Apr 25, 2011 | Recipes, Sweets, Uncategorized
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| Sugar Cookies we made for Easter |
For Easter we made some sugar cookies to take to my in-laws. I used a cookie recipe my daughter found for me online, from AllRecipes, which really worked well. I cooked them a little too long on a few of the batches (see the dark edges?)
I had some fondant from a past project, and rolled it out and cut it to go on the cookies, then we dusted some with sparkly sugar (natural food colorings.) Came out pretty cute (cuter than my bad pictures…) I had some that looked like bunnies and those were really cute but the kids ate them before I got a picture!
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| Who said Brown Eggs Can’t be Pretty? |
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Apr 18, 2011 | In-Edibles, Recipes, Uncategorized
I like to make my own doggy food.
Why?
My dog is quite large due to his bad habit of swiping the kids food when they aren’t looking,
and
food for fat pups is quite expensive.
and
I know what is in it and can modify it according to his needs (ie Low-Fat)
What I end up doing when I can is something like the recipe below…
(You can use whatever you have in your fridge or freezer, or meat that you get on sale at the grocery store also and it works great.)
Doggie Risotto
- Cook 2-3 cups of rice according to directions. (I normally use brown rice but had some risotto/arborio that needed to be gone from my cupboards.)
- Brown meat in large pot. (I used 5 lbs of turkey meat that I got on sale. Also added some cutlets that I had in the freezer that had slight freezer burn.)
- To cooked meat add a bag or so of frozen veggies or odds and ends of veggies from fridge you need to get rid of. (I like to use the pea/carrot/bean/corn mix that comes frozen in a bag when it’s on sale for about $1.)
- Mix the cooked rice to the meat mixture and stir.
- At this point if you need to add a little water to make it sticky do so, or you can add broth. (I actually used a jar of turkey gravy that I didn’t want to eat.)
- Stir and cool.
- Store in fridge and serve OR make into patties and freeze.
My dog LOVES this recipe and it’s much healthier than the dog food I normally buy. (Have you READ the labels on the dog food cans and bags?)
Mar 4, 2011 | Recipes, Sweets, Uncategorized
Here were the cupcakes from my 6 yr old’s birthday in December (yes, I am very behind!)
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| maps, crystal skull, hats, whips, snakes… |
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| The Crystal Skull |
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| More hats, snakes, coins, flowers for the girls |
He wanted Indiana Jones (of course) so we all pitched in to make little fondant toppers. The hats and whips (all brown things) we made from warming Tootsie Rolls in the microwave for about 6 seconds then shaping. The rest was regular fondant that we painted with petal dust or food markers. The cake was just Devil’s Food with chocolate buttercream icing. I sprinkled crushed Oreos on top to make “dirt.”
It was fun and I think they came out really cute!
Dec 29, 2010 | Appetizers & Snacks, Panameña, Recipes
Patacones are what we call them in Panama. In some places (Puerto Rico for example) they call them tostones.
Nothing brings back memories like a good plate of patacones.
Yummy grilled chicken and patacones on the beach…
I remember saving my money to ride my bike to the KC (Knights of Columbus) in Margarita to get a hamburger and patacones. Later I found their sancocho was the bomb and had that and patacones instead.
We have always had problems in Arkansas finding good green platanos (plantains.) Usually the stores have them, but they are maduros (ripe) and I despise ripe plantains. (I know, most people love them.) When mom moved to Puerto Rico she discovered the island secret of using green bananas, which are much cheaper in PR (and Arkansas.) So, now I use green bananas if I can’t find good platanos. They really taste almost the same if they are very green although maybe a little silkier in texture. They are easier to peel and cheaper.
Patacones
- Peel plantains or green bananas. You have to do this quickly and right before frying or they turn black. Be careful as they will also turn your fingers black if you don’t wash right away!
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| Score on several sides and peel skin off |
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| Cut into thumb sized pieces |
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| Fry one time and drain |
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| Put between waxed paper or brown paper and squash! |
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| Fry again til golden |
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| Drain and salt! |
Nov 10, 2010 | Panameña, Recipes
This is one of those recipes that takes me back to my childhood…
Here is my recipe using dried flowers (because, I am in Arkansas and can’t get fresh ones!)
Saril, is the calyx of the hibiscus flower. You can find dried ones at most Mexican or Latin American grocery stores. In Mexico they are called “Jamaica” flowers because the drink originates from Jamaica. (Well, technically it comes from tropical Africa…)
When it’s boiled you get a lovely deep red drink (similar to a Kool Aid punch) which actually is very good for you. As a kid, I was told by my baby-sitters that it was good for your liver and iron and would keep you from getting colds. Unlike other concoctions I didn’t mind drinking this because it was very, very, yummy.
The truth?
Hibiscus tea, Chica de Saril, Jamaica, Sorrell Punch, Hibiscus punch… whatever you call it
HAS BEEN SHOWN to:
Lower cholesterol,
Lower blood pressure,
Help sugar levels,
Boost immune system
and aid in weight loss!
*Now, with all the sugar in it I’m not sure how much of a help it can be in lowering blood sugar…
Sep 24, 2010 | Green Living, In-Edibles, Recipes, Uncategorized
Rub-a-Dub Tub Scrub
(or “Because I have 3 men in my tub scrub”?)
- In a mixing bowl pour about equal amounts of baking soda and Borax. (What I do is take 2 jars, fill one almost full of Borax and the other almost full of baking soda. Then I pour them both into a bowl.)
- Pour in some True Lemon powder (you can use True Orange or Lime also, or citric acid if you can get it) just enough to scent the mix, about 2-4 Tablespoons more or less.
- Mix and put back in your jars!
To use: Wet bathtub or sink. Sprinkle tub scrub in tub. Watch the fun! It bubbles when it gets wet!
Scrub and watch the sparkles! This smells yummy too.
Liquid Laundry Detergent
1 cup Washing Soda (you can get this at most grocery stores now)
1/2 cup Borax
7-10 drops of tea tree oil (disinfectant and antibacterial)
*You can add other essential oil drops if you want a scent but I don’t
1/4 cup or so of
Dr. Bronner’s Baby Castile liquid soap
4 quarts hot water (first) then added about 8 more quarts
Mix it in a bowl with a whisk because the washing soda (soda ash) gets hot when it gets wet. (Luckily I knew this from my pool or I’d have probably burned my hands trying to get the clumps out.) Let sit for about 20 minutes to cool off, then put in containers. I use old detergent bottles and glass bottles.
Very inexpensive and effective!
