Hey Guys,
Just a quick update... we kinda rearranged the Hanukkah meals and even changed them a bit - I am still planning to get the videos up but as it stands I am working off of my old PC gaming laptop and thus don't have the program to make or edit my videos :( I know, it's very sad, right? I am hoping to have my macbook pro back by next Monday (01/02) and then will catch up with all the recipes. I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, I'm pretty bummed my logicboard decided to flip out and go kaput on me.
Anyway, have a great holiday and I will be blogging for you all in early 2012! <3
~Jess Miykal-Li
Monday, December 26, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Cashew Chicken / Meat
Cashew Chicken
Kosher // Meat
Here is the first video version of a recipe... I plan to go back to the past recipes after the holidays.
This is what I made for the first night of
Hanukah 2011, per request of Ethan.
He has very fond memories of this food growing
up and so, I found a recipe he agreed sounded
yummy and I tweaked it over and over again
to not only be absolutely delicious but also to be
100% kosher.
Remember to triple check the labels of the
ingredients you buy at the store to verify
that they are kosher!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Writer Update - Blog Idea
I am planning to condense all my recipes in to videos.... so you can just load the video and hit play. :) It will be a bit of time until I am to that point but it is in my mind. :)
Friday, December 16, 2011
Homemade Pizza / Pareve
Homemade Pizza
Kosher // Pareve
Ingredients
2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/3 cups warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, mix water, sugar and yeast until yeast dissolves. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes, or until foamy/frothy.
2. Add all ingredients, kneading until dough is smooth and elastic. Lightly cover dough with flour and let rest in bowl under a cloth for 1 hour or until it has rose.
3. Preheat oven to 400F.
4. Shape dough into pizza pan. For variety you can use a baking sheet (for square pieces, great for kids) or split the dough in half or quarters to make "personal pizzas".
1. In a mixing bowl, mix water, sugar and yeast until yeast dissolves. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes, or until foamy/frothy.
2. Add all ingredients, kneading until dough is smooth and elastic. Lightly cover dough with flour and let rest in bowl under a cloth for 1 hour or until it has rose.
3. Preheat oven to 400F.
4. Shape dough into pizza pan. For variety you can use a baking sheet (for square pieces, great for kids) or split the dough in half or quarters to make "personal pizzas".
5. Bake on 400F for about 10 minutes.
6. Remove dough from oven and spread tomato sauce evenly, continue baking for 5 to 8 minutes.
7. Remove pizza from oven & add desired topping, continue baking for an additional 5 minutes or until toppings are cooked as desired. Note: The longer the dough is in the oven the crispier it will become, watch thinner crusted pizzas closely so that they aren't over cooked.
 |
| Before Being Baked w/Toppings on it! |
 |
| Fully Cooked! |
 |
| The cheese just melts right off, the dough came out moist and chewy... absolutely delicious! |
This is the sauce I use on our pizzas (off brand from walmart, 30 cents each, kosher).
 |
| My husband (to be) not so thrilled I'm taking his picture lol. |
Friday, December 9, 2011
Chrismakuh? I Think So!
So some of my readers (those that are closest to me and even those that have taken the time to read my introduction - which can be found here) are aware that my husband (to be) is Christian; his beliefs are centered around non-denominational beliefs, but overall he believes what the bible says (both old & new testament) and believes that Jesus Christ died on the cross for his sins. My beliefs are that of Modern Orthodox Jewish; I believe that the Messiah is not Jesus Christ, although I do acknowledge and believe that Jesus Christ is a Prophet.
Ethan and I don't tend to argue or even debate our religious beliefs. We love one another and understand that our religious beliefs and choices are our own. He doesn't think I am a sinner, nor does he believe I am going to hell. We both believe that when it is our time to go those that are most important to us are the ones that will be waiting on the "other side" for us, regardless of their beliefs on earth. Keeping with respecting one another's beliefs and religious choices we are often reminded of our religious differences, typically around holidays, and most frequently during the month of December.
Let me begin by saying that December is a very full month for us, and this year is absolutely no exception. Right out the door, on December 3rd we celebrate my life... we celebrate me being alive to enjoy all of God's greatness after an assault in 2006 which put me in the hospital multiple times over the course of that first year. I suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) which has brought with it a large and diverse list of challenges for not only myself but those who remain closest to me to overcome.
This year we have a court date on the 12th of December to see where the trial is at with my 2 year old nephew's murder.
Shortly after December 3rd we begin to plan for our Anniversary which falls on December 13th, and is usually just marked with a lovely annual (non-kosher) dinner at Red Lobster (for this dinner I don't eat shellfish or other trafe foods I simply tell myself from the beginning of the evening that the meal will not be kosher due to being prepared around trafe foods. Especially since I am unable to know if the trafe foods are prepared separately from the presumably kosher foods.) This is Ethan's favorite restaurant (from what I've gathered, as I tell him he can choose whatever and he always says he wants Red Lobster) so I have no issues breaking Kashrut once a year to give him what makes him happy. This year we chose to do a few extra things because it marks our 5th year together. We are going to go explore a free museum on ASU's campus, then have a picnic lunch at the park and play on the swings, afterwards we are going to go to a Christmas event Ethan found at our favorite fishing supply store and have our photo taken with santa and maybe look at some fishing gear (we love to fish). We plan to end the evening with the Red Lobster dinner.
My birthday happens to be on December 16th and as such we usually go to breakfast at Denny's (and split the free grand slam), then out to a mid morning movie, followed by a lunch of some sort - this year we are going to come home and make homemade kosher pizzas & a birthday cake!
Also from Sunday through Thursday of that week (12/11 to 12/15) we have tech week for "Every Christmas Story Ever Told", which is a production we are working on as sound techies with Black Box theatre!
As if the week doesn't sound full enough, Friday the 16th is also opening night!
We have shows the 16th (7pm), 17th (7pm), 18th (2pm), 22nd (7pm), 23rd (7pm), 29th (7pm), 30th (7pm), 31st (2pm).
And here is where Chrismakuh comes in to play! This year Hanukkah falls on the 21st through the 28th so we decided that since Christmas is in the middle of that we'd celebrate them together.
We plan to say blessings, light candles, spend time away from the phones & computers, maybe watch some movies and play some cards, and of course enjoy made from scratch meals. We even took turns choosing yummy sounding foods and I found recipes to adapt in to kosher meals. Our menu consists of not so traditional Jewish foods however we both felt that the holiday posed an excellent time to attempt recipes that seem a little complicated and therefore not something we would typically attempt for a regular dinner; we also chose foods we don't always eat. The hope is that we find yummy meals for not only this blog, but for my own homemade cookbook that I am slowly putting together. It seems that the closer we come to starting a family the more my desire grows to make sure our children are raised in a kosher home, with home cooked meals, and true family traditions.
For those of you interested in our menu (and what you will be seeing recipes for come late December and early January) here it is:
12/20 Cashew Chicken & Banana Nut Bread
12/21 Salmon w/Avocado Sauce & Corn Bread
12/22 Potato Soup & Sour Dough Bread
12/23 Homemade Mac & Cheese & Fried Veggies
12/24 Cheeseburgers & Homemade Burger Buns
12/25 Turkey, Challah Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, & White Bread
12/26 Cheese Lasagna & Corn on the Cob
12/27 Fish Tacos & Black Bean Cesar Salad
12/28 Undecided!
For New Years Eve we will probably choose our favorite meal from the menu above, cook that, and enjoy a bottle of wine. Before dinner we may go look at stars at the park or drive around and look at Christmas lights (something we both enjoy).
I wanted to write this update as a way of showing how we maintain respect for one another's beliefs during the month of December. As an interfaith couple we have found that simply embracing one another's religions and loving one another (unconditionally) is the only way to make our relationship work.
Thanks for reading!
~Miykal-Li
Ethan and I don't tend to argue or even debate our religious beliefs. We love one another and understand that our religious beliefs and choices are our own. He doesn't think I am a sinner, nor does he believe I am going to hell. We both believe that when it is our time to go those that are most important to us are the ones that will be waiting on the "other side" for us, regardless of their beliefs on earth. Keeping with respecting one another's beliefs and religious choices we are often reminded of our religious differences, typically around holidays, and most frequently during the month of December.
Let me begin by saying that December is a very full month for us, and this year is absolutely no exception. Right out the door, on December 3rd we celebrate my life... we celebrate me being alive to enjoy all of God's greatness after an assault in 2006 which put me in the hospital multiple times over the course of that first year. I suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) which has brought with it a large and diverse list of challenges for not only myself but those who remain closest to me to overcome.
This year we have a court date on the 12th of December to see where the trial is at with my 2 year old nephew's murder.
Shortly after December 3rd we begin to plan for our Anniversary which falls on December 13th, and is usually just marked with a lovely annual (non-kosher) dinner at Red Lobster (for this dinner I don't eat shellfish or other trafe foods I simply tell myself from the beginning of the evening that the meal will not be kosher due to being prepared around trafe foods. Especially since I am unable to know if the trafe foods are prepared separately from the presumably kosher foods.) This is Ethan's favorite restaurant (from what I've gathered, as I tell him he can choose whatever and he always says he wants Red Lobster) so I have no issues breaking Kashrut once a year to give him what makes him happy. This year we chose to do a few extra things because it marks our 5th year together. We are going to go explore a free museum on ASU's campus, then have a picnic lunch at the park and play on the swings, afterwards we are going to go to a Christmas event Ethan found at our favorite fishing supply store and have our photo taken with santa and maybe look at some fishing gear (we love to fish). We plan to end the evening with the Red Lobster dinner.
My birthday happens to be on December 16th and as such we usually go to breakfast at Denny's (and split the free grand slam), then out to a mid morning movie, followed by a lunch of some sort - this year we are going to come home and make homemade kosher pizzas & a birthday cake!
Also from Sunday through Thursday of that week (12/11 to 12/15) we have tech week for "Every Christmas Story Ever Told", which is a production we are working on as sound techies with Black Box theatre!
As if the week doesn't sound full enough, Friday the 16th is also opening night!
We have shows the 16th (7pm), 17th (7pm), 18th (2pm), 22nd (7pm), 23rd (7pm), 29th (7pm), 30th (7pm), 31st (2pm).
And here is where Chrismakuh comes in to play! This year Hanukkah falls on the 21st through the 28th so we decided that since Christmas is in the middle of that we'd celebrate them together.
We plan to say blessings, light candles, spend time away from the phones & computers, maybe watch some movies and play some cards, and of course enjoy made from scratch meals. We even took turns choosing yummy sounding foods and I found recipes to adapt in to kosher meals. Our menu consists of not so traditional Jewish foods however we both felt that the holiday posed an excellent time to attempt recipes that seem a little complicated and therefore not something we would typically attempt for a regular dinner; we also chose foods we don't always eat. The hope is that we find yummy meals for not only this blog, but for my own homemade cookbook that I am slowly putting together. It seems that the closer we come to starting a family the more my desire grows to make sure our children are raised in a kosher home, with home cooked meals, and true family traditions.
For those of you interested in our menu (and what you will be seeing recipes for come late December and early January) here it is:
12/20 Cashew Chicken & Banana Nut Bread
12/21 Salmon w/Avocado Sauce & Corn Bread
12/22 Potato Soup & Sour Dough Bread
12/23 Homemade Mac & Cheese & Fried Veggies
12/24 Cheeseburgers & Homemade Burger Buns
12/25 Turkey, Challah Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, & White Bread
12/26 Cheese Lasagna & Corn on the Cob
12/27 Fish Tacos & Black Bean Cesar Salad
12/28 Undecided!
For New Years Eve we will probably choose our favorite meal from the menu above, cook that, and enjoy a bottle of wine. Before dinner we may go look at stars at the park or drive around and look at Christmas lights (something we both enjoy).
I wanted to write this update as a way of showing how we maintain respect for one another's beliefs during the month of December. As an interfaith couple we have found that simply embracing one another's religions and loving one another (unconditionally) is the only way to make our relationship work.
Thanks for reading!
~Miykal-Li
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Deviled Eggs / Pareve
Deviled Eggs
Kosher // Pareve
Ingredients
30 hard boiled eggs
1 & 1/4 cups of mayonnaise (verify the jar says pareve)
5 tsp's of yellow mustard
1/2 of a onion, finely chopped
salt
black pepper
paprika
Directions
1) Cut eggs in half, scoop out yoke into mix bowl.
2) Arrange egg halves onto serving tray.
3) Mash egg yokes, stir in mayonnaise and mustard.
4) Add salt, pepper, and onions to taste.
5) Spoon yoke mixture onto egg halves.
6) Sprinkle paprika over deviled egg halves and serve!
2) Arrange egg halves onto serving tray.
3) Mash egg yokes, stir in mayonnaise and mustard.
4) Add salt, pepper, and onions to taste.
5) Spoon yoke mixture onto egg halves.
6) Sprinkle paprika over deviled egg halves and serve!
Butter Pecan Cookies / Pareve
Butter
Pecan Turtle Cookies
Kosher // Pareve
Ingredients
2 cups of flour
1 & 1/5 cups of brown sugar
1/2 cup of canola oil
1 & 1/5 cups of pecan chips
2/3 cups of margarine
1 cup of chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
F.
Directions
1) Combine 2 cups of flour, 1
cup brown sugar, and 1 & 3/4 cup margarine - Mix until dough is smooth.
2) Spray cake pan with
pareve non stick cooking spray & spread crust evenly with spoon/butter
knife in pan.
3) Sprinkle 1 & 1/2
cups pecans over crust.
4) Turn on stove to medium
heat.
5) In a saucepan heat 2/3
cup margarine & 1/2 cup brown sugar, stir very occasionally; let
mixture
boil until it bubbles such that the sugar & margarine are integrated.
6) Immediately pour caramel
over pecans as evenly as possible.
7) Bake uncovered at 350
degrees for 18 minutes.
8) Remove from oven and
immediately sprinkle chocolate chips on top. (I find it easiest to turn off the oven
and place pan back in, allowing chocolate chips to melt, then pull it out and spread
evenly.)
9) Allow to cool,
refrigerating for 1-3 hours. Cut into Squares. (I keep ours refrigerated for more of a crunch!)
 |
| This is the package of Pecan's I use - bought from Walmart for about $4.00 - notice the U in the right hand corner! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)