Pura Vida

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)

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)

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

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