A Clove of Garlic, A Pinch of Salt

And the sun came out... (Arugula Salad with Oranges and Beets)

2012-03-02T16:29:00.000-08:00

Remember when I quoted those ever-wise words of Annie? Well, it happened. The sun came out, both literally and figuratively. There is sunshine everywhere today, including my soul.

It started this morning. I woke up with the ability to breathe again. Yes!

Yesterday I was thinking how we so often say things like, "I will never take the ability to breathe for granted again!" For example: I used to live on this little (and by little I mean teeny-tiny, 1/4 of a square mile in size TOTAL) island with about 15,000 people living on it. Yes, it was a little claustrophobic at times. But that was OK. I am incredibly sanguine, so that didn't bother me that much. But the showers, oh the showers... Not only were they cold, but they were salt-water. And sometimes, when the power went out, which really was more than "sometimes" and instead like half of the time, we had to go get buckets of said cold, salt water out of a well. That had cockroaches crawling all over it. In this dark basement room. (No, I am not making this up, and no, I did not walk to school barefoot in the snow, uphill both ways.) During these moments I would hear myself saying, "I will never take clean and warm running water for granted again!" But then I returned to the States. Sure, the first few days I was in awe at the beauty of the faucet. It didn't take long, however, for me to forget how wonderful that actually is and now I totally take it for granted -- unless the water heater breaks. Then I find myself remembering my little island and how this used to be the norm and I think, "HOW IN THE WORLD DID I SURVIVE COLD SHOWERS ALL THE TIME?!"

The point is this: I can breathe again, and I know I am going to take that for granted. Shoot -- five hours into and I already do. And that is OK. I am ready to take that for granted again. That cold is over and I can fully live again.

Sunshine.
Then, on the way to work, the sun was actually shining, and shining brightly. It wasn't warm, but it was bright. I slid open the sunroof, turned up my music, and tapped my toes along with the beat.

Sunshine.

So I bring to you today a sunny side dish. A little salad, to be exact. The beets and oranges, when cooked, release some of their juice which is used a little olive oil and salt to create the dressing. The arugula has its own wonderful (albeit slightly bitter) flavor. Mix it all together and you get something light and yum.

By the way, if you don't like beets, try this anyway. I used to think beets tasted like the ground. Actually, I still do... but it doesn't taste bad to me anymore. And these beets you see up there in the picture are awesome because they are already steamed and peeled and you just have to heat them up for this recipe, although they are also great cold. This little box has six or so beets in it. Much easier than peeling, steaming, and then cooking with the oranges. You could also use regular beets, of course. Either way though, use them! They are some of nature's wonders. And remember, it is March. The time of sunshine is near... yesssss!

Salad from Real Simple, October 2011

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 10m | Total Time: 45m (or 30 minutes if using the TJ's beets)

Ingredients

1 pound beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
4 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
2 oranges, cut into large chunks
6 cups baby arugula (5 ounces)

Directions

Heat oven to 450° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the beets with 3 tablespoons of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast until beginning to soften, 13 to 15 minutes. Add the oranges to the baking sheet and roast, tossing once, until the beets and oranges are tender, 15 to 17 minutes more. Add the arugula and toss to combine.

Cost: $4.74 Cost Per Serving (4): $1.19

What I'm Loving Wednesday -- 2.29.12

2012-02-29T11:57:00.001-08:00

Happy Leap Day! I love that I got to put 2.29 on the date today. So rare, you know? I love experiencing rare things.

Today, I am loving:

1} DayQuil. No joke. Without it I would straight up miserable. But it is allowing me to function. Remember that cold I had last week? Well, I shared it with my husband. And then he so kindly shared it back with me. I mean, I know scientifically that doesn't make sense, but anyway, that's what happened -- or something like that.

2} K-Love Radio. I really appreciate having something positive and uplifting to listen to. It can turn a bad mood into a good one, or a moment of stress into a moment of peace. It helps me put everything into perspective. (Listen to it online HERE.)

3} that I have this book on my desk. One of my former students dropped it off to me today. So happy! (Thanks, Leanne!)

4} Tomorrow is March! I love March. It is the beginning of the sunshiny time of the year. It always seems so full of hope and promise.

And being March my finds for this week are things that to me scream LIFE. (Remember to click on the pictures if you want to be taken to their sources.)

5} these wardrobe pieces

6} quick and easy pasta sauce guide by Rachael Ray.

7} this Spring like center piece from Better Homes & Gardens. It is fake flowers glue-gunned to branches. Brilliant!

8} We are having a Mario Kart Tournament in class this afternoon. Remember that marble jar I mentioned before? Well, they filled it up.

9} that it is music time. I love my kids (students), but I love my music break every Wednesday!

10} two very cool bloggy things: (1) The night I posted about the baked eggs in chunky tomato sauce a friend (actually, my boss, but I consider her a friend, too) sent me a text showing that she made my recipe. How wonderful! Best form of a compliment I can get. (2) This:

I know for many people out there this little 6,000+ for Feb. count is low, but for me it is beautiful. See that upward trend? That's because of YOU! Thank you for reading my words, commenting and sharing your encouragement/thoughts/questions, and for following my cooking-slash-life journey with me. I am happy to have all of you here!!!

And last, but definitely not least, I am loving my husband. He is always so sweet to me, but especially when I am not feeling well. He goes above and beyond what I could hope for.

Happy Wednesday, Folks!

OLDER POSTS:

{February 22, 2012}
{February 15, 2012}
{February 8, 2012}
{February 2, 2012}
{January 25, 2012}
{January 18, 2012}

Well, that didn't go as planned...

2012-02-27T19:19:00.002-08:00

Yesterday, I planned to make guacamole.

Scratch that.

Yesterday, I made guacamole.

See? I even have a picture of my ingredients to prove it.

And that's ALL I have to prove it.

Yup, that's right. The lighting was right, the bowl was beautiful (a bowl from Mexico was going to make its official debut!), and the guac tasted good. Not my best, but whatever -- you can't tell that from pictures, right? And then we ate it.

Without taking pictures.

Which might not be a tragedy if this wasn't a food blog I was keeping. But this is a food blog I am keeping. And I had a bought these beautiful avocados for a reason. Sigh.

Oh well, at least we enjoyed some not-great-but-good guacamole. On crackers. Because I didn't have chips. So really, even if I had taken pictures, that would have been a major fail, even though taste-wise it is what we prefer.

Whatever.

But really, this was all OK, because today I had a plan. A super salad plan. We are on a beans-and-rice-with-a-different-salad-every-night-for-dinner diet for the week (not because we think we are fat, but because we want to just kind of "freshen up" for a few days...). So I had this plan. I was going to come home right after work, make a beautiful salad, take some beautiful pictures, and then eat my beautiful food.

Except that's not how it worked. I worked late and had to run to the grocery store to get rice. By the time I got home the sun was setting, the light was ugly, and I realized I did not have some of the key ingredients. Missing ingredients two days in a row? What is going on with me??? Oh, that's right, I went shopping without a list. For the first time in months. See why I need my list?! This is the best picture I got, poor lighting and missing ingredients not included:

I can't show you more of the salad because it is ugly.

Very, very ugly.

This is the point where I did what any grown woman would do: I started to pout. And whine. And drop my feet heavily every time I stepped. Just to prove my point.

To whom?

The world.

Sometimes that's just what we need to do.

But then I stopped. I breathed. And then I realized I needed to let it go. When I took a moment to look at it from not-smack-dab-in-the-middle, I began to understand how incredibly small and completely idiotic this cause for irritation really was. So I relaxed my grip and let.it.go.

As annoying as it is to hear, Annie sang it best years ago. "The sun will come out tomorrow." That's really the great thing. For most things in life you always get tomorrow; this case is no different. So, yes, the sun will come out tomorrow, and you better believe when it does I will be ready -- camera and the correct ingredients in hand.

(A special shout-out goes to my husband. Thank you for letting me vent and laughing at me when I was about to fall apart in a way that encouraged me to laugh along with you.)

Mushroom Risotto

2012-02-24T16:18:00.001-08:00

I love risotto. Along with mashed potatoes, it is probably my favorite side dish. Yeah, I get that both are loaded with calories, and I am not even going to pretend that I made some "light" version. Nope. This is straight up gooey goodness, with mushrooms thrown in the middle.

The first time I made this dish was -- shoot -- two years ago maybe? Whenever it was is not the point though. The fact that it was my first true meal I cooked that called for more than four steps was really the kicker. I took a Tyler Florence recipe and made it happen.

That, my friends, was victory.

A nice, savory victory.

Now I don't have to follow the recipe; I just do it. No measuring, no making sure things are in the right order... just toss things here, throw things there, heat it up, make it happen. It used to take about an hour, now it takes 40 minutes. Yes, still a little time consuming, but it is worth it.

We eat it not as a side, but as our main dish. I make sure we have some salad on the side to get our veggies in and dinner is served. And it is good!

INGREDIENTS

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
4T butter, divided in half
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2T fresh dill
2 c. arborio rice
6 c. chicken bullion (or vegetable if you prefer)
l/2 c. white wine (optional... tastes good both ways)
1/2 c. Parmesan shredded
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet, melt 2T of butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, dill, and half of the onion. Cook 8-10 minutes until soft. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat chicken bullion in medium pot. Keep heated on medium.
In large pot, melt remaining butter. Add garlic and remaining onion. Saute until clear, about 3 minutes. Add rice and stir into onion mixture. Let cook for 45 seconds. Add wine and simmer for two minutes if desired.
Add 2 cups of bullion to the rice mixture and turn heat down to lowest setting. Simmer and add 1 - 2 cups of bullion when needed. Keep doing this until all the bullion is gone and there is little liquid remaining in rice mixture.
Add mushroom mixture and Parmesan; stir.

Yields five (5) servings.

Cost: $7.64 Cost Per Serving (5): $1.53

Getting back on the horse (as in "Getting back in the kitchen")...

2012-02-23T17:15:00.001-08:00

After a week of no cooking, I am back at it. Good!

Funny how a little over a year ago I would have been SOOO happy to be away from my kitchen for a week. Times are a-changin'.

After our East Coast trip and getting over a cold I have not done anything I would blog about. I should have, because none of the things I made are here yet, but I didn't. I was tired, the light was not good, and you know what? Sometimes I just want to cook to eat. So I will have to make the Best Chicken Thighs Ever and ravioli with butternut squash in browned butter again some other time so I can take pictures.

Poor me.

For now, I leave you with these two glimpses into my evening tonight:

SOME OF MY INGREDIENTS --

and A BIT OF MY MUSIC --

Can you guess what I am cooking?

2.22.12 - What I'm Loving Wednesday (The color edition)

2012-02-22T12:06:00.001-08:00

I have something to admit to you.

I almost didn't do this post today. I am tired, I have a cold, and my sneezes are explosive. (You should see the look of panic on my students' faces as I scrunch my face up in sneeze-preparation... they know that if my hand/sleeve/tissue is not fast enough they better be the heck out of dodge. I actually had one guy drop to the floor and cover his head as a sneeze was coming. Poor kids.)

But then I thought, "THIS is why I need to do this." And I am so glad I did. Running through my brain for things I am happy about right now kind of put that whole woe-is-me bit to rest. Not to mention the sun is shining. Always wonderful.

This is what I am loving today:

1} I spent the weekend with my grandpa. Old people are generally cute and sweet, and my grandpa is doubly so. I haven't seen him for five years, so this was a great blessing. Last time I was there my grandma was still alive and things have definitely changed, but he is going strong and we had a great time -- not to mention many trips to Denny's and Cracker Barrel ;)

2} Facebook. Seriously. It allowed me to reconnect with my one of my two childhood best friends even after we moved far apart from each other. This girl and I were so close that we really believed we were cousins, and she is the closest thing I have ever had as far as older-sister-ness goes. SO incredibly amazing to reconnect this weekend after twenty years!!!

3} Butternut squash in browned butter ravioli. Had it this weekend and fell.in.love. I am going to try to recreate the recipe sometime soon. Now I am on the quest for the perfect pear and arugula flat bread AND this. Not complaining, though...

4} COLOR! For example, this wall in NYC that I found the is weekend (the capstone of our East Coast weekend)...

5} And the mere fact that I got to see New York City for the first time in my life! Once again, love the colors, even if it is found in the yellow of a taxi cab.

6} Colorful decor...

7} Colorful food. These dishes are brought to you by Foodie Crush. Oh how I love this collection of amazing recipes and beautiful food photography! I am not there yet, but I will be. Just give me some time. In the meantime, I think I have some ideas for dinner this week :)

(As always, click on the picture to be taken to the recipe.)

And, of course, my man. He is my best travel buddy and I love having adventures with him!

(That's us with a very teeny-tiny Statue of Liberty behind us.)

Happy Wednesday, Folks!

OLDER POSTS:

{February 15, 2012}
{February 8, 2012}
{February 2, 2012}
{January 25, 2012}
{January 18, 2012}

The Big Apple

2012-02-21T21:20:00.001-08:00

2.15.12 - What I am Loving Wednesday

2012-02-15T10:35:00.000-08:00

It is chilly today, but it is beautiful! So that brings me to the first thing I am loving today --

1} the sunshine. You will hear me say this often, but that is because it is so incredibly true for me.

2} warm slippers in my classroom. Yes, I walk around my room wearing slippers with little multi-colored Christmas trees quite a lot. My kids don't even look twice anymore.

3} that somebody listed my blog as one of the things they are loving today! What an honor! Thank you, Wendi at Southern Yogi!

4} 60% of my class got A's on their math tests and the rest got a passing grade. Woot-woot! As much as I would like to say this is a testament of my teaching ability, it mostly falls on them. They work harder than any other group I have had before. I am so proud! (BTW, these particular math tests have been deemed as "too hard" by some other teachers I know, so those A's are not easily handed out.)

5} these outfits. Oh Pinterest, you make me want to go shopping. All the time. If only I could afford that. For now I settle for "window shopping" on my computer.

For any day --

For a sunny day --

For church or somewhere nice (look at those shoes. Love.) --

6} new food ideas. Snacks that look and sound oh-so-good.

Garlic and Cilantro Fries

//source//

Butternut Squash and Parmesan Chips

//via A Couple Cooks, one of my favorite blogs//

7} that I get to go gift-registry planning today for an orphanage in Brazil. I am so excited to take that little zapper and click on jammies and crayons and all things good!

8} Picnik. I use it all the time to edit pictures. What am I going to in April when they close? :(

9} this living room. I am not a fan of white walls usually, but with all this color it totally and completely works.

//source//

10} these words. I truly believe this.

And, as always, my man. He is away right now on business, but I get to see him tomorrow and get to have a weekend full of adventure with him. He is my favorite.

And now it's your turn. What are YOU loving this Wednesday? (Really, I want to know!)

Happy Wednesday, Folks!

OLDER POSTS:

{February 8, 2012}
{February 2, 2012}
{January 25, 2012}
{January 18, 2012}

Down Home Chicken & Dumpling Soup

2012-02-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

Remember how I told you how much I love Martha Stewart's Everyday Food? Well, there is a reason. I have actually liked every single thing I have made from this little magazine. Everything. That is pretty impressive. Sure, some I like more than others, but I would be willing to eat every single one again.

This soup is no different. Here is the thing: This soup was not like wow-so-amazing good, but it definitely ahhh-I-am-satisfied-with-life good. I guess that's what the name suggests, right? Down home soup. When I think of being "down home" I think of peace, comfort, and warmth. This soup fits right into that. And I even got to steal some lemons from the neighbors to make it happen. I have been waiting for a chance to steal the lemons. They just look so good... (And as you will notice, the lemons are hanging over the fence. I figure if they are on my side, they are fair game.)

I didn't do what Martha suggested and make my own soup broth. I just pulled some bullion out of the cupboard. And as for the shredded chicken, I just grabbed some pre-cooked chicken pieces out of the refrigerator section at Trader Joe's -- Parmesan Caesar style. I read a review that this soup was bland, but not the way I cooked it. No sirree. Besides, anything with lemon tastes better, right?

And then I made dumplings. From scratch. Not from the Bisquick box. Yeah, yeah, I know... that may not be a big deal for you, but it was my first time. I remember a little less than a year ago I made dumplings for the first time with the Bisquick and I felt amazing. And now from scratch, well, I guess you can say I am moving on up in the world.

Little side note -- I didn't have buttermilk. However, a Google search allowed me to figure out that if you take regular mix (1 cup) and let a teaspoon of vinegar sit in it for five minutes, you get a buttermilk substitute. So not only can I now make dumplings, but I can make buttermilk-substitute, too. I am a smarty-pants, I tell ya.

Recipe from Everyday Food by Martha Stewart, Jan/Feb 2012

Yield Serves 6

Ingredients

10 cups broth
4 cups shredded chicken
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 ounce baby spinach, roughly chopped (1 cup)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

In a large pot, bring broth to a simmer over medium-high. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. With a fork, stir in buttermilk and spinach to form a dough.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls on top of simmering broth. Cover and cook until dumplings are cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Gently stir in chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until chicken is warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Cost: $7.65 Cost Per Serving (6): $1.28

Baked Eggs in Chunky Tomato Sauce (Vegetarian)

2012-02-10T15:50:00.000-08:00

If you are a lover of veggies, you have come to the right place.

Onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, spinach, and garlic... cook them up, drop eggs in the mixture, bake, and top with goat cheese and cilantro. Ta-da! It is really that simple, and quite amazing actually. This is a recipe I would have never thought of myself, which makes me appreciate all of those cooks in the food magazine kitchens all the more.

Let me warn you, however -- your house will smell like onion and bell pepper long after the food is gone. As I was driving to work I kept smelling this oniony-smell so I rolled down the window to see if it was coming from outside, and then I realized that it was I that smelled like onion. Or rather, my clothes did. Clothes that were tucked away in my closet while I was cooking. Curse of a small apartment, I guess. At least it wasn't the smell of fish, right?

This brilliant recipe comes from the January/February 2012 issue of Everyday Food by Martha Stewart.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Yield Serves 4

Ingredients

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), stemmed, seeded, and diced small
1 large yellow onion, diced small
3 garlic cloves, minced (I did six. We love garlic.)
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 1/2 ounces baby spinach (2 1/2 cups)
Red-pepper flakes (optional)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 large eggs
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Add bell peppers and onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and cook 3 minutes. Stir in spinach and pinch of red-pepper flakes, if using. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer sauce to four 14-ounce gratin dishes or a 2-quart shallow baking dish. With the back of a large spoon, make 4 wells in sauce and crack 2 eggs into each. Bake until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 25 minutes, rotating dishes halfway through. To serve, top with goat cheese and cilantro.

Cost: $8.67 Cost Per Serving (4): $2.17

Reason 897 Why I Love Trader Joe's

2012-02-09T20:23:00.000-08:00

(My Local TJ's)

Walked in with an empty OJ box, handed it to the guy at the desk and said, "I got this a month ago and it had a little leak. I dumped it out so I could bring it back without it spilling, but then I forgot about it." His answer? "Sorry about that! Hey Joe -- can you get her another orange juice, no pulp?" No asking for a receipt, no suspicion that it was empty, no inspecting the carton, just taking me at my word. They know customer service.

2.8.12 - What I am Loving Wednesday

2012-02-08T10:28:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is less than a week away, and although I am not really a big Valentine's Day girl I am really loving some Valentine's themed-things right now. Don't worry about my lack of excitement for "The Day of Love". I have always thought it was overrated, when I was single, dating, and married... I had a friend tell me once that "everyday is Lover's Day when you are with the right person", and that is truly how I feel. That being said, however, I am loving some very V-day-ish type things.

For instance, pictures of couples in love.

What can I say? Some people hate kissing pictures, but I love them. There is something so perfect in a kiss between two people who really care about each other.

I am also loving these Valentine's Day inspired treats. (As always, click on them to be taken to their original source/recipe.)

Other than V-Day stuff, I am loving:

1} my bright green walls in my classroom. Think Neon Green Highlighter. Although I almost cried when I originally saw the finished product, I now look at them with gratefulness that they can cheer up any cloudy day, such as today.

2} the M&M's Superbowl commercial. CRACKED ME UP! If you didn't see, go find it on YouTube. It is well worth it.

3} the power of a marble jar with nine-year-olds. Yeah, it may be extrinsic motivation but whatever, it works.

4} pastel skinny jeans. Hated the bright colored ones, but these are awesome. Now the question is will this look be good on me? Hmmm...

5} this bedroom. Look at all that sunlight. Sigh.

6} Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter. I ran out a few weeks ago and have been relying on the healthy stuff from Trader Joe's, and as much I love Trader Joe's (and you know I do!), nothing beats the gooey goodness of Skippy. I would like to thank my man for braving the peanut butter section in the grocery store yesterday to help me satisfy my craving. You may think that is no big deal, but for a Brazilian man who never eats peanut butter and has never been faced with all the options, this was quite the feat. ("Man, you Americans are serious about your peanut butter!" Yes, yes we are.)

7} Ripe avocados. Yum.

8} My husband and the fact that he has never, ever sent me roses on Valentine's Day, but he sent red tulips instead, knowing they are my favorite.

(Us, celebrating our three-day-after-Valentine's Day celebration in 2010.)

Happy Wednesday, Folks!

OLDER POSTS:

{February 2, 2012}
{January 25, 2012}
{January 18, 2012}

Pear & Arugula un-Flatbread (The Quest for the Perfect Flatbread, Part 1)

2012-02-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

There's a little something that I do when I find something I really like at a restaurant: I try to figure out what they did to make it taste so darn good. See, I have this idea that if some cook in a restaurant can do it, so can I. The problem is that other than the Olive Garden, most restaurants aren't willing to tell you how they do it. (The Olive Garden, however, posts many of their recipes online, which if you ask me is quite wonderful.) This means that if I try something that I really really REALLY want to have at home I am then on the quest to make it happen. Which would be how I learned to make some great avgolemono soup... but that is for another post, another time. This particular quest that I am on right now is how to make the pear and arugula flatbread from this place:

Have you tried this stuff??? This flatbread is so incredibly delicious that I cannot even explain it to you. It is, wow... top notch. Top notch. But alas, there is no recipe out there for it so it is up to me to find out how to do it.

First, I played around with my toppings. We tried pears with arugula and blue cheese broiled on toast. It was nice, but I was missing something. So I went back to The Cheesecake Factory, ordered myself some of that flatbread, and realized I needed caramelized onions.

That was easy. So easy. I had never caramelized onions before, but now I feel a whole new world is opened up to me. I want to put caramelized onions on burgers, on fish, on everything.

My husband told me it made the house smell like In-n-Out. That means it was a success ;)

Then I needed to find out how to make flatbread. According some website I found via a Google search, I could make flatbread with pizza dough.

Well.

Maybe it worked for them, but not for me. My flatbread, as yummy as it was, was not FLAT bread, but Puffy bread. But that's OK... I am on the right start and I am not done yet. I will make the perfect pear and arugula flatbread sometime soon, I promise you that.

In the meantime, I don't mind enjoying Pear and Arugula Puffy-bread and I thought you might enjoy it, too ;)

THIS TIME --

INGREDIENTS:
1 pack fresh pizza dough
1 pear, chopped
1 cup arugula
1/2 cup soft cheese
3T olive oil
1/2 white onion
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Follow directions for pizza dough or flat bread dough for prep.
To caramelize onions, chop the onion into slices. Cook with 1T of olive oil over medium-low heat, stirring often. Let cook for about 30 minutes.
When pizza dough is ready, spread out in shape you want and spread 2T of olive oil on top. Put all toppings on the dough and cook for 8-10 minutes on 400F.

COST: $5.20          COST PER SERVING --
                                       As the main dish (2): $2.60
                                       As a side (4): $1.30

And that's why I created a blog... Now I get it!

2012-02-02T18:01:00.001-08:00

Scene: Husband and wife, sitting in a waiting room. Husband absent-mindedly flipping through through a magazine; wife looking through her latest issue of Everyday Food by Martha Stewart, list and pen in hand.

Wife: So, which sounds better: beef kebabs with butternut squash and onions and a side of cooked arugula OR halibut with an avocado and pineapple salsa and the same side of arugula?

Husband: Huh?

Wife: Ok, I said (enter dramatic sigh)... which sounds better? THIS (points) or THAT (points again).

Husband: Oh, that (points down at a picture), for sure.

Wife: (Scribbling down on her notepad) What else do you want to eat this week?

Husband: Food. Maybe mashed potatoes.

Wife: Yeah, I got that. But what kind of food? What do you want with the potatoes?

Husband: Babe, isn't this why you created your blog? You have all those recipes right there, and every week we go through the same thing -- what to eat with mashed potatoes? Here (hands her his iPhone) -- use your blog.

And use her blog she did.

Which would be why now she is getting off Blogger and heading into the kitchen to make Greek Style Chicken with Pickled Onions, Tomatoes, and Tzatziki... instead of peeling potatoes AGAIN.

Brilliant, I tell you, brilliant.

2.1.12 - What I am Loving Wednesday

2012-02-01T14:36:00.000-08:00

February is here! Holy cow.

I had a rough night of sleep last night. Bad dreams. Sad and scary, both at the same time. And no, I didn't watch TV right before I went to sleep or eat late at night, so no need to try to figure out why. Just sometimes (rarely, thankfully) they happen. That means I woke up very sleepy and not really excited about today. Which makes this very important. I could have just kept going not really excited about what I would find, but I couldn't -- I needed to see the things around me that I am loving today. Totally put me in a better mood. If only it could cure the sleepy thing, too.

Today, I am loving...

1} the pictures I am currently editing from an engagement shoot this weekend. Great location, beautiful couple, what more could I ask for?

2} the mere fact that it is Wednesday. While on Tuesday I have no real breaks during the day (lunch duty, etc.) on Wednesday I have two breaks. Time to get stuff done in peace and quiet!

3} this new recipe I am trying tonight (substituting beef for pork because I think pork is gross):

4} that February is here. My least favorite months of the year are Jan and Feb, but this year I was proactive and made sure they would be super-full of wonderful things, and I do have MANY wonderful things to look forward to this month :)

5} Target. Their clothes are getting cuter and cuter, and I am getting compliments on my Target clothes (today included). Who needs to drop big money to look cute? Not this chica!

6} a conversation I had with a coworker/friend this morning. It is nice to have someone encourage and support you, and to be able to do the same in return.

And my three happy Pinterest Finds for today --

7} heart-shaped sushi from HollysHelpings. Yum and cute.

8} my preferred method of travel... except when going down steep hills. I am looking forward to Brazil.

9} this simple and yet brilliant idea from Apartment Therapy:

10} that I got to spend the weekend with this girl. (Not only is she a great friend, but she is the one who introduced me to the love of my life!)

And of course, my man. As always. Today's specific thing -- he had Mint Milanos waiting for me when I got home from a weekend of travel. This man knows the way to my heart :)

(Last January, NOT in our home state of California!)

Happy Wednesday, Folks!

OLDER POSTS:

{January 25, 2012}
{January 18, 2012}

Tortellini with Butternut Squash, Sage, & Mushrooms

2012-01-31T15:00:00.000-08:00

There are some meals that are good enough to make once but not good enough to incorporate into your regular options. Then there are some that are all around great that you can't get enough. This is one of those meals.

First of all, look at these ingredients! (And notice my shameless plug for KitchenAid. I love me some KitchenAid.) Sage... oh sage. The smell alone is enough to make you want to add this fuzzy little leaf to your food. Mushrooms are one of natures healthiest foods, at least according to all those lists floating around the health magazines and websites. And Butternut Squash, well, YUM.

The first time I made this meal I nearly chopped my thumb off. Or maybe my hand. But I have since learned the proper technique on how to chop up this bad boy and enjoy its flavor and nutrients in my life. High in fiber, low in fat, full of nutrients that help keep strong bones and reduce the risk of serious illnesses... how can you go wrong with that?

(You can read all about the health benefits of this amazing vitamin-packer HERE.)

Other than amazing ingredients, it is simple: Cut, toss, cook, and mix. The end. And that simplicity comes out tasting, well, amazing. Which would be why this has become one of my go-to meals.

Company for dinner? Here we go.
Want something vegetarian? And again, here we go.
Running low on time? Here we... well, you get the point.

(I know, I know, SO MANY pictures of it. But look at those colors and tell me you would have resisted the urge to capture its beauty. Uh-huh. That's what I thought.)

Recipe from Real Simple, October 2011

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash (2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound button or cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and halved if large
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
2 ounces fontina or Gruyère, grated (1/2 cup), plus more for serving

Directions

Heat oven to 450° F. On 2 rimmed baking sheets, toss the squash and mushrooms with the sage, oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once and rotating pans halfway through, until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water; drain the tortellini and return to the pot. Add the vegetables, fontina, ¼ cup of the cooking water, and ½ teaspoon salt and toss gently to coat (add more cooking water if the pasta seems dry). Sprinkle with additional fontina.

COST: $16.00 COST PER SERVING (4): $4.00

1.25.12 -- What I am Loving Wednesday

2012-01-25T12:10:00.000-08:00

It's Wednesday again --> YES! I have actually been waiting for Wednesday to roll around so that I can focus my attention on things I am loving and have a reason to share it with you all. What a great way to live your day, right? So, here are the things that are making me happy today, the last Wednesday of January, 2012. (My oh my this year is flying by!)

1} The fact that I am alive today after an almost near car accident last night on my way home from work. I am loving anti-lock brakes that work.

2} I've said it before and I will say it again: coconut water with dark chocolate. I had it once and I am dreaming having it again. Time to get my butt over to Trader Joe's.

3} Children who turn in their work on time and don't have missing work. (Of course, I love the children who have missing work as well, but you get what I am saying...)

4} The sunshine. I am wearing a sweater and no jacket, yet I am not cold. SWEET!

And for my fab Pinterest finds for today:
(All pictures are linked to original source)

5} These shoes.

6}This look for bridesmaid's dresses. Not that I am ever going to have a wedding myself again, but for those I help plan, this is my suggestion. LOVE.

7} These paper hearts for Valentine's Day decorations. Wax paper and crayons. Simple.

8} Multiple ways to tie scarves. I adore scarves.

9} These words -- my motto recently.

10} I found my own picture on pinterest when I was browsing, and I never pinned it. I don't know the specific word to describe it, but it is a great feeling. (It is the one on the bottom left.)

And of course, my husband. Why? Because he is sweet, handsome, caring, and just all around wonderful. And he gives the best hugs.

Happy Wednesday, Folks!

OLDER POSTS:

{January 18, 2012}

I've Got a Love-el-y Bunch of Coconuts (a deedly-dee)

2012-01-24T21:07:00.000-08:00

See that blond over there on the right? Yup, that's me. A lot younger me, but still me. (Just to give you an idea, that little girl under my arm? She is in the middle of her first year of college. So yes, a much much younger me!) There I am, with my Swedish friend, a South African teenager, and two little Palauans... and of course, a coconut.

Which is what this post is all about.

Last Saturday I mentioned that I found THE DRINK of all drinks. And truthfully, it was a great one. I do not take back my claim. But then I started hearing from people (via blog comments and FB comments and other comments) that many people had never actually had coconut water before.

WHAT?!

Although that was my initial reaction, I thought back this moment pictured above. Notice that Helen (the friend next to me) is holding a coconut and I am not? It is not because I wasn't given one. It is because I was given one, and then I promptly gave it away.

It tasted like dirty socks. What did you expect me to do?

Time, however, has marched on, and I later found myself more long-term in this island nation, and later in the Marshall Islands, and later marrying a Brazilian. You add all that together and yes, I now love coconut water.

Roadside stand in Costa Rica

I did a little research and basically found out that the stuff is amazing for you. A-MAZE-ING. For example:

high in potassium and calcium
promotes weight loss (low in calories and sugar)
cleanses your digestive tract
boosts immune system
helps with rehydration
and on and on and on...

My man, getting us our much desired coconuts for the day

Of course, some people think this is bogus, and you know, it might be. Who knows. But I do know this: It definitely isn't bad for you, that's for sure. Last I checked eating fruit was a good thing, so I intend to keep on doing it.

Sweet Find: Coconut Water with Dark Chocolate

2012-01-21T19:58:00.000-08:00

I think I have found the drink of all drinks:
Zico Pure Premium Coconut Water with Dark Chocolate.

(Whew -- that was quite a mouthful!)

//source//

Have you ever had coconut water? I mean, the real stuff, like cut-the-top-off-of-the-coconut-and-stick-a-straw-into-it coconut water? It tastes nothing like you would expect. When I think of coconuts, I think of the stuff that comes in the candy bars. Sweet. But that is not what coconut water tastes like. The first time I tried it I hated it. Hated it. But over time it grew on me and now I am a fan. And my body is a fan, too. Coconut water is so incredibly healthy, filled with all kinds of electrolytes your body needs. But alas, I do not have any coconut trees in my neighborhood (sigh...) so I must stick to the packaged stuff. Which is good, too. But now I found something great...

Coconut water with dark chocolate! YESSSS! So maybe there is some sugar thrown in there. Whatever. I like sugar. This stuff is amazing. I am sure you can find it in many places, but of course I will promote my favorite: it is a buck-99 at your local Trader Joe's. Yup, less than the cost of chocolate milk in most places. Sure is better for me than those Starbuck's-fraps-in-the-jars that I love (the taste of, if not the ingredients).

//source//

I think I have found my happy drink. Move over Ovaltine and Silk.

Mashed Potato & Kale Pancakes (Yes, yet another kale recipe...)

2012-01-19T17:19:00.000-08:00

If you are a follower of this blog on Facebook, then you saw that I posted something the other day that went like this:

Trying a new recipe right now. If it tastes even close to how I am imagining it will, then I am about ready to fall in love.

And fall in love I did. Potato and kale pancakes, folks... it is a winning combination.

Once again, this meal comes straight from the November 2011 issue of Everyday Food. I have tried several recipes from this one little booklet, and they have all been excellent. Here are a couple of them:

//chicken and kale casserole//

//greek style chicken with pickled onions//

Anyway, back to the little potato pancakes. Easy. Really easy.

The recipe yielded a lot (that Martha Stewart is not lying when she says it serves six!) so I had a bunch I was able to store in the fridge overnight and make for round two the next day. Always a great thing when you have really great food, if you ask me.

One major word of caution, though: LET IT COOL DOWN BEFORE YOU GRAB A HANDFUL. Yeah, I should have thought that one through a little more... oops.

The oven kept them warm while the rest were cooking, and then I added it to a plate with arugula and some homemade honey mustard dressing, and viola! Dinner was served! And it received a ton of compliments. I was even told it was the most delicious things we have had for dinner, which means it must be great because I do put a pretty good spread on the table every night. ;)

Ingredients

2 pounds russet potatoes (about 6), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 leek (white and light-green parts only), halved lengthwise, rinsed well, and thinly sliced
1 bunch kale (3/4 pound), tough stems and ribs removed, leaves coarsely chopped
1/2 pound bacon, diced medium
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

In a large pot, bring potatoes to a boil in salted water over high, then reduce to a rapid simmer. Add leek and kale and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes. Drain; transfer to a large bowl.
In a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium-high until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to bowl with vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. With a fork, mash potato mixture until a few lumps remain. With your hands, form into 12 - 16 patties.
Pour off fat from skillet and wipe clean; add butter and melt over medium. In batches, cook cakes until golden on both sides, about 6 minutes, flipping once.

COST: $5.88 COST PER SERVING (6): $0.98
With arugula salad: $1.38

Check out that price! SCORE!

What I am Loving Wednesday

2012-01-18T13:02:00.000-08:00

Britt over at The Magnolia Pair had or found a brilliant idea, one that I am totally not above stealing: What I am Loving Wednesdays! (The best piece of advice I received in college is beg, borrow, and steal -- ideas that is. It works in my teaching life and so I am extending that to my everyday life :) )

In no particular order, this is what I am loving right now, on this fine Wednesday in January, 2012.

1) I survived recess duty in 45 degree weather. Pssshhh, whatever! Yeah, yeah, I know you are thinking it, but for a coastal California girl, this is award-worthy. I place it up there with swimming with sharks, which I have done. I feel equally proud.

2) Monday was a holiday, which means today feels like Tuesday even though I am really only two days away from the weekend... SWEET.

And three fabulous Pinterest finds for us today:

3) This incredibly delicious sandwich. Looks like heaven on a plate. Eu quero...

/via keep it skinny/

4) The yellow Converses on this ridiculously adorable couple.

/via heart love weddings/

5) Everything about this set up, but specifically the wall color. Does anybody know what it is? I want it in my living room. Yes, my living room.

/via better homes and gardens/

6) My husband. I know, that should be an everyday thing -- and trust me it is. This man makes me SO ABSOLUTELY HAPPY, and this morning was no different. I was in a rush and threw on a sweater, some jeans, a pair of boots, and a just a dash of lip gloss. He looked at me and said, "You are so beautiful!" What a great way to start my day!

**UPDATE 4:20PM

7) I just received this book in the mail. YESSSSS!

Happy Wednesday, Folks!

Cooking with Friends: Apricot and Walnut Stuffing

2012-01-16T17:02:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I read in one of my student's journals that she like to cook. Taking my comment-making pen (green, by the way, and not red) I wrote, "Me too! It would be fun to cook together sometime!" I continued reading, closed that journal, and moved on to the next one, probably to read about a crush on Justin Bieber or something else incredibly important my little 9-year-olds share with me. Later that day, however, this particular little girl came up to my desk and said, "I would love to cook with you. When will you have me over?"

You gotta give the girl some credit -- she knows how to go after something she wants.

Because I was already friends with this particular family (I have had more than this child as my student) and have actually know them outside of school, I did invite her over and we spent a day cooking together. First, we made French Toast (her request) for brunch.

Then we *attempted* to make homemade peppermint hot chocolate. Only I didn't know that Dutch Process Cocoa and regular unsweetened cocoa were so different from each other. Our hot chocolate was OK, but it was definitely pepperminty.

And last but not least, we made apricot and walnut stuffing. We had a recipe straight from England from one of my friends who lives there, but it was made very differently than I know stuffing so we adapted it and sort of made up our own recipe as we went. You will also notice that this stuffing made a repeat appearance in my house and showed up on our Christmas table last night. It was that good.

Cutting up the sourdough to make croutons

The Super-Crouton-Maker

Sauteing the onion, garlic, and celery

We did it! A day full of cooking!

The finished product. Yes, it is purple and gold. I guess it would be a good treat for any LA Lakers fans out there. Or nobility. (Anything else you can think of that is purple and gold???)

INGREDIENTS:
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
5 slices sourdough bread cut into small cubes
1/2 cup dried apricots, cut in small pieces and soaked in water for an hour
1/2 cup walnut pieces
3 cups chicken broth
3 T butter
garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Make croutons. Take the bread squares and drizzle half of the butter -- melted -- over them. Sprinkle with garlic salt and mix. Transfer to baking sheet and cook for 13 minutes on 350 F.
2. Meanwhile, saute onion, celery, and garlic in remaining butter over medium-high heat. After about four minutes add broth.
3. When croutons are finished, mix in a large bowl with apricot pieces (water drained out) and walnuts. Slowly pour broth mixture over the top. Mix. Allow to sit for five minutes.
4. Transfer to a baking dish and bake at 375F for 30 minutes, until top is lightly browned.

COST: $6.70 COST PER SERVING (6): $1.12

And my favorite picture of the day:

"Look, if I turn the apron around I am a super hero! I am here to save the day!!!"

Christmas in January

2012-01-16T12:02:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

There. I feel like I can finally say it. After waiting for Christmas for so long, it finally came and now I really feel like I am in 2012.

As I mentioned (maybe a million times), my little brother is on leave from his time in Afghanistan. Although he will be spending most of his time up in Oregon with his wife and her family, they were able to come down for the long weekend to see us. Which has been WONDERFUL!

We are not a super sappy and lovey-dovey family, so instead of sitting around crying about the time that has been missed, we headed out the door and did what we really wanted to do: go get food (Applebee's -- yum) and then head on over to Guitar Center. If you have a music lover in your family you must experience this place. The boys banged around on the drums while we girls listened, got bored, and then wandered around the store.

Yesterday, however, was a sappy and lovey-dovey day. It was full-on Christmas over here. The last time I was able to spend Christmas with my brother was five Christmasses ago. He was 18 and on leave from Basic Training, and I was 24 and spending my first Christmas with this new Brazilian boyfriend of mine ;) The next year I was married to that Brazilian boy (just 10 days of marriage, by the way!) and Tommy was in Iraq. The following year he was stationed in Kentucky, spending Christmas with a girl he had a crush on named Brittany while we stayed around here. The year after that Tommy and his WIFE Brittany spent their first Christmas together in Tennessee and we spent Christmas in Brazil with that side of the family. And this last Christmas found us mailing him packages to Afghanistan, praying for his safety, and me crying on Christmas day because the sun was shining and my brother was no where to be seen, and we decided that Christmas was not going to happen until he came home. And this weekend he came home :)

Michael Buble crooned out the tunes to us, about Winter Wonderlands, Holy Nights, and things like that, while food was cooked, games were played, and movies were watched. The house smelled like gingerbread and there was a lot of loved ones around, and it was perfect.

My favorite picture of the day:

First of all, we all agreed that turkey is kind of a stupid food. It doesn't have much flavor, costs a lot, and makes you sleepy. So we opted to have roast chicken for dinner. Secondly, yes, this apron belongs to me. But that didn't stop Dan from putting it on and getting work on carving one of our two birds. You put those two things together and we have a fun Christmas memory :)

Of course, being Christmas, we had all the other stuff. I know some families eat a ham on Christmas, but that is not the way we roll. Thanksgiving dinner is so good, so we do it twice. The holiday season is then sandwiched in between to amazing dinners, my favorite food around.

Of course, we had the tree, the gifts, the cookies, all that. But the best was having family around. It may not have been December 25, but it was perfect!

Jingle Bells Keep on Ringing...

2012-01-13T23:47:00.000-08:00

THIS is what my living room looks like right now:

Yes, you are seeing that correctly: those are baggies of peppermint (AKA Christmas flavored) candies. And yes, that is a Merry Christmas bag in the background. See that light coming from the top right corner? That is shining down from the white lights on the tree.

Christmas is almost here.

Before you get all crazy on me and give me a lesson on how to read a calendar, let me explain. My brother who is currently stationed in Afghanistan (I almost typed Iraq, but that was last time) is home for his mid-tour leave. Two weeks with loved ones before he picks up and heads back on out. I am a firm believer that dates on the calendar are merely suggestions, but ultimately having the people you love around you should determine when the holiday-in-question should actually be celebrated. This could explain why we celebrated Thanksgiving last June (when distant family was in town) as well as three times in November, none of which fell on the actual day, or why my husband and I will be found at home, doing nothing out of the ordinary on Valentine's Day but on Presidents' Day -- when the restaurants are not packed and loud -- we will be out on the town.

Like I said, the dates are merely suggestions.

Unless, of course, it is my birthday. That is a date that should be remembered every year, no exceptions.

It may be January 13 today, but Christmas really is two days away. If you don't believe me, you should have a look under our tree.

Chicken and Kale Casserole

2012-01-12T17:05:00.000-08:00

I love casseroles. I think they are really the all-American food. As far as I can tell, there is no other culture on the face of the planet that throws a bunch random stuff together, throws it in the oven, and then thirty minutes later proclaims that dinner is done. So easy, and yields a great amount, allowing my little family of two to have leftovers for days. I am not going to complain that last night my dinner prep consisted of plopping a bunch on a plate, throwing it in the microwave, and setting it on the table with some bread and butter. My husband ate this for dinner on Tuesday night, lunch for Wednesday, dinner again on Wednesday, and then lunch today.

Poor husband.

But happy wife.

Now, before you go feeling all that bad for him, please remember that kale is his favorite vegetable. The man loves this leafy green goodness. So, yes, he has been stuck on repeat with his meals, but I have not heard a single complaint. I think, however, that it is time to make something different tonight for dinner ;)

Recipe from Everyday Food with Martha Stuart, Nov. 2011 issue

*This recipe yields a TON. Consider yourself warned.
**Instead of a cooked whole chicken, I used a pack of cooked chicken strips from Trader Joe's. I just chopped them up and threw it in the mix.

Ingredients

Coarse salt and ground pepper
3/4 pound large pasta shells
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, diced medium
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bunches kale (1 1/2 pounds), tough stems and ribs removed, leaves coarsely chopped
2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken (from 1/2 rotisserie chicken)
1 container (48 ounces) part-skim ricotta
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
3/4 cup Parmesan, grated (2 1/4 ounces)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain; return to pot. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is beginning to soften, 4 minutes. Add kale, cover, and cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to pot with pasta.
Stir in chicken, ricotta, lemon zest, and 1/2 cup Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; top with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake until top is golden, 30 minutes.

COST: $19.11 COST PER SERVING (8): $2.39

Plus butter and bread -- about $2.50/serving

Pura Vida

2012-01-11T17:27:00.000-08:00

Last week I needed something to post about so I threw some pictures of Brazil on my page and didn't think much of it. But they turned out to be wildly popular. I woke up on Saturday morning -- my birthday, by the way -- to see that they had been mentioned and shared within the Blogoverse. Within a few hours they had several hundred hits, equivalent to what my best posts get in a few days and my regular posts get in, well, let's just say a long time. It was a HUGE honor! I mean, I like my pictures, sure... but to know others liked them as well, it totally made my day. As lame as this is going to sound, it really was the best present on my birthday. Sappy and lame? Maybe. True? Absolutely.

Obrigada, Danielle e Rachel!

I know today's pictures are not going to be as wildly popular because I do not have strong ties to the Costa Rican world like I do within the Brazilian world, but I just stumbled across these pictures while looking for the actual food ones I need to post about and decided to share these. They are not seeking fame or glory, they are just wanting a place to be seen. Enjoy a glimpse into Costa Rica while I go hunt for those Apricot and Walnut Stuffing pictures :)

(These pictures were taken in La Fortuna, Tamarindo, and Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica last summer on our vacation. What an AMAZING place. If you have the chance to go, DO IT!)

A Vida Brasileira (Brazilian Life)

2012-01-06T16:32:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of good things I am looking forward to this new year, but there are two in particular. Although I am not ready to share one yet (and NO, I am not pregnant, although I know that is the first thing that popped into your mind because that is the first thing that pops out of everyone's mouth when I say I have good news...), I am excitedly and openly looking forward to the other. (And now that I have you in suspense -- "WHAT could the other one be?!" -- you will just have to wait and find out.)

It is time to go back to Brazil! Not yet, but soon. And this time we are taking friends. That excites me beyond belief and I find myself thinking about it a lot. Although I have never actually lived in Brazil myself, I have spent some considerable time there. One month the first time, two months (so, maybe that counts as mini-living-there) the second time, another month a year later, and two weeks last year... it adds up to my own friends and my own connections and not just being the wife of my husband. Of course, that is my pride in everyday life and my fame in my Brazilian life, but I realized after our last trip that I now have pride inside of me for Brazil as my place, too, not just his. (I realize that it will always be his more than mine, but he is a good sharer so I think this concept will work out ;) ) So, let me show you my "other place" :) (All of these pictures were taken by me last time we were down there, one year ago.)

Quick Fix: Hawaiian Meatballs (Again)

2012-01-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

If you saw my weekly menu for this week, then you would know that last night we had Hawaiian Meatballs with Rice.

Except we didn't... when put my scooper in to the rice bag it came back almost empty. No rice for my meatballs-with-rice. And I had already put the meatballs, pineapple chunks, and sauce on the stove.

I started rummaging around in my cupboards, but I could find any rice of any kind. No arborio (which I usually have on account of being a fan of risotto), no long grain, no wild, no instant. Not even Uncle Ben's. (But I never have that. I don't even know how to cook minute rice... but apparently it isn't that hard.) However, I did have orzo. So, no rice, but small pasta instead.

All in all, it turned out good. The texture was different than we are used to, but the flavor remained the same.

You know what this means? I did something completely different than the recipe called for, but I made it work. I did not send my husband out to get more rice, nor did that thought even cross my mind. I just found something that would work.

A year ago I didn't even know what orzo was. No joke -- the first time I used it was last Spring Break, and if my memory serves me correctly, I had to ask the Trader Joe's dude to help me find it. Now I am whipping it out of the cupboard and throwing it into a dish that in noway calls for pasta, but sounds like it could be just the thing to get me out of that pickle I am in...

I also discovered that for some strange, odd reason, I find wooden spoons to be beautiful. Very earthy. So I took pictures of my spoon.

Yes, I am a little odd like that.

(But you must admit, the color of the spoon with the pineapple can is quite nice, isn't it?)

Anyway... back to the meatballs. They turned out nicely. You should make up a batch yourself. They really bring a little summer flavor into this cold month of January.

INGREDIENTS
Frozen meatballs (I use turkey)
can of pineapple chunks
jar of Soyaki (or soy sauce with minced garlic)
side of rice OR orzo ;)

RECIPE
Make the rice/orzo/whatever. Meanwhile, the meatballs, drained pineapple chunks, and 1/2 jar of Soyaki together. Cook 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Set on top of rice.

COST: $6.68 PER SERVING (4): $1.67

Throw a little salad on the plate to go with it, and you are just slightly above $2.
Sweet.

Weekly Menu: January 2

2012-01-01T18:20:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012, Friends!

To start off this new year I am going to try to add something new here. Since I already go through the work of making a weekly menu + grocery list for us, I have decided why not share it? I know most of the time you will not need it, but just in case you think, "Man, I am so tired and I can't think of anything I want to cook for this week..." well, you won't have to. It will all be right here. And for those who don't cook because they never have any ideas... this is for you, too. The grocery list attached will have everything you need to make these meals happen at your house. And chances are, you probably have lot of stuff on the list anyway, cutting the list to a much smaller size. Just buy the rest of the stuff, click on the links to take you to the recipe, and Happy Cooking!

Hawaiian meatballs w/ rice
Salad

Creamy Asparagus Soup with Chicken Sausage (optional)

Bread & Butter

Penne Pasta with Marinara Sauce (NO LINK, but it is easy. You can figure it out :)

Bruschetta (basically, toasted sourdough with chopped up tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, salt & pepper mixture on top)

Salad

Chicken Piccata with Mashed Potatoes (NEW RECIPE... click HERE)

*Note- the recipe I am using calls for chicken broth instead of white wine. Use either.

Roasted Zucchini & Squash

Basil Burgers (AKA Tiffany Burgers)

PRODUCE

1 1/2 bunch asparagus

1 zucchini

2 yellow squash

4 small potatoes

1 leek

garlic

1 lemon

1 onion

fresh basil

tomatoes

parsley

4 large potatoes

salad base (lettuce or spinach) and extra fixings

MEAT

2 8-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts

meatballs (of any kind; I get turkey)

chicken sausage (optional)

1 lb. ground beef

DAIRY

butter

milk

mayo

Greek yogurt - 6 oz.

OTHER

soyaki (or soy sauce w/ minced garlic)

can of pineapple chunks

rice

chicken bullion

sourdough bread

hamburger buns

penne pasta

marinara sauce

capers

Italian seasoned bread crumbs

garlic salt

ketchup

mustard

2011, It was a pleasure to know you.

2011-12-29T21:31:00.000-08:00

This year is almost over. Like, three more sleeps and then it is another year. Remember how when you were a kid and it seemed like Christmas took forever to get here? Now it just comes and goes in a blink of an eye. Whoosh.

Looking back on 2011 I see this as my year of creativity being realized. I had an article published in Guideposts Magazine, I took engagement pictures and maternity pictures and trash the dress pictures plus some more, and I really put myself to work in the kitchen. And of course, I started this blog! Obviously, there is a whole lot more to say about this year, mostly good, some bad, but that is what I will always remember this year for.

Let's take a look at where this blog/this year has gone:

APRIL

It all started as a way for me to record my recipes and to keep track of how much money each one cost. I was not concerned with getting into the "blogging world", I just wanted to share with my friends and family.

MAY

Learning to cook is a tall order. Learning to cook while blending two cultures is a doubly-tall, doubly difficult order. But it is fun. Challenging things aren't always bad -- sometimes they are the motivation you need to keep things interesting.

(This is Prestigio Cake, by the way. My husband's favorite.)

PS - We also went one month (yeah, you heard that correctly) without spending any money WHAT-SO-EVER on eating out. One month.

JUNE

Teaching my baby brother how to cook. It took me years of begging him to join me in the kitchen, but he finally decided to humor me. And he was good at it! Don't let the badass tattoos fool you; he has many talents. (Did I ever mention that he has a beautiful singing voice? Beautiful.)

JULY

My first (and only) attempt at "cute food". Yeah, there are some things I am not cut out for.

AUGUST

Challenge of one week, completely new recipes with fresh ingredients. My favorite food week of the year.

AND

I hosted a Foodbuzz 24x24 party, themed "Festa Brasileira". Not only did we get fourteen Brazilian and American friends together to eat and have a good time, but we had had money left over and were able to donate $100 to the World Hunger Project. Win-win in my book.

Oh yeah, and I learned some more of that all-important-Brazilian-cooking. Triple win.

SEPTEMBER

Being a lover of good photography, I decided it was time to bring my food-pictures up to the level I expect of all my pictures. I don't always make it happen, but I do make an effort.

OCTOBER

October Unprocessed: one month of NOTHING I didn't make from scratch. It was difficult, eye-opening, and fun. I actually cried when I made vegetable stock from scratch. To see that I have the ability to make something without relying of food companies to do it for me... exhilarating.

NOVEMBER

My friends and I gave thanks while trying give others a reason to do the same. With a team of young adults and people willing to join us, plus a 7x matching opportunity, we raised enough money to provide 35,112 meals to those in need in Africa. That's 35,112 reasons to give thanks.

DECEMBER

And that brings us to now, December. What can I say about this month? I realized that along with developing my cooking skills I have also developed my photography, my writing, and have connected with people around the world I would have never met otherwise. I have become a better cook, for sure, but I have also become a more well-rounded person.

2011, you have been a good one.

And now on to see what 2012 has in store for us...

May your New Year (eve/day/year) be filled with love, family & friends, good food, and laughter. Thank you for being a part of my inner-creativity discovery process!

Almost English Toffee

2011-12-25T16:23:00.000-08:00

Yes, you read that right. English Toffee FUDGE. Except it's not really fudge. Nor is it really English Toffee. Actually, it is an accident.

An amazing accident.

Two days I go I was cruising food blogs and I found out that English Toffee is incredibly easy (sounding) to make. I wanted to make sure if I was going to make some I was going to make the best possible, so I googled recipes for it and compared them. Finding the one that sounded the best, I set out to make some of my own. I already had all of the ingredients on hand except almonds, but I don't like almonds, so I grabbed some walnuts down and was set.

There were tons of suggestions how to make it work correctly, and I read them all -- I promise. I guess I just didn't fully understand them all, because what I wound up with was not English Toffee. It was softer, melty-in-your-mouth, and oh-so-good. So I did another google search for undercooked English Toffee. According to everyone there, it should have been really sticky and get all stuck on your teeth, which mine did not. So then I googled fudge. Wouldn't you know it, fudge and English Toffee are almost the same concept, but one main difference (among the smaller ones): the temperature. I guess my thermometer reading skills need a little improvement. Oh well. This was the best kitchen accident I have ever had. I showed my husband a picture of what I supposed to be making and he told me to keep making this accident again and again, because he has had English toffee, but this is better.

The best part? It tastes like English toffee still. So I have flavor of something delicious with the texture of (slightly grainy) fudge. Score!

I am going to give you the real recipe for English toffee, but note my ~~mistakes~~ changes in italics. Follow either version to have something delicious.

Ingredients

(Yields two pounds/ 32 servings)

2 cups butter
2 cups white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped almonds

Directions

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture becomes a dark amber color, and the temperature has reached 285 degrees F (137 degrees C). Stir occasionally. OR cook until it reaches about 110C or 230F.
While the toffee is cooking, cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
As soon as the toffee reaches the proper temperature, pour it out onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the chocolate over the top, and let it set for a minute or two to soften. Spread the chocolate into a thin even layer once it is melted. Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate, and press in slightly. Putting a plastic bag over your hand will minimize the mess.
Place the toffee in the refrigerator to chill until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.

SOME VERY IMPORTANT TIPS I found included stir continuously with a whisk (which I did), use a casserole dish instead of a baking sheet (which you should do if you are making it my way), and keep in an airtight container in the fridge. Use Bing or Google to find out more, but good luck! And if you happen to recreate my accident, well, good for you :)

COST: $8.00 COST PER SERVING (32): $0.25

And from our family to yours, we hope you had a wonderfully beautiful Christmas.

Have Some Aloha in Your Life & Save Money

2011-12-23T12:51:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I shared with you about saving money by shopping for produce at Mi Pueblo. I got tons of people (here and on Facebook) who were surprised. I wasn't. I had known for awhile that I saved money by shopping there, I just didn't know how much. Now I do, and that makes it more real to me (and apparently you, too). Of course, that got me going, and I couldn't stop. So today, after I went grocery shopping to get us through to next Tuesday (there is NO WAY I am stepping foot in any store between now and Christmas, nor the day after!) I had to do again -- this time with my purchases from Trader Joe's.

There about a kajillion reasons (give or take) why I love Trader Joe's. I have mentioned it (many times) before, but they just have the best stuff around. Taste-wise, creativity-wise, and healthy-wise. I am not one of those big everything-must-be-organic people. Quite the contrary, actually. I kind of just buy things that sound healthy, make sure I have a lot of veggies and fruits, not so much dairy and fat, and OK, yeah, I love my sugar. But I do try to avoid preservatives and added junk. I try to make sure the food we eat is just that -- food. Not chemicals and colors, but things I could find in my kitchen. Good ol' Joe provides me with healthy, usually organic, DELICIOUS stuff. And at a great price. GREAT PRICE.

Don't believe me? Here, my list for today:

Do you see that?!

If I had gone to Safeway I would have spent $19.13 more, MORE, just because I chose one store over the other. Um, I'm sorry, but what makes Safeway so special that it can charge me so much more? I mean, I like Safeway, and I kind of feel bad for beating up on it this week, but you know... not really. If they want to bring their prices down, then I will stop harping on them. But until that happens, I will not be shopping there. (And the same goes for all the other major grocery stores in my area.)

<FYI -- A Trader Joe's commercial just came on Pandora. What are the odds?>

Just so you know, I did not get these numbers arbitrarily. I actually price checked and found the equivalent item -- and the cheapest version of it. In times that I couldn't find a match I did the math and found what the item would be for something of the same size. (Yay for passing 5th grade math back in the day. Let me tell you, as a teacher, if you can pass 5th grade math you can do almost anything in life.) I did not choose any organic items in Safeway, although most of my TJ's item naturally came that way. So these numbers you see? They are the real deal.

So, what's this for a month? $76.52 Yup, you read that right.

And a year? $994.76

Read it and weep, Baby! Almost one thousand buckaroos, right there. Plus my Mi Pueblo savings (because, let's face it, as wonderful as Trader Joe's is, most -- not all -- but most veggies straight from Mexico are going to be cheaper...), that comes to around $1,400 or so per year.

Of course, I only went shopping for four days. I will have to do another check when I do a whole weeks worth of groceries. But until then, go and visit our friends in Aloha shirts at Trader Joe's. Enjoy their samples, chat it up with the friendly people (who happen to me by name in my town -- yeah, I shop there a lot), and save some dough. Like I said before, we all work hard for our money and I am pretty sure we want to keep it in our bank account where it belongs. Or cash it in for some plane tickets to Hawaii and get some Aloha on for real.

A Very Peary Christmas (Pear Smoothies)

2011-12-22T15:13:00.000-08:00

For the past week I have been drinking a banana smoothie for breakfast everyday. I found this great, easy recipe and tried it. A total winner. But this morning when I went to get my banana to throw in the blender I came to a big block in the road: there were no bananas left. This wouldn't have been a problem but I already had all the other ingredients in the blender, ready to be whirred together. So I looked at my fruit basket: oranges, tangerines, limes, and a tomato. Nothing that would go well with milk, peanut butter, oats, and honey. Quite a problem. Until I remembered that I had a special delivery yesterday: a box of pears.

Not only did I get a box of pears from family, I received this beautiful pear ornament from one of my students. I don't think I have had more than three pears in my house -- not "at a time" but ever. I have never really been a pear person, but between that pear h'orderve dish I made up yesterday (I am starting to drool just thinking about it...) and all these pears sitting on my table and hanging on the tree, I guess this was the Christmas that I was destined to become a pear person. So, I grabbed a pear and dropped it in the blender.

Want one? It is simple. Take two tablespoons of oats (like Quaker Oats) and blend them until they become a powder. Add one cup milk, one pear (cut up), one and half tablespoons of peanut butter (I do half Skippy/half healthy junk), and a smidgen of honey. Blend. Enjoy. And share with a friend because it makes two servings.

There we have it, another winning pear recipe. I think I have to blame The Cheesecake Factory for my sudden love of pears. Have you tried their pear/blue cheese/arugula flat bread? Oh.My.Word. To die for. Last time we went I ordered two of them. Yes, two of them. That was it, nothing else. I could only eat one, but I had a great lunch waiting for me the next day. You will probably be seeing my attempt to recreate that sometime soon. After all, I have a lot of pears to get through!

To you and yours, I hope you... well, see for yourself :) (Yes, I am a corn-dog sometimes.)

COST: $1.30 COST PER SERVING (2): $0.65

Pears with Bleu Cheese and Arugula

2011-12-21T12:56:00.000-08:00

My oh my.

You will DEFINITELY want to make these little bad boys for your next get together.

These are quite possibly the tastiest and easiest h'orderves I have ever tried. They take no special technique, which makes someone like myself (AKA someone who abhors anything requiring fine motor skills) able to do these.

Shoot, if you can finger paint you can make these -- they are that simple.

First, you need four ingredients:

Three pears, creamy bleu cheese, prosciutto, and arugula. Turkey bacon works, too, if you don't like prosciutto. You just need to cook it first, but the rest of the instructions are the same.

Cut the pears into eight wedges. Smear cheese on top. Layer two to three pieces of arugula. Wrap in your meat.

Ta-da!

I told you it was simple ;)

**If you are making them in advance, toss the sliced pears in fresh lemon juice before hand so they don't brown.

I found another great thing about Christmas break: the fact that I can take pictures when their is sunshine outside! Finally I can do real pictures. Sure, I may have looked like a fool walking to the park carrying a plate of h'orderves, a bowl of arugula, a pear, and a camera slung over my shoulder... not to mention my beautiful outfit of sweaty gym clothes and a post-Zumba hair-do. Whatever. I walked with my head held high knowing I would get some good pictures that my little apartment could not provide -- and I offered an h'orderve to anybody staring at me. That shut it down real quick ;)

COST: $9.70 COST per piece (24): 41 cents

Costa Rica Salad with a Brazilian Twist

2011-12-20T22:16:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I posted about the dinner my friends and I put on to raise money for the world hunger project. I was so excited to tell you all about the dinner that I didn't even tell you what we ate. Well, have no fear, I have that information for you right here!

After all of our eating out this past week, we decided we needed to eat fresh food this week -- and lots of it. So I rummaged around in my recipe book -- AKA my brain -- and came up with fresh and light but filling foods. Costa Rica salad was high on my list of fresh-and-hearty foods to eat.

As you can see above, I start with beans. In our house beans come in the form of dried beans that I cook in the pressure cooker, but you can use beans from the can if you want. However, fresh beans taste so much better. I always cook my beans with lots of onion, garlic, and two bay leaves. And let me tell you, my beans are incredibly good. My rice on the other hand, eh... but you do need rice for this dish, so find a way to make it that works for you. (I try to make Brazilian rice, with sauteed garlic and onion and salt, but it always come out half Brazilian/half Filipino. Both styles are good, to be sure, but for rice you want one or the other.)

Ok, so now you have your rice and your beans. The rest is simple.

Easy ingredients: Chopped cabbage, shredded carrots. Make a dressing out of 3 T. olive oil, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, the juice of two limes, some cilantro, and salt. Mix it all together and let sit for 15 minutes.

Then, when everything is done, pile it on your plate. Beans first, rice on top, cabbage salad on top of that, and some sliced tomatoes to finish it off.

Simple? Yes. But fresh, delicious, and hearty? Yes, yes, and yes. And coming in under a buck per serving AND using no animal products, I consider this dish a winner.

Ingredients needed:
1 onion
1 head garlic
2 bay leaves
beans (canned or fresh)
1 1/2 cup rice
3 cups water
1/2 head of cabbage
3 carrots
1 tomato
1/2 bunch cilantro
3 T. olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 limes
salt to taste

COST: $3.65 COST PER SERVING (4): $0.91

Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

2011-12-20T09:31:00.000-08:00

I have a super big perk to my job: free lunch. Yes, I am a little spoiled, I know. During school vacations I have a different story, however. I have to provide lunch for myself. But I like that. I take these days to make things that Mr. Brazil does not believe is real food, such as a grilled cheese sandwich with a side of tomato soup.

YUM.

You all know how to make a grilled cheese, I am sure. And if you don't, well... it isn't that hard. There are a couple of things that I would like to point out that you need in order to make the perfect (according to me) grilled cheese sandwich:

Put stuff inside of it! Today's sandwich had my typical fillings: avocado and tomato. Really, though, you can put anything inside of it. My absolute favorite is my "Tropical Reuben Grilled Cheese". It has a secret spread, tuna, and sourkraut. Weird? Maybe. Delicious? Definitely.

I believe the best sandwiches are made with sourdough bread and Colby cheese, except I use very little Colby myself. Those slices on top are there to show you what yours should look like. That orange stuff on the bottom is mine -- and are actually not cheese slices, but faux-cheese, some soy-based stuff. Cheese and my stomach have a touch-and-go relationship, so I use my fake cheese and buy Colby for the others who might be around. You, however, should just use cheese if you can.

Of course, you want to have buttery-spread on both sides so they grill evenly and crispy. One other thing I like to do is place a smaller lid on the top. This helps keep the heat in while pushing down on the sandwich, allowing the cheese to melt faster and all the ingredients inside not to fall out.

Now for the soup. I would like to say I made it from scratch, but I did not. I grabbed some off the shelf at Trader Joe's, Organic Creamy Tomato Soup. IT IS AMAZING. I have been eating bowl after bowl. My husband is starting to get worried that I am going to turn orange or something, but so far I am OK. I think I am going to go buy some more tomorrow...

Perfect for a rainy day, or any other day for that matter.

COST: $2.45 per sandwich & bowl of soup

Practice Spanish, Save Some Money...

2011-12-19T15:32:00.000-08:00

Way back when at the start of this blogging journey (Ok, it was like eight months ago, not eons ago, but still...) I made a proclamation that I like to spend as little as possible on groceries so I could spend my money on other things. Completely true, so I said it. And then I never really said much more about it after that.

Today as I unpacked my bags of produce for the week and looked down at my receipt I started wondering how much money I actually do save. I mean, I know that I don't spend a lot, but I started to really ponder how much I actually do not spend that I would have spent had I shopped elsewhere.

See, I went shopping at Mi Pueblo. Actually, between Trader Joe's (which has excellent prices on all non-produce items) and Mi Pueblo (my go-to for the veggies) I do a pretty good job. Here is the thing about Mi Pueblo though: you have to be willing to practice that long forgotten high school Spanish. Because chances are you might be the only English speaker around. I took a friend their once and she said she felt like she crossed the border. It is true, you walk in and feel like you are in Mexico.

Great! I love Mexico. Beaches, pina coladas, tacos... and fresh produce. So why say no to it here?

Did you see that picture up there? Two full bags of produce. FULL.

As you might be able to tell, we try to eat a rainbow every week :)

Here is something you might not know about me: I am a number person. I love seeing how much things cost/don't cost, the MPG I get every time I empty a tank, so on and so forth. So of course I had to figure out how much this food would have cost me if I had shopped at Safeway AKA the "normal" grocery store. See what I found:

DO YOU SEE THAT? I saved $9.19 by just going to a place that speaks a different language. And let me be the first to tell you, the produce there is FRESH. And BEAUTIFUL. And TASTY!

"So what?" you may think. "$9.19? That's not that much." Well, if I save that much per week (give or take), that comes out to $36.76 per month. What can $36.76 per month get you? Another tank of gas? A nice top? Dinner out?

How about per year? It comes out somewhere between $441.12 if you are counting by months (4 weeks/month) or $477.88 if you are counting straight weeks (52/year). I don't know about you, but I could do a lot with $400+ . That's a whole lot of eating out/ clothes/ bills to pay/money to put in savings. Shoot, I could buy a ticket down to Mexico to practice some more of that Spanish!

Ok, so maybe I look too far down the road, but hey -- I work hard for my money, don't you? Why would I want to throw it away? I don't, and more importantly, I won't.

Speaking of Mexico, I just went and dug out some pictures from our trip to Mexico two years ago. It isn't only the produce that is beautiful...

My husband in the midst of playing soccer in the street with some local kids. If you had any doubt of his nationality, this should clear it up for you.

I've Got the Whole World (On My Plate)

2011-12-18T19:19:00.000-08:00

My husband and I are not big eaters-out. Although we do love to go to restaurants, he doesn't like to spend the money and I enjoy the process of cooking. You add those two things together and you get a couple that spends way less eating out than most of our friends. We are those boring people who, when friends call to see if we want to get a bite to eat, we often opt out. Don't get me wrong, we DO go out to eat, but we just pick and choose carefully when we can. (In all other regards, we are not boring, I promise. You know that team building thing they make you do in high school and such, where you have to go around the circle and say something nice about everyone? All the other kids got, "Jenny is so sweet and gives the best hugs," or, "Steve is such a solid friend. He really knows how to listen." They got these really nice, sweet words of affirmation. Me? Always the same -- "Tiffany? You're never bored when you're around Tiffany." So there, the verdict is out.. I am not that boring. Unless you want to spend a lot of money on food.)

But this week? WOW. This week we ate out. And then we ate out again and again and again.

It wasn't because of laziness on my part or the sudden urge to throw away money from my husband (that will never happen, I promise). Things just lined up that way. Christmas parties with birthdays and anniversaries and Christmas programs and family visiting and so on. Basically, we went on a tour of the restaurants in our area, starting with

Chantilly

(Picture from Chantillyrestaurant.com)

See this fancy pants restaurant? This is where my husband's work Christmas party was held. It was one of those almost-black tie affairs, with men in nice suits and women in snazzy outfits, tons of waiters walking around with glasses of champagne and h'orderves, and a little Italian man who took our order -- and ordered for us when we were too slow.

I wish I had a picture of us fully done. We looked great. This is after his jacket came off and my hair was not perfect anymore, but whatever, we still look great, right? :)

The next on our list?

Pampas

(both pictures from pampaspaloalto.com)

We have been looking forward to Pampas for quite some time, and a co worker's birthday gave us the reason to go. Pampas is a Brazilian barbecue place -- or a churrascaria. If you like meat a churrascaria is the way to go. All you can eat meat, straight off a skewer to your plate. It was one of these restaurants that turned me from a white-meat-only kind of girl to a lover of red meats as well. It was good, for sure, but we have been to better -- and cheaper. I filled up on pao de queijo because it was delicious, but for the meat? It was OK. I don't think we will ever go again, but I am glad we went once.

Tokyo Tokyo

Thursday night found me eating a Bento plate from a little hole-in-the-wall-almost-fast-food joint near my work because I had to stay late for the annual Christmas program. Nothing to show here. You've seen one bento plate, you've seen them all. (BTW, I love Japanese food, it is one of my favorites.)

El Torrito

Friday found me eating Mexican food with my colleagues. You know you are blessed with a good job when you are actually friends with the people you work with -- ALL the people you work with. We are a fun bunch, can't you tell?

DishDash

(picture OBVIOUSLY from dishdash.com. I could not find any pictures of the actual place.)

Saturday afternoon we had friends and family around and we needed a place for all of us to eat. This is by far one of the best restaurants I have been to. Mediterranean. AMAZING mediterranean. This was my second time there, and both times were amazing. Good prices, too. I know officially pronounce this as my favorite non-chain restaurant. That is a high honor, to be sure ;)

And finally...

Chez Papa Resto

(picture from chezpaparesto.com)

Chez Papa is hands down one of the classiest dining establishments we have ever visited. It is one of those places that has the date on the menu because the chef decides daily what he will be serving. You have five options or so, and that's it. But that is OK, because everything tastes delicious. This was where we celebrated our third anniversary. Three years, Baby! I guess we are no longer newlyweds, but my husband says that is only if you decide not to be. See why I married a Brazilian? :)

The "newlyweds" exploring Union Square in San Francisco. I love this man!!!

We have been walking around feeling quite stuffed, as you can imagine. And now off to planning my weekly menu: I am thinking salad, salad, and salad...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2011-12-14T18:29:00.000-08:00

(Decorating with our sister-in-law, Brittany. My brother/ her husband is spending his Christmas in Afghanistan this year, so there is a face definitely missing from this shot. Check back next Christmas to see our little family complete.)

Like most of you, I adore this time of year. The sights are beautiful, the smells are sweet and powerful, and everywhere you go there is a bounce in the step of all those around you. Unless of course you are in the mall. Then Christmas kind of sucks. But step away from the mall and into the house of loved ones and you know this feeling that I am trying to describe... warmth. We finally put the ornaments on the tree last night and I am eating (another) Christmas cookie while typing this and listening to Winter Wonderland, and I can say that feeling -- that warmth -- has hit. Long live Christmas!

Cookie Swap 2011: Peppermint Spritz

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

I went out on a limb and tried something new this year: I participated in a cookie swap.

Deciding to do it was easy. Getting three packages of cookies at my door sounded like something I definitely wanted. So I headed on over to the sign-up page, dropped my information off, and went on my merry way. October finished up and Thanksgiving came and I was sent my matches for who I would be making cookies for. Curious, of course, I headed off to visit their blogs -- their beautiful blogs. Blogs full of great cooking and tons of followers. These were the people who were going to eat my cookies? I could imagine them in their nice little aprons, shuffling around the kitchen, whipping up cookies for their recipients, singing "Silver Bells" as they went. Quite different than what my process would look like.

I am no baker. Shoot -- I had never even made Christmas cookies before. And all of the Christmas cookies I knew of contained fancy frosting. Unfortunately, frosting and I rarely get along.

Suddenly it didn't seem like a good idea anymore, more like an overwhelming idea.

But I had signed up for it, so I had to do it. I reached up into my cupboard, pulled down good ol' Better Homes and Gardens, and flipped through the pages. I finally found one that sounded both do-able and delicious (and only required ingredients that I had or knew where I could find them). Peppermint Spritz.

All I would need was a cookie press.

However, I had no idea what that actually was. Thank goodness for Google, which can be a handy tool in times like that, and Crate & Barrel, who so kindly stocks all of your baking needs. After a quick internet search, a little shopping trip, and careful direction reading, I was set. It was time to put my nose to the grindstone and make some Christmas cookies.

You know what? I can now say I am a Christmas cookie maker. And according to at least two of my recipients, they were delicious. Score!

Another good thing about this was, of course, coming home and have packages on my doorstep. I have received two of them so far, one from Kansas and another from Illinois. Actually, the second was from the same little town my mother/grandmother/grandfather/great-grandparents/etc. grew up in! What are the odds? That brought smile to my face.

Thank you, Erin at Naturally Ella for your scrumptious, healthy-yet-tasty cookies. (Click either picture to be taken to the respective recipes.)

And Carly at CarlyKlock, my husband ate almost all the cookies, but the two I got to try were delicious as well.

Looking forward to having a third package dropped on my door soon :)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and peppermint extract until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.

2. Force unchilled dough through a cookie press onto an ungreased cookie sheet. If desired, sprinkle cookies with colored sugar. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm but not brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

3. Makes about 84 cookies.

My Christmas List (because I've been very good...)

2011-12-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

With these early sunsets and holiday weekends filled to the brim with parties and concerts, I have had no time to have fun in my kitchen. It's not like I am not cooking. I am. It's more like I have no time to do new recipes (except the really awesome creamy honey mustard dressing I made... must repeat and share with you!) and no creativity flowing through me. But one week from today I will be on Christmas break (one of the perks of my job; it's OK to be jealous) and I will have time and sunlight again. Woot-woot! Time to get back in the kitchen and make it happen!!!

I have been seeing what other people are doing in their kitchens' and I am utterly impressed. I don't know how many of these I will actually get to attempt (yes, ATTEMPT. You and I both know that these ladies have superb talent...) If you want to make them happen in your kitchen, I have linked each picture to the blog it belongs to. Go make some Christmas magic! I know I will, and I am looking forward to it.

Gina from Skinnytaste and her amazing low-fat Gingerbread Men:

So Creative!
Shelly from Cookies & Cups and her oh-so-clever Krispy Tree

Definitely making these:
Another one from Shelly, Candy Cane Pretzel Kisses

These, too.
Jane from A Taste of Koko and her homemade Peppermint Bark

And how cute are these?

Another one from Gina at Skinnytaste

And last, but certainly not least...

Sweet Sugar Belle and her Christmas awesomeness.
If you have never visited her page, you are missing out. It is like a cookie museum of wonder.

Pizza and a Movie (Cooking in the Classroom)

2011-12-05T18:48:00.000-08:00

As easy as pie... or Greek Style Chicken (One year subscription give-away!)

2011-12-01T18:46:00.000-08:00

An odd thing has happened to me recently: people have started to turn to me for cooking advice. Not just that, but they act like they have complete confidence in my abilities. For instance, I went to a bring-some-h'orderves party carrying my little tray of sliced baguette topped with goat cheese, basil, and oven roasted tomatoes. Hands down the classiest h'orderves I have ever dished up (as opposed to my usual guac or -- more likely -- crackers with spread bought from the deli section in the store). Someone asked me what I brought and I pointed over to it. "Oh, I should have known you were bringing the good stuff!" they gushed.

Say what?

Clearly this person has not known me for very long. Because if they had, their tune would have sounded more like, "Seriously? Way to step it up!"

What can I say? I have never been known for my cooking expertise.

Until now.

Weird.

Then there is the other thing that has been happening: people keep asking me how I learned to cook (which really should be "how I am learning to cook") to which there is really only one answer. I open a cookbook and follow the directions. Honestly, if you can read, you can cook. And the mere fact that you are looking at this makes me assume you can read, so... really, friends, it isn't rocket science.

Before you, too, start believing I am all magical with my super-cooking-powers, let me show you a little of how I make it happen. It really is quite easy, I promise.

First things first, I pick a new recipe to try. I usually have three qualifications for this. Must be (1) delicious sounding, (2) take less than 30 min. work/prep time (not counting baking time, etc.) and (3) made out of mostly fresh ingredients. For about a year I made every single recipe the back of the Campbell's cans had to offer; sure, they tasted delicious and were easy, but when I make something out of REAL ingredients I feel so much better. (I am not knocking Campbells, however. They make some wicked cream-of-whatever-it-is-you-want soup. I am grateful for them.)

Recently I have gone through several phases including a Rachael Ray phase, a Real Simple phase, and a Taste of Home phase. However, I have found my favorite. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Everyday Food by Martha Stewart!

Funny thing is I have been kind of negative about Martha ever since I first became acquainted with her stuff. Maybe it was the whole fru-fru-ness of it or maybe her dishonesty that landed in jail, I don't know. But you know what? I love this little mini-magazine. It is chock full of excellent ideas that fit my criteria. I am now a believer. In the recipes, at least. Like this one:

Second, I do the prep work.

Whenever I try a new recipe I make sure I have all the veggies chopped, all the ingredients out, etc. That way I can focus on just following the steps instead of multi-tasking-up-the-wazoo. This does add extra time, but it brings my stress level down. Then, after I have completed the recipe and know how it goes, I don't worry about that. But for the first time, I highly recommend it.

Third, I just read and follow the steps. Easy peasy.

Now that I have done it once, I see how easy it all is: chop up, season, and cook chicken. Mix yogurt with lemon juice and parsley for cucumbers. Throw some red wine vinegar on onions and add tomatoes a little later. Make a pot of rice. The end. Next time will be quicker, simpler, and probably taste better (because I can tweak the recipe anyway I want) yet this time was incredibly quick, simple, and tasted amazing anyway. Time to throw it on a plate and enjoy!

Give-away, for YOU!

So that you may also enjoy some new recipes -- whether you are a seasoned veteran of the kitchen or a complete newbie -- I am giving away a one-year subscription to Everyday Food by Martha Stewart.

Number will be randomly drawn on Monday, December 5.
In order to enter you must

be a follower of this blog either on this page or on Facebook
must have a US mailing address (sorry all my many overseas-friends!)
leave a comment in the comment section telling me whatever it is you want to tell me, unless it is mean. Then just don't say it.
If you are a follower on both my blog's page and Facebook, you may leave two comments (double your chances!)

When the winner is chosen, I will contact you to get your mailing address. You will get the 10 issues for 2012 free, at your doorstep. How wonderful, huh?

Happy Cooking, Friends!

Recipe

Ingredients

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 pounds total), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 4 teaspoons lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 English cucumber, halved crosswise and thinly sliced
2/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (2 cups)
Cooked long-grain white rice, for serving

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine onion and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. In another medium bowl, combine chicken, lemon zest, and oregano; season with salt and pepper.
In a third medium bowl, make tzatziki: Combine cucumber, yogurt, parsley, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes to pickled onions and serve with chicken, tzatziki, and rice.

Cook's Note

A short soak in a vinegar bath mellows red onions and turns them sweet and spicy. They make a great complement to juicy bites of chicken and the cool salad called tzatziki.

COST: $12.05 COST PER SERVING (4): $3.01

Thanksgiving Without Scarves -- Oceanside, CA (Wordless Post)

2011-11-28T20:28:00.000-08:00

Peanut Butter Cookies vs. My Excellent (ha!) Portuguese

2011-11-21T09:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I got a little bored (not that I am complaining -- I like being bored once in awhile, it means I have a moment of nothing to do AKA nothing stressing me out). That October Unprocessed really got to me, I think, because I actually decided to bake. Yes, me who started with the fear of baking decided to bake. But this time I wanted to make something I couldn't make during October Unprocessed: Peanut butter cookies.

How can I explain the joy that is one of the greatest baking inventions known to the human species, specifically those of the americana influence? Sweet, crispy, peanut-buttery. Basically delicious sums it up, right?

RIGHT?

(And I am hearing hearty "Amens!" ring out across the land, from sea to shining sea.)

Well, not everyone likes peanut butter cookies. And one of those "not everyones" is, you guessed it, Mr. Brazil.

This is what I don't get. There is this little peanut candy in Brazil that tastes JUST LIKE peanut butter cookies. JUST LIKE IT. I kid you not, it is basically a peanut butter cookie with a different texture. And I know he likes the cookie texture because he sure is willing to eat other cookies. So I asked him about it --

"But Babe, it tastes just like pacocinha {pako-seen-ya}."

"Like what?"

"You know, pako-seen-ya." (Putting it in phonetic spellings for all of you non-Portuguese speakers...)

He erupted in laughter. "That's so cute! But there is nothing called pako-seen-ya. You mean pacoquinha {poss-oh-keen-ya}."

"Yeah, that, poss-oh-keen-ya. It tastes just like that, right?"

More laughter. No answer to my question, just a "You are so cute!" Just one more time when my brilliant Portuguese language skills get in the way of my communication, even in English.

So, maybe peanut butter cookies are out for him, but I am not giving up on the Brazilian people at large. I am off to see my amiga Dani, and I will let her try. Maybe she will like them, maybe she won't, but it is worth the try.

Besides, I have a LOT left and I can't eat them all, so I better find somebody who likes peanut butter cookies because there is no way I can eat two dozen by myself.

Or maybe I can... hmm...

PS - November is national Peanut Butter Month. Just thought you might like to know. Maybe you too should hop into the kitchen and make some celebratory cookies :)

INGREDIENTS:

1/2  cup granulated sugar
1/2  cup packed brown sugar
1/2  cup peanut butter
1/2  cup butter or margarine, softened
1  egg
1 1/4   cups all-purpose flour
1/2  teaspoon baking soda
1/2  teaspoon baking powder
1/4  teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1 Mix sugars, peanut butter, shortening, butter and egg in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm.
2 Heat oven to 375ºF.
3 Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten in crisscross pattern with fork dipped into sugar.
4 Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

Recipe from Betty Crocker, the queen of the cookies.

Praline-Topped Sweet Potatoes {Guest Post}

2011-11-17T17:08:00.000-08:00

One more great Thanksgiving idea for you, this time from Justine at Full Belly Sisters. When she said she had a great sweet potato post, I thought, "Hmm, ok, sweet potatoes. I guess I like sweet potatoes enough." But my husband responded differently. "Sweet potatoes? YES! Please have her share so you can make some so I can eat it." So, there you have it. We need more sweet potatoes in our lives. I tried some the other day, thinking they weren't all that exciting, but you know what? I love sweet potatoes! I had confused them with yams. Oops. Thankfully Justine is here to save the day.

Actually, Justine and her sister save the day for me many times. There is so much about being a mom someday (not yet!) that I have questions about and they have the answers. Friends, if you need info on raising healthy little one through pregnancy and afterwards, they are a wealth of good information. Check them out at there website by clicking on any of the pictures or HERE.

As a certified health coach, I generally steer my clients and blog readers toward nutrient-dense and low-calorie foods (read: tons of veggies and fruit). They really should be the bulk of your diet in order to maintain your weight and to achieve optimum health. But I do sometimes eat foods that don't exactly fit that bill. And that's okay.

One of the rules I try to live by is "eat all the junk food you want, as long as you cook it yourself" (from Michael Pollan's Food Rules). The fact is that indulgent, rich and/or sweet foods have gotten so inexpensive and easy to buy that we don't consume them just for special occasions anymore; now we see these foods as part of our everyday diets.

Additionally, if we make our own "junk food," we control the quality and quantity of our ingredients. I cut the sugar in pretty much every recipe I make. And we can and should use the best ingredients we can afford, such as organic vegetables and grass-fed dairy; pastured eggs; real maple syrup (not that maple-flavored sugar water); and whole grains.

This recipe - a favorite for many years at my family's holiday dinner table - is rich and sweet. It's high in calories, too. However, it's also packed with vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, good fats, and protein. So, while it's not something I'd recommend eating every day, this dish is a real treat that is perfect for a special holiday dinner; it is a wonderful accompaniment to the more savory Thanksgiving fare. The fact that it also packs a nutritional punch is just a really great bonus.

Ingredients

(serves 10-12)

• 6 large sweet potatoes

• 1/2c half and half (whole milk works fine, too)

• 1 egg

• 3T real maple syrup

• 2T orange juice

• 1 1/2tsp salt

• 1t vanilla

• 2/3c packed brown sugar

• 2T real maple syrup

• 1 1/4c pecan pieces

• 1/2 t cinnamon

• 7T unsalted butter, softened and cut in pieces

• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash sweet potatoes and poke each one a few times with the tines of a fork. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet covered in foil or parchment (as they bake, they will ooze some sweet syrup - you want to catch it before it gets in your oven!). Bake for about an hour, until they are tender to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool. (Make-ahead note: You can bake the potatoes a day or two beforehand; just keep them in their skins and refrigerate.)

Halve the potatoes lengthwise and peel off the skins; you should be able to do this with your hands, or you can scoop the flesh with a spoon, as you would an avocado. Place the flesh into a large mixing bowl. Add half and half, egg, maple syrup, orange juice, salt and vanilla. Beat until potatoes are mashed and mixture is light and fluffy.

Spoon into buttered two-quart casserole dish and spread into an even layer.

In a separate bowl, combine sugar, syrup, pecans, cinnamon, butter, and flour. Mix with hands until all ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is crumbly.

(Make-ahead note: You can cover the mashed potatoes and the crumbly topping separately and refrigerate for a day or two; assemble when ready to bake.)

"Spread topping over the top of the mashed sweet potatoes, covering all the potatoes. Bake the dish, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. The topping should be hot and bubbling.

Let sit for about 10 minutes; this allows the topping to come together and get a bit crispy. It should crackle a little like a crème brûlée when you spoon into it.

Scoop and enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Can-Free Green Bean Casserole {Guest Post}

2011-11-16T15:37:00.000-08:00

You know what I love about this little (or rather large) food blog thing? I have discovered there are so many others out there like me -- people who are working hard to improve their food-lives. Many of them started out when they were young, but even more started out as an adult after some kick-in-the-pants happened. For me it was marrying a Brazilian who had only eaten "real food" in his life that opened my eyes to what I could be having AKA something other than top ramen every night. For my guest blogger today, it was something different. So although our stories have different starts, the journey is surprisingly similar. I am so excited to try this recipe, guys! I love green bean casserole. And now I know how to make it sans-cans. Woot-woot! I hope you get inspired to try some yourself :)

Meet Jackie.
(Photo borrowed from her website)

For see more of Jackie's recipes/stories/pictures, visit her at domesticfits.com or click on any of the pictures.

Hi, I’m Jackie, from Domestic Fits.

I love to make food from scratch. How can I possibly indulge myself in in scratch food making? I must have all the time in the world, tons of money, and no job. And servants. Lots of them.

Nope. Working Mom. Full time even. And I run a social work program, so the Big Bucks have yet to roll in. I just think it’s really important, and we find time for those things in our lives that are in that golden circle.

It started when I was pregnant with my daughter (in 2009) and my Splenda addiction was in full force, poised to take over my body. I took one look at that little yellow packet, with it’s completely unknown contents and had a revelation: What In The Crap Will This DO To The Brain I Am Growing In My Guts?

Because, it wasn’t until I found out that I was growing an actual brain that my daughter became real (if you really want THAT store you can read this).

It all spiraled from there, and I became obsessed with knowing what was in my food before I fed it to the brain and it’s attached adorable fetus body.

I never really stopped this, although I have lightened up a bit with my OCD version of Farm to Table. But the core is there. Cook foods that you know what all the ingredients are, better yet can SEE all the ingredients, i.e. Green Beans. Real, fresh ones.

My husband has the obsession with this here American favorite: Green Bean Casserole. It only calls for 4 “ingredients,” however, 3 of them come from cans and who know HOW many ingredients are in those things. Plus mushy green beans are yucky. Clinical term: Yucky.

SO here is my grown up version of this. Husband even liked it better than his mom’s Three Can Wonder. Don’t tell her, she’ll never know.

Grown Up Green Bean Casserole

From Domestic Fits

Topping:

2 leeks

1 large white onion

1 tbs olive oil

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

1 tbs salt

Casserole:

5 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half

2 tbs butter

4 cups Crimini mushrooms (baby bella), washed and chopped

3 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1 cup of chicken broth

2 tbs flour

1 cup cream

Preheat oven to 400.

Cut the leeks (white and very light green portion only) into thin rings. Cut the onion into thin slices. Place in a small bowl and toss with the olive oil to coat. Add to a baking sheet and add the Panko breadcrumbs and salt, toss to combine.

Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes, tossing about every 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven when a golden brown color is reached.

Place the green beans in a pot of rapidly boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes and immediately drain by pouring into a colander, rinse with cold water for 2 minutes to stop the cooking.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they turn a dark brown. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

In a separate bowl, add the chicken broth and the flour, stir to combine. Pour into the pan through a mesh strainer to remove any flour lumps. Stir until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.

Remove from heat, add the cream and stir until combined. Return to heat and allow to cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the green beans and 1/2 cup of the onion/leek mixture, stir. Pour into a 2-quart baking dish.

*Time management tip: If you want to make this the day before Thanksgiving, this is where you stop. Cover the baking dish and put it into the fridge. Put the cooled onion/leek mixture in a separate container of Ziplock bag to prevent them from getting soggy from sitting on the top of the casserole all night.

Top your casserole with the onion mixture and place in your 400 degree oven. Reduce heat to 375 and bake for 15 minutes or until warmed all the way though (note: if you are cooking this after removing from the fridge, as in the above Tip, the cooking time will be longer, approximately 22 minutes).

For a printable version, Click here

Garlic and Mushroom Mashed Potatoes {Guest Post}

2011-11-15T09:10:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and if you are anything like me, you are excited. Excited for the good food, excited for the time with friends and family, excited for a few days off of work. Speaking of good food... I have asked several fellow food-blogger friends to share their favorite Thanksgiving recipes with us. Why? Because although my food is good, it is always the same and I want to see what else there is out there!

The following (AMAZING) recipe is from Amanda over at Give Me Flour. I have mentioned her before (in fact, she has a whole post dedicated to her...) because of her beautiful pictures, great tasting recipes, and the fact that she is a Brazilian woman learning English -- my counterpart, as I am an American woman learning Portuguese. We are both navigating this American/Brazilian world at the same time, and it is fun to see it happen from the other side. Be sure to stop by her page and give her some love (click on any picture and it will take you there). You will not regret it!

The first time I made mashed potatoes (or thought I was making it), I was 10, 11, no more than 12. I simply put a bowl of smashed potatoes on the table and told everybody lunch was served. No salt, no butter, no pepper, no cream or even a drop of milk. Fortunately, my mom saw my mistake in time and nobody had to eat my insipid attempt.

Ironically, I’m here in charge of a mashed potato recipe for the most important American food-related holiday. Good thing I’ve learned from my mistakes and my mashed potatoes grew from that insipidness to a much more tasteful side dish. Garlic and mushrooms, come on, what could go wrong with that?

Well, potatoes are some of the most versatile ingredients I know and they go along with a bunch of good things but, when the matter is mashed potatoes, if you don’t have a good base, no other ingredient will do the job for you.

For a good base I mean a good quality, properly cooked and well smashed potato. And I have my preferences for that -- the Yukon gold potato. First because I care about the color, there’s something about a yellow “purée” that really stands out to me. Second, it gives me the consistency I expect with mashed potatoes, smoothness without lumps.

So, for 6 to 8 servings you are going to need:

First of all, grab a large pot, add the potatoes in, and cover them with cold water. One of the first things I learned about cooking is we should always place potatoes in cold water and let everything heat together. It helps them to cook more evenly.

So, add bay leaves and 1 tbsp of salt to the pot and bring it to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender or until they fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan; add garlic and thyme and sauté until lightly brown. Scoop out the garlic and set it aside.

Using the same frying pan with the thyme, heat the last two tbsp of olive oil and sauté the mushrooms in a high heat for 2-3 minutes. Scoop and set them aside.

As soon as the potatoes are tender, dry them in a colander and let them rest for about 5 minutes. That’s just another good trick to get rid of the extra humidity and the water that can make our base soggy.

Place potato in a large bowl and mash them with a potato masher. If you have a food mill, go for it, it is just the best tool for making a smooth base.

Add butter, parmesan, black pepper and milk, a bit at a time, until you get the consistency you desired. I set a limit of 1 ½ cups of milk but the quantity can vary according to the quality of potato you are using too. Add more salt if needed and mix well.

Add sautéed garlic and mushrooms to the base; mix well and place in a serving bowl. Pile some extra garlic and mushrooms on top and serve immediately.

A Night of Simplicity and Gratefulness

2011-11-13T22:09:00.000-08:00

I am a blessed woman. Everyday I wake up next to a man who loves me (and is quite the looker, by the way!), head out to a job that fulfills me, and spend time with coworkers that are more like family than their official title of "coworkers". I then get to come home to a house that is warm, eat healthy and delicious food, take a warm shower, sleep in a bed that keeps me cozy. If I feel hungry it is because I was too lazy to get food; if I am cold it is because the heater hasn't kicked in yet; if I am tired it is because I was busy doing other things that sleeping.

I am also blessed with the gift of friends. They come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Definitely they come with different temperaments and interests, hobbies and things that make them tick. But one thing I can say about the friends in my life is this -- my friends are the kind of friends you want. Why? Not because they are oh-so-funny (although some of them are), not because they live in big fancy houses and drive nice little cars (very few of them do), and for sure not because we live in a fantasy world where we are always happy and nothing goes wrong (yeah -- not true for ANYONE). The thing about my friends is this: they care. Pure and simple. Not just about me, not just about the ones they know, but I am blessed to be surrounded by people who genuinely care about the needs of other people. Let me give you an example:

This little poster you see here is the result of friends sitting around a table at a restaurant one night, enjoying our food and conversation. There was laughter here, funny stories there, and then talk of bigger, bolder things.

"Guys," one asked, "have you been hearing about the famine in Somalia?" Heads nodded and conversation started taking place about it. The usual. But this, this is what I love: "What can we do to help?" And so our Night of Simplicity and Gratefulness was born. Two months ago. And it just happened last night. Yes, these things take time. But the time was worth it!

It was an evening of food, music, and visiting with people we knew and people we didn't (yet). Bread was shared while plates beans and rice with cabbage salad was passed out. Simple, so incredibly simple. Each plate -- get this -- cost 50 cents to make. That's it. But you wouldn't be able to tell by the comments that were made. Many asked me for the recipe, young and old were discussing how good it was. And then we shared the news: something so simple to us, so cheap to us, could feed a child in Somalia for two days. TWO DAYS. How? Twenty-five cents a day is all it takes to provide balanced meals to a child. Twenty five cents.

Next week, most of us are going to be sitting around a table that looks something like this...

... while millions will be praying for this:

Once again, I realize that I am blessed. There have been times in my life where we didn't have a lot of food, but we always had something. It may not have been the most exciting or the prettiest, but I have never truly felt hunger. As a kid I would whine that I didn't want what was being served, and my mom would say, "Tiffany, there are children in Africa..." You know how it goes; you have heard it and said it yourself, I am sure. My response was this, however. "Then let's mail them food." In my little five year old mind the solution seemed so easy, but nobody else agreed.

Guess what? It really is that easy. There are tons of places that given the money to do it will get the food into the right hands. Grateful hands.

Back to last night. We ate, we listened to some music, we reflected on the blessings in our lives and shared. And then we asked people to open their wallets. If you honestly want to know, I didn't think we were going to get all that much. Originally I did. But then I saw how many kids were there, and yadda yadda yadda, and I got a little negative about it. All these hours of cooking beans! When I agreed to cook beans to feed somewhere between 50 to 75 people, I agreed to do it, no strings attached. Suddenly though, all those hours in the kitchen seemed like a lot of work if we weren't going to raise a lot of money. I had been secretly hoping to raise $1,000 / had openly (with my speaking) hoped to raise $800 / had at the end of the night hoped to just cross $300, at least.

$1254. That's the number we reached. Above and beyond even my secret hope. You want to know how many quarters (meals) that is? 5,016.

FIVE THOUSAND SIXTEEN!

And here is the even greater part. Because it is Thanksgiving time, the orginization we were supporting (which has an A+ charity grade -- we checked) has donors who are matching everything times seven. Times seven. That $1254 automatically is turning into $8778, or 35,112 meals.

That's a whole lot of bellies that will be filled, for at least a little while.

My little group of friends may not be able to wipe out world hunger by ourselves, but we can do our part. We are, after all, so blessed.

For more information on how your gift can be multiplied by seven, visit http://www.adra.org/

(Thank you Nathania and Tim for the pictures!)

Trash the Dress - Pam & Austin

2011-11-09T17:17:00.000-08:00

It has been over a week since I have posted. It has probably been that long since I have done something fun in the kitchen. Sure, we are eating (of course) but I think I am recovering from the October Unprocessed. I loved it, don't get me wrong, but I also love pasta with pasta sauce, stuffing, and other really easy and yummy foods. So yes, I have been taking it easy in the kitchen, but I have not let my creativity just float away on the wind. I have just directed it in other ways this week. See for yourself.

Trash the Dress, San Francisco Style

What a fun day! These two love birds have been married for one year and wanted to take pictures in their wedding clothes one more time before they got packed away for good. She, being Brazilian, is not camera shy at all, which made my job so easy! And he was such a good sport, doing whatever we told him to do :)

Now I want my husband and I to have fun pictures like these. I love being the behind the lens of the camera, but I am thinking I need to find a way to be on the other side for once...

October Unprocessed: The End

2011-11-01T18:46:00.000-07:00

I did it. One month with no processed foods. Ok, ok, there was a two day span with highly-processed foods, but I was sick on those days, so I think that is alright. But other than that, it happened.

Surprisingly, this was a much easier challenge than I thought it would be. Not that it was always simple, but it was fun to see what I was capable of and so it wasn't difficult. And being only one month long, there was nothing that I craved and couldn't have. Sure, I wanted my Skippy on an English muffin in the morning, but I enjoyed my fresh bread from the bakery with butter on it just fine. Yeah, I would have liked to make a tuna sandwich but was too lazy to figure out how to make mayo from scratch (which I have seen done and do plan to learn, btw). So I just put those things away and focused on what I could eat.

Honestly, I think that other thirty day challenge back in June helped me learn how to change my habits easier.

The question people are asking me is this: How did I survive? Here are four things that made a big difference in my life this past month:

Having a completely homemade, solid base is key. It wasn't always beans and rice, but maybe mashed potatoes or risotto (made with homemade vegetable stock). Beans and rice, however, were great because you could make a lot and use it for several days. And as you know, my husband LOVES beans and rice. He truly is Brazilian when it comes to that. He never complains when we don't have these two on our plate, but if we do have them a smile is sure to show up as well. (The second pot has garlic and salt cooking, waiting for the rice to be added. Brazilian rice is much more than just rice and water thrown into the rice cooker... and it tastes so good!)

Take some good oil (like extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil), add something acidic such as lemon juice or vinegar, and some seasonings and salt, and BAM! -- you've got dressing. It sounds so simple, but it tastes so good. My favorite was the above ingredients with a small spoonful of whole grain mustard. YUM. Any veggies thrown in tasted good.

My poor husband. He hates the baking sheet now. Why? Because he wound up washing it every single day. It was used to make cookies (with raw sugar and unbleached flour -- no worries!), roast veggies, make snacks (kale chips, potato chips), and almost anything else that needed to be done. Two days ago he had enough. "No more. I am not washing any more. You want to use it, then you wash it," he proclaimed. Seeing as he was washing a LOT of dishes with all of this cooking, I thought this was a fair request.

Ah, creativity... what would I do without it? Yes, I put it to use. Random things were put together and new "dishes" were created. Most turned out good. Some didn't turn out at all. But in the end, this came in handy. Especially when I had the munchies. I couldn't just reach for pretzels or grab ice cream out of the freezer, I had to create something. Luckily between my brain and ideas I have seen around, it happened.

Craving a salty snack? Take some collard greens, rip them up into big pieces, toss with olive oil and salt, and roast on the aforementioned baking sheet. You instantly have a healthy snack. Tasted like seaweed. I love seaweed.

Wanting something sweet? See this little treat:

I cannot personally take the credit for this one. Before I had a Brazilian husband I had a Brazilian roommate (what can I say? This culture was destined to be a part of my life!). My roommate made this a couple of times, but I never had any of it. But it is so simple and so delicious! Just take the ingredients, throw in it in the microwave for 1 min. 30 sec. and viola! Your sweet, and fresh, treat! (Obrigada, Katie!)

The next question people ask is this: Do I plan to continue?

Yes, and no. Yes, I plan on learning and growing in ways to bring fresh, healthy food into my life. No, I do not plan on being so anal about it. I am A-OK with buying bread from the grocery store. I miss Silk soy milk. I want to use cream of mushroom soup again. But I will be much more aware of the ingredients in these items. What I do plan on doing is trying the recipes I didn't get the chance to try, like homemade Cheez-its. The day I make Cheez-its will be the day I know that I have arrived, in the cooking world at least.

There we have it. I did it. I learned a lot, my eyes were opened to new ideas, and I proved to myself that I can cook -- not just put things together -- but can COOK.

Thank you Caiti for telling me one day that my future children would have mac-n-cheese for dinner every night. That little comment changed my life, and I will forever be grateful to you for it.