Life is to be enjoyed...

Long Time Ago...

2011-06-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

So it has been almost four months since my last post. Crazy how time flies by when so much is going on. What's new? Well for starters, I have a new job that I really like. The people are great, the company is awesome and overall just really great. The commute is longer but I am adjusting and all is going ok, so happy to be working in a much healthier work environment.

We have been watching what we eat lately but that just means I am forced to get more creative. If you are ever looking for a great frozen meal to help keep calories low, SmartOnes really offer alot and have so many different flavors. They also have breakfast options and desserts for the sweet cravers. So typically we will have a SmartOne, fruit, yogurt and half a bagel or other carb. For dinner is where I have to try and amp things up a bit. I am in love with Henry's Market so I have been shopping there a lot lately. Their meat and produce is uncomparable to even the best markets, and is reasonable, especially the produce. So below is a typical list of meals we enjoy for dinner:

Chicken tacos on corn tortillas, served with pico di gallo and queso fresco or avocado (Henry's has really delicious marinated chicken)
Chicken Cajun (or hot italian) ssg sir fry with peppers and sweet onion, served over boiled red potatoes
BBQ baby back ribs served with summer squash and red potatoes (a Jose favorite)
Fish sticks with some sort of vegetable
Teryaki chicken (grilled) served with rice and vegetable stir fry (or made into kabobs)
Baked chicken tenders served with salad or vegetable
Shrimp Scampi served over vegetables

Saturdays we will typically go all out and maybe have a steak but it all depends on what they have going at Henry's or what we are doing. As you can see our meals tend to have chicken as a protein but as long as I prepare it differently we haven't really gotten to tired of it.

I will try to post some recipes soon!

Live, Laugh, Love

V-Day Reflection

2011-02-16T12:50:00.000-08:00

What could be a better way to spend Valentines day than with the one you love, cooking together in the kitchen? For me, not much... (And this was in additional to all the wonderful flowers he gave me.)

That's what JL and I did and it was so much fun! On occasion JL has been helping me cook dinner and I would say recently he has really starting taking an interest in it. I couldn't be happier knowing there will come a day when he will feel comfortable enough to just have dinner ready and waiting for me when I get home but for now I am happy to share that time with him.

I prepared the menu, with him in mind, and we went from there.

Menu:
Beer battered onion rings & mushrooms with spicy mayo
Pommes Anne (kicked up)
Ribeye steak with a mushroom marsala gravy
Cheesy garlic pinwheels
Chocolate chip creme brulee with banana

He was super excited to try and fry things and after doing it he was even more convinced we needed a deep fryer... After that though, there was still lots to be done and his excitement dimmed, but he was still happy to help... and eat! We didn't end up making the Pommes Anne since we already had so much food and I knew it wouldn't be eaten and would take up more time. Overall everything was delicious!

Inspiration:

The Onion rings were a spin off on a recipe by Guy Fieri on the food network.
The Pommes Anne was inspired by Anne Burrell from the food network.
The Ribeye steak and gravy was an adjusted recipe from Giada from food network.
The Pinwheels are a recipe from http://www.ourbestbites.com/ but I used a store bought french bread dough from the refrigerated section since it unrolls nicely.
The Creme brulee was a recipe from Paula Deen (surprise-surprise) that I added some flair to.

Overall incredibly successful dinner and great memories :)

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Gooey Butter Cookies

2011-02-07T10:58:00.000-08:00

Let me just start by saying, these cookies are in no way low fat, and honestly can't be. They are rich cookies so eating one or two will suffice but if you share with your friends or co-workers, they will praise you and will ask for the recipe.

This recipe is inspired by Paula Deen and depending on your creativity, you can follow the recipe of hers or split off for your very own creation. Her recipe calls for chocolate cake mix but any flavor will work.

Gooey Butter Cookies

To make the chocolate center, I wrap the dough around a Hershey's kiss. Since there are so many flavors nowadays, let your creative side take hold and go with it!

Some combos:

Chocolate with Cookies N Creme Kisses
White with Milk or Dark Kisses
Yellow with Caramel Kisses
Devils Food with Meltaways or Mint Chocolate or Hugs

You can also use any type of chocolate candy you wish. I stuck with kisses for the simplicity and size. They also didn't come out hard or chewy after they cooled, probably due to the high fat content...

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!!!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2011-01-10T13:40:00.000-08:00

For the holidays I had the fam-fam over. I like to make something for people to munch on before dinner since they are usually asking me when dinner will be ready, snacks keep their mouth full :) I served this with tortilla chips.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 C mayonnaise
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 C Parmesan cheese
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1/2 C Parmesan cheese
1/4 C panko bread crumbs

Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese and jalapenos.
Spread into greased baking dish. (I used a bowl 6" in diameter.)
Sprinkle panko bread crumbs and Parmesan over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 25 minutes.
Turn broiler on low and broil for 2 to 3 minutes so the top can brown. (Watch it!)

A trick to finding a spicy or mild jalapeno is to look at the skin. If the skin has cracks or scars on it then it will be spicier than a smooth skinned one. Many times a smooth skinned jalapeno will have very little or no spice after the seeds are removed.

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Christmas Dinner

2011-01-03T19:35:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since my last post and for that I apologize, again. Below are some pics of the yummy food we had Christmas Eve dinner.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Stuffed Mushrooms

Glazed Ham

Mashed Potatoes, I prepare them a little ahead and put them in a crock pot to make things a little easier.

Mac N Cheese

Pecan Shortbread cookies, inspired by a recipe given to me by my wonderful cousin Sarah!

What isn't shown above but included in the dinner:

Roasted Glazed Butternut Squash

Fried Chicken

Gravy

Hawaiian Rolls

Strawberry Cheesecake

Live, Laugh, Love

I will post up recipes for a few of these dishes in the next few days.

Holiday Baking - Family Favorite Sugar Cookies

2010-12-16T11:00:00.000-08:00

I am finally feeling the holiday spirit and last night enjoyed making these yummy cookies! This is a recipe I have adapted out of an old edition of the Joy of Cooking cookbook.

Growing up that was our cooking bible. Every time my mom or I wanted a recipe for something we ran to the cupboard and grabbed this cookbook. I remember one time I wanted to make some extra money while we had a garage sale so I sold lemonade and cookies, surprising I know... These cookies were the ones I made and they were such a hit I sold out before the sale was over!

Don't let the oil distract you, they are incredibly buttery tasting and the oil only makes it that much easier. I used canola oil but vegetable would work well. Don't use an oil with flavor, like olive or peanut.

Quick Sugar Cookies with Oil

adapted from a recipe in Joy of Cooking

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground clove

1 cup white sugar

3/4 cup cooking oil

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Sugar (sprinkles or turbinado sugar is best)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt & spices.
In separate bowl, mix together sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until smooth.
Add flour to oil mix in parts, combining well after each addition.
Scoop out 1 inch balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
Press a flat bottomed cup into dough to moisten, then dip into sugar and flatten cookies with it. It will leave sugar on to and if it sticks, that just means you need to add more sugar to your plate so it will stick.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges just start to turn color.

Another cookie recipe I LOVE and Kyarah has asked about is the for Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies. They are so delish, incredibly easy, and by Paula Deen so don't even think they aren't bad for you!

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Hectic Time

2010-12-06T16:02:00.000-08:00

As of now, I am not sure how much I will be posting this month, recipe wise. I hope to be able to keep up but right now I am going through some things at work and I am trying to quelm a bit of anxiety that seems to be taking up much of my focus. Sorry to all of my readers, all three of you, but I shall get to posting soon!

Live, Laugh, Love!

It has passed...

2010-12-02T12:54:00.000-08:00

I honestly think I was disappointed in myself this year in regards to Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone was happy with my wares but I feel I could have done so much better. It could have been because I was mentally on vacation. I took about 11 days off and didn't do much, loved it! I will take it up a notch for Christmas, for sure!

I was also disappointed in myself for not taking a picture of the turkey but I was majorly stressing at that point to get all the food on the table that I guess I just disregarded it. We had a traditional meal but no sweet potatoes, which was the biggest mistake. I think maybe that was why I felt like I was missing something. I won't be doing that again...

Overall the turkey was yummy (but ready too early), the ham was delish (yeah we have both...), the mashed potatoes were fluffy, the green bean casserole was creamy, the mac n cheese was super, the cranberry sauce was fabulous, the gravy was ok (I really prefer fresh turkey gravy but didn't make it since the stressing was getting to me...), the rolls were warm, the stuffing wasn't that great (and I LOVE stuffing...), the pumpkin pie was good (but took way too long to bake), and spending time as a family was terrific. So I guess overall it was good, just not as I have had in the past, miss my Mom's cooking but next year I shall do better!

Sorry for the short hiatus but I shall get back to clogging soon and I am thinking of doing a theme, maybe just start with A and see where it takes me...

Live, Laugh, Love!

Cochinita Pibil - Say what???

2010-11-17T13:27:00.000-08:00

In order to be more creative in the kitchen I figure its about time I roll up my sleeves and start thinking Mexican. For those who know me, you may think this an odd statement, seeing how JL is Mexican and would assume I am already doing this, but alas no. The sole reason being that I wouldn't want to compete with his mother or other excellent cooks in his family. Silly as it sounds trying to cook something new can be intimidating and then having something fabulous to compare my cooking to... well you get the idea. JL thinks it is silly.

I have referenced Simply Recipes before but I really love the blog, really. Elise cooks some Tex-Mex stuff and some authentic Mexican dishes too. Not only that but she cooks other delicious recipes I seem to always want to try, maybe its the photos... Anyway, you have to check it out.

Back to my rant... So in order for me to start this journey I found a recipe for Chochinita Pibil on Elise's site and decided why not? It looked pretty easy, just needed a special Mexican ingredient, and a long time to cook. Bonus: JL had never tried it!!! Not only that but a cousin of a friend has tried it and she said it was good, so I jumped... And it was definitely worth it!!!

I would highly suggest this for any cook, so incredibly easy and super delicious, please try it and don't be wary of its origin!

Cochinita Pibil Recipe

Some of my suggestions:

Steam a couple of chile de arbols (or other spicy red chile) and toss in the blender with the marinade. We thought it needed a kick but still delish.
Cook it in a Crock Pot for 5-7 hours on high (depending on how much you are making)
This recipe will feed four, without much leftovers, so we doubled the recipe, had some friends over and had some for lunch the next day. It is delish the next day.
Definitely shred the meat and mix in some of the broth before serving.
Serve with Lime-Cilantro rice, Elise has a recipe for it linked to the Cochinita Pibil recipe.
We also had some avocado with it :)

Sorry for no photo but I just can't compete with Elise :)

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Herbed Butter for Roast Chicken

2010-11-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

Again, we are having Roast Chicken for dinner and I can't wait. Not only are we having it for dinner tonight, but we will have the leftovers for tomorrow in sandwich and cheesy enchilada form :)

If you are looking for an easy herbed butter to slide under the skin of chicken or turkey this season, this is it. All the seasonings are included and no need to sprinkle or rub chicken, unless you want a little extra salt.

1/2 stick butter, softened
1/2 tsp salt (or less if you plan on massaging the bird in it)
2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped fine
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped fine
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder, or one to two cloves of garlic chopped fine
1/2 tsp onion powder

Combine the ingredients together and stuff under the skin of the chicken.

If you want to use this for turkey, double or triple the recipe, depending on the size of the turkey.

Some more helpful tips...

For a crispy skin, you don't need to add oil, just dry it out in the fridge for a few hours before roasting it and it will come out nice and brown and crispy. Typically I let JL indulge in that part...

For a quicker cooking bird, don't stuff it, with anything.

Contrary to Martha, tying a bird will increase it's density, thus making the cooking time a bit longer as well. I do prefer to tie up my Thanksgiving Turkey but will consider not doing that this year just to prevent the breasts from drying out.

Don't cook Roast Chicken with the foil on. It will only steam the meat and not let it roast. Many people think this will help keep the moisture in but the skin does a great job of that on its own and if you cover it, you will end up with soggy chicken skin, ewww....

I found that brushing the butter on top of the skin only allows for it to melt and run off, in order to keep the flavors and allow for the infused herbs to flavor the meat, put the butter under the skin in a solid form and as the chicken roasts, the butter will melt into the meat of the chicken... yummy!

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Best Ribs Ever!

2010-11-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

It is time for me to share our secret recipe for the best baby back ribs ever. Are you ready? The secret is Newcastle! Yup, you heard right...

1 rack of baby back ribs
1 bottle of Newcastle
Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce
Pork Spice Rub (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut up rib rack into two to four pieces, depending on how many each person wants, it also will allow for the ribs to fit nicely in a 13 x 9 inch pan.

Pour entire beer bottle over ribs and bake in oven for 1.5 to 2 hours, until ribs are tender. You can test them with a fork.

Heat up grill to medium to high heat.

Coat ribs with BBQ Sauce and place on grill. Turn once the sauce has caramelized and you can add another coat, depending on how much sauce you want, we like tons!

If you want to add the spice rub for more depth of flavor, coat the meat before you coat with beer.

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

This post was not sponsored by Sweet Baby Ray's or Newcastle.

Contemplation

2010-11-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

As you may or may not know, I am on a bit of a diet... That phrase might have been a little understated but I don't want you all to think I have gone mad and won't be able to post any more delicious recipes because my new goal is how to make healthy delicious, or give lots of goodies to my friends and family. It will be my new challenge and I am totally up for it!

Jose has been on a healthy spree for the past 5 weeks and so I figured it was my turn to hop on that bandwagon. Almost two weeks in and so far I have lost four pounds and I am in my craving stage. If you aren't familiar with dieting or forget what its like (so jealous of you!) then usually within weeks two through six, the dieter typically will start craving everything and anything that may have been favorites or just ok but are now banned, until things get under control. What am I craving today? Buffalo wings... the craziest thing is that previously I just thought they were "ok", that is until I couldn't have them :/ Oh well, two more months of this and as long as I continue to work out I can have 'em again!

You may think I am crazy for trying this around the holiday season and I know, it is crazy. Timing was just right so I thought, why not? Also, the Real Age web site has been bugging me and I realized that I don't feel my age, but I was starting to look it. If you know my family, you will know that I have been gifted to be a part of a genetic chain that doesn't age very quickly, thanks Grandma Jo Hanna and Grandpa Wes! If you were to meet my uncle you would not guess his age, I would bet $20 on it. He has more energy than I do and he is twice my age. Check out: Real Age and see for yourself how old your body really is... I went form 27.5, prediet and exercise, to 22.5, yesterday. Now I know 27 is my real age but who honestly wants their body to be aging at the rate or a little faster than their real age?

So give it a try, it takes a few minutes but gives helpful tips and advice on how to make your body younger and your life span longer!

Live, Laugh, Love!

Cream Puff Cups

2010-11-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Recently I have been in the competitive spirit. As you may or may not know, I "heart" Paula Deen! I think her cooking is real American and I love that she loves butter just like me! In fact I think using olive oil in place of it can be horrendous and I'd rather have nothing at all... Just my thought :)

I frequent Paula's website and have been noticing the ad from Philadelphia Cream Cheese about a contest for recipes. Since I was young, haven't entered a contest, mainly because I am afraid of losing, silly I know. So I decided to make a leap for it.

This happens to be the last week for this competition and each week has a specific theme. This week's theme is Desserts - Make To Impress. I thought that maybe I could do this but wasn't sure what to enter. I decided to review the other entries, my competition, and see if it was even worth it. You can view the other entries here.

Many of you may think I entered a cake, but no I didn't :) It is a make to impress and I can only use ten ingredients or less. You would be surprised at how hard that can be. My entry was at exactly ten ingredients and I could of had more but I adjusted. This recipe was inspired by one of my favorite bloggers, The Girl Who Ate Everything and her Strawberry Cream Puff Cake, however, mine is definitely different.

Cream Puff Cup

6 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp grated orange zest
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
1 tbsp water
16 strawberries
8 sprigs of mint for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Lay out puff pastry sheets and cut into four six-inch squares, it doesn’t have to be exact.

3. Lay each square over cup in muffin tin and work into the cup. There will be about one to two inches of edging.

4. Combine egg and water and whisk until combined to make egg wash.

5. Brush pastry top with egg wash.

6. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are a deep golden brown and puffed up.

7. Remove from muffin tin and let cool.

8. Combine Philadelphia Cream Cheese, sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth in appearance.

9. Add whipping cream and beat until stiff peaks form.

10. Fold in the orange zest until combined, don’t over mix, and set aside.

11. Slice strawberries in four and reserve the middle two slices for garnish.

12. Wash and dry mint sprigs, clip off the end bunch of about four or six leaves, whichever you prefer for decoration.

13. Fill a pastry bag or Ziploc bag with the cream cheese mixture and pipe into the cooled pastry cups.

14. Garnish with the strawberries and mint bunches.

Note: The parts of this can be prepared in advance but do not fill the pastry cups until a couple hours prior serving; otherwise the pastry won’t be as crisp.

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy! (And wish me luck!)

Halloween Treats

2010-10-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Being on a budget can make things difficult for my creativity but then I realize, it is only a challenge and I can make it happen! So for our pumpkin carving party I decided to make sugar cookies, since we also have ample amounts of candy for all to pick at. I really like the sugar cookies that come in the gift baskets but I think sometimes they can be a bit dry. I tried this new recipe and I love it and so did JL who claims to "not be into sweets". He can deny it all he wants but when I make a really good dessert he just can't seem to help himself :)

Sugar Cookies (like the gift basket ones)
Sadly I don't know where I got this from but thank you!

1/2 C + 6 T butter, I used salted
3 C + 3 T all purpose flour
1 C superfine sugar, you can toss some regular sugar into a food processor to make it superfine
1 large egg
1 t vanilla

Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla, just until it is creamy, don't over mix!
Beat in egg until well combined.
Add flour until a non-sticky dough forms.
Knead and separate into two portions.
Roll out in between two pieces of parchment or wax paper and let cool in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes, until firm.
Remove from fridge and cut into desired shapes.
Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes on a parchment lined cookies sheet.
Slide paper off of sheet and let coo before removing them.

Frosting
Adapted from All Recipes, Submitted by JB BOX

1 C powdered sugar
2 t milk
2 t light corn syrup
1/4 t vanilla extract
food coloring

Combine all but food coloring and separate into desired portions for coloring.
Wait until cookies have cooled before frosting.

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Chipotle Chicken

2010-10-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

When trying to get creative with the ever-so-boring chicken, utilizing new or unknown ingredients can be the only way to go. Chipotle Chilies are smoked Jalapenos and delicious in almost anything, even mixed with sour cream for a creamy salad dressing. As spicy as jalapenos can be, the smoking of them can reduce the bite a little bit. The Adobo sauce they are combined with, typically, in the can is deliciously sweet and can balance out the spicy-ness, leaving the smoky jalapeno delectably savory and edible for this gringa (white girl)! If you like heat but never tried chipotle chilis, taste it and add as many as you want to the marinade. I didn't blend the ingredients but thinking back, that might have been a great idea!

Yummy Chipotle Chicken that you can use for tacos, burritos or salad.

Chipotle Chicken
Adapted from Simply Recipies

2 chicken breasts sliced in half or pounded
2 chipotle chilis, diced
Sauce from chipotle chilis
2 T lime juice
1 T canola oil
Sprinkle of salt

Marinate chicken in chilis, juice, oil & salt for 30 minutes to 1 day.

Grill chicken until done.

As you can see below, I make American tacos, versus the typical Mexican taco with onion, cilantro and salsa.

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

It is just beginning!

2010-10-20T15:58:00.000-07:00

The past few months I have been making cakes for friends, and their family or friends. There was one period where I was making cakes every Saturday.

Jose and I have been discussing this and the opportunity that has become available to me/us... and Nessa's Cakes was born. I don't take any credit for the name, that was all Jose!

It is still incredibly preliminary and very under the radar so I have created a blog to give my potential clients a place to see my handy work and have a list of options available to them, from me :) The pricing of the cakes is based on the actual cost of the ingredients for me. This isn't a for-profit undertaking, in any way...

Long story short, here it is... http://nessascakes.blogspot.com/

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

The best easy cake recipe ever!

2010-10-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

I am going to share a secret with you... Some of the cakes I make are not entirely from scratch... I know, I know, it is preposterous and a shame but to be honest, most bakeries no longer make things from scratch at all. Not to mention, I have tried so many recipes from scratch but the best ones I have made require a box mix to use as a base.

This past weekend I had to make 40 cupcakes and a two layer 10" cake. It was a lot of work but the crazy thing was, I was able to finish it all in three hours, from start to finish! Even though I was using a box cake mix, the additional ingredients is enough to almost consider it a recipe from scratch.

The request was for chocolate and not too chocolaty (crazy, I know) cake/cupcake. So I decided to use this recipe from Our Best Bites.

Previously, I made the recipe for a friend and everyone loved it, including me :) I decided, why not try it with chocolate cake mix, instead of vanilla, for a not-too-chocolaty chocolate cupcake/cake. I decided to go with a vanilla butter cream frosting and for the cake I added a strawberry filling.

Needless to say, the cupcakes were a hit and I honestly think they were better than anything else I have made to date. They were super moist, surprisingly since cupcakes are hard to get moist, and they all had a dome top! I thought adding the extra flour and sugar would take away some of the chocolate but they were still pretty chocolaty.

The conversion for a chocolate cupcake is to use Devils Food box cake mix and instead of eggs whites you can substitute 3 large eggs. I don't like to waste eggs and since the only reason the recipe calls for whites is to keep the cake white, I didn't see the necessity.

To get a dome top on the cupcake, preheat oven to 400 degrees and right after you put the cupcakes in the oven and the oven comes back to temp, reduce the temp to 350. This may be a little annoying but it is soo worth it!

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy

Planning Ahead

2010-10-13T10:24:00.001-07:00

This is not a food post but something very related to food and a normal person's active lifestyle.

I was inspired by Tina to share this with you...

About two weeks ago Jose and I decided, enough is enough. We are no longer going to be eating out during the week and will leave it to once a week, maybe. I then created a system to help the deciding of meals an easier task. This system I will share with you, you lucky person you!

First I created a weekly meal plan.

Monday: Fun meals (to make Monday seem less boring)
Tuesday: Home-cookin’
Wednesday: Mexican
Thursday: Italian
Friday: Home-cookin’
Saturday: Slowcooker/BBQ
Sunday: TBD (usually visit the "in-laws")

Then I started to brainstorm. I created a separate list for each type of meal and vowed to come up with at least eight meals for each. This meant that I would have at least 40 meals to make and as you may assume, I exceeded that.

Once that was done the rest of it was so easy and, may I say, enjoyable! All I had to do was decide which meal for each day and create a list.

Below are some ideas you can use for the meal types.

Fun food:
Chinese Appetizers
Tuna Melts
Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs
Buffalo Wings

Home-cookin'
Chicken Pot Pie
Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots
Cream of Broccoli Soup
BLTT Sandwiches (add turkey)

Italian
Chicken Alfredo
Stuffed Shells
Cajun Fetuchinni (maybe not really Italian but to JL it falls under this category)

Mexican
Chipotle Grilled Chicken Tacos (recipe to come soon)
Enchiladas
Not-Chipotle Burritos
Chili Relleno Casserole

Slow Cooker/BBQ
Burgers
Pot Roast
BBQ Salmon & grilled veggies
BBQ Ribs

Hope this helps you get back into the healthy and more cost efficient way of eating and always enjoy what you put in your mouth!

Live, Laugh, Love!

Thanksgiving came early!

2010-10-06T20:20:00.000-07:00

Well, not really. It sure smelled like thanksgiving when I was making dinner though! Dinner was roasted chicken with vegetables.

Roast Chicken with veggies

1 whole chicken, minus the neck and insides and rinsed
4 red potatoes, cut in 8 pieces
1 cup carrots
1 onion, roughly cut
8 oz mushrooms, rinsed
2 celery stalks, roughly cut
1/4 c butter, softened
1 t dried thyme
1 t rosemary
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
Cooking Spray

1. Preheat oven to 385 degrees.

2. Spray 9x13 roasting pan with cooking spray.

3. Combine butter and spices.

4. Place chicken in pan and run fingers under skin covering the chicken breast and legs.

5. With your hand, spread the butter under the skin and smooth out.

6. Place vegetables along the edges of the chicken.

7. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

8. Bake in the oven for 60 to 90 minutes, until the internal temperature has reached 160 degrees.

9. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes to allow for the juices to redistribute.

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Green Enchiladas

2010-09-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

It seems as though I am on a roll! Let's hope it stays this way :)

Enchiladas are one of my favorite foods. When I go to a Mexican restaurant that is usually what I order, they never let me down.

My Mom used to prepare them at least twice a month when I was growing up so they are also one of my comfort foods. She would use the red sauce you can find in a can at the store and cheddar cheese, yummy!

My taste buds developed through the years and I decided to try the green sauce... Delish! Now it is one thing I make once or twice a month for dinner and we both LOVE them! They are great for leftovers and can be made ahead and frozen, just keep the sauce for the top separate otherwise the tortillas will soak it all up.

Again, sorry but still on the hunt for my camera battery charger, I will not give up!

Green Enchiladas
by, Me!

Makes 4 to 6 servings, depending on your hunger :)

24 corn tortillas
2 chicken breasts
1 package of queso fresco (or 3 cups shredded jack cheese)
1 large can of green enchilada sauce
2 small onions, halved & sliced or diced (your preference)
2 T butter
2 t chili powder
1/2 t garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Corn or canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Combine chili powder, garlic, salt & pepper

3. Place chicken in lightly greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan and coat with spices. Bake chicken for 20 minutes.

4. While chicken is baking, melt butter in skillet and add onions. Saute for 20 minutes or until caramelized.

5. While chicken and onions are working, heat oil in skillet or comal (flat pan with raised edges) until hot. Test it but adding a piece of a tortilla, if it sizzles, you are ready to go.

6. Place tortillas in oil and fry until they puff up but are not crispy, make sure to flip them. Drain off excess oil on paper towels.

7. Once chicken is ready, remove from oven and dice into small pieces. Add them to the onion and about 1/2 cup of the green sauce. Simmer for about five minutes.

8. Set up your assembly area. Remove cheese from package and set chicken skillet on the counter.

9. Grease two 13x9 pans and start rolling the enchiladas. Inside the enchiladas go some cheese and some chicken/onion mix. Make sure and not over do it on the cheese so you can have some for the top.

10. Once all the enchiladas are in the pans, pour the rest of the sauce over them and sprinkle remaining cheese.

11. Place pans in the oven for about 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and thick.

12. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes.

You are more than welcome to make your own green sauce, but as you can see these are pretty labor intensive so the canned version makes it just a bit easier.

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Coconut Shrimp with Apricot-Ginger Dipping Sauce

2010-09-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

I LOVE coconut shrimp. I really do... When JL and I go out to dinner I usually scan to see if it is available and then see that the price is ridiculous and opt for something less expensive. The real problem is that I know I can make it for a lot less so I think it is ridiculous to spend four times the amount. The recipe I make tastes a lot like the kind from the Yard House but I use a beer batter and they use panko.

I apologize for the quality of the pictures... My Nikon battery charger is MIA so for now I only have my phone camera.

Coconut Shrimp with Apricot-Ginger Dipping Sauce

Adapted from FoodNetwork

Ingredients

Apricot-Ginger Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup apricot jam
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (or 1 t ground ginger)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds discarded, minced
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Coconut Shrimp:
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup beer
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 egg
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (you can leave the tails on, I didn't)
3 to 5 cups vegetable or canola oil

Directions

Place all apricot dipping sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Reserve.

In a large bowl, combine flour, beer, lime juice, baking soda, salt, cayenne, and egg. Beat until it is smooth. Add a bit more flour or beer, if necessary, so that the batter has the consistency of pancake batter.

Pat shrimp dry so the batter will stick.

Pour oil into a small, tall pot until it is 3 inches deep. Heat oil until it reaches 350 degrees F, BE CAREFUL!

While oil is heating, dip each shrimp into the batter, then dredge into the coconut shreds so that the entire shrimp is covered in coconut shreds (minus the tail, if you are keeping it).

When oil is ready, submerge 4 shrimp at a time into oil. Fry for approximately 1 minute, or until coconut is a golden brown, rotating once or twice. Remove and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Skim any wayward coconut shreds from the oil. Adjust heat so that it is 350 degrees F again and continue with next batch.

Serve with apricot dipping sauce.

Live, Laugh, Love, & Enjoy!

Refried Beans

2010-09-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I don't have a picture for this one but consider it a bonus! I am writing this in lieu of my cousin Sarah's comment on Beans Beans... regarding the everlasting question, do refried beans have lard in them??? Honestly it really depends on who you talk to!

The Rosarita beans you find in the grocery store do not, they are more a mashed beans than refried beans. I love them, grew up eating them and I make a delicious layer dip with them, but you will find they are not what you can get from a restaurant...

So that leads to the question, then how can I make them???

First, cook your own beans. Not only will they taste better, they are less expensive and don't have the funny taste canned ones can have. Refer to my previous post about beans for how-to.

Second, find a fat you prefer to use. My suggestions would include, lard* (yes lard), corn oil, canola oil, and light olive oil. I make my beans with canola or corn oil but it really is up to your taste preference and the type of bean you are using... If you are going with a pinto, I would suggest either lard or canola, black beans can use light olive oil or canola nicely and white beans, just about anything!

Third, over a medium heat, heat up about 1 tablespoon to 3 tablespoons (depending on amount of beans, I tend to use very little and add more if I need to) in a skillet.

Fourth, while fat is heating up, drain beans but reserve the liquid, you will use it in a bit...

Fifth, add beans to skillet, be careful, they may pop at you!

Sixth, stir beans in the fat and let them get "dried out" and tender.

Seventh, once tender, start to mash. They should be tender enough that you can do this with a spoon or what ever you are using to mix them...

Eighth, once all mashed slowly add some of the liquid you reserved to the mash and combine. Continue to add until they are a bit runny, then slowly let the liquid evaporate by simmering until you are happy with the consistency.

So to answer your question Sarah, to make the beans you will find in a restaurant, use pinto beans with lard. But to make more traditional beans from Mexico, use a small amount of light oil and enjoy the flavors of the beans, not the lard!

*Be cautious when using bacon fat/lard. It tends to be salty and if you have already salted your beans then it might make for a bad idea...

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Goals

2010-09-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

As you may or may not know, this blog was intended to be a foodie blog but I feel I have been slacking a little on this and for that I am sorry. So my goal is to post at least two recipes, with pictures, a week. I know this seems crazy but I think I can do it!

So what to post for today? Well, tonight I am making chicken enchiladas so maybe something related to that? I guess we'll see :)

Live, Laugh, Love!

Beans Beans...

2010-09-27T16:28:00.000-07:00

As you may know, JL's parents are from Mexico, thus making beans a main staple in their household. In fact, JL's mom arises early just to make her pot of beans so they are ready for consumption the next few days. Funny...

Beans are very healthy and can be incredibly inexpensive if you use dried beans, otherwise, it may seem a little pricey to some.

My favorites include black, white northern and pinto. I am not a fan of kidney or garbanzo (which I don't think is actually a bean but anyway...)

This recipe I will share with you can be adapted to any type of bean you like. I typically use this for the white variety but you can use it for pinto, black or any other/combination (JL's mom like to mix pinto and white) you prefer.

Best Basic Beans Ever!

1 Cup dried beans
A pot of water
1 clove of garlic
1/2 small onion cut in large pieces
Salt

- Rinse beans and remove any "funny-Looking" ones.

- Add to pot of water and let sit for a few hours, or overnight.

- Place pot of water & beans on stove and add onion and garlic.

- Simmer on low for about three hours or until tender.

- Add salt to taste, cooking beans with salt can make them tough so I add it at the end.

You can freeze them in small batches for each meal or use them all, great to use as refried beans or just wrapped in a warm tortilla with some queso fresco!

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

German Chocolate Cake

2010-09-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

Birthdays are my excuse to try out a new recipe for cakes and this one for, my co-worker, Kurt is no exception. A few weeks ago we were talking about my cake making and all of a sudden he said, "I loooooove cake!" I laughed and said, "what kind?" The conversation went from there and I soon found out that he was more a cake lover than a frosting lover.

As you know there are four different types of people, in regards to cake, the cake lover, the frosting lover, the all over lover and the non-lover (weird people). He apparently was a cake lover. This continued the conversation to see if he has even had real frosting, not the kind that is premade and is just thrown on the grocery store cakes but the buttery rich, yet not overly sweet, taste of homemade frosting. He said, "uh.. no." Hmm.. I thought, can there really be people out there who have never had the joy of tasting frosting from a beater? Sad :(

The conversation continued on to say that one cake he really liked was one his grandmother made for him when he was little, a German Chocolate Cake. It's interesting because he happens to be half German but this cake actually isn't from Germany at all, rather England by a guy named Sam German, from England. The actual name for this cake is German's Chocolate Cake and was altered with time.

Since I haven't made a German Chocolate Cake from scratch before I decided this was the time! I have been making cakes from scratch for a while now so I knew it wouldn't be very difficult... Just needed to find a recipe...

There are a plethora of terrific cake recipes out there, for this specific cake, but I prefer to use cocoa powder, weird I know, but I just do. I feel like it is the real way to do things, the traditional way. Surprisingly the amount of recipes using cocoa powder, versus the newer German chocolate by Baker's, was more difficult but I found it!

So on to the pics...

As you can see I also used a basic chocolate butter cream to frost the sides and decorate, I think just using te coconut pecan topping for the sides is just too much, it adds a nice contrast.

And now the recipe...

Just click HERE!

Hush... a little secret... I didn't make the coconut pecan frosting... Why? It is a little difficult and I honestly think the one at the store is just as delicious and much easier than the one I would have made.

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Food buzz

2010-09-17T10:54:00.000-07:00

It is official, I am now a food blogger :)

A lot of people are competing right now to be The Next Food Blog Star, next year I may give it a try but we'll see.

I am currently working on trying to find the best Tres Leches Cake. If you are unsure what this is, here is a bit about this dessert...

It is a Mexican staple at most celebrations. In fact, it would almost be considered weird to not have it. Some think this dessert is from Nicaragua, and they may be correct, but I think the version I am focused on is a traditional Mexican dessert. My best explanation of this cake is that it is a white cake soaked in sweet milk. It has a bread pudding-like consistency but is served chilled. It really tastes a lot like flan, since it has a heavy egg base. Typically it is topped with whip cream or meringue. My theory is the meringue is the Nicaraguan roots and the whip cream is the Mexican, but again, just my theory :)

This may seem like a simple cake. Just a white cake with sweet milk but it is incredibly deceptive... First, the egg whites need to be whipped stiff, and the yolks creamed until light. Then the wet is gently folded into the dry until just combined.

From all the cakes I have tried at JL's family and friend's parties, I have to say, unless it's homemade or from a quality bakery, it just isn't worth trying. Typical issues with this cake are:
- The cake (or pan) isn't right. They either use a regular white cake, not the right flavor, or it is simply too crumbly.
- The cake sits way too long. I would say 9 out of 10 times I have had this cake the sweet milk is all collected on the bottom and the top is almost dry. This is from it sitting way too long or the cake consistency isn't right to hold onto the milk. Either way, not good...
- Since most bakeries are focused on the ease and expense of the ingredients, most of the time the frosting is gross. As stated before, the frosting is supposed to be a simple whipped cream or meringue (I have yet to try) but usually they put a whipped frosting or something that just tastes like it is made of chemicals. I don't know if this is because a mix is used or if they are concerned that the frosting won't stay put if left out of the fridge. Either way yuck!

So as you can see the challenges are many but I figure if I can tackle this cake, then I can do anything! Lol, maybe not anything but any cake that is!

Live, Laugh, Love!

Chocolate Strawberry Cake

2010-09-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry all for the delay. Here is a picture of my latest creation. Drum roll please... :)

Some things I would like to note about it... It was much more difficult that I expected. The strawberries started to leak juice, thus destroying the wonderful finish on this cake and I added too much strawberry filling thus creating a slight bulge in the layers. Other than that, it was great and delish!

I used the Hershey's Chocolate Cake recipe, with some alterations (my secret) and a strawberry filling. The fondant was marshmallow fondant and chocolate marshmallow fondant, both I made from scratch and the most difficult part... In hindsight, next time I would cover in a chocolate butter cream and add the fondant bow to it.

Lessons learned and overall a cute cake!

JL had helped me make the chocolate covered strawberries and since we made some extras, I created this as well!

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Stouffer's Corner Bistro Review

2010-09-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

As I was wandering the grocery store with JL, a rare occasion mind you, I came across an interesting new line by Stouffer's. Being in the save-money-mode for so long I have gotten really tired of Lean Cuisines so I was on the look out for something new and this was it.

I love tomato soup and I am really trying to pretend Fall is already here so what could be better than soup and a melty sandwich? Not much. Although I have had better soup in my life, this really wasn't bad, in fact, I would have it again. The melt is very much like a Hot Pocket and was pretty tasty.

I would definitely get this again for a quick and easy meal but another idea came to light... Why don't I make my own tomato bisque, incredibly cheap to make, and take Hot Pockets in place of the sandwich and spend less money? The meal costs about $4 but on sale it ran me about $3.50. Where as a serving of homemade tomato bisque would cost about $1 and the Hot Pockets are usually two for $2.50, thus totalling my yummy meal at $2.25, saving a whole $1.25 to $1.75. This may not seem like a lot but it sure can add up! Plus, I will then have tomato bisque on hand for dinner if I am too tired to cook! (Brilliance!)

Other soups I want to to try are corn chowder and chicken noodle (I have yet to try a perfected recipe for this...). Any suggestions are welcome!

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Stouffer's Corner Bistro Web Site

First Tierd Cake

2010-08-30T16:49:00.001-07:00

So this Friday I am going to be delivering my first tiered cake. It is for a friend's birthday party and my gift is a cake, don't act too surprised people!

Since I have yet to have an excuse for a tiered cake I think this is it! I plan on keeping it simple with two tiers.

She has requested chocolate and strawberry but left the rest to me so this is my idea...

Chocolate Devil's Food Cake with strawberry filling for the first layer (12" round). A white cake with strawberry filling for the second, since some people don't like chocolate (silly people) (8" or 9" round). The tiers will be covered in a chocolate fondant (I know Sarah but you need to try MM fondant, it's actually made with marshmallows!) with chocolate covered strawberries lining the edges and accents of red fondant decorations on the sides and top. Since I am new at fondant I am not committing to many decorations until I know it will look ok. I am a perfectionist but I think all my ceramics experience will pay off in this task...

Wish me luck and I will definitely post pictures and recipes after I am done!

Live, Laugh, Love

Fish Sticks

2010-08-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

Who didn't have fish sticks growing up? I know that was always a staple in our freezer and then my uncle would come visit and say how horrible it was to eat fish like that and just last week he made his own fish sticks from fresh fish he brought back from Alaska the day before... you get the idea :)

My love for fish sticks was developed from my youth, regardless of what my uncles thoughts on the matter were, and I will say that even though I agree that fresh fish probably tastes better, here in SoCal, really good fresh fish is pricey. Besides that, I am not about to eat anything that comes out of our coast, they close the beach because of a sewage spill but hey, lets eat what's swimming in it! Really???

So which ones do I like? Well for starters I am not a breaded fish stick indulger. I prefer the battered kind. Why? Well breaded typically uses bread crumbs and I am not a fan of the consistency on fish, since fish is so delicate. I find the breaded are typically crunchier and if that's what you like then fabulous, I just prefer the delicate crisp-ness of the battered fish.

For brands, I really like the Van De Kamp's. They have a few options, such as beer battered or regular battered, halibut vs cod and other flavor varieties. I chose the classic but have been tempted to grab the halibut ones, I presume the fish would be firmer and that might be a good thing.

So you ask, besides Fish sticks with carrots and tater tots, a typical meal when I was young, how can one enjoy fish sticks? Well, here is a few ways you can prepare them and the ones with the star are JL approved :)

- Fish Tacos, just bake them and cut them into slices
- Fish Sandwiches*, great with cheese, lettuce, tomato, tartar sauce on a french roll
- Fish Fillets on a salad
- Fish Burrito (I know, duplicate... kind of)
- Instead of baking them, you can fry them...*
- Stuffed and then baked, just thaw them out for a few minutes first
- Served with fries* :)

As you may know, I am not a fan of the processed salad dressing so you can presume I am not a fan of jarred tarter sauce, unless I am the one making it... Here is an easy way to whip up some tarter sauce for really cheap!

Mayonnaise
Pickles (diced)
Lemon Juice (or Pickle Juice)
Pepper
Paprika
Onion Powder

Combine about 1/2 cup of mayo with a splash of lemon juice.
Add in the pickles, as much as you like.
Add in a dash of pepper & onion powder and two dashes of paprika.
Combine and taste.

As you can see this recipe is a "wing-it" sort of recipe so make sure and taste it and add the flavors you are missing. Paprika gives a bit of a sweetness where the lemon juice gives the tart-ness. I typically don't add salt to this since the pickles are usually pretty salty already but its up to you!

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

P.S. This heat is not letting me enjoy a fish stick since I can't possibly imagine turning on my oven. At 106 deg it may just cook us all, why use an oven :/

Pulled pork and lots of wine...

2010-08-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

The other evening we had a couple of friends over for some pulled pork sandwiches and wine, lots of wine... I made some coleslaw but it didn't quite turn out the way I wanted it to, a little to tangy, but it was a delicious contrast to the sweet BBQ any way. I used a bit of this and a bit of that, the ingredients are listed below but not sure how much of each I added...

Shredded cabbage
Fresh lime juice
Low fat mayo
Milk
Sugar
BBQ spice rub
Salt

I mixed up the dressing and then added the cabbage. I also had the leftovers the next day and the flavors were more developed and better but I have to say the fresh crispness of the cabbage was refreshing, especially when it is way too hot...

For the pulled pork, I made that a couple days before so I could just shred it and toss it with some carmelized onions and BBQ sauce. I would highly suggest you try and get pork butt since it will be easier to shred and take less time to "fall apart". I used shoulder and needed to be cooked for a loooooonnngggggg time... (Its what was one sale...) I would also advise you to try and use a slow cooker if it is hot.

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Say what???

2010-08-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Monday JL decided we needed to go to the store and get groceries for the week, in an attempt to save some money we agreed that we need to make dinner at home more often. I love the idea that he wanted to help me, took some of the weight off my shoulders! As we were wandering we had to think of meals, seven of them. I came up with a few and then he throws a curve ball at me... "What about fried chicken with mustard?" I simply replied, "Are you crazy?" I couldn't think that dipping chicken in mustard was an excellent combination but frying it, for me, seemed to just be wrong... Although I was totally aghast at this combination I decided why not? The worst case scenario I would have a can of tomato soup on standby, so I said ok.

Tuesday rolls around and I decide lets get this over with. I had planned on making a vegetable saute with the mustard chicken and thought we should use the veggies while they were still relatively fresh so Tuesday was going to be the day... (Soup was standing by.)

Funny, but it really was as simple as he explained. He took out about 8 drumsticks and covered them with mustard. While he was getting more mustard on his hands than the slimy chicken, he had about 1/2 inch of oil in a large fry pan heating up. Once the oil was hot (on medium heat), but not smoking, he lightly placed all the drumsticks in the pan and walked away... Hmm... I peered at the bright yellow chicken and thought, well I really like mustard so this may not be that bad... Plus, as JL says, "anything fried is delicious!" LOL, not sure about that, but almost everything is better when its fried... Throughout the cooking time we rotated the pieces as they browned so all the sides would be crispy. The cooking time took about 30 minutes.

The review on last night dinner? It was DELICIOUS!!! It didn't taste like mustard at all, it actually resembled the chicken from El Pollo Loco but a little more crispy, which I like better. Yes it was fried but without the breading it really wasn't that unhealthy since it didn't soak up much oil at all. The only thing I might suggest is to let your chicken marinade in the mustard for a little bit or overnight.

We did have this with a vegetable saute but next time I would just try and mimic a meal from El Pollo Loco, with fresh salsa, tortillas, a salad and some spicy pinto beans.

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Am I really a foodie snob???

2010-07-27T08:35:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was a busy one, so much so that I wasn't able to do my weekly grocery shopping (yes, I shop for the whole week in a day...). Yesterday I decided I just needed to figure out what to make and go to the store. This was going to be the week to start to eat healthy and I really wanted to try out some new recipes so I am upping things a notch by including things in my meals I don't normally.

So the story goes...

Yesterday I stopped by the market, not the quick small one but the one that was a little larger and I was hoping would have more selections, I was sadly disappointed. Not only did they have the same things the smaller one did, but I had to walk all over the market a few times just to find what I wanted, or find out they didn't have what I wanted. So you may ask what I was looking for? Well, I wanted more than just one variety of real Parmesan cheese, not the stuff from the container, and blue cheese. Picky I know, but it seems to me that if there isn't more than one option I am forced to buy the one brand they have and I have no choice in the matter. The one thing that threw me off was that they didn't have arborio rice for risotto. Since it isn't a rice at all there was lots of confusion on where it should be. I suppose I will need to start shopping at Henry's or Trader Joe's instead of the local market but those options are a bit farther for me.

To sum it up... As I was roaming the store from end to end multiple times I started to wonder, am I a foodie snob? Do I really need more than one option for blue cheese? Why can't I be ok with Butoni chunk Parmesan cheese? I guess I am but I figure that if I am going to eat something it had better taste good and I guess my palate is getting more refined so my cooking skills and market choice have better rise to the occasion.

After all the running around yesterday I had to go home and make dinner. JL was such a sweetie and he helped me with dinner and washed the dishes, I love him so. For dinner we had BBQ chicken drum sticks with salad. I enjoyed a strawberry blue cheese salad where JL is a traditionalist with his avocado & tomato ranch salad.

Not to go on a tangent but I have also noticed that I don't care for bottled salad dressing, SNOB I know!!! Last night I made this one and it was so yummy, I would suggest you try to whip it up if you can. It will keep for a 2-3 weeks.

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Smore Smores'!!!

2010-07-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

The idea of having a Smore is making my mouth water... Some fun alternatives to the tried and true traditional favorite can be fun and much less messy then the original.

Love this idea by SwEEts by e - Bite-Size Smores

Or the one done on Cupcake Wars with a graham cracker crust, chocolate cupcake filling and a whipped meringue. I'm sure you could also use a marshmallow cream whipped to add texture and a blow torch is always a fun aspect...

If you want something refreshing a Smores' Pie is always a good idea. Use a graham cracker crust, spread chocolate ice cream in the crust, freeze for a little bit to firm up the ice cream and top with either large marshmallows cut in half or the whipped marshmallow cream idea (or both...) and again, use a blow torch to give it the effect of a Smore. The only hard part for this one is that you would need to add the marshmallows at the end, before serving, otherwise they would get cold and the whole point of a Smore is the combination of textures and temperatures... Also you would need a torch but they can be found pretty inexpensively at a cooking store. You could also do it the way Amy does it by clicking here, it is an extreme version of my simplified one...

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!!!

Peach-Blueberry Cobbler

2010-07-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been a while since I have posted a recipe on the blog but here is a great one for a quick but delicious dessert. What wouldn't be delicious with a whole stick of butter in it?

Sorry about the image quality, iphone...

Cobbler (you can add the fruit you want to)
Derived from Pioneer Woman Berry Cobbler recipe
1 C flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 C sugar
1/2 C unslated butter (1 stick), melted
1 C milk (I used 1% and it worked well so any kind will be ok)
2 1/2 C fruit cubed (or whole berries)
Bit of sugar

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Combine dry ingredients and mix
- Add milk and combine
- Add in butter and mix
- Pour into greased dish, either 10" round or other type you have on hand
- Spread fruit over batter
- Sprinkle with sugar
- Bake for 60 to 75 minutes (depending on pan)

For the one I made I added a sprinkle of nutmeg to the batter and used brown sugar to top it instead of white. You can get creative and use apples (soften them first) and add cinnamon to batter and sprinkle with brown sugar or torbindo (sp?) sugar... Let your imagination flow, you can't mess this one up!

JL's Reaction: For not being a sweets guy he liked it, it isn't too sweet since the tartness of the fruit balances it out.

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

We have been busy!

2010-07-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

So it has been almost three weeks since my last post and I feel like I have majorly been lagging on the posting... Since my last post I mentioned making a lot of baked goods and I have been continuing on that path since.

Things I have made lately include:
Strawberry Puff Cake
Apricot Jam
Lemon Poppyseed cake with Vanilla Buttercream
Chocolate Chip Cookies

Next on my list:
Chocoalate cake with a Cookies N Cream filling and with this one I am going to try my hand at fondont. I will be amking my own marshmallow fondont which I am told tastes much better than the traditional kind that most bakeries use, so wish me luck :)

Count down 'till the B-Day: 15 days

Live, Laugh, Love!

BTW if anyone wants a recipe for these things just post on the blog and I will add it for you! Sadly today I forgot my baking journal so all the recipes are at home :(

Hello Lovely...

2010-06-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

So, as you may know, I have gotten the bug for baking and the only way I will bake is when I can give it to other people so as not to make it possible for me to eat it all myself. JL isn't a big-on-sweets guy unless it is really good, but I can eat anything whether it is fantastic or just ok (I believe I get that from my Mother who would insist we save the crispy cookies for her).

After my early morning blog reads I realized something, how incredibly wonderful it would be to have a Kitchenaid Mixer! There are multiple recipes I have come across that refer to using one but alas I don't have one... I do, however, have a hand mixer that has done well for now so as you can see this is simply a want sort of thing not a need, as of yet.

Then I came across this mixer, I have seen it in the stores and proceeded to pet it and just stare at it in amazement at how gorgeous it is. (I am not weird, just in love with cooking/baking appliances and utensils.) JL typically wanders off at that point or tells me I am being weird :)

Isn't she lovely???

Some day my lovely you will be mine!

Live, Laugh, Love

Hot times call for cool salads!

2010-06-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been a while since I have posted on the blog...

New things going on with us? Not a lot... Jose is now only working one job, which is a good thing but will make money issues even more tight with us. So, sorry to our friends but we will be even more boring now than before :/

I am trying to start up a cake and dessert catering business... Well not really, just doing it for fun. I have a couple of great standby recipes and am attempting more. The only difficulty I run into is the fact that I cannot make cakes all the time because then who will eat them? Me! That would be bad so for now I am making cakes for friends and family for birthdays or celebrations so I can practice the recipes and fine tune them and I can give them a gift that I know they will like :) So far I have made a Strawberry and Cream Cake, Mocha Mousse Filled Vanilla Cake and next up is a Cookies N Cream Cake. As you can see the recipes I have perfected are slim but I'm getting there!

Other than that we have been enjoying our time and trying to stay cool. Last night I couldn't figure out what to make for a side dish that wasn't the same boring thing but then realized I had cucumbers and sweet onion so why not some kind of cucumber salad? I didn't think Jose would like it, he is incredibly picky, but he DID!

Cucumber Salad
1 Cucumber peeled, sliced and halved (to make half-moon shapes)
1/4 to 1/2 sweet onion, sliced and quartered
2-3 T White balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 t sugar
Cajun Seasoning (or dill and salt or dijon mustard)

1. Soak the cucumbers and onions in salt water for about 5 to 10 minutes. This softens the cucumber and onion slightly without having to cook it. Drain and rinse well.

2. Combine the sugar, vinegar and spices and add to veggies.

3. Let sit for a minute or two and serve. I added avocado at the end and it was delicious!

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Ready or Not!

2010-06-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

The summer heat is here. Bringing to mind the delectable Italian pasta salad as a weekly option for dinner.

Italian Pasta Salad
1/2 box Plus Pasta cooked and cooled
1 carton cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 small cans of olives sliced, or you can use kalamata olives here
1 can marinated artichoke hearts cut in small pieces
1/2 small onion, diced
Mozzarella Cheese (to taste)cubed
Parmesan Cheese (to taste)
Italian Dressing (to taste)
Squeeze of lemon, for freshness

Combine all the ingredients and add as much of the cheese and Italian dressing as you would like.

I like to use Newton's Own Lite Italian dressing but if you prefer the full fat version, it is yummy too!

This is a recipe that can be adjusted and the measurements I gave were an estimate, typically I just go with the flow.

Additional ingredients can be broccoli, heirloom tomatoes, mushrooms, peppercinnis (sp?), and avocado.

My New Love: Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-05-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hello all! You can probably tell by this post that I have been bad again, but I can't help myself sometimes...

I love making cupcakes and cakes and anything cake-like! I tend to use the box mix because, let's face it, it is so much easier. The flavors are great, the crumb is soft and moist and it is fool proof, you really can't go wrong. The one thing I like to do though is make my own frosting. I am not too much of a fan of the packaged kind, although I have been known to buy it from time to time because it is easier. The taste of real homemade frosting is delish and it makes it seem as though it was all homemade!

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 parts cream cheese
1 part butter, softened
4 parts powdered sugar (to 5 parts depending on taste preference)
Splash of milk
Splash of vanilla extract

Cream together cream cheese and butter and slowly add sugar until incorporated.

Add milk and vanilla.

Last night these are the measurements I used:
1/4 c butter
1/2 c cream cheese
1 c powdered sugar
1 T milk
I didn't have vanilla but it tasted good without too!

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Vintage Cake Plates

2010-05-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

Recently I have found out that I am in love with vintage cake plates. I have a small collection of a few newer replicas but when at the swap meet I find myself taking a gander at the antique spots to see if they have any cake plates. Recently I came across a silver one that was nice but I am trying not to buy up all the cake plates of the world, JL would kill me and insist I find a place for them or he will :)

This is one I found on ebay that I LOVE...

Isn't it incredibly beautiful???

Another fetish I have is for milk glass, so the two combined is almost overwhelming. I find that I am not too much of a fan of the colored ones but I saw a mustard one that I liked and imagined a lemon cream cake perched on top :)

This one is pretty too but might be difficult to slice a cake on it... So pretty :)

For now I am stuck with the two I own but it doesn't hurt to dream right?

Live, Laugh, Love!

Simple BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

2010-05-19T14:28:00.000-07:00

This is a dish I kinda stumbled upon. A few months ago I was typing up some of my family's old recipes and I noticed how back in the day people tended to use bacon fat to cook things instead of olive oil or vegetable oil. This got me to thinking, were they on to something? Has the fear of saturated fats gotten in the way of incredibly delicious foods? I think so in this case :)

This dish I make about every other week because it is so incredibly simple and we always have bacon and BBQ sauce on hand. This can be made in a slow cooker if that is easier for you but the other day I just precooked the chicken in the morning while is was getting ready for work and it was ready for me to use when I got home, making this dish one of the fastest meals I have in my repertoire.

Simple BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

2 chicken breasts precooked (or cut into pieces to add to a slow cooker)
4 strips of bacon
1 small sweet onion diced
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 c BBQ Sauce of choice
Buns or rolls
Cheese of your choice, we like cheddar or American

1. Cook bacon in a skillet on the stove until crispy and remove from grease.
2. Add onion to bacon grease and saute until starting to brown. If your bacon lets off a lot of grease you can drain some of it out but the brown bits are what really give it extra flavor.
3. Add shredded chicken to onion and cook until heated up. I have, when in a pinch, added diced uncooked chicken at this point and it turned out well too. You really can't go wrong with this one.
4. Dice bacon and once chicken is heated through, or cooked, add the bacon.
5. Add the BBQ Sauce and stir. Allow for the mixture to simmer for a minute or two to let off some of the moisture.
6. Scoop onto warmed or toasted buns and top with shredded cheese.
*If you do decide to use a slow cooker, about 4 hours on high and you should have a gloppy mess of deliciousness.

I serve these with the traditional tater tots and I try to add some veggies in there like a salad... Not that JL even gets to that :)

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

I love rhubarb in the spring time!

2010-05-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

Hello all, I am finally getting over this horrible sickness! Yesterday I went to the doctor because my ear was acting up and turns out I have a hole in my ear drum... hmmm... so now fully medicated, as if I wasn't before, I am feeling better and ready to tackle the world! I don't know if you can recall the last time you were really sick but when I started to feel better I just felt like I had so much to do and I wanted to do all of it. Not only that but I am waking up at 6am without any trouble and ready to take on the day. Weird. I am definitely not complaining though, I love being able to wake up and get ready slowly in the morning.

So what's up with the rhubarb? I bought a few pounds of it the other day and finally got around to writing about it and feeling well enough to actually prepare it :)

Rhubarb is an interesting plant, a vegetable but typically turned into a dessert. Probably the only vegetable I can honestly say I love on ice cream. So how is it prepared? With lots of sugar! I don't have a recipe for this per say, I typically just wing it when I make it but I'm sure there are recipes out there, I recall something in the Joy of Cooking. Besides just putting it on ice cream, because I am incredibly impatient and don't want to bother with pie crusts, you can make it into a pie. If you are feeling like you want to liven it up even more you can add strawberries. I did that the other night, before the sickness, and JL thought there was too many flavors going on, so maybe better for a pie idea.

So what to do... I wash and cut the rhubarb into pieces about 1/4 inch thin by about 1/2 inch wide, but it's up to you. Then I add some sugar and just a pinch of water (I know you can't pinch water but seriously, its just a little tiny bit since the rhubarb will let off its own juice). I put this mixture into a sauce pan and on med to low heat I cook it until the rhubarb is tender and falling apart. Some people like to feel the texture of the rhubarb so if you are one of those people, just cook it a little less, if you are like me and like it really tender then wait a bit longer, I know it's hard to do. Make sure a taste it before you serve it, rhubarb is pretty tart so you may need to add more sugar.

I like to serve it warm over ice cream but you can let it cool completely first, up to you.

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

False Alarm!

2010-05-12T16:03:00.000-07:00

For the past few days I have been really sick, not the I-can-get-up-and-go-to-work-but-don't-want-to-kind but the am-I-dieing? kind. JL has been sick as well although I think I got it first and passed it along to him, we share everything right? :)

The false alarm refers to the in-laws moving in. Not to say it was a good or bad thing, just they aren't moving in yet. Maybe it was all the stress that allowed for my body to be weakend enough for me to get sick IDK, but I do know that I am feeling crappy and just want to sleep, so by y'all!

Things will be changing soon!

2010-05-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday All!

We found out rather recently that JL's parents will be moving in soon, with his younger sister, and this will be a huge relief for JL and I. Not only will we be saving a substantial amount of money on rent and bills, I will have help to clean the house and cook. I love cooking, you all know that, but it's kinda nice to have someone cook for me for a change. Now I will be able to be more experimental with my recipes because if something goes wrong, there is a back up option, other than tacos from Jack in the Box.

This will be something hard for us since we are used to being on our own but I figure if I just focus on the positive and come to the realization that this is no longer just our house now, it will all be ok.

I can imagine the occasional upset but overall, I have our room and my space and that is all I need, not to mention a hefty amount of shopping money now at my finger tips! This will also allow us to get a gym membership again and I can guess I will be spending lots of time there too, losing weight and saving money... not sounding bad at all :)

So recipe... recipe... Sadly I didn't do a lot of cooking this past weekend but I did try out some Banana Wheat Oatmeal Cookies that turned out ok... I will be trying to make them into energy bites so the recipe will be on hold until I get it just right.

But if you have an urge to bake then try some of my favorites from Paula Deen herself, I always say you can't go wrong with Paula!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chocolate-gooey-butter-cookies-recipe/index.html

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2010-04-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

Today my mother would have turned 48. It is a hard time but I have the strength and support of JL and our families to help me get through this time.

For all of those who still have their Mom in their lives, tell her that you love her, you never know when you will wish you had one more chance to say it.

Sorry for the sad post...

My Mom was such a wonderful and happy person. Always going out of her way to help people and animals. She always said to enjoy life and I honestly believe that the only person who can make you happy is yourself, so SMILE :)

"Let go, let God." - Her constant advice to me :)

Live, Laugh, Love & Pray

Her resting place, isn't it beautiful?

The Shindig...

2010-04-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend JL and I hosted yet another gathering at our house and I personally think this was the best one yet. All the food was perfect and everyone had fun laughing and hanging out.

So we had decided on making a few new items as well as some old tried and true favorites.

Layered Bean Dip
Spinach & Artichoke Cheese Dip
Fruit Salad
Pizza Rolls
BBQ Ribs
Potato Salad
PB Cup Brownies
Mini Funfetti Cupcakes

Most of those I made by scratch, all but the cupcakes and potato salad (I know, probably one of the easiest things to make on the list...), and this was time consuming!

Below I will list the recipes on some of the dishes I did make and I hope you will try them out!

Pizza Rolls
2 cans pizza dough (Pillsbury)
8 oz mozzarella cheese cubed into 48 pieces
1 pouch of peperoni
1/4 c olive oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Parmesan cheese, to sprinkle on top
Pizza sauce for dipping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out dough rectangle and cut into 24 squares, you will need to do this for the second can of pizza dough once you run out of dough from this one.

In each square, wrap a cube of cheese and a piece of pepperoni.

Place seam side down in a greased 9x13 pan. The sides of the rolls should touch. Continue until you have used up all the dough.

Combine oil and seasoning in a bowl and brush on top of the rolls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 16 to 24 minutes.

BBQ Ribs
1 rack of baby back ribs
1 dark beer, I use Newcastle
BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a 9x13 pan lay the rack meaty side down, you can also cut it into pieces before this process to make it easier (I did this for the party to allow for people to grab just the amount they wanted).

Pour the beer over the ribs and place in the oven. Bake for 2 hours or until the meat is tender, test with a fork.

Once they are done, place rack, or pieces, on the BBQ and brush sauce over them. Allow for sauce to caramelize a bit on the ribs and flip. Since the meat is cooked through, you are just trying to add the flavor of the sauce to the ribs, so you will have to judge when they are done.

PB Cup Brownies - Recipe Courtesy of Jessica from How Sweet It Is (the link to her site is on the left)

Brownies

1 stick unsalted butter
2-3 squares baking chocolate
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt butter and baking squares in a microwave safe bowl. In the mixing bowl, cream melted butter and chocolate mixture. Add in sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in eggs, beating one at a time. Add flour and stir just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour into greased muffin tin. Bake for 18 to 25 minutes, or until just barely done. Cool before frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting (Recipe was adjusted from original)

3/4 stick butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoons milk

Cream butter and peanut butter together. Gradually add in powdered sugar and vanilla. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time. If frosting is too thick, add more milk. If it is too thin, add more sugar.

Frost brownies once they have cooled.

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

My 100th Post

2010-04-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in the posts. The past week has been an interesting and emotional one. To begin, I have no idea why I have been feeling this way. Sunday I went to bed with a bad headache and so Monday I woke up with one. For the remainder of the week, including today, I have had a dull pain in my head that I have been ignoring, simply because I am way too busy at work to try and do anything about it. Advil didn't help, but caffeine seems to. I was putting an ice pack on my head and that seemed to help, until it started to get cold. This is all something I can deal with, what I have a problem with is when I get grumpy for no apparent reason, thus making JL grumpy because he has to put up with it... Sorry baby...

The positive part of this is that I now feel like I am out of my gloomy fog and headed in a better direction. My thinking is, I am not having enough calories. I tend to get emotional when I am hungry so why would this time be any different?

So what is on the horizon for me? A dinner party tomorrow night! Yay, I love having people over and I LOVE making food for everyone. I want to make food that people will enjoy but will be easy to eat... Trying to think up ideas that JL won't shoot down. He says, "why not just burgers?"... humpf... That wouldn't be fun, plus I have made burgers quite a few times for our friends and don't want to just have that again. This time we are thinking of something new and creative! I'll just have to battle him on it. I swear, if he had his way we would just be eating meat patties on a bun with cheese and potato chips, men...

So far I found some fun ideas:
Pizza Bites (using Pillsbury pizza dough and stuffing with peperoni and cheese, with a marinara sauce on the side for dipping)
BBQ Chicken pizza bites (not sure if we should try this one yet...)
Spinach Artichoke Dip (love! but might have to invest in a small crock pot, thus making this one a maybe)
Mini Italian Cream Cake cupcakes (maybe, I need a mini muffin pan)
Some sort of cheesy dip :)

And that's about all I have for now. Today we are going shopping so I need to decide now... I guess I will have to start looking for inspiration :)

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

A special thank you to my Grandmother Jo Hanna for giving me the Food Network Magazine, I'm in LOVE! I have found so many great ideas for recipes. Thank you Grams :)

Living Outdoors

2010-04-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

So recently we have come to realize that we need to upgrade our patio. Right now we just have lots of weeds and sand and rocks, not sure what the previous owner was thinking, covering the majority of our yard. The only space we can call a patio was a small brick area right outside the green room that barely fits a round table and a BBQ, while being able to go in and out of the house. So we have taken upon ourselves to create a new patio. This includes breaking up the hard dirt, removing about 3 inches of it and flattening it. Then we will cover with an ample amount of sand to make sure it is really level and place flat stones on top of it.

So that is our big project and I'm going to try and push Jose so we can have it finished Sunday, or at least pretty much finished Sunday.

Otherwise we are doing a lot of eating right and exercising. Since working in the yard is actually really good exercise, we have been doing that, but when we are not out in the yard we have been walking the dogs and trying to stay active. So far I have lost 3 pounds and I think most, or all, of it is water weight. That can happen when the majority of food consumed is over processed foods that tends to have a lot of sodium. Either way though, I am feeling much better already and its kinda funny, once I start to feel better about myself I have a tendency to not eat foods that will be bad for me. Weird I know but it happens :)

This means I have not been baking lately and I'm sorry to not be posting delicious recipes to fill your indulgences but you can find delicious recipes on the Baking Bites blog, the link is on the left.

Last night we did enjoy the apricot glaze/dressing I posted about last year but for those of you who haven't been following long or forget it, you can find it below. Last night I marinated two chicken breasts in this glaze for about 30 minutes and then BBQed them. Along with this I prepared a small salad consisting of spring lettuce mix and grilled onions, also marinated in the glaze and added a side or red potato (one of my favorite things ever!). This whole meal was relatively low in calories and absolutely delicious. Keep in mind that I only ate half of a chicken breast as a whole one is too much food for me, thus making my meal consist of around 350 calories, give or take.

Apricot Dressing

3 T apricot preserves
2 T white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 t pepper
1 t garlic powder or 1 t grated garlic
Juice from 1 lemon wedge

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

Grown Up Chocolate Fudge Pudding

2010-04-13T09:02:00.001-07:00

Hello all! Sorry it has been a few days since my last post.

This past weekend JL and I decided that enough was enough! No more silly excuses, we were just going to get in shape, once and for all! So he requested I make nothing but salads and we go running daily... Ok so maybe the salad thing will be adjusted but for the first week that is our goal :) I personally love salads and he likes most vegetables too so if we can just stick to something we actually like eating then all the better.

Now with dieting comes cravings, or urges as I have been calling them, at least for me. These typically are for sweets like chocolate and baked goods. Since I have been dieting a good portion of my life, I have found little tricks to get around this, one of my favorites is sugar free pudding. Now you may think that sugar free pudding will be gross and have a nasty after taste like diet coke but on the contrary, I can't really tell its sugar free at all! Just to make sure, I go for the full flavored kinds like chocolate fudge or butterscotch. For the recipe below I took boring sugar free chocolate fudge pudding and upped it a notch by adding some calorie free spices to it.

Grown Up Chocolate Fudge Pudding

1 small packet of sugar free chocolate fudge pudding mix
2 cups of milk (I used 2% because it is as low fat as JL will go with milk but you can use any type you want here)
Dash of cinnamon
Pinch of cayenne pepper (weird I know but you don't really taste it)

Combine pudding and milk and whisk for a minute or two, incorporating air in it only makes it more mousse like so burn some calories and whisk!

Add spices and mix in well.

Refrigerate for a few minutes until firm.

If you would like to jazz it up, a dollop of whip cream won't hurt, just adds a few more calories.

I personally love the cook and serve type of pudding too so to make this warm just microwave it for a few seconds and you have a warm chocolate pudding to enjoy.

If you need help with figuring out your caloric needs this article really helped me: http://weightloss.about.com/od/eatsmart/a/blcalintake.htm

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy Pudding :)

For the love of coconut!

2010-04-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite blogs, How Sweet It Is (you can find the link on the left), posted recently about her love of coconut and got me thinking... I LOVE coconut too! Anything with coconut I can't resist like, coconut shrimp, Mounds, pina coladas and of course my mom's (and grandmother's) Cookies That Will Make You Fat. They definitely had such a sense of humor!

Another thing I use to qualm my urges (as we are calling them now) for coconut is to take some sliced banana, drizzle with some honey and top off with a good amount of coconut. Something that could take this over the top would be to do the following: Cut 1 banana in half length wise and then in six pieces width wise. Sprinkle some brown sugar on a plate and dip the flat side of the banana in the sugar just enough to coat. Place each piece sugar side down in a fry pan on medium heat until the sugar is browned and banana is heated through. The drizzle honey on top and sprinkle with coconut. (To add to the guilty pleasure, you can add chopped pecans, or to change it up you can substitute honey with chocolate syrup or caramel) Can we say sooo yummy!

So on with the cookies that will make you fat :)

Cookies That Will Make You Fat

½ c butter, melted
1 c graham cracker crumbs or vanilla wafer crumbs
1 c chocolate chips (you can also sub 1/2 with butterscotch chips)
1 c coconut
1 c chopped pecans
1 can condensed milk

1. In a 9x13 inch pan, pour butter and sprinkle with crumbs.
2. Sprinkle on top of that chocolate chips, then coconut and last, pecans.
3. Pour milk over it all.
4. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.
5. Cut into bars while still warm.

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

So Sore...

2010-04-06T13:12:00.001-07:00

Hello all! Sorry I have been a bit quiet the past couple of days. I had the luxury of not having to go to work since last Thursday so we were busy in the yard and hanging out with the family.

Friday JL's parents came and did a lot of work in the back yard. Recently, with the rains, we have been having a huge weed problem. Not that kind of weed, the kind that runs rampant in the yard and garden. It had gotten really bad so for a few hours we were in the back yard working hard to clear them out. We weren't able to finish completely but I was able to whip up some Hot Cross Buns in my down time. You can find the recipe on the Simply Recipes blog, the link is on the left. I will warn you, they don't last long. The next day they were starting to get a little hard so for next year I will be trying another recipe.

Saturday I was able to relax a little bit but around 10:30 JL's dad came by and started to work on the yard again. After I did a few chores around the house, I went out to help him. Around 11:30 JL came home from work early, yay, with his mom in tow. We, meaning the men, started to work on clearing space for a patio. Once they were pooped we went to Home Depot and out to dinner. We frequent Home Depot about once a week, they know us there...

Sunday was our day to kinda relax. I made ham, salad and a pie. On our way to JL's parents house we stopped off to get some macaroni salad to find out they were completely out. I guess that wasn't an original idea... So potato salad it was! Everything was great, especially since JL's mom doesn't use her oven so I had to make everything ahead of time. The pie was good, the crust was fabulous! The berries were a little too moist so I will be working on that part of it but I came across the BEST pie crust recipe ever. Keep in mind, no fat was spared for this crust! (See Recipe Below) A little trick I learned, make an egg white wash and line the bottom of the pie crust before filling to prevent it from getting soggy.

Monday we had errands and appointments but for the second half of the day we just did a whole lot of nothing! I felt so guilty doing it but it was good for me to try and relax and just spend time with JL. With all that time together, you would think we would get tired of each other but it was just the opposite and today I missed being with him.

So why sore you ask? I woke up at 6:00am to work out and it felt good but definitely tired. I am so out of shape but I hope in a couple of weeks I will be able to start to go jogging, just waiting for the sun to rise earlier...

Never Fail Pie Crust

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter(unsalted),softened
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
5 1/2 tablespoons water

Directions
1. Whisk together the flour and salt. Blend in shortening until texture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Mix together egg, vinegar, and water. Pour into flour mixture, and mix together.
3. Roll dough out between wax paper; no extra flour is needed to roll out dough if wax paper is used. Use as directed in recipe.

Notes: Roll the dough out very thin, it will rise while baking! This recipe makes more that you will need for a top and bottom crust so you can do what my mom always did, make some cookies with the remainder by rolling out the dough, cutting into shapes and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Live, Laugh, Love and Enjoy!

Little bites of heaven!

2010-04-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

OK, might be a bit of an exaggeration but my Maple Roasted Yams were yummy!

Side note: "craving" we are now calling "urges" because cravings sound too much like I'm preggers and I'm not.

So yesterday I was having some urges for sweet potatoes (aka yams) and seeing some pretty hefty ones at the farmer's market made me jump for joy. Last night for dessert I made these and they were so yummy and good for me, giving me added fiber I needed for the day.

Before I go into the recipe, I want to show off our babies...

Bear wanting a treat... Before I stepped outside, he was sun bathing, something he LOVES to do.

Blue after his bath... He is so spoiled!

Maple Roasted Yams

1/4 C maple syrup (the real kind)
1 large yam, cleaned and cubed
Pinch of salt
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to about 375.

Spray baking sheet with the cooking spray and spread out potato cubes on tray.

Drizzle the maple syrup over the potatoes and stir to coat.

Spread out potatoes again, sprinkle with salt and bake for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes is up, toss them again, the syrup will start to fall off them so its good to flip them.

Bake for another 15 minutes or until tender.

Remove from baking sheet immediately or else they wills tart to stick as the syrup cools. That's what happened with mine after the photo shoot was over :/ I was still able to salvage most of them.

Live, laugh, love and enjoy!

Dancing in the car...

2010-03-31T08:40:00.001-07:00

So I got some funny looks today as I was jamin' to some tunes, so something my Mom used to say... But my thoughts were this, movement=exercise=burning calories, so in my mind I was doing a great thing for myself, never mind the funny looks I got...

That was after I had such a yummy breakfast and with a jug of iced honey ginseng green tea in my hand. For breakfast I had a new creation, Maple Pecan Oatmeal. This I had concocted myself but its not as if it took much creativity to think up this one. I love the flavor combo though so I decided I should share.

Maple Pecan Oatmeal
1/2 cup oats
1 cup water
1 tablespoon maple syrup (the real kind people)
1/4 cup of pecans (whole)
Pinch of salt
pinch of nutmeg
Dash of cinnamon

Heat the water to boiling and add oats. Cook for about a minute or two until done. This is assuming you have the quick oats instead of the other kind, if you happen to be a traditionalist and have regular oats it will take a couple minutes longer.

While oats are cooking, chop up the pecans roughly.

Once the oatmeal is just about ready, add the rest of the ingredients and combine.

Remove from heat and let sit for a minute and enjoy!

You could also add some cold milk after it is served to help cool it down and also add some richness but as you all know, I am trying to watch the calories so no added milk for me this morning.

Update on the weight loss: I have lost 1 pound... hmm... ok maybe the blue cheese bacon burger didn't help me on Monday but its progress. My next goal: wake up and work out in the morning for two weeks. I think I will try and start this one next Monday, even though I have the day off I think it would be good for me to try it out when I can sleep in a little more... Wish me luck!

Live, laugh, love and enjoy!

Rain or no rain?

2010-03-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

It looks nice and cloudy outside, a little bit of rain will only help keep my garden alive. I love the rain, but only when I am home in my bed and the dogs have gone potty and don't need to again until it is done and dry. I know I am needy but hey, it's hard to clean off a dog's paws who is ticklish or one that just won't hold still!

So I am in love with the Bacon Blue Cheese Burger at Wendy's. I know I am supposed to be on a diet and I have been behaving, kinda, but I don't know what it is about Blue Cheese but I crumble, ha that wasn't on purpose I promise! In fact I think the food that would satisfy the craving I have at the moment would be blue cheese stuffed green olives, don't those just sound AMAZING?!?!

On another note, I can't wait until there is more sun in the morning so I can get motivated to get up earlier and work out. I feel better when I do but I just need to get the motivation...

I am sorry but I don't have a recipe for you today. I am kinda stumped at the moment and need to get back to the grindstone.

I will try and make something clever tonight to give you all something to try out.

Till' tomorrow...

Live, Laugh, Love

Teriyaki Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Kabobs

2010-03-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

So JL is home sick right now with a cold. He has been battling this terrible thing for a week now and I finally made him go to the doctor. Why is it that men have such a hard time going to the doctor??? Not only that, why do they turn into big babies when they get sick??? I know it stinks being sick, I've been sick a few times my self but goodness. Don't get me wrong, I kinda like having him need me to take care of him so much but a part of me thinks... "Why can't I act like this when I'm sick?" The answer: because I have things to do and no time to be sick.

This past Sunday we had such a nice time hanging out with JL's parents. As most of you know, we go visit them every Sunday but something was just so nice and relaxing yesterday. We BBQ'd at their house and JL and I made one of our new favorites, Teriyaki Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Kabobs.

As JL claims, everything just tastes better with bacon! So very true with this recipe.

Teriyaki Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Kabobs

1 lb of jumbo shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1 can of sliced pineapple in juice (NOT SYRUP), cut in quarters
1 sweet onion, cut in eighths
1 bottle of teriyaki glaze (or marinade), or 3/4 lb of sauce from the butcher
1 - 2 packages of bacon, cut in half
10 to 15 skewers, soaked in water for about 15 minutes, or longer (helps prevent burning)

1. Prep all the ingredients so you can have an assembly line of items.
2. Take skewer and add onion and pineapple to it.
3. Take 1 shrimp and wrap with half of a strip of bacon and slide on skewer.
4. Continue in this order until the skewer is full, about three sets but depends on how big the shrimps and skewers are.
5. Place in dish or tray and once finished, add teriyaki glaze to kabobs, making sure each one is covered well.
6. Let sit for about 10 minutes to let the glaze infuse the bacon.
7. Grill or broil for about 5 to 15 minutes, all varying on heat of the grill. The shrimp will cook faster than the bacon, so once the bacon is cooked enough, the shrimp will be good too.
8. Serve with a vegetable stir fry or as an appetizer.

Live, laugh, love and enjoy!

Lose it!

2010-03-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

For those of you following this blog you may think I am a crazy person, jumping from one idea to the next and not holding on to any set goal... I would agree with you, I am crazy. I, luckily, found my sanity and may just be able to stick to something I decide to do! I have downloaded the Lose it! app on my iphone and I can't tell you how much I love it?!?!? First of all, I don't have to figure out calories myself, just measure out my food. Since I have done this before it isn't hard for me to get back on the wagon and I also have an eye for portions since I bake often. This program is great! It also has different work outs and how many calories you typically burn doing them. They also include: house work, gardening and umm.. more... ahem. Of course it is more just a guessed amount for calories but at least I am going in the right direction. I actually get happy to be able to put in exercised calories and it helps me to see if I can have a treat that day or not. Very fun!

Other than that, I did not have a treat yesterday as I was over my calorie budget by 20 calories, and that was with a walk. I am going to do this for a couple of weeks but plan to take it day by day so I don't pressure myself and get to overwhelmed and ... cheat.

I have to say, I am loving the weather, until yesterday when it didn't get any warmer than 60... ugh. I love spring though and we just bought two pink jasmine plants, totalling three in our yards now, and I love them. I just love the way they smell, they smell like spring!

The recipe of the day is with lent in mind, no meat on Fridays :(

Fish Sandwiches

Serves 4

4 buns, I try and get the larger ones, not the measly little ones
8 fish sticks, I prefer the battered ones over the breaded ones
4 leaves of lettuce
1 tomato, sliced
Tarter Sauce (See recipe below)

Prepare fish sticks as directed, can take up to 25 minutes.

While fish is cooking, prepare the tarter sauce.

Once fish is cooked, layer tarter sauce on each side of the bun, add lettuce, tomato and two fish sticks.

Optional: you can also add American cheese and make an uncannily similar rendition of the McFish.

Tarter Sauce
So easy to make there is no excuse to buy it!

1 medium pickle, diced fine
1 cup mayo, I use light mayo
1/4 cup of pickle juice
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Combine all the ingredients and let sit for a while. it can be used right away but best if the flavors are allowed to meld.

Live, Laugh, Love & Enjoy!

What's so funny?

2010-03-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had discussed my addiction to sugar and my brilliant idea of giving it up for a week. So last night I was talking with JL about my day and mentioned my idea. As you may guess he just laughed at me... Later he explained that any one who really knows me, knows that is the craziest idea I have ever come up with. He is right, it is incredibly crazy and very hard but I'm giving it a try but going to allow myself one treat a day, of a reasonable nature and only 100 calories or less. Lucky for me I bought some 100 calorie ice cream bars last week so I am well stocked. I think this is really where my problem lies and I can do this for more than a week, so I'm going for a month to make it a habit. Some of you out there can go days without a single sweet treat but I just have to have something. Maybe this will help wean me off completely, except for special occasions, but for now this is a step to that.

For those of you interested, I found the web site for the oatmeal I'm in love with. You can find it at Vons/Safeway and soon they will tell you on their site where the closest retail store is that sells it. www.betteroats.com

For dinner tonight we are having turkey tacos. For those of you trying to eat better but still want something easy, ground turkey is a life saver! I use the prepackaged taco seasoning mix and ground turkey, JL didn't even notice the difference and now we eat it about every other week. I like to cut up some lettuce and tomatoes and cheese is a must! (Can you see why I have such a hard time with dieting? I love cheese!) You can also make this into a taco salad so you can omit the carbs of the tortilla but I find everything in moderation is ok.

Live, laugh, love and enjoy!

Day 5 Summary

2010-03-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hello all. So yesterday I was out sick. My head hurt bad and did for the entire day. I woke up this morning with a little bit of pain but decided to go to work since I don't want to use up too many sick days and can tough it out at work. Kinda wishing I had stayed home but things gotta get done!

So even though yesterday I was feeling icky, I still managed to eat badly. Maybe I was excusing myself because of my head... What ever the reason may be, I have to say that the Blue Cheese Bacon Burger at Wendy's is DELICIOUS! I have been having some weird cravings lately, like green olives, blue cheese and just about anything salty with a bite. Not sure what its all about but I'm ok with it, at least I am not craving sweets so maybe I can kick my addiction this time.

JL and I were discussing smoking. His parents smoke, and have all their lives, so we were trying to calculate how much money they have spent so far in cigarettes, its enough to buy a house! This led to the discussion of addictions in general and how people will sacrifice their own body to make themselves happy or fulfill the urge. This brought up the fact that I may be addicted to sugar. My addiction has all the classic signs: I have to have it every day, I get pleasure from eating it, I think about it multiple times a day and have to stop myself from consuming it every minute of the day and if I don't get it I am angry and frustrated.

So my goal? To not eat candy or any dessert for a whole week. That's right, no ice cream or cookies or candy or cake or CHOCOLATE or fake juice. I am allowing myself fruit and honey for tea and any sugar that might be in the foods I eat now, like in my oatmeal. For the most part though, I will not eat any super sugary treats for a whole week. The next week I may even go further than that and limit my sugar intake but I like the one-step-at-a-time idea.

So for the recipe of the day? Not one that works in my goal but I made it Monday night and it is so yummy I just had to share!

Berry Topping

This is delicious on vanilla ice cream but can be poured over pound cake too!

2 cups frozen berries (you can thaw them but it isn't a must do in case you forget)
1/2 cup sugar (also dependant on the sweetness of the berries)
1 teaspoon of corn starch

In a saucepan over medium heat combine all of the ingredients. Mix until bubbly and the sauce has thickened enough to coat a metal spoon. If it isn't thick enough but it is bubbly, add a little more corn starch. Just let the corn starch activate before adding more and more, otherwise you may have pudding on your hands before you know it!

Do not add water! It may seem like the mixture is too dry but the juices will combine with the sugar and make a delicious syrup.

You can use fresh berries but I find frozen ones are just as good and less expensive here in So Cal.

Live, laugh, love and enjoy!

Fresh Start

2010-03-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

I don't know what gave me the idea that I could start dieting on the weekend... The first couple of days are the most difficult for me and the weekend only gives me more time and opportunities to eat bad things. So starting today I am going to be nicer to my body.

I didn't get up early to work out, I know... bad, but I just couldn't get out of my warm bed with my babies to go work out, not to mention it was dark. Lame excuses but I am going to try tomorrow, promise.

Yesterday was such a nice day, a little cloudy but warm and I love the warm weather, it is easier for me to eat less because all I want to eat is healthy stuff.

Saturday I was watching the Food Network and loved the idea of this recipe so I will share:

Fruit Salad Dressing:
1 T honey
1 T lime juice
Zest of 1 lime

Combine and drizzle over fruit, I suggest to use any kind of berry or melon. This could be a great alternative to a dessert since it has natural sugar in it, much better for you than over processed white sugar or corn syrup.

Live, laugh, love and enjoy!

Day 1, failed

2010-03-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

Ok so starting on a Saturday wasn't such a good idea, especially when JL had no idea of the plan and when we had a family party to go to. Take two starts Monday...

Yesterday, I started off great. I had a bowl of cereal with strawberries and then did house cleaning for about 5 hours, thats enough to burn a few calories I think. But then JL called and said we needed to get something to eat before the party and he didn't want me to cook since I had cleaned all day. So to Taco Bell we go... I was good, only had 450 calories. Went to the party where we had nachos and hot dogs and that was where I failed. Not so bad I guess cause I didn't have a bun and only a few nachos but I think I could have done a better job of day 1. Oh well, I guess I could have been a lot worse but each day is a new day so here goes day 2!

Happy Sunday All!

Live, laugh, love

The most important meal of the day...

2010-03-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

is breakfast, according to my Mom and my Uncle and I would have to agree with them. If I eat a weak breakfast then its all down hill for me that day. So what do I eat for my breakfast? Nothing special, typically cereal & fruit, oatmeal & fruit or the occasional egg with toast and fruit.

Last time I was at Vons, not my usual store but I like to change it up now and then, I found this oatmeal that I LOVE! It is reasonably priced, full of fiber and delicious with minimal sugar. It is called Muffins old fashioned instant oatmeal and it is super yummy. I bought the blueberry muffin flavor half expecting for little shriveled bits of apple died purple but to my surprise there were dried blueberries in it! Not only that, it isn't over processed and still has a significant amount of fiber per serving in each packet. The best of all is that it is only $1.50 per package of 5 packets!!! Typically Quaker Oats can be as much as $5 per box of 10, so for me this is a deal. If you see it near your tried and true instant oatmeal options, give it a try! They have other options, like a more traditional cinnamon crumble, but it's worth it, trust me.

Other things on the news front... Not too much. I have decided that I really need to take this dieting thing serious, I pretend to be all into it during the day but little things like chocolates find their way into my mouth and I have no self control at this point. Now with things in my life a little less stressful I have no excuse. My excuse for not working out in the morning this week was because of the time change, lame excuse as JL pointed out since I typically have been going to bed earlier now... No more, starting tomorrow I have no excuses! None for my lack of self control or laziness! LOL, are you convinced yet? I don't know if I am.

Just to make it stick, this is my plan: I am going to do a play by play on my blog daily (sorry to all of you who aren't interested) and I will try and make it interesting and witty. I will also include some recipes for healthy meals I made and tricks I do to try and keep the chocolate monster away, very similar to the hunger monster on the WW commercials... This will continue for 1 month, until April 16. I may just continue it after that but I want to start in baby steps, taking it day by day.

Right now I'm listening to Buffett in the office, wishing I was laying somewhere in a hammock with a margarita... Oh well, definitely might indulge tonight.

All: Live, laugh, love

Ugg...

2010-03-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

We are both feeling ucky today but we gotta keep moving, and no its not a hangover :)

JL has been having issues with his legs, he typically stands for about 9 hours a day, but its hard for me to help him since I don't know much about what to do. I massage him a couple of times a week but he still has issues. Icy Hot is something we have on hand and are constantly replenishing but it doesn't seem to work to the strength he needs it to. Previously we were going to a massage therapist and it helped out quite a bit but now the funds have been associated to other expenses and I know people had ways of healing without massage therapists. Any suggestions?

As for me, I am feeling a bit yucky, mostly still due to this dang time change business.

Last night went ok, for the most part. The dip was a hit but I think a little less spinach would have been good, I was trying to make it healthier but how much healthier can 2 cups of sour cream (light) and 1 cup mayo (light) really be??? The first batch of pigs in a blanket didn't work out too well, I really need a new oven, but the second batch worked well. I had made green mac n cheese which JL was NOT a fan of, he insisted it tasted different but I think he was just freaked out cause it was green, LOL. Dessert I do well, the brownies and key lime pie were delicious!

Key Lime Pie (So easy!)
1 (9-inch) prepared graham cracker crust
5 egg yolks
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice
Whip Cream

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Combine egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and lime juice. Mix well.

3. Pour into unbaked graham cracker crust.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

5. Let cool

6. Use whip cream for topping.

It is so delicious and refreshing and not overly sweet. I could eat this all day, but then I would need new clothes...

Try out the recipe and let me know if you have other takes on it!

Live, laugh, love

Love this!

2010-03-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been doing a bit more scouring of other blogs to find ones that I like and I have found quite a few!

I love the cute-ness of Maiking it Lovely (www.makingitlovely.com) and I am loving her new bicycle from Liberty of London sold exclusively through Target, now sold out I'm sad to hear...

I only wish I had the energy to update my blog daily, but I am trying.

Today we are planning a swaray (sp?) for St. Patrick's Day. The initial thought was to make it an all out Irish celebration with stew and soda bread with bread pudding for dessert but JL decided that wasn't a good idea... Think about a few people kinda drunk sloshing stew around... You get the picture. So I am going with our tried and true party favorites with a twist.

- Irish Loch Sludge (Spinach Dip)
- Green Cheese and Pasta (Green mac n cheese)
- Pigs in a Blanket (Who knew the Irish were huge pork lovers...)
- Irish mud bites (brownies)
- Beer in green bottles (Dos Equix sp?)
- Raspberry Beer (for me of course :P)

I'm trying to think of one more dessert I can pull off in 20 minutes that will appeal to the non-chocolate lovers but am having trouble. Cupcakes are always a good default but we'll see.

Happy St. Patty's Day Everyone!

Live, Laugh, Love

Real ranch anyone?

2010-03-16T08:58:00.001-07:00

Sorry all for the delay in posts. Life has been a bit busy recently and I can't wait for my life to be boring again! We are trying to get used to this time change and it is rather difficult. I don't see why we really do it in the first place, Arizona doesn't so I can't imagine it is an earthly thing we are supposed to do. I do like it being light later, more time to do stuff, but if we didn't change the clocks in the fall, we wouldn't have to worry about the adjusting. Oh well, gotta love the sunlight and warmer weather we have been having.

So last night Jose and I were enjoying the most delicious salad ever and I wanted to share the recipe with you. The most important aspect to this recipe is the fresh ranch. Real ranch is something I had the pleasure of enjoying as a child and if you have never had it, shame on you! Not only does it taste much better than the over-processed pre-made type but if you use it frequently, it will be less expensive. I really like the fact that I can control the ingredients I use for it. If I'm trying to be healthy you can substitute nonfat milk and light mayo or if I'm not caring, full fat is the way to go.

Ranch is very easy to make, all you need to do is go to the dressing isle and typically there will be a whole area dedicated to the dry salad dressing packets. I tend to go for hidden valley but I have been known to get the store brand to save a little $$ and there isn't a difference. In addition all you will need is 1 cup of mayo and 1 cup of milk and you will have ranch dressing!

So to go with this delectable dressing, I made a BBQ chicken salad. This salad was engineered by Jose and I.

1 head of romaine (or 2 heads of organic romaine, it was on sale Sarah...), chopped
1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled & diced
1 heirloom tomato (or 2 Roma tomatoes will be ok)
1/2 vidalea or mayan sweet onion, chopped
1 hand full of cilantro chopped
1 can of black beans, rinsed
1 ear of corn kernels (you can use canned too)
4 strips of bacon, diced (optional)and fried
3 oz of cheddar cheese
1 avocado
2 chicken breasts, butterflied or pounded to 1/4 inch thick and cooked either by BBQ or Grilled indoors with BBQ sauce, diced
Ranch Dressing

After cutting and cooking everything I combined all but the meats, cheese, avocado and ranch and used the lettuce mix as the base, then piled high with the rest. If you plan on serving all of this salad you can toss the lettuce with ranch before serving but we didn't use it all so I can have lunch leftovers.

Such a nice and refreshing salad. It makes about 4 servings for dinner or 8 for appetizer but the leftovers are delicious too!

Let me know if you try and it and your thoughts!

Live, laugh, love

Updates Updates!

2010-02-18T12:35:00.000-08:00

Now that my office has moved, things have gotten a bit quiet for us.

Last Saturday we went to Bubba Gump Shrimp Company and had some delicious coconut shrimp, our Valentine's Day celebration. We had a pretty good time too!

Valentine's Day we had some friends over and held a BBQ. We were going to the snow the next day and they were spending the night so we could leave early the next morning.

President's Day we headed out to the snow, Mountain High, and had so much fun just sledding. A couple of us got a little bruised but thankfully nothing major. After that we went to Isladora Fish Company, located next to Bass Pro Shop in RC, and had lunner (lunch & dinner). They have alligator so of course we had to try it and it wasn't bad.

Now I am feeling a little sick but I'm really trying hard to not let it get bad.

'Till next time... Live, laugh, love.

New Pics...

2010-02-08T08:56:00.000-08:00

All I Ever Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

2010-01-29T10:37:00.000-08:00

Found on the Centsational Girl Blog. I felt I should share it with those who follow mine, it is so very true. I like the idea of an afternoon nap...

All I Ever Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

by Robert Fulghum

“Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in Kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school.

These are the things I learned: Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life. Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work some every day.

Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the plastic cup. The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the plastic cup – they all die. So do we.

And then remember the book about ‘Dick and Jane’ and the first word you learned, the biggest word of all: Look. Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation, ecology and politics and sane living.

Think of what a better world it would be if we all – the whole world – had cookies and milk about 3 o’clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap.

Or if we had a basic policy in our nation and other nations to always put things back where we found them and clean up our own messes. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.”

Will you give this to my Daddy?

2010-01-22T08:25:00.000-08:00

Received via email:

Will you give this to my Daddy?

As a Company, Southwest Airlines is going to support 'Red Fridays'

Last week I was in Atlanta, Georgia attending a conference. While I was in the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me beginning to clap and cheer. I immediately turned around and witnessed one of the greatest acts of patriotism I have ever seen.

Moving through the terminal was a group of soldiers in their camos.. As they began heading to their gate, everyone (well almost everyone) was abruptly to their feet with their hands waving and cheering.

When I saw the soldiers, probably 30-40 of them, being applauded and cheered for, it hit me. I'm not alone. I'm not the only red-blooded American who still loves this country and supports our troops and their families.

Of course I immediately stopped and began clapping for these young unsung heroes who are putting their lives on the line everyday for us so we can go to school, work and home without fear or reprisal.

Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our service men and women, a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old, ran up to one of the male soldiers. He kneeled down and said 'hi.'

The little girl then asked him if he would give something to her daddy for her.

The young soldier, who didn't look any older than maybe 22 himself, said he would try and what did she want to give to her Daddy. Then suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek.

The mother of the little girl, who said her daughter's name was Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Marine and had been in Iraq for 11 months now. As the mom was explaining how much her daughter Courtney missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up.

When this temporarily single mom was done explaining her situation, all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second. Then one of the other servicemen pulled out a military-looking walkie-talkie. They started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it..

After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to Courtney, bent down and said this to her, 'I spoke to your daddy and he told me to give this to you.' He then hugged this little girl that he had just met and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He finished by saying 'your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and he is coming home very soon.'

The mom at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the young soldier stood to his feet, he saluted Courtney and her mom. I was standing no more than 6 feet away from this entire event.

As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate, people resumed their applause. As I stood there applauding and looked around, there were very few dry eyes, including my own. That young soldier in one last act of selflessness, turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek.

We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their families and thank God for them and their sacrifices. At the end of the day, it's good to be an American.

RED FRIDAYS ----- Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the 'silent majority'. We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers..

We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing. We get no liberal media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions. Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of Americans supports our troops.

The first thing a soldier says when asked 'What can we do to make things better for you?' is...We need your support and your prayers.

Let's get the word out.

WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE.
THEIR BLOOD RUNS RED---- SO WEAR RED! --- MAY GOD HELP AMERICA TO BECOME ONE NATION, UNDER GOD

Inspiring

2010-01-18T12:50:00.000-08:00

I have learned that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
–Henry David Thoreau

Refreshing

2010-01-15T08:46:00.000-08:00

A new day and a new perspective on life. I'm not sure what provoked this new frame of mind, maybe it was me reconnecting with family, the fresh air from the rain, or just because I realize I had gotten lost in my own world. Whatever it may have been I realized that I have let stress and sadness take over my life the past couple of years. Don't get me wrong, I have been happy too, thanks to JL and all of his patience I have been able to live and make the most of things but I have decided I am done. Done being sad about my Mom, done being stressed, what happens will happen whether I stress about it or not, and I am DONE worrying about everyone and making sure they are all happy, I am not a mother, yet.

So, for many of you, this post may come a surprise. You may be thinking that everything was going great, and it was, for the most part. For the past year JL has been telling me not to stress or worry about everyone, the sadness thing he didn't get close to, but I guess I had to realize it for myself and figure out how to deal with it. The mourning period is over and it's time to look ahead and not in the past. Don't get me wrong, there are good memories to think about, but there are even better memories to be made, so I am going to focus on them.

No more tunnel vision and no more negativity! Life is to be lived and that is what I plan on doing with it.

Live, Laugh, Love

It's the little things in life!

2010-01-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

So this past weekend JL and I decided it was time for us to get started on projects around the house. The ones we put off because we either still didn't realize that we actually owned the house or we were making sure our finances were in order. Either way we have begun the renovating process.

For those who know, we have done quite a bit already. This includes, putting a side wall up and gate, painting the exterior and many of the rooms and reorganizing the garage so the 35 or so boxes I inherited were reduced down to a mere 25, keep in mind this also includes holiday decorations.

We went to our favorite hardware store, Home Depot, and searched out what we could do. Note, we had many a projects in mind but were open to new ideas. One thing I have been pining for has been a garbage disposal. For those who have never been with out one, if that day ever comes you will be very sad about it. I have endured over a year without the disposal so you can bet that was at the top.

We aren't avid plumbers, in fact, all I knew about it before this process started was that it smells and plumbers are expensive. We took a look under the sink and decided to just replace all the plumbing so we can start fresh. What an adventure that was going to be!

We bought our 3/4 hp disposal, for those who aren't privy, that is about mid-range and average for any type of household and after several, and I mean several, trips back to Home Depot, our sink is working and the garbage disposal makes me so happy! (I hope this doesn't jinx it.)

The next project: Not sure yet, but we will be attending the "re-do your bathroom" class Thursday. I'm sure we'll come home with a project or two :)

'Till next time, Live, Laugh, Love

Welcome 2010!

2010-01-06T10:49:00.001-08:00

With a new year comes the typical life style changes. Such as, eating healthy, working out more, enjoying time off more, spending time relaxing at home, spending more time with family, finishing projects from the previous year, working on the house and the list goes on and on... This tends to make things a bit overwhelming when all these assignments and tasks need to be done with only so much time to do them but every year these ideas come to mind and every year they are attempted and failed. That is why this year I am going to focus on one and then two and so forth until all can be accomplished at the same time.

This week (1): spending more time with family.

Next week (2): eating healthy.

Week 3: exercising more.

Week 4: working on unfinished projects.

Week 5: spending more time relaxing.

Week 6: working on the house.

Sounds like an adventurous idea but it may just work... I decided not to go with the cliche idea of eating healthy this week for a couple of reasons. I'll admit it, I tried and failed. I just couldn't handle it all at once, hence the new idea of gradual progression. Also, Jose's birthday is today and I knew we'd go out for dinner, we are going to his parents for dinner and Saturday we are heading to Sabatino's to enjoy some yummy food with some of our close friends.

Live, Laugh, Love

2009-12-25T19:06:00.001-08:00

Our Trip to New York!

2009-12-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

Hello all! I know most of you, if not all, were privy to our recent vacation but if not we just got back from 7 days in Manhattan, Midtown to be specific.

Day 1: We arrived in the Big Apple, actually Jersey but no matter, around 3:00 and got in our first cab to the hotel, the beautiful Park Central Hotel right in Midtown. We checked in and headed to our room. I will admit I was a little scared because of the price but we were very happy with our accommodations. We rested and showered and took off to see Times Square, four blocks from our hotel. What a chaos, tourists EVERYWHERE but we were still overjoyed to be there. After a quick bite to eat, pizza of course, we went back to the hotel and rested.

Day 2: Our journey to Greenwich Village... well it was more of a search for Greenwich Village and we couldn't honestly say we knew we were ever there until the end of the day... After our journey down town, we ate some lunch and headed back to our hotel and took a nap. That was one thing I loved, we took a nap everyday! After the nap, we headed to Columbus Circle and to the Winter Festival. Good times with the Mariachi band and the adjacent mall. On our way home we walked, briefly, through Central Park, it was dark but an experience we won't forget!

Day 3: Liberty Island, here we come! Jose's favorite part of our trip was visiting Ellis Island because you can feel the spirits around you. Kinda freaky but neat at the same time because you can feel a little bit like they did at the time. So much fun history there, and sad history too. Did you know 2% of all the immigrants that traveled there were turned away? Sad... After that we walked up Broadway, by Wall Street, Trinity Church and Ground Zero. Not much to see at Ground Zero since they are starting to construct the new monument but still interesting to visit and remember. After that we journeyed up to Chinatown and Little Italy. We didn't stop for Italian food as we weren't hungry but we did get some good shopping in around Chinatown. After our nap we went out for dinner and walked around 5th Avenue a bit.

Day 4: Ice Skating in Central Park, Idyllic huh? It was so fun but Jose was a bit nervous on skates. I had taken lessons when I was younger so I just needed to warm up but after a couple of laps he was done and enjoyed the view while I got some exercise in. After that we went to FAO Schwartz and walked to the hotel, only a couple of blocks away. After our lunch and nap, we went to try and see the tree lighting in Rockefeller Center and how silly that was... Lines to get in lines to be in lines... We stopped trying after about 15 minutes of standing in the rain. We went back to the hotel and watched it live, Jose was sad to see that he could have seen Shakira but I told him tough :)

Day 5: Downtown to the Empire State Building, Macy's, the Met, tour of the Upper East Side and Madison Avenue. Let me just say that the ride up to the top of the ESB is FREAKY, I'm not one for heights but I didn't want to miss out... Macy's is just like any other Macy's but the Met was amazing! I saw a real Picasso and mummies and a whole lot of other really interesting stuff. I could have spent all day in there but after everything we were a bit tired so we journeyed back to the Hotel. We rested and then went out for some much needed Chinese food and the best I have ever had!

Day 6: We realized that we needed to bring stuff back for people so Friday was our shopping day. In the morning we went to Central Park and walked around a bit and sat out in the sun. There was an outdoor market that we visited and then journeyed to 5th Ave, which was crazy busy. We napped and went to Columbus Circle, after our Chinese food, and just enjoyed our last night in the big city. Excited to go home, we were eager to start our journey back.

Day 7: Last day, happy and sad at the same time. We went for our usual stop at the corner deli for a breakfast sandwich and just waited for time to pass. We finally checked out and they suggested we take a car back since Taxi fares can be unpredictable. We took the offer and the bellman took our luggage to a white stretch limo... hmmm... we really hoped it wouldn't be more than what they told us and to our surprise it wasn't! We had fun but I would say that was the best part of the day, that and seeing our babies when we got back. To briefly describe why it was bad... We got to the airport at 12 pm ish EST, and checked our bags... Found out the flight was delayed an hour... then another hour.... then another 30 minutes... Finally boarded and had to sit in the plane for another 45 minutes as they ran tests and de-iced the plane... finally got off the ground around 8 pm EST... Arrived around 11 pm PST and drove home from LAX to get the dogs... Finally got home around 1 am PST... So to sum it up, we were traveling for 17 hours... We were tired when we got home and spent all day yesterday sleeping, running errands and trying to make sense of our clothes...

We had a great time and are already thinking of when we might be able to go back, we love NYC! Pictures will follow soon!

Wise Words

2009-11-19T13:31:00.000-08:00

Happiness keeps You Sweet,
Trials keep You Strong,
Sorrows keep You Human,
Failures keeps You Humble,
Success keeps You Glowing!

And remember: "Whenever God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another , Even Though Sometimes It's Hell in the Hallway"

Live, Laugh, Love!

11 days and counting...

2009-11-18T08:38:00.000-08:00

We have been kinda lagging on getting clothes for Jose for New York. Now that it is getting closer and closer we realize, oh crap, he is going to freeze! Not really, he has quite a few flannels and jeans but he needs another coat and would like new shirts and jeans before we go... Goodness...

Other news, Thanksgiving will be pretty quiet this year, compared to last year and I am excited to eat turkey! Other things on the menu:

Chex Mix (old family tradition)
Turkey
Ham (it has become a tradition...)
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Sweet Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Mac N Cheese (weird I know)
Cranberry Sauce
Rolls
Pumpkin Pie (fresh baked, yumm...)
Oreo Pie (for the pumpkin haters, they are crazy!)

I can't wait to make all that this year! It is going to be fun, since I won't have to do it all in bulk for 30 people! Yay :) It's making me hungry just thinking about it... hmmm...

I wish you all a nice holiday and I hope it is fun and relaxing, as they are meant to be!

Live, Laugh, Love

2009-10-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

Heaven is a cal-king bed with a pillow-top :) That's what is sitting in our new bedroom right now and I am sure Blue and Bear are enjoying it, while I can't :(

Since the rearranging, our lives have been crazy, once everything migrates into our new space we will be done! Yay! I am thinking, now that I have a dresser all to myself, that I need more clothes, otherwise the drawers will be very empty, and that is just not right :)

The countdown begins... 34 days until we are in NYC! We are still not feeling it but once we start to pack, I figure it will hit us... I can't wait to eat pizza, ice skate in Central Park, go to the Met and eat Italian food in Little Italy. I am trying to convince Jose that it will be best to Christmas shop while we are there because of all the little shops everywhere but we'll see. For those who are interested in what we will be doing here is a short list:

Ice skating in Central Park
Visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Going to the Natural History Museum
FAO Schwartz (need I say more?)
Seeing the Statue of Liberty
Paying our respects at Ground Zero
Eating Dim Sum (never had it before, but I feel I gotta do it)
Having a romantic dinner in a little Italian restaurant drinking good wine
taking in the sights in Times Square
Going in the Plaza Hotel and poking around :)
Visiting my old friend Matt
Eating at Stardust Diner
Going to the Empire State Building (all the times I've been, I haven't gone there...)
Going to Macy's & Tiffany's on 5th Ave
Hmm.... Think that's about all I can think of for now...

That makes me a bit more excited but we still have a month but I feel this month is going to go by so fast but I love this time of year so I don't want it to go by that fast...

I hope everyone has a good Halloween and don't forget to change your clocks!

Live, Laugh, Love

Something to remember...

2009-10-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

James 1:
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.
Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

I think this about sums up advice I should take and remind myself, it all will work out. Through the hardships and difficulties we are faced with, in the end, "what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger." (From the wise words of my Mom)

Updates, Updates!

2009-10-12T13:11:00.000-07:00

We are rearranging our house!!! That's right... For those of you who know the situation, we convinced Jose's Mom to let us arrange the house how we want and in exchange, we forfeit the two-room family room.

So here is the low down. Our house is a four bedroom home with two bathrooms, but what is confusing is on the first level there is a very large room that we considered the family room, for the main reason that we didn't need the extra bedroom but desperately needed a place to have people hang out and watch TV. The "family room" was actually two rooms but instead of a door way adjoining the rooms they took out a wall so it is one very large room. Previously, Jose's Mom had taken the front room for her "sala" or formal living room. She has the very nice Victorian chairs and couch set and wanted it in the front room to display. For those who haven't experienced them, they are very hard and mighty uncomfortable, purely for the visual... she was also a little concerned about the dogs getting on them, since we are ok with them getting on my couches. We have also been eyeing the largest bedroom on the second level and keep wishing we could have that as our own. So we offered a switcheroo and convinced her to let us have that room and the front room in exchange for our family room and she went for it! Now we are in redecorating mode and what a better time to get new furniture! We found some things we liked and now are just looking forward to the final outcome. I like to paint but goodness, it is going to be tedious.
See below for some images to help you visualize...

First Floor

Second FloorNow we have plenty of places for people to sleep, yay!

Live, Laugh, Love

I love fall!

2009-10-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

So it has finally come, that's right... FALL!!! I love it, I love having to use a blanket at night and I love having an excuse to eat candy corn every day :) It only comes one time a year so why not take full advantage right?
Last night we had two of our favorite gals over, Rosa and Lili. It was so much fun to hang out with them and it seems to have become a weekly occurrence, which I love. I love how we can convince Jose to watch girly movies, since there are more of us... I have someone who is interested in cooking and learning to cook. We have been trying to get at some of my recipe book recipes so I can finalize them, my next venture is stew and I have made it before so it won't be a huge thing to tackle. My most recent one was from a friend from my old job at the OC Cresa and they are so easy to make and so delicious and fun!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cakies:
1 box of cake mix (this can be ANY kind you want)
1/3 cup of softened butter
1/8 cup water
1 egg
Combine all, the dough will be pretty stiff, I tend to use my hands at the end.
Scoop with a tablespoon or I use a very small ice cream scooper and spread out on a parchment lined cookie sheet.* Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes. The range is so large because it really depends on your oven.
*Size can vary, I have seen them made double the size above and come out great too, I like the bite size version because it makes more and I usually make them for Jose to take to work.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other then just having friends over and doing a lot of cooking, we have been trying to save for our NYC trip. We are counting down and it is at just about 8 weeks. So close yet so far. I am really trying not to make that my main focus because I love this season and if it gets here quick the whole season would have passed me by and then we are back in January and I will have to wait another 9 months for it to come back again...

So the parents haven't moved in yet and we are going on one year being in this house and living together. Quite a milestone if you ask me, but we are happy and still enjoying every minute. The dogs are happy and Blue is getting bigger, I think. He is still on the small side of what we were hoping but I'm ok with that. I like big dogs but I also like how medium dogs can snuggle with you on the bed and not push you off...

Lots of love to you all!

Live, Laugh, Love

Some new pics

2009-09-23T21:24:00.001-07:00

The boys are sleeping and we are still awake... hmm... Notice how Bear is sleeping and note they are both on Jose's side of the bed :)

Our furniture is so ghetto, our TV is larger than our dresser.... Time for some new furniture...
I am so happy Fall is here, I just wish the temperature would follow suit. I love pumpkin pie, candy corn and soup and I can't enjoy them without the Santa Ana winds and cooler weather.

That's about it but we are excited to now be able to watch TV in our bed and not have to sit up to do so... Yay :)

Live, Laugh, Love

Sorry for the delayed post...

2009-08-27T11:19:00.001-07:00

So what have we been up to? Not too much except, getting ready for Sarah's wedding, doggy training classes for our babies, trying to hang out with friends more often, and compiling a recipe book of our favorite recipes.

Sarah's wedding is a mere 18 days away. We are going to be leaving in only 15 days and we are getting pretty excited to go on this small journey. We will be driving up north, to Eugene, OR, with my brothers in tow. It should be an interesting drive and I will need to stay up all night to make sure Jose does too, he is driving. We are both taking that day off so don't worry, we will be resting for most of the day. I must get on finalizing the details for her Bachelorette Party and I will be stressing a bit to make sure Sarah doesn't have to so much. I am happy to make this a special day and what ever stresses I go through will be worth it so, Sarah - don't worry!

Doggy training classes have proven to be successful; given, they aren't finished yet, but Blue is almost always sitting on command. He has separation anxiety issues, which the instructor pointed out (I already knew) but now we are training them apart and this is helping Blue's success. Bear is a sweetheart and at times can be considered a selective listener, he is getting there and if there is a treat involved he will do anything. That is why I think he doesn't sit on command at times, he knows there is no treat :) Very smart dogs can also be way more difficult...

Hello friends, again. For a while we were unable to hang out with friends due to home improvements, financial issues and just stress making us tired. So now we are done, for now, with home improvements and have less stress on our shoulders and this makes it more fun and way easier to hang out with friends. Mitch and Cindy finally took us out on our boat and we went to Palos Verdes, Julio is trouble but definitely fun to visit with, and Rosa and Lili crack me up and it is nice not to have to negotiate to watch a girly movie with someone :) Next on the list is Jolene (and maybe Mike), Cara and Jana. I'm happy to have friend time again!

Lastly, this recipe book. I have been going through my mom's old recipes and slowly, making all of them. It will be a very slow process but I am hoping by October I will have the book in my hands. I am doing it through Taste Book, for those interested. This website allows me to type out my recipes, maintain rights to them and not allow others to see them. Once I have entered all the recipes I would like, the books only hold 100, then I order it. I have about 97 in one of the books but I still need to try about half of them, to make sure the proportions are correct. I think I may make two, part one and two, so I can have even more recipes together. What is great is you can add pages later so I can continue to add to the books but the downside is the pages are front to back so I'm not sure how that would look when adding... I will update you all on my progress. I would like to thank Rosa for helping me make many of the recipes, she is a beginner cook but very fun in the kitchen and helpful to bounce ideas off of.

Till next time, Live, Laugh, Love!

Eugene, here I come!

2009-08-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

So it turns out that everything seems to be working out so I can go to Sarah's Bridal Shower. I have no issues getting there, but getting back may be hairy so I pray it will all go alright and worse case scenario, I have to fly home Monday... The reason, some of you may be wondering, I have such iffy plans is because I fly standby. It is much cheaper, I actually only have to pay the taxes, but it can be a bit stressful. I am happy to go to the shower and be there for Sarah, I just hope I can get home Sunday!

Updates:

Europe is a maybe. Jose and I were discussing things and we feel that it may be too much for us to be gone for that long of period of time. I would love to go to Europe but we need a more relaxing vacation and we also want to visit family. We are thinking maybe a road trip next spring but we'll see. Our focus is on our trip to Eugene and the New York trip. I can't wait to see NYC again, it will be fun! I hope it snows when we are there...

Jose's dad is working again! This relieves a lot of stress for everyone. So yay :)

I think that's about it.

Till next time!

Live, Laugh, Love

Life is funny

2009-07-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

As I sit at my desk at work trying to think about all the small tasks I have for the day, I wonder... Who decided to make offices??? Why can't we all just sit outside in tents and enjoy our natural surroundings??? Then I thought... I don't like bugs... See what happens when I wonder...

Anywho, Jose took this hilarious picture of Blue and I had to post it for all to see because it will make you laugh :)
Really though, isn't that the funniest picture... I believe this was taken when Jose was putting our new purple sheets on the bed... I like purple :)

So what else is new you ask? Not a whole lot... Sarah's bridal shower will be next week but I don't think I am going to be able to go. I would love to and if we can find a seat that would be great but flying standby can be tricky and sometimes there is room for me and sometimes there is not :( I love Portland but don't want to be stuck there.

Is that all? NO, we are going to NYC in 4 months!!! I can't believe it is actually coming soon!!! I love the fall though so I will try not to let my anticipation overpower the consuming of candy corn and cooking turkey. (Yumm... turkey)

Jose will be starting school again in 2010 so he is kinda excited to get back into it. I am happy for him but I hope he doesn't get too discouraged, as that can happen...

Lastly, after many months of thinking, discussing and pondering, we have decided we will be going to Europe next year! With Jose in school we will be going during the summer, which I hear is the busiest time to go but we are going to do everything we can to make it happen, so Europe and chaos here we come!!! Plus, the way I see it, what isn't fun about being surrounded by familiar languages in a country where we know not the language or customs? If you have any suggestions on places to stay, we are all ears, it is very difficult deciding on places to stay when I don't really know the area... Where are we going, you ask? Well, London, Paris, Rome, Venice, and a bunch of places in between :)

'Till next time!

Live, Laugh, Love

You can't go wrong with Nestle Toll House Cookies!!!

2009-07-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

I made these twice this week and I have to say they are the best. The first time I mixed chocolate chips and M&Ms the second time they were just M&Ms.

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=18476

This is definitely a staple recipe in every kitchen, even if you don't bake often, or at all... One thing to remember, make sure the butter is soft and sometimes I will add a little bit of extra flour to make them more cakey. The last batch I did worked well with an extra 1/4 C of flour. I would advise making a test cookie first and go from there...

Live, laugh, love

Birthday Party Pics

2009-07-19T18:12:00.000-07:00

We had a good time :)

Home Sweet Home

2009-07-16T20:59:00.001-07:00

This is our home, we will add more pics of the interior soon. Nothing super exciting, we haven't finished much of the rooms. We have painted but the complete decor isn't complete.

I can't wait for the first party at our house, for my birthday :) Mostly just a couple of friends but I am looking forward to it and so is Jose.

Live, Laugh, Love

Seafood Cocktail

2009-07-09T11:58:00.001-07:00

This is delicious and refreshing, especially for the hot summer months.

Ingredients:
1 can baby clams, drained
1/2 lb cooked shrimp, detailed
2 cucumbers, cubed
3 Roma tomatoes, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
Cilantro, a handful chopped
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Garlic Powder, to taste
1 Lime, juiced
1 C Clamato juice
1/2 can of V8
3 T ketchup
Avocado

Combine all the ingredients together and top with avocado. If you are planning on saving the leftovers add avocado as a garnish once served. I really like this with tortilla chips but saltines would be great too!

Also, this can be done with any kind of seafood, get creative with it if you would like. If the clams are too weird for you just substitute with shrimp (about 1/2 lb). If you would like more of a soupy consistancy just add more Clamato, V8 and Ketchup.

Enjoy!

Strawberries make life sweeter!

2009-06-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

It's strawberry season and I love them so!

Some ideas to jazz up your "fresas"...

Creamy:
Slice desired amount of strawberries in 4 pieces and sprinkle with just a little bit of sugar, and set aside. What the sugar does is extract some of the juices from the berries and creates a great topping to just about anything, I like using frozen cool whip (lite tastes good too, or chocolate). Scoop out cool whip like ice cream, and pour some of the strawberries with some of the juices on top. If looking for an extra touch, chocolate syrup should do the trick. You can use this for an easy dessert at a dinner party. Just portion the cool whip in bowls before and keep in the freezer. Add sugar to the strawberries before so you will only have to top the cool whip and serve!

Savory:
Combine spring salad mix, pecans, strawberries and sprinkle some goat cheese on top and you have a refreshing salad. Drizzle a bit of balsamic vinaigrette on top and yummy! Balsamic works great with strawberries. many cooks will reduce balsamic vinegar, to a syrup, and use it for a topping on strawberries. I haven't tried it but balsamic is actually a sweeter vinegar and more full bodied than most so I can bet it tastes good. Another tidbit about balsamic, it is aged like wine, so make sure not to skimp on it. A good balsamic is important to a dish just as a good wine would be.

Other good combinations:

Rhubarb. Rhubarb has to be cooked (or it will be more sour than a lemon) so either cook it with sugar and let cool then combine with strawberries for a great ice cream topper or cook the strawberries with the rhubarb and use as a pie filling.

Cream. A classic way I used to enjoy them would be cut up in a bowl with a little bit of cream poured on top and sprinkled with sugar. Brown sugar would add a good flavor to this as well.

Goat Cheese. It is tart and the berry is sweet, put it on top of a cracker and you have the crunch. A great combination if trying to figure out what in the heck to do with all of those strawberries! I love goat cheese. it satisfies my cheese cravings but is relatively ok for you and since it is pretty rich, a little goes a long way!

Banana. Umm.. Duh :) I also love frozen bananas but since strawberries have a lot of water in them they freeze way too hard but make a strawberry sundae without ice cream, replace with frozen bananas and you have a healthier version for a sundae. Don't forget to top with whip cream and maybe a little of that chocolate syrup...

Chocolate. Again, easy... but have you ever tried dipping strawberries in chocolate pudding??? Sounds a little different but so good and at least pudding has calcium in it and can be proportionate with the individual packages.

That's about all I have for now but get creative with those fresas and don't limit yourself to sweet when they can be just a delicious paired with savory flavors!

Birthday...

2009-06-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

So, I'm turning 26... I still have to think a minute about how old I am. I suppose that is a good thing that I don't feel 25 (almost 26) but yikes!

The new stuff:

Still working on the house... It's getting there! I will post pictures once they are done painting, I can't wait :)

Sarah's wedding is creeping up... So much anticipation for this event. I know it will be everything she imagines it to be and more, I will make sure of it!

Summer heat... Poor grandma and Phoenix heat, I feel I can't even say it's hot compared to what she has to deal with (105+) but it's going to get friggin' hot (~90). The past few days have been pretty hot and we are getting used to the heat. The plus side, it makes me crave fruit and veggies more than fatty stuff and I drink a lot more water than I did before so maybe the heat is a blessing in disguise... The neighbors all say we will get used to it so I am crossing my fingers and realizing I need to invest in some sun dresses :)

Life is great. Jose is such a sweety and I am so blessed to have him love me and take care of me when I am down and so patient when I go crazy. I am truly blessed :)

Live, Laugh, Love

Excited :)

2009-06-22T15:52:00.001-07:00

As you prolly guessed, I am starting to get excited about our NYC trip... The countdown is 159 days or 22 weeks and 5 days or 5 months and 1 week! So I have started to compile places we want to go and places we have to eat... We have decided to not set a schedule, it makes things stressful by trying to stick to it. Instead I will compile a bunch of places we would like to go and the times they are open, costs and location and try to take each day at a time. The only for sure things we will do are: visit Matt (I can't wait!), go to Ground Zero (Jose really wants to go) and go to a tall building (either the Empire State Building or Rockefeller Building). I really want to go to Katz's Deli (I love When Harry Met Sally, on of the best movies of ALL time!!!) and Ellen's Stardust Diner sounds like fun and I know Jose will get a kick out of it (I haven't ever been). I would like to go to Tavern on the Green but it is pretty pricy and I can bet we can find better food in Little Italy so I doubt we'll go but we might walk by it on our tour of Central Park.

So besides the planning, our house was painted last weekend... The final touches need to be done so wait 'till next week for pics. All of the imporvements are about done, we just need new garage doors and finishing the demo of the pool and we need new grass in the front yard... I don't think we will ever be done with stuff but that's what houses do, constantly improve and I would rather it be that way then lose value, especially in this economy.

That's about all, I hope you all have a great week and enjoy summer!

Live, Laugh, Love

A sign I am getting old :(

2009-06-17T11:52:00.001-07:00

We went to Six Flags Magic Mountain on Monday... Tuesday Jose and I were is so much pain that today we are still feeling it. We didn't even go on all the rides... It is probably because I hate heights and I was tense on every single ride but I did not expect to feel like I was beaten with a bat :(

So yeah...

The diet is a learning process, even after years of doing it, I am still learning new things about myself, which is great! I have lost two pounds (as of Sunday) and can't wait to see what the scale says next week. Jose is having positive results too, he feels and looks skinnier.

I have started planning Sarah's bachelorette party but since she reads this I won't indulge anything, except I am having so much fun doing it and I have to be careful because I could totally go over board.

On the vacation front, it looks like we won't be taking one. I have been able to come to peace with the decision and we figured that we wouldn't be able to enjoy it because we would be worried about the dogs and what not the whole time. I just make sure to enjoy all of life's little moments and that helps me stay sane.

That's all folks!

Live, Laugh, Love

Ain't he wonderful???

2009-06-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

Friday I got frustrated... frustrated that I didn't have anything for dinner, frustrated I don't get paid until Monday and tired of cooking on a budget, diet friendly and easy...

So, Jose being wonderful, decided to make dinner for me. The second time ever but he did it all and it was delicious!!! He made BBQ chicken with cauliflower and for an appetizer we had clam cocktail. It was diet friendly and I love him! I will admit I felt weird having him cooking and me not, but I will definitely want him to do it again, as he reminds me that it is only on certain occasions.

Tomorrow we go to Six Flags!!! Yay!!! I am deathly afraid of heights but I like roller coasters so it will be fun :P

Live, Laugh, Love

My Struggles

2009-06-11T11:11:00.001-07:00

So I have started dieting, again. It seems like I will be doing this for the rest of my life but I guess if that's what it takes :( I have joined Spark People and for those of you trying to diet, it really helps. It is free and allows me to network with other people (pretty much all women) and they help me with my hurdles and I help them with theirs. It really is great.

We need a vacation! With all of the home improvements, we never get down time at home. It seems, when we are home there are always things to do, cleaning, yard work, scrap booking, laundry, paying bills, etc... When we are away from home we are at work or at Jose's parents' house and that is nice but we don't stay long and the dogs are either away from us or with us. We will be venturing up north this Sept but I am thinking that is just too far in the future. I think we will go crazy before that and Sarah needs a sane MOH! I have thought about making that trip into a vacation by taking our time but I don't think that is going to happen and, again, it is too far in the future... We will be going to NYC but that is in Nov/Dec and, again, far away and we will not be bringing the dog with us on that one. I would love to go on a family vacation next month but we'll see...

My garden... Jose's dad and Steph were so generous and helped clean the area for my garden, now I just need to turn the dirt and mix it with compost or planting mix... I will do that this weekend, in between the house cleaning and laundry :( I don't like doing laundry... I know... who does, right???

I am having issues trying to find recipes that will satisfy Jose and still be diet friendly... I was able to do this before but I had included pork in the diet and it has too much cholesterol so now what do I do??? We are bored of fish and chicken already :(

What else... We need new bedroom furniture, what we have just isn't working for us and our room is cluttery, driving me crazy...

I think that is about it, thanks for letting me vent and I know much of it isn't worth getting frustrated about so I will brush it off in a bit, but for now... thank you

Where is the love? My Thoughts...

2009-06-02T15:25:00.000-07:00

As I was driving home yesterday a song came on that got me thinking...

Where is the happiness? I was thinking about how people can get so caught up in their tragedies and problems that they fail to realize that thousands of people in the world are dealing with issues far worse than they. This made me start to think about what I have gone through the past few years and yes they were painful and no I would never wish them upon any one else but I don't like to wallow in the past and I thank God every day that I am able to appreciate the life I have to live.

Where is the understanding? As I was pondering the above thoughts I started to think about Prop 8. I find it sad and frustrating that we are still back at square one. Why can't people see that? Aren't we taught to treat everyone equal regardless of their beliefs, sex or skin color? How is this any different? If people are worried about the religious aspects then why should it have anything to do with what the government decides? From what I understand, Christ loved all, regardless, and who are we to judge and condemn? Are you God? Why do people put so much energy into this when there are babies dying from starvation, people homeless and children getting raped? This seems like a fight that should have been over long ago. Let everyone know what it feels like to express eternal love to another and no one has any right to take that away. We live in America right? The land of the free?

As I always say: Live, Laugh, LOVE

Fantastic Dressing!!!

2009-05-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about this new dressing that right after dinner I came up to the computer and now I am telling you all about it. The dressing is refreshing yet buttery (from the olive oil) and some what healthy!

Apricot Dressing

3 T apricot preserves

2 T white wine vinegar

2 T olive oil

1 t pepper

1 t garlic powder

Juice from 1 lemon wedge

Just whisk all together!

I used a thicker version for glazing skinless chicken legs and Jose loved them, as did I. It tasted like a fresher version of bbq sauce and soo delicious, I just cant say that enough. For a glaze just omit 1/2 T of both vinegar and olive oil.

I hope you try it out. I was inspired by Cooking Light... Actually, I will be honest, Jose was flipping through the magazine and told me that it looked pretty good so I tried it for dinner tonight so thank you Jose for finding that one! The recipe they give a bit different but the same idea.

Live, Laugh, Love

Dream Last Night

2009-05-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

So last night I had a dream we were in NYC vacationing and it got me all excited for our upcoming trip. Only 6 months to go!!! Its hard to get too excited when we have a while but it is still pretty exciting.

You know what else is exciting? Sarah's wedding! Is hard to believe that it will be here in a matter of months... 3 1/2 to be exact. I will be heading up the Bachelorette party plans... Not sure what exactly we will be doing but I know it will be fun :)

Other than that, I have a brief trip planned for Sarah's bridal shower in August but until then I plan on just hanging around and being boring :P

Last bit that I thought was so cute. This morning I woke up to find Blue's (our youngest) head on my pillow next to me... I know he got up on the bed some time last night but how he ended up sharing my pillow I just don't know. It made me laugh :)

Live, Laugh, Love

Shrimp Pesto

2009-05-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

Sarah has requested I post more recipes, so here ya go!

Shrimp Pesto
This was the first thing I ever made for Jose and it is a favorite in our house, easy and healthy!

Cook Time: 20 minutes

1/2 Jar of Pesto (I love the TJ version)
1 Pound of Shrimp (Peeled and de-veined but you can do this yourself)
1 Container of pre-sliced brown mushrooms
1 Can of artichoke hearts (TJ is the brand I buy, they can be marinated or non, your choice)
1/2 Box Angel hair pasta (I use Barilla Plus, for the added health benefits)
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

1. Boil water for pasta. Cook pasta as directed.

2. Cook the peeled and de-veined shrimp in a teaspoon or olive oil until almost cooked (barely pink), sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3.. Add the mushrooms and artichoke hearts and cook until mushrooms are soft.

4. Add the pesto and combine. Then, immediately serve over pasta (or combine with pasta and serve with Parmesan cheese.

I have tried this with other pastas but anger hair is my favorite. It can also be served over the curly pasta. Other variations could be to add cherry or grape tomatoes about two minutes before the mushrooms are cooked. Enjoy!

(TJ = Trader Joe's)

All About Sarah

2009-05-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Sarah's graduation. She was glowing with happiness and I am so proud of her for all she has accomplished, through all the trials and tribulations. My Mom would have been and is so proud of her and I didn't want to bring it up on her big day but I know my Mom would have loved to cheer her on and tell her how proud she was for all she has done and will do with her knowledge. We knew she could do it and it makes me feel better knowing that she is out there in the world helping people through their tough times. I love you Sarah!

Sarah and her Grandmother

Sarah and her Mom, hugging...

Sarah and her Fiance, Adam