The bread

I often buy the Tuscan bread from Target, as I love my carbs. But making your own bread is not very hard. It may be a little time consuming, but the majority of time required is spent on letting it rise, when you can also do other things. That's why I often will pull out this old recipe that a friend's mom gave me and make my own and healthy batch of goodness. I can just visualize the fresh and steamy piece of bread with butter on it... Now, let's get to work! You will need:
1/2 c hot water plus 2 T active dry yeast
2 1/4 c hot water
1/3 c olive oil
1/3 c honey
2 Tablespoons molases
1 Tablespoon salt
7 1/2 whole wheat flour and 2 Tablespoons gluten

Combine water and yeast in a bowl, cover, set on top of another bowl with hot water in it, this will keep it warm. Give it a few minutes to bubble. In the meantime, combine the wet ingredients together. Add 2 c flour and mix. Add the bubbly yeast. Then add 4 c of flour and 2 T gluten ( don't add gluten if you're using bread flour) and mix. Keep adding flour in 1/2 c increments until you reach 7 or 7 1/2 c , the dough will be pretty sticky! Cover the bowl and let rise for 20-30 min, in the winter you can set it on top of a preheating over, in the summer I just set it outside. After the time lapsed you will see the dough seemingly larger, take it out of the bowl and knead it again on a floured surface, cut in half and place in 2 bread pans. They will seem flat:
...but after covering them in a plastic wrap and setting them in a warm place to rise for 20-30 min they will look just like the ones on the photo below.
Bake the raised dough at 350 for 36 min!
Warning: Please try not to eat it right away when out of the oven. It's still hot. Restrain yourself until it cools for few minutes and then you can devour it...

The cowboy way

It may be hot outside but my craving for pizza never leaves me, only now, it is joined by BBQ and grilling cravings. What's a girl to do? Perhaps employ her husband to cook a BBQ and smoked chicken pizza on the grill, that's what!

Take any raw pizza dough (we used the Betty Crocker that you mix with water) and put it on the grill. I think it's easier to divide the dough in half, or even in four, as one large pie may be a little too difficult to handle when turning sides. Make sure to check frequently to prevent burns! Turn to brown the other side too. Now turn down the grill temperature, as to not burn the crust further when you try to melt the toppings. Apply BBQ instead of marinara or olive oil, since not only delivers more flavor, but also is lighter is calories for those who like to stay in shape!Toppings may include smoked chicken, mozarella and Asiago cheese and home grown banana peppers for some heat! Some websites recommend broiling the pizza with raw toppings in the oven for a nice brown top. As you may see, we opted for the grill all the way, which did leave the toppings a little pale, but they were melted just enough!

The cake

One of the dessert staples at my childhood home was the famous apple cake. Not just any apple cake, but the one made by my mom, often present in the house for any and every occasion. So simple, yet delicious.
Since I like to change things up a bit I often make it with fruit other than apples. Peaches, strawberries, blueberries... any berries will do! It makes a fantastic, fluffy and summery cake. If I make it in winter I stick with the apples, add cinnamon and the smell itself just creates the atmosphere of Christmas.

Apple Cake
1c sugar
3 eggs
Mix those two ingredients. Add:
1.5c flour
1tsp vanilla
2 sticks of non-salted and softened butter
1 tsp baking soda
fruit

Pour the batter in the pan. Place peeled and halved apples (about 4) on top of the cake. Bake about 40 minutes at 350F. If I use fruit other than apples I just mix it in the batter. I often sprinkle with powdered sugar once the cake has cooled off.

The batter is light and fluffy and so if the cake. Now, go lick your spoon!

The miso soup for a rainy day

First day of summer coincides with Jeffrey's birthday and although he did not let me throw a party to celebrate his "advanced" age, I could not let him get away without celebrating and remembering this day. So, for the first time ever I went out of my European cuisine comfort zone and cooked my hubby a batch of delicious shiitake mushroom miso soup. How appropriate on this cool, rainy day... Did I mention it was the first day of summer today???
After searching for the perfect recipe I decided to use Tyler Florence's one - I know, I know, he's not of Asian descent, but the recipe sounded pretty yummy and uncomplicated to me.
The soup turned out pretty awesome, especially for a Polish girl who first heard of miso only a couple of years ago. I modified the recipe a bit; since I could not find pieces of dried kelp I used ground kelp (thank you Amazing Grains grocery store!) and since nobody seems to carry bonito flakes I added a little bit more miso paste. I had fun working with baby bok choy, not knowing what to do with it and lacking detailed instructions in the recipe prompted me to research it online, after which I just... chopped it up and added it to the soup. It worked out quite well!
Also, fresh shiitake mushrooms were on sale and I used a small batch in addition to dried shiitake.

Nachos machos

Late night snacks at the Palmer's kitchen can get a little crazy...
Guest starring is Brie cheese, alongside buffalo sauce, parsley, cheddar cheese, onions and chips, of course. Such an odd addition to the usual cast, but it worked out quite tasty!

The best coffee

It used to be the drink of royalty in Africa and Arabic countries. Now we all can enjoy it, but is what we drink really meant to be called coffee?
Everyone who knows me also knows that I enjoy a good cup of joe. Not Starbucks or Caribou, I said GOOD, didn't I? The best coffee I ever came across is the Lavazza Italian coffee. I almost never see it in the grocery stores around here, so I either purchase it on Amazon, or I impatiently wait for packages from my mom from Europe...
Even though I use an espresso maker and end up with coffee that is pretty strong, Lavazza never has a bitter taste and I hardly have to use cream or milk in it. But I often do, just for that extra creamy flavor in it, and I even top it off with frothed milk - now that's just for looks!

Europe never disappoints - here in Prague enjoying an espresso.
Make sure to keep it in airtight container, mason jar will do! And, contrary to popular belief of keeping coffee in the freezer, you can just store it in the cupboard.

Leaving the mountains

It was hard leaving the mountains after Easter! Of course, the weather was the nicest on the day I left, even though it was cloudy and even snowing lightly all weekend. I was looking at the Tetons trying to save the picture in my memory so that I can recall it whenever I want!

This photo was actually taken last September when I climbed the "hill" - more like a mountain, behind LM and Rick's house. I thought it would be a nice morning activity, instead of running. I didn't realize it would take me a couple of hours, thanks to the soft soil and numerous sage brush bushes, which look small and conquerable from the distance. I struggled in my running shoes and swore I was never doing this again! But the view certainly was worth it. I keep this photo sometimes as a background on my blackberry to remember that world isn't flat everywhere!

Great Harvest

Right after visiting Utah I stayed with my in-laws in Jackson, WY where I admired the mountains, ran the trails until I was out of breath (which didn't take long - I blame it on the elevation!), and ate delicious and natural food. One of the places I visited was The Great Harvest on Center St, which is famous for the bakery and everyone knows I am a sucker for bread!

So many choices today!Upon entering the waitress gave me a free, huge piece of bread with natural almond butter on it. Tasty appetizer for me and a great way to advertise their bread!

The fruit bar reminded me of the one at the Mary's Kitchen Port in Traverse City, MI, where I once worked as a salad girl... Memories!
Tempting... Who could say no to taking one of these home?

The Hoodoos

My recent trip to Utah was more of those "active-adventurous" kinds, rather than "culinary-adventurous" but I loved every minute of it! Utah Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park welcomed us with the most amazing, breathtaking views. Living in the plains of North Dakota deprives me from such visual pleasures but also makes me appreciate these journeys so much more!
The Hoodoos - or the rock formations that the Bryce National Park is known for.
Melissa and Rick looking at the Hoodoos.

Before our hike at the Zion National Park. Aaron trying to be funny. He's not actually going dressed like this, is he?!
The hike of Angel's Landing at the Zion Park. Steep and long, but the views are worth it!

The top of the Angel's Landing. Although, may I say, I was the first one out of my family to make it at the Scout's Lookout, I never actually climbed it to the very top of Angel's Landing. No, no - that one is for the brave only - 0.5 mile of crawling on narrow sandstone ridge while supporting yourself with chains anchored in the rocks... But look at the views...

Birthday Dinner

I just knew exactly what I wanted to eat on my special day. Little Szechuan in St.Paul offers one of my all time favorite meals, which is the Szechuan Spicy Tofu. After being seated out waitress immediately recognized us from the visit last Fall - "aren't you the North Dakota couple?" - and served us the best food ever.

Fried Szechuan Tofu - for those who can handle a little spice!
Cumin Lamb was delicious and savory. Definitely on my list of "food to order again".
Pork shreds, shrimp, cabbage, tofu and spinach in pork broth was recommended by my friend Boyd and became Jeff's favorite. I concentrated my eating efforts on the Szechuan Tofu, yum!

First grilling of the season

Summer is finally here, so they say,

Time to open up that grill, this sunny day in May.

Luckily, the fridge was full of sausage and kraut,

Tonight we certainly don’t need to go out.

The next day we’ll cook a whole fish with lime,

Now, that’s grilling big time!

The Polish girl and the Cowboy are grilling tonight,

And no, Jackson, you can’t have a bite!

Hats and pies

Blessed by creative and fun friends, I spent this weekend in a dress and a hat watching the famous Kentucky Derby Race.

With a mojito in hand...
... and Kentucky Chocolate Pecan pie in the other hand!

Instead of ice cream

Judging from my blog posts you probably think that I am a very unhealthy eater - but that is hardly true! Although I allow myself indulgence quite often, I also do love healthy foods, which are the majority of my diet. There is nothing better than a bowl full of fresh fruit on a sunny summer morning after running.
While visiting my family in Jackson, WY, I was raiding their fridge in hopes of finding something fresh and delicious and I saw something I new I would love.
This yogurt was so good that Melissa and I would eat it instead of a bowl of ice cream for dessert. Now, the honey flavor gave it just enough sweetness to be perfect, but if you mix it with a homemade raspberry preserves it is even that much better!

3 Onion Quiche

I love all things quiche. The comfort of baked eggs in dough just makes the meal so comforting, yet I gladly eat it in warm seasons as well. I heard Spring is coming, some places slower than others, clearly, but my favorite leeks are in season again and it's time to put them to use.
Lynne Marie, my favorite mom-in-law, surprised me with this delicious recipe the night following my arrival to Jackson, WY for a well deserved vacation!
Recipe can be found here, in my favorite Sunset Magazine!

Super leftovers

Leftovers never taste as good as the meal on the night it was cooked. With one exception!
Since the Spring refused to make her way to North Dakota, I needed a hearty and comforting meal for the cold and windy days ahead. I decided to make a chicken and black bean stew using the highly rated recipe of Giada DeLaurentiis, which you can find here. Quick and easy is what I was looking for on a lazy, rainy day...
But you can only eat leftover chicken stew for so many days, right? This is when Jeff's creative mind came to my rescue, as he drained the fluid from the stew keeping all the solid parts, and mixed it with raw celery, mayo and mustard, basically making a chicken salad. This I have not heard of before! Put the salad on a baguette, cover with your favorite cheese, Havarti in my case, and throw it in the over for a couple of minutes for a quick broil!