What’s cooking?
February 25, 2012 | Family,Food
I made sea scallops from an A Food Centric Life recipe that I got from Amy. I also made something with shrimp, because my son really loves shrimp. It’s always fun to try something new!
Gingerbread cookies
December 22, 2011 | Family,Food,Forest City,Holidays,Iowa
The kids got out of school early today, and it’s the start of our holiday break. We wrapped gifts and then made gingerbread cookies. Looking forward to some cozy family time. Wishing you all the best!
Food: Tomato and Watermelon Salad
August 30, 2011 | Food
I saw this recipe over at Algonquin Books Blog. It’s absolutely delicious! My mother would have loved it.
Apple tree
August 27, 2011 | Family,Food,Iowa
Our apple tree is loaded with apples this year. I’ve got to get into harvest mode soon. I might try making apple jelly this year.
What’s your favorite recipe for apples? Pie? Salad? What’s the craziest apple dish you’ve eaten? Let me know. I love new recipes!
This is one of my new favorites from my aunt. We ate these when we were in Missouri. Yum!
Aunt Carolyn’s Candy Apples
Ingredients
4 apples, peeled and sliced
A little water
Red Hots candy
1/2 cup sugar
Cinnamon
Place sliced apples in a skillet with a little water and heat. Cover with Red Hots. Stir only after juice from apples accumulates. Add sugar and cinnamon. Cook until soft.
Food: Shrimp dip
July 15, 2011 | Food
I got this recipe from a friend many, many years ago. I love this dip so much that I could sit with the bowl and a box of crackers and eat the whole thing. Luckily (for all concerned), I made it for my book club last night.
Shrimp dip
2 cans shrimp
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1 8-ounce package, plus 1 3-ounce package, cream cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon horseradish
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons dill week
Let cream cheese soften at room temperature. Mash all ingredients. Chill at least one day before serving with crackers.
Food: Strawberry Fields Salad
July 14, 2011 | Food,Summer
I didn’t take a picture of the salad when I made it, but you can see it here: Strawberry Fields Salad on Southern Living. The only thing I didn’t use was a green tomato. But, oh my goodness, I can’t find the words to explain how delicious this salad is. I love summer!
Food: Pasta salad
July 11, 2011 | Food
I got this from Phyllis Hoffman Celebrate, summer 2011 edition. Yum!
Pasta Salad
1 pound pasta
1 1/2 cups fresh asparagus, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup pine nuts
1 1/4 cups sliced zucchini
1/4 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup choped fresh chives
2 tablespoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cook pasta. Add asparagus to water during last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain.
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and pine nuts. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until pine nuts begin to turn slightly golden, stirring often. Add zucchini. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until zucchini is soft.
In a large bowl, combine pasta, asparagus, zucchini mixture, remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, basil, parsley, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and apper, tossing gently to combine.
Food: Lefse
July 10, 2011 | Family,Food,Marie's recipes,Norway
This is for Lance, whose people are, in part, Norwegian — from what I’ve heard.
Lefse
1 large egg
2 cups kefir*
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons hornsalt**
1 cup melted butter
flour
Makes about 15 lefse. My mother-in-law says the less flour and less cooking time used, the better. After you grill each lefse, cover with a tea towel to keep them from drying out. When done grilling, lay them out and let them cool off. Spread filling on one lefse and cover with another of a similar size. Cut in half. Eat some now; freeze the rest.
Filling
1 1/4 cups butter
1 cup sugar
cinnamon
Prim***
Mix on high speed until smooth and spreadable.
*I find kefir in the organic dairy section of my grocery store. Some people make their own, but I haven’t tried that.
**I usually buy hornsalt when I’m in Norway. Otherwise, I can get it through Ingebretsen’s in Minneapolis. It’s a raising agent that smells like ammonia, and it always reminds me of smelling salts (and, wouldn’t you know it … they’re both the same thing). Seems like a smelly thing to use for baking. But, remember, these Norwegians also soak their fish in lye.
***Prim is a spreadable brown cheese. I’ve always gotten it in Norway, but I bet I could check with Ingebretsen’s or Willy’s Products to see if they could get it. It’s not completely necessary, but it adds a nice flavor to the filling.
Related posts
Lefse!
Breaking in the lefse grill
Posted by Becky @ 6:00 am | 2 Comments
Food: Potato balls
July 8, 2011 | Family,Food,Norway
A dinner of potato balls is one of my husband’s specialties. I’ve never tried making it, and I’m OK with that. I used to tease him that he was “shredding potatoes so he could glue them back together again.” And, well, that’s kind of how it’s done.
Potato balls
8 or 9 potatoes, peeled and grated
flour
salt
You really have to watch someone do this. Here’s some more information from Norwegian National Recipes:
“Grate or grind potatoes and flour and salt. The exact amount of flour depends on the water content of the potatoes and is impossible to specify. … Too much flour will make the potato balls dry and hard, too little flour will make them sticky or ‘kleimete.’”
That’s the hard part. Well, all of it would be the hard part for me.
Form mixture into balls and drop in water. Cook with sausage, carrots and rutabaga for 45 minutes. Serve with bacon on the side and milk to drink.
They’re really good. I swear.
