I am back

I just returned (and now recovered from the 9 time zone jet lag) from a trip to Austria.  My brother and sister in law and their delightful 4 children live there.  It was nice to reunite with them after 6 years of not seeing them.  My brother from PA and my parents from NJ also went, so it was a family reunion that was sweet.  This is why I have been missing in action on blogging. Here are some pictures I would like to share from my trip.  Then I will return to my stack of recipes I would like to blog.

My husband earned his sainthood while I was in Austria.  He stayed at home doing his full time job plus taking care of the kids, doing car pool duties and church functions in my absence. I will be forever grateful for him allowing me to take this trip and reconnect with my family in such a beautiful way.

Enjoy the pictures of scenery and the food I encountered on my trip.

Schloss Orth, Gmunden, Austria

Langbathsee, Austria

Langbathsee, Austria

Gosausee, Austria (Gosau Lake)

Lipizzan Stallion in Pieber, Austria Breeding Farm

Mares and Foals at Pieber, Austria

Street Food: Skewered Smoked Fish - It's better than it looks! 😉

Pork Roast and Austrian Bread Dumplings and Parsley Potatoes

Salzburger Nockerl (Salzburg Souffle)

Red Currant Jam under the Souffle

Becky at Traunsee (Traun Lake)

Chicken Curry

Lately, my husband and I have been eating curry at every opportunity.  A recent trip to a Thai Restaurant rekindled that craving.  Some days of the week are crazy and hectic for us.  Getting dinner in our bellies and out the door for various activities is sometimes a challenge.  On those days I like to use short cuts.  It is not beneath me to buy prepared sauces when it is needed.  I don’t want to tangle with complicated seasonings and sauces to get dinner on in a rush.

I picked up some Kikkoman Thai Red Curry Sauce and Vigo Saffron Yellow Rice Mix to help me get dinner on.

I cooked zucchini and mushrooms as my sides and kept them warm in the oven.  I cooked the rice mix according to package directions.  I cut up 3 chicken breast halves, seasoned them with salt, and browned them in a little olive oil over medium high heat.  After the chicken was fully cooked I poured the Thai Curry sauce over the chicken and heated the sauce through.  It made a simple, tasty dinner before rushing off.