sweet new find

A few friends have mentioned to me recently this fantastic site for cooking in China.  I am so delighted that this Sara Beth is out there- across this wide country- stirring up such deliciousness in her home and sharing it so far beyond her own table.   What a gift to get to pick up on her tips and great finds!


Hearing about it is one thing but tasting it.... oh my....is another.  One friend shared these quick biscuits:  pretty super and doable here, with no crisco or butter needed!  Then, last week a friend gifted me with a jar of Homemade Peppermint Patties.  I am not a York fan and now that I've tasted these, I would say that York is a very poor knock-off of these fantastic treats.  And I'm one to favor keeping the best words for the best things and food is just not one of the best things in the world.... but I will say this, this time:  Count me in.... I'm a fan! I super enjoy these peppermint patties... Oh the creamy, minty chocolateness! Thus, this post.


Here it is friends...  This terrific, simple site for anyone interested in cooking from scratch or cooking overseas:

www.market2meal.com

Tips and recipes for making MORE 

in a place where LESS is available

a little treat?

Here’s a little summer treat we’re enjoying that's oh-so simple.

Cold Sprite (or Sprite-likeness) poured over a fruity tea bag.  I first tasted this at a baby shower (thanks ladies!) when it was made with Celestial Seasonings tea.  But I think maybe it’s nicer with London Fruit and Herb Company... perhaps more flavorful?   Who could ever need a fancy four dollar Italian Soda when there’s this?

When Matt’s parents visited, they even gave the “London Sprite,” as we call it, a stamp of approval and bought us a can of spray whipped cream to top our treats with.  Yum!

And one little tip...  A single tea bag of London’s Company lasts for at least 2-3 glasses of Sprite.  Just soak ‘til the color is right for your taste.

Christmas Treats

Hazels Pretzel Turtles:

Small knot style pretzels

1 bag of Rolos- the chocolate candy with carmel inside

Pecan pieces

Lay the pretzels on a baking sheet and cover each one with a Rolo (unwrapped of course) and top it with the pecan pieces. Bake for about 2 minutes at 300 degrees. Really quick!

It's such a yummy treat for kids to be involved in making and it hits the spot for this salty-sweet combo lover. The first time I enjoyed these were from Hazel, of Hazel's Corner Cafe, in Buffalo ND.

thanks for your recipes!

Friends,

Thanks for your kind contributions to our family cookbook!  I'm really grateful to have your names next to several new recipes.  I know there are some great recipe sites, but a recipe is a real gift- far more special- when there is a friend of mine behind it!  That goes for recipe sites too... it's fun to remember them as "N's favorite site, E's favorite recipes..." 

I should have been more specific about our pork issue at home.  Since we have friends that have strict prohibitions against eating pork, we don't cook any pork so our friends can still eat with us.  (Their religion states that they can't eat any food that has even been cooked with the same pots/dishes/utensils as has cooked any pork.)  So, for the porky meals, we'll see how a chicken or beef switch works :)

Thanks again dear friends!  It's special to have these gifts from you!

calling for recipes!

All eaters and cookers~

I would love to learn from you some of your best recipes.... I'm thinking of dinner meals mainly, but any other favorites, I'd love to hear as well.  

Unfortunatly, I do have some serious stipulations.  Stovetop is best (my oven is tiny- think toaster).   Flour, salt, and white/brown sugar are the only baking ingredient that is easy to find (Baking powder, soda, powdered sugar, mixes- all less accessible.)  The best ingredients would be fresh veggies, fruits (we enjoy vegetarian meals), or chicken or beef.  Most dairy products (except milk, butter, and one standard cheddar- which I stock up on and freeze-- can't go without cheese!), and basically every "convenient" food is pretty hard to come by.  But if your recipe is worth the wait,  I'll gladly look for your goods at the import grocery store the next time we have a doctors visit across town (near the store).  Rice is the easiest staple, but just recently, pasta is becoming a regular item at our local grocery store. (What a TREAT!)  And, of course, we can find potatoes too.

Some substitutions and adjustments I've learned to make here:

Refried Beans-  I think I might be in a minority for this, but I really enjoy bean burritos or beans and rice.  I recently discovered that 4-5 hours on high in a crock pot gets pinto beans to a great texture.  Throw in some salt, garlic, taco seasoning and a bit of tabasco.  (Thanks to you friends who have recently sent over the taco seasoning!  It hits the spot!)

Sour Cream-  When I can, I like to pick up cream at an import grocery store.  I'm learning that it makes several different foods taste better!  (Chicken soup is yummier creamy I think.) And one of my favorites is a cup of cream with a bit of vinegar mixed in... let stand for 5 minutes and it's a decent sour cream (though often still quite runny.)  Start small with the vinegar and add till the taste is right- approx 1+ tablespoon.  

You can email me your recipes or (maybe it will work?) to leave it as a comment.  Thanks friends!

Vanilla Lunchboxes

I've come across just a few recipes recently that seem worth sharing with everyone I know who might also be interested... This one I received from a friend in college but I hadn't made them since then and just recently rediscovered them. They taste to me a bit like the inside of an orange creamsicle in cookie form. Delicious!

half cup butter
1 cup sugar
1.5 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 Tablespoon milk
2 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together the butter and sugar till fluffy. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla. Blend together the dry ingredients and then gradually add into egg mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls 1 inch apart on a greased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 10 minutes until set by not brown. Yields 2 + dozen... recipe easily doubles.