Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Monkey Business
My sister-in-law just found out she is having a boy. Hooray! We have a daughter and they have a daughter so we're all thrilled to have a baby boy joining the family. She is on the look-out for some cute monkey or elephant decals for the nursery. I just came across these ones and thought they were SO stinkin' cute. Loving that Etsy site once again!
Monday, July 28, 2008
The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Cha! Cha! Cha! Chicken Tostadas
P.S. Photographer I am not. Repeat offender - I am. My husband had to eat these twice this week because I couldn't stop thinking about them and HAD to have them again. Also wanted to photograph for my blog but I was too anxious to eat them so didn't capture the best pictures.
Cha! Cha! Cha! Chicken Tostadas
For the chicken:
2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock1 Jalapeño, finely chopped
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 t cumin
Salt & pepper
For the toppings:
Cumin black beans
Iceberg lettuce, chopped
Avocado, dices
Walla Walla sweet onion, minced
Cilantro, chopped
Salsa
Pico de Gallo
Sour Cream
Queso Fresco
Corn tortillas
Salt & pepper
Rinse chicken, pat dry and place in baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and generous amount of kosher salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Let cool and shred.
Sauté onions in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and jalapeño. Sauté for a few minutes. Pour in chicken stock and stewed tomatoes breaking up chunks of tomatoes with your hands. Season with cumin, salt and pepper and bring to a quick boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add chicken and stir to coat.
Cook cumin black beans according to recipe.
Heat olive oil on high heat. Add corn tortillas one at a time and cook for a minute or two on each side. Transfer to a sheet pan. Sprinkle tortillas with queso fresco cheese and broil for a few minutes until cheese melts and tortilla crisps.
Top with beans, chicken, onion, sour cream, cilantro, avocado, lettuce, and salsa. Serve hot. Cha! Cha! Cha!
Going Bananas
1 ½ c sugar
2 eggs beaten
2 c flour (scant)
½ t salt
1 t baking powder
¾ t baking soda
¼ c sour milk (add 1/2 t lemon juice to milk and let sit)
1 c mashed over-ripe banana (or more)
1 t vanilla
½ c nuts optional
Mix in order given
Butter muffin pans or use paper muffin cups
Fill muffin pans 2/3 full (you might end up with extra batter but don’t fill tins too high)
Bake at 375 for 25 minutes
Thursday, July 17, 2008
My Nephew ... Farley
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
I Heart Organic Cotton Onesies
My Little Cooking Corner
Monday, July 14, 2008
Soup-er Freak
There is nothing I love more than a bowl (or two) of delicious hearty soup. I generally start off every week making a big pot of soup to have on hand. It is great for a quick and easy lunch and nice to have if you're not in the mood to make a big dinner. Just throw together a salad or sandwich and you've got yourself a great meal. Not to mention a big hearty soup is full of vegetables and so good for you.
I thought I would share my soup recipes each week. Some are from the great chefs like Ina Garten or Giada De Laurentiis and some are made up depending on what I have left over in the fridge. The following recipe falls in the latter category. It is by no means an award winner, but it's quick, it's easy, it's hearty, it's healthy and it tastes so good. Bon appetite!
2 T olive oil
3 carrots, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 potato, cubed
½ yellow or white onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 quart chicken stock
1 pint vegetable broth
¼ cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2/3 container fresh cheese tortellini
1 t Italian seasoning
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Freshly grated parmesan
Store-bought fresh pesto
Sauté onion in olive oil on medium heat until translucent. Add all other veggies and sauté for several minutes. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning. Add garlic and sauté for a few more minutes. Add stewed tomatoes, crushing them with your hand as you add them, and parsley. Add chicken stock, vegetable stock and approximately 3 cups water. Season with a little more salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 1-2 hours. Add tortellini shortly before serving (10 minutes?). Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with parmesan and add a dollop of pesto. Delicious!
Loving Love Quotes
Go Green, Get a Klean Kanteen
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Beautiful Custom Books
I ordered her custom printed family tree as a Christmas gift for my sister-in-law. She loved it. Of course I couldn't resist getting one for my own daughter to frame in a beautiful antique looking frame for her room. (One day I'll get that done, right?!)
Birds Birds Birds
A Few Of My Favorite Things ... In The Kitchen
Favorite Chef / Favorite Cooking Show / Favorite Cookbook - Ina Gartner, Barefoot Contessa, Barefoot Contessa at Home (#1 fan! can you tell?)
Favorite Cooking Utensil - endless supply of wooden spoons and these Le Creuset silicone basting brushes. They are great for rubbing olive oil on bread for crostini, chicken on the barbee and so much more. I always hated the loose brissles on the traditional basting brushes. The product development staff over at Le Creuset must have to!
Favorite Electronic - Breville 800ESXL Die-Cast Espresso Maker. I have paid for this bad boy several times over. I still can't convince my husband to switch over from his morning Starbuck stops to take advantage of his own little barista.Favorite Wine Glasses - there's not much better than a crystal wine glass that can go in the dishwasher. Did someone say dishwasher? I say sold! I wasn't crazy about the look of them at first but now they are my go-to glasses.
Favorite Chef's Trick & Treat -
Trick: I use a Cuisinart Grind Central Coffee Grinder strictly for black peppercorns
& Treat: I keep them next to the stove in a marble swivel top container (along with kosher salt). It's so great to have freshly ground black pepper already ground when you're a frantic cook like I am.
Olive Juice = I Love You
Favorite Childrens Books (one year in)
Iggy Peck, Architect (our current fave, the illustrations are amazing!)
by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts
The Incredible Book Eating Boy
by Oliver Jeffers
Slow Loris
by Alexis Deacon
Penguin
by Polly Dunbar
Ruby's Wish
by Shirin Yim and Sophie Blackall
Yum Yum Dim Sum
by Amy Wilson Sanger
I Like It When
by Mary Murphy
Is There Really A Human Race?
by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell
Charley Harper ABC's
by Charley Harper
Salad Obsessed
Tomatoes (grape, cherry or regular)
Red onion, sliced VERY thin
Cucumber, peel before chopping
Avocado
Dried sour cherries (the real nice surprise)
Dressing:
1 small clove of garlic – mince, then sprinkle with salt and mash into a paste with the side of the knife
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T Worschester (the kick)
¼ c balsamic vinegar
¼ c good olive oil
Juice of one large lemon wedge
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Handmade Dolls
Delicious Healthy Cookies
1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup extra-light olive oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 t flaxseed
Pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the oats in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, then pulse until the oatmeal is broken up into small pieces. Add the flour and process. Next, add the walnuts, oil, maple syrup, and salt and run the food processor until well-mixed. Drop the batter onto a large cookie sheet, a generous tablespoon per cookie. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove cookies and cool on a plate.
Makes about 15-18 cookies.