So many thoughts

   For such a long time I have felt like I am just a tourist here and felt like I was never going to feel really settled in. Thank goodness that is not the case. I definitely now feel like this is where I live. I know my way around very well, have met some great friends, and have finally gotten a hang of not understanding much. I am very surprised how much I have caught on. I go to the store and at the checkout if the cashier starts talking to me, I know to always say "keine" which means "no". She either ask me if I have a store card or if I would like a receipt . I can go to most stores and restaurants and they not really know I only speak English. It has been a lot to get use to, but I finally really have got a hang of it all. I know this is where we live and this is my home right now. It stills is crazy to think I live in another country though. Never thought I would ever live outside the US. 
     Being here has given me the chance to do many things that I would not take the time to do back home. I have been wanting to work on finishing my "Making of a Pastry Chef" book that my old boss gave me and I am loving it. Get a lot of exercising in every morning, a lot of wonderful time in the word, and have had some amazing time with my husband here. Only having each other here has taught us both so much and has really brought us super close. Not very many couples get to see Europe in the first year of marriage. especially at the age of 19 and 22. This is time for me to really focus on staying positive in life. It is so easy for me to just sit here and think of everything I miss and don't have, that I forget to look around me at what I do have. We are the ones who decide our attitude and by choosing to have a good attitude in life, you start to really realize how much you have around you and the joys in life. It never does anyone good to grumble and complain about what life has throw at you. Make sure to stop and look around and notice all the blessings you have. You will be amazed at one you see, I know I have.
  Another thing I been blessed with by this move, is the reconnecting and getting closer to friends and family. Back at home being so busy with life, I never took the time to really talk with others and stay connected with friends. Again, it is the busy life that distracts me from so many amazing things. I have talked to my best friend way more here, then I ever did at home. I actually have meaningful conversations with family members, or even one-on-one conversations with family. Don't let the crazy life let you lose relationships. Try messaging a long lost friend today. Who knows where it might lead. Figure out where they are at in life. Surely you have time for a quick message to a friend. It definitely can't hurt anything. 
  I know it probably feels like my blogs post are always all over the place and hard to follow, but hey, at least I am trying. I just always have too many thoughts and it is so hard for me to put into words, so this has been really good for me to really do something with my thoughts. Hope everyone is doing amazing and know that I miss you all very much. Anyone is welcome to come stay with us if they are looking for a cheaper way to stay in Europe. Love you all!

Lasagna Soup Recipe

It is getting very cold here and is definitely soup weather (there is snow here already) and I hear y'all are having some cooler weather as well, so maybe you are looking for some new soup ideas. I made this a few weeks ago and it was a HUGE hit. definitely something you should put on your soup list. Now after you make it, you need to message me and let me know what you thought of it. I enjoy hearing from people back home. Hope everyone is doing well and I miss you all very much!  

 

Lasagna Soup

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

for the soup:
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
• 3 c. chopped onions
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 c. chicken stock
• 8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
• 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for the cheesy yum:
• 8 oz. ricotta
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• pinch of freshly ground pepper
additional cheesy yum:
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

One Month Down...Five More To Go

    Crazy to think we have been here for a month now. Weeks seem to go by so slowly, but when I look back on the month, it sure went fast. We both are enjoying our self here. We have figured out lots, but still have lots to learn. Lots of blessings through this last month. I have gotten to know 2 other wives here and they are a joy to be around. They both are a little farther down the road then me, but I always have a good time with them and learn from them. We get together every Wednesday for the "Wednesday Wife's" and it is definitely something I look forward to every week. We have done, coffee and desserts, chocolate factory, and this week we are doing a spa day! They have been a huge blessing and have made spending the week alone go by so fast. I have also gotten to know the teacher's at Paul's school pretty well and they have been such a great help on giving me things to do. Like that article for the magazine, and now they have asked me to fix English errors on their website since English is their second language, they need a little help writing it out grammatically correct. Now for me, this is a stretch. As you can probably tell from my blogs, I am not good at writing myself. So it is a little funny to me that the two jobs I have been given have been writing jobs. I am grateful for any job, especially since they will be paying me to do this job. Huge blessing for me and Paul. Keep praying the Lord gives me more ways to service. I am a very social person, as you may know, so spending most of the days alone is very hard for me. I have learned to really rely on Christ through this though.

    Paul and I really only have each other here, so we have been learning a lot and really have grown so close to Christ and to each other. Christ is really using this time to strengthen our marriage and it a joy to watch. For this first month we have been without cell phones, so communication has been an important thing for us and we have really learned a lot through that. We also no one else to really spend the evenings with and some of the weekends, so we have really had that time to talk about so much. I kinda feel like we have talked about everything out there. We are enjoying it very much. I am thankful for such a wonderful husband who really realizes how lonely I am all day and he does such a wonderful job of going out of his way to make sure I know he loves me and is here for me. Back home when we are both busy, it is hard for both of us to do that, but here we have that time and it is a wonderful thing to have. So I challenge you all to make sure you take time from your crazy life to focus on your spouse and show them the learn they deserve and really, show them the love them may not deserve, I have noticed a huge difference in the way Paul and I talk to each other when we have arguments, just because we take time to express our appreciation and our love for each other. Which this is really a big step for me. I have always struggled so much with my how I talk when I get upset and just by Paul coming up to me regularly and letting me know how thankful he is for me and the things I do. We honestly have way less arguments as well. It is a joy for me to sit here and think about this last month and where Paul and I have grown together. I am grateful for such a wonderful husband who realizes this is hard for me and does what he can to make it easier for me. I only pray I can do the same for him. Please continue to pray for us though. We always need prayer and we always have room to grow.

   We miss you all and look forward to coming home, but we still have 5 months to go. I have no idea if anyone reads this, but please keep us in your prayers. This is whole new world for us here and have lots to learn. Please also pray for Paul, as he has very long hard days of school. Can't wait to see you all when we return and hey, if anyone wants to make a trip to Europe, you know you have a house to stay in, with someone who will make you meals everyday. We love you all!

  

Family Away From Family

     Done with week two and it feels like we have been here a lot longer then two weeks. Not because I don't like it here or because I am really missing my home, but because we have already created our family away from family. It is so cool to sit around with all of Paul's classmates and here about their culture and their up bringing. It is not often that you can be in one place and learn about so many different cultures. I have really just gotten to see how God has created such a wide range of people and it is the coolest thing, Everyone is already talking about how we should all spend Christmas together and how we need to travel together. We have really created our self a family away from family here. It is so amazing. Now sadly it is a bunch of guys and just a few girls, but we all still love it. I know the teacher's here pretty well now here and they are allow know that I am pretty bored during the day so they have given me a little task...They asked me to take pictures and right a report on the soccer games the guys played last night against Buhler workers here and then the BBQ that evening. So here is my report...

                                                    Family Away From Family

You have the Swiss Milling School, Course 56 E2 against the Former SMS Students Association; the current students start out with the ball and very quickly lose the ball. Within the first 5 minutes of the game the former students score. Give it another 5 minutes and once again former students score. From everyone observing from the sideline, this is how the rest of the game goes. Former Students Association wins 9-1, but if you look at it from the current student’s point of view, they won. That whole game they all fought so hard to score just one goal and one goal is what they got. As I sat on the sideline and watched them play, even when at half they are losing 6-0, everyone comes in with their heads up and laughing. They all sit down to have a drink and all are just enjoying being together and playing the game of soccer. You would think the first words to come out of everyone’s mouth would be, “well we suck,” or “can we just call the game.” But everyone was trying to figure out what they needed to change and what they could do better. It would be so easy for every one of them to put their heads down and just give up. Not these guys! They got back out there to finish what they started. This half they held The Association for a good 15 minutes without scoring. Though the game was already lost, the current class pushed even harder. They tried to overcome their lack of traction, but most continued to slip and trip due to improper shoes. With only about 20 minutes left in the game, they finally score. I have never seen a bunch of guys get so excited about anything. Everyone storms onto the field. It looked like they had all conquered the world. The final whistle blows. The current class lost 9-1.

After the match everyone heads over to eat some dinner and the class sits down to eat together. As I sat and watch these wonderful classmates talk with each other, you realize that they are not only classmates, but a family. Each one of these students comes from very different countries, cultures and backgrounds and yet they all come together and had a great time together.

 That night I never heard anyone say, how awful they were, or how they never want to do that again, but they all talked about how they all want to get together again to play. They challenged the former students to a rematch at the end of the course. They sat around talking and laughing about the funny moments where someone slipped, or how sore they are, or the occasional moments of stardom. They all lifted each other up, like a family. It is just amazing how close you can get to people in two short weeks. I guess when you spend every day together and all are away from home, you create that kind of bond fairly quickly; that is exactly what this amazing group has done. They have created a family away from family.

Sausage Mushroom melts

Very similar to the ham and swiss melts...but I think this one is a little better. Get some sausage, grill it, or if you don't have a grill (which we do not) just cook it on the stove top with some mushrooms and onions then lay on a half of piece of a baguette put really any kind of cheese you want, but of course I will swiss cheese then just pop it in the over for about 15 min just until cheese melts. I don't wrap these up in foil, because I want the bread to toast a lil too. No idea if anyone reads these or cares really, but I would love to hear if anyone tries these. There is nothing special or difficult about these...just are all common foods here and I am just wanted to share, because really I have nothing else to do. 

Easy but yummy dinner here in Switzerland

This is a very simple meal to make and super quick but is very popular here and Paul and I both really enjoyed it....

Ham and Swiss Melts:
I used just some sliced ham, sliced swiss cheese, mayo (or you can make your own sauce which I would normally do at home where things are lil cheaper), and a baguette for my bread. What kind of bread you use makes a big difference. Wrap the sandwich in foil and bake in the oven at like 200 C which is about 400 F. I baked it for about 20 min, just until cheese is melty. Easy, but we really loved it. Don't always think every really good meal has to be difficult. Easy leftover as well. Just pop it back in the oven.  

What's for dinner...Tartiflette

   My goal is to try and cook the way they cook here. So I plan to post the different dinner's I make here. It is a long process of really trying to find Original Swiss recipes, because anyone can add things on the internet, but I have found a few and will continue my search and will add what I made and it's recipe. A lot of the dishes I will make will most likely have cheese, ham, pasta, sausage, potato, and/or bread, because those are all main items here. So if you are not a fan of those items, well you may not want to try these recipes at home (or it won't kill ya to stretch your pallet a bit) I know I have always been bad, but here you have to, because when you go somewhere to eat and can't read the menu, you guess and hope for the best. So for tonight I will be making "Tartiflette".

Tartiflette: is a French dish from the Haute Savoie region of France. It is made with potatoes, reblochon cheese, lardons, and onions. A popular variation of this dish is to replace the lardons with smoked salmon (I will not be using either, because lardons are nasty and salmon is very expensive so I will be using bacon, which is really in most recipes these days anyways).
The word Tartiflette is probably derived from the Arpitan word for Potato, tartifla. This modern recipe was inspired by a truly traditional dish called "pela": a gratin of potatoes, onions and cheese made in a long-handled pan in France. It was developed in the 1980s by the Union Interprofessional Reblochon to promote sales of reblochon.
The name derives from the Savoyard word for potatoes, tartifles, a term also found in Provençal. The Savoyards first heard of tartiflette when it began to appear on the menus of restaurants in the ski stations, conveying an image of authenticity and mountain terroir. Which is now why it is popular here in Switzerland. Mainly in the mountain area though.

If you don't know what Relochon cheese is, you so should get some just for fun. It is so cool. It has this rind all around and in the middle is like this soft gooey cheese. So go to the store and get some for the fun of it. Try something knew. It really is fun! I will be going to the market and getting some homemade bread that is baked fresh everyday to enjoy with this dish. Which is a staple for every meal here btw.

TARTIFLETTE:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped white onions
• 1/3 lb chopped Ventrèche, or smoked bacon
• 2 1/4 lbs cubed white potatoes
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 lb sliced Reblochon cheese

Preparation:

Preheat an oven to 350F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add the Ventrèche and cook, stirring, for an additional 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, white wine, salt, and pepper; bring the mixture to a simmer, cover, and cook for 8 minutes.
Transfer the half of the potatoes to an oven-safe baking dish. Cover the potatoes with half of the Reblochon, and then repeat the layers once, ending with the last of the Reblochon on the top of the casserole. Bake for 25 minutes, until it is hot and bubbling.