makes 2 servings, but this recipe can be flexible and you can add more or less of the things you like, and just make sure you have more tortillas. I always make a ton of this, it definitely all gets eaten!

4 uncooked bacon slices
1/2 cup chopped avocado
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. lime juice
kosher salt
pepper
1/4 lbs. thinly sliced smoked turkey
1 cup arugula or romaine
2 10 or 11 inch flour tortillas

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy and brown. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Combine the avocado, tomato, onion, basil, and lime juice, in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide avocado mixture evenly among the tortillas and spread over each tortilla, leaving at least a 1 inch border around the edge. Divide turkey, bacon, and arugula among the tortillas, and wrap.

Pea Nutty Noodles

Okay, so I haven't been on here in awhile, and I have a ton of catching up to do! Between this deployment and being a single mama, emergency surgery, a flare up, and running again, I've been crazy busy! So I'm going to make an attempt at posting a few recipes, but I don't have pictures for all of them...sorry!
So anyways, this recipe is amazing! For Christmas, my sister Katy gave me this awesome cookbook! It is called "The Family Dinner" by Laurie David and recipes by Kirstein Uhrenholdt. It goes through why family dinners are so important, how to have a successful family dinner, dinner ideas (like "meatless mondays!), table talk topics, and recipes that you can do with your kids! It's a really great book, I highly recommend it! So I found this recipe in the kid section, it is so easy, and is definitely one of my favorite recipes right now! It is very easy (too easy!) and I starred the garnishes we used. This can be served hot or cold, as a meal, or as a side dish.

Pea Nutty Noodles


For the Peanut Sauce:
1 lbs. pasta....I used thick spaghetti and it worked great, whole wheat pasta would be good too, or soba!
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup soy sauce
2/3 warm water
3 Tbs. chopped fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbs. sesame oil
1 Tbs. honey
3 Tbs. white (rice or wine) vinegar

Garnishes: Pick and choose any you please and as much as you want!
chopped peanuts*
diced cucumbers*
diced apples
sliced scallions*
limes, cut into wedges*
sliced cabbage
chopped fresh cilantro* or mint
shredded carrot*
chopped bell pepper*

Pick out the garnishes you want to serve with the noodles and chop, dice, and slice them. Set aside. Boil pasta until al dente in salted water. Drain, rinse quickly with cold water, and set aside. Mix all the ingredients for the peanut sauce in a big bowl, stir until it is all mixed together and smooth (you can do this in a blender). Toss sauce with pasta. Serve with garnishes.