Time Off

My notice is a bit late, but I've been taking time off from blogging to hang out with family and friends. I had hoped to have blogs stashed away before I left for the US to get me through the time, but alas, when Hubby broke his leg those plans changed. I'm back in Germany now, but my landlord told me today that our internet will be turned off at midnight and the new company can't install their version for several weeks. So please bear with me during this time!

I've managed to complete and schedule three Double Take posts today, so make sure to check in on Thursdays! But I'm not sure how many Sunday blogs I'll be able to complete!

I hope everyone in the States is having a lovely Memorial Day weekend! Think of me when I'm at work tomorrow and you aren't!

Double Take: Italian Sausage Brunch Casserole

This week's Double Take is a little late, so I hope you will forgive us (well, I hope you will forgive me, it's my fault it's late). I got my days of the week confused and thought Thursday was the 14th instead of the 13th, and the 14th is Daring Cooks post date, so I didn't want two posts on the same date. But this also means I didn't have to think about making something new and creative to post this week since my normal post date is Sunday. And isn't it always nice to get a surprise on a blog? Instead of a regular post, you get a Double Take! You can find this week's Double Take recipe in the all-new ultimate Southern Living Cookbook on page 118.

I've generally avoided bready breakfast casseroles, but the ingredients were simple and flavorful, so I thought I'd give this one a try. Plus, how can you go wrong with Italian sausage?

Daring Cooks Challenge: Enchiladas

Our hosts this month, Barbara of BarbaraBakes and Bunnee of Anna+Food have chosen a delicious Stacked Green Chile & Grilled Chicken Enchilada recipe in celebration of Cinco de Mayo! The recipe, featuring a homemade enchilada sauce was found on www.finecooking.com and written by Robb Walsh. 

When I first read the challenge, I was thrilled. Mexican food! I love Mexican food (well, I know that I love Americanized Mexican food, I don't really know about the real stuff). But I came down from my excitement high pretty quickly: the recipe was asking for ingredients I couldn't find immediately. Tomatillos, peppers, cheese. Yuck. A couple months ago, a PhD student in Jason's lab hosted a Mexican cooking night of sorts at our place. The group was truly international, and the Germans wanted to know what I missed the most food-wise from the US. Well, my answer came quickly... Mexican food. And of course the guy hosting the event agreed with me, but I think he was a little surprised, too. Traditional Mexican is not the same as Mexican food in the US, and by golly, the Mexican food here in Germany resembles German food more than it resembles Mexican food. Okay, so I don't know if that blanket statement is true, but I do know that the Germans I have questioned think Mexican food is just kidney beans with that nasty movie theater nacho cheese sauce, perhaps wrapped in a tortilla. With chopped kohlrabi and bell peppers on top.  Um, that's not even bad American-Mexican, let alone Tex Mex or Mexican. 

Lighten It Up: Poulet Sauté Aux Herbes de Provence

Shortly after I moved to Germany, I had the chance to watch Julie and Julia in English. (The movie theater in town hasn't shown a movie in its original language since.) I had the fire in me, and I was determined to make a Julia Child recipe. But it was September, and hot, and there was no way I was going to make Boeuf Bourguignon. So I set out to find something a bit less heavy that didn't use my oven. With no air conditioning here, I wasn't about to turn on the oven for hours.

I came across a selection of Julia Child recipes on Epicurious.com that had been featured in the August 2009 issue of Bon Appetit. The ingredients were simple: butter, chicken, herbs; so I knew Hubby would like it.

Double Take: Vegetable-Quinoa Pilaf

This week’s Double Take is brought to you by the section “Meatless Mains.” I’m a little aggravated with this section. Why is chicken broth considered an acceptable ingredient in a section entitled “Meatless Mains?” I know that this particular dish is not labeled vegetarian, but you’d think in a section entitled “Meatless Mains” all the dishes would be labeled vegetarian. Grr.


I love quinoa, which is why I chose this recipe. I also haven’t cooked anything in almost a week, and I needed something fast and filling. This recipe easily works as a one-dish meal because you’ve got your protein (quinoa is a complete protein so it's great for vegetarians), fats, vegetables, fruit, and dairy all in one dish (we’re going on the my definition of fruit here: any plant part that encloses a seed, thus peppers count as fruit).

So colorful!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I promised you Chicken Cordon Bleu, and I can't let you down. So while this weekend has been a bit crazy, I'm happy to take the time to blog (thank goodness I'd already moved the pictures to the computer!)

I used to have a lot of trouble figuring out what Jason would eat, and my choices were generally hit or miss. But Chicken Cordon Bleu, oh my, that was a grand slam! I found this recipe wandering through the chicken section on foodnetwork.com, and made the sauce that accompanied it based on recommendations from other reviewers. But I only made the sauce the first time... it's completely unnecessary and I'm a sauce lover. This Chicken Cordon Bleu is awesome on it's own!