Category Archives: Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Persian Salad Dressing

The original recipe posted can be found here. This recipe is perfect for salads we serve with our Persian influenced meals that include lamb and rice. As I posted in the original recipe my parents lived many of their formative years in Persia after escaping out of Russia in 1932. They lived in Iran (Persia) near Tehran from 1932-1947. This is a perfect dressing for salads that include tomatoes and cucumbers.

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 C. Olive Oil
  • 3 T. lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 1 clove garlic pressed or minced

Method:

  1. Whisk all ingredients together until incorporated.
  2. Serve over salad greens with tomatoes, cucumber, and onion.

This makes enough dressing for a large salad that serves 8-12 people.

Nineteenth Bloggy Anniversary!

The photo above is of my brother Steve working on setting up my blog. We were all gathered at Greg’s brother’s home in Anaheim Hills.

Way back in March of 2007 my brother Steve strongly encouraged me to start a blog and he helped me to set it all up. When things didn’t post right he’d help me sort out the glitches. We were living temporarily in Camarillo, California at the time and it was a good season for me to have something extra in my life like blogging. It has been a fun journey and has morphed over all the years.

In February of 2008 I met my first Blogging friend, Willow. Here’s what I wrote about it 18 years ago.

God is so good to me. He gave me two desires of my heart today! I’ve said over and over again how sweet it would be to meet one of my bloggy friends and how I’d love to have a walking buddy in Southern California after I left my walking buddies in Seattle, Washington. Today Willow and I met and had a walk and plan to walk on a regular basis, keeping each other accountable. How sweet it is! We found each other through blogging and realized we both live in the same city. We’re in the same stage of life and have a lot in common. Check out her blog, she has very exciting news today! She became a grandmother!

In April of 2008, Willow, Sara and I met up at the Getty Villa. Here’s what I wrote way back then.

On Monday Willow and I met Sara from Much ado About Something at the Getty Villa. This was the first time I met Sara face to face. Sara in person is true to who she is on her blog. She’s gracious, thoughtful, and kind. What a fun experience to meet bloggy friends in person. I’ll be posting more about the Getty soon.

Here we are at lunch at the Getty Cafe. Willow from Willow’s Cottage, Sara of Much Ado About Something and ellen b. from the Happy Wonderer. See ellen b. leaning over without wincing with back pain. Whoohoo!

I met the lovely Cori G. in Southern California just before Greg and I moved back to the Seattle area. We met up in January of 2009. Here’s what I wrote…

On Tuesday I drove to Orange County for a family dinner at my parents’ apartment with my sisters, SIL’s, and nieces. Cori G. form Gingerbread Crumbs & Co. and I have been regulars on each others blogs and she happens to live in Orange County so we arranged a face to face meeting close to my parent’s apartment. We had a very short time to meet and “talk” but what a joy it was to spend this short time asking questions and sharing a little bit more of our lives in person. I was surprised how fast our time went.

Cori G and I met up one more time before Greg and I moved back at a restaurant in San Marino.

The Monday before we left California Cori G! met me in San Marino for breakfast at Julienne. I was a distracted blogger that day and forgot to get a fresh photo of the two of us at Julienne.

In March of 2010 Greg and I met up with Sandy and her husband. We were driving from Camarillo back to our home in Kenmore after selling our condo in Camarillo.

On our trip back to Washington from California, Dear and I had dinner with Sandy from The Reluctant Entertainer and her husband. We had our fabulous meal and time of fellowship at the Winchester Inn in Ashland, Oregon. I knew Sandy lived close by and it worked out that she and her husband were available to meet us. We didn’t run out of things to talk about. Sandy shares my passion for food and fellowship around food. Her blog is about simple entertaining and creative hospitality. If you haven’t visited there yet click on over. This is Sandy’s photo that I asked for since my photo was blurry. Thank you Sandy! Look at those great salads! I’ll be posting more about this great Inn later…

This epic meetup with 5 of the Mennonite Girls Can Cook was life changing and it all grew out of blogging! This was in April of 2010 after Greg and I had moved back to Kenmore and left our sojourn in Southern California behind for good.

Whoohoo! I finally got to meet some of the Mennonite Girls from MGCC face to face on Tuesday. Five of the Canadian Mennonites had a field-trip down to the Skagit Valley to see the tulips and we all met up for lunch in La Conner. It was like we were old friends. Each gal is so unique yet so cohesive in the group. I don’t know if that’s the right word but I hope you understand what I mean…

I feel so blessed to have been adopted into the fold even though I’m not Mennonite. Many of our Russian recipes are similar to the Mennonite favorites.

Seeds of Friendship

I planted some seeds of friendship
All nice and neatly in a row
I tended to them with love and care
Then watched them sprout and grow

All ten of us when we gathered in British Columbia to sign contracts for our first cookbook in September of 2010.

So what makes it easy for 10 women all together for the first time ever to be relaxed and enjoy each other? I think it begins with our  faith in God, our savior Jesus Christ, our common comfort food experience, our heritage, and our openness to new adventures. I am aware of what a gift it is to have made this wonderful connection with these beautiful girls.

And then Herald Press came knocking at our door. This is a link to our October 2010 announcement.

In July of 2010 Dear and I met the Scrabble Queen from Scrabblequeen Knits for breakfast while we were in the Sacramento area for a funeral. She gifted me with some wonderful loose tea from England!

In April of 2011 during a ‘sister’ trip to Victoria on Vancouver Island my bloggy friend, Pondside, who lives on the island offered to pick me and my sisters up and give us a mini tour of some of her favorite spots. What a treat that was!

The last stop on our Victoria tour with Pondside was Hatley Castle. I can imagine how beautiful this location would be for a wedding when everything is blooming.

I really do thank God for many wonderful people I’ve met through blogging and blossoming friendships that continue. Pondside is one of those people who I thank God for bringing into my life.

On a weekend in July 2011 Jill a bloggy friend from Utah flew in for a visit at our house. We treated her to the usual tourist spots including the Lavender festival in Sequim. (pronounced squim). Andrew was in Afghanistan during this time so our daughter, Katie, was living with us and she was a great addition for our time at the lavender fields.

It’s a lot more fun with my navigator and a bloggy friend who understands that we take photos of everything! Jill and her camera are great companions for me. Here’s a link to Jill’s post about our time at the lavender fields.

And here’s another link to our Saturday shenanigans.

At a book signing in Winnepeg/Manitoba I was able to meet Millie from Wreathmaker. What a fun surprise to see her and her hubby at McNally Robinson bookstore.

In 2014 on Katie and my roadtrip from Seattle to North Carolina we arranged a meeting over lunch in Kansas City, Missouri with Pam from Abiding With Love. We had a wonderful meal paid for by Pam’s husband and great conversation with Pam and her daughter.

Pray for dear Pam as she has had health crisis after health crisis stemming from Lyme’s disease and now from a brain tumor her and her family call Georgia on my mind.

Several of these gals do not blog anymore. There are other gals who stopped blogging that I never met in person but would have liked to meet. Let’s see if my brain can remember them, Rosemary, Kim at Hiraeth, Gumbo Lily.  There are some bloggers that I miss who have left this earth like Vee, and Sally from Blue Monday.

To those of you who are still blogging, thank you and It would be a treat to meet you in person!

All in all, blogging has been a joy to me and I’ll keep going as long as it is reasonable for me to continue.

I’m coming to you today from somewhere on the Danube river! I prepped this post for my anniversary before we left on our trip. Hopefully by now I’ve posted some postcards of what we have seen so far! Thank you for following along!

Creamy Poblano Soup

In the past I’ve found good recipes that are included with store flyers. This recipe came from a flyer that Fred Meyer sent out some years past, recipes with a Latin flair. I tried two of their soup recipes. The first one I tried and the whole family enjoyed was this Creamy Poblano Soup. There are no credits given in the magazine for the recipe so I’ll give Fred Meyer the credit.

Creamy Poblano Soup

6 poblano peppers
1 lb. ground beef (80% lean)
2 cups sliced leeks (from 2 large leeks, white part only)
2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the broiler in your oven.
Arrange Poblanos on a sheet pan and place 4-6 inches under the broiler.
Cook until charred on all sides, turning every few minutes, about 8-12 minutes or more.
Transfer the charred peppers to a bowl and cover them tightly with plastic wrap.
Let them steam for 10 minutes then peel and chop the peppers, discarding the skin and seeds.
Set aside.

Add the ground beef to a large pot over medium heat.
Cook, stirring often, until the fat is rendered and the beef has begun to brown.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the beef and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
Add the leaks and cook, stirring occasionally until they have softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the reserved poblanos and corn, and continue to cook until the corn has cooked through, about 5 minutes. (add some olive oil to pan if it seems dry) Add the chicken stock and simmer until the flavors incorporate about 5 minutes. Stir in the cram and reserved cooked ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the soup is warmed through then serve at once, refrigerating any leftovers.
This will serve 4-6 people.

Notes: I salted the raw beef lightly while it was cooking and I also salted the leeks and corn lightly while they cooked. You could prepare the poblanos a day ahead to speed up the cooking process on the day you want to eat the soup. If you have a gas stove top you can char the peppers over the flame but it’s easier to char them under the broiler.

We really enjoyed this flavorful soup! Poblano peppers have a more gentle spiciness than jalapenos or Anaheim chilies.

Bruschetta Ricotta Cheese Spread

We enjoy Bruschetta which is a simple Italian appetizer consisting of grilled bread lightly brushed with olive oil and rubbed with garlic. From here the varieties are abundant. We enjoy this prepared bread topped with a simple tomato and fresh basil mix or with an added dimension of this ricotta spread.

Ricotta Cheese Spread
Ingredients:

  • 1 cup ricotta
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
  • 1 clove roasted garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons chives chopped
  • 1 or more tablespoons of grated Parmesan

Method:

  1. Mix all of these ingredients and store in refrigerator until ready to use.
  2. When your bread and tomato topping is ready arrange on plate and serve.

Tomato Topping:

  • 3-4 roma tomatoes chopped with liquid drained
  • 1 clove minced roasted garlic
  • chopped fresh basil (amount to taste)
  • Small amount of olive oil to just coat ingredients and salt and pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Mix together and serve fresh on toasted or grilled slices of bread spread with olive oil and garlic.
  2.  Spread the toasted bread with the ricotta mixture and top with tomato/basil mix and enjoy.

You can also offer an olive tapenade to your serving platter which will go well with the ricotta spread.

Slow Cooker Veggie Curry

You can prepare this dish ahead of time storing it in a large storage bag sealing tightly with all the air squeezed out for up to 2 days in the refrigerator before cooking in slow cooker. You can freeze it to thaw and cook at a later date. I found this idea in a grocery store flyer.

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (14 oz.) chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 head cauliflower florets cut to bite sized pieces
  • 1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed (I used asparagus)
  • 1 sweet potato, washed and diced
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrot
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup light coconut milk
  • 1 tsp. curry powder
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Method:

  1. Combine all ingredients (excluding cilantro) in a large plastic storage bag sealing tightly to store.
  2. Refrigerate for up to 2 days in the refrigerator or freeze.
  3. When ready to use empty the plastic bag contents into slow cooker and cover.
  4. If frozen, thaw contents before putting into slow cooker and cover.
  5. Cook on low setting for 4 hours.
  6. Serve topped with cilantro.

Alternate Method:

  1. Combine all ingredients (excluding cilantro) in the crock pot.
  2. Cook on low setting for 4 hours.
  3. Serve topped with cilantro.

Depending on the size of your cauliflower this will serve 4- 8 people.
Judy’s Naan bread would go well with this curry.
Here’s what it looks like before it is cooked.

 

Persian Kotlety


One of our favorites growing up were Kotlety. We used to call them Russian hamburgers. A recipe for a more Russian version of these is in our cookbook but I wanted to share this recipe that has a Persian twist.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of ground meat
  • 1 cup grated onion
  • 1 egg
  • 1 slice bread soaked in milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1-2 cups fine bread crumbs or Panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil for sautéing the patties

Method:

  1. Put first 9 ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
  2. Form patties with this mixture, you can choose round or oval.
  3. Roll the patties in bread crumbs.
  4. Saute them in butter and olive oil flipping half way through the cooking process till they are cooked through.
  5. Serves 4.
  6. Serve with your favorite sides.

I used panko this time instead of fine bread crumbs and I liked the result.

I served them with my mother’s rice and a salad but the cutlet would pair nicely with potatoes in any form. My mother always formed the patties in this oval shape. These are also great cold in a sandwich form.

A Deep Hodgepodge

This photo from January of 2016 (10 years ago) was from a few days spent in San Francisco while Greg was at an Oncology Conference. The words below the first photo are about that day in 2016.

Alice day S.F 030

Today was a full day of sight seeing with an old friend from my college days who grew up in San Francisco. She happens to be Russian/Chinese and knows the city well. We had several stops and enjoyed lunch and shopping in China Town where everyone is getting ready for the Chinese New Year. I don’t think I need to tell anyone what bridge they are looking at in my photo…

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My friend, Alice, at our delicious lunch in Chinatown. She did the ordering. My friend passed away in 2018.

Back to…

…Another winter Hodgepodge with a flashback to ten years ago thanks to Joyce From This Side of the Pond.

1. Ice skating, skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, playing in the snow, or a snowy walk…which winter activity do you choose? Have you done any of these activities so far this winter? 

Nothing this winter. We have not had any measurable snow this season.

At this stage of life, the only winter activity I would choose are the walking kind.

When we have a good dump of snow I have gone out our door to snowshoe. This is from 2019.

This one is from 2022.

2. Everyone is posting pictures from ten years ago on their social media sites so let’s jump on the bandwagon too. Share one photo and one thought to go with said photo from the year 2016. And maybe everyone isn’t doing this, but many are and we’re going to be part of the fun. 

This was one of the best memories of 2016! This is the photo that was shared with us and I shared it on the Hodgepodge with the words below the photo.

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We have the best of news that we have permission to share now with the world. Dear and I are grandparents for the first time and will  be able to see our new little granddaughter for the first time in person sometime in March or April of 2017 depending on when she pops out. Even though our little granddaughter is not born yet we consider her our granddaughter already as God is wonderfully forming her right now.
~
At the end of 2016, this review of the year from July to December was published on my blog. What a year!
~

3. What’s a trend you hope disappears in this new year? 

Stalking, attacking and verbally assaulting Law Enforcement.

4. ‘They’ say there’s a day for everything and January 21st proves it. National Granola Bar Day. Do you like granola bars? How about just regular granola? Do you like bars of other kinds? 

I’ll have one if I’m desperate but they aren’t something that is purchased and available in my pantry. I do enjoy granola as a cereal with milk.

5.  A frozen lake, a trickling stream, a raging river, or a deep well…which one describes something about your life right now? Elaborate as much or as little as you like. 

A deep well. There is so much to learn that I do not know. So much to see that I haven’t seen. So much about God that I do not know. I believe the ache to know more, see more and do more comes from a deep longing from our inner being that wants to see God as He is. It is a hard thing to explain. Someday that will be a reality. Until then I’ll keep digging in God’s truth and in the world God created for us to enjoy and give glory to God in the discoveries along the way that show me more of Him. My deep desire will become reality when I graduate to heaven.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Speaking of 2016, this is another amazing memory and experience we had in September/October of that year.

shipshe-laughing

The “Girls” and most of our husbands have just returned from a seven day trip to Indiana and Ohio to see a production using our name in Amish/Mennonite Country. The Blue Gate Productions hosted us and treated us as VIP’s. All ten of the girls were together at the Blue Gate Garden Inn where we enjoyed “Faspa” on Sunday night before we had our cooking show and saw the production for the first time. As you can see from the first photo above we have fun together.

heritage-tour-179

We took this opportunity to get some photos of all ten of us since Betty and Charlotte live in Manitoba and miss many of our get togethers in British Columbia and Seattle.

blue-gate

I shared many posts about our time in Amish Country. This is the initial one here.

Happy Wednesday, Hodgepodgers and all who stop by here.

Snickerdoodles

My sisters and I used to make these simple cookies when we were young and try to sell them in our neighborhood.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened.
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten.
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2-3/4 Cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 teaspoons cinnamon

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. In bowl of mixer, cream butter and 1-1/2 cups sugar thoroughly, then add eggs and incorporate thoroughly, mix in the vanilla.
  3. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
  4. Add dry ingredients into butter mixture and mix well.
  5. Chill dough, and chill 2 large ungreased cookie sheets for about 10-15 minutes in the fridge.
  6. Meanwhile, mix 3 tablespoons sugar, and 3 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl.
  7. Roll dough into small balls about 1 inch in diameter and drop into sugar-cinnamon mixture.
  8. Coat by gently rolling balls of dough in the sugar/cinnamon mixture.
  9. Place on chilled ungreased cookie sheet, and bake 10 minutes – 20 minutes. This varies due to the pan you choose and whether you cook one sheet at a time.
  10. Remove from pan after they cool slightly.
  11. Yield approx. 4 dozen.

I overloaded my cookie sheets and put two pans in the oven at the same time so it took a full 20 minutes for them to bake. Make sure to leave a good amount of space between the balls of dough.

Creamed Corn

This Creamed Corn Recipe has been around in our family since the 70’s. It originally came from a restaurant in Southern California called Gulliver’s. I still have the recipe card they were happy to hand out to patrons of the restaurant. This restaurant is still in existence. It makes a great side dish for Prime Rib or steak. I realized I hadn’t posted the recipe on my blog. This will help next Christmas when I search for this dish that I only make once a year!

  • 32 ounce package of frozen corn
  • 8 ounces whipping cream
  • 8 ounces milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 teaspoons sugar

——————

  • 2 tablespoons soft butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 pinch of White Pepper

 

  1. Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile blend the flour, butter, and white pepper together.
  3. Add the flour mixture to the simmering corn and stir and watch carefully as the mixture thickens.
  4. Serve and enjoy.

Note: Instead of 8 ounces of whipping cream and 8 ounces of milk, I most often just use 16 ounces of Half and Half.

Applesauce Cake Roll

My mom used to made this Applesauce Cake Roll years ago and I had tried it once in the past and decided to try it again. It makes a nice dessert that isn’t too sweet and is festive. I made a couple mistakes and will improve on my cake rolling the next time around. My company did not mind it’s imperfection!

Ingredients:
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Powdered sugar (icing sugar) for dusting

Filling:
12 oz. of cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Beat eggs till thick.
Gradually add sugar beating well.
Add 1/2 cup applesauce.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt & cloves.
Fold into egg mixture along with the walnuts.
Spread in greased and floured 15 x 10 x 1 jelly roll pan. I updated this step and used parchment paper that I lightly greased.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
Immediately loosen sides and invert onto a kitchen towel.
Pull parchment paper off and cover with powdered sugar.
Roll the cake in the towel and let it cool completely. It will be a nicer roll if you roll it on the short side.
Prepare the filling by beating the cream cheese, sugar and milk together till smooth.
When the cake has cooled unfold it and spread the filling evenly on the cake.
Roll the cake again carefully, discarding the towel.
Wrap the whole cake with foil (I sprayed the foil with cooking spray) and freeze. This will make it easy to cut when ready to serve.
When ready to serve, unwrap the cake, dust with powdered sugar (icing sugar) cut slices and serve with ice cream or whip cream.

I’ve got room for improvement but my beginner attempt was well received and devoured.