Iced Green Tea

Shanghai, China, Spring 2009

Iced Green Tea    by Nancy Minnich Manubay.  I had the wonderful experience of being invited to visit with a good friend and her family while they where living in Shanghai, China. They were gracious enough to fly me there and entertain me for a week. I am so thankful to them for giving me the experience of exploring another culture, and of course getting to spend time with them and their children. It was truly a great experience, thank you!

Flash forward to January of 2012, when my then fiance, John, and I moved in together five months before our wedding. Both in our late 40’s, and having lived alone for most of our adult lives, this was certainly a challenge. Especially for two adults with many different tastes.

Which pictures would we hang on the wall and where? Who would use what room for an office? Every time my husband would ask where something of his would go, I would reply, “In your office.” At one point he finally said to me, “There are so many things in my office, there is not room for me in my office!” At least we were able to laugh about it.

One surprising thing we argued about was which teapot would sit on the stove, his or mine. In my mind this was insane, since mine was clearly nicer!!!  After a visit to his sister, the problem of the teapot was solved. She had a really cool electric water kettle on her counter, which we used to make our tea.

Four cup glass bowl I use to steep the tea.

Thus my love for the Capresso water kettle began. There is no longer a need for a teapot on the stove or arguing over which one. Win-win!

Iced Green Tea

4 c. boiling water

4 green tea bags (I use two regular and two decaf)

3 t. sugar (optional)

2 quart pitcher filled with ice

cocktail umbrella and straw (also, optional)

 

1. Boil 4 c. water and add the tea bags.  Steep for about 5 mins.

2. Remove tea bags, add sugar and stir.  (if preferred, omit sugar or adjust to your taste)

3. Pour tea over ice into a 2 quart pitcher, adding water if necessary to fill the pitcher.

4. Stir and serve over ice.

Enjoy!

~Liz

Refrigerator Oatmeal

Refrigerator Oatmeal        This is probably one of the easiest grab-and-go breakfasts you could imagine. The number of possible combinations and flavors is limited only by your own imagination. Fo…

Source: Refrigerator Oatmeal

Prague, Czech Republic

Graffiti in Prague, Czech Republic      In June of 2014, John and I had the pleasure of attending a friend’s wedding in the Czech Republic. As we started to explore the city of Prague, the first thing that stood out to me was the amount of graffiti on the buildings. My first thought was that they had gang problems as we do in the U.S., although there was no evidence of danger as we wandered the city streets.

We had a day or two to explore the city before we met up with Bill and Kamila for their rehearsal dinner. The first chance I got, I asked Bill about the graffiti.  Bill had lived in Amsterdam for over a decade, and Kamila grew up in the Czech Republic. Bill explained to me that the graffiti was not about gangs or violence, but about artistic expression. That answer was so much better than I expected.

The wedding was held high on a hill, with breath-taking views of the city. We enjoyed our trip to Prague completely.  We found the city to be beautiful, clean, friendly and safe.  John asked if I would return to Prague, and I said, “Yes” without hesitation. Beautiful, beautiful city!!!

Graffiti or Art?

 

Beautiful architecture

City park without Graffiti

Have a great day!

Enjoy!

~Nancy

 

 

 

Breakfast for Dinner

Veggie Omelette

I have always been a fan of breakfast food any time of the day. Tonight I got home later than usual and had to scrounge for something quick and lite for dinner. This veggie omelette is made with one whole egg and two egg whites, so it is packed with protein for less calories. I don’t like to omit the yolks completely, since they are packed with vitamins and nutrients.

Veggie Omelette

1/3 cup diced vegetables, such as onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, broccoli

1 t. butter

1 whole egg

2 egg whites

1 T. milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 slices deli cheese, such as Cooper Sharp Cheese (optional)

1. Saute veggies with butter in a non-stick pan on low to med heat until tender and caramelized.

2. Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper and add to the veggie mixture.

3. Cook on low to med heat until omelette is almost cooked through.

4. Using a large spatula, flip omelette over and add cheese if desired.

5. Cook for another minute, then fold omelette over itself and move to a serving dish.

Enjoy!

~Nancy

 

 

Battlefields of Gettysburg

Gettysburg, PA 2016      

John and I are very fortunate to live close to one of the most historical landmarks in Pennsylvania.  We visited Gettysburg last Forth of July weekend and were very impressed with this charming little town.

At that time we had only been riding horses for a short while and didn’t realize we could tour the battlefields on horseback.  So this year, we planned ahead and made reservations for a hotel and a horseback tour of the Gettysburg battlefields.

It is hard to imagine all of the men, women, children and animals that died on those battlefields so many years ago.  This guided tour was both awe-inspiring and breath-taking at the same time.  Here are some pictures from our ride.

 

Beautiful animals

John and I before the ride. His mount, Twister and my mount, Laurie.

What a mane!

Gorgeous scenery!

Laurie wants to eat my shoe.

The wheat fields were spectacular, but hard to take pictures while on a moving object.

Our tour-guide told us that the round hole in the top of the barn was made by a cannon ball.  We believe him.

Laurie, back at the campground, having a bite to eat.

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend a trip to this beautiful little town in Pennsylvania.  Whether by horseback or on foot, it is a site to see.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!  I know we will.

~Nancy

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blueberry Cake

Blueberry Cake

Here is another instance where I would LOVE to take credit for this recipe, but I cannot.  I stopped by a local orchard and picked up some fresh blueberries.  Alongside of various produce items, there were recipes. I asked if it was okay to take a picture of the recipe, and the clerk told me I could just take one.  They were printed and in tablet form so you could just tear one off and take it with you.  I thought that was a very cool idea.

So, I will share this recipe with the disclaimer, “this is NOT a low-calorie or low-fat food”. That being said, it was oh-so-good!!! Here is the recipe.

Happy Independence Day!!!  Have a fun and safe weekend!

Enjoy!

~Nancy

There is no “e” in Potato Salad

Yummy Potato Salad  

There are some very good prepared potato salads at delis and grocery stores, but generally I do not like the consistency of the potatoes.  They can be under cooked or just flat-out mushy.  With that in mind, I decided to try my hand at homemade potato salad.  The result was so creamy and luscious, I may never eat store-bought potato salad again. And, I got husband approval!

Yummy Potato Salad

4 red potatoes, peeled and diced (add 1 t. salt to cooking water)

3 T. milk

1 T. vinegar

1/2 t. salt

ground black pepper to taste

1/8 t. dried dill weed

1 T. fresh parsley, chopped*

1/3 c. diced onion/ celery mix**

1. Boil potatoes in salted water until just tender.  (Do not over cook or you will have mashed potatoes instead). Drain and rinse the cooked potatoes with cold water to stop the cooking process.  Drain well.

2. Mix remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl.

3. Add cooked potatoes and gently toss.

4. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Makes about 4 servings. You can double the recipe if you are having more guests.

Enjoy!

~Nancy

 

*If you don’t have fresh parsley on hand, you can use dried parsley.  I found a wonderful brand of freeze dried herbs made by Litehouse, which are very flavorful compared to other brands.

**Most grocery stores sell containers of pre-cut veggies in the produce section, but you can use about 1/4 onion diced and 1-2 ribs of celery diced instead.

 

Sesame Noodles

The ultimate comfort food!

At least for me, noodles are pure comfort food.  Add some Asian flavors and you cannot go wrong.  This recipe was given to me by a coworker.  The recipe calls for a pound of noodles, but I usually halve the recipe for just me and my husband.

This is an easy and quick recipe that is perfect for bringing to a casual picnic or party. It is intended to be served slightly cool or at room temperature, but is just as good served warm.

Sesame Noodles

16 oz. angel hair pasta

1 1/3 c. shredded carrots

4 T. sesame seeds, toasted*

1/2 c. light soy sauce

1/3 c. olive oil

1 t. sesame seed oil

1 T. sugar

1 t. ground ginger

1 T. white wine vinegar

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

4 scallions, diced for garnish (optional)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding the carrots to the water so they cook with the pasta.  Do not over cook noodles.  Drain and rinse with cold water.

2. In a mixing bowl, mix the soy sauce, olive oil, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, vinegar and pepper flakes.

3. Toss noodles in the dressing mixture and add toasted sesame seeds.

4. Sprinkle with diced scallions (green onion) for garnish.

5. Serve warm or chilled.

Enjoy!

~Nancy

*To toast the sesame seeds, the recipe calls for baking at ~325 degrees for about 2-4 minutes. I prefer to put the seeds in a dry frying pan at low-med heat.  You need to pay attention though, because they will burn quickly. Stir the seeds until they are a nice light brown and then transfer them to a paper plate until you are ready to use.

Cupcake!

I wish I could say I made this from scratch, but that would only be a half truth.  The cake is from a box with pudding in the recipe, very moist.  The icing is adapted from a recipe in a, appropriately named, cupcake recipe book.

The recipe is for Creamy Chocolate frosting and is in “Betty Crocker: The Big Book of Cupcakes”  ISBN 978-0-470-90672-9

 

 

 

 

 

“My oh my, I love pie”

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

The general way in which I cook and bake is primarily through internet searches.  I search for the recipe I want and look at some of the larger sites, such as  www.allrecipes.com or The Food Network.  I look at a few recipes, take the parts that I like, and I attempt to create something that I and my husband will like.

This was my first attempt at Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, but strawberries and rhubarb are currently in season in the North East so I thought, why not?  Personally, I do not make my own pie crusts, I use the refrigerator pre-made ones.  But if you are energetic, by all means, go ahead.