Cucumbers and Cream

Remember the Shoup Noodle recipe I shared last time?  Shoups are a Good Friday tradition at my parents’ house.  But Shoups aren’t complete without a side of Cukes and Cream.

While Shoups are delicious on their own, they’re even better when dipped in the creamy sauce from Cucumber and Cream.

Shoup Noodles

Every year, on Good Friday, my mom makes Shoup Noodles for dinner.  It’s one of those traditions that has passed down through generations.  My mom remembers eating Shoup Noodles on many Fridays (Lent or no as she grew up never eating meat on Fridays (my children’s’ hearts just stopped at the thought of meatless pizza-movie night always - haha)).

Until this year, I’ve never had a reason to make shoups, since I’m always at my parents’ house for Easter.  Until quarantine and COVID and this year.  My state was not shelter in place for Easter, yet we made the extremely difficult decision to stay home for Easter (the kids were devastated).

So I called my mom and asked her for the recipes for the Easter weekend meals (happy to have family recipes, yet wishing I was at her house).

So here we are with shoups. 

Lefse

Every fall, lefse appears in local grocery stores and craft fairs.  For those unfamiliar, lefse is a Norwegian flatbread (similar to a tortilla) made with a mix of flour and potatoes. 

It is delicious.

It also typically requires specialized equipment: a potato ricer, a corrugated lefse rolling pin and a lefse griddle…Ugh.

Crockpot BBQ Bourbon Bacon Shredded Chicken

It’s Food n’ Flix time! In this club, those who want to watch the selected movie, whip up something delicious and blog (or Instagram) it!  This month’s movie is hosted by my IRL friend Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm and the chose The Biggest Little Farm.

The Biggest Little Farm follows a couple who leave their successful LA jobs on a promise to their dog.  Yep, you read that right.  They adopted a dog and promised him that they’d be their forever home.  Then the dog barked incessantly when they weren’t home.  Facing eviction, they decided to buy and start a farm, rather than give up Toby (the dog).  To each his own I guess (I am not a pet owner, so I admittedly do not understand).

Bunny Butt Pancakes

Even though my kids are getting bigger, I still like to make fun pancakes!

Even though it’s past Easter Sunday, I wanted to make bunny butt pancakes for the kids.  After all, it is only now the Easter Season if you’re Catholic (beforehand it was Lent!)

These are fun and easy!  And even boys are kind of getting big, they still enjoy these.  

Actually, I have to amend that.  

9 year olds think they’re awesome. 

Herby Chicken with Onion-Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Let’s be real for a minute.

Before Easter, it was Lent.  Quarantine was manageable.  It was a sacrifice and I could tell the kids (and myself) how Jesus sacrificed for other and how we can do the same by staying home.    We weren’t thrilled about it, but having a connection to our faith made it tolerable.

Then Easter came.  We had to rejoice Jesus’ resurrection on TV.  We had to visit family via video chat.  Easter should be joyous.

But it wasn’t the same.  And it was tough.

The kids were sad that they didn’t get to visit their grandparents.  I was sad we couldn’t go to church.  We’re all frustrated that we’re still at home.  Oh, and it snowed again.  Frustrating.

But this is reality for the time being.  Hopefully life resumes to normal sooner rather than later, but everything is still unknown.

So, I decided that I needed to challenge.  Something besides work and the kids’ schedule to focus on and give me purpose.

As I was taping my last read aloud lesson, I pulled a stack up books to prop up my computer.  It was a stack of cookbooks.  Cookbooks that I’ve cooked from, about 1 recipe each.

And there I had my challenge.  I’ve been focusing on comfort food lately.  I need to give myself a culinary challenge, so I am going to try to cook a new recipe from my stack of cookbooks at least once a week (maybe more!)

And (hopefully), I’ll post them in a timely manner!

Café Touba (Senegalese Spiced Coffee) #eattheworld

It’s time to Eat the World in our strange quarantine time and our country is Senegal.

Eat the World should be our chance to virtually travel and learn about a different culture.

But did I?

Nope, I scanned through Senegalese recipes and wondered how I was going to pull a new recipe over my family with so much else going on.

We’re trying to adjust with staying home (other than daily walks, the kids haven’t been anywhere but home since March 13 when school cancelled over the weekend), plus adjust to a 3^rd & 6^th grader distance learning while a librarian and a college professor teach from home. 

We’re fortunate.  Hubs and I are both still working.  We have high-speed internet and enough devices that all four of us can be working/learning virtually.  But still, it’s a transition.

So, in my house, it’s been comfort food.  Big time.

Spinach, Mushroom, & Caramelized Onion Pizza

You guys, Lent has been super legit this year.  As Catholics, we abstain from meat on Fridays and usually give something up as a sacrifice.  For the past few years, we’ve given up our Friday pizza-movie night, opting for a vegetarian dish (I don’t eat fish) and family game night.

Then COVID and quarantine and no school happened.

WWII Airplane Cookies

Last month it was Spud’s half birthday.  Since he has a summer birthday, and therefore doesn’t get to celebrate in school with his friends, he gets to bring birthday treats to school for his half birthday instead. 

Spud is slightly obsessed with World War 2.  So naturally, he requested WWII Gas Mask cookies.  Ummmm…no.

I love a challenge, but I need to draw the line somewhere, and WWII gas masks were it.

Knickerbocker Glory

I’m rereading Harry Potter for the umpteenth time.

I just love Harry Potter.  In these trying times, I needed Harry Potter!  The escape from reality, the magic, the triumph over evil.  Yes, this is exactly that I need right now.

Every time I’ve read the first Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, I’ve read chapter 2 and wondered what exactly the treat Harry enjoyed at the zoo, Knickerbocker Glory, was?

April Fools "Carrot Cake" Meatloaf

It’s April Fools Day!  This is one of my favorite foodie days of the year!

By now, my kids know to expect something rather zany out of me.  I’ve made Meatloaf Cupcakes and tiny Hamburgers and a few other fun things (that need perfecting, so they aren’t blogged yet).

This year, I decided to take the cupcakes to the next level and turn them into a meatloaf cake!