Green Egg Scramble

I do so like green eggs and ham!
Thank you! Thank you,
Sam-I-am!

                                                           -Dr. Seuss

 

Now that Valentines Day has become a memory, my mind is now rushing to March and the promise of spring, and St. Patrick's Day. Of all of the holiday's, my two very most favorite are Valentines Day and St. Patrick's day because there are no grand preconceived ideas about what should and shouldn't happen. It is a blank canvas and every year and I have the opportunity to create what I want to with the time and energy that I have.

 

St. Patrick's Day usually involves a green breakfast thanks to our naughty little leprechaun, a large spread of Irish delights (for dinner last year we had Stout Braised Short Ribs, Irish Colcannon and Irish Soda Bread) and discovering the mischief that our leprechaun has gotten into as we were sleeping. Our leprechaun has been known to toilet paper the living room, leave footprints in our hall and on the toilet seat, draw with gel food coloring on our counter and last but not least turn our toilet water and milk green. Our green milk then turns our eggs or cereal green. 

 

With recent news regarding the safety of synthetic food coloring I have been thinking forward to the mischief of our friend from the emerald isle and have decided that it is time to do things a little differently. I have also been thinking about how I nourish my family. I feel like I feed them decently well, but if I really took a step back I have a long ways to go to be able to say that I actually nourish them.

 

All of this was on my mind this morning while I prepared breakfast. I had just gotten home with my Bountiful Basket and my mind was already swirling with ideas of how I would use my basket in the coming week. My sister-in-law had mentioned a while back that she sneaks spinach into her kids scrambled eggs on a fairly regular basis by just blending the two together. Brilliant!

 

When my kids were really little we did an "at home" preschool co-op with some other families in our neighborhood. We followed the "Joy School" curriculum which was a fun adventure for our whole family. My kids have always been adventurous eaters, but I love the encouragement from "Joy School" to help our kiddo's be risk takers and to try things that they wouldn't normally try.

 

Inevitably I got to teach one of the food lessons where the kids would try new foods. I usually opened with "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Suess and we highlighted the fact that the character in the book made his mind up about green eggs and ham before he ever had a chance to taste it. Once he tasted it, albeit reluctantly, he loved it.

 

Parents can go a long way in either encouraging or discouraging an adventurous palate just in the way they present a meal. If you start out telling your child it is weird or that they probably won't like it, you will probably be right. Don't sabotage the experience with your own biases. Present the meal with excitement and maybe a little magic. You could prepare these eggs on St. Patrick's day morning and the thought that a leprechaun had something to do with the reason that they are green may help even your pickiest eater to give it a little try.    

 

 

Green Egg Scramble

 

6 eggs

1/2 bunch spinach, rinsed and trimmed

1 Tbsp butter

1 leek diced and rinsed (can substitute 1/2 onion as well)

2 small or 1 medium zucchini chopped

1 c salsa divided

1 large avocado diced and divided

 

In blender combine eggs and spinach. Blend until frothy green.

 

In a medium deep skillet melt butter and saute leek until it is somewhat translucent and fragrant (about 2 minutes).

 

Add zucchini and stir fry for an additional 2 minutes.

 

Add eggs and cook until they are cooked through.

 

Top with salsa and avocado.  

Strawberry Honey Butter

October’s poplars are flaming torches

lighting the way to winter.
-Nova S. Bair

I don’t know what it is about fall, but it brings me in. It holds me tightly with memories of trick or treating as a kid, the hot smell of the candle flickering inside my beautifully carved pumpkin cooking the flesh just enough to add its aroma to the already perfect evening. It reminds me of crisp autumn nights as I unpacked my belongings into a sturdy, warm dorm room that sat at the mouth of Logan canyon, the wind whipping around its edges creating mini snow or leaf filled tornado's. It reminds me of riding the shuttle over to the student center for a hot slice of bread with apple butter or raspberry honey butter. I had a car, but I would usually trade in the solidarity of a morning ride by myself in Crunchie the Love Cockroach (my pet name for my little Toyota Corolla because it made a lovely crunching sound anytime I cornered to the right) for the warmth and camaraderie of the shuttle.

Last week, as that autumn chill brought back those memories, I just couldn’t shake the craving that I was having for a little slice of my past. I considered driving 3 hours round trip, not including time to revel in my wanderlust, but as I scanned our calendar I knew that a quick trip would be a selfish indulgence that I just couldn’t justify for the day. So I set out to create a happy little pause button that would keep the cravings at bay until I had time for the trip.

This recipe could easily be adapted to any fruit you have on hand. After I finished up the pictures my mind started racing with ideas of different “butters” that I could try. The possibilities are endless. Since Thanksgiving is just around the corner my mind leaped to ideas that incorporated my favorite fall flavors. What about a pumpkin honey butter or an orange cranberry honey butter. I think both of those will have to be a part of our Thanksgiving feast, spread generously across a warm home made roll.

If the flavors you want to try aren’t in season, frozen fruits can easily be substituted. I made strawberry honey butter and a tropical honey butter with mangoes, pineapple and strawberries. They have both been gobbled up by my family. My kiddo’s have loved spreading them over their toast, crepes and waffles. I feel good that they are getting a little extra fruit into their days. The best part, it stores well in the refrigerator for up to a week in a sealed container or up to 6 months in the freezer. So you can take a few minutes today and enjoy it for several months to come!

 

 

Strawberry Honey Butter

 

1 c strawberries hulled and sliced

2 Tbsp honey

1 c butter softened, at room temperature

 

In small saucepan, over medium heat combine strawberries and honey. Heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to speed up the process. In blender or food processor blend strawberry mixture until smooth and then fold in butter until it is well blended.





Roasted Tomato Soup

"A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet

without violins."

-Laurie Colwin, "Home Cooking"

 

Growing up I hated two things that were good for me, fish and tomatoes. When I took a health class in high school I realized the importance and benefits of incorporating these two beauties into my diet. It took years to change my opinion and palate, but I am slowly coming around. I started by ordering hamburgers and leaving the tomatoes in place instead of discarding them the instant they arrived on my plate. I'm still working on fish. I have trained myself to like lobster, crab and shrimp, but learning to like fish will take a little more time. Whenever I am near an ocean however I feel like it would be an insult if I didn't give it another try. I ate Mahi Mahi for the first time in Hawaii when I was 11 and really enjoyed it. This past March I had some of the most amazing salmon I have ever tasted while at an awards dinner, for work, in Orlando. It takes baby steps. If I had this tomato soup as a kid, I have a feeling my thoughts about tomatoes would have changed ages ago. It is a far cry from the preservative packed can variety and is almost as easy to prepare.

15-20 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 leek, chopped and rinsed thoroughly, white end only
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
2 c chicken broth
1 pint heavy cream
 
Preheat oven to 400.
Place tomatoes, leek and garlic on cookie sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Roast for 30-40 minutes, turning every 10-15 minutes to prevent burning.
Remove from oven and puree in blender or food processor.
For a smoother texture, strain through a sieve into a sauce pan.
Over medium high heat, combine tomato mixture with salt, pepper, chicken broth, thyme and heavy cream, stirring constantly.
Continue cooking until soup has thickened to desired consistency.

Pasta Carbonara

Life is a combination of magic and pasta.

-Federico Fellini

 

When I cook for my family, I do my best to set the mood. I always feel like I am more able to listen to the little things that the food is trying to tell me when I surround myself with good music. No music connects me more readily and directly to the food that I am preparing than Italian music paired with Italian cuisine. The music and the food speak to me in a way that excites every inch of my body, down to the tiniest atom in my little toe. I can't help but dance through the kitchen as I mince the garlic or drop the pasta. It becomes a celebration instead of a simple meal, made on a weeknight, to fill the bellies of my hungry savages.

This is one of our favorite "go to" recipes. It can be played up with prosciutto or pancetta substituting Asiago for the parmesan, or you can go with what you have on hand and create a delectable feast for your hungry brood. You could add chicken breasts dredged through a combination of panko bread crumbs, oregano, basil, thyme and parmesan. Whatever you choose try spicing things up tonight and really get into preparing the meal from your heart. Turn up a Pandora play list that highlights some of your favorite tunes. Might I suggest creating a new station including "Mambo Italiano" by Rosemary Clooney or for a more authentic feel "Italian Traditional Radio". Whichever you choose, center yourself for a moment, take a deep breath and feel the love that is expressed while creating this simple, beautiful tribute of love for you and yours.

This past weekend I learned a fun tip that I thought I would share. It isn't as "life changing" as when I learned to peel garlic by first smashing it with the flat edge of a large knife, but I think this is a tip that I will employ anytime I have fresh asparagus to prepare. It is a time saver that will help you get this dish on the table in a flash.

Leave the rubber bands in place on your bunch of asparagus. Pull three or four stalks out of the bottom rubber band and snap the ends off individually, allowing them to break where the woody ends meet the tender flesh.

After you have an idea of the average length of where the woody parts end, chop the entire bunch to this length.

Leave the rubber bands in place and continue chopping into 1 inch sections for this recipe. Once chopped place in a salad spinner full of ice-cold water. Allow the asparagus to soak while you continue chopping the other vegetables. Drain the water and spin dry.

Quick and Easy Pasta Carbonara


6 strips bacon, crispy cooked
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed to one inch sections, discarding the woody ends
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tomatoes diced
1 pint heavy cream
1/3 c Parmesan cheese, with additional for topping
8 oz angel hair pasta, cooked to desired doneness as per package instructions

In large fry pan, cook bacon until it is crispy.
Remove bacon and clean out drippings, reserving 1 tsp of drippings to saute the onion and garlic.
Warm 1 tsp of drippings, over medium heat, and saute onion and garlic until onion starts to become tender, about 1 minute.
Add asparagus and stir fry for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook until the asparagus is bright green.
Pour in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and simmer until sauce has thickened.
Toss with pasta, serve and top with additional Parmesan.  

Slow Cooker Mango Chicken over Coconut Rice & Baked Pineapple...Aloha!

Tell me what you eat,

and I shall tell you what you are.

                                           -Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

 

After tonight's dinner, with the above quote in mind, Jean would peg me as a lover of all things tropical and he would be right. I have long fantasized of changing my heritage to more suit my palate and climate preferences. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't get excited at the prospect of scaring the life out of people when I tell them I love them (I'm mostly German BTW), but island cuisine and way of life melds so much better with my current state of mind than my own German roots ever have. (With the exception of Christmas of course. I would be lost without my German Christmas traditions and pfeffernusse.) 

 

Every time I eat a perfectly ripe pineapple or sprinkle some toasted coconut on my latest creation I am reminded of how grateful I am that other cultures and countries share their food with us. My diet would be pretty unexciting if I were only able to eat the foods that naturally grew near my geographical location. It would, however, give me even more incentive to move to a tropical locale.

 

Nonetheless, this quick and easy recipe helped to muffle my desire to escape to a tropical paradise.

 

With the kids now back in school and back to a myriad of activities, it has been increasingly difficult to get a good meal on the table. This is the perfect season for slow cookers. With a little prep work earlier in the day, your family can be sitting down to a warm delicious meal moments after mom's taxi service closes for the day.

 

 

Slow Cooker Mango Chicken

 

4-5 chicken breasts

1 large ripe mango peeled and diced

3 ripe peaches peeled and diced

1/2-1 full hatch chili pepper (or pepper of your choice) seeds and ribs removed and diced

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp lime juice

1-2 Tbsp toasted coconut for garnish

 

Prepare slow cooker by spraying sides and bottom with non-stick cooking spray. Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or medium for 4-5 hours. Shred chicken and serve over coconut rice with toasted coconut on top.

 

 

Coconut Rice

 

2 c rice

1 16.5 oz can of coconut milk

1/2 c toasted coconut

water 

 

Cook rice as per package directions but sub coconut milk for as much water as you can. For example I cooked cal rose rice in a microwave rice cooker that called for 3 c of water to 2 c of rice. The 16.5 oz can was almost 2 c so I finished filling the measuring cup with water to equal 3 c. When the rice is done, immediately toss with toasted coconut. 

 

 



 Baked Pineapple

 

1 pineapple cut in half, core removed. 

1/2 c ginger snaps crushed

1/2 c macadamia nuts (I subbed hazelnuts)

1/2 c shredded coconut

1/2 c sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp coconut or rum extract

 

Preheat oven to 350. Slice pineapple in half and remove the core by cutting diagonal slices into the length of the core. Combine ginger snaps, nuts and coconut. Combine sweetened condensed milk and extract. Pour half of the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the area where the core was. Top with gingersnap mixture and top again with the remainder of the sweetened condensed mixture. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the pineapple is a little soft and the topping is warm and bubbly.

 

To serve, cut off top and bottom of pineapple and run a long knife around the edge of the pineapple, separating the the skin from the fruit. Leaving the fruit in the skin, cut into bite sized pieces and serve.  

Mama Mia Greek Pizza and the Myth we call Perfection

Use what talent you possess:

the woods would be very silent if no birds sang

except those that sang best. 

 

I'm having one of those "less than perfect" days. Nothing is particularly wrong, I just can't seem to get something right. I had HIGH hopes of offering up a wonderful meal to my family and to you tonight, but for the second time in a row it was less than perfect. Which got me thinking about the lenses that we see each other through.

In my old neighborhood I had a neighbor who was the epitome of perfect. Her hair was perfect, her make-up was perfect, her clothes were perfect, her house was always tidy and ready for guests, she hosted fun luncheons and even figured out how to balance all of that and stay in shape. I was the polar opposite of her. I rarely did anything more than a ponytail with my hair, makeup was a luxury that was just out of my grasp, my clothes covered my body, nothing more nothing less (I was just grateful for the days that I could escape, unscathed, by the onslaught of baby food that was being hurled at me) and my house, though it was tidy, it was never guest ready. If someone stopped by unannounced I would either pretend I wasn't home or holler at them through the door that they would have to wait for a second while I quickly ran through the offending room shoving everything out of sight.

...oh, and that other thing. Let's just say that the scale and I are not on speaking terms at the moment.

I envied her and wondered how she kept it all together. I tried to be like her. Some days I felt like I was doing a decent job, but longevity has never been my strong suit. I can sprint for a few minutes but stretch the time out and I fall on my face. I could handle it if I just stumbled a little, brushed myself off and continued on my way, but the truth is I do the kind of face plant that is played over and over on "Wipeout". You know the ones when the poor person kicks themselves in their own head. Yeah, that would be me. So I lay there, watching as everyone else tramples over me and passes me by and soon I am worse off than I was before I even started the race. I wondered why she could do it so effortlessly and I always fumbled.

Then, it happened. It was just a minor thing, but for me it was a pivotal moment when I realized that we are all human and the lens of perfectionism that I was viewing her through was made completely by me. After that I started to notice when things weren't exactly perfect. Not in a judgemental type of way, but in a "Yeah sistah, I know it's been a hard day. I've got your back. Welcome to the club" kind of way.

So this was my offering to my family last week. I was doing an assignment for Bountiful Baskets where we were all planning a "Pizza and a Movie Night". I knew that I wanted to try my hand at a zucchini crust with a bunch of fun Greek flavors running through it. Oh, and we were going to watch "Mama Mia" because what else would you watch while eating a DELICIOUS Greek pizza?
 

 

That BEAUTIFUL zucchini crust was seasoned with cardamom and dill. Up on top we had grilled red onions, garlic and rotisserie chicken, tomatoes, olives, mozzarella and feta cheese. Just before taking the picture I drizzled it with a homemade tatziki sauce. It smelled AMAZING!

 

After the picture was taken, we sliced the pizza up and got ready for a tongue tickling treat that was sure to satisfy. What we found was a soggy pizza that's crust was more like a paste. The toppings were good and luckily I have a very adventurous family who complimented me on the things that tasted good instead of focusing on this epic failure.

 

But I wasn't about to get my butt kicked by a pizza. So I tried again, this time with less gusto and with the effort that I could muster for the night. I hesitate to even post this as a recipe, but I think that it is a fun "jumping off" point. It is the tiny brush strokes that you can use to design your own masterpiece. Just imagine the possibilities. Plus, we all need those easy nights where we are able to just throw something together. This fits the bill. And when the pizza is ready you can snuggle up with your family and enjoy "Mama Mia" too and we can enjoy our imperfections together. 

 

 

Mama Mia Greek Pizza

 

1 prepared pizza crust

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 breasts from a rotisserie chicken

1 onion diced (red is preferred but you go with what you have some days)

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp dill

3 small Roma tomatoes diced

1 4 oz can diced black olives (not pictured)

1 c mozzarella cheese

1/2 c feta cheese

 

Preheat oven to 450. Saute onion, garlic and chicken until onion is translucent. Top pizza crust with chicken mixture, tomatoes, olives and mozzarella. Sprinkle with cardamom and dill. Bake as per package instructions. My crust suggested 8-10 minutes or until crust is cooked to desired crispness. Turn oven off and top with feta cheese. Let it sit in cooling oven for 3-5 minutes.

 

Mango Coconut Banana Bread (Vata balancing)

"Our thoughts and feelings have a chemical effect on our bodies. Stress, repressed emotions, depression, anxiety, lives being lived half-assed – all have profound effects on our wellbeing.

Even our fears, hurts and sufferings need to be digested, along with our last meal.

Being truly nourished has just as much to do with our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and experiences as it does with what we are feeding ourselves on a daily basis."

                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                  -Corona via nurturepod.com

 

Todays quote was much longer than any other quote that I've posted so far, but I loved the way she expressed so much of what I have been feeling. Today's recipe is brought to you by my loose understanding of Ayurveda. I have read through the lists of flavors that help balance the different doshas and the thing that surprises me time and again is that when I truly listen to what my body is telling me I end up selecting foods that are part of the list to help balance my dosha. It shouldn't surprise me, but it does.

 

I thought about appearing "all knowing" and listing all of the flavors that balance the vata dosha, but that's not where I am at the moment. I am just doing my best to listen to the subtle cues that my body is sending out. You will be happy to know that I am caffeine free again (for the last 12 hours anyway, but it's a start), so that should help.

 

I've learned that winter is the prime season for vata to become imbalanced. Ayurveda says that "like increases like" and "opposites decrease". The vata dosha is characterized by the elements of air and space. Both of which increase in our natural world during the winter through qualities of cold, dry, light, mobile, rough, and subtle. It is not surprising that winters have been hard for me to endure for the last several years. During a time when the vata dosha is easily imbalanced I have also been trying to loose weight, eating light and cold foods instead of the warm and comforting foods that my body wants. The "like increases like" throwing my body into vata imbalance that spirals into depression.   

 

Beyond listening to what my body wants by way of nourishment, I am also trying to do as the quote suggests and truly digest my emotions. It is easier to push those emotions aside, especially the really ugly ones, and just hope that they go away. But scientists are finding that these emotions often have physical repercussions. I think many of us have either read an article or listened to a radio blurb talking about the physical ailments attributed to stress. It isn't hard to imagine that our other emotions create either physical harm or physical healing depending on the emotion.

 

So, today I will allow my emotions a place to express themselves. I wont push away the ugly ones. I will invite them to sit with me, no matter how scary that might be. We will get to know one another and try to come to the reason for their visit. I will love and accept them for what they are trying to teach me. I will digest their lesson and move on, knowing that I didn't try to bury them without giving them a chance to speak. Everything that I experience is for my good.

 

While I am conversing with my emotions, I think I will offer them some of the delicious Mango Coconut Banana Bread that I made yesterday. It has the perfect blend of down to earth goodness that my emotions are in need of. As the days shorten and the earth gets colder I hope you will try some as well. Curl up with a warm slice and a cup of your favorite tea with a splash of milk.

 

 

 

Mango Coconut Banana Bread

 

2 1/2 c flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2/3 c sugar

1 c sunflower oil

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp coconut extract

2 tsp lemon juice

2 c diced ripe mango (1 large mango or 2 small)

4 extra ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 c coconut flakes

 

Preheat oven to 350 or 325 if using a convection oven. Sift together flour, baking soda and nutmeg. In a separate bowl combine sugar, sunflower oil, eggs, coconut extract, lemon juice, mango and mashed bananas.

 

Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients being careful not to over mix. Divide batter between two prepared loaf pans and sprinkle coconut on top. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Check half way through cooking time to ensure that coconut is not becoming too dark. If it is you can cover the pans with foil to prevent any further browning. Make sure that it is cooked through by inserting a clean toothpick into the center of the loaf; if it comes out clean then it is ready.

 

  

Grilled Peaches a la Mode

Delicious autumn!

My very soul is wedded to it,

and if I were a bird

I would fly about the earth seeking

 the successive autumns.

                                                          –George Eliot

 

With our recent trip to the mountains, and all of the beautiful changing leaves, my stomach couldn't quit thinking of all of the exciting flavors that are about to grace our table. But my heart isn't ready to give up summer quite yet. Tonight, for dessert, I decided to make my heart and my stomach happy with a fun twist on a summer dish that plays up some of my favorite fall elements.

 

Say hello to Grilled Peaches a la Mode. This is the time of year that the peach trees are heavy with sweet, ripe, beautiful fruit just begging to be picked. If you are lucky enough to live close to a farm, you might take this time to pick your own peaches. Or maybe, you have a single peach tree in your yard that supplies an abundance for you and your family. My peaches came to me via Bountiful Baskets. As soon as I got home I tucked them away to preserve them for tonights dessert. Fresh peaches don't stand a chance in our house.

 

 

This was the first time that I've grilled peaches, so it took a bit of guess work and patience. In the end everything came together in a palate pleasing crescendo. I wanted to add fall elements of ginger, cinnamon and pecans but also keep it light, with the summertime freshness of peaches and vanilla ice cream. This was a perfect end to our grilling season by welcoming some of my favorite fall flavors. I hope you enjoy the end result as much as we did!

Grilled Peaches a la Mode

 

4 peaches washed, sliced in half and pitted, skins on

1 tube sugar cookie dough

6 gingersnap cookies

1/4 c pecans

1 quart vanilla ice cream

 

Preheat oven to  350. Crush ginger snaps and pecans in zip lock bag with a mallet or pulse in food processor leaving some bigger chunks. Scoop out sugar cookie dough with 1 inch cookie scoop and smash gingersnap and pecan mixture into each ball. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

 

While cookies are baking heat grill to medium heat and prepare peaches by lightly brushing with olive oil. Place on grill and cook for 2-3 minute and turn. If your peaches are not quite ripe cook for a total of 10-12 minutes. Ripe peaches should take about 5-6 minutes. You will know when your peach is ready when the skin becomes loose and juices begin to appear on the cut side of the peach.

 

Remove from grill. Fill pit with crumbled sugar cookie, top with vanilla ice cream and top with additional sugar cookie crumble and any left over pecan and gingersnap mixture.



Slow Cooker Pork Chili Verde, Grilled Mexican Street Corn and Sopapilla Cheesecake

Variety is the very spice of life

that gives it all it's flavor.

 

                      -William Cowper

 

 

 

Growing up we ate out A LOT. I thought it was perfectly normal until I got married. My husband informed me that eating out 2-3 times per week was excessive and would take a whole lot of extra money that we just didn't have being newly weds. When my family ate out we frequented a Mexican restaurant called Rafael's, owned by our next door neighbors family. They had the most AMAZING Chili Verde! I have tried replicating it on several occasions and for the most part I've failed. I have tried cooking the pork first, roasting tomatillos, slaving over a hot stove for hours only to come away with sauce that just wasn't right and pork that was tough. Well tonight I came as close to the perfect replication as I ever have. It also happens to be the easiest attempt I've ever made. This will definitely be back on our regular rotation.

 

 

 

Slow Cooker Pork Chili Verde

 

 

1 large pork roast 3-4 pounds

1 16 oz jar mild salsa verde

1 3 oz can mild diced green chilli's

2 Tbsp corn starch

1/4 c ice cold water

 

Prepare crock pot by spraying bottom and sides with non-stick cooking spray for easier clean up. Place pork roast fat side up in prepared crock pot. Resist the urge to trim the fat away. By placing it fat side up the fat will help tenderize the meat. You can always cut it away after it has cooked. Cover with salsa verde and diced green chili's. Cook on high for 5 hours. Whisk corn starch into ice cold watter and stir into crock pot. Cook an additional hour, this is the magic spot where the pork becomes really tender. My crock pot recommends cooking on high for 4 hours, but the additional time actually tenderizes the pork. Shred pork and serve in warm tortillas with sour cream and any other toppings you like.

 

 

 

Grilled Mexican Street Corn

 

 

4 ears corn

1/4 c sour cream

1/4 c mayonnaise

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1-2 Tbsp asiago cheese grated,

could also use grated parmesan cheese or

crumbled cotija (Mexican cheese)

1 lime (optional)

 

Pull husks back to about an inch before the end and remove silk. Roll husks back onto the corn. Submerge in cold water for about 10 minutes weighted down with a plate. Grill over medium low heat for 20 minutes turning every 5 minutes. Remove husks and turn grill up to high. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, turning every 1-2 minutes until grill marks appear.

 

While corn is cooking whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Once corn has finished cooking butter the corn with the sour cream mixture and sprinkle with your desired type of cheese.

 

 

Besides the Chili Verde I LOVED the sopapilla's at Rafael's. Our dessert tonight took me on a time traveling adventure back to my childhood palate. I loved every bite!

 

 

 

Sopapilla Cheesecake

 

 

2 cans crescent roll sheets

2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese softened

1 c sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp butter melted

cinnamon sugar to sprinkle over the top

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. Spread 1 can of crescent roll sheets into an ungreased 9X16 pan. Pour cream cheese mixture over crescent roll sheet and top with second can of crescent roll sheets. Brush melted butter over top and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 20-30 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheesecake is set.     

Southwest Avocado Ranch Salad

Not until we are lost do we begin

to understand ourselves.

 

                     -Thoreau

 

I didn't realize how much I needed a creative outlet until I started writing this blog. I had a personal blog that I used post to on a very regular basis, but for a time I lost my voice. I am happy that I have found it again and am even happier to share tonight's dinner. This morning I picked up my Bountiful Basket and immediately began dreaming up different ways that I could use it's contents this week.

 

 

The lettuce was a no brainer. I knew that tonight we would be enjoying a BIG beautiful salad with crunchy french bread on the side. I have made a version of this dressing a couple of times, but since we had GORGEOUS organic avocados I decided to mix things up a bit and turn our regular "Southwest Ranch" into "Southwest Avocado Ranch", and it was DELICIOUS!

 

 

If you ever bring home lettuce and it is a little wilty, don't despair. There are several ways to bring that luscious goodness back to life. My favorite way is to wait until the day I am using it, chop it up into bite sized pieces, fill my salad spinner with ice cold water and let the lettuce soak while I chop up my other veggies. By the time the other ingredients are ready to go your lettuce will be crisp and cold, just the way it should be.

 

 

 

Southwest Avocado Ranch Dressing

 

 

1 pkg ranch dressing mix

1/2 pkg taco seasoning

1 ripe avocado

milk and mayo as per ranch dressing instructions

 

Cut and mash avocado. Prepare ranch dressing as per instructions on package. Combine dressing, avocado and taco seasoning. Chill for 30 minutes to allow it to thicken.

 

 

 

Southwest Avocado Ranch Salad

 

1 head lettuce chopped

1 green pepper chopped

2 tomatoes diced

2 avocados diced

1/2 15.25 oz can corn drained

1/2 15.25 oz can black beans drained and rinsed

2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded

crunchy tortilla strips

bacon crumbles

 

Chop lettuce and place in ice cold water within salad spinner. Meanwhile chop all other vegetables. Drain lettuce and spin until it is dry. Combine first seven ingredients and dressing. Top with tortilla strips and bacon crumbles. Enjoy!

 

 



Namaste

My soul honors your soul.

I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides.

I honor the light, love, truth, beauty and peace within you,

because it is also within me.

In sharing these things we are united, we are the same,

we are one.

Namaste.

 

Why "No Mas Today"? I chose my blog title as a constant reminder that there will be "No More Today". No more waiting to be happy. No more listless days spent crying that things are not the way I want them to be. No more knowing what I need to do to tear the depression from the bones that it clings to and refusing to put in the effort. No more giving someone else the power to decide the level of happiness I deserve. No more playing the victim.

It took several silent moments, where a sliver of sunlight reminded me that the sun did still exist, to come to the realization that I am worth fighting for. I am a great person that has so much to offer the world. In the deepest, darkest days of depression I had forgotten that. I had forgotten what it meant to be happy. I had forgotten that even the daily mundane tasks could bring joy.

So, no mas today. Today I am turning over that incredibly heavy leaf. I am putting myself first so that I can be the best person I can be for myself, my kids and my husband. They say, "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy". I hope that throughout the last few years I have been able to mask my unhappiness so that my children don't look back at this time with sadness. I choose happiness for me and my family. I don't want them to be unhappy because I wasn't willing to do the things that I needed to do to find happiness. I am worth it and so are they!

Within this blog, I hope to share with you my journey. I will be sharing little anecdotes of my life, love and passions. I will also be sharing ideas to simplify your life so that you too can find happy again. I will be sharing new recipes that I discover and create that mirror an Ayruvedic lifestyle. Ayurveda is an ancient Indian way of life that focuses on food being a source of healing and joy. There are many other elements of Ayurveda, but I have found that if you start with food the rest follows. If you fill your belly with the things that it needs you become more in tune to the other subtle cues that your body is trying to communicate. I believe that many everyday ailments could be alleviated by simply listening to these cues.

Recently I was asked to write as a member of the Bountiful Baskets blogging team, something that I am so honored and humbled to do. I found Bountiful Baskets at a particularly tough time in my life. It was a time where it was difficult to get out of bed let alone prepare healthy delicious meals for my family. I felt weighed down by the everyday tasks of motherhood and having to plan a menu, shop for the food, bring the food home, put it away and then take it back out again, prepare it, clean up the carnage that happens with a family of six and then do it all over again. But when I didn't nourish my family I felt like a failure, which made everything else just that much worse.

When I got my first basket I felt an enormous weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I no longer had to think about which vegetables I wanted to incorporate into our meals for the coming week. I simply had to show up with my basket and take home all of the delicious goodness. I started looking at my meal planning in a completely different way. Not only was I bringing home vegetables and fruit that I hadn't thought of trying before, but I was also planning our meals around the vegetables in my basket instead of planning an entree and then throwing a vegetable at it as an afterthought.

Here is a link to their website. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about Bountiful Baskets and would encourage you to check them out!

http://bountifulbaskets.org/

And here is a link to their blog. Look forward to many tasty meal ideas that will nourish your mind, body and soul. Namaste.

http://blog.bountifulbaskets.org/