MrsMamaHen.com

Mocha Latte & Hazelnut Chocolate Pudding Cups | #SundaySupper

2012-05-26T23:00:00.000-08:00

Great little portable treats, perfect for a picnic!

To begin, in a saucepan combine 4 cups whole Milk and a cup of sugar.

Add a third of a cup of Instant Coffee granules.

2 Tablespoons Baking Cocoa

A third cup of Corn Starch

And a teaspoon of Vanilla

Whisk these all together, and cook over medium heat, stirring continually until it comes to a gentle boil. Let it bubble for one minute.

After the minute, pour the pudding into a heat-safe bowl. It will take you a few minutes to spoon these out, and you don't want the pudding on the bottom to scald.

Ladle your pudding into 4 ounce jars. If you have one of these handy canning funnels, it will make your job much easier.

Allow them to come to room temperature, and then put the lids on and refrigerate at least an hour. Keep them chilled until you serve them.

Serve these topped with some whipped cream.

Now for the Hazelnut Chocolate ones!

You'll make these much the same way, with just a few minor differences.

To begin these, chop up about a third of a cup of toasted hazelnuts.

And then chop up about a third of a cup of dark Chocolate Chips.

Mix those together in a bowl, and set them aside.

In your saucepan, combine 4 cups whole Milk, a third cup of Corn Starch and a third cup of Baking Cocoa

Add a cup of Sugar.

Now stir in a tablespoon of Hazelnut Extract.

And a pinch of Salt

Whisk these all together, and cook over medium heat, stirring continually until it comes to a gentle boil. Let it bubble for one minute.

After the minute, pour the pudding into a heat-safe bowl. Again, it will take you a few minutes to spoon these out, and you don't want the pudding on the bottom to scald.

Ladle the pudding into the jars like the other kind, and this time sprinkle a spoonful of the chocolate & hazelnut mixture on top of the warm pudding. Allow it to cool to room temperature, and then chill as before.

I made these pudding cups for a Unit BBQ and they vanished in no time flat!

Enjoy!

This week our #SundaySupper Group will be serving up all sorts of their Memorial Day favorites! From the drinks to dishes to desserts, everything sounds delicious! Drop on by and see which ones your family and friends will love! And you can follow along on Twitter all day!

Cocktails:

Best Margaritas Ever by Supper for a Steal
Sparkling Watermelon Sangria The Weekend Gourmet

Salads:

Creamy Bacon and Avocado Pasta Salad by Daily Dish Recipes
Sweet and Savory Ham and Mango Salad by Rambling Notebook
Summer Pasta Salad with Lemon Lime Dressing by Mama’s Blissful Bites
Soba Noodles with Swiss Chard and Mushrooms by Soni’s Food for Thought
Malaysian Pickled Vegetables by Cookistry
Wedge Salad & Homemade blue Cheese Dressing by In the Kitchen with KP
Grilled Cesar Salad with Homemade Caesar Dressing by The Messy Baker

Main Dishes:

Grilled Balsamic Pork Kebobs by Momma’s Meals
Grilled Chicken Lettuce Wraps by That Skinny Chick
Grilled Shrimp Po Boys with Radicchio Slaw Pescetarian Journal
Bourbon Soy Sauce Pork Chops and Tilapia Family Foodie
Green Chile Bacon Cheeseburgers by Damn Delicious
Kalua Pulled Pork by Juanita’s Cocina

Desserts:

Ice Cream Pie by Make Dinner Easy
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Rice Crispy Treats by Chocolate Moosey
Lite Mango Coconut Ice Cream with Berry Ginger Topping by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
Stars and Stripes Pound Cake by Big Bear’s Wife
Chocolate Lava Cake Cositas Bonitas
Mango cardamom Cupcakes Beetle’s Kitchen
Watermelon Muffins The Meltaways

Our recipes will be perfectly paired by Wine Everyday

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Mocha Latte Pudding Cups
by Conni Smith | MrsMamaHen.com

4 c Whole Milk
1/3 c Instant Coffee granules
2 T Baking Cocoa
1 tsp Vanilla
1/3 c Cornstarch
1 c Sugar

Whipped Cream for topping

Whisk these all together in a saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring continually until it comes to a gentle boil. Let it bubble for one minute.
After the minute, pour the pudding into a heat-safe bowl. It will take you a few minutes to spoon these out, and you don't want the pudding on the bottom to scald.
Ladle your pudding into 4 ounce jars. If you have a handy canning funnel, it will make your job much easier.
Allow them to come to room temperature, and then put the lids on and refrigerate at least an hour. Keep them chilled until you serve them.
Serve these topped with some whipped cream.

Enjoy!
_____

Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding Cups
by Conni Smith | MrsMamaHen.com

4 c Whole Milk
1/3 c Baking Cocoa
1 Tb Hazelnut Extract
1/3 c Cornstarch
1 c Sugar
pinch of Salt
1/3 c Toasted Hazelnuts
1/3 c Dark Chocolate Chips

Whipped Cream for topping

Chop the hazelnuts and chocolate chips, and combine them in a small bowl. Set aside.
Whisk the milk, baking cocoa, Hazelnut extract, cornstarch, sugar and salt all together in a saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring continually until it comes to a gentle boil. Let it bubble for one minute.
After the minute, pour the pudding into a heat-safe bowl. It will take you a few minutes to spoon these out, and you don't want the pudding on the bottom to scald.
Ladle your pudding into 4 ounce jars. If you have a handy canning funnel, it will make your job much easier.
Top the warm pudding with a spoonful of the hazelnut-chocolate mixture.
Allow them to come to room temperature, and then put the lids on and refrigerate at least an hour. Keep them chilled until you serve them.
Serve these topped with some whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Our Camper is Cursed

2012-05-26T11:57:00.000-08:00

I have decided that our camper is cursed.

You remember our camper? The one we spent so much time searching for, and finally traveled to Tennessee to buy for our trip across the continent, from North Carolina to Alaska?

Yeah...that one?

Well, I have decided that it is cursed.

Every single time we plan on going camping, it rains. Every. Single. Time.

When we did our epic adventure, putting 5,000 miles on our van, we traveled for 21 days. It rained 18 of them. And we aren't talking a little rain, we are talking tropical storms, monsoon weather! In Indianapolis, we had tornadoes all around us! It was insane!!!

It didn't rain while we were in the Badlands. And it didn't rain in Cache Creek, BC. It rained everywhere else!

Last summer there was one camping episode where we had a 10 day forecast of 0% chance of rain. That's right, a 0% chance!!!
What happened? You guessed it. Thankfully it only rained at night, so the daytime was good, but we listened to the rain on the camper while we slept. I almost wouldn't know what it was like to sleep in our camper without that sound.

There was another time we went camping last summer, where it didn't rain on us, but it stormed upriver, raising the water levels so much we couldn't even go back out to fish. Thank goodness I had had the boys bring their fishing poles and chairs and everything off the gravel bar the night before. Had they left them like they'd planned...there would have been no retrieving them. Though some of the gravel bar was still above water, the little "stream" of water that we waded through to get to it, was no stream...it was a raging river.

So this week we made plans to go camping for Memorial Day weekend. Now we don't just get rain when we pull out the camper to go camping with our camper...we get rain when we talk about pulling out our camper.

So want to know what it looked like when we drove out to attempt to camp?

It has been terribly dry here in Interior Alaska. Allergies have been horrible, the humidity has been miserably dry.

But we pulled out the camper.

And it rained.

Your welcome Alaska.

Just doing our part.

~

So what are your plans for Memorial Day Weekend?

Foto-Friday

2012-05-25T08:48:00.000-08:00

These are some pics I took this week. Some were taken with my camera, others were taken with my phone.

Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)

Mmmmmm....blackberry cobbler!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Chicken Cordon Blue Lasagna

2012-05-24T00:29:00.000-08:00

I love Chicken Cordon Blue, and I love Lasagna....ever thought about putting them together?

Well, that's just what I did!

To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, whisk together a beaten egg, and 2 cups of Ricotta Cheese. Whisk it until it is smoothly combined, and set it aside.

In a saucepan, melt a stick of butter (1/2 cup) over medium low heat, and then whisk in a third of a cup of flour.

Let that begin to bubble, and then add in a cup of Chicken Broth

And a cup of Half & Half

Stir this all together, and continue to stir almost continually.

Add in 3/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder

A quarter teaspoon of Salt & a half teaspoon of fresh ground Black Pepper

And a tablespoon of Parsley

Continue cooking and stirring this until it comes to a gentle boil. Turn off the heat, and stir in a cup of this.

You can use shaved or grated, either is fine, because you are melting it anyways.

Does this not look simply evil!?

Set that aside for now, but give it a stir every few minutes while you do the next part.
Dice up 2 cups of cooked chicken, and about 2 cups of cooked Ham.
I didn't have any leftover ham in my freezer, so I just had the deli lady slice me off a big slab of ham, just under half a pound. Then I simply diced it up.

Put the meat in a bowl, and pour in your sauce.

Stir it all together, and set this aside.

Grate up 2 cups of Mozzarella cheese, and 2 cups of Swiss

In a 9x13 baking dish, spread half of your meat sauce, then layer 3 lasagna noodles. These are the "no cook" kind. If you are using traditional, cook them al dente before doing this.

Like I have mentioned in another post, I prefer the traditional noodles, but since I had some of these left in my pantry, I didn't want them to go to waste.

Over your noodles, spread half of your Mozzarrella and Swiss

Smother that with your Ricotta-Egg mixture.

Follow that with a second layer of noodles, the remaining meat sauce and then the rest of the cheese.

Cover this with foil, and bake it for 45 minutes.

When it is almost done, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.

Stir in a cup of Panko bread crumbs

Sprinkle this over the top of the Lasagna after the baking period is done.

Put it back in the oven, uncovered, and turn your heat up to 375 degrees. Bake this for about 15-20 more minutes or until the bread crumbs are beginning to get golden on top.

Enjoy!

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Chicken Cordon Blue Lasagna
by Conni Smith | MrsMamaHen.com

1 Egg
2 c Ricotta Cheese
1 Stick (1/2 c), plus 2 Tb Butter, divided
1/3 c Flour
1 c Chicken Broth
1 c Half & Half
3/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp ground Black Pepper
1 Tb Parsley
1 c grated or shaved Parmesan & Roman cheese mixture (1/2 c each)
2 c cooked, diced or shredded Chicken
2 c cooked, diced Ham
2 c shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 c shredded Swiss Cheese
6 Lasagna noodles (if using traditional noodles, cook them al dente)
1 c Panko Bread Crumbs

To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, whisk together a beaten egg, and the Ricotta Cheese. Whisk it until it is smoothly combined, and set it aside.
In a saucepan, melt a stick of butter (1/2 cup) over medium low heat, and then whisk in the flour.
Let that begin to bubble, and then whisk in the Chicken Broth, Half & Half, Garlic Powder, Salt, Pepper and Parsley.
Continue cooking and stirring this until it comes to a gentle boil. Turn off the heat, and stir in the Parmesan-Romano cheese.
Stir it until it is melted in.
Set that aside for now, but give it a stir every few minutes while dice up your chicken and ham.
Put the meat in a bowl, and pour in your sauce.
Stir it all together, and set this aside.
Grate your Mozzarella & Swiss cheeses.
In a 9x13 baking dish, spread half of your meat sauce, then layer 3 lasagna noodles. If you are using traditional lasagna noodles, cook them al dente before doing this.
Over your noodles, spread half of your Mozzarrella and Swiss
Smother that with your Ricotta-Egg mixture.
Follow that with a second layer of noodles, the remaining meat sauce and then the rest of the cheese.
Cover this with foil, and bake it for 45 minutes.
When it is almost done, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
Stir in the Panko bread crumbs
Sprinkle this over the top of the Lasagna after the baking period is done.
Put it back in the oven, uncovered, and turn your heat up to 375 degrees. Bake this for about 15-20 more minutes or until the bread crumbs are beginning to get golden on top.

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday | Sunset in Waikiki - Sunrise in the Air to Alaska

2012-05-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

An Office Supply Junky's Dream....UPrinting Give-Away

2012-05-22T09:01:00.001-08:00

I am such an office supply junky. Maybe it is an extension of the Homeschool Mom in me...maybe it is part of my organizational needs....but I love officey stuff. And Business Cards? Well....I have ordered more sets over the years than I care to admit!

UPrinting contacted me and thought that those of you out there might like to get some business cards of your own, and offered to give one lucky reader 250 Die-cut Business Cards!

The winner can choose from these varieties:

2×3.5″ Rounded Corners, 2×2″ Rounded Corners, 1.75×3.5″ Rounded Corners, 2×3.5″ Leaf, 2×3.5 Rounded one corner, 2×3.5″ Half-Circle Side, 2×3.5″ Oval, or 2.5″ Circle

14pt Cardstock Gloss / Matte / High Gloss (UV), or 13pt Cardstock Uncoated

There is a 6 Business days print turnaround time, and free shipping to a US Resident.

Give-Away Terms:
This giveaway is open to US residents only, 18 years old and above. No prize substitutions allowed. Winners are allowed to win once over a six-month period. Only email addresses used for the giveaway will be eligible to claim the prize. The Give-away starts today and ends May 28th, 8:01 pm AST. The winner must respond back within 5 business days – or prize will be forfeited and another winner will be selected.

There are several ways to earn entries, but the only one that is required, is to visit the link and share which variety you would pick!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: "You should assume that I will receive free print products in exchange for the post. Any and all reviews posted are based solely on my own experience and may be atypical. Please practice due diligence in making any related purchase decisions. Interested to hold a giveaway like this? Please sign up here.”

An ACT OF VALOR | Give-Away

2012-05-21T19:40:00.002-08:00

IF YOU’RE NOT READY TO GIVE UP EVERYTHING,
YOU’VE ALREADY LOST

The only easy day was yesterday. In the Bandito Brothers’ ACT OF VALOR, an elite military force, portrayed by active-duty U.S. Navy SEALs, carries out an impossible mission with insane courage and incredible teamwork in one of the most gripping and emotionally charged movies of the year. A fictionalized account of real life Navy SEAL operation, ACT OF VALOR features a riveting story that takes audiences on an adrenaline-fueled, edge-of-their-seat journey. When a mission to recover a kidnapped CIA operative unexpectedly results in the discovery of an imminent, terrifying global threat, an elite team of highly trained Navy SEALs must immediately embark on a heart-stopping secret operation, the outcome of which will determine the fate of us all.

I'm thrilled to announce to all of those MMH fans out there, that I have 2 copies of Act of Valor to give-away!

Giveaway Terms: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY! Anyone 18 and over who is a U.S. or Canadian resident may enter the giveaway. Giveaway starts today, May 21st 2012 and ends Memorial Day. Two winners will be selected and will be notified. The winners must respond back within 5 business days – or prize will be forfeited and another winner will be selected.

To enter this giveaway…
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: MrsMamaHen.com was provided this product as a giveaway to MrsMamaHen.com readers. MrsMamaHen.com was not compensated for this.

Military Monday | Pearl Harbor

2012-05-21T08:32:00.000-08:00

I have been saving this post to share on a Military Monday. The final day in Hawaii for the Army Family Action Plan Conference, when the conference was over, we drove straight to this beautiful and emotional location. Iris and I both felt that this was the must see on the island, that we truly had to see before leaving that night.

The World War II Valor in the Pacific, Memorial at Pearl Harbor.

I think the photos tell the story.

The USS Bowfin

When walking through the area, and coming to the names of all of those lost, on "eternal patrol," it is impossible to not feel emotions welling up inside you. Even though we are Army, and the souls lost were Navy, there is no separation. Those were American Servicemembers. "Guys" just doing their jobs, and they were lost. I couldn't spend much time in that area. It was simply too difficult. It brought to mind all of the names of those who I know, that we have lost in our current conflicts.
The effect of American Servicemen lost in battle, spans time and branches.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies | #SundaySupper

2012-05-19T23:34:00.000-08:00

This Sunday Supper's post is a very special one. You see, we have been joined by Christina Ferrare who is sharing recipes from her second cookbook, Big Bowl of Love! I am excited to be participating this week with all of the other wonderful Food Bloggers in our Sunday Supper Group, as we share recipes from Christina's cookbook & website.

I chose to share her Double Chocolate Chip Cookies.

In a bowl, combine 2 and a quarter cup of Flour, a teaspoon of Baking Soda and a half teaspoon of Salt. Stir it together, and set it aside.

In your mixing bowl, add 3/4 cup each of Granulated and Brown Sugar.

To those, add in a cup (2 sticks) of room temperature Butter.

Beat those together for about 2 minutes, until it is nice and fluffy.

Scrape the bowl with a spatula, and do that after each addition so nothing is left behind!
Add in a teaspoon of Vanilla. Mix for another minute.

Next beat in 2 room temperature eggs, one at a time.

Then slowly mix in your flour mixture, about half at a time. Mix it only until it is just combined.

Now chop up a cup and a half of nuts - Pecans or Walnuts...I chose to use Walnuts.

Add in your nuts, a cup of Raisins, and 4 cups of Chocolate Chips!

Using a small scoop, place golf ball-size pieces of cookie dough on the cookie sheet to chill them.
Originally this recipe said it only made 2 dozen, but I had dough balls the actual size of golf balls, and it made almot 4 dozen. So there were a ton on the sheet...this isn't even all of them!

Chill these for 1 hour in your refrigerator.
When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Line another cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Place the chilled cookie dough balls at least 3-1/2 inches apart on the cookie sheet, and bake in batches.
I baked 9 at a time, so I wouldn't crowd them.

Bake them for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the cookies are golden-brown on top.
Check them after 15 minutes, just to see how they are coming along.
Ovens vary, and I found that my cookies were perfect at 17 minutes.
Using a metal spatula, place the cookies on a rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Check out some of the other Food Bloggers' #SundaySupper posts this week, and see which ones you love!
Tomato Mozzarella Tower with Shallot Bacon Dressing, Chicken Marsala with Angel Hair Pasta and melon Medley with Lemon Sorbet The Primlani Kitchen

Roasted Beet Wild Arugula with Goat Cheese Salad Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

Pesto Pasta Katherine Martinelli

Spaghetti and Meatballs Juanita’s Cocina

Sea Bass with Soy Glaze and Cucumber Salsa Beetles Kitchen

Chicken Picatta Over Pasta Family Foodie

Grilled Orange-Ginger Chicken Breasts Supper for a Steal

Seafood Risotto Magnolia Days

Fall Off The Bone Chicken Thighs Lovely Pantry

Risotto with Fresh Peas and Asparagus Big Bears Wife

Salad Dressing BG Garden

Strawberry Shortcake German Foodie

Cheesecake with Fresh Berries The Messy Baker

Rice Pudding Rambling Notebook

Strawberry Shortcake That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Flourless Chocolate Cake Baker Street

Brownies Rich and Chocolaty Daily Dish Recipes

And how about some wine pairings from Wine Every Day.

Join us this week! All you have to do is follow the hashtag #sundaysupper on twitter or follow along on TweetChat.

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Christina Ferrare's
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c brown, sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
4 c semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans
1 c raisins

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper to fit the pan, and set it aside.
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt, then set it aside as well.
With your mixer, beat the butter and sugars together for 2 minutes, until fluffy.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and do that after each addition, so nothing is left behind!
Add the vanilla, and beat it for a minute.
Beat in the eggs one at a time until well incorporated.
Slowly add your flour mixture, and mix it just until blended.
Add the chocolate chips, nuts, and raisins, and stir it all together.
Using a small scoop, place golf ball-size pieces of cookie dough on the cookie sheet to chill them.
Originally this recipe said it only made 2 dozen, but I had dough balls the actual size of golf balls, and it made almot 4 dozen. So there were a ton on the sheet.
Chill these for 1 hour in your refrigerator.
When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Line another cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Place the chilled cookie dough balls at least 3-1/2 inches apart on the cookie sheet, and bake in batches.
I baked 9 at a time, so I wouldn't crowd them.
Bake them for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the cookies are golden-brown on top.
Check them after 15 minutes, just to see how they are coming along.
Ovens vary, and I found that my cookies were perfect at 17 minutes.
Using a metal spatula, place the cookies on a rack to cool.

Enjoy!

This post also shared here: Wow us Wednesday and here: What's Cooking Wednesday

Maple Apple Chicken

2012-05-16T11:45:00.000-08:00

This flavorful dish is quick to make, and great for a weeknight dinner.

To begin, combine a half cup of Chicken Broth, third cup of Maple Syrup, and quarter cup of Apple Cider Vinegar in a bowl, along with a half teaspoon each of Salt & Pepper. Set it aside for now.

Cut 3 or 4 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts into 2 inch pieces. Salt & pepper them well.

In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon each of Butter and olive oil over medium high heat.

Cook the chicken in the skillet until golden on both sides.

While it is cooking, core & wedge two apples. One Granny Smith and one "Red" one (Red Delicious, Gala, etc.)

And chop up an Onion.

When the chicken is golden, remove it to a bowl and cover it tightly with foil.

Toss your apples and onion into the skillet and cook over medium heat until they are a little golden, too.

Add in a teaspoon of dry Thyme

And a half teaspoon of rubbed Sage. Don't you love my precision measuring technique?

Stir those all together

Add your chicken and liquid mixture to the skillet. Stir them together, and then cook for 3-5 more minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

That's it!

Enjoy!

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Maple Apple Chicken
by Conni Smith | MrsMamaHen.com

1/2 c Chicken Broth
1/3 c Maple Syrup
1/4 c Apple Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Salt, divided
1 1/2 tsp Pepper, divided
3 or 4 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Tb Butter
1 Tb Olive Oil
1 "red" apple
1 Granny Smith Apple
1 Onion
1 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp rubbed Sage

To begin, combine the Chicken Broth, Maple Syrup, Apple Cider Vinegar and half teaspoon each of salt & pepper in a bowl. Set it aside for now.
Cut the Chicken Breasts into 2 inch pieces. Salt & pepper them well.
In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon each of Butter and olive oil over medium high heat.
Cook the chicken in the skillet until golden on both sides.
While it is cooking, core & wedge the apples. And chop up the Onion.
When the chicken is golden, remove it to a bowl and cover it tightly with foil.
Toss your apples and onion into the skillet and cook over medium heat until they are a little golden, too.
Add in the Thyme and Sage. Stir those all together
Add your chicken and liquid mixture to the skillet. Stir them together, and then cook for 3-5 more minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
That's it!

Enjoy!

This post also shared HERE

National Chocolate Chip Day

2012-05-15T22:17:00.000-08:00

Did you know? Today is National Chocolate Chip Day!

Maybe I'll make some Dark Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars.

Or how about I make some Everything Cookie Bars?

Or some Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies?

I know! I think I'll make some Chewy Brownie Cookies today....so I can photograph them and "re-do" the post.

See? I have to bake today!

Fresh Air, Fishing & a Friend

2012-05-15T17:22:00.000-08:00

The other day, my husband and I took the boys down the road to the river so they could do some fishing. It is so nice to finally be able to get out and not have to completely bundle up.

Joshua spent more time climbing and exploring than fishing. It's wonderful to just be able to spend time outside, breathing the fresh air, and getting a little Vitamin D!

We also saw a furry little guy. I named him Woody.

Woody is my new friend.

What have you done lately to just get out of the house?

Salute To Our Military Parade!

2012-05-14T06:46:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend in Downtown Fairbanks, Alaska, there was a very special event. Something you don't see much of anymore.
There was a parade. And not just any kind of parade....a parade to welcome home the troops!

Downtown Fairbanks was all decked out in Red, White & Blue, and even patriotic messages in storefronts.

Balloons and flags were passed out. There was even a community event where signs were made, and pizza was donated for that by a local Papa John's.

The parade began with a rememberance to those who could not be here.

And a troop of bagpipers played "Amazing Grace."

I could not imagine marching in a parade in this suit! This suit alone weighs close to 80 pounds!

My favorite part of the parade.

Love that man in the Stetson!

There were over 6,000 soldiers and airmen marching in this parade. Everything that went into it was donated freely by the community. The community planned the event, and businesses came forward to help without being asked. Even the local Walmart donated 10,000 hotdogs!

This was an amazing and heart-warming event. I was very grateful to our community for doing such a thing - and all the more blessed to call Fairbanks, "Home" for the time that they Army has us here.

Kalua Pig | #SundaySupper

2012-05-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

On the last evening in Hawaii, I enjoyed this wonderful and traditional dish - Kalua Pig.

It is eaten with cabbage, pineapple and rice as you see on the plate.

Now Kalua Pig is traditionally cooked in an imu or basically a fire pit dug in the ground, and wrapped in Banana leaves and other things.

Image Source

Most people are not realistically going to be able to do this, but thankfully there are some more kitchen-friendly varations out there. I spent some time searching and comparing and combining recipes, and this boils down to a 4 ingredient, slow-baked version.

In a roasting pan, place a pork shoulder roast that has been aggressively trimmed of all the external fat you can remove.

Now you need some salt. Ideally, you want Pink salt. If you can't find it, you can use Kosher salt, but pink salt isn't too hard to find in most places...even up here in Alaska.

Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of the salt over the top.

Then place 4 or 5 whole bananas on top.

Last, pour in a quarter cup of Liquid Smoke.

Cover your roasting pan very tightly with a layer or two of foil, and stick the lid on.

Bake this at 325 degrees for 45 minutes per pound.

After it has baked, your bananas are going to look very scary.

Discard the bananas, and remove most of the drippings from the pan - but not all, because you still want some moisture.
Then shred the pork with two forks, discarding any remaining chunks of fat and bone.

Serve it with with your choice of sides. I chose to go with the traditional Rice, Pineapple and Cabbage. The cabbage I simply sauteed in the traditional "Southern" way. I was very pleased with the results of this recipe, and the meat tasted almost identical to what I had in Hawaii.

Enjoy!

Oh and by the way...Happy Mother's Day!!!

And while you have a moment, check out what is happening with the #SundaySupper crew on Twitter!
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Kalua Pork
by Conni Smith | MrsMamaHen.com

1 Pork Shoulder Roast
2 Tb Pink Salt (or Kosher if pink can't be found)
4 or 5 Bananas
1/4 c Liquid Smoke

In a roasting pan, place the pork roast after aggressively trimming of all the external fat you can remove.
Sprinkle the salt over the top.
Then place 4 or 5 whole bananas on top.
Last, pour in the Liquid Smoke.
Cover your roasting pan very tightly with a layer or two of foil, and stick the lid on.
Bake this at 325 degrees for 45 minutes per pound.
After it has baked, your bananas are going to look very scary.
Discard the bananas, and remove most of the drippings from the pan - but not all, because you still want some moisture.
Then shred the pork with two forks, discarding any remaining chunks of fat and bone.
Serve with with your choice of sides. I chose to go with the traditional Rice, Pineapple and Cabbage.

Enjoy!

Kapiolani Park in Waikiki

2012-05-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

We spent our final evening in Hawaii along the shores in Waikiki.

A guy playing his ukulele for his friends.

Now I have to share this with you. Iris and I just stood here watching this guy and his dog for a good little while.

THIS is how you play fetch! He throws a rock...

And the dog would intently look and swim and look and swim.

Then he would dive!

"I got it Dad!"

How cool is that!?

Military Spouse Appreciation Day | Blog Hop!

2012-05-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

Today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day!

In honor of that, there is a special blog-hop going on. For all of those that have found me for the first time today, I will give you a super-brief introduction.

My name is Conni, and I have been an Army wife for 21 years!

I am a homeschool mom of three nearly grown kiddos, and we live in Alaska.

I am an FRG (Family Readiness Group) Leader, a volunteer Program Manager for the Army Family Team Building program, and recently returned from a trip to Hawaii for a mid-level Army Family Action Plan conference.

On MMH, I have a weekly "What You're Making Wednesday" where you can share what you have been making - whether it is a recipe or your latest craft project! I also welcome Guest Bloggers like this one for example.

In addition, I write about Army Life - with a weekly "Military Monday" where I invite other MilSpouse bloggers to join in.

From our first Homecoming.

I also occassionally write about homeschooling, art, photography...and other things I enjoy.

Aside from those things, here on MrsMamaHen, I write a whole lot about food. I share recipes every week, with step-by-step pictures to encourage others in their cooking...like my most recent Kalbi Beef

Welcome to all of the new visitors! Please be sure to leave your link in the comment section so I can come by and meet you as well!

And if you like what you see here, I'd love for you to follow me by one of the many ways to do so (@MrsMamaHen, Facebook, RSS, etc.)

Memorials of a War and a Queen

2012-05-11T15:03:00.000-08:00

As we walked along the beach in Waikiki, we came to this building.

This location was fenced off and closed, and was clearly a war memorial, but we had no idea exactly what it was.

It was negected and falling apart, gated off for being dangerous.

Across the street was this.

After returning home, I did a search and learned that this was the Natatorium World War I memorial. Locals are trying to save it and restore it, and it looks to be quite the battle. I thought it was sad to see this is such a state.

Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial

Across the street from the beach park was another memorial, this one to a queen.

Queen Esther Kapi'olani

Image Source

She was named Esther Kapiʻolani, after her great-aunt High Chiefess Kapiʻolani, who defied the goddess Pele in the name of Christianity, and the Biblical queen Esther. Her motto was "Kulia I Ka Nuʻu" which means "Strive for the Highest"

Queen Kapi'Olani is remembered for many things, including establishing a maternity hospital which still exists as the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children.

She was also known as an accomplished music composer, and even wrote a song for her husband. Sadly, he died before ever hearing it.

I greatly enjoy visiting memorials and learning about local and other history. Must be the homeschool Mom in me...but learning never ends!

Colony Surf on Dwellable

Driving through Honolulu

2012-05-11T14:11:00.000-08:00

After the final day of our Army Family Action Plan conference, we loaded up our luggage, changed out of our business clothes, and headed to enjoy our last evening in Hawaii. The southern shore of Oahu is such a stark contrast to the quiet North Shore. Down here, you see sky scrapers and busyness everywhere!

The harbor

Rain on the mountains behind the city.

The Star Princess at port.

We're on our way!

The Aloha Tower welcoming ships to Oahu.

While very interesting to look at, I couldn't ever imagine myself living in something like this.

As Iris said, "A partially eaten doughnut!"

Very cool!

A sidewalk "statue"...I love the lady in pink's expression.

Something cool to check out...

We finally reached our destination, and found a place to park. Now to enjoy our last evening in Hawaii!

Waimea Bay

2012-05-11T12:36:00.001-08:00

On day 3 of the 4 day conference, when the work was over, Iris and I headed back to the North Shore again. This time we went to Waimea Bay. On the way there, we saw a sign on a building that looked rather familiar...

~~Kona~~ Waimea Coffee trees

And then on to the beach. This was a sign that greeted us when we arrived.

There were some people swimming, and others climbing the rocks, looking for places to dive in.

Unlike Alaska, where sunset is almost non-existent now, there in Hawaii sunset was coming relatively early. And shortly after we arrived, it was already swiftly approaching.

I tried snapping a couple pictures of myself...hard when you don't have your tripod with you.

It was such a peaceful way to end another busy work day.

Afterwards, we drove a couple more miles to go to the island-wide famous Ted's Bakery. Just about anyone that we talked to who lived there knew about Ted's. Most gushed over the very name!

I had every intention of testing out the famous pie, but after I had this monster of a BBQ sandwich...which I couldn't even finish....I was content taking "home" a couple pastries that I had already bought.

I had one day left in Hawaii, and the busiest day yet ahead of us!

Haleiwa on Dwellable

Kalbi Beef

2012-05-09T10:32:00.000-08:00

On my recent trip to Hawaii, I experienced some delicious food that I hadn't had the pleasure of, and looked forward to replicating them in my kitchen. Here is the first - Kalbi Beef.

Kalbi Beef is grilled, and because it is thin it cooks very quickly. It is a perfect weeknight meal! This could also make a great appetizer by taking kitchen shears and cutting apart the three boned sections after they have been cooked.

To begin, you will need about 2 1/2 pounds (more or less) of the thin-sliced beef shortribs, also referred to as "Korean Ribs."
Rinse them with cold water to remove any bone grit from the cutting process. Pat them dry with a paper towel, and spread them out on a platter or baking dish.

Sprinkle a cup of Brown Sugar all over the ribs, and let it sit while you prepare the marinade.

Eventually, you are going to finish this marinade in a blender. If you want to combine these all in there to begin with, that is perfectly acceptable. I prepared most of it in the bowl, just because it was easier for you to see.

You will combine a cup Soy Sauce and a half cup of Water.

Add a quarter cup of Mirin Sauce - you can find it in the Asian section of the grocery store.

Add 2 tablespoons of Sesame Oil.

And a half a teaspoon of fresh-ground black pepper

Set that aside for the moment.

Chop up 8 cloves of Garlic. You don't have to mince these too fine, as they will be going in the blender.

Dice up about a quarter of a Red Onion. They tend to be rather big, and you don't need that much.

Next, you want an Asian Pear - if you can't find Asian pears, just use what you can find. Remove the stem and core and cut it into half inch or so pieces.

Put everything (except the ribs of course) into a blender, and buzz it until the solids are a pulpy consistency.

Place your ribs into a gallon sized zip-lock bag.

Pour in your marinade, press out as much air as you can, and close the bag. Place it in a dish (in case of leaks) and set it in your fridge overnight.

The next day, grill your ribs over medium-high heat until to the doneness you prefer...about 3-4 minutes per side. This will also depend on how thick your ribs are cut. Thinner will take less time of course.

Top with some sliced Scallions.

Enjoy!

I love trying new foods. Have you tried anything new lately?

_____

Kalbi Beef
by Conni Smith | MrsMamaHen.com

2 1/2 lb thin-sliced Beef Shortribs (Korean style)
1 c Brown Sugar
1 c Soy Sauce
1/2 c Water
1/4 Mirin Sauce
2 Tb Sesame Oil
1/4 tsp fresh-bround Black Pepper
8 cloves Garlic
1/4 of a Red Onion
1 Asian Pear
3 Scallions (green onions) for topping

To begin, you will need about 2 1/2 pounds (more or less) of the thin-sliced beef shortribs, also referred to as "Korean Ribs."
Rinse them with cold water to remove any bone grit from the cutting process. Pat them dry with a paper towel, and spread them out on a platter or baking dish.
Sprinkle the brown sugar all over the ribs, and let it sit while you prepare the marinade.
Eventually, you are going to finish this marinade in a blender. If you want to combine these all in there to begin with, that is perfectly acceptable. I prepared most of it in the bowl, just because it was easier for you to see.
You will combine the soy sauce, water, Mirin, Sesame Oil and pepper.
Set that aside for the moment.
Chop up the Garlic. You don't have to mince these too fine, as they will be going in the blender.
Dice up the Red Onion. They tend to be rather big, and you don't need that much.
Remove the stem and core from the pear and cut it into half inch or so pieces.
Put everything (except the ribs of course) into a blender, and buzz it until the solids are a pulpy consistency.
Place your ribs into a gallon sized zip-lock bag.
Pour in your marinade, press out as much air as you can, and close the bag. Place it in a dish (in case of leaks) and set it in your fridge overnight.
The next day, grill your ribs over medium-high heat until to the doneness you prefer...about 3-4 minutes per side. This will also depend on how thick your ribs are cut. Thinner will take less time of course.
Slice up the scallions, using only the white and light green portions, and sprinkle those on top.

Enjoy!

NOTES: *You can also serve these as an appetizer by snipping apart each boned section, creating 2 or 3 from each one.

* You can prepare this in the morning and let it marinate during the day and cook it in the evening. I personally think doing it overnight is ideal, but you can do what works for you!

What YOU'RE Making Wednesday | #LinkyParty

2012-05-08T22:37:00.000-08:00

I honestly haven't been making a whole lot this past week, because of my trip for the Army Family Action Plan Conference...although I did share my recipe for Zucchini Corn Fritters.

Oh...and you can look forward to this as my next recipe post. Kalbi Beef is one of the wonderful dishes I had while in Hawaii, and I am thrilled to say I was able to duplicate it at home!

So what have you created this week?

Got a recipe you shared or cooked this week?

Have a DIY project that you completed?

Were you inpired by something on....

Haleiwa on the North Shore

2012-05-08T13:00:00.000-08:00

One evening after the conference, we drove up to the quiet little town of Haleiwa on the North Shore of Oahu.

It was nice to get away from the busy, touristy side of the island, and enjoy the sights on this side.

We spent a little bit of time by the beach, and then walked through town to find somewhere to eat dinner.

My travel companion, Iris.

Walking up the road, we crossed this bridge into town.

While I watched the people on the water back there, I noticed something moving in the water not far from me. At first I thought it was a person, or a seal, because the head was huge! I sat there for some time watching and trying to get a better look.

And then I realized...it was SEA TURTLES!!! They were HUGE!!! That was the highlight of the whole day!

The guys on the water were on their way out to the ocean, and were very friendly. I LOVED the dog on the board!

"Hang Loose"

Further into town, I saw beautiful Guava Trees.

A church

The health clinic in Haleiwa

In the end, we ate dinner at Luibuenos. Kind of funny to go to Hawaii and eat Mexican food...but it was good, and the guacamole was fantastic!

Haleiwa on Dwellable

Around Schofield Barracks

2012-05-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

While in Hawaii for the Army Family Action Plan Conference, we would have breaks at lunch to go get something to eat. Generally, we would just walk over to the PX and eat at the food court. This was the lovely view while walking over. In the mornings, this field is full of soldiers doing PT.

Even the trees in the parking lot were pretty.

Inside the PX one day, there were musicians singing and playing for us....it was Lei Day!

The first day I was over there, I had several lunch companions, of the feathered persuasion.
I thought these birds looked a lot like cardinals...and I was right! These Crested Cardinals were everywhere.

As were these Myna Birds

And these delicate-looking Zebra Doves

Backing up to the first morning of the conference, the delegates didn't have to be there until the afternoon for our training, so my travel companion, Iris, and I went for a little drive and found the Waikele Outlets. I'm not a huge shopper, but I did find a couple great deals on blouses, and even got a pair of shoes for $1.99!

But the best part was sipping a Pina Colada fresh fruit smoothie from the shop here, enjoying it under the blue sky and palm trees.

And again, more trees with blossoms and color were everywhere.

And just a quick note...one of the best lunches I had while there, was from the grilling vendor outside on the PX sidewalk. It was Guava Chicken and Kalbi Beef.

It was actually so good, I had it two days in a row!

Those are two of the dishes that I came home and did some homework to figure out how to make myself. I looked at several different recipes for the foods, took notes and compiled what I think would be the best version....or at least I hope so! I am trying the first one tinight - Kalbi Beef. Already the marinade smelled just like the yummy shortribs I ate there in Hawaii, so I am optomistic. If it is successful, that will be the next recipe I'll be posting here!

Around the Hotel

2012-05-07T12:23:00.000-08:00

The day I arrived in Hawaii, after getting settled in the hotel, I walked around outside taking pictures of all the vegetation around the hotel and the hotel courtyard. The "Inn at Schofield" was nothing fancy, a pretty typical military "hotel." The customer service was atrocious, and the internet service even worse. But outside? Ohhhh, was it nice!

Hibiscus flowers were everywhere...they are the state flower.

This thing reminded me of the plant in "The Little Shop of Horrors."

Beautiful "Bird of Paradise" flowers.

I'm not sure what this flower is called, but it is very pretty.

Helicona - These were still growing, and hadn't yet opened.

Once they open, they remind me of a chain of birds.

It is a very pretty place. I was looking forward to seeing more!

Heading to Hawaii | Military Monday Linky

2012-05-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

Last week, I traveled for the USARPAC Army Family Action Plan Conference. As it happens, the headquarters of USARPAC is in Hawaii....somewhere I never thought I would go, until a couple weeks ago.

After three, long overnight flights of misery (I can't sleep while traveling) I saw my first signs of LAND!!!

Flying in, I looked down and saw Pearl Harbor.

The courtyard at the Hawaii International Airport.

When I got to the hotel, and began settling in, I found a couple things hidden in my luggage.

This was a first for my hubby. Normally HE is the one the Army puts on a plane and takes away....but this time the tables were turned. So he stepped into the role of "secret note writer."

Of course, I couldn't go to Hawaii and not get a Lei!

And what a beautiful view I had from my hotel at Schofield Barracks.

After getting settled at my hotel, I changed into a summer dress, I took this picture to send to my hubby.

I had a busy week ahead of me, but the setting for it couldn't be beat!

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