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30 June 2009

Potato-Bacon Soup

Unfortunately, I don't have very many pictures for this recipe. It had been a very long Tuesday by the time I had the chance to make dinner so I stuck with something very simple that is quick to make and very filling.

I've only made this one other time, and that was in college. We weren't allowed to have any kind of heating contraptions aside from a microwave, so I cooked the whole thing in the microwave. My roommate and I were pleasantly surprised by the results. This time I have a stove at my disposal, and it's even better than I remember.

Typically, you'll have the six ingredients on hand to make the soup so no extra trip to the grocery store should be necessary (of course, I'm always short on at least one ingredient, this time it was cheese). I would recommend using fresh thyme. Enjoy!

Potato-Bacon Soup
Recipe from Irish Food, Fun & Crafts, adapted by me

32 oz chicken broth (one of the boxed ones)
3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I did not peel mine)
i medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
6 strips of bacon, chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a medium-sized pot, cook bacon until crisp. Drain the fat away.
Combine broth, potatoes, onion, and thyme in the pan with the bacon. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and boil ten minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with cheese.

New Email Address

I just wanted to let everyone know that I've created an email account for my blog. If you ever have any questions, comments, or just feel like dropping me a line, feel free to email me at eatingontulsatime [at] yahoo [dot]com.

28 June 2009

Southern Cookin'


I find that when I'm depressed or have had a bad day, I crave my mom's cooking. I find myself craving the meals she would have made for me when I was growing up. Maybe she'd make me some spaghetti and meatballs or baked ziti or even just a grilled cheese sandwich. But to really make me feel better she'd make chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy.
I have a super secret recipe for chicken friend steak that is known only by me (and everyone else who calls the south home). So it's not very secret at all, but it really hits the spot. You probably already guessed that I used red potatoes for the mashed taters. I did try to change it up with the meat though by using some different spices mixed in with the flour.
I must have been having problems with my butterfingers today. I managed to crack two eggs as I was unloading my groceries. Luckily I had a bowl handy and was able to get them scrambled up before making a huge mess. This seems to be a common occurrence with me lately in the kitchen (I'm used to being covered in flour or cocoa powder, but this spilling of everything is getting ridiculous).
I hope everyone has a great week, but if you find yourself having a bad day, feel free to come here and vent, have a bite of chicken fried steak, and feel like you're home. Enjoy!
Chicken Fried Steak
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbl cayenne pepper
1 Tbl cilantro flakes
Dash of freshly ground pepper and sea salt
3 eggs
2 cups bread crumbs (I use the packaged kind, but feel free to use homemade)
1-2 lbs cube steak (the package I used had four)
2 Tbl oil (I used olive oil and only eyeballed the measurement, use more or less at your discretion)
  1. Mix the flour, cayenne, cilantro, salt and pepper together on a plate. Scramble the three eggs together in a bowl. On another plate, pour out the bread crumbs.
  2. Dredge the steaks in the flour followed by the egg. Be sure to let the excess egg drain off. Dredge the steaks through the bread crumbs to coat. Set aside until all of the steaks are covered.
  3. Pour the oil into a large pan and heat on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, place one or two steaks in the pan (depending on how big the steaks are; I was able to fit two at a time, but you might only be able to fit one).
  4. Cook on the first side for roughly 5 minutes or until browned. Flip and cook the other side about 5 minutes or until browned. Repeat with each steak making sure to cook the steak all the way through. Serve with mashed potatoes and country gravy.

27 June 2009

Deepest Sympathies

I had every intention of coming on here tonight to complain about what a horrible week I've had. Instead, when I opened my email one of my very dear friends had emailed me to say that her father had passed away. Nothing that has happened this past week could possibly be as horrible as what she is going through right now. Please visit her blog here and offer your condolences if you feel so inclined.

In addition to posting my own (not so) private pity party, I was going to lead into the things that make me happy and help me get over the blues. I think in light of my friend's sadness as well as the other sadnesses that have happened this past week, I should still post my favorite things (think Maria in The Sound of Music). I hope that everyone else's week was better and that you continue to be blessed.
"I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad.

1. Your comments really do help me when I'm feeling down. They're always so sweet and uplifting. I don't know what I would do without you guys.

2. This...


and this...

3. A good book and a glass of chocolate milk (or hot tea)

4. Planning a second honeymoon for my husband and me
5. Checking out this blog... too funny

6. Watching this video

7. Listening to this song and this song

8. Handmade items like this and this and this

9. Taking pictures of my cats laying in funny positions like this


10. Wearing a flower or feathers in my hair (it just makes me feel pretty)

Thank you guys so much for sticking with me.

25 June 2009

Erin Go Bragh!

"Boxty in the griddle. Boxty in the pan. If you can't make boxty, you'll never get your man." I'll give you three guesses at what I had for dinner last night...




For those not in the know, boxty is an Irish dish similar to a potato pancake (but different then the Jewish Latkes). To me, they seem similar to an omelette, just without the eggs. Typically they are fried on a griddle with some butter and filled with a savoury filling of your choice.




The first time I was introduced to this amazing meal was on my 16th birthday. Kilkenny's Irish Pub located on Cherry Street has been my favorite restaurant here in Tulsa ever since. Every time I go, I vow to try something different. And every time I still end up ordering the Kilmacow (seared beef with mushrooms, the only time I'll ever actually come close to eating one of those little fungi) topped with the Irish cheddar sauce (it comes with a whiskey sauce, but they allow substitutions on all sauces for their boxty).




By some chance I happened to pull out one of my Irish cookbooks and flipped immediately to the page with the recipe for boxty (I'm still not completely convinced that it wasn't St. Brigid or even St. Patrick himself guiding me to the recipe). The recipe isn't terribly difficult, but does have a few steps to it. The nice thing is it's customizable to your tastes. Craving chicken? On a veggie bender? Can't go another minute without lobster? I hope you enjoy it as much as my sister and I did (the first words out of her mouth after her first bite were, "Oh.My.God! This is so good."). Enjoy!



Boxty Potato Pancakes
Recipe by Irish Food & Cooking

For the filling
1 Tbl olive oil (I didn't measure; you just need enough for searing the meat)
1 lb stew meat
2 cups beef broth

For the potato pancake
1 lb potatoes, peeled and chopped (I used red potatoes since it was all I had)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup milk
Salt to taste
Pat of butter (I used more so the pancake wouldn't stick; maybe about a tsp. per pancake)

For the cheese sauce
2 Tbl butter
2-1/2 cups milk
1 Tbl cornstarch
1 Tbl cold water
1.5 lb shredded cheese (I used a mixture of cheddar, Gruyere, and a Spanish cheese that is similar to cheddar)
  1. In a large pot or dutch oven, sear the stew meat in the olive oil. Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for about an hour until the liquid has cooked completely away.
  2. Meanwhile, place the peeled and chopped potatoes in a blender or in the bowl of a food processor and process until the potato is thoroughly liquidized (I used the food processor; next time I'll use a cheese grater; mine never liquidized, but that was OK because I wanted it to be similar in texture to hash browns; I also did not peel the potatoes as I was getting lazy).
  3. Add the flour and enough milk to processed potato to give a dropping consistency, and add salt to taste. The milk and flour can be adjusted, depending on how thin you like your pancake. Heat a little butter on a griddle or cast-iron frying pan.
  4. Pour about a quarter of the mixture into the pan (I used about 1/2 cup for each pancake). Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the cake. Once the pancake is finished, place your desired filling inside and either roll or fold (I do the omelette method, but you can do the crepe method).
  5. To make cheese sauce, place butter and milk in a medium sized pot. Mix the cornstarch and cold water and set aside. Bring the milk to a boil, and while stirring constantly, add cornstarch mixture.Once the sauce reaches desired consistency, begin adding the cheese, a little at a time until completely incorporated. This can be seasoned as needed.

24 June 2009

Italian Cream Cake


Those of you still reading my humble little blog know that I promised yesterday to bring you the recipe for the cake I made for my mom's birthday.


I had made this cake only one other time before this weekend. One night we had a couple of friends over and hosted an Italian night. The cake had come out so nicely, it stayed with me begging me to make it again. When I asked my mom what she wanted for her cake, all she could come up with was chocolate. To be completely honest, I was sick of chocolate cake and didn't really want to post another less than a month after the last one. Don't get me wrong. I still love chocolate cake. This was just a nice alternative.
This cake is insanely rich and a bit dense. Top that with cream cheese frosting, and it should be downright illegal. I don't know about you, but I think cream cheese frosting makes everything better.

Another thing I think makes almost anything better: coconut. I am addicted to the stuff. I could literally sit and eat handfuls of the shredded stuff that sits in the baking aisle at Wally World. I love to order pina coladas at restaurants especially when it's topped with some toasted coconut. This cake is perfect for the coconut person. Not only is it mixed in with the batter, I pressed it into the sides before serving. I hope the wait was worth it for everyone. I've got a pretty fun meal to post tomorrow. Enjoy!

Italian Cream Cake
Recipe from All Recipes

1 cup butter
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
5 egg whites
2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup flaked coconut
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream together 1 cup butter or margarine, egg yolks, and 2 cups white sugar. Alternately mix in flour and buttermilk. Add baking soda. Mix in 1 cup walnuts and coconut.
  2. Beat egg whites, and fold into batter. Pour batter into three greased and floured 9 inch round cake pans (I only used two pans because that was all I had; it worked fine, I just kept my eye on the pans as they baked).
  3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven.
  4. Combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter or margarine, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract. Spread onto cooled cake. Top iced cake with chopped walnuts (or do like I did and press extra coconut around the outside).

23 June 2009

Une Petite Tartlette

I swear that I had every intention of posting my mom's birthday cake today, but as I went through my morning blog surfing I came across a really cool recipe (I promise I'll post it tomorrow). From the creator of Bacon Vodka, I bring you a recipe from Brownie Points. There are so many recipes I want to tackle on her blog, but today I made a variation of her juicy strawberries.
I made some modifications and turned it into a tartlette. I cheated and used a store bought puff pastry, and I used peaches instead of strawberries (I bought the berries, but forgot to buy jam thinking I still had some in the fridge). This is another quick and simple recipe with only five ingredients. It can be thrown together when you know friends are coming for dinner and you want to serve something yummy.
The great thing about this is you can use just about any kind of fruit. It can also be served on top of some vanilla ice cream or with some plain yogurt (I plan on having the rest of mine with some homemade yogurt since I was given a recipe by another great blogger here). I imagine you could also use this recipe as a form of strawberry shortcake. I made a quick whipped cream to eat with mine.
I plan on using this recipe again within the week to make a strawberry tart, and I hope to use it in the future with blackberries and raspberries. I hope you're brave enough to turn your oven on for this because it's worth the extra heat. Enjoy!
Peach Tartlette
Recipe by Brownie Points, adapted by me
2 peaches
Pinch of salt
4 Tbl peach jam
4-5 Tbl hot water
1/2 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Clean peaches and slice or quarter (I sliced and layered them, but you can quarter the peaches then half them and stand them upright in a circle in the middle of the pastry).
  3. In a small bowl make up a peach syrup by mixing 4 Tbl of peach jam with 4-5 Tbl of hot water. Stir till the jam is broken up and is now syrup consistency. Putting the bowl in the microwave for 10-15 seconds on High will help loosen up the jam.
  4. Pour the peach jam syrup over the sliced peaches and allow to sit at room temperature 30 minutes before use.
  5. On a piece of parchment paper that is on a cookie sheet, roll out the puff pastry to 1-1/8 inch thickness. Cut using a 4-inch cutter and remove scraps. Lay slices on the top of the puff pastry.
  6. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the puff pastry is a dark golden brown. Remove from oven and place sheet on rack to cool. Serve warm.

22 June 2009

A Taste of Italy


Happy belated Father's Day! I spent the whole day yesterday at my parents' house. I had had a busy weekend so I was grateful to be able to just hang out and cook dinner for my family.


Since my mom's birthday fell during the week I decided that we should have her party over the weekend. It just so happened that we were going to a wedding of a family friend on Saturday which left us with Father's Day. My mom made breakfast (biscuits and gravy, hash browns, omelets...YUM!), and I made dinner (lasagna roll ups). I even made an Italian Cream cake for my momma's birthday cake (I know it's a heresy, but I was sick of making chocolate cake so I suggested something different).
The lasagna is super easy, and when it's been rolled, it's even easier to serve (and you end up with just the right amount of food). One family friend brought a salad, and another family friend brought garlic bread. We also had spicy Italian sausage to round out the meal.
I doubled the recipe and wasn't too smart about it. instead of cooking one box of noodles at a time and removing them when they were al dente, I insisted on cooking all of it at once. This made quite a few noodles rip apart and become unusable. It still tasted good, but learn from my mistake and only cook one box of noodles at once if you end up having to double the recipe.
Lasagna Roll ups
Recipe from All Recipes, adapted by me
1 lb ground beef (the original calls for tofu)
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked lasagna noodles
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 Tbl Basil
1 Tbl Oregano
1 clove garlic, minced (use more or less depending on your taste)
1 (28 ounce) jar pasta sauce
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, brown ground beef and drain. Allow to cool.
  2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles for 5 to 8 minutes, or until just slightly underdone; drain and rinse.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together mozzarella cheese, spices, garlic, ricotta cheese, and ground beef.
  4. Lay out a noodle. Spread a layer of the cheese mixture on the noodle, then add a thin layer of sauce. Roll the noodle up, and place seam side down in a 13x9 pan. Repeat for other noodles. Use any extra mozzarella or if you have Parmesan on hand to top.
  5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 30 min, or until hot and bubbly.

20 June 2009

A Busy Weekend


I just got back from a church friend's wedding. I've known the groom since he was in the forth grade so it was really sweet to be able to be there for his big day. Weddings are bittersweet for me when my husband is overseas. On one hand, it's so beautiful, all the flowers and dresses, the cake. On the other, I'm alone in a sea of couples knowing that my husband is thousands of miles away. I don't usually dance, but for some reason I had boogie fever tonight. Somehow, I managed to finish the pie I had started this morning when I got home.
Banoffee is my all time favorite pie, and it is ridiculously easy to make. It's one of the only things I did not get to try on my very brief trip to the UK several years ago that I have become quite attached to. With only five ingredients, it can be made quickly if company drops in unannounced.
The pie gets its name from its ingredients: bananas and toffee (more like a very thick caramel sauce). I boil a can of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of water for three hours, but you could use the dulce de leche that can be found in the Hispanic food section of your local grocery. I recommend using a very large pot and boiling a couple at once so you'll have a can on hand. Normally I cheat and buy a pre-made graham crust, but I came across digestive biscuits and remembered hearing that this is the only kind of crust to use (unfortunately, all I could find were the chocolate covered ones, but I'm not complaining cause those are the best). I'm still not sure how I ever survived eating this pie without the digestive biscuit crust, but I know better now. this will be the only way I'll do it from now on.
Tomorrow I have my mom's birthday and Father's Day. Hopefully, you all will like the cake and dinner I have planned (Italian Cream and Lasagna...YUM!). For now, enjoy!
Banoffee Pie
Recipe from All Recipes, adapted by me
1 can (14 oz) sweetened, condensed milk
1 3/4 cup digestive biscuits, crushed (I found these at an actual grocery store, not WalMart; regular graham crackers will do just fine though)
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 banana, sliced (you can use more if you want, this is the only way I'll even eat bananas since I don't care for them)
1 cup heavy whipping cream (you can use 1 tsp vanilla extract and roughly 1 Tbl sugar to sweeten the cream just a little; you won't want too much more than that though)
  1. In a large pot, place the can of condensed milk and fill to the top of the can with water. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for three hours (the longer you boil the can, the darker the caramel will be). Do not allow the water to boil completely away. Refill as necessary and flip can if needed. When finished boiling, remove from pan and allow to cool completely before opening.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a blender or food processor, crush the digestive biscuits until they are a fine crumb. Add melted butter and stir until all the crumbs are moist. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan.
  3. Cook the crust for 10-15 minutes. Crust will darken only slightly. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
  4. Slice banana into thin discs and layer along the bottom of the crust (some recipes call for it going on top of the caramel, but I prefer it this way; go with your gut on this step). Scoop the caramel over the top of the banana slices and smooth.
  5. In the bowl of a mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Scoop over the top of the caramel and spread out. Go into a sugar coma after one bite then have another (be prepared with milk).

Dinner and a Movie!

So I failed this Friday. I was supposed to go over to my friend's house and make meatloaf and mashed potatoes. I was even going to make a super yummy pie. Then we got side tracked and ended up not even eating at her house (we did watch a movie, but that's because her little boy insists on watching dinosaurs and obots...that's Transformers to the rest of us, and yes, he does call them obots). I promise that tomorrow and Sunday you'll have two awesome recipes to drool over (my mom's birthday cake and some yummy lasagna). Please accept my apology.

18 June 2009

Taste Test Part 1

In October, my best friend will marry her boyfriend. There has been a flurry of wedding planning going on, with me spending almost every weekend with them trying to help as best I can (I planned mine for almost three years so I'm practically an expert...OK, not an expert). When my friend told me what she had planned for her wedding cake, I dropped dead on the spot. Well, not dead, but my heart did stop beating for a split second. She was going to order three sheet cakes from a grocery store and stack them herself. I could not let this happen. This is the most important day in her life, besides the two days when her babies were born.
Being the selfless person that I am (please pardon the ego; I'm not really this self-absorbed), I offered to make her cake for free. All I asked was that she supply the ingredients (we're talking boxed cake mix so it'll be easier but homemade frosting and fillings).
So we had a little chat. "What flavors do you want for your tiers?" I asked. She knew she wanted the bottom layer to have an amaretto flavor (I'm still working out the kinks for this one). She turned to her fiance and asked what he wanted. "Red velvet," he mumbled through a mouthful of Doritos. Well, sorry dude, that's what flavor the groom's cake is so let's go with something else. How about lemon??? The other tier is going to reminiscent of a Black Forest Gateau.
I actually made the lemon and black forest cakes. I just forgot to take pictures of the latter (just pretend one of these cakes is chocolate with some cherry puree peeking out over the whipped cream). I have to make it again anyway. Since this is just a taste test, I didn't frost them or even bother to make them look pretty. I was happy just to get them level. We decided that the lemon needed more lemon flavor (that's what I get for going to boxed route), but that is easily fixed with lemon zest and juice. The black forest needed more cherry (I pureed a can a Bing cherries, but it was a bit too watery; I didn't want the top layer to slide off as I drove across town with it). Below is the recipe for the whipped cream filling I used for both (not that you really need it since it's so easy). Next time, when I separate it into two batches, I'll add lemon zest to the lemon one.
Whipped Cream
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 Tbl vanilla extract
2 Tbl white sugar (this is a guess, I didn't measure too well; I wanted it to be just sweet enough)
  1. In a clean mixing bowl, whip heavy cream to soft peak stage. Add vanilla and sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.

This can be modified with different extracts (almond would probably be really good). I may even scrap the whole whipped cream idea and go with a buttercream instead.

16 June 2009

Something Healthy


"Hey, Sunshine, what's for dinner?"
"Quin...what?!?"
Quinoa, pronounced keenwa, is a grain that becomes light and fluffy when cooked. With a slightly nutty flavor, it is usually used as a replacement for rice (thank you, Wiki). I got this cool recipe from my godmother and decided to give it a try. Since quinoa is kind of different, I had to make a special trip to Whole Foods to get it (this trip resulted in a large purchase of cheese too).
This recipe is a healthier alternative to fried rice, although I didn't help matters by adding chicken to it. I just couldn't figure out what to serve with it so I thought I'd turn it into an entree and serve it with a salad. I even went so far as to make a ginger dressing that was pretty similar to the kind you get at Japanese steakhouses. It was yummy!
Feel free to play around. If you're on the vegetarian train, you could always use tofu if you're wanting to make an entree out of it. I added extra vegetables to mine to make it heartier. Of course I had to finish off such a healthy meal in an unhealthy manner: vanilla cupcake with a glass of milk. Still, it was a good meal. Enjoy!
Chicken Fried Quinoa
Recipe by my godmother, adapted by me
1/4 c quinoa
1/2+ c water (next time, I'll use chicken broth)
1 lb chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 large zucchini
1/4 yellow squash
1/4 lb broccoli florets (about 1-2 heads)
1 carrot
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp peanut and/or sesame oil, (I used sesame)
1 extra large egg (I used 2 medium sized ones)
  1. In saucepan prepare 1/4 cup quinoa according to package (I used my rice cooker which worked out pretty well especially since I had to buy the quinoa loose instead of in a package).
  2. While quinoa is simmering, quarter the 1/4 large zucchini, 1/4 yellow squash, 1/2 onion, and the carrot (my godmother adds some fresh peas if she has them).
  3. Place oil in a large pan or wok and add chicken. Cook until no longer pink. Add vegetables and garlic and stir until warm.
  4. Add cooked quinoa and stir. Push mixture to the sides of the pan leaving a hole in the middle. Crack the egg into the center and allow to cook slightly before scrambling. Fold into the vegetable mixture until fully distributed and cooked. Serve with soy sauce or additional sesame oil (I topped mine with sesame seeds).

TAG! You're it

Over on one of the blogs I check out daily (Perfect Sentiment), the author was playing a game of tag. The subect: 6 uninteresting things that make me happy. I decided that I wanted to play along so you all could get to know me a little better. Without further ado, here are my 6:

  1. Emails from people I care about (my hubby, my mum, my friends, etc.)
  2. Garden gnomes
  3. Lavender scented anything
  4. Garage sales with my cousin
  5. Playing dinosaurs with my cousin's toddler
  6. Anything vintage or handmade

Now it's your turn. If you're feeling up to it, post your six things and send a link my way. I'd love to get to know you better!

15 June 2009

Planning a Bridal Shower


The other day I had a friend over for dinner so we could get some planning done. You see, her cousin (my best friend) is getting married in October. Since she is the maid of honor and my sister and I are bridesmaids we figured we needed to get some stuff done so that she'll have one great party (we're surprising her with a trip out of state for her bachelorette party, but we can't agree on when we should tell her, and I can't tell you guys just yet either).


My sister and I call both of these girls our cousins because they might as well be family since we spend every holiday with them and their family so I apologize now if I confuse you by switching back and forth to calling them cousins and friends (they're both in my book). Since I've been making a lot of Mexican food lately, I thought I'd go a different route and try my hand at Chinese. The closest I've ever been to making anything Asian inspired is rice, and I burn it every time if I don't use a rice cooker.



I asked my sister if she'd rather have broccoli beef or sesame chicken, and she chose beef (we'd been eating a lot of chicken lately). I had a recipe saved in recipe box on All Recipes that I'd been dying to try, and now I had my chance. I made a special trip to the grocery store so we could use fresh broccoli (all we had was frozen), and I think it really made it taste great.

Needless to say, we didn't get a whole lot of planning done. We ate dinner then ended up at the bookstore to look at bridal books. Then of course it was time for dessert, so we went to get some ice cream before heading home. Hopefully, you'll like the recipe as much as I did. Enjoy!



Broccoli Beef
Recipe from All Recipes, adapted by me

1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 pound boneless round steak, cut into bite size pieces 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger root 1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper 4 cups chopped fresh broccoli

  1. In a small bowl, combine flour, broth, sugar, and soy sauce. Stir until sugar and flour are dissolved.
  2. In a large skillet or wok over high heat, cook and stir beef 2 to 4 minutes, or until browned. Stir in broth mixture, ginger, garlic, and broccoli. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes, or until sauce thickens.