Posted by Shannon

Oh my goodness!
What a journey!

So there we were, there we were….

And then the moving truck showed up.

Boxes stacked to the ceiling of the new house.

House. Small.

1000 sq ft smaller than the last house…(that was already packed to the gills)

And no garage…

But.

We had teamwork. And patience. And cooperation.

And love.

And DESPERATION for an orderly life.

Think it can’t happen in a military family with five kids, one on the way (surprise!) and in a tiny house?

Think again.

I’ll be back soon. We are almost there.

Below: my new pantry/office
I can’t wait to get back to work!

Posted by Shannon

I’ll be back in a few weeks….

I’m processing data right now.

Posted by Shannon

The management of the Country Inn & Suites in Montgomery, Alabama is lovely, and granted our little Paprika admittance into their establishment. As I write this she is snoring heavily on the pillow next to me.

Today we drove from Aiken, SC to Montgomery, Alabama. We crossed through the beautiful state of Georgia where it rained off and on. Passing through Atlanta was exciting and I have a new appreciation for all my city friends who have to drive in that kind of traffic every day.

We crossed over the Chatahoochee River near the GA/AL border and I am happy to report that the water is indeed, muddy.

The fast food that one tends to eat on a long car journey is making me miserable. However, I have come to realize that being plumped up like a Ball Park Frank (hello, sodium!) is much better than suffering from food poisioning. The latter of which I experienced in North Africa four years ago. It turns out that preservatives do have a place in the world. I feel awful though, and am looking forward to about three weeks of nothing but green salads, fresh fruit and whole grains.

Tomorrow we will cross into Mississippi. Yes, I spelled it in that fast, funny way when I typed it (with my thumbs).

Mississippi.
Mississippi.
Mississippi.

Bet you can’t spell it three times fast.

Posted by Shannon

Well, we made it. Out of the house, that is.
I honestly don’t know where to begin. Of course, I must think of you (dear reader) when attempting to explain how excruciating a military move is.
If you are military can I please hear an “Amen, Sister!!!”
If you’re not military – well, I’m going to have to think of some good gory analogies. I’ll make that my little mental assignment while I’m driving through Georgia and half of Alabama tomorrow.
We departed Camp Lejeune last night and got as far as Wilmington.
Today we drove from Wilmington to Aiken, South Carolina. We are staying at the Country Inn And Suites and of course, we take up two whole rooms because fire codes restrict seven people from sharing the same room. Even if most of them are under three feet. Um-hmm. Whatever. Of course, little Paprika (who would be excellent in detecting smoke and would probably save us all from dying of poison gas inhalation) has been banished to the van. Poor little thing.
Turns out that when they say “pets are welcome!!” on the CIAS national website, they only mean IF and WHEN each independent franchise permits it.

See? This is inside reporting. I am at this moment sitting cross-legged (in the dark) on my bed typing this with my thumbs on the rediculously tiny keyboard on my iPhone.

Oh yes. Little do they know at the front desk that they have a rogue Military wife on her last nerve – who’s typing away ( with thumbs) and will push “publish” in just a matter of minutes….
Sigh.
Smile.

Here are some pics. There’s my kitchen, all ready to meet it’s next Marine Spouse. Be kind to her, dear kitchen. She needs it. And while you’re at it, could to tell the exhaust fan to work already?
The other pic is of our journey, and was taken near the NC/SC border.

Well, better go, friends. My thumbs have had it.

Night.

Posted by Shannon

This is also a test post. Can I actually post from my iPhone? We shall see.

We are painting the interior of the house white. Base housing is nice like that. We can paint the interior any way we like, but we have to cover it all before we go. It’s only fair.

So my cheery yellow kitchen is getting whitewashed right now.

I’d like to continue posting throughout the move, and if I can post from my iPhone then you’ll get to see glimpses of our 1000 mile drive through the deep South. 1000 miles with five kids. And a puppy. No biggie.

Hope you are having a great day,
Shannon

Posted by Shannon

Hi all.

We’ve been experiencing some technical difficulties here at The Flying Kitchen.

First of all, I’d like to thank all the fine people who came to my last classes here at Camp Lejeune!  Five Family Meals For $5 or Less, Fabulous Children’s Birthday Cakes, and Around The World In Appetizers went great and were SO MUCH FUN!

Second, for those of you who did not attend the classes, you read right – they were my last classes here at Camp Lejeune, because The Flying Kitchen is FLYING again….this time to the fabulous New Orleans, Louisiana.  I had no idea that Marines went to New Orleans, but I guess you learn something new every day.  Turns out they do, and my husband will be one of those.  For me, of course, it’s the thrill of all thrills because from a culinary perspective, New Orleans is the closest thing to Paris (here in the U.S).

And now for the technical difficulty part:

After the classes our new darling puppy (and official mascot of The Flying Kitchen), Paprika chewed through the cord to my laptop.

In true mascot style, Paprika then chewed through the cord that connects my camera to my laptop (so no pics could be downloaded).

Then the (human) baby pulled half the keys off the keyboard of my laptop – which wouldn’t have been so bad if he hadn’t have pulled the ’shift’, the letter ‘n’ and the ‘enter’ key off.  What’s worse is that I suspect he ingested a couple and I’m certain of the fact that Paprika chewed the ’shift’ key because I found it’s crumpled remains in my office.

Moving along….

Of course, I have still been cooking.  I developed a great pork chop recipe, a blackberry custard, cookies, bread, a pie and a great sour cream spice cake – but alas, we must wait until I can download my pics, because without pictures it’s just no fun.

In other news, my graphic artist and I are in the process of revamping things, so you will see some changes here at The Flying Kitchen, as well as at my pro-website, ShannonVavich.com.  Very exciting things, but I’m not going to spill any beans.

So if you could, please bear with us as we change the look of The Flying Kitchen.  Nothing big – you’ll still know it’s The Flying Kitchen, but it will be sleeker and oozing in awesomeness.

It will also be puppy-proof.

And baby-proof.

Take care friends,

Posted by Shannon

 

This week I went to Walmart.  I bought 2 wading pools (a big one for the big kids, and a little one for the little kids), an air pump to blow the wading pools up with, some play-dough and play-dough ‘accessories’, some bubbles to blow, and some other assorted art supplies.

The checker took one look at my goods and said very matter-of-factly: “You must have a nursery school”. 

“Yeah, pretty much”, I replied.

I love the checkers at Walmart.  I really do.  I marvel at how they can stand on their feet all day and still make an effort to be personable.   Every Walmart checker I have ever met makes an effort to say “hi”, or “how ya doin”.  

The way I see it, if all of America shops at Walmart – and the Walmart checkers are still friendly and optimistic, then things can’t be that bad. 

Ah yes – in the eyes of the Walmart checker, we see the reflection of Americana. 

That’s my profound statement of the day.

Once in a while, getting a stranger’s commentary on something that we feel is ‘normal’ is very advantageous.

“Nursery School”.  Yup.  That’s me.

But see, it’s not.  I don’t have a nursery school.  I have five kids under the age of 11.  Five kids that I home-school.  Five kids that I tuck-in every night, and make breakfast for every morning.  I’m a 24/7 nursery school teacher (and first and fifth grade teacher, too).  I’m a nursery school teacher - superhero.

Early-on in my ‘mothering years’ I really didn’t see myself as a 24/7 nursery school teacher superhero.  I saw myself as “just a mom”.  Oh my.  Can I just say that those words…. “JUST a mom”,  are poison?!?

I’ve never worked at Walmart,  but I can imagine that the training process of the Walmart checker is steeped with philosophy.  I can imagine that the Walmart management would NEVER say to it’s checkers-in-training, “Hey, you are just a checker.  Just ring the stuff up and make us some money.  Rush those people through as fast as you can and just get it over-with for heaven’s sake.  And keep your mouth shut.  You are JUST a checker.”

Nope.  That can’t be.  That can’t be because if that was the philosophy then Walmart would never have worked as a business.  Walmart would have failed a long, long time ago.

I can imagine that the training process for the Walmart checker sounds something like this: “You are the face of Walmart.  You are the one who will make the final and most important impression on our customer base.  We value you.  We value your work.”

Whether you are the mother of one, or the mother of twelve – whether you home-school or not – whether you have an adequate support network, or none at all, you are never, NEVER, “Just a Mom”.  You are a Superhero.  You are the face of the world to your child.  You are the one who will make the final and most important impression on your family. You are valued by the world.

Just as a corporation needs a sound, working philosophy in order to thrive; so does a mommy.

To solidify my point, (and to finally seque into my Turkey Wrap recipe!)  allow me to elaborate for a moment longer. 

 What if Walmart checkers were told that they didn’t matter AND never given lunch breaks?   What if they only had a minute to eat some crusts of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a few leftover Goldfish crackers?  After which, they were thrown back out to the crowds (who can be quite snotty at times!!), and told to just keep quiet and do their job?

Then they wouldn’t be smiling, would they?  They would fall apart.  Give up.  Walk away.  Stop caring.

Mommies don’t have corporate managers to tell them to take lunch breaks.  They don’t have unions and regulations to follow.  Mommies must set rules and regulations for themselves.  Rules like, “I must sit for at least 20 minutes every day and eat a decent lunch”.  Not peanut butter and jelly (unless you LOVE peanut butter and jelly), not Goldfish crackers.  Cookies don’t count.

________________________________________

Here is a good, simple recipe for a FANTASTIC mommy lunch.  It’s a big step above a boring old lunch box sandwich, and uses things that you may already have on-hand.  It’s super yummy, full of protein and good nutrution,  and will be an absolute oasis in the middle of your superhero day. 

Tumeric-Turkey Wrap For Superheroes

1 Sundried Tomato and Basil tortilla

4-6 slices of turkey lunch meat

big handfull of fresh spinach leaves

dressing/sauce:

3 artichoke hearts, diced

1-2 Tablespoons diced red onion

1/4 large tomato – de-seeded and diced

2 Tbs mayonaise

1/4 tsp turmeric

pinch salt

pinch pepper

Mix up the dressing/sauce. 

Lay out the tortilla and layer sauce with spinach and turkey. 

Wrap it up, slice it in half, SIT DOWN, and enjoy with a tall glass of your favorite beverage.

Eating-well is an art that takes adequate planning and a certain boundary-setting.  In time, your children will learn that mommy needs lunch, too.  It may take a few days of creative ‘distraction’, (such as their favorite movie), but kids catch on pretty quickly.  After they see for themselves that a well-fed mommy is a happy mommy, they will be much more inclined to give you the space you need.

Charge on, Superheroes!

Bon appetit, and bonne chance in YOUR Adventures In Cookery,

Posted by Shannon

Hi all!  I hope you had a great Easter!  We sure did!  I developed this very yummy Pomegranate Punch Iced Tea recipe this weekend.  It was not hard to perfect it, as we enjoyed every drop,  and more was in demand every day.

The weather has turned very warm here in North Carolina.  Suddenly thoughts of hot cocoa and warm cozy dinners have turned to refreshing food meant to fuel us for the countless hours of running and playing and enjoying this lovely weather.

When we are not outside breathing in the wonderful North Carolina spring air (and pollen!), we like to sit in the cool house and read.

I love National Geographic magazine.  This month’s issue focuses on water in our world.  The other day, my oldest daughter and I were reading about how women in developing countries will walk an average of 3.7 miles just to get water.

The first thing that popped into my mind, is that here in America, we are constantly trying to get more exercise.  These women must walk in order to survive. 

I compared my daily walk; down shaded paths, wearing comfortable shock-absorbing shoes, pushing a sophisticated double jogging stroller, water bottle in tow – and an arscenal of snacks for my little ones – with what I imagine a walk must be like for one of these many, many women. 

What must a walk be like for them?  No shade.  No stroller for their little ones.  Inadequate foot wear.  Precious water that must be saved for their families, and not guzzled every mile or so.   No snacks for themselves or their children.  Carrying a heavy empty jug one way, and a heavier full jug on the way home.  Injuries, pregnancies, age and sickness are no deterrents from this trek.  It must be done.

A very different path, indeed.

The article went on to read that when water is made available to these women, their efforts can be redirected into planting more crops, raising more animals, or starting income-producing businesses. 

Do you want to know why I love National Geographic magazine so much?  Because by the mere turning of a page, we are given a priceless gift. 

Perspective.

Perspective,  and a reminder of our multitude of blessings.  This, and a respect and admiration for those who continue on.

What does this have to do with Pomegranate Iced Tea?  Nothing, I suppose.  And then – everything.

This week, my Adventure In Cookery was an adventure of perspective.  As I was making jug after jug of this refreshing, beautiful, nourishing iced tea, full of antioxidants and lovely twangy flavor, I was reminded of what a precious gift water is…. Water, and health, and loved ones, and laughter.

__________________________________________

Pomegranate Punch Iced Tea

You will need:

2 Luzianne Green Tea bags – made especially for iced tea.  (see photo)

8 cups boiling water

2/3 cup sugar (or equivallent sweetener of your choice)

juice of 1/2 an orange, and slices from the remaining half

juice of 1/2 a lemon, and slices from the remaining half

Any other fruit you may have on hand – I had a hand full of strawberries.  Frozen fruit works well, too

1 cup “POM” pomegranate juice – found in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, near the salads.

Lots of ice!!

Also, a heat-safe glass jug ( I used my Pyrex 8 cup measuring bowl for mixing)

A pretty jug for serving, and additional fruit for garnish, if you have it.

Place 2 teabags in pyrex heat safe measuring bowl and pour boiling water over them.  Let  ’steep’ for about an hour.  While the tea is still warm, add the sugar.  Stir well.  Add the fresh squeezed lemon juice, orange juice, and one cup of the pomegranate juice.

Throw in lots of ice and stir well!  Add orange slices, lemon slices, and strawberry slices.  This is also very good with frozen peach slices and frozen dark sweet cherries.

Serve in tall glasses and enjoy!

For ways you can help women of Africa, go toBeadForLife.org.  Also, stay tuned for giveaways of these fantastic beads here on The Flying Kitchen.

Be well, friends!

Bon appetit and bonne chance in YOUR Adventures In Cookery,

Posted by Shannon

This is THE carrot cake. The secret, award-winning carrot cake recipe that I have used in my home-based dessert catering business for years.

It’s the best carrot cake in the world.

The best thing about developing the best carrot cake recipe in the world, is that when you start getting overwhelmed with orders – you have two choices:

a) Open up a bakery (um….no – I like being home with my kiddos and I don’t really think the military would move my bakery from duty station to duty station….)

or b) Start teaching classes on HOW to make that carrot cake.

I chose option ‘b’, of course.

Option ‘b’ works well enough and is really, really FUN!! But what happens when you are stretched so thin by teaching classes and you realize that once the military moves you, your student’s will need a place to find more recipes, more classes, and more talk about food?

That’s when you start a blog.

Friends, thank you so much for following The Flying Kitchen. We have been up and running now for 2 months exactly and we have received hits from all fifty states and over twenty countries. I’m spending more time with my family than ever – and the most wondrous thing about all of this is that my family eats everything that I post on this blog. So…I’m able to do what I love to do – which is teach, write and develop recipes WHILE I’m taking care of my family, which is what I love to do most of all!

Sometimes I think that my kids get tired of me ‘fiddling around’ in the kitchen, and yes, there have been times when I have pushed the envelope once or twice, and my toddler (in protest) had to smash a few eggs to get my attention. I’ve got to hand it to her – that was not only effective, but it did stick with the whole ‘cooking’ theme – which is worthy of applause in of itself.

But then there are times when one of my kids does something so extraordinary that all I can do is stand there and blink my eyes in disbelief. Like yesterday, when my ten-year-old announced that she would like to make a “Lemon Layer Cake”. She found the recipe in a library book and proceeded to make a vanilla sponge cake – from scratch – completely on her own. She THEN pulled out my double-boiler and made lemon curd. LEMON CURD. From lemons, and egg yolks, sugar and butter. Again, totally on her own. And then a glaze to pour over the top of her layer cake. She even knew which cake pedestal she wanted to use. It was glorious. All of it.

And those are the kids of moments that make me just sit in a quiet kind of wonder and think. I ponder that this little person has never had a formal ‘lesson’ from me. She has never read my writing. She expressly picked a recipe that was not mine. And she flew.

If I can offer any advice to any mommy, it is to always follow your passion. Always. And while there may be days where you seem to get little sleep, being mommy-by-day, and graphic designer/writer/student or artist by night – those tired days will not last forever, further; they will fill your home with an energy and enthusiasm that is absolutely priceless!! Find what it is that makes your eyes pop with excitement and run – just run with it!

Or FLY!

Fly until you have reached your pinnacle, then sit on that precipice and rest, and watch the ripple effect of what you have done as it continues to radiate through every fiber of your life. And smile.

Find your passion, friends.

_____________________________

Rabbit’s Envy Carrot Cake

Preheat oven to 350.

Prepare two 8 or 9 inch round pans.

Ingredients:

2 cups sifted all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

3 cups grated carrots

1 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained well

1 cup pecans

1)Open can of pineapple and drain in strainer over a seperate bowl or the sink. You will want the pineapple to sit in this strainer for about 20 minutes so very little juice remains.

2) Chop the pecans very finely. Almost to a powder. Place on cookie sheet and toast in a 400 degree oven for 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally – until lightly toasted and fragrant. This is a very, very important step.

3) Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.

4) cream butter, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla and eggs together. Whip until light and fluffy. Add cinnamon and nutmeg.

5) Gently add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture – taking care not to over-beat (over-beating makes a from-scratch cake dry).

6) When the flour mixture and the butter/sugar mixture and well combined, add the grated carrots, pineapple and toasted pecans. Combine gently.

Pour into pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until inside of cake is no longer gooey.

Cream Cheese Icing:

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 packages cream cheese

1 2lb bag of powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

Cream butter, cream cheese and vanilla. Add powdered sugar gradually and whip until the whole mixture is fluffy.

When the cake is cool, layer this icing in between your two cakes then frost the entire cake.

If you would like to decorate your cake with little ‘carrots’, reserve 1/2 cup of your icing and color it with orange and green food coloring.

This is what I’ll be making for our Easter dinner on Sunday! I’m really looking forward to it!

Sometimes, saying something out loud is all you need to do to start believing in yourself. So, if you would please say out loud, “My passion is _____”. Even if you are not sure if THAT is in fact, your passion. It could be one of many – that’s okay. If you would like to take an extra step toward walking the path of your passion, leave a comment telling us what your passion is! I know that putting it out there for all to see IS a bold move, but sometimes making a bold move, while scary, is just what the doctor ordered! So, what’s your passion?!?

Walk in JOY.

Bon appetit, and bonne chance in YOUR Adventures In Cookery,

Posted by Shannon

 We humans love a good food experience.  In fact, most of our shared pastimes are accompanied by an indelible presence of a certain and specific food.  Baseball games and hot dogs.  Carnivals and cotton candy.  Hot summer days and popsicles.  And of course, movies and popcorn.

This afternoon my husband and I took our three oldest children to the movies for the first time in four years!  We decided that a good 3-D experience (and a lovely movie about a kind-hearted boy and dragons) was enough to justify the splurge.  Of course, being that it was a very special affair, I wanted to go all-out and buy them each a bag of popcorn.  For $5.95 a piece.

I’ll say that again:  Popcorn.  Small bags of popcorn. For $5.95.  A piece. 

It occurred to me, as I pulled the twenty dollar bill out of my wallet that if I(along with millions upon millions of people) am/are  willing to pay THIS much for POPCORN…and “butter” – then there was much more about this popcorn than meets the eye.

Clearly, I knew that this popcorn was worth less than twenty cents per bag (I do calculations like that for fun) – but I still pulled out the money and handed it over.  Indeed, this popcorn was ’special’.  Why?  Because this popcorn was part of a memory-making experience for my children.  I know that they will always remember getting to go on a special date – “Just the big kids and mama and daddy” – and that they will always remember being handed a bag of popcorn that they would not have to share.

Cha-ching.

I can’t say that this didn’t leave me cringing and wincing in discomfort – and I must say that I guarded my little children (and my precious popcorn investments) like some kind of human force-field - watching for sporadic movements from the other children in our path.  One false move of an overexcited kid and $5.95 cents of popcorn would go spilling across the floor – and I (not wanting this experience to be tainted by some popcorn spilling injustice) would have no choice but to buy another.  After a heart-stopping close call with a little girl who had broken into a dead sprint and just missed my four-year-old by inches….we made it, popcorn intact.  And we all had a wonderful and memorable time.

_____________________

Food is a powerful thing.  Further, the food/event connection is a much more impressive phenomenon.  This is why people are willing to pay a 3000% mark-up for popcorn at the movie theatre.  This is also why learning how to cook is so important. 

One of the greatest things about being a cook, is that by the mere conjuring of a recipe, we can make any day into an extraordinary day.   Event-less days can be marked by a lovely bruschetta or an unforgettable soup.  A quiet evening can be transformed into an impromptu cookie party.

Even better, after a quiet moment on a Saturday morning where the day is sitting before you like an open and free landscape, you can think – what would I like to eat today?  And then – you can make it so.

As was the case this morning – as I sat drinking coffee and suddenly wanted to eat a chocolate cupcake.  Albeit, I didn’t get to eat that chocolate cupcake until this evening – but it was well worth the wait.  It was not some store bought dry and smackey cupcake that would leave me disappointed (and craving more).  It was exactly the cupcake that I wanted.  Because I can cook, I was able to create (in part) the kind of day that I wanted to have.

Sour Cream Cupcakes For An Extraordinary Day

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Hershey’s)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 1/4 sticks) – room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare cupcake tins by lining the cups with cupcake papers.

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.  Stir to mix.  Mix well.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the room-temperature butter, the sugars and the eggs.  Whip until light and fluffy. 

Add the sour cream and the flour mixture to the butter/sugar/egg mixture alternately.  Meaning: add some flour mixture and stir, then add some sour cream and stir, and so on.  From this point on stir very, very gently.

Spoon the batter into the cupcake papers.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the centers of the cupcakes are no longer jiggley and liquid.

Cool on wire rack and frost.

Satiney Chocolate Buttercream

1 stick, plus 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter – at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Combine all ingredients and whip until smooth and satiney.

Frost cupcakes!

These are tender, creamy and  absolutely delectable!  Well worth the effort and the time.  I encourage you to try these lovely cupcakes the next time you find yourself AND your day free and uninhibited.  And that, in essence, IS an extraordinary day!

When you can cook, you can play in integral part in making ordinary days special, hallmark occasions complete, and almost any occasion memorable.  And in the end – isn’t that what matters?

In four years from now, when we go to the movies again….I will buy more popcorn.  But by then the babies will be old enough to come with us…..so I’d better start saving now. 

But it’ll be worth it, to me.

Bon appetit and bonne chance in your Adventures In Cookery,