Klassic Kraus Komfort Food #2: Crockpot Chicken Paprikash with Egg Drop Dumplings

I had every intention of going to the butcher this morning for chicken legs. But Sandy/Frankenstorm had other plans. So I heeded Mayor Bloomberg's recommendation to stay inside and not travel....all the way in Cleveland.  Seriously though, low 40s and abysmal rain is the WORST WEATHER on the entire PLANET - to me. So, chicken paprikash is on the KrausHouse menu this fine October Sunday and all I have are chicken breasts in the freezer.  Eh, it'll do.

Chicken Paprikash is my all-time, hands-down favorite meal EVA!  And like most ethnic-based, passed down recipes there are a MILLION variations of it. Every family, restaurant, banquet facility, etc. has their own special way of preparing it. I've had delicious versions which are more on the "brown" gravy side, but my version is decidedly orange to almost coral colored gravy.  It all depends on how much paprika you like!  Most of the time I make mine on the stovetop in a dutch oven or in an electric skillet.  But, I have adapted the recipe for the crockpot and it's still REALLY GOOD!

CROCKPOT CHICKEN PAPRIKASH

INDGREDIENTS

Chicken Paprikash

- chicken legs and thighs (enough to feed your family; usually 4-5 legs and thighs)

-  1 pint of sour cream (I make a lot of gravy bc of the dumplings)

-  1/2 stick of butter

-  medium onion, chopped

-  2 tbs. paprika (I like my gravy very orange, you may like less paprika)

-  3/4 tsp. salt 

Start your crock pot on HIGH.  Finely chop the onion.  Add to the crock pot.  Mix in the sour cream and butter.  

Cover and let the butter melt.  

Once the butter is melted, stir in the amount of paprika you'd like.  Then add the chicken.

Let chicken cook in the crockpot on HIGH for 3 hours. When the 3 hours are up, turn on low for dumpling preparation.

EGG DROP DUMPLINGS

- 4 eggs

- flour

Start a large stock pot half full of water to boil. Beat eggs in a large bowl.  Add flour in spoonfuls and mix thoroughly into eggs until batter is thick and sticky.  It should look fairly dry.

Using a teaspoon, scoop half full spoonfuls and drop into boiling water by scraping dough off of the spoon with another spoon.  Dough will sink to the bottom of the pot and rise when fully cooked.

Using a slotted spoon or frying spoon, remove dumplings as they rise and transfer to crock pot to mix in with chicken and paprika gravy. Mix in and let sit in crock pot for 15-20 minutes with the lid on.

Serve with crusty bread or awesome rolls to slop up all the yummy extra gravy. Yes, I know, not the most etiquette-friendly recommendation, but it's soooo worth the dining faux pas!  If you give this version a try, let me know how it turned out and if you had a family full of "clean plate club" members!

My Favorite Family Tradition

I'm not quite sure how or when Halloween became my favorite holiday.  It could stem from my childhood. I am an only child who always longed for brothers and/or sisters, but thankfully, I grew up on a street with +/- 20 kids within 4 years of my age. Halloween was the only holiday I celebrated with my neighborhood "siblings". I loved running the streets with them; screaming, laughing, joking and sharing.  We sat for hours afterwards trading candy and enjoying everything about the night.  I. LOVE. HALLOWEEN.  Luckily, I found a guy who loves it as much as me! And now, we have our own fun night of running, screaming, laughing, joking and sharing - BOO AT THE ZOO.  Since Sweet Pea's first Halloween, we've been attending Boo at the Zoo at The Cleveland MetroParks Zoo.  Her first Halloween was fun, but we we started our absolutely FABULOUS tradition of a family theme costume the following year when I was pregnant with Monkey.  Here's our gallery of costumes.  Thankfully, Mimi is an AMAZING seamstress and helped with the costumes most of the years.  Hopefully, you can find some inspiration in our themes and start a wonderful Halloween tradition in your own family.  I'm holding on to this AS LONG as possible...I'm dreading the "BUT MAAAAHHHHMMM, I don't wanna dress up with you anymore!!" years.  They're quickly approaching.....

BOO AT THE ZOO, 2007

LITTLE STINKER

FIRST THEME COSTUME
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
2008

BOO AT THE ZOO, 2009
WIZARD OF OZ

BOO AT THE ZOO, 2010
SCOOBY DOO

BOO AT THE ZOO, 2011
IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN

However your family celebrates Halloween, big or small, I hope you have an enjoyable, memorable and safe night!  2012's costumes are ready to go....I'll add them after we have the big unveiling on Friday the 26th at this edition of BOO AT THE ZOO!!

BOO AT THE ZOO, 2012
BATMAN

October Birchbox: Small, but Mighty

Want some goop? That was essentially the question Birchbox asked their subscribers in an email for October's edition of the medium brown box.  The goop in question is the website goop.com, with whom Birchbox teamed to bring this month's product inspiration...if you so chose to accept!  I left it up to the Product Fairies instead of volunteering to receive the website-inspired edition. And BEFORE the 10th this month, I did indeed get my box o' goop. My box included 5 products, which is a few less than a prior boxes, but the quality is definitely better than the quantity!

OCTOBER'S BIRCHBOX

beautyblender® - the original beautyblender®

This is probably the most exciting thing (for me anyways) I have received so far in any my boxes.  I almost bought two packages of beautyblender®s at Marshall's over the summer, and for some dumb reason, put them back on the shelf.  I think the Product Fairies were watching...because here it is in my box! I consulted my friend, and FABULOUS make-up artist, Victoria, on the exact care for the applicator sponge as there weren't any instructions included with it in the box.  She recommends cleaning the sponge after every application with Isopropyl Alcohol...99% if you can find it, 91% will work as well too.  Put it in a small spray bottle, spray LIGHTLY with the alcohol and roll the sponge on a clean towel.  SO EXCITED to use this tool!!

Chantecaille - Brilliant Gloss

A really beautiful nude shade of lip gloss. Best thing ever...non-sticky and delivers a slight plump when applied. LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!!!

DDF® - Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer

Tried this serum for the first time this morning.  I love how it felt going on, very smooth and absorbed well into my skin.  My skin felt noticeably softer and smoother.  Very excited to see the benefits of further use of this product. A full-size version is $85.

Marie Veronique Organics - Anti-Aging Oil +

Looks like a little of this will go a long way as well. Made with sea buckthorn, red raspberry seed and cranberry seed oil, it almost sounds good enough to eat.  But I am sure it will work wonders on my skin.  Glad the Product Fairies realize I'm pushing 40! A full-size retails for $80.

*I'm always very pumped to try face products that push the $100 threshold for full size. GOOD STUFF!*

And finally, our "Lifestyle Extra":

Luna - LemonZest Barr

I am already a HUGE fan of Clif Bars...I survive my crazy days of instructing at Little Gym and coaching volleyball during dinner time hours on Clif Bars. I have seen Luna Bars near them in the nutritional aisle and have contemplated buying some, as they are geared toward women's health and nutrition.  We'll see how this one tastes. I have it stored in my purse for an emergency snack.  Which I guarantee will happen between today and Wednesday, at best! 

Any other Birchbox subscribers out there, I would love to read about what you received and what you thought of your products. Discover what Birchbox is here, or sign up for an account here.

Clambake 101: North Coast Style

Quintessential fall in CLEVELAND = CLAMBAKE time!  We just had our 3rd Annual KrausHouse Clambake last night; a (finally) DRY but CHILLY affair!  And as always, our family and friends were the best company to entertain!  I recently found out that unless you reside in Northeast Ohio or the Northeastern Atlantic coast, or you are an avid Elvis fan, clambakes are pretty much an unknown commodity .Which, to me, is a DAMN SHAME! Because 'Bakes really are one of THE BEST party formats around...better than any summer BBQ, or potluck, or brunch or buffet.  If you're unfamiliar with a clambake, here's the basics for a do-it-yourself - you take clams, chicken, potatoes, corn and maybe some crab legs or lobster (regional location plays a part in the bake ingredients), layer them in a giant steamer or pot and bake it for a couple hours.  Meanwhile, everyone here enjoys the best things FALL on North Coast has to offer - drinks, munchies, football, gorgeous scenery and crisp, cool air.  It is one of the most laid back and enjoyable type of party you could have.  We're fortunate enough to have an AMAZING family-owned catering business that has been in the community forever, Maple Heights Catering, and they do Redi-Pack clambakes for an incredible price.  They pack up the bakes in a large steamer & provide you the burner; we hook it up to a regular propane tank from the grill and steam away!  They are the BEST PLACE in Ctown to get a clambake!  We get some additional goodies from our favorite family-owned butcher, K & K Meats, to round out the spread - and VIOLA! an amazing feast is ready to go!   If I've piqued your interest on trying your own clambake, wherever you may be, here's the format for our annual party :)

MENU

Clambake from caterer includes:

-1 dz. middle neck clams

- 1/2 chicken

- 1 sweet potato

- 1 ear of corn

- coleslaw

- dinner roll

*The caterer also provides add-ons: extra dz. clams, crab legs, lobster tails, steaks, mussels for additional price.

We add in: (click on the food to see the recipes I used)

- Ribs

- Italian sausage w/ onions and peppers (you could also do kielbasa and sauerkraut)

- Cabbage and Noodles

- Hungarian hot peppers stuffed with sausage

Cut off the tops of the peppers, and remove seeds and ribs. You can either keep the peppers whole or cut them in half.  Stuff with ground Italian sausage (mild is best) and layer in a crock pot.  Cover with jar of marinara sauce and cook on low in crock pot for about 2 hours or so. 

- assorted appetizers

* Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Dip (from Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook - my entertaining BIBLE)

*Jalapeno Popper Dip (I used the ingredient instructions for this recipe, but made it entirely in a medium-sized crock pot. I threw in the cream cheese, heated it up a little bit and then added the remaining ingredients and mixed it well. I coated the panko bread crumbs with olive oil and spread them out on top and let the crock pot do the work.  Make sure you turn it to low to maintain heat.)

We have everyone BYOD (whatever beer, wine, alcohol or reg drink they choose) and a dessert. Although, we do provide a small selection of common liquor (Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, flavored vodka, etc) and pop for guests. And this year, I made a KrausHouse Clambake signature cocktail, Captain Morgan's Hot Spiced Cider. And it was a big hit! Because #1, it's GOOD and #2, it was COLD outside!
Here's the recipe:

Captain Morgan's Hot Spiced Cider

- large jug of apple cider

-bottle of Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum

-5 cinnamon sticks

-one apple, sliced across in thin slices

- 3/4 tbs. nutmeg

- crock pot

-shot glasses 

*Serves about 10-15, depending upon cup size and how much your guests fill their cups!

Pour apple cider into crock pot. You may not be able to fit the entire jug of apple cider into the crock pot (but that's ok, I am SURE you will need to refill the crock pot!).  Add apple slices, cinnamon sticks and nutmeg and stir.  Set crock pot to HIGH and warm for an hour.  Turn crock pot to low to maintain warmth once you are ready to serve. Put the crock pot out with a ladle for guest to serve themselves, with the bottle of Captain Morgan's and shot glasses right beside the crock pot. I had guests add their own amount of Captain Morgan's to their drinks. Guest who aren't drinking will still be able to enjoy the warmth of the cider without the "fuel"!! 

I will definitely be making this again next year and probably doubling the recipe! It was soooo gooood!

We round out the fun with a Cornhole Tournament which ALWAYS gives more than a few laughs, some competitive ribbing and bragging rights for a whole year....and some cash to the winners! Cornhole is a uniquely Ohio game which I am fairly certain has it's origins in the Cincinnati-area. The Hubs had played it for years when he lived and worked at Miami University.  When we moved to back down to Cinci for a few years, we were so excited to bring it back to Ctown and introduce it to our family and friends.  By the time we moved back home, thanks to the HUGE amount of Cleveland-area college age kids who go to Miami and OSU,  it had successfully made it's way up to Cleveland and can be seen at cook-outs, parties, tailgates, etc. everywhere! It's a fun combo of horseshoes and skee-ball with beanbags! 

I'm already planning next year's 'Bake...what to add, what I need, what I don't need!  And I've already started "conversations" with Mother Nature about the weather next year.  "Thanks for the DRY night, but MAYBE just a little bit warmer...."  I don't dare get too demanding!