I’m sorry about today. I think because of lack of sleep, is the cause for my painful headache. I will be taking a day.
Thank you all for staying updated on my blog. Knowing people are reading my post gives me a boost of enthusiasm every day. 😊
Tag Archives: Joureny
Journey With Cookbooks #13
Mwahahahaha!
I have to admit. It is difficult to stay within just three cookbooks. There are only so many ground beef recipes…and we have a lot of ground beefs to go. So I turned to google again.
So I guess I renounce my statement of number of cookbooks. But I will be continuing to share my cooking stories. Let’s begin.
The longest part was defrosting the beef. I always forget hat it takes almost 30min to defrost.
Next I was to add all the other ingredients and let simmer. But I forgot to take a picture. But it was garlic, soy sauce, ginger powder, beef broth, various spices, and a whole cup of brown sugar…😳 but I realized why that much sugar later on…
The next step was to add watered cornstarch. I don’t use cornstarch. For no other reason than I never have any and I always forget to buy some. So instead you double the amount and use flour.
I’ve decided to listen through my iTunes music….it’s all the music I bought when I was a teenager…so most of it will probably be weird now…but maybe a few gems. Maybe…
As the meat is simmering for 8min you should also be cooking the noddles. It even suggested the spaghetti noodles. It was not a random decision. 🤓
Hopefully it is good. It smells devine!
Finished!!
….Wow! It is delicious. Even the hubby said he thinks this is his new favorite ground beef noodle recipe. Mine too. I wish I could post the video of Elizabeth eating it….it is definitely her favorite too!
So…
Look Like Picture: Maybe an 8. Just because it looks like they used a different option on the noodles. The more authentic version. We might have to get some next time.
Taste: 10! 100% 10!!
Easiness: 10! Another put it all together and then enjoy! I sent this recipe to my family. It is definitely a dish my brothers and nephews would love.
Also…
The hubby made his chocolate chip cookies earlier so we already have dessert. It’s the normal nestle cookie recipe but somehow his cookies always come out amazing. One recipe I will not make; the hubby will always be in charge of chocolate chip cookies. And this time around he tried something new…
Nick’s friend gave us some fancy butter…if you love chocolate chip cookies, try making it with this butter….you will never be able to eat other cookies.
I’m usually good about not eating too many cookies… these ones I had 8 after dinner. I gained back all the weight I worked so hard to lose… 😩
Enjoy your night. I wish it to be filled with delicious food! But if it is filled with cookies…be strong…don’t eat too many! 🤣
Journey With Cookbooks #12
So I choose a meat first. I decided on beef…but for some reason I was having trouble finding a simple ground beef recipe that we haven’t had yet in the cookbooks…
Nothing…well that’s not completely true. I found a few in the casserole cookbook but none were sounding appetizing.
So I opted to one of my previous simple recipes…
So it says Korean…but since I didn’t have the right ingredients, when I first made it, I kind of Americanized it….so I apologize to the Koreans or foodies in the world that may cringe at some of my changes. Sorry. 😓
So first things first…defrost the beef…
This is from the cow we bought…the meat doesn’t truly taste different to me, but when I cook it, it has a nice smell to it.
Funny story about our rice cooker. My brother didn’t end up wanting this rice cooker when he went back for his second year of college…so I took it. 🤓 And it still lives!! It’s about 4 years old. When it eventually dies I will be very sad…😞
Anyways back on topic. Rice is cooking!!
Can you guess what I decided to do while I waited for the meat to cook?
It is not my blog unless doing dishes is mentioned at some point…
You know when you cook something so often that you no longer measure…that would be my green beans. Some butter, green beans, some salt, a little pepper, a lite sprinkle of garlic powder…and a five finger pinch of brown sugar. Mix it up and let it simmer until you are done with everything else…
Yeah it means one more dish…but to be honest it was the same pot I used to boil Elizabeth’s noddles for Mac n cheese…so it was already used. Another confession…I just wiped it with a paper towel after lunch…But all it had was a couple stuck noodles. 🤪
Now I’m hungry. I wasn’t really hungry when I started. But now I’m a HUNGRY THING!!
We get a sushi rice. It’s the best! Costco!!
Green onions just add that extra yum! to certain foods. I usually add them to anything hat sounds remotely good.
I’ve been trying to be better at my rice consumption. I now measure out my rice. It also makes the plate look pretty and professional…but honestly it’s just for measuring purposes.
See this was a normal cooking process before I got the cookbooks. My google inspired cookbook is huge. I gave my siblings a copy for Christmas this last year.
Even though it’s a bit simple it was delicious!!
I guess I’ll rate them since this is a recipe after all…
Looks Like Picture: 10! I do remember the picture. It always looks the same.
Taste: 10! I always love this meal. It’s a little sweet, spicy, and salty. Everything you usually crave rolled into one recipe. In case you try it…if you do not like spicy don’t add the red pepper flakes. Or maybe just half… also my hubby wanted seconds but again I said no. Just because I knew ice cream was in the near future…
Easiness: 10! It’s pretty much an add everything together and wait. Also since I use a rice cooker it makes this meal extremely easy!
Also to give you an idea of amount of beef mixture it makes… I had about a small heaped 1/2 cup. The hubby…3/4 cup?? I think. And there probably 1 cup leftover. So for two people, it’s a one dinner and one lunch kind of meal.
Hopefully this recipe made you hungry. Usually I won’t post the recipe but since this one is a recipe I tweaked to work fo me I shared it.
Have a great dinner tonight!!
Journey With Cookbooks #6
Well I felt super ambitious the other night. I decided to make the Sloppy Joe’s recipe from the, The Frontier Cookbook. I already have a recipe that I’ve always used, my sister found it. But I decided to branch out and try a new one…I also decided to make those “fluffy rolls” again!
If you can’t tell I am taking this rematch seriously…😜
So it turns out…I killed the yeast last time. I thought my thermometer worked…nope. I had the water about 60 degrees too warm. We got a meat thermometer; I was able to use it for the water, it’s digital. 😎 Well must wait two hours…
Well my plan of making half went okay…except I forgot about cutting the garlic in half…at least my hubby and I like garlic.
Don’t kill the yeast, best advice ever!…and I have to admit I didn’t wait the full 2 hrs. It was more like 1.5 hrs. Just because I wanted the rolls to be done around the same time as the Sloppy Joe’s.
Yep that’s right. I decided to be ambitious…French fries it is…but not only that, I’m going to fry them!! I normally bake them in the oven, but since the oven is being used and now I find frying interesting, let’s try it!
So because my knowledge of frying is still small I looked up a fries recipe on google. It was Chef John’s French Fries. I only referenced the temp of the oil and how long. Just because I wanted them to be plain because we already have enough salt… but also I plan to eat them with lots of ketchup!
I cut the fries a little thicker than when I baked them, because I like my fries to be crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside!!
This is the same oil from when I did the Spicy Asian Wings. So there is a little bit of flavor added because of the oil. It smells delicious!!
And this time I tasted it…as I said normally I don’t taste as I go. But I had a little nibble and it was delicious!! 😎
I try and keep the dinners somewhat healthy. Maybe I should say, I try to have one healthy thing to make it seem like we are healthy…haha.
I will say it looks delicious, but it taste way better!!
The hubby and Elizabeth are already eating. I had to finish the fries so I ate my salad first. Maybe two sloppy Joe’s is too much for me, but I’ll just exercise extra tomorrow!! I’m going to enjoy my hard work!!
Well I guess I will be saying goodbye to two recipes I’ve used for forever. “So long, my baked fries and sloppy Joe recipe. You have been great through my journey of cooking but I’ve found my perfect match.” So long!
Well, let’s start the grading!
Look like picture: 10! Except for the bun it looks the same!!
Taste: I guess through this blog post I gave my input. Maybe I was especially hungry this time…But I would also give it a 10! Definitely trying again! The hubby said, “Mmmmmm,” and “I love the fries!” Elizabeth proceeded to copy her daddy. So they would give it a 10 as well!
Easiness: The sloppy Joe’s: 10! It was super easy. Pretty much just prepare and then let simmer. The rolls: 8! I think when I’m less rushed it might even make it to a 10. The fries: 8.5. The time it takes to fry, but still have the fries hot to eat was difficult. But worth it! Baking is easier in that way…you just put in the oven 20min and can still do other things. But since I’ve tasted these French fries…never again…
So all in all a fun and delicious dinner!! It was great that I was able to be ambitious and actually accomplished my goals. I’m getting more confident in my cooking. A big thank you to my hubby’s friend who gifted us the cookbooks!! Cooking has become fun again!!
Journey With Cookbooks #5
Sadly I don’t have a new recipe to post about. Because with the Italian Meatball Soup and Tortilla Soup recipes, have lasted a long time.
Also I was correct in my statement in my previous post…my hubby got bored with soup after one day of leftovers… He had leftovers one day and wanted something new.
So I made an old recipe I had found on google. Google was my source for recipes before I got the cookbooks.
The recipe is Asian Mini Meatloafs. You make it in a muffin pan. It made a total of twenty-four mini loaves. Enough to last the hubby through his work shifts.
I finished the Italian Meatball Soup on Thursday. I’m still eating the Tortilla Soup….But I’m getting fed up with it too. 😔
I realize this post is not as much fun, but I will be making a new recipe tomorrow! I think I’m done with soup; there is about one serving left…maybe I’ll “make” my hubby’s lunch and serve him the last serving of soup today…🧐
We shall see…Well enjoy your Sunday. Enjoy your day with family or friends. ❤️
Journey With Cookbooks #4
Well the warmth left Montana, so I wanted something warm to eat!! Soup. Soup is always nice on a cold day.
Again I had to choose a recipe from my cookbooks but this one was not marked. Chicken Tortilla Soup.
Reading through the recipe this one will only take 50min cooking time and only 20min prep. So not too bad!!( in the prep time i always add extra time incase Elizabeth wants to help)
I feel like every time I’m cooking something new, the hubby has to taste it. Which I guess is good; because I don’t like to taste test as I cook…It’s just a mystery when it’s done…🙃
I think waiting is my favorite kind of cooking. I will be doing this recipe again….waiting…🤓
As I said simple recipe!! This blog seems more relaxed than previous cooking posts because it actually is. It was so easy and chill.
And the family said yum! Elizabeth actually liked the soup this time!! To me that is an accomplishment in itself.
Look like picture: 8…it actually looks similar.
Taste: 10! Hubby went for seconds!! Elizabeth ate her whole bowl; the table had some too….
Easiness: 10! Sweetest and easiest recipe! 😎
I will definitely make this recipe again!! Especially when I am in the mood to be lazy. However next time I might fidget with the recipe and make less of it. It makes 8 servings. The hubby will get bored with eating soup before it is gone…so I guess I’ll be eating soup for the next few days.
Enjoy your Wednesday. Hopefully the snow is gone for good. I’m tired of the snow….🙃
I wrote this last night. Update on weather…no snow, but everything is froze outside. 😱
Journey With Cookbooks #3
Well after we got home from an outing I decided I should figure out something for dinner. Of course I went to a cookbook for inspiration… and I decided upon Asian Hot Wings. It sounded delicious.
As I went through the recipe I discovered it’s a bit harder than I imagined. I have to fry the chicken first…since her recipe calls for wings and I’m using chicken breast, I had to find an additional recipe off the internet for fried chicken. It will work, but it is going to add about 1hr extra time.
This is my first time ever frying! I am frying in peanut oil. Hopefully it works!
You have to understand. I was going into this recipe expecting I was going to totally screw it up and have to throw it out!! I am so happy it turned out well! I had two more rounds of chicken. The oil seemed to be burning by the last round…but it still looked edible!
Well I must say it was delicious!! I will definitely be making this recipe again. But I think I will cut the chicken up into bite sizes instead; similar to orange chicken.
Look like picture: 7! I think the only difference is I didn’t mince the peppers and onions small enough for them to cook down. But pretty similar!!
Taste: 10!!!! I was told I have to make it again! Elizabeth had some rice with the sauce and liked it. She is an odd little thing, she loves spicy foods; thankfully the sauce wasn’t too spicy. However, maybe next time I might add one more jalapeño…
Easiness: It is kind of hard to say…because when I make orange chicken the process takes me a lot longer… Still, I guess I would give it a solid 6. It really wasn’t too bad, and with each time it will get easier. 😉
Well I hope you have a great Weekend! Mine will be filled with Family, exercising, and FOOD!! I still exercise to eat food…my life plan…😂
Journey With Cookbooks #2
As I said before I was going to make the rolls from scratch…I did! They were delicious. They didn’t come out the exactly the same way, but still yummy!
They were supposed to be a Hawaiian/ sweet roll…
Well you can see the picture right…mine did not look like this is but they still tasted great!!
Well in the recipe it said to knead for 10min…I did it for maybe 2min because the dough felt like the recipes description…later after the process is done my hubby gives me his two cents…late as always…Oh well, Oops!
Remember, it wasn’t until later that I realized I might have done the recipe wrong. Still I was at this point, I was almost 3hrs into this process and I was feeling accomplished! 😎
Wait for it!!….
I took them out and this is what I received after my hard work. I was super sad. I buttered the tops again and they were ready.
Now is the time to receive the wise wisdom from the hubby…he tells me about the secret he learned about following kneading in recipes. 10min actually means 10 times…😒 I hate it when he is right… Of course, he loves it. 🤓
They did rip apart easily. They were not solid as a rock, and they tasted delicious! So not too bad for my first time. I will definitely be trying this one again!!
Taste: Elizabeth loved it! She had 2. Hubby had seconds! Also he ate them throughout the week until they were gone! 😎 Taste: 10 out of 10!
Look like picture: ???….2. I think 2 is fair… 2 out of 10…😖
Easiness: Ignoring the misunderstanding the kneading process…I would give it a solid 8. It was actually an easy recipe to follow and I WILL be trying it again.
So overall, I am enjoying my cooking process. I’m learning new skills and my creative mind is trying to figure out new ideas…(but I will not do that yet, I will continue to learn).
Enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day!! For all the Irish people out there…”I love you!!” 🤪☘️ Maybe I will be making some corned beef…but we shall see…
Journey w/ Cookbooks #1
My hubby has a friend, from work, who is currently retiring and moving; that decided to gift us his cookbooks. I was thinking like 5-6 new cookbooks…more like 3 dozen cookbooks. It was a God send; I was getting bored of cooking my normal go-to recipes.
There were 3 cookbooks specializing on Italian food…like the unusual, adventurous food…we are giving those to a different buddy. We are brave, but not that brave…let’s be honest, I don’t think I could cook the weird things without getting sick…
So my plan is to go through 3 books at a time. The one pictured below, another by the same author but called, ‘Dinner Time’, and then lastly one called ‘Crusts’. I’ve done a few already. They are delicious!! Sadly I didn’t think of writing my experience until now.
This is recipe # 7 so far. Rigatoni & Meatballs. Serves 6-8…we will be eating the is a while. A new recipe of meatballs from scratch…I have one, but this is more complex.
You know how reading the recipe all the way through is a smart thing…I always forget to do that. I have 20min after I finish the meatballs…haha 🤪
This recipe in total is 1hr and 4min…so I guess I lied earlier…
“How much longer?”-Hubby
“10-20min”- me, but with 25min to go…🤓
I think I will rate them one by one after each recipe. Taste for my family. Easiness to follow. And if it looks like the picture…haha 😅
Hopefully all goes well…
Finally finished! Her picture looks so much better than mine… rating out of 10…so guess looking like the picture is more like a 4. Taste: My hubby gives it a 10! Elizabeth gives it a “Mmmmmm” so probably a solid 8. I like it too, but I mostly care about their opinion. Easiness…it is not too bad. If I had read through the entire recipe I would have time managed better. I give easiness a 7.
So overall. I will definitely be trying this recipe again!! Tomorrow night we are using the leftovers for a suggestion from the cookbook…Meatball Sliders.
I will make the mini rolls from scratch…we shall see!!
Self conscious…
Being called out for one of your past selfs actions, can hit you and make you feel so self conscious. It’s amazing I thought as I grew up I wouldn’t get embarrassed as much…mostly because having a baby changes you.
But still having someone you love make-fun of something you did before, makes your heart hurt. I know it wasn’t on purpose and the person meant to be funny but I’ve always been a self conscious person. I’m not spontaneous, I can’t be…especially now as the thing I was teased about was something I did spontaneously. It makes you think back through your life and question everything else.
Writing helps me deal with my problems or feelings, and move past them. It’s not a big thing it’s just something small…but it still gets me.
So I guess…don’t be afraid to be spontaneous. It terrifies me, but I’ll teach my daughter to be…she’ll learn the awesomeness of planning, but I hope she will not be as self conscious…being self conscious 90% of the time is not the greatest way to live. But I make do, because that’s how I am and I want to be just me.
Happy Tuesday, just because every day should be a happy day…😊
My cover photo ‘Facebook picture’ didn’t have someone’s name, just something I found.
emily2jane 