Honey Garlic Shrimp

One of my goals this year is to get scuba certified.  I completed the educational aspect, and next weekend I will do my pool dives.

The dive shop that I am working with does all their pool dives in two days.  They start each day at 10:30am and end at 5pm.  They do their outdoor dives in one weekend as well.

Easy Paella

Last year I went to Spain during the Thanksgiving holiday break.  I tasted some paella there and bough a small quantity of saffron.  

I used some of that saffron to make lamb tagine.  I still had quite a bit of saffron left over so I decided to make paella.  I used the remaining saffron to make another recipe I will post in the future.

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

My roommate has a slow cooker, and I have used it so much.  It is so convenient.  You just leave a bunch of ingredients in the slow cooker, let it do its work, and in a few hours you have a cooked meal.  I'm a fan.

I have recently made beef stew, chicken Marrakesh,  sesame beef, lamb tagine, chicken taco soup, honey garlic chicken, and chicken tinga.   

Lamb Shepherd's Pie

At Christmas, my family chooses different countries as the inspiration for our Christmas Eve celebration.  We have had a Spanish Christmas, a Newfoundland Christmas, a Mexican Christmas, a Ukrainian Christmas, and a French Christmas, among other countries.  

Last Christmas we celebrated an Australian Christmas.  This lamb shepherd pie was the main dish.  We also add a dessert called lush, pavlova,  and an Australian bread called damper.

Slow Cooker Chicken Marrakesh

I'm leaving to go to Mexico in a couple of days.  I'm pretty excited.  I have been to Mexico a couple of other times, but it has been over ten years.

I will be meeting my parents and nephew there, and my brother and his family is there already.  They have been there for a couple of months.

Slow Cooker Sesame Beef

Another slow cooker recipe.  This last year has been a year of slow cooker recipes.   Just a couple of weeks ago,  I made stew chicken inspired by Belize. 

Earlier this year I made Lamb Tagine.  That was a really good recipe.  It was one of the best recipes I have made all year.  Very yummy!

Stew Chicken (Belize)

A couple of years ago, I went to Belize with my parents, brother, and sister in-law.  We spend a day in Guatemala too.  It was a fun trip with great company.

We went in February.  February is a great month to go somewhere warm.  By the time February rolls around, it is still cold but I'm more than tired of winter.  I little respite to a warmer climate is a welcome change.

Papa a la Huancaina

A few years ago, I went to Peru with my parents and a cousin.  It was a great trip.  We covered lots of ground in a short amount of time.  We walked, took a train, a bus, and a few airplanes.  

We saw Machu Picchu, Cusco, Arequipa, Lake Titicaca, and Lima.  We ate delicious food as well.  I like making food from countries I have visited.  It often takes me a long time to actually making the dishes though.  I went to Switzerland last summer and have a few recipes I want to try but haven't actually make yet.

Lamb Tagine

This isn't the first time I made this recipe.  I made lamb tagine last June.  I used the same recipe as well.  The difference is that I used saffron this time.  I bought a small package of saffron in Spain.  

 This was a great recipe, which is why I made it twice.  I'm not sure how saffron affected the overall flavor.  I can't remember exactly how it tasted last time.  Last time I added dried apricots.  That was a tasty addition, and I probably should have added dried apricots this time as well.

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Artichoke, Spinach, and Caramelized Onions

I have had another busy week.  I week ago I went to Spain.  I was back in town for two days before leaving on a work trip to San Francisco.

I was only in San Francisco for three days, and my days were mostly filled with work stuff.  I was still able to see the pier, the ocean, and some seals.  I also walked around Chinatown and ate some tasty Mexican food.  

Chicken Methi

I am not working today because it's Columbus Day in the United States.  It is always nice to have a holiday, but I'm never sure what to do for Columbus Day.  

I don't have any traditions associated with this holiday.  I went on a short weekend trip this weekend to New Jersey, but we got back late last night, so I'm having a low key Columbus Day.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

It has been a week!  These last two days at work have felt exhausting.  I haven't had to work long hours.

I have been trying to learn something new, and that has required more effort.  I feel like I have spent hours googling how to complete the task.  I have hours ahead of me too because I'm far from completing the assignment.

Ham, Broccoli, and Cheddar Cheese Pizza

These may seem like a strange combination, but it worked.  My inspiration was broccoli and cheese soup.

I think this was the first time I have ever had broccoli on a pizza.  I have had peas on pizza before.  I briefly lived in Taiwan, and peas were a popular pizza topping there.

Chicken Tinga

A couple of years ago, I moved into a new apartment.  Thanks to my roommate, I had access to a slow cooker for the first time since I moved from home.  

I have become a fan of dishes made in a slow cooker.  It is so convenient to put all the ingredients into the slow cooker and then walk away for a few hours.  It is my preferred method of cooking on Sundays.

Chicken Chow Mein

A few weeks ago I read a book about Chinese American food.  The author discuses the history of Chinese American foods like chop suey and chow mein.  It was fascinating to see how Chinese foods were created to appeal to the American palate.

She also wrote about fortune cookies.  She believes that fortune cookies were actually created by Japanese Americans, but they gained prominence by the efforts of Chinese American producers.  

Yellow Lentil Dal

Another weekend came and flew by.  This summer is going by much too quickly.

I trying to be a little healthier this summer by biking to work more and eating healthier meals.  This lentil dal was tasty and good for my body.  I win all around.

Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa

Last weekend I went to Williamsburg.  I have been a few times before, but it is always a fun city to visit.

There is a section of the old part of town that has been converted into colonial Williamsburg.  You enter the shops and see people dressed up in 1770s garb and practicing a time appropriate trade.