A "Secret" of the Trade

I used to hate to use recipes that called for brown sugar. Love the ingredient, HATE how it always seems to dry up. Now, I realize there are many remedies for this problem, but the one I have found to work the best and be the least obnoxious is MARSHMALLOWS! Even if the sugar is already hard as a rock, just pop a few marshmallows in with it and by the next morning, you will have brown sugar that is as soft as the day you bought it. Just a little helpful tip :) Happy Baking (or cooking, whatever)!

Carrot Zucchini Pasta

This is one of Jayson's favorite dishes from his mission. It's very simple, and a good way to use up zucchini.

I'm not so sure about the amounts, but the great thing is that you can experiment and add as much or as little as you want of any ingredient.

You will need:
Pasta
2-3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Clove Garlic- Minced
1/4 C. Chopped Onion
1-2 C. Grated Carrot
1-2 C. Grated Zucchini (You will want more zucchini than carrot, because it cooks down.)
1 Pint Heavy Cream

1. First cook any pasta you like according to package directions. We use 1/2 lb. of Farfalle and have leftovers.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add garlic and flavor oil for only a minute. (Don't let your garlic burn!)
3. Add grated carrot, zucchini, and onion. Saute until tender, but not mushy, adding more oil as needed.
4. When vegetables are tender add about half of the pint of cream. Reduce heat and simmer, cooking down liquid into a sauce, adding cream as necessary to make the sauce.
5. Combine the pasta and sauce and serve with Parmesan! Mangiamo!

We love regional foods. Does anyone have something new for us to try? Maybe something from your mission?

A Major FLOP!

I thought anyone reading would appreciate this. We've all had moments like this. In this case, I was making a carrot cake for Jon's brother's birthday. An amazing recipe that I have used a few times. 10 minutes from it being done, I smelled burning and noticed the kitchen was a bit foggy. I opened the oven door and smoked spilled out. I turned off the oven and opened all the windows and doors. Thank goodness the smoke alarm didnt go off since Pax was super sick and finally taking a nap. Bummer. It would have been so scrumptious. Anyone have any disaster stories?

Beef Stroganoff, or "Don't crowd the mushrooms!"

Hi, I'm Rachael, Michael's wife. I'm one of the lucky ladies to marry into the Carlson clan, and mom to a toddler. I also work as a nurse three days a week, so when I'm home I want fairly simple stuff I can cook quickly, and have plenty of leftovers for the nights I work. This is one of those meals that tastes just as good the next day, and really wasn't a lot of effort. Oh, and did I mention it's DELICIOUS?

Beef Stroganoff

(Ready in 30 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 1 (12 ounce) package egg noodles, cooked and drained
• 6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped (I also added a little bit of garlic to punch up the favor)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 lbs beef, cubed (you can play around here- I used stew meat which was slightly tougher, but inexpensive- ask your butcher for recommendations)
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup sour cream
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook egg noodles in boiling water until done, about 8 minutes. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet, cook mushrooms and onions (and garlic if you choose) in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until soft; remove from pan

3. Using the same pan, melt remaining butter. Cook beef in melted butter until browned and cooked to liking. Mix in flour. Stir in beef broth slowly, and cook until slightly thickened. Add mushroom and onion mixture; stir in sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until sauce is hot, but not boiling (seriously, don't let it boil, it'll curdle the cream. Don't worry about microwaving the leftovers though, it's not a problem). Serve sauce over egg noodles.

Thoughts:

Two reasons this version is my favorite. First, it doesn't use ground beef. You can, and the original called for it, but trust me, the beef chunks make it taste so much more upscale. Second, the mushrooms! I felt like Julia Child in Julie/Julia as I sat there cooking my mushrooms, thinking "Don't crowd them, don't crowd them..." (if you haven't rented it, do!). Honestly, they add tremendous flavor. Don't leave them out. Puree them into oblivion if you need to disguise them, but USE them!

And finally, a suggestion. Don't fear the butter. Don't substitute something else. This meal is meant to be hearty and warm and rich. Indulge yourself!

Love, Rachael

Aguas Frescas

Here's something refreshing for summer! If you've ever had the fruit drinks from Mango's on Mesa's Main Street, you will love this recipe. I usually don't go out and buy fruit specifically for this but the other day I had a big container of cut up cantaloupe in the fridge that needed to be used up. Woohoo!

Aguas Frescas

Blend Together:
1 C. Ice
2 C. Fruit
1/4 C. Sugar (*or more, to taste)
1 T. Fresh Lime Juice (optional)
2 C. Cold Water

Strain out pulp and serve over more ice. Makes about 1 quart or 4 servings. *The sugar ratio of this recipe works well for cantaloupe but when we tried watermelon we needed more sugar.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip by Lisa

So, here it goes, the very first post! This isnt a "big deal" kinda recipe but someone had to get this started!

The other night I made spinach and artichoke dip and homemade French bread. It was amazing-definitely better than any dip we have ever ordered pre-dinner at a restaurant!

 Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 can(14 ounce) artichoke hearts, chopped into little pieces
1 pkg(10 ounce) frozen spinach, thawed to manufacturers specifications
cream cheese, about 5-6 ounces, or 2/3's of a standard brick (eyeball it)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (shredded, not grated)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp minced garlic (or more, depending on preference)


Mixed all ingredients together in an oven-safe dish. Baked covered 25 minutes, or until bubbly and delicious!


This seriously was to die for! Im not for sure on the amount of cheese I actually used, but I'm sure it was a good amount because I LOVE CHEESE. Just add cheese until you are satisfied. And I think I maybe didn't add all of the spinach, but most of it. See that's the thing with cooking, most of the time you improvise and eyeball it to your own tastes.