Author Archives: Bill Carlson

Julia’s Kale and Strawberry Salad

Ingredients (Salad):

  • Kale
  • Strawberries
  • Goat Cheese
  • Pistachios

Ingredients (Dressing):

  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 1/8 cup Mustard
  • Lemon Juice
  • Salt
  • Honey
  • Apple Cider Vinegar

Directions:

  1. Make dressing by mixing Oil and Mustard and adding up to 1/8 cup of remaining ingredients to taste, making it snappy.
  2. Chop Kale and removing stems.
  3. Massage Kale with some dressing until wilted.
  4. Cut up strawberries.
  5. Chunk goat cheese.
  6. Toss all salad ingredients and add more dressing.

Note: Julia Rose provided this recipe.

Amish Custard

A healthy and delicious dessert!

Ingredients:
  • 5 large eggs (original: 4)
  • 3/8 cup granulated sugar (original: 1/2 c)
  • 3/8 tsp salt (original: 1/2)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 cups whole milk (was 2%)
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Beat eggs on medium-low speed for 30 seconds.
  3. Add sugar, salt, vanilla; whisk until mixed.
  4. Pour milk in microwave safe bowl, heat in one minute increments until it reaches 180 degrees F.
  5. Slowly drizzle the milk into egg mixture, whisking constantly
  6. Beat 30 seconds
  7. Pour into ramekins, place ramekins in 10×15 baking dish in hot water (not boiling).
  8. Place in preheated oven, bake 35-40 minutes. Done when an inserted knife comes out clean.
  9. Serve warm or cold.

Note: Excellent with a hot bourbon/cherry preserve sauce.

Note: This recipe was modified from Baked Custard Recipe.

Mock Paella

After visiting Spain in the spring of 2023, and loving the chicken paella when we were in Valencia, we modified our favorite Rosemary Chicken recipe to be sort of paella-like.

Ingredients

  • 8 Boneless chicken thighs, skin on. (Bone in ok too)
  • 2 Tbl Ground Rosemary
  • 2 Tbl Assorted other herbs: thyme, sage, oregano, etc.
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 cups of cooked brown rice
  • 1 cup green beans, sliced into 1-inch segments, uncooked
  • 1 cup mushrooms, slices, uncooked

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Mix the herbs and salt, a mortar and pestle is very helpful.
  3. Prepare the chicken thighs by creating a pocket between the skin and thigh, being careful not to fully separate it. Then put some of the herb mix in the pocket.
  4. In a large, flat baking dish, mix cooked rice, beans, mushrooms.
  5. Place chicken thighs on top, spritz with olive oil.
  6. Bake for 30-45 minutes until chicken reaches 165 F.

We often serve this in a large cast iron dutch oven which keeps it warm and moist. This is excellent as left-overs, we often chop up the chicken and mix it in before reheating to keep it moist and yummy.

Perfect Pot Roast

Modified from Ree Drumand’s Perfect Pot Roast on the Food Network.

We love pot roast on a chilly day with some buttered rosemary toast, there is nothing more yummy!

Ingredients

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • One 3- to 5-pound chuck roast 
  • 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, peeled and quartered (or 1 large, in eighths)
  • 5 yellow potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 6 to 8 whole carrots, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 3 cups beef broth (freeze leftover juice from last pot roast as a starter)
  • 2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 large cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. 
  2. Generously salt and pepper the chuck roast. 
  3. Heat the olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the halved onions to the pot, browning them on both sides. Remove the onions to a plate. 
  4. Brown carrots and potatoes in a similar manner in the same pot, removing each to a plate when done
  5. If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pot. Place the meat in the pot and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate. 
  6. With the burner still on high, use red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom with a whisk. Place the roast back into the pot and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway. 
  7. Add in the onions, the carrots and the potatoes, along with the fresh herbs and raw garlic.
  8. Put the lid on, then roast for 3 hours for a 3-pound roast. For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours. The roast is ready when it’s fall-apart tender.

Camping with Don and Sarah

On a lovely late July weekend, Bill and Jenny went camping with our friends Don and Sarah at Smallwood State Park in southern Maryland. We took Danny and our Nobo Camper on this trip and had much fun!

 
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Seared Scallops with Garlic Butter

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Sea Scallops (serves about 2.5 people)
  • 1 Tbs Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 3 Tbs Butter
  • 1 tsp minced Garlic
  • 2 tsp Lemon Juice
  • 2 tsp chopped fresh herbs (dried ok)
  • lemon wedges for Garnish

Instructions

  1. Pat the scallops dry on both sides with a paper towel. Season on both sides with salt and pepper
  2. Heat oil in heavy skillet over high heat until it’s just smoking. Add scallops in a single layer and cook 2-3 minutes per side
  3. Remove scallops from pan, melt butter in pan
  4. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds, Stir in lemon juice and herbs
  5. Return scallops to pan, spoon sauce over top, garnish with herbs and lemon wedges. Serve immediately!

2018 RV Vacation

Immediately after Stephen and Julia’s Wedding in rural Virginia, Jenny, Bill, Danny, Whiskers, Mellie, and Bianca Timmer set off on an RV adventure to the great American west! The map shown below was the plan we had when we set out, and we hit everything there and then some! An awesome time for all!

Chapter 1: The voyage west

Chapter 2: White Sands, Carlsbad, Albuquerue, Santa Fe

Chapter 3: Mesa Verde, Flagstaff, and Grand Canyon

Chapter 4: Bryce, Salt Lake City

Chapter 5: Yellowstone

Chapter 6: Devil’s Tower, Mt. Rushmore

Chapter 7: Michigan and the voyage east

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