Japanese-ish dinner recipes

If you're itching for noodles or chopsticks:

Aunt Lois's Marinade:

1/4 cup soy sauce

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 teaspoons minced ginger (I used jarred crushed)

1 garlic clove, pressed (I used jarred so I'm not sure how much I really used)

1 1/2 lbs. flank steak (We used 1 lb. flat iron steak)

Put everything into gallon bag, seal, mush around. Let sit in fridge about an hour or room temperature about 30 minutes. Discard marinade & grill 7 minutes (med) each side for medium rare. 

We also grilled yellow pepper, red onion, mushrooms & tomatoes to throw on top. I didn't do anything to the veggies except spray with Pam so they wouldn't stick.

Noodles:

Let's just say I flew by the seat of my pants on this one. But I bought 4 packets of Udon Noodles (found in produce section of grocery). I don't remember the size but they were relatively small. These had a chicken seasoning packet with it reminiscent of Ramen Noodles from the college days...

In a large saucepan, I combined:

3 tablespoons oil

roughly 2 cloves minced garlic

about 1-2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

a couple of shakes of chili powder

a couple of shakes of soy sauce

a couple of shakes of rice vinegar

1 of the seasoning packets

Heat on medium, add noodles, cook through tossing until noodles are hot & sauced. Very technical as you can read but worked well for us. You can make as spicy as you want. I didn't have Tabasco but if had, probably would have used it instead of the chili powder.

Kohlicious!

So I've been itching for some Udon noodles for a week or so, since today was grocery day no surpise that tonight's dinner was Japanese-ish. I guess the most Japanese thing about it was the Udon noodles & the chopsticks. Why Kohl-inspired? Because other than the noodles, everything was grilled (thanks to Mimi & Poppa for generously gifting us with the grill!). While we were in Japan, one night Jonathan treated us to a huge grill-fest. We also had a conversation ranking our favorite noodle types that led into pasta types, rice, etc. & Udon is my fav. Anyway, the kids wanted to use chopsticks since we were. Tiernan has a starter set from Japan that teaches him where to put his fingers & helps him maneuver. As you can see, he's getting the hang of it. We probably should have gotten Sloan & Lincoln their own sets...

Mimi & Poppa come to visit!

We were lucky to have Mimi & Poppa come see us all the way from San Diego. Of course, one of the joys of being a grandparent is the whole spoiling factor. A quick trip to the store with Poppa helped Tiernan increase his "guy" collection with the addition of Spiderman that you see here. He also got a Batman mask that he hasn't taken off except to go to sleep... Big brother helped pick out "Black Spiderman" for Lincoln so he could have his own guy. Which also means that Tiernan can play with him when Lincoln is napping... as well as the fact that now he doesn't have to share his guys with Lincoln since he now has his own... and he has someone to play with. Hmmm... not bad thinking for a 4 1/2-year-old. Lincoln & Sloan also got Batman masks but they haven't warmed up to them yet. Poppa felt sorry for Sloan having to dress up as a Super Hero so she got her very first Princess dress with a light-up bracelet. She has since added her own accessories but has not taken either off! 

Crime fighting in Fishers?

We knew the time would come... when the urge to turn into a Super Hero would overcome Sloan & Lincoln & they would join crime fighter big brother Batman, aka Tiernan. Sloan has been fun to watch because she isn't picky about which Super Hero she dresses up as. Lincoln has only turned into Superman once. Once out of the costume, Batman referred to him as "Clark" as in Clark Kent, Superman's secret identity. And Sloan was "Sloan America" instead of Captain America & "Super Girl" when in the Superman costume. I'm just thankful I have so many Super Heroes to save a damsel in distress! 

Farmer Tiernan here....

Sweet - we grew stuff! Actually, we're growing green beans, cucumbers & of course, tomatoes. We took the 1st picture June 16th, right before the kids left for Michigan & us for Japan. Tiernan helps water almost every night. The 2nd picture is a month later when we got back. And this last picture is our 1st crop of green beans today - July 19th! 

Shoes Glorious Shoes!

Is this MY girl or what? Totally unprovoked & without encouragement from Momma, Sloan has taken to shoes! 

I swear, I haven't 
encouraged her - 2 of us lovin' shoes is going to be 'spensive. Fortunately for us, right now she's not picky as none of the shoes she's wearing in these pictures are hers.

Tea Party

Friday we had a tea party. Water for tea, water for milk & crushed ice for sugar. Well, since it was snack time we had chocolate chip Teddy Grahams & Gold Fish. I'm not so naive to see where this is going. I was just curious to see how everyone did. Let's just say I don't think Lincoln's getting invited back anytime soon. He stole all of Sloan's snacks & poured all the "tea" over the snacks. Therefore flooding the Gold Fish in disintegrated Teddy Grahams. Tiernan was a little disappointed. Sloan was a little hungry. Lincoln was a little oblivious in doing anything "wrong". Tiernan's disappointment washed away as he hosed off the deck & everything else within 6 ft of the sprayer. 

Still climbing....

Ah yes, I continue to find Lincoln in a variety of places. The play-set climb dropped my heart into my stomach, but obviously not far enough to prevent me from taking a picture instead of spotting his climb. He made it all the way to the top - twice. 

"Bonjour Mon Ami...

...you are now cooking with Chef Pig" pipes up Tiernan each time he starts to help in the kitchen. I was a little taken back the 1st time (thinking that he's referring to me as Chef PIG but also wondering where in the world is he learning french?!?). One of his shows he likes teaches spelling with Chef Pig.... Ahhhh... whew. We made pizza last weekend & as you can see, everyone helped. Last night, Tiernan picked "pigs in a blanket" & made hot dogs wrapped in crescent roll dough. Surprised? About the hot dogs? Or about me serving them for dinner & lunch in the same day? I'm learning that when you can't beat 'em, join 'em. When Lincoln realized what we were doing, he stood & pointed at the chair. I told him to push it on over to us & he did! Monkey see, monkey do. Sloan joined the fun last & was disappointed there was no more work to be done. In case you're wondering, my name is Chef Sheep who is Chef Pig's side kick.

Recent Recipes

Salsa Verde Chicken

1/3 cup green salsa (I have used any salsa found in the fridge)

1 egg

1 cup crushed tortilla chips (GREAT way to use the end of the bag)

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

4 boneless chicken breast halves

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

1) Heat oven to 375. Grease cookie sheet with Pam. Lightly beat salsa & egg. Mix crushed chips with spices.

2) Dip chicken into salsa mixture, then coat with chip mixture. Place on cookie sheet. Drizzle with oil.

3) Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

New Recipe

I have no name for this yet, but all the kids loved it tonight. It worked perfectly for an afternoon at the pool & then a quick dinner.

In individual bowls, I layered the following:

 

Chicken - I marinated 3 boneless, skinless breasts in a little olive oil, paprika, chili powder, oregano, salt & onion powder. I baked it, in the marinade, 30 minutes at 350 & then cut into chunks. 

Spanish Rice - I cooked 2 bags of Spanish Rice. Honestly, I used "Great Value" by Wal-Mart & it was really good. Plus it only takes 10 minutes. Next time, I'll probably use 3 bags since my rice/chicken ratio didn't match up.

Super Sofrito - I made this before we left for the pool to let flavors combine. It's kind of salsa-y. You can make it as spicy as you want it. This has no heat since the kids were eating it.

 

2 small ripe plum tomatoes (about 1/2 cup chopped)

4 teaspoons olive oil

1 small onion (about 1/2 cup chopped)

1 medium-size green or red pepper (about 3/4 cup chopped)

4 cloves garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

1) Core & cut tomatoes into roughly 1/2-inch dice. Set aside.

2) Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. While oil is heating, peel onion & cut into quarters. Put in food processor or blender & pulse until finely chopped but not mushy. Scrape into skillet & cook about 4 minutes.

3) Stem, seed & cut bell pepper into quarters. Put in processor & pulse until finely chopped but not mushy. Add pepper to skillet, reduce heat to low & cook, stirring frequently.

4) Peel garlic & drop cloves into processor while it's running. Process until finely minced. Add to skillet along with salt, tomato, & cumin. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.

5) With processor running, drop cilantro through tube & process until finely minced, Scrape into skillet. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

6) At this point, I threw it back into processor & pulsed a little longer.

7) Serve at once or cool & refrigerate for up to 1 week (or freeze up to 1 month). Reheat to serve. I happened to serve it cold.

We topped it all with a dollop of sour cream & had warmed flour tortillas rolled up on the side.

Bubble Magic

The kids have been asking to "do bubbles" since we got home. Even Sloan & Lincoln ask since they got these fun star bubble necklaces on the 4th. Chris had to work late so after dinner I stripped them down for the bubble magic. Tiernan's getting the hang of the big wand & makes some good ones. Sloan kept saying "I do" & "Bubbas" & by the end of the experience put it all together with "I do bubbas" & that would send her into fits of laughter. Lincoln wasn't as into it as Tiernan & Sloan. He preferred the mulch. Needless to say that after he tried blowing & chasing bubbles & played in the mulch, a quick scrub down was in order. 

More parade pix

Some more pictures from July 4. Uncle Mike & Aunt Judy gave the twins their 1st lollipops. This was the same age & same place Tiernan had his 1st lollipop. Sloan LOVED wearing the sunglasses & even found some more to play with later in the day.

July 4 - Beaver Island

As I said before, almost every time the boat comes in there's someone on it we know. We went down to the dock to wave in Aunt Lisa (black vest), Uncle Jerry (red hat), Aunt Brenda (blue sweatshirt), Uncle Brad (white shirt)& Uncle Steve (who is the one waving). We went home for a quick lunch before the parade started. Tiernan's all ready for the parade to start with his candy bag. Lincoln was chatting with Uncle Gary on the steps before it started. The cousins jumped in for a quick pic with the Beaver of Beaver Island.

A'hoy Maty

The 3rd annual Pirate Adventure was held on July 3rd. This started (obviously) 3 years ago when a couple of us "momma" cousins got together & planned a treasure hunt for the kids prior to our trip north. We shopped & hunted for pirate gear; we made costumes, a map - the whole sha-bang. Now we're lucky to scrape it together when we get up there. We really didn't think it through because we've now done it for the 3rd time. The kids are getting older & smarter; we're just getting older but not necessarily smarter. Fortunately this year, due to the timing of the Adventure, the dads were able to join us. They have all sorts of ideas for years to come. I even heard talk of a 5-year-plan including planks, scuba gear & Garden Island (the next one over) . Nice - can I see it in an Excel spreadsheet? 

So the 1st picture includes Mike Crowell holding Lincoln, Chris with his arm over Brenden Crowell's shoulder, the newest pirate, Matthew Szafoni, being held by dad Jim & Tiernan struggling with his mask. Picture 2 is Chrissy Crowell, Megan O'Donnell, Lindsey O'Donnell, Olivia Crowell, Sloan, Tiernan, Kaleigh Flowers, Matthew Szafoni, Lincoln & Brenden Crowell. These are all cousins & we're missing a handful too! Picture 3 is the Bass 5. As you can see, Sloan LOVED dressing up however Lincoln did not. He really liked the skull & bones necklace but that was it. Tiernan was content to be "Superman Pirate". Chris & I donned some headgear but somehow my costume from year 1 didn't make this trip... Darn, I loved that fringed skirt. Picture 4 of Sloan just reiterates her willingness to dress it up. When the kids found the treasure box filled with necklaces & candy, Sloan ended up looking like Mr T, only blond & 2 ft tall. My Bass Boys had a great time digging in the sand but stopped so I could take a picture. 

Beaver Island here we come!

So to say it's been a little bit of a whirlwind, might be an understatement. We landed in Chicago about 10pm on July 1st. We spent the night (after ordering a pizza - REALLY good stuff especially since we hadn't had any in about 3 weeks). Took a 7am flight to Indy. We were picked up by some friends, had a Starbuck's & talked about our trip until 11am. We got home, unpacked, repacked, paid bills, fed the cat & were out the door by about 3pm. We drove to Grand Rapids that night & gratefully spent the night at Billy & Kendra's (cousins). Left their house the morning of the 2nd around 7am & got into Charlevoix about 10:30am. Got to visit with Aunt Carol for a little bit before catching our 12pm flight to Beaver Island. Were we a little anxious to see the kids? Nah... Since some of you have asked questions about BI, I thought we'd include a little bit about how we get there & what it looks like. The plane is what we fly on when we don't take the ferry. It's a little 6-seater but gets us there in about 15 minutes. The ferry takes 2 hours & 15 minutes. It's a beautiful trip on Lake Michigan but when we only have a short trip like this time, we flew. We had a wonderful welcoming committee at the airport. The twins kind of looked at us like they should know us. Tiernan jumped up & down & was really excited. So did Muggs. Was she a little anxious to see us? Nah... 

I took a picture of Muggs with the kids in the stroller. They walked just about everyday but Aunt Bev, Aunt Carol & Tiernan were with them. Since we were there, Tiernan stayed with Da (wouldn't leave his side) this day. The Aunts still met us & we took a gander before meeting the boat. This time of year, there's always someone you know coming in on the boat. I've included a picture of the harbor. You can actually see the boat coming in on the right side. It's the view we see when we head towards town on our walk. I can say that even after Japan, it's still one of my favorite views. Now you know why I like coming here (family & friends excluded).