Reliving my vacation...

It seems like forever ago, but my sister and I went on our "Sisters' Cruise" and had an amazing time.  I am officially addicted to cruising!  Since I can't go on another one yet, the next best thing was to try and re-create some of my favorites from our trip.  Enjoy!

Drink...

The Perfect Storm
My favorite bar on the ship was called Alchemy Bar.  I loved it because it had a cute theme (it was like an old apothecary) and had such delicious drinks!  These drinks were not just poured from a mix like the other bars on the ship, but were carefully crafted with a fiery show and all!  This drink was what I got one night when I asked the bartender to surprise me and it's now one of my favorite drinks.  I tried my best to remember what was in it and re-create it.  I didn't get it exactly right, but pretty close!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Me enjoying my drink!

Ingredients:

• 1 shot light rum
  
• 1/2 shot of dark rum (I only had light rum, so I just used that)
• 1 shot strawberry simple syrup
• 1/2 shot lime juice
• sprig of rosemary
• cinnamon

Directions:
for the strawberry syrup:

1. Make a simple syrup by heating and dissolving 1/2 cup sugar in 1/2 cup water.
2. Slice  1 cup fresh strawberries and add to the syrup.  
3. Simmer the strawberries in the syrup for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally and smashing the strawberries to get the flavor out. 
4. Strain the strawberries from the syrup and let cool.

for the drink:

1. Fill a shaker with ice and add the rum, strawberry syrup, and lime juice.
2. Shake and strain into a martini glass.
3. Light a sprig of rosemary on fire until toasted.  Place the toasted rosemary into the drink.
4. Sprinkle some cinnamon on top (if you want to be extra fancy like on the cruise, you can sprinkle the cinnamon over a flame so it sparks before falling into the glass).

Dinner...

Mushroom Cappuccino
I know...you're thinking: mushroom cappuccino?!?  Gross!  But, wait...this is not gross.  Actually, it's quite amazing.  We went to a cooking demo on the ship where one of the chefs made this.  It really has nothing to do with cappuccino, except that he served it in cute little cappuccino glasses that we could sip the mushroom soup out of.  I didn't have any cappuccino glasses, so I just served mine in a bowl.  Also, on the ship they served it with a garlic crouton which was amazing.  I forgot to make that for mine...oops!
Ingredients:
(serves 4)

• 1 lb. chopped assorted mushrooms
• 5 tbs onion
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 oz butter
• 2 pints chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 pint cream
• few drops truffle oil (I didn't have this so I used truffle salt)
• 1 tsp chopped parsley
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 2 sprigs thyme

Directions:

1. Saute the onions and garlic in butter.  Add the assorted mushrooms.
2. Add stock and simmer.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. When mushrooms are cooked, blend in a blender and sieve through a Chinois.
4. Return the puree to the pan and add cream and a few drops of truffle oil.
5. Adjust the seasoning and consistency.  Serve hot with garlic croutons.

Enchiladas Verde
At our first port, Cozumel Mexico, Kate and I had a delicious Mexican lunch included in our beach package.  I had enchiladas verde, which were amazing.  I must admit, mine weren't quite as good as in Mexico, but they still were great and definitely worth making!
Ingredients:
(serves 4)

• 2 large chicken breasts
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• olive oil
• verde sauce
• manchego or pepper jack cheese
• 2-3 tbs sour cream
• tortilla shells

Directions:

1. Cook the chicken breasts and shred the meat.
2. In a pan saute the onion and garlic with olive oil.
3. Add the cooked chicken, 1/4 cup of verde sauce, and the sour cream.
4. Place the chicken mixture in the tortilla shells and place in a baking dish. 
5. Sprinkle with shredded or crumbled cheese.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Dessert...

Strawberry and Chocolate Frozen Yogurt 
*recipe from: Chocolate and Zucchini
One of our favorite things to do on the cruise was eat (which is probably part of the reason why I love cruises).  And one of the things we ate most was ice cream cones.  They had self-serve, soft-serve ice cream machines located throughout the ship and the ice cream was always there for us!  Our favorite flavor was the strawberry-chocolate swirl frozen yogurt.  My chocolate yogurt turned out pretty amazing with a great texture and good taste.  However, my strawberry frozen yogurt turned out a bit icy, but tasting great.  All I was missing was a cone!
Ingredients:
for the strawberry frozen yogurt:

• 2 cups strawberries
• 1 cup yogurt (full fat greek or plain)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
•  1/4 cup sugar

 for the chocolate yogurt:

• 3 1/2 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped 
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
• a good pinch of sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon natural vanilla extract 
• 10 1/2 ounces full fat plain Greek yogurt  or plain yogurt

Directions:
for the strawberry:

1. Blend the strawberries in a food processor until pureed.
2. Add all the ingredients into a bowl and stir.
3. Place in the freezer and stir every half our until it reaches the desired consistency (about 3 hours).

 for the chocolate:

1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, or in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring frequently to ensure even melting.  
2. In the meantime, place the cream in a medium mixing-bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt until no lump remains.
3. When the chocolate is melted, whisk it into the cream. Whisk the sugar mixture into the chocolate cream. Add the vanilla and yogurt, and whisk until well blended. 
4. Place in the freezer and stir every half hour until it reaches the desired consistency (about 3 hours).

   

   Me eating frozen yogurt (and popcorn)

O 'Zapft Is!

At exactly 12:00 noon on the first day of the Oktoberfest, the Mayor of Munich taps the first keg of beer and yells "O‘zapft is!" ("the keg is tapped"). This officially declares the festival open.  I have found that many people in the U.S don't realize that Oktoberfest is actually celebrated in September.  Traditionally, it begins the first Saturday after September 15th and ends the first Sunday in October.  So, lucky you...this post is just in time for you to whip up a delicious Oktoberfest dinner! :)
Drink...

Samuel Adams Octoberfest
Usually I try not to just feature a beer or a glass of wine as the drink for my blog.  However, beer is the key ingredient to Oktoberfest, so I had to do it this time.  This beer was good and I believe it is best served in a stein like one pictured above.  
Ingredients:

• a cold Octoberfest beer
• a beer stein 

Directions:

1. Pour the beer into the stein (steins are big - you may need a couple beers to fill it up).
2. Drink and yell "Prost! (cheers!)"

Dinner...

Apple Oktoberfest Cheese Soup
*recipe from Evil Shenanigans
Do you like cheese?  How about bacon? Oh, and then a little beer to make everything yummy, and Oktoberfesty.  When I saw the recipe for this soup I figured it would be good, but I had no idea how good.  It is like a spoonful of  German autumn in every bite (ok, I have never been there...but I could imagine this soup would be perfect on a crisp fall day during Oktoberfest in Germany).  
I have to give credit to my husband, Doug...he actually made this one!
Ingredients:
(serves 4)

• 2 strips bacon, chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped (We omitted this)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup Oktoberfest style beer (I used Sam Adams)
• 2 cups milk
• 5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
• 3 ounces smoked Gouda

Directions:

1. In a medium pot over medium heat add the chopped bacon.  Cook until the bacon is very crisp, about 3 minutes.  Remove the bacon from the pot reserving the fa
2. Add the butter to the pot and once it foams add the onion, apple, carrot, celery, salt, and pepper.  Cook until the mixture is starting to become tender, about 5 minutes, then add the dry mustard, paprika, and cayenne pepper.   Stir to combine and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender.  Add in the sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add in the flour and cool for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, to cook out the raw taste of the flour.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and slowly add in the chicken stock, beer, and milk, stirring constantly to remove any lumps of flour.  You may need to whisk it during this process.  Once combined increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the soup comes to a boil and thickens, about 5 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool for 3 minutes. 
4. Working in batches, blend the soup in a blender until very smooth, about 3 minutes on the highest speed (or use an immersion blender like we did).  Add the cheese, in batches, to the soup and blend until the cheese is melted.  Once all the soup is blended return it to the pot.
5. Heat the soup over medium heat to re-warm.  Season with hot sauce, and additional salt and pepper as desired.  Serve the soup with the crumbled bacon as a garnish.

Dessert...

Butterkuchen (Butter Cake)
*recipe from German Food Guide and Directory
Butterkuchen is a type of Blechkuchen.  The word Blech means "sheet" so a Blechkuchen is a German cake that is baked on a large baking sheet. These cakes are usually rectangular in form and they are cut into squares for serving. There is no one "typical" Blechkuchen because it is how the cake is baked (on a large baking sheet) that makes it a Blechkuchen, not its ingredients. In fact, there are so many different varieties of Blechkuchen because many kinds of doughs and toppings can be used.  Tradionally, Blechkuchen are made with a yeast dough or a dough that can be easily rolled out.  
Butterkuchen is a butter cake, the most basic Blechkuchen. It is made from a yeast dough, which is baked with a topping of butter pieces and sugar. Some regions also add almond slices as a topping.  
This is definitely a different interpretation of a cake.  It reminded me of a  dessert pizza since the dough is thin and rolled out onto a baking sheet.  When I was making it, I thought, "oh, this is too much sugar."  Then, I thought, "oh, this is too much butter."  But, I stuck with the recipe and it turned out delicious.  The amount of butter and sugar may seem like a lot, but they sure do make it taste good.  I am officially a Butterkuchen girl now!
Ingredients:
(serves 12)
For the Dough:

• 4 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (1 stick)
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon Sugar
• 1 package Active Dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Milk, lukewarm
• Zest from half of a Lemon

For the Topping:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, cut into tiny cubes
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 1/2 cups Sliced Almonds
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the yeast and half of the milk. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the flour and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Allow this mixture to sit in a warm place for 1 hour.
2. Combine remaining dough ingredients then add in the yeast mixture. Mix until a smooth dough forms, then knead by hand. Allow dough to sit in a warm place until double in volume.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
4. Grease a baking sheet. Roll out dough to fit the size of the baking sheet. Transfer dough to baking sheet.
5. Sprinkle the sliced almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and butter cubes over the dough.
6. Allow cake to sit and rise for another 30 minutes.
7. Bake cake for around 30 minutes or until a golden crust develops.
8. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool. Before serving, cut into squares.