Military families find themselves living around the world. Germany, Italy, and Japan play host to the US Armed Forces, sharing with us their culture and traditions. The holiday time is a special time to explore the food and culture of the nation’s host. Whether you have lived there, want to live there, or are reliving your time there, here are some fun holiday treats from around the world in places our Armed Forces are serving.

Japan

Whether you know it or not, when you are living in Japan (Okinawa and mainland), get ready to see a long line at the local Kentucky Fried Chicken store and ads for the holiday preorders. Why? Christmastime is a time for gatherings and why not enjoy some American fried chicken? There is even a whole song dedicated to this called Stueki na Holiday “Kentucky for Christmas.” (Don’t believe me, use your favorite search engine!)  

Balance out the fried chicken and biscuits with the local favorite of Japanese Christmas cake – lightly whipped sponge cake layered with light and fluffy whipped cream and strawberries. These cakes are so commonplace you can find them in your local grocery store in addition to bakeshops, so even if you forget to place your order you can usually find them.

Celebrating the New Year is extra special in Japan – celebrated with fireworks and music, and of course food. The Osechi Ryori is the traditional food and dishes used to celebrate New Year. The dishes are packed in layered bento boxes and each item within has a special meaning.

Datemaki – sweet rolled omelet – represents scholarship due to the omelet’s resemblance of rolled papers

Kuri-Kinton – chestnut dumpling – represents wealth

Kohaku Kamaboko – boiled fish paste in typical colors of red and white – represents the first sunrise of the new year

Kobu-maki – kelp – represents happiness

Kazunoko – herring roe – represents fertility

Ebi – shrimp – represents longevity

Kuromamae – black beans – represents health

Tatsukuri – dried sardines – represents a good harvest

Renkon – lotus root – represents a foreseeable, good future (as seen through the holes of the lotus root)

Kikuka-kabu – turnip in the shape of the chrysanthemum flower – represents celebration and promotion

Gobo – burdock root – represents strength and stability

Tai – the sea bream fish – represents celebration

Italy

There are two P’s to remember for celebrating the holidays in Italy – Panettone and Pandoro. Panettone is the typified Italian holiday dessert enjoyed through New Year. The tall bread-like cake is a sweet dough with candied fruits and raisins. This is no fruitcake so do not expect a dense, sugar-coated cake. The cake is so popular that it is now present in big box stores like Costco in America during the holiday season. It’s not as well-known sweet bread of Pandoro is a local favorite in Italy. The eight-star pointed cake is similar in texture to brioche bread and the modern version is dusted with flavored powdered sugar as “snow” on top of the mountain.

Germany

Move over stockings and get those shoes (or rainboots) ready for December 5. Nikolaustag, or St. Nicholas Day, is celebrated when the spirit of St. Nicholas visits children who left their shoes outside the door. The typical treats are oranges, representative of the gold that Nichols threw as dowry money in the legend of St. Nick. The taller the shoes, the more the treats may be an American twist on the German tradition, but it is a fun way to celebrate the season.

Christkindlmarkt – the Christmas street market – originated in Germany. The outdoor markets are held in cities all over Germany offering seasonal food, drink, and items for gifting like ornaments and other handicrafts. Traditional foods like Glühwein, Kinderpunsch, Baumstriezel (pastry covered in cinnamon sugar), and Maroni (roasted chestnuts) are offered, There are often children’s programming and petting zoos offered at the markets. If you are no longer in Germany and are looking for somewhere in the U.S. to enjoy the German market, then look no further than to the town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania also known as the “Christmas City.”

Warm-up in the German style with Glühwein. The spiced red wine is sold throughout the country and not just at the holiday market. Make it at home by purchasing the spice mix and adding it to your favorite bottle of red wine in the crockpot. Want to make the kid-friendly version? Kinderpunsch is the same version of the punch for adults who don’t drink or for children. Use fruit juices as tea as the base for the punch. Orange juice, apple juice, cherry juice (to give it the distinct red color) and hibiscus tea add a fragrant base for the drink – add in the ratios to your own personal taste. Add in the spices of cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and whole star anise to the base and warm everything in a stockpot. Add honey to taste and you have got yourself a warm taste of the holidays in addition to your home smelling of the season.

Need a treat with your Glühwein or Kinderpunsch? Stollen is a bread-like cake that is eaten from November 1 through New Year’s Eve in Germany. There is even a whole festival dedicated to the Christmas Cake – the Dresden Stollen Festival. A giant cake is made and sold at the festival. While eating your cake you can enjoy music from marching bands, a parade, and actors in historical costume. The eating of the cake goes back to the Medieval celebrations of the holidays so it is well-practiced. There are many versions. The holiday version is ChristStollen with marzipan running through it.

The holiday season around the world is a festive time. A time to make memories in a way that is unique to where you are living. Once you have returned to the U.S., you can continue these traditions with your family and share them with friends. Even if you haven’t lived there, add one of these traditions to your family’s celebrations this year for a fun and unique holiday treat!

While holiday gatherings may seem slightly more normal this year in comparison to last, the desire to avoid the hospital or doctor’s is just the same. Avoid food-induced illness by making sure to follow these criteria to prevent food poisoning.

Cook Food Thoroughly

Cooking large birds or meat is not something that we do often. Make sure to follow the directions on the package to defrost and cook to the appropriate temperature per the packaging.  Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of the food, making sure to stay within the meat and not hitting a bone as that can lead to an inaccurate reading of the temperature.

Thaw Food Appropriately

Read the instructions on the turkey, if you are having one. Thawing must be done slowly in an ice bath, in the fridge or a cooler. Make sure to follow the thawing directions on the label of the items and refer to Food Safety Charts. When thawing in an ice bath, make sure to change the water when the ice is defrosted or every 30 minutes. And for the love, do not thaw your Turkey directly on your counter.

Keep Cold Things Cold

Anything that was made to stay cold like pies, egg-nog, dairy-based dishes and the like should remain cold upon serving. An increase in temperature to above 40 degrees Farenheiht is an increased risk for bacteria to grow leading to food-borne illness. Refrigerate or freeze any cold items and do not leave them out beyond 2 hours.

Keep Hot Things Hot

When you prepare hot foods like stuffing, potatoes, casseroles and meat dishes, they need to remain hot to avoid bacteria from growing. Bacteria growing in the food can lead to food-borne illness. Put away and refrigerate leftover food after 2 hours of being out.

Wash Your Hands

As if we need any other reminders to wash our hands in 2020, but you do. Before and after touching meat, vegetables or fruit, make sure to wash your hands. Especially when moving from raw meat to something else.

Wash knives and cutting boards

When cutting or preparing raw meat, vegetables and fruit, make sure to watch the knives, preparation tools and cutting boards in between each item. This prevents cross-contamination from raw chicken or beef between to fruits and vegetables.

Read the directions

This one is for all the people who like to wing it. Make sure to read the directions. Even fully prepped, meals ready-to-eat (not the brown envelope ones), have directions on reheating. While they can cook from frozen, make sure to cook to the correct internal temperature before fully digging in.

2020 has been a difficult year and it can feel difficult to find what we are grateful for. Keeping the tradition of a holiday meal, and time with no virtual school is worth a little celebration – especially keeping it safely.  Happy and healthy eating to all!

Ah, the season of orange and black, pumpkins and apples. It is time for that all-so-popular caffeinated drink of pumpkin spice latte. Pick up your ingredients at the local commissary and have one at the ready all the time with this recipe.

Pumpkin Spice Latte for 2

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of milk
• 2 TBL pumpkin puree
• 1- 3 TBL brown sugar (or whatever sweetener you prefer: white sugar, stevia, honey, maple syrup, etc)
• 1 Tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 TBL vanilla extract
• ½ c – 1 c hot coffee/espresso

Heat up milk, pumpkin puree, and sweetener of choice in a saucepan. Do not let it come to a boil or the milk can become curdled and burned. Remove from heat and stir in pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and hot coffee.

Want to be extra? Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of additional pumpkin pie spice.

Pumpkin Spice Creamer

When you are overseas, holiday items often come a little bit slower. And then once they arrive, you better snatch it up because once they are gone – they are gone!

This led to making my own creamer at home for when I wanted to fulfill that fall flavor. The original recipe was from Food Network, but I found it to be too sweet so I edited it a bit.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of half and half
• ¼ cup pumpkin puree
• 3 TBL maple syrup (you can go heavy-handed on this if you prefer more sweetness)
• 1 Tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

When we switched to dairy-free as a household for a time, I swapped out the half and half for almond milk. You could also use oat milk or soy milk with the variety of options out there for dairy-free. I have also totally swapped out the milk and vanilla for unsweetened vanilla almond milk and found the flavor to be delish.

Like the Pumpkin Spice Latte, heat the ingredients for the creamer together on the stove to really blend the sugar and ensure the pumpkin pie spice is throughout the creamer. Let cool slightly before storing in a mason jar and storing it in the fridge.

While you may not be overseas where supply chains have the additional transit time, now you can add a touch of fall to any coffee or even tea!

Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Latte

This one is really truly easy – swap out your favorite dairy-free milk for regular milk. Oat milk adds an earthy tone which is perfect for any fall drink. Unsweetened almond or soymilk works well as well, allowing for easy flavoring. Unsweetened vanilla almond or soymilk can add a touch of sweetness, without adding vanilla extract which saves time and money! Coconut milk could also be used if that is your favorite.

Will you try a pumpkin spice latte at home? Tell us how it was!

Orange you ready for fall now! 😉

Whether you are moving this summer and looking for quick preparation meals that aren’t from a box, or just want a break from the cooking of the last year – here are 5 quick and easy meals for the summer that require a small amount of effort and are light, refreshing and on the healthy side.

1. Prosciutto-Wrapped Melon: This sweet-and-salty treat is perfect finger food for eating outside on the patio, on the couch, or on a moving box table if you are PCSing this season. It requires no cooking which is perfect for those hot, humid climates or where gas/electricity is pricey during the evening hours. You can mix it up and do ham or spiced turkey instead of prosciutto.
2. Yogurt Parfaits: Make it breakfast for dinner! Line the yogurt of your choice, berries of your choosing, and granola of your choosing up in a line on the counter and let everyone go to town in building and making their own parfait. You can use whatever fruit you have on hand and is local to you, so no special grocery trips just for this! Favorites of banana, strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry are traditional choices, but mix it up with kiwi or dragon fruit if you have them! Add local honey to the lineup to assist with combating local allergens and add a little sweetness to dinner (remember: raw honey is not recommended for children under the age of one year old.)
3. Salads galore: An easy, no-cook, and healthy option for summer is a salad. This doesn’t have to be the same salad every week. The beauty of salads is you can really use whatever you wish – any leftovers or local produce can add flavor to your salad while staying within budget and offering a healthier option. Consider using quinoa, kale, spinach, or couscous as a base for the salad instead of romaine lettuce. Chop up or shred whatever meat you have on hand- chicken, steak, fish to the salad. On shopping day, consider picking up a rotisserie chicken and shredding that for the salad – bonus that you don’t have to cook the chicken and you have the beginnings of a beautiful salad.  Want to keep it all veggies – add marinated zucchini, squash, or cucumber for additional flavor and zest without having to cook anything! Don’t forget about adding fruit to salads – mandarin oranges, nectarines, apples, and kiwi add zest, are delicious and just might be a new favorite! Make it a Greek salad by adding in feta with tomatoes, onions, and olives. Make it California-style with avocado and salmon with a base of couscous. Noodle salads are a great way to use noodles as the base to get kids interested in eating salads. Vietnamese noodles don’t require much besides pouring boiling water over them and letting them sit in the water for about 3 minutes. Add lime juice, bean sprouts, shredded veg, and green onions for a quick salad. If your kids are picky eaters and you don’t want to prepare two meals – try adding in things they will eat to the salad to pique their interest – croutons are always a win.
4.  Thai Peanut Wrap:  Mix shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, shelled edamame, chopped scallions, cilantro, and peanuts together and top with rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, minced garlic, melted peanut butter, salt, and honey. Mix together and place in a wrap of your choosing – maybe even a lettuce leaf for a lettuce wrap. For those with peanut allergies, you can change up the stuffing to broccoli slaw with chicken and whatever dressing you like. Or maybe layer shrimp with spinach and feta and tomato. The wrap is delicious finger food and can be made easily together as long as you have the ingredients. One of our favorite wraps is “leftover wraps” where anything is added to the wrap – we have done couscous with curry in a wrap and rotisserie chicken with leftover veggies for lunch and dinner. Always a win because leftovers are eaten and enjoyed.
5. Veggie Noodle pasta: The ultimate no-cook dinner is using premade zucchini or squash noodles for the base of pasta. You can rinse them with saltwater, or sprinkle with salt for 8-10 minutes and then rinse with water to soften them.  Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and parmesan for a simple but delicious pasta.

When it is hot and humid outside, the last thing we want is to heat the house while cooking. While grilling may be the ultimate summer cooking method, there are no-cook delicious meals for the making, and many are dairy-free!  Happy eating!

Do you have any favorite no-cook meals that you prepare for the summer?

August is here, peaches are in season and just ripe enough for picking! Local orchards are great for peach picking and rounding out your summer adventures. Often times they have children’s activities, food trucks, farm animals and pick your own fruit. If you don’t have children in tow, you may want to explore whether or not your local orchard has a brewery on site or offers local cider. If picking your own fruit isn’t for you, you can always pick up some fresh fruit from your nearest commissary! Either way, it’s a wonderful time for fresh fruit and especially peach pie! Try this for an afternoon snack or a special dessert.

Ingredients:

• 8 Ripe Peaches
• 1 Deep Dish Pie Crust
• 1 Pie Crust Top
• 1/2 cup White Sugar
• 1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Orange Juice
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 3 Tbsp Butter cut into Pats
• 1 Egg Whisked with 1 tsp of Water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine dry ingredients and mix well. Mix peaches and orange juice, then add dry ingredients to peach mixture and toss to coat. Place the peach mixture into your deep dish pie crust. Put butter on top of peaches and cover with the top pie crust. Pinch crusts together, brush egg wash on top, cut slits in top for venting and cover edges with foil to avoid darkening. Bake for approximately 45 minutes and let cool for one hour. Enjoy!

This refreshing salad is perfect for a summer BBQ side dish or a light lunch. The watermelon is light and the mint adds the perfect touch of freshness.

• 1 medium Watermelon
• 1/2 Red onion
• 1 package Feta cheese
• a few sprigs of Mint
• 4 cups Arugula
• Balsamic vinegar for drizzle

Dice or use a melon baller to create bite size pieces of watermelon. Set aside to drain. Chop the red onion and mint and mix with arugula. Once drained place the watermelon in your serve ware and gently stir in the arugula mixture. Crumble the feta over top and finish with a drizzle of balsamic. Enjoy!

Strawberry shortcake is a classic summer dessert. There’s no better time to take advantage of fresh and beautiful ripe strawberries than late Spring and early Summer. Here’s an easy shortcake recipe, topped with homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries to escort you into the delight of Summer time sweetness. Bring along to a BBQ or enjoy on your patio or deck at home. Either way you’ll be relishing in the delight of a sweet strawberry shortcake.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/3 cups Bisquick Mix
• 1/4 cup + 3 Tbs sugar (separated)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 Tbs butter melted
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tsp powdered sugar
• 1 quart strawberries sliced

Step 1: Heat oven to 425 degrees F. In large bowl, mix strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar; set aside.

Step 2: In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, milk, 3 tablespoons sugar and the butter until soft dough forms. On ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by 6 spoonfuls.

Step 3: Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat whipping cream, vanilla extract and powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.

Step 4: Split warm shortcakes; fill and top with strawberries and whipped cream.

Step 5: Enjoy!

Elote, aka Mexican Street Corn, is a tasty handheld treat. It is popular in Southern California as street food and can easily be reproduced in your home. Eat it as a fun snack or treat or as a side for lunch or dinner.  Here is a tip – always make more than you plan to eat – it is delicious as an evening snack or even the next day for lunch. It’s the perfect side dish or main meal to eat in celebration of Cinco De Mayo!

Ingredients:

• Ears of corn, shucked – the number depends on how many people you want to serve
• Mayonnaise
• Chili Powder
• Grated Cojita cheese
• Chopped cilantro
• Lime wedges or juice

Here are the directions to making delicious street corn. It’s super complicated, so pay attention.

Directions:

1.Grill the corn, making sure to turn it so that it is grilled all over.

2. Once off the grill, brush mayonnaise over all side of the corn.

3. Sprinkle chili, cojita cheese and cilantro all over the corn.

4. Before eating, sprinkle with lime juice or squeeze a lime wedge per ear of corn.

Yup. That’s it. Not complicated at all – and gosh dern delicious.

Mix it Up!

One of the fun and awesome things about Mexican street corn is changing up the toppings. Consider green onions, bacon, sriracha as toppings. Switch the cojita for shredded cheese. Change up the chili pepper for chipotle pepper or paprika. Or go for authentic Mexican crema and mix that with mayonnaise to brush on the corn. Want a more garlicky taste, mix minced garlic or garlic powder into the mayonnaise.

What’s your favorite topping on Mexican Street Corn?

Looking for a delicious and quick meal that everyone can enjoy? Look no further than easy Naan Pizza! It hits all the wickets for a busy time period – easy, quick, and can be done with a variety of ingredients. Mini-naans are perfect for handheld pizzas that can be personalized for each person’s taste. Or use the larger commercially available naans to make larger pizzas to share among the family. Have a family member who is vegetarian? They can enjoy a naan topped with veggies galore! Are you more of a meat-eater? Pile your naan high with a variety of options from pepperoni, chicken, sausage, or bacon! The naan is a canvas for pizza making and can be ready in minutes.

Easy Naan Pizza

Ingredients:

• 2 Naan Breads
• ¼ cup pizza sauce
• ½ cup mozzarella cheese
• Olive oil
• Topping suggestions: pepperoni, roasted vegetables, spinach, olives, cooked sausage, tomatoes, zucchini, fresh basil, balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425° F
2. Brush naan bread with olive oil on both sides.
3. Spread pizza sauce evenly over naan bread.
4. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese.
5. Top with toppings of choice.
6. Bake on the oven rack for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.

There are so many options. Make it gourmet and change up the cheese for goat cheese and make a squash, goat cheese and prosciutto naan pizza! Or perhaps a blue cheese, fig and arugula naan pizza is more your style.

Whether it’s a busy evening or a lazy afternoon, this recipe is the perfect meal for lunch or dinner. Better yet – get everyone involved in the preparation! Put the toppings out on the kitchen table and have everyone pile on what they want. Pop it in the oven and voila! Lunch or dinner is served!

Share your Naan pizza renditions with us in the comments below!

When winter comes, across the country, comfort foods become essential. The colder temperatures encourage warm soups and comfort cooking. From crockpot meals to leave it and forget it soups, we could all use a collective break. Let’s dig in!

Crockpot meals are the best at comfort foods because you can pour the ingredients in and let it cook while life goes on. This chicken and stuffing crockpot meal combines frozen, boxed, and canned ingredients for a tasty creamy crockpot casserole.  If creamy, cheesy goodness is your jam, this crockpot savory cheese soup using broth, fresh vegetables, herbs, and cheddar cheese is perfect for a busy day. Put all the ingredients in and let your crockpot do the work for you for the next 7-8 hours.

Soups are the perfect winter food. This white bean soup utilizes and rehydrates dried ingredients with fresh winter vegetables for a delicious, veggie-full comfort soup that begs to be eaten cuddled under a blanket in front of a fire (or the yule log on your television)! If a creamy clam chowder is more your speed, check out this clam chowder combining chopped clams, potatoes, onion, and celery with spices and topped with bacon that takes about 30 minutes to cook. Make it dairy-free by putting in vegetable broth instead of fat-free milk. Another delicious bean-based soup of Navy Bean Soup is perfect for feeding the family, with leftovers, using canned beans, fresh and sautéed vegetables, and potatoes.

Casseroles are wonderful winter meals. Toss everything in a dish and bake it up, which allows for the mingling of all the flavors. This Tater Tot Casserole is a classic and favorite. This casserole mixes ground beef, sausage, and beef with frozen vegetables, pantry items, cheese, and spices is topped with frozen tater tots and makes enough for two casseroles! The second casserole’s bonus is perfect for hungry days or for freezing one for use at a later date. This burrito casserole is perfect for Taco Tuesday! The casserole layers the ingredients of a taco of ground beef-cream of mushroom soup mix, onion, taco seasoning, bean, cheese with tortillas, and topped with hot sauce for a spicy casserole ready after 20 minutes of baking.

Pasta dishes are wonderful comfort foods. They are quick to prepare. They combine cheese, tomato, and starchy pasta for a quick, filling meal. What is better than pasta? Well, this creamy spaghetti pie! It combines all the pasta goodness of pasta, parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, egg, mozzarella cheese, pasta sauce, and herbs in a pie dish. Bake the dish for 30 minutes to melt the cheese into the herby, tomato-ey goodness, and viola – a dish that is for sure to be a new comfort food favorite.

Comfort desserts are the perfect combination of a warm hug and a fuzzy blanket. This Peach Bread Pudding is the perfect comfort dessert. Combining evaporated milk, butter, peaches, bread, egg, sugar, and spice for a warming and well-seasoned dessert. It is rich in flavor and taste. In winter, frozen peaches can be used in place of fresh peaches. Peanut butter-chocolate pudding parfait is the perfect chocolate comfort dessert, and it is easy too. It combines milk, whipped topping, and peanut butter with instant pudding mix for a quick and easy treat. You can even change the pudding mix with vanilla, chocolate fudge, or butterscotch to change the flavors. Make it like a sundae with toppings like nuts, fresh or canned fruit, and extra whipped topping!

Winter can be a hard month with cold days that make us stay indoors in the warmth. Enjoy these comfort foods this winter, and maybe find a new favorite! Which one will you add to your meal planning this season?