International Night

Approximately three weeks ago, Tom and I decided to institute an international night at our house. Every Thursday night we eat dinner focused on a certain country or regions cuisine. We talk about the food and the kids have to bring an uncommon fact to share about the country being represented. So far it has gone pretty well. Week one we did French food at Austin's suggestion because he is a huge fan of French bread :) Week two we did German food and last night I mixed it up and went with Croatia. The kids hadn't even heard of the country so it was a good choice. Dinner was really fun even though it took me forever to make! We had Pasticada which is a version of roast beef cooked stove top with tons of veggies and a delicious gravy. Then we had Strukli which is more of an pastry appetizer and swiss chard mixed with potatoes. In Croatia they use a lot of a seasoning called Vegeta. I could not find any locally, but it can be ordered. It's made mostly from dehydrated root vegetables with sugar, msg, nutmeg and cornstarch. I wish I had the time to order it to get the full effect but substituted with Mrs Dash and added the nutmeg and sugar myself. It's always fun to hear what the kids come up with and explore new foods. If you are interested in any of the recipes, let me know and I'll send them to you! I'll keep you posted on next weeks dinner! ~THosha