Tag: food

photography projects & DIY recipes

Black and White Wednesday

In my constant quest to write more, I’ve decided to challenge myself by implementing theme days.  In the past, I’ve had “Mondays Message“, where I’ve selected a quote and waxed philosophical about it and how it applies to my life.  Truth be told, when I first started this blog in 2007 (!), I started by using quotes to springboard a discussion.  After a while, I stopped doing that because life provided enough fodder from me to chronicle and catalog.  From time to time, I had revisited those beginning blog posts.  There’s a propensity to stick out my arm and have you verify that I do indeed where my heart on my sleeve.  I think that’s why I stopped.  Sure, I’m happy to share things with you about myself, my kids, my Hubs (within reason), but those quotes started to feel really self-righteous. I mean, I wanted to pick something with some sustenance to it and found that I was grasping on how to draw a connection without sounding like a total blowhard.  Sometimes, it’s best to just keep some air of mystery between us.

But, back to theme days (actually, that sounds kind of goofy like I’m doing “Hawaiian Day!” or “Pirate Day!”.  Maybe I should say springboards). I’ve been doing pretty well with Recipe Friday, actually.  It started out as a post entitled “What’s Cooking” in 2011 and I’ve been pretty faithful to it.  In fact, I’ve been posting some of my creations on my instagram account.  Some of my instagram followers have been asking if they can find the recipe on my blog.  I’m loving the potential for cross marketing!

A friend of mine suggested I check out a blog entitled Simply Seleta, because the author reminded my friend of me.  Evidently, Seleta has White Wednesdays where she posts images of white things.  Think picket fences, lush meadows of white headed flowers, white colonial style homes with red doors and black shutters.  I skimmed the last White Wednesdays and thought it would be nice to pick up another springboard for the roster.  Monday Message, while good in theory, just doesn’t do it for me.  And truly, aren’t Mondays bad enough without having to add another dollop of drudgery on top? *head slap* that’s exactly what the problem with Monday Message was!  It felt like drudgery and as though I was lecturing to you on how to be better — like me ).  I’m not a life coach and I don’t want to be.

In the midst of all of this, I’m working on creating a new web-page (with little to no luck, so if you’re good at web design or know someone who is, holla at me). I really want some good head shots for the homepage.  I’ve got some ideas, but I need a photographer to help me out.  Kendall and I can’t seem to get our act together, what with us both being attentive parents.  My other friend Franklin, when we aren’t having food battles via instagram, is busy with his own family/work/life responsibilities, as well.  I’m looking for someone who can either trade services with me or basically, gift me some pictures — all on my schedule of course.  I mean, how else could this work? <-- That right there? That's sarcasm.  The bottom-line is I'm hanging up all of forward progress on the fact that I don't have the exactly right headshot that I need for the homepage.  Talk about procrastination. So, I decided to stop pussyfooting around and just do something. I give you, the at home, self portrait photo shoot.

hgd photography ©2013

It totally did not go the way I had anticipated. I set out to do some head-shots or beauty shots.  Black and white, from the shoulders up, real tight in the face with minimal make-up and a curly ‘do. I got the black and white part down.  As for the rest. . .I think I was possessed. You know how Beyonce (ugh, I cannot believe I’m going here) claims she has an alter ego names Sasha Fierce?  Yeah, I kinda feel like that’s what happened.  I let out my inner diva. She couldn’t be bothered to tell me her name, what with all the face she was giving the camera.  

But, it’s black and white photography, which I love, and I shot it! And I was in it!  And I have a new springboard for middle of the week blog posts: Black and White Wednesday! Or Black and White Photography! Or Head Shot Wednesday (which sounds kind of gruesome depending on how you interpret head shot)! 
And now I keep putting exclamation points at the end of everything! 
Happy Wednesday!
Continue Reading
IN: photography projects & DIY recipes ON: January 30, 2013 TAGS: , , , , , , , BY: Hilary
Continue Reading
recipes

Recipe Friday

Song mash-ups are my new favorite thing.

The cast of “Glee” singing Walking On Sunshine/Halo.  Gotye and Aaliyah singing Are You That Somebody (That I Used to Know).  I watched Pitch Perfect the other day and fell in love with the “I Saw the Sign”/”Bulletproof” number. Actually, that whole movie was pretty great.

I need an app so I can mash up my own stuff.  I just realized today that you could mash up Adele’s “Someone like You” with Kelly Clarkson’s “Already Gone”.  Considering that I can barely sing Happy Birthday,  but I could pick out the same notes (at least to my ears they were) and put it together — that’s breaking news.  

Ugh, I want to do a mash-up so badly.  But, seeing as how I’m pretty musically challenged, I’m mashing up some other stuff — namely food stuffs.

This happened this week. . . 

Blueberry Rosemary Sugar Cookies

and this . . .

Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies with Maple Glaze

We had the blueberry rosemary cookies at Vivi’s godparents house a few weeks ago.  I don’t really mess with blueberries too tough (another item on the finicky food list), but I like rosemary, butter, and sugar, so why not.  Vivi’s godmother said her cookies were a little harder than she would have liked, but if you used your back teeth and had a cup of tea at the ready, you’d be okay.  Co overheard that and took it to heart because when Vivi’s godfather put a few cookies on his plate, she announced, “Don’t forget to use your back teeth!” Trust me, they weren’t that hard; though I think I know where the origin of the term “tough cookie” came from.  In all truth, they were quite delicious — obviously, as I was inclined to make some of my own.

My friend Franklin puts his culinary hits on his insta.gram feed.  We’ve got an unofficial duel going on.  He started with some homemade bourbon bread pudding.  I saw that and upped it with the two cookies.  I have yet to see what he comes back with, but he can burn it up in the kitchen, so I know it’s going to be good.

I’m doing a cookie exchange with a sorority sister of mine, another impromptu kind of thing. She’s a professional baker, so I may be out of my league.  Like I’ve said before, baking is a science. It’s so precise, but I was very careful about using exact measurements and room temperature ingredients.  Word on the street is that room temperature eggs and butter make your recipes taste better.  Speaking of butter, it’s best to use unsalted, even if the recipe doesn’t call for it because that makes the recipe taste better, too.  Who knew?  Maybe Paula Deen teemed up with America’s dairy farmer’s and their working on a global take-out.

So, two kinds of cookies made and more recipes in the pipeline.  I did some Cilantro Lime Chicken tacos the other day — another recipe for another Friday — but with the forecast calling for snow, I have a feeling the stew pot is going to be put to use.   Now all I need is some crusty bread. Oh! Oh! Beer bread! There will be beer bread!

Happy Friday, y’all!

Blueberry Rosemary Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup dried blueberries, left whole
  • 1/2 cup dried blueberries, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
  1. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper, and preheat oven to 350º F.
  2. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl.
  3. Combine whole blueberries, chopped blueberries, and chopped rosemary in small bowl.
  4. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and beat to blend. Add eggs and vanilla extract, and beat to blend. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed just to blend. Stir in blueberry mixture.
  5. Cover and chill dough at least half an hour.
  6. Once dough has slightly chilled and started to firm up, scoop into rounded tablespoons, using an ice cream scoop if possible for consistency.  Roll cookies in additional cornmeal, and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet, flattening slightly.
  7. Bake just until edges are browned, 12 to 15 minutes.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Makes about 45 cookies.
Makes about 2 dozen of cookies
Ingredients
2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
12 tbsp. unsalted butter room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 lb package of bacon strips- cooked until very crispy and cut into small bits.

3/4 cup powdered sugar
pure maple syrup 

Directions
Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions.  Preheat oven 325°.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside.  With electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined.  Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined.  Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips and 1 cup of the bacon bits.

Roll a scant half-cup of dough into a ball.  Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull apart into two equal halves.  Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball.

Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy (approximately 11-14 minutes).  Do not overbake.

Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

To make glaze- in a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to the powdered sugar and stir. Add more maple syrup as needed until the glaze is a good, thick drizzling consistency. Sprinkle with remaining bacon bits.


Continue Reading
IN: recipes ON: January 25, 2013 TAGS: , , , , , , BY: Hilary
Continue Reading

Three Days Makes a Habit

I heard this somewhere once.  If you’re trying to break a habit or create a new one, if you persevere for three days, after that, it’ll become part of your overall modus operandi.

I’ll calling bull on that.

The Hubs and I are working on having better eating habits, not just in the new year, but going forward.We have several friends who have been making the switch from omnivores to vegetarians, pescatarians, and a few vegans.  I’m not quite sure I can get down with veganism, but I doff my hat to those that do.  We’ve been told to read “The Omnivore’s Dilema” and watch “Forks over Knives”, as well as scores of other books, articles and documentaries that list how we are slowly poisoning ourselves from the inside out with the consumption of processed foods and hormone infused proteins.  I know, I know.  There’s no reason a chicken breast should be as big as my quadricep.  That would be a really big chicken.  Really big.

Not only do our friends make some good points about healthful eating, but our bodies are starting mutiny.  The ol’ metabolism is slowing down for both of us, stuff gravitates towards the mid-section way faster and sticks around way longer than it used to.  So, in addition to making sure we get our fruits and veggies in, we are also working on cutting back on red meat consumption.  I give you, Meatless Mondays.

Mondays are hard enough, but no meat on top of it? It’s agony.

I’m already a finicky eater. This is a well established and well documented fact.  Trying to come up with some additional meals that don’t include meat (and in this case meat for us is beef, chicken, or pork) is tricky.  Case in point: The first Meatless Monday we had, the Hubs was away on a business trip.  I didn’t tell the girls about the new plan; I decided to just serve up the meals and see what happened.  Breakfast was easy enough — cereal and fruit all around.  Lunch for the girls included PB&J, fruit, some popcorn, and maybe a cookie.  For me, I had a salad and a bowl of lentil soup.  So far, so good.

Around dinner time, the Hubs texted me and asked how things were going.  He told me that he was planning on having a vegetable medley of some sort while he was out doing his business trip stuff.  I didn’t want to have to go out to the store and buy some vegetarian options, but the pantry was mocking me with it’s bareness and preponderance of meaty options.

Getting creative, I pulled out some pasta, bread crumbs, and broccoli.  I cooked the pasta per the directions on the box.  I sautéed the broccoli with a little EVOO, salt and pepper.  I then toasted the panko breadcrumbs with EVOO, s&p, and some rosemary flakes.  So far so good.  Reserving a little bit of the pasta water, I mixed the noodles, the crumbs and the broccoli altogether, just as Mo came wandering into the kitchen.

“NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”  She saw me fold the broccoli into the bowl and she flipped out. “Don’t! No, don’t mix it!”   The agony on her face was palpable.  Quickly, I told her to relax and to go wash her hands.  I served up small bowls of this pasta primavera-ish concoction and we all sat down.

One guess as to how well it went over.

Mo and Co pushed the past around on their plates.  And pushed it around. And pushed it around.

“Where’s the chicken?” Mo asked, carefully separating broccoli from spaghetti.

“There isn’t any tonight,” I said simply.  I didn’t plan on going into it; I didn’t have the energy.

“What’s for dessert?” ask Co, per usual.

At this point, I  didn’t want to eat the pasta either, but I couldn’t let them know that.  I’m the grown-up! I’m going to make Meatless Monday work, dang it!  So I told them that they could either eat what I had made or. . .and I cast about for a suitable alternative that I wouldn’t have to do much with in order for them to eat it.  Bananas.

There were four bananas on top of the fridge that had their toe on the line of over-ripeness.  I told the girls they could eat the pasta or eat the bananas or go to bed.

They took the bananas.

And then, had the nerve to eat the bananas while having the following conversation.

Mo: This is the most delicious banana I have ever had!

Co:  Me, too!

Mo:  Don’t you just love bananas?

Co: Yes! Yes, I do!  And this banana is the best.

Mo: I wish we could eat bananas everyday.

Co: I’m going to have another banana for dessert.

You think FLOTUS gave an epic eye roll to Boehner at the inauguration? Who do you think she learned it from?

In any event, Meatless Monday is progressing.  It’s been three weeks, so it’s not quite a habit.  I think it has to be three consecutive days to make a habit.  Three consecutive days without meat might lead to some ramifications for which I refuse to be held responsible.  I can’t say what it might be, but use your imagination.

In truth, our Meatless Monday dinners are improving.  Pinterest, The Pioneer Woman, and Food Network have become really good resources.  There have been quite a few bean based soups simmering on the stovetop.  Still,  I would give anything for a hamburger right now.  I’ve been on tumblr, stalking burgers.

(image)

Mmmmm. . . .burgers. . .

Continue Reading
IN: ON: January 23, 2013 TAGS: , , , , BY: Hilary
Continue Reading
recipes

Recipe Friday

The weather has been downright awful lately.  I definitely haven’t been wanting to get out of bed, and yet, I must.  I get the troops moving, under much duress and with much protestations.  By the time everyone is dressed, fed, brushed and buffed, I’ve got the car already warming and the umbrellas ready to go.

It’s little consolation, though.  The cold temps coupled with the constant precipitation has made my mood nice and soggy.  I’m up to three cups of coffee a day to shake off the chill, but really, I need to battle these winter doldrums and wintry mix with lots of blankets, thick socks, and soup.  I can’t believe want some soup!  But there it is.

Last night, as the girls danced around the house in a “Lord of the Flies” type snow day dance, I dished up bowls of comfort for me and my parents.  I’ve been wanting to try my hand at this tortilla soup ever since we had it at Vivo’s godmother’s house a few weeks ago.  That recipe was a crockspot recipe from Cooks Illustrated.  This one is a Pioneer Woman cum Pinterest special.  I’m sure you could do it in the crockpot; I did it on the stovetop while singing silly songs to a very angry, exer-saucer bound Vivi.  She was eventually placated with some mashed up avocado and a silicon spatula to gum on as I shredded chicken and chopped cilantro.

As it turns out, today is a snow day.  Did you see the “Thunder Snow” last night? That was awesome.

I guess the inside out, backwards pajamas and the ice cubes in the toilet, as well as the fervent prayers, snow dances, and so forth really worked.  School is the closed and the girls are going nuts.  And wouldn’t you know it, the one day they don’t have to get up, they’re both up, dressed, and raring to go before the sun comes up.  I kid you not; Mo came downstairs at 6:40am, like “Zippity-doo-dah! Zippity-ay! My, oh, my, what a wonderful day!” Yesterday,  I couldn’t get her out of bed with a crow bar.

Anyway, after a decent breakfast and a little FaceTime with Uncle Christopher, I got them dressed in their snow gear and sent them outside.  Last time it snowed, they went out looking like little hobos — three pairs of tights and trash bag leggings underneath jeans.  I had to rectify that, so I caught the end of season sale and got them outfitted with jackets, gloves, and grow-with-me snow pants.  This may be the only and smallest snowfall of the year, but we were prepared!

Victory is mine!

So, after a brief romp in the snow (20 minutes, which is actually 19 minutes longer than last time), the girls were back in the house.  I have no idea what’s on tap for the rest of the day, but if my piles upon piles of paper on the dining room table are any indication, there will be some TV time for sure.  I do know, however, what we’re having for dinner!

Happy Friday, y’all!

Chicken Tortilla Soup courtesy of The Pioneer Woman

(image)

Ingredients

  • 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 cup Diced Onion
  • 1/4 cup Diced Green Bell Pepper
  • 1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper
  • 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 1 can (10 Oz. Can) Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
  • 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
  • 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
  • 4 cups Hot Water
  • 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained
  • 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
  • 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches
  • _____
  • FOR THE GARNISHES:
  • Sour Cream
  • Diced Avocado
  • Diced Red Onion
  • Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
  • Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
  • Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.
Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.
Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.
Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed—add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.
Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)
Continue Reading
IN: recipes ON: January 18, 2013 TAGS: , , , , , , BY: Hilary
Continue Reading
recipes

Recipe Friday

First of all, there aren’t enough hours in the day.  I just had to share that newsflash with you.  I used to be really good at time management.  Something has changed in the last few weeks, though.  I just can’t get it together to get as much stuff done as I used to.  I can’t blame it on the holidays, either, because they are so far in the rearview mirror, I can barely remember what happened.

This morning, I was up and dressed for the gym at 5:45.  I figured I had a good 45 minutes to knock off a few to-do list items before the troops started to rouse.  I cleared my email inbox. I organized my receipts to run stuff back to the store. I started a grocery list. I planned my route of errand running for the day. I was about to take that beloved first sip of coffee when I peeked at the time.  6:34 am! Nuts on Toast! I’m late!

Up the stairs, rouse the kids, feed the baby, and grab the laundry.  Back downstairs, whip out the breakfast, start the laundry, grab the lunches.  And so it goes.  I pulled out all the ingredients for tonight’s dinner (Chicken Piccata, my old tried and true BFF of recipes). As the day progressed, however, the weather took a turn for the nasty, and I was beginning to wish I had something hot and savory in the crock pot.

See, I’m not really soup person.  No, really.  When I go out to eat, I never order soup for an appetizer or soup/salad for a lunch.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ll stick my spoon all up in your bowl to make sure it’s good enough for you to eat.  I just don’t want a cup of my own.

A few weeks ago, the hubs and I went out to dinner with some friends.  On the menu as special was a Pumpkin Sunflower Seed Bisque with Truffle oil.  There may have been some shaved bacon on top (or maybe that’s just wishful thinking), but even then, I didn’t order it.  The hubs did and he was doing all kinds of parries and thrusts with his spoon to keep me from double dipping.  It was absolutely delicious.   Of course, the next time I go to that restaurant, it’ll probably be off the menu.

Soup, to me, is not very filling.  I like to belly up to the trough and tie one on.  Soup isn’t going to get it done.  Stews or chilis? They’re heartier and more apt to stand alone, but even then, I’m still not ordering it if I’m out on the town.

With winter settling squarely around our shoulders, it feel like soup and stew season.  I haven’t made any chili yet, though I have been giving this white bean and andouille sausage soup a fit.  It freezes well, too, so just when I think I’ve got nothing — BANG!– soup’s on!  I’m trying to branch out, though.  I tried my hand at a homemade split pea soup (I don’t think I soaked the peas long enough), a homemade chicken noodle soup (which went over well with the hubs and received a resounding “meh” from the girls), and a wonton soup, which I really like.

Aside from the split pea and lentil, I’m really a broth based soup kind of girl.  I’ll see a recipe for something decadent like Creamy Potato and Bacon Soup or Chicken and Corn Chowder.  My mouth starts watering, my stomach calls for all hands on deck, and then I see the ingredients.  If it’s got milk, sour cream, heavy cream or pretty much anything dairy related, I’m out.  Oh sure, I’ll make it for you, but I’m not going to eat it.  I’ve got a thing about hot milk products (I just threw up in my mouth a little just typing those three words).  Hot milk is just blerg *shudder*.  Can’t do it.

So, back to the drawing board.  Last weekend, Vivi’s godparents invited us over for lunch.  They had two crockpots going with two different soups.  One chicken noodle for the girls, one spicy tortilla for the grown-ups.  I’d never had Tortilla Soup before, and let me tell you, I have been missing out.

This soup was amazing.  Tortillas, cilantro, chicken, avocado — it was a flavor profile that I love in a soup! Who knew? Yes, I skipped the cheese and the sour cream (hot dairy!), but I don’t think I lost anything.  I came close to embarrassing myself by not only having seconds, but eyeballing the pot for possible thirds.

I restrained myself.

Vivi’s godmother showed me her recipe, as well as a few books that I wasn’t familiar with, like this one.

(image)

It’s in the Amazon shopping cart as we speak.

Anyway, after that outstanding lunch, I have been having a craving for Mexican food.  Chipotle always comes through in a pinch, but given the drop in temps, soup or stew was what I was looking for.  While I was looking for an image for tortilla soup, I came across the Pioneer Woman’s recipe.  It’s straightforward and her written delivery on how she prepared it sounds much like my own inner monologue.  Double win!

Enjoy your tortilla soup (with or without your hot dairy) and happy Friday, y’all!

(image)

Chicken Tortilla Soup from  The Pioneer Woman via Tasty Kitchen

Prep Time 
Cook Time 		 Servings 8 Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1-½ teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
  • ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
  • ½ teaspoons Salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 cup Diced Onion
  • ¼ cups Diced Green Bell Pepper
  • ¼ cups Red Bell Pepper
  • 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 1 can (10 Oz. Can) Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
  • 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
  • 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
  • 4 cups Hot Water
  • 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained
  • 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
  • 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches
  • _____
  • FOR THE GARNISHES:
  • Sour Cream
  • Diced Avocado
  • Diced Red Onion
  • Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
  • Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
  • Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.
Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.
Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.
Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed—add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.
Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)
Continue Reading
IN: recipes ON: January 11, 2013 TAGS: , , , , , , BY: Hilary
Continue Reading
recipes

Recipe Friday on Thursday

The flu has come to our house and it is slapping us around like we owe it some money.  The girls have fallen like dominoes, one right after the other, starting with Mo on Sunday, Co on Monday and Vivi on Monday night.  Nothing saddens me more than seeing all three of them all deflated in their beds as the fever and coughing saps them of their energy.

(image)

They all had the flu shot, as did the hubs and I.  Thankfully, he is still well, whereas I’ve got something blooming in my throat that makes coughing feel like someone taking a hammer to my chest with each exhalation.  It’s been a long five days to say the least. I have dosed everyone with alternating cocktails of acetaminophen, ibuprofen, expectorants and suppressants.  The oft described fever dream is real, let me tell you.  At least twice during the last few days, Mo has wandered downstairs in the middle of the night, glassy eyed and burning bright, looking for Co.  Co, has been sitting in her bed, one leg protruding from under the covers for some relief, singing a song about “Where’s my banana?”  and Vivi? She’s just a lump formerly known as baby, clinging to my hip and shoulder like a koala.

Parenting, as I’ve said before, is a challenge.  When everyone is down for the count, including Mom, it feels near impossible.  Once I get one little person squared away, another is coughing and croaking kurt requests for juice, tissues, or story-time.  I’m pin balling between rooms, have the washing machine going double time to keep the sheets clean and you’d think we’d been drinking the hand santizer given how much we’ve gone through to keep the germs at bay.  I started to feel like “stir fried-s#it” (to quote the hubs) on Tuesday afternoon.  It’s turned in something that’s probably the flu (I’m going to the doc today), despite having had a flu shot already.  This isn’t the first time I’ve fallen ill during the Christmas holiday.  I can recall at least three other instances and one of which where I’m pretty sure I had bronchitis and a touch of pneumonia, I just didn’t go see the doc because — everyone else was sick.  I know I can’t be a help to anyone if I don’t take care of myself, but the kids are looking like they’ve been run over by Santa’s sleigh and wiping their noses on pieces of coal.  I’ve been trying to get them on the mend and tending to myself afterwards.  Raise your hand if you know of what I speak.  Yeah, I thought so.

I’ve called in all my favors from when I injured my leg.  I’m pretty sure my parents have blocked my number.  The babysitter came for a bit so I could at least go out and stock up on supplies, but I don’t want her catching this crud.  Last night, I implored the hubs to stay home, something that I was loathe to do, but my health had taken quite a turn for the worse.  By this morning, I must have looked like crap on toast, because not only did he stay home, he called the pediatrician and set up appointments for the girls, then he dosed me with some hot salt water with which to gargle and sent me back to bed.  I’ve got a keeper.

Anyway, it’s about noon. The girls diagnosis has come in as the flu, but unless you get diagnosed within the first 24 hours, they can’t give you anything to knock it out except a suggestion for some DM laced cough meds and a “go with God”.  Our house is littered with tissue packets, cough drop wrappers, ear covers for the thermometer, and the like.  The lovies have been handed out, pi’s are on and so is the TV; I don’t even care at this point.  Naps will be had all around.

Last night, I was awakened by Mo’s persistent cough. It just broke my heart because I know how painful it must be for her.  I brought her some juice, some medicine and some cough drops.  I put some Vicks Vapo on her chest and the bottoms of her feet.  She snuggled into my arms and let me stroke her hair as her breathing became less labored and more even.  Between coughing fits, she said, “You really know how to take care of a cold, Mom.”  My poor little schmoo!

I’m just doing what I remember my own mom doing for me.  Propping up pillows, wiping down my face with a cool washcloth, and just sitting with me.  We used to have this cool mist humidifier that my mom would place on my nightstand to help eradicate some of the dryness in the room.  She would tell me not to touch it, to let it just do it’s job, but as soon as she left the room, I put my whole face right up on it to get at the cool vapors.  My face and hair thoroughly dampened, I would lie back on my pillows and drift off into a Robitussin filled sleep.  Sometimes my mom would bring me a hot toddy — I was older by this point — and that honey,lemon, bourbon combination would ease the lightening bolts of pain in my throat and help me drop off to a more restful sleep.

The girls aren’t quite old enough for that yet, so we’re just doing some regular tea with milk and honey.  When their coughs were at their worst, I just gave them teaspoonfuls of honey to coat their throats.  That was the first time I saw them smile in a long time.   I tried it myself, but I prefer my honey diluted with some lemon and tea. While I wait for this Mucinex to kick in, I’m going to stir up a home remedy. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow for Recipe Friday. . .if not, I’ll probably be in the bottom of my tea cup.

Dr. Pat’s Hot Toddy Cold Remedy

Ingredients
2 ounces whiskey (we use Jack Daniels)
1 tablespoon honey
4 ounces water (hot from the tap)
1 teaspoon lemon juice (we use the stuff in the plastic lemon)
1 slice fresh lemon (if we don’t have this we don’t use it) (optional)

Directions
1. Place the whisky in a large microwave safe mug*.
2. Add the honey.
3. Pour the hot water into the mug over the spoon you used for the honey to get off the last little drops.
4. Add the lemon juice and stir well.
5. Place the mug in the microwave for 1 minute or until it is piping hot, but not boiling.
6. Add the lemon slice and serve.
*If you don’t have a microwave, which we don’t, you can pour the whiskey in a small cup or glass and submerge it in some boiling water until it’s the right temperature.

Continue Reading
IN: recipes ON: December 20, 2012 TAGS: , , , , , , , , BY: Hilary
Continue Reading
recipes

Recipe Friday, on Tuesday

I’m late (or early, depending on how you look at it) with the recipe! Time is just flying away from me.  There aren’t enough hours in the day for me to get done the things that I want to get done, the things that I need to get done, and the things that have to get done.  
By the time everyone is up, fed, dressed, and out the door, I turn my attention to things in the house that have been calling me.  Would you believe I’ve been letting dishes fester in the sink?!  So unlike me.  The trash cans are overflowing, there’s laundry to be done, groceries to be purchased, presents to be wrapped.  What, you ask, has me so neglectful? It’s not Pinterest (this time).  I’m not catching up on Scandal on DVR. I’m not scrapbooking, either.  
I’m reveling in my new freedom!  No more boot, snitches!! Woop! Woop!
awww, yeah!

And I’ve been playing with my new photography backdrop.  I decided to upgrade to a paper backdrop for a more seamless, professional look.  The bed sheet over my backdrop stand was economical, but it really just photographed poorly.  The paper backdrop is ah-may-zing! You can’t even tell that’s my living room, can you? 

baby mohawks are funny for everyone but the baby.

 So, the girls have been my unwilling models as I test things out.  Seeing as how I can pay them in cookies, my overhead stays low and their enthusiasm stays high.  I’ve also been busy with holiday shoot. Trying to fit everyone into the schedule is a great problem to have.  I’m getting to a point where I can say that I love what I do.  For a while, I was hesitant to embrace my status as a professional photographer or to say that I really liked it.  I was afraid that doing so would invite some bad karma.  Nothing specific that I could point to, but just that feeling of second guessing myself or feeling like I’ve totally blown a shoot. I had this feeling that one minute I’d be breaking my arm patting myself on the back and the next I’d be banging my head against the wall like, “Why? Why? What was I thinking?”

The other day,  I was on my way to a shoot and realized, I’ve been doing this for over a year now.  I’m not an amateur photographer. I have people seek me out and pay me to take their photographs. I am donating my services to a silent auction.   I’ve built a sizable portfolio. My skills are constantly developing (no pun intended).  I’ve got great equipment. I’ve got repeat clients.  I can say with confidence and pride, “I am a photographer,” when asked what I do.

I had a bittersweet moment at the hubs’ office party when I was able to correct someone who assumed I stayed home taking care of the children.  A couple of years ago, someone I had just met asked me if I was a lawyer like the hubs, and when I said, “No, I’m at home with our children,” this person literally said, “Oh,” and turned their back to me to strike up a conversation with someone else.

Literally.

But, as I was saying. . .

As I’ve discussed before, taking care of kids is no easy feat, whether you’re working from home, at home, outside of the home or any derivation where the home is concerned.  I loathe the whole “mommy wars” phenomena that has been created, continually stirred up and perpetuated by the media. Parenting is hard, no matter who is doing it. Period.  For someone to dismiss me because that’s how I choose to spend my wake-filled hours is hurtful and disrespectful.  While I did take a small measure of pride identifying my occupation as a photographer, I felt like I had to put that first, and relegate my work as a parent in order to hold the attention of the other person.  I just had the weirdest thought: It’s like the end of Dirty Dancing and instead of Johnny telling Dr. Houseman that no one puts baby in a corner, it’s me telling that yahoo that no one puts motherhood in a corner.  Too much? Yeah, it sounded better in my head, too.

No one puts as much pressure on myself as I do, so I know that my choice was my own.  Still, the fact that I go through such mental gymnastics speaks to the state of affairs in which we find ourselves.

I just read an article on Huffington Post by Amy Morrison entitled, “Why You Are Never Failing As a Mother,” and it was so timely.  Earlier in the day,  I was failing.  I had been overseeing a playdate between Mo, Co and a friend, trying to get them to slow down as they decorated cookies, put the sprinkles ON the cookies instead of IN their mouths, defrost some dinner, run a load of laundry, answer some emails, and deal with the massive poop Vivi gifted me with nary a wipe in sight.  Fast forward to the end of the night, when everyone was tucked in.  I finally got around to reading the article and it felt like Morrison was giving me a “hang in there” high five.

She writes, “. . . but I’m just saying that we are part of a generation that considers parenting to be a skill. Like a true skill that needs to be mastered and perfected and if we don’t get it right, we think our kids suffer for it — and that’s hard sh*t to keep up with. That’s not to say other generations didn’t have it tough or think parenting was important, but there just wasn’t the same level of scrutiny that could be liked, tweeted or instagramed all at once.

You are in the trenches when you have a baby. To the untrained eye it seems pretty straightforward and easy — you feed them, you bathe them, you pick them up when they cry — but it’s more than that. It’s perpetual motion with a generous layer of guilt and self-doubt spread on top, and that takes its toll.
Feeling like you also need to keep on top of scrapbooking, weight loss, up-cycled onesies, handprints, crock pot meals, car seat recalls, sleeping patterns, poo consistency, pro-biotic supplements, swimming lessons, electromagnetic fields in your home and television exposure is like trying to knit on a rollercoaster — it’s f*cking hard.
We live in a time when we can Google everything, share ideas and expose our children to amazing opportunities, but anyone that implies that they have it figured out is either drunk or lying (or both), so don’t be too hard on yourself.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself.” I need this tattooed on my forehand, my forearm, my forefinger.  It’s not that my own mom hasn’t told me this about four billion times, but reading it again from someone who doesn’t know me personally, but does know the road I’m on. . .well, my mom is supposed to be my cheerleader, you know? I know I shouldn’t worry about what other people think about me. What I think about myself is the most important thing.  I think I’m getting the job done.  I mean, they’re still alive, right?  I’m being flip, of course. I know that I’m doing the right things for my girls. I’m setting good examples and following the best practices set forth by my own parents and in-laws.  
In the wake of the tragedies around the countries that have captured our hearts and attention, I’m reminded to not be too hard on myself, or on the girls.  I’m giving extra hugs and kisses. I’m saying more prayers. I’m letting little things slide just a bit more.  I’m giving in to dessert more often than not.  Of course, the veggies have to be eaten first. . .that’s a non-negotiable.
The “Down with Veggies” Face.
(image)

Sauteed Asparagus with Garlic and Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients
1 bunch asparagus, ends snapped or spears sliced into coins
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tbs minced garlic
2 tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan.
Add minced garlic, stirring until it begins to turn brown.
Add asparagus, stirring occasionally and cooking until bright green and tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Add tomatoes, stirring until softened, another two minutes.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Continue Reading
IN: recipes ON: December 18, 2012 TAGS: , , , , , , , BY: Hilary
Continue Reading
1 … 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 13