Christmas cookies

Everyone needs a friend.

Cookie recipe from the Pioneer Woman.

Toe Update

Hello from the wilds of Brazil! :)
That´s a joke... Itu is anything but "the wilds".

Anyhoo, here´s the word on my dedão... my big toe!

I went to the doctor yesterday, and let me say that this doctor, Dr. Flavio was his name, was so amazingly wonderful. He looked like the storybook doctor... dignified, elegant, kind and knowledgable. He did x-rays and the toe is definitely broken, but he said it´s not severe (although it feels severe!) and he wrapped it up tight and told me to rest it and come back Monday.

It still hurts, but I´m going to live. :)

If the heroes of Monday were Aníbal and Jandira, then yesterday´s hero was definitely Ivan. He found the doctor, made the appointment, arranged my transportation, then came home with me and cooked dinner for me. Dinner was kind of a joint effort... I told him what to do and he did it. I felt really bossy and lazy. :) Our meal attempted to be chicken parmesan, but it ended up not like any chicken parmesan I´ve ever seen. But it was still really good! Just not chicken parmesan. ;) Then he made chocolate chip cookies, which were delicious. Here´s a video to demonstrate my bossyness. :)

Seriously, I´ve said it before, I´ll say it til the day I die... I have the best friends in the whole wide world. Thanks for all the e-support you guys! I´ll keep you updated. :)

Stroganoff

Right now I´d like to take some time to make you all wish that you were here in Brazil, not only to bask in my fine company, but also to eat the amazing food.

If you don´t know Brazilian stroganoff, you have not lived. :) Haha, kind of a dramatic statement, huh? I always considered stroganoff to be of the Hamburger helper variety and a German food, but like many things, the Brazilians have taken it and made something beautiful from it.

A few of my friends and I have been doing these dinner night things where we get together and I cook and we have a nice meal together. Last week my friend Jandira taught me how to make stroganoff! It´s really surprisingly simple. You kind of pan grill strips of chicken, then add cream, mustard, ketchup, worschsershire sauce (I don´t know how to spell or say that), and garlic of course. I think Americans generally eat stroganoff with noodles, but Brazilians eat it with rice and shoe string potatos. Oh my heavens, it is so good.

Here is a video of Jandira making it and Ivan begging for tastes.




I don´t think I´ve done a sufficient job of making it sound as good as it is, but trust me, it is. I will start taking requests for me to make it for you when I go back to the States.

Anyone else know Brazilian stroganoff? Want to give a testimony? :)