Oatmeal Pancakes II

Reviewed: Mar. 7, 2009

I chose this recipe in order to use the left over buttermilk that my father-in-law left from his visit and all I can say is WOW!!! I ended up using Old Fashioned Oats instead if the quick cooking and it turned out fine. I also tripled the recipe to feed my large brood, but only had 3/4 cup buttermilk. To make up for the rest, I simply used regular milk. My picky kids (who do not like oatmeal pancakes) didn't notice a difference and ate every bite, even asking for seconds. This is definitely a keeper and easy to keep on hand by mixing all the dry ingredients and keeping them in a sealed container. Upon making this recipe a second time, I used all buttermilk, and while you don't have to ues it, the buttermilk does make a distinct difference in taste. Also to make these a bit more healthy, I used whole wheat flour and flaxseed instead of the plain white flour. Totally awesome recipe!!!

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B Powell

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Killeen, Texas, USA

Living In: Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan

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California Chicken Spaghetti

Reviewed: Mar. 5, 2009

Great dish!!! Absolutely 5 stars, and my daughter just packed it for her lunch tomorrow before we've even cleared the table. Alterations: as suggested, used the entire box of angel hair pasta, used 1 15oz can of seasoned diced tomatoes (I might use 2 cans next time), only 1/2 T of Emeril's Bayou seasoning. To serve, I placed all the pasta into a large pasta dish, poured the chicken/tomatoe mix on top, added a layer of asiago cheese (very thin layer), and then covered it with regular feta. Delicious!! :-)

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Diana

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan

Living In: U S A F Academy, Colorado, USA

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Simple Cranberry Spinach Salad

Reviewed: Mar. 1, 2009

I used almonds and crasins instead of walnuts and cranberries. I really enjoyed it. I did not feel like I was starving myself.

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Reviewer:

MaryAnn

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan

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Slovak Stuffed Cabbage

Reviewed: Feb. 27, 2009

I thought this was a good recipe that froze well. The taste is very European so it may be an acquired taste. I made this for a family from Romania and they loved it...could not stop eating it. I will keep the recipe in my recipe box, but probably won't be making it for my family again in the near future.

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Diana

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan

Living In: U S A F Academy, Colorado, USA

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Perfect Flourless Orange Cake

Reviewed: Feb. 9, 2009

I haven't made this exact recipe but I have made one that is similar. I think a common problem people are having with the cake falling apart could be solved by using a springform pan, and maybe treating this a little more like a cheesecake and cooking it in a 1" water bath. Also, after the oranges are cool enough to handle, you should dissect them and remove as much of the seeds, strings and white pith that you can. That may help alleviate some of the bitterness.

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Reviewer:

britni

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Medford, Oregon, USA

Living In: Kadena, Okinawa, Japan

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Quick and Easy Tuna Casserole

Reviewed: Jan. 31, 2009

Based on some of the reviews I thought this recipe would be great - I gave it only 3 stars. I have to admit it was quick and easy, though. I took the advice of some of the readers and added 1/4 c milk, 1/2 c sour cream, sauted the onions in olive oil before adding, 5 cheese slices and 1/4 block of colby jack. After mixing it all, I transferred to a casserole dish, mixed bread crumbs (fresh) and butter together to make a crunchy topping and baked for about 20min in a 350 oven. The kids ate their entire servings, so they liked it, but there were no raving reviews from my family.

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Diana

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan

Living In: U S A F Academy, Colorado, USA

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Carol's Arroz Con Pollo

Reviewed: Jan. 29, 2009

It was a good meal, but a little bland. My daughter loved it and took it as a hot lunch the next day.

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Diana

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan

Living In: U S A F Academy, Colorado, USA

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Egg Drop Soup II

Reviewed: Jan. 29, 2009

This was DELICIOUS and so easy to make! I added 1.5 T cornstarch to thicken it more, a few drops of sesame oil as previously suggested, and some soy sauce (unmeasured). The result was super yummy, and kids loved it. I think w/enough pepper (I accidently put in more than called for) it is great for colds!

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Reviewer:

Diana

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan

Living In: U S A F Academy, Colorado, USA

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Asian Orange Chicken

Reviewed: Jan. 29, 2009

I thought the recipe was tasty, but my kids did not. I think the cornstarch called for was too much and made the sauce really thick and goopy. I simmered the chicken in the sauce which also made the crispy covering not-so-crispy...if I did this again, I would just pour the sauce over the chicken after it was done.

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Reviewer:

Diana

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan

Living In: U S A F Academy, Colorado, USA

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Chi Chi Dango Mochi

Reviewed: Jan. 29, 2009

I thought I would really love this recipe because I grew up on Okinawa and have been looking for that "pink mochi" we could buy in the markets. My son loved this recipe, but he wasn't raised on "original mochi". For me, I thought the taste had too much coconut flavoring (from the milk obviously), and it's not the original mochi taste I yearn for and miss. I gave it 4 stars only because my kids liked it.

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Diana

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan

Living In: U S A F Academy, Colorado, USA

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Fish Fillets Italiano

Reviewed: Jan. 25, 2009

I loved this recipe but HUbby wasn't very impressed with it. To each his own I guess. Best bet is to try it. Goodluck!

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Reviewer:

ait0shi

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan

Living In: Portsmouth, Virginia, USA

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Maple Salmon

Reviewed: Jan. 19, 2009

I love this salmon recipe. IT melts in your mouth. Next time I'm making it, I'll have to double the sauce. THANK YOU so much for sharing

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ait0shi

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan

Living In: Portsmouth, Virginia, USA

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Enchiladas

Reviewed: Jan. 17, 2009

This was sooooooo good! I did make a couple of changes to it according to what I had on hand. I used 1 lb beef, mixed in some wild rice and added 2 tsp crushed garlic, instead of the garlic salt, 1 4.5 oz can of chopped green chiles, a pinch of cayenne pepper, 1/2 packet of burrito seasoning (added while cooking the meat and onions) mixed all together with half a can of red enchilada sauce. We also used twice as much cheese (we love cheese). I served it similar to rolled tacos, with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and onions with a little chuky salsa on the side. Turned out GREAT! I don't remember ever having enchiladas that tasted so good. We will definately be making this again.

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Reviewer:

Mike

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Living In: Chatan, Okinawa, Japan

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Italian Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

Reviewed: Jan. 13, 2009

Very good! I added 1/2 pkg of tofu (cubed), and, since tofu takes on the flavor of what it's cooked with, it really added to the tastiness of the dish. We served this over rice, kind of like an asian stirfry. No leftovers!

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Diana

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan

Living In: U S A F Academy, Colorado, USA

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One Bowl Chocolate Cake III

Reviewed: Jan. 8, 2009

For my husband's birthday, he requested a cake made from scratch. I used this cake mix to make a double layer 13x9 cake with chocolate icing in between the layers and a topping of chocolate ganche....DEATH BY CHOCOLATE. This mix produced a moist cake that has a rich, chocolatey taste without being overly sweet (even with the 2 cups of sugar) and was easy to manipulate into layers. It is also easy to mix all the dry ingredients into a ziploc bag to keep onhand for future reference. The only changes I made were using half all purpose flour and half cake flour. To make a 13x9 sheet cake, you will need to bake at 350 for approx 45 minutes. One note....do not be distressed by the thinness of the batter....it will bake up correctly. I recommend a tall glass of milk to go with this as the perfect compliment.

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Reviewer:

B Powell

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Killeen, Texas, USA

Living In: Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan

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Fried Cabbage II

Reviewed: Jan. 8, 2009

Excellent!!!!! Ths recipe is sooooo good! My wife and I made this. We didn't have cider so we used sushi rice vinegar instead. We also used four pieces of bacon as opposed to three. Turned out HUGE!! This is a keeper and goes great with french onion mashed potatoes and pork tenderloin. Thanks!!!

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Reviewer:

Mike

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Living In: Chatan, Okinawa, Japan

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Easy Lemon Cookies

Reviewed: Dec. 16, 2008

-Diana's daughter- Absolutely amazing!! I followed the advice of some of the reviewers here (the store was out of lemon cake mix) and used yellow cake mix instead. They all turned out beautifully! Everyone I gave them to raved about it. I also used 1 T lemon juice and some lemon zest on the first batch. This is too little lemon taste, and I recommend using more lemon juice if not using lemon cake mix. I will definitely be making these again.

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Reviewer:

Diana

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan

Living In: U S A F Academy, Colorado, USA

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White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Reviewed: Nov. 28, 2008

-This is Diana's 14-yr-old daughter- These cookies were amazing! I made them for drama class at school and followed the recipe exactly. They were a hit!! All of my friends were raving about them. Even my friend who absolutely HATES oatmeal fell in love with them. These are cookies that will be loved by everyone, indeed.

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Reviewer:

Diana

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan

Living In: U S A F Academy, Colorado, USA

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Baked Salmon II

Reviewed: Nov. 15, 2008

This is the only way I make my salmon now. It's soo good. Not to mention very easy. I do broil it for 3-4 mins after baking to given it a sort of crispy baked texture. mmm.MMM. Thanks for sharing the recipe

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