December 31st, 2010
I have been thinking about my New Year’s resolutions. There are so many I would like to make and keep. I know that is not going to happen. I will try, though. You know, be a better person, a better parent, a better friend, a better wife, exercise more, eat less. Oh my, the list is so long, I am already tired and afraid I won’t be able to keep them up. There is always next year.
Growing up in the Island of Puerto Rico, well, what can I say that after Thanksgiving you might as well not go to work. The Holidays last so long, the “parrandas”, “asaltos”, “aguinaldos”, lechon, morzillas, pasteles, coquito, arroz con gandules; really, they are endless.
I found out that in Puerto Rico there is the tradition of throwing a bucket of water out into the streets; getting rid of the bad things, shall we say; preparing for all the good things to come.
Another one is throwing sugar around and outside the house; warding off bad luck and bringing good luck into your lives.
I don’t know but I dont remember any of that. I never saw my mother or grandmother throwing anything around to ward off this or that.
But, the celebrations of the Ano Viejo and the welcoming of the Ano Nuevo, church and wearing something yellow the first day of the year for good luck; I do remember that.
And, how can anyone that has lived there forget the fireworks, some with real guns, and honking the horns at midnight. You know it’s true.
If you speak Spanish then visit http://www.elboricua.com/elbrindis.html. This is called El Brindis del Bohemio or the Bohemian’s Toast. It has always been a tradition at parties in Puerto Rico to first read this toast, which is so beautiful at this time of the year.
I usually don’t do much on New Year’s Eve. Almost like been there and done that. Everything is usually so expensive, the service is bad and the food is atrocious. No thanks. I am having lobster tonight, at home.
Two New Year’s come to mind. Years ago I spent New Year’s in Spain. A tradition of eating 12 grapes as the clock chimes to the New Year started in Spain. During a big grape harvest the King of Spain decided to give grapes for everyone to eat at New Year’s. Latin American countries observe this tradition; Puerto Rico being one of them. I had such a good time in Madrid trying to make it in time for New Year’s when by mistake I took the wrong train. I made it just in time to eat my first grape.
The other one was in Bethany Beach, Delaware when friends hosted a Murder Mystery Party. Everyone was in character until the end.
Most other years, I pretty much have friends over. This year it will be my husband and I, which reminds me. I better go downstairs and start cooking….
See you, Happy New Year!!! Have a great evening…
December 29th, 2010
Still with no oven, probably for a couple more days; I am turning to soups. I love them all. No barbecuing in the past few days. No way; it has been bitter cold.
Soups are simply satisfying one dish meals. In the summer I make gazpacho, vichyssoise, or a fruit soup. But during the winter the chowders, bean soups, onion soups are the ones that warm you up in a very special way.
I have made a different type of tortilla soup before; tonight’s tortilla soup is just that; Tortilla Soup. I hope you try it because I think you will find that it is so easy to prepare; probably the ingredients are in your kitchen already.
Tortilla Soup
8 1/2 cups of chicken broth (I used organic low sodium)
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Cajun-style stewed tomatoes. I could not find any so I used the Italian style ones.
4 or 5 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 teaspoons chili powder (more if you want to)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups chopped cooked chicken ( I bought chicken tenders and sauteed them in a frying pan)
1 can of corn, drained
2 cans of black beans, drained
1 small can of chopped green chiles
4 tablespoons half and half
2 cups shredded Chipotle Cheddar Cheese (I bought the Cabot brand and shredded it myself)
Tortilla Chips (I bought blue corn tortilla chips)
It might look like a long list but you will see how easily it is all assembled.
The first thing to do is to get a large soup pot and bring the first 7 ingredients to a boiling point.
Reduce heat.
If you have not yet cooked the chicken then quickly sautee in a frying pan with a little bit of oil and a pat of butter, and cut to bite size pieces.
If you had your chicken already cooked then add it with the rest of the ingredients, using just 1 cup of the cheese (the other cup for garnish), and hold the tortilla chips for garnish, as well.
Make sure the soup is nice and hot; serve it garnished with crumbled tortilla chips and cheese.
Serves about 6 people.
Hope you like it. Remember to make it your own by adding a little more of this or a little less of that.
Talk to you later….
December 24th, 2010
It was cold today in Rehoboth. It is so nice to have the town to yourself. I stopped at Silver Lake to see the ducks. Silver Lake is a waterfowl refuge. They were there pretty much taking a break during their yearly migration; such a long journey.
My Christmas dinner turned out easier than I thought. The oven decided to stop working. Well, on with the charcoal and barbecuing is what we did. It was different but we enjoyed it just as much. Probably even better.
Have a wonderful Christmas.
And to all a good night…..
November 17th, 2010
The other day when I was walking Addy, my pooch, I saw Sue who was walking hers. My neighborhood is a walking paradise; you can walk the distance or just a mile.
While catching up on our families Sue mentioned that she was going to Brenda’s for a jewelry party. I told her I would think about it. To tell you the truth I usually don’t go to those parties because they remind me of Tupperware parties.
That party was last night. And, even though I had told Sue I was going, by the time 4:30 p.m. arrived I was lethargic. As it got darker and more rainy I thought about not going. Lazyness, really.
But, I rebounded and off I went with Sue, picking up Jody on our way to Brenda’s. It was such a nice pleasant evening. Getting together with some old friends and making new ones along the way.
I had not idea what kind of jewelry it was going to be or the set up, etc. etc. I had never been to one. But, once I stepped into Brenda’s house I knew that a post to my blog was a must, especially, at this time of the year.
It really was more like a cocktail party where tables, counters and window sills were set up with jewelry, perfectly displayed. Whether you want to admit or not, we, women love it.
The name of the company is Stella & Dot. The company’s headquarters are in Burlingame, California. The website is www.stelladot.com.
The founder of the company is Jessica Herrin. She was a co-founder of WeddingChannel.com and has taken direct sales to another dimension.
The name of Stella & Dot comes from the grandmothers; “honoring that generation of women who crossed oceans, rolled up their sleeves, won the vote, raised kids, went off to work, and did it all with style and grace”.
Holly Gilmartin was the Stylist. She had been given a pair of earrings as a gift; wanted to know more about the company and what becoming a stylist entailed. Well, this is her job now; times have changed and so have businesses and the way we approach them or they approach us, the consumers.
If you would like to get in touch with Holly to either purchase an affordable indulgence, have her set up a party, or just for basic information, then e-mail her at hollygil@verizon.net. Holly has a marketing, retail and merchandising major and she is young and full of energy, friendly and refreshing.
I slowly tried everything they had available on display. The pieces were truly wearable. Well made with a good weight to them. Some of it was edgy and some was very feminine.
And, some pieces made a statement and were practically an outfit by themselves.
One collection was very verstile with mix and match chains, strands and brooches. It is called La Coco Collection. It is a 3 in 1; unclip to create a bracelet, necklace and brooch. They had it in gold plated and silver plated.
The brooches could be either a pin on your lapel or necklace.
The bracelets had a hinge closure with a magnet to fit small to medium wrists and were made out of resin.
The colorburst enamel cuff was bold and hand painted, gold plated in turquoise and ivory.
I was looking at a charm bracelet that was very colorful. It was called the Bloom Charm Bracelet. It came with an ivory charm with a center of Czech crystals. Then you could add more charms to it. The basic price was $39.
The Metropolitan Mixed Chain Necklace was a “menagerie of street chic chains accented with 4 unique vintage brooches that mix CZ, glass eads, mixed metals and faceted stones”. It had a toggle closure.
Bib Necklaces are so in style at the moment and this one was a hand-embroidered bib with shimmering glass beads, faux pearls and Swarovski crystals. Silk rosettes and ribbon tie closure. The cost? $198.
One necklace I thought looked pretty because of the combination of wood and hand painted turquoise enamel was sort of overlooked by some, but it really was pretty; warm wood with hand knotted silk thread.
Once an ordered is place and paid for it will be sent to your home or business in a matter of days. The packaging is beautiful, as well.
Oh, I almost forgot that there is a whole line for young girls, as well.
It really was a very enjoyable evening. Women….we are too much….talk to you later….
November 13th, 2010
Traditionally known to be a very hot dish, this, of course, depends on the amount of “heat” used.
There are about 20 different techniques in Szechwan cooking; some, like stir frying, steaming or brasing. And, common spices? Chili paste, ginger and garlic, among others.
I have had this recipe for a long time and it is so easy because you can prepare a lot of the ingredients ahead of time. Perfect for company. Just know your guests and adjust the seasonings.
“Szechwan Spicy Chicken”
2 lbs. chicken breasts, skinned and boneless
1 lemon
4 bunches scallions
4 tablespoons of soy sauce
4 tablespoons sherry
4 tablespoons ketchup
4 tablespoons chili sauce
3 tsps. sugar
1 tsp. pepper
3/4 – 1 1/2 tsps. red hot pepper flakes
6 tablespoons peanut or salad oil, divided
6 tablesppons minced fresh ginger
4 minced garlic cloves
1 can water chestnuts
Cut chicken in small cubes, squeeze the lemon over them, and set aside.
Cut the scallions, including the green stalks in diagonal slices and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sherry, ketchup, chili sauce, sugar, pepper and hot pepper flakes, set aside.
All of the above may be done ahead of time. I actually like the chicken to marinade in the the lemon for some time.
Heat a wok or skillet. I don’t have a wok so the skillet is what I used and it worked perfectly. Add 4 tablespoons of oil and heat.
Fry ginger and garlic for a minute, stirring.
Add the scallions and water chestnuts and fry another minute, stirring also.
If you have a wok then just push the veggies to the side but I just took them outof the skillet so they would not overcook. I would add them later.
Add the remaining 2 tablesppons of oil to the pan and stry fry the chicken cubes. You want them to stir fry them enough to get some color and for the liquids to evaporate.
Stir the scallion mixture and chicken together and stir fry for a minute.
Add the reserved sauce and stir to coat the chicken.
Let this mixture cooked for a few minutes on low.
Serving over nice fluffy rice and adding a green salad would make this a perfect dish.
Note: To make it gluten free I used wheat free soy sauce available at supermarkets. Instead of store bought chili sauce I just used ketchup and added about 1-1/2 teaspoons of horseradish. The label on the chili sauce at the store had some ingredients that made me question if it had gluten.
Also, please use real sherry; it is so much better.
And, how spicy was the dish? You want it to have a good kick, so I used about 1 teaspoon of the hot pepper flakes.
This recipe can easily be doubled. As prepared, it served 4 people.
Anyway, enjoy it and make it your own…..talk to you later….
P.S. If you try it let me know how it came out.
November 9th, 2010
I love mushrooms; sauteed, raw, and stuffed with creamed spinach. I had plenty of them in the refrigerator. Wild and button mushrooms. I decided to make the following recipe.
Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup butter
1 medium chopped white onion
4 minced garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons of fresh snipped rosemary
1 1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped (I used a combination of mushrooms)
2 14 ounce cans of chicken or vegetable broth (I used low sodium chicken)
2 cups whipping cream (I used 1 3/4 cups)
1 cup bottled roasted red peppers, drained. (I used 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
In a large sauce pan melt the butter. Then add onion, garlic, bay leaves, and rosemary. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the onion is tender.
Add mushrooms; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Then add broth and bring to a boiling point. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes more or until the mushrooms are tender.
Remove bay leaves and cool slightly.
In a food processor or blender (I used the blender), place some of the soup in and blend until almost smooth. Repeat until finished with the soup.
Return soup to pan and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boiling point again and whisk in the cream. Heat through.
Put pepper in a bowl and mash; stir in oil.
To serve, ladle soup in bowls, top it with the mashed peppers, and sprinkle some snipped rosemary for color.
This recipe serves about 10 people.
Note: I would sautee in a small frying pan some mushroom and add them for garnish, as well. I think the soup needed that.
But, you know how it is, make it your own and enjoy.
Talk to you later….
November 6th, 2010
They say you either like to cook or bake. I definitely like to cook better than bake. I find that baking is too precise. My recipes never come out like the ones on the picture; they taste good, though.
When you cook you can add a little bit of this and a little bit of that; more adaptable than baking.
This recipe I found on a Southern Living Magazine. I thought to give it a try, making it gluten free, as well.
I substituted the flour and the vanilla extract for gluten free ones.
Blackberry-Apple Upside-Down Cake
3/4 cup butter, softened and divided
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large Gala apples, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (or substitute for gluten free flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract (or substitute for gluten free vanilla)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a lightly greased 9 inch round cake pan (with sides that are at least 2 inches high) over low heat.
Remove from heat. Sprinkle with brown sugar; drizzle honey over brown sugar.
Arrange apple slices in concentric circles over brown sugar mixture, overlapping as needed; sprinkle with blackberries. I just place the apples all over the plate. I could not make them that perfect.
Beat granulated sugar and remaining 1/2 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
Stir together the flour and baking powder. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Spoon batter over blackberries in pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
Carefully run a knife around edge of cake to loosen. Invert cake onto a serving plate, spooning any topping in pan over cake.
It tasted very good and I think that if you do not like berries then add an extra Gala apple or another kind of berry.
Perfect for this time of the year.
Enjoy and make it your own…
October 20th, 2010
Four years ago I had a bone density test and yesterday I had another one because I was way overdue. My mother has osteoporosis so I have to watch it.
I started thinking that besides a few commercials on t.v., you really do not hear too much about it. My doctor is one of those that does recommend it, but I don’t know if other doctors do so, as well, or they wait to hear if you have a family history.
I am telling you that it is the fastest test. No prep or anything. You just lie down and the machine scans over your body in just a few minutes.
The result of the test is called a T-score. This compares your bone mass with a population of normal young adult women. The bigger the negative number, the lower your bone mass. If your score is -1.5 or below, you may be a candidate for treatment options. The idea is to prevent more bone loss or reverse it, which would be great.
Osteoporosis is considered “the silent thief” because the disease progresses without symptoms or pain. Left untreated then bones start to break, generally in the hip, spine or wrist.
It is not considered to be a “woman disease” anymore. Men are a long neglected group that also develops osteoporosis. There is a threat to about 2 million men in the U.S. One in 4 men over 50 will have an osteoporosis related fractured in the remaining lifetime. Since we are living longer the percentages will be increasing.
For more information, please call the National Osteoporosis Foundation at 202-223-2226 or visit www.nof.org.
I thought that passing this information to you was worthy of a post.
Talk to you later…..
 
|
1 Comment