Mmmm Monday

I know, I know...it's Tuesday! I seem to be late on these Monday posts. But to keep everything straight in the wash I titled this for Mon.

Anyway, I have some good news. I don't know how many of you know that my digital scrapping hobby has turned into a job. I design kits now (long story). I am going to sell my designs at ScrapMatters. Feel free to follow me at my pressed petals blog.

We have been busy, hot and I have been down right TIRED lately. We start school Aug. 10Th. I am excited.

I have started running. A little over a month ago I started a thread (a line of communication in a forum) at ScrapMatters called the Queen of Flab. Anyway, it was just going to be for encouragement for those who needed/wanted to lose weight. There I found out about a running program called Couch to 5 K. It's supposed to get you off the couch and running a 5K in 9 weeks! I have been doing it for about 7 weeks. I am behind for this and that, but I can run more than I ever had in my life! Basically, you walk run, walk run more and more until you run the whole time. Since starting the Queen of Flab I have lost 4 pounds. Not too much, but I can tell the difference in my body and clothes.

Now for the food portion of the blog!

Onto COFFEE!
I wasn't always a coffee drinker. To be honest, when R would make coffee, the smell...ugh! Now I really like coffee. I still have my tea every morning. But I wanted to talk coffee.

There are different degrees of roasts with coffees. Some people think that the stronger the roast the stronger the coffee. Actually, it's the opposite, as far as caffeine goes. The more you roast the coffee bean the more it burns off the caffeine. We prefer the light roast. Much smoother taste, more caffeine! R LOVES his Dunkin Donuts coffee (original blend), I like Folgers Morning (something)(it's light roasted). If we could we'd get Gevalia Breakfast coffee...mmm so good. (light roast). N just bought us a coffee from Jamaica. Very good, smooth flavor. I will/do drink instant coffee. It has to be flavored though.

Anyway, enough babbliling! Have a great day!

Long Over Due Post

Life...sometimes gets in the way of blogging! ;)

To say that we have been busy would be an understatement. Doing what exactly? A bit of everything it feels like.

School's out! C is going to help with the summer reading program at the library again, and still at the thrift store. J's not. He's into building his tree house and our garden.

Me I am catching up on the cleaning that gets left during school. I am also starting a "running" program called Couch to 5K. The first two times I tried it I had to cut it short. My legs sometimes break out in a VERY itchy rash and both times they did. Last night I tried it in the evening. It worked no rash! R & C have been running at night. And C is already going longer. I always knew she had the runner in her. J can do it, just doesn't always go.

Also, a long story short. Our dog was given a steak bone. She got sick. Of course it was over a holiday weekend. So Tuesday we took her to the vet. She swallowed the bone! She was in the vet's for 24 hours and was able to pass the bone. Thank God because it was pass it, surgery or she wouldn't make it.

I'll spare you anymore of the small details of our lives lately and give you a recipe.
I told you about the steaks that J had for his B-day.
Here it is.

Guamanian BBQ Sauce
2 C Soy sauce
1 C white dist. vinegar
1 Lg onion, squeeze juice in
2 lemons, quartered, squeeze juice in
1 C ketchup
1/2-1 C water (cuts saltiness)
Meat, any kind, large enough to grill

Mix all wet ingredients. Add cut lemons and sliced onions.
Marinade meat overnight. Grill until done.

Enjoy!

Mmm Monday

So I made it for a late post! I don't have any fancy or yummy recipes for you today. But I do have two food things I wanted to share.

Today in the mail I received a small package from out of state! My friend at ScrapMatters, Denise, sent me girl scout cookies!!! YUM! I helped her with a last minute challenge sort of thing! She said she would send us gals her helped her something. I thought, no she really doesn't need to. But what a nice surprise! They're almost gone!!!

Next I do have a yummy food tip for you. When we make tacos, we now use the above seasoning. It's so good and worth the extra 20 cents!

Mmmm Monday

Finally upon request...The Buttermilk Pie recipe!

Buttermilk Pie

1 1/2 c sugar
1/4 c flour
3 eggs
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 melted/liquid butter
1/2 c buttermilk (making your own works just as well)
9" deep pie crust

Whisk ingredients together. Pour into pie crust.
Bake @ 350 for one hour.

Enjoy!

Mmmm Monday

I made this yummy recipe from one of the gals at Scrap Matters (Britt). R & I really liked it. C said it was okay. J wasn't really hungry. So, here it is.

Chicken Azteca
Makes 6 huge servings.

1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 c frozen corn kernels
1 garlic clove crushed
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 c chunky salsa, divided
3 skinless chicken breasts
1 8oz pkg cream cheese (we used fat free)
Cooked rice
Shredded cheddar cheese

1. Combine beans, corn, garlic, cumin and half of salsa in slow cooker.
2. Arrange chicken on the top of mixture. Pour remaining salsa on top of chicken.
3. Cover, cook on high 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours.
4. Remove chicken & cut into bite-sized pieces. Return to cooker.
5. Stir in cream cheese. (I cubed it.)
6.Cook on high until cream cheese melts.
7. Spoon chicken and sauce over cooked rice.
8. Top with shredded cheese.

Britt made a very recipe page if you wanted to print out a nicer version. Go here to get it.

Mmmm Monday

Here's a recipe for ya. This one comes from the Taste of Home Mag. April/May 2006 issue. It's easy, yummy and calls for items I usually have on hand. C & I am eating leftovers of this right now!

Spanish Rice Empanadas

Prep: 25 min. Bake: 20 min

1 pkg. Spanish Rice

1-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken (I used grnd beef.)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 c green onions (I used onion powder, not 1/2 c though.)

1/4 c chopped ripe olives (I used about 2 TBL chopped blk)

2 pkg refrigerated pie pastry (room temp works best)

1 egg yolk

1TBL water

Prepare rice according to package omitting oil or butter. Cook meat. In large bowl mix meat, cheese, olives and onions. Stir in prepared rice.

Roll each pastry each pastry out, place on greased cookie sheet. Spoon 1/2 rice mixture onto 1/2 of each pastry. Spread to within 1 in of pastry edge. Fold other end of pastry over filling; crimping edges to seal. Beat yolk and water; brush over tops.

Bake @ 400 for 20 - 25 min or until golden brown. Cut empanadas in half and half again. Serves eight.

Mmmm Monday

One more, before we have to go out the door again.

I know that today is Mmmm Monday so I have some helpful food tips.

Here's some to make you food healthier:
Add All-Bran cereal to pancakes, oatmeal, bread for added fiber.
Use equal amounts of applesauce to oil when baking.
Use whole wheat flour, even half it with white flour.
Use olive oil when you can, much healthier then other oils.
When baking 2 egg white equal 1 whole egg, for less fat.
When cooking rice, etc from package, you don't need that oil or butter that the box recommends.

Mmmm Monday

Usually every Christmas gathering in New Mexico serves these wonderful biscochitos. Biscochitos are said to be native to New Mexico, where they are traditionally made with lard. Other names associated with biscochitos are names such as Polvorones or Mexican Wedding Cookies. In Spain they are called Mantecosos. As the "Original Mexican Wedding Cookie" these gourmet treats were cut in the diamond shape because the diamond signified purity for the wedding. They were then sprinkled with white powdered sugar so that everything would be white.
The biscochito (bees-ko-CHEE-toh) was declared New Mexico's official State Cookie with House Bill 406 in 1989. The battle over the state cookie was not about adopting it but how to spell it. Several lawmakers got on the House floor to press for the "s" or"z". Eventually the Senate returned it as "bizcochito".

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup shortening or lard
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1 egg
1 teaspoon anise seed
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer, cream together shortening and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth; add eggs and anise seed and mix well.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add to shortening mixture. Add enough water until dough clumps together, about 1/4 cup. Turn dough out onto an unfloured surface and roll it to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Use a pizza cutter or a knife to cut dough into diamond shapes, or cut out with cookie cutter.
In a small, shallow bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar with 2 teaspoons sugar. Dip the top of each bizcochito into the cinnamon sugar mixture and place on an ungreased sheet pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges just start to turn golden. Do not overcook; you want them to be a little soft. If desired, sprinkle hot cookies with additional cinnamon sugar before transferring to a baking rack to cool.
This recipe for Bizcochitos yields 4 to 5 dozen cookies.

Will post photo when we make them! Soon! Can't wait!

Mmmm Monday

Tis the season for gingerbread houses! Last year I had to make the gingerbread from scratch because I waited too long to buy a kit. This year...let's just say we've had it for awhile! Getting the icing on takes team work!

After some adjustments (smearing the icing) the walls all stuck together!

Decorating the tree.

Adding yellow to the windows.

The two "happy" house builders. They did it themselves after I helped with the "construction".

Watch for a Yummy Christmas recipe next Monday!!

Free Giveaway

I'm up LATE. Trying to adjust from the time change from vacation. I was just blog surfing and came across this. You can go here and enter to win a tin that bakes these cute desserts! If you win you'll have to make me some!! LOL!

Mmmm Monday

I know today is supposed to feature food, recipes, the like. But I have been wanting to tell you guys about this and since it says "food" I thought it qualified!! heehee

Anyway, I have heard/read about this Super Food for awhile now. I finally tried it. And let me tell you it's great! I was feeling kind of tired for awhile. Long story short. I have energy, I'm not as hungry. I don't need coffee or caffeine. I only drink coffee every now and then for the taste. My hair is softer, and growing faster. My skin is softer. The biggest thing is my energy!! I totally feel a difference. Right now I am waiting for a new bottle to come in, so I am not having the full dose and I can tell the difference. I love this stuff. Very well worth the price. I linked the Super Food to the store, if you wanted to check it out! I highly recommend it.

On another note, it is cloudy today!!! Hopefully we get some rain. We REALLY need it! C has an orthodontist appt. Hopefully she'll get her spacer out. Laundry today, yeah! R & I prayed with a lady how was Hindu Sat. He did SO good in his witness. When she realized that she was guilty and that Christ paid for her sins she was teary eyed! Steph and I are going to follow-up tonight. Her name is Tina, please, please pray for her. C has a cold. It's a weird one. Affects the throat to where you can't talk much. No fever, etc. So I am letting them sleep in this morning.

Mmmm Monday

Okay, I'm trying to get back on the ball. Last week I told you I made this Yummy bread. So, I had to share it with you. I found it on AllRecipes.com

Pumpkin Pie Bread

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (healthier 1 1/2 cup wheat, 2 c all purpose)

2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

3 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 tsp salt

3 Cups white sugar

1 Cup veg oil (healthier: 1/2 c veg oil, 1/2 applesauce)

4 eggs (healthier: 8 egg whites)

1 (15oz) can pumpkin puree

1/2 c water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. (I used 3.)

2. It says to mix things separately, but I just mixed it all together.

3. Divide batter into pans. Bake in preheated oven for 60-70 min, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Mmmm Monday

Okay, to day for Mmmm Monday I have a handy hint for all of you who have cast iron pans. We have two that were given to us by a dear elderly lady in our first couple of years of marriage. They were already seasoned. However we didn't really know how to take care of them. Fast forward to today. After talking with a DF (dear friend) about Cast Iron Pan Care, I realized we'd been improperly caring for our pans. So, to cut to the chase, here's what we do now.

After each use we do NOT wash with soapy water. We wash them in hot clean water.

Dry them on the stove.

Then coat inside with oil, sides and all. They look shiny.

We leave them on the stove top. I do not stack them. Just put the smaller one face down on the bigger one.

When we cook with them we usually add more oil.

The whole oiling process usually makes clean up very easy.

Hope this helped! Have a great day. I have more to talk about, but need to get going on my morning!

Mmmm Monday

Mmmm Monday here, a little late, but well worth the wait!! I been asked to post a recipe here for you.

Zucchini Bread
I got this recipe from the Boston Globe Cookbook, but added a few things to make it my own.

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup cooking oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour (can use half wheat flour)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated, unpared zucchini (see instructions for what I do here)
1 cup raisins (optional)
chopped Pecans (optional)
1 whole orange, seeds removed (optional) (can use less)

Heat oven @ 350.
Here's what I do. In a food processor add chopped zucchini, eggs, sugar, chopped orange (rind and all) and vanilla. Blend until smooth. Mix dry ingredients. Add zucchini mixture to dry ingredients and stir until mixed well. Fold in raisins and pecans. Spoon into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bake @ 350 for 55 min. or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 min. Can freeze up to 3 months.

Mmmm Monday

I'm finally doing a Mmmm Monday again. My blogs have taken the back seat since school started. I don't have a recipe, but my story is food related.

The Churro Story

When we have out of state guests visit we try to introduce them to some of the native food here. Since B and S (niece) have been here before, R wanted to have them try churros. We did a lot of driving, to Carlsbad and back, etc. There were little road side stands, small gift shops, etc. along the way that had signs saying they sold churros. At each place we'd stop...only to find that they don't sell them anymore. One roadside stand offered a "comparable" treat. Not! It tasted more like carmel popcorn. R, not one to give up on a mission, stopped everywhere that advertised churros. No luck. On the way to Mesilla Valley, R got a wild thought...I bet the mall has churros. Sure enough. They even had filled churros. Here we were trying to get authentic Mexican churros and we had to go to the mall to get them! They were a hit and later I found a box of churro mix at WalMart. So now we can make them for our guests and save time and $$. They box churros are very easy to make and taste like the real thing!