Mama's Not in Rehab

Do you have a muse? You know someone who inspires you to go that extra level?

Well, my husband is the that person. I know I've said many times here about how after I got married he inspired me to get in the kitchen- because he wasn't going to! He was honest when I made some messed up "food", is willing to try meals/ingredients he can't spell or never heard, just supportive and a huge confidence boost for me. I've been in a confidence funk and with everything going on, I needed a break.

I don't blog everything I cook and bake, if I did I would never spend time with my family. In fact, there are days where I bake or cook and take photos of everything but never publish a post.  During this time, I cooked and baked so much. I was surprised the husband could fit into his uniform! Maybe subconsciously I was trying to fatten him so he couldn't go haha. But friends, I cooked up a storm. I made Thanksgiving look like a snack. As I was packing my husband's snack- homemade brioche loaves, Homemade Chicken Burgers (made my own spice blend), and Peanut Butter Heath Bits Cookies, it hit me pretty hard. He's left before and I cried...but this time I was  Florida Evans mad. Must have to do with having 3 young children who miss him dearly, the lack of quality time we were able to spend with one another prior. Who knows. On top of the husband leaving- we were incredibly unlucky from February 11th on. It felt as if someone put a hex on us! We got through it and learned so much from it. I am almost happy it happened, and know I will do everything I can to keep it from happening ever again.


During the last day of the hellish month of February, my lenses broke, yes plural (only have my telephoto lens which is not good for food flicks), so I am going shopping tomorrow. Plus my eldest son made a dinner request that I've been wanting to do for a while. To be exact he said, I want chicken, broccoli, waffles, rice in a soup...er OK. Guess what's coming out of that ;)

Plus my little Ninja turns the big TWO this month. He started the terrible twos at 9 months, and we are hoping it will end soon hehe. Anyway, I have a great cake in mind for him and  am planning a Peppa Pig/ Toy Story Party for him at his favorite place! Peppa Pig and Toy Story? A lil ghetto because I could only find some pieces of each hehe ;) He loves both at the moment so why not? Can you guess what's on his face? It's the star ingredient of his cake ;) I may regret this a few days after....



Also HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY!

Still have some leftovers? Try these Turkey Dinner "Pasties"

So yesterday was my 27th birthday! A friend told me that since my age and birth date are the same it's my Golden Birthday! Never heard of that, but I thought I'd  try to make it special.

The night before I was brainstorming what to do with the leftovers. Turkey salad, turkey soup, turkey pot pie, turkey sandwiches, etc etc ran through my mind. All sounded amazing, but I wanted something different. So remembering back to a post I read on an online expat forum I visit, a girl asked about how to make the perfect cornish pasty (the 'a' sounds like the 'a' in cat). Cornish Pasties orginates from Cornwall, England and is also known in Michigan, USA. It's an amazing dough typically made with lard or suet as the fat and filled with steak and vegetables, and the pastry is crimped all pretty-like. I did not have any lard as I planned this last minute. I thought maybe I could do butter and shortening, but I was all out of shortening as well. Luckily I had 4 stick of butter in the freezer! Instead of using steak and veg, I used some leftover Thanksgiving sides and turkey and thought I combine those and made a bacon gravy, and leftover compound butter.  I also SUCK at crimping. Something I will continue to practice at, but for now,  pinching and a fork will do!! So these are not traditional pasties hence the quotation marks! It was fun making my first meat pie, though!



They tasted amazing I only wish I had made mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes to complete it!!!

If you don't have time to make the pastry, use puff pastry dough. This dough can also be used for pot pies!!! If Santa buys me pots I will use this dough recipe. It's so delicious, buttery, and flaky! nomnom

Turkey Dinner "Pasties"
Pasty Dough adapted from Emeril Lagasse
 
For the Short-crust Pastry:


2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon salt

7 ounces cold butter ( shredded frozen butter)

1 egg yolk

12 tablespoons cold water (more as needed)

Filling
3 cups worth of leftovers- i used turkey (white and dark meat) stuffing, cranberry chutney, and vichy carrots

About 3/4 cup of gravy of choice- I made bacony-herb gravy. Recipe follows

Herbs of your choice- i used fresh thyme, sage, and chives

Compound butter- optional

Bacony Sage Gravy
2 tablespoons bacon fat

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup hot chicken/turkey stock

salt & pepper

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon dried sage

Directions

Sift the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt into a mixing bowl

Add the butter. Using your fingers, 2 knives, or a pastry blender, cut the butter and lard into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles fine crumbs.

 In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and water together

Add to the flour mixture

 Mix quickly, but thoroughly, until mixture just comes together to form a dough.

 Knead briefly until pastry is smooth with no cracks; the trick to making this delicate pastry easy to work with is kneading it just enough so that it can be rolled out and manipulated without breaking but yet retains its lovely crumbly texture. Press into a flattened disk shape and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight before proceeding.

Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and unwrap. Allow to soften slightly, then place on a lightly floured work surface and roll the pastry to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Using a small plate or saucer as a guide, cut out 6 (6-inch) rounds. (Scraps may be combined and reformed if you cannot get 6 rounds out of the first batch.)

 Stack the pastry rounds onto pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper (with pieces between each round to keep them from sticking together) and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

Filling & Gravy

First prepare gravy by mixing fat and flour in a small saucepan. Cook over medium low until mixed well and a little browned. Add hot stock slowly whisking vigourously until smooth. Mixture will thicken as it cooks. Add salt and pepper, heavy cream and sage. Allow to cool.

 

Make filling using whatever herbs, sides, and meat you want. Make sure its about 3 cups worth!

Add gravy and mix

 

Assemble

Remove the pastry circles from the refrigerator.Place the pastry circles on a clean work surface and place about 1/2 cup of the filling in the center of 1 side of the pastry. Add a knob of butter if you like!

Using the beaten egg, brush the edges of the pastry and then bring the unfilled side over the filled side so that edges meet.Press edges together to seal and then crimp using your fingers or a fork.

 Repeat with the remaining turnovers and then transfer to a baking sheet. Brush the tops of the turnovers with the remaining egg and then cut several slits into the top of each pastry.

 Bake for 20 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown around the edges. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue to bake until the pasties are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

The Husband enjoying. He says he looks goofy here hehe

Of course I made myself cake. Well more like Peanut Buttery Chocolatey Cupcakes with....a Peanut Buttery Chocolatey Drizzle...

Birthday and Thank Yous!

Thank you everyone for the kind comments, messages, and e-mails! Your thoughts and genuine concern is greatly appreciated!!!

My husband left Saturday and I have moving non-stop since.  My house is clean, we've been to the zoo and been spending time with lovely friends! Busy, busy is great during times like this. Still have to make time for my great blogger friends of course!

Some things going on....well..Friday was my son's 5th birthday!!! He's my first-born, my first love! We've been through s much from the time he was conceived- let's just say he was meant to be here! He is both American and German (I am American just in case you do not know) so he speaks both German and English. Well he speaks "Deenglish!" which is a mix of Deutsch and English. Though he seems to reprimand is brother and sister and Deutsch, I wonder if that's because he gets reprimanded at kindergarten! It's so sweet that he loves both cultures though he prefers German. Which is fine ;)
Some photos!

Celebrating at Kindergarten first

Celebrating at a Chuckee Cheese like place :)

Oma and Opa bought him a Ben 10 bike!! And they're going to teach him to ride. I love them!

Made Vanilla Cupcakes with Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting Dyed Green (for Ben 10!) on Sunday for grandparents.

Alles Gute zum Gerburtstag Baby Boy!!!!