Cookies and Cream Dessert

WARNING: This dessert may contain substances of an addictive nature. Eat responsibly.

This is the dessert my friend, Katie K. brought to Isaac's Baby Blessing. The whole family stood around the bowl, taking a spoonful and smacking it on their tongues to determine the ingredients. "Hmmm...there's a hint of vanilla....and yet the creamy texture would suggest...." I actually saw someone drinking a cupful! Well, here's the recipe. Thanks Katie!

Cookies and Cream Dessert

2 small (3.4 oz) packages vanilla pudding
2 cups milk
2 (8 oz) containers extra creamy whipping cream or 1 lb. whipped cream frosting from the supermarket bakery
1 pkg Oreo cookies, crushed

Wisk vanilla pudding and milk together. Stir in whipping cream then add crushed oreos and stir. Refrigerate.

If you let it sit in the fridge for a few hours or overnight, the cookies get nice and soft.

tak sedar esok dah jumaat, dah 1 oktober...

30th sept 2010 - selamat hari ulang tahun pertama rambut! :P genap setahun tak potong rmbt. rmbt mmg lmbt pnjng, and dah lame tak berjaya simpan lebih setahun. akhirnya. harap2 kekal lg 2thn!

lebih kurang lah. pendek je lg '-___-''

29th sept 2010 - genap 2 bln ta tgk movie. hebat sngguh rase. huhu.

td cover ttg event 'bunga raya bunga kebangsaan' sempena 50tahun bunga raya sebagai bunga kebangsaan. so it was the 3rd time i met DYMM YDP Agong in person. jarak ta sampai 1 meter. thee.

oh terjumpa abg kumar + abg fitri dr BERNAMA! sempat bertegur sapa dgn mereka. dah lama ta dpt goodies bag, hari ni dpt. ahah. :)

oh ye, baru tdow 3 jam. semlm ta bleh tdow. tibe2. hidung tersumbat sengau2 lg. demam on-off. tekak berkahak. tp ta pe la, tuhan kurangkan dosa. insha Allah.

ta sedar pun esok da jumaat. bermulalah 1 oktober. bulan baru. harapnya semua baik2. amin!

Simple Pleasures Thursday

Fall is in the air!

Comfort Food Continued

There are many reasons why I am not a skinny cook, but prominent among them is the fact that I love carbs and comfort food.  Mac and cheese.  Hot flaky biscuits dripping with butter.  Mashed potatoes, or more to the point, ANY kind of potatoes.  In case you think I am kidding about that, I will shamelessly tell you about the time we went to Geronimo, a lovely restaurant in Santa Fe.  I perused the menu which looked interesting, but what really intrigued me were the four or five potato side dishes which were paired with many of the entrees.

Yes, I did!  I ordered every single one of those potato dishes for the sum and substance of my meal.  The poor server thought I was a lunatic, but he complied with my request anyway.  That dinner turned out to be both heavenly and memorable, in part because Henry will never let me forget it.  It would be appropriate to include a photo of a potato at this point in my post and I would if I could, but tragically I don't keep them around.  For obvious reasons.

The other thing that sends me into pure pig heaven is bread pudding.  I'm sure this is equivalent to blasphemy but I would choose it over an elegantly composed dessert, fancy French pastry or even chocolate.  I love it for its simplicity and how it makes you feel just flat-out-good.  At least while you are eating it.  You may want to shoot yourself afterwards, but that's a different matter altogether.  We are not going to talk about that here.

I will say this:  if you are going to indulge in bread pudding, then make it the best bread pudding possible.  That means using a good eggy and fattening bread like brioche or challah and making sure there is an abundance of liquid in which to soak it.  Below is my version of bread pudding nirvana.  Yes, it requires a few steps but if you are going to say "screw it, I'm eating it" then this is the recipe for you.

CARAMEL APPLE BREAD PUDDING

For the bread :
2 round Challah or 2 brioche, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 20 cups)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

For the apples:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Zest and juice of 1 lemon

For the custard:
10 extra-large eggs
5 cups whole milk
5 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon vanilla paste (or extract)
1 cup caramel sauce (recipe follows)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup crushed sugar cubes
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Softly whipped cream for serving, if desired

For the caramel sauce:
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon vanilla paste (or extract)

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.  Divide bread cubes among 2 half-sheet pans and drizzle with the melted butter.  Toss to coat, then bake for 15 minutes or until just golden and toasted.  Remove from oven to cool while you make the apples.

Heat the 4 tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan.  Add apples, sugar, salt, lemon juice and lemon zest.  Saute over medium heat, stirring often, until apples start to soften, about 10 minutes.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, half-and-half and sugar.  Stir in salt, vanilla and 1 cup of the caramel sauce (recipe follows).  Whisk well to blend, then add bread cubes.  Let sit for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure bread is soaked through.

For the caramel, combine the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan.  Cook over high heat without stirring until mixture is golden and just this side of being overcooked.  Be attentive!  There is a very fine line between caramel which is golden but not quite browned enough and that which is perfect but not burned.  Don't walk away for a minute.  As soon as it reaches the desired color (and aroma - you will smell it if it burns), remove from heat and slowly add the cream, being careful as it will bubble up.  Stir carefully with a wooden spoon then place over medium heat to smooth out.  Add salt and vanilla.  Set aside.

Butter a large baking dish (the one I used was 11-x-17).  Place apples in bottom, then pour bread mixture over, making sure there is enough liquid to come up to the top (if not, add a little more milk or half-and-half).  Combine the crushed sugar cubes, ginger and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the top.  Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place in a water bath.  Bake at 350-degrees for 1 hour then remove foil and continue baking for another 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown but still slightly "jiggly" in the middle.

Remove from water bath and let cool.  Cover with foil until ready to serve.

To serve, cut into squares or spoon onto plates and top with reserved caramel and softly whipped cream.  Try not to care that you are ingesting enough fat and calories to kill an elephant.  Trust me, you won't care while you are in the stupified state of eating this!

Serves 12 - 16 (this recipe can be easily halved)

For those of you who are attentive, you may remember that I posted a recipe for bread pudding some time ago.  For those of you who missed it or who care, here's the link:

http://nevertrustaskinnycook1.blogspot.com/2010/01/home-from-holidaze.html

Wisdom Wednesday

⁴ Delight yourself in the LORD
       and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 ⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;
       trust in him and he will do this:

 ⁶ He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
       the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

 ⁷ Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
       do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
       when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Psalm 37:4-7

OT Tip - Hand Grasp

This week I want to continue something I touched on briefly last week which is how kids hold their writing utensils/pencils. As always, there is an age appropriate sequence that you can go by to see how your child is doing.
So let's start at the beginning. Again these are average ages, every child is different. However if you do suspect your child is behind in their development, please talk to your pediatrician.

• By age 3.9 months your baby should be able to grasp a rattle or other objects. 
• By age 5.2 months they reach for objects with their whole arm.
• By age 10.2 months, they should be able to use a thumb-finger grasp (palmar grasp). 
• by age 12-15 months they use a palmar supinate grasp. They use their whole arm to color and move the marker/crayon to where they want it on the paper. You will also notice that the writing utensil is at a complete vertical angle.

•  By 2-3 years old, they move to a digital pronate grasp, which looks like the picture below.

• By age 3 to 4 they will switch to a static tripod grasp or quadrupod grasp. They hold the writing utensils crudely and use the whole pads of their fingers on the writing utensil. 

Quadrupod Grasp 

 Tripod Grasp 

• By the time your child hits kindergarten they will use the most mature grasp, the dynamic tripod/quadrupod grasp, when they use the tips of their fingers on the writing utensil and also hold the crayon/pencil more at an angle than vertical, much like an adult grasp. 

Again, these are average ages and every child is different. However this gives you a good idea of what to look for as your child starts to explore the wonderful world of writing!

For more information check out the following links, where I got a lot of my info.

FAQ: Hand Grasp for Writing
Get a Grip: Grasping Patterns in Young Children
All Photo Credit: The Handwriting Doctor

Disclaimer: I am a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. The advise in these tips is not a replacement for medical advise from a physician or your pediatrician. Please consult their advice if you suspect any medical or developmental issues with your child.  

Corn and Poblano Rajas

  

  
Today is the 50th anniversary of Ted Williams' final game.  The greatest hitter of all time capped off his baseball career by hitting a home run in his final at-bat.  Charles McGrath in the New York Times helps us remember Ted Williams through the eyes of John Updike, who was there on that day and wrote his paean to Williams in Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu.   McGrath focuses on Updike's phrase, "For me, Williams is the classic ballplayer of the game on a hot August weekday, before a small crowd, when the only thing at stake is the tissue-thin difference between a thing done well and a thing done ill."  McGrath believes that Updike identified with Williams, both in their physical similarities, both were were tall and slender, but also as artists committed to their craft.  Updike found the hero in Williams as a "player who always care[s]; who care, that is to say, about themselves and their art."  Although, for McGrath, the difference of Williams "was not between a thing done well and a thing done ill, but between a thing done well and a thing done even better."
    
What does this have to do with a corn poblano cheese mixture recipe from a petite Mexican-American chef from Baja?  McGrath, Updike, Williams, and even Marcella Valladolid in Fresh Mexico all remind us that every day, whether on those hot August weekdays before a small crowd, or on those dark weekday evenings before no one, we have the opportunity to be better.  I took that opportunity, as I try to do regularly as reflected in this blog, to do better at a Sunday afternoon tailgating party.  As with the ancho tequila salsa featured yesterday, I tried to do better than just dogs and brats on the grill by featuring the last of these recipes I tried from Valladolid.  It makes a wonderful feeling for a quesadilla, or even just in a small soft taco shell.  A Mexican theme for the party was surely fun, and pulling off recipes fulfilling, but the combination of new and different made everything special.  The important thing, though, is to feel that feeling of being special, not just for and in front of a crowd, but when you are alone, and no one is looking.  That is the sign of someone devoted to a higher calling in pursuing their craft.  It is also the sign of someone who derives joy from practicing their craft.  None of us will ever be Ted Williams, and few of us will ever be a celebrity chef, but we can all be special to ourselves, and to those around us, because we care and choose to do things better.
    
Ingredients:
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups corn kernels
6 poblano chiles, charred, peeled, seeded and sliced into long strips
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Mexican crema or creme fraiche
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
tortillas
salt/pepper
     
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and soften for 5 minutes.  Add the corn and and chile strips and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the heavy cream and and crema and cook for 8 minutes, gently simmering.  Add the cheese and stir until melted.  Season to taste the mixture with salt and pepper.  Serve with tortillas.
     

jgn cepat melatah!

erm. demam cam makin teruk compare dgn siang td. panas on off, selsema tersumbat2, rase nak jolok gune pam tandas. tekak pun sakit sampai terpakse batuk konon2 nak hilangkan sakit. tp alhamdulilah aku still blh nak on9 ni sbb demam kali ni tak de sakit kepale atau pening. just lemah badan tu adatlah kan.

by the way, baru lepas cek maybank2u.com. dah ade balik duit ak tuh dlm account. WAHAHA. lega dan tenang semula hati ak. yer nnt kalau ak da jd jutawan da ade 15 juta dlm account, ta de la ak menggelabah. tp da ckup mkn ni, tskkk, tlglah biar ak merase duit sdiri. huhu. tp ok lah kan, less than a day, tgk2 dah settle. alhamdulilah!

tp abah dan mama dan namin dan semua ckp, setiap kejadian ada hikmahnya. mama kate jgn nangis lg. mane ta nangis, time g bank tu ak da plan na belanje die org mkn. ak ta nak la pegang cash in hand bebnyk, tkot ape2 jd. camtu plak jdnye. T___T. tambah lg aku ni fobia gle dgn penjahat2 dkt negare kte skrng. ak slalu rase insecure time driving ++ kalau nmpk motor seblah ak. TAKOT!

esok ade shooting. harap2 makin sehat esok pg. tlglahh. waaa. ak tak mau dilihat mcm org yg cari excuse. no! camne nk berjaye cam gtu. kan? Ya Allah ya tuhanku, sehatkanlah tubuh bdn hamba-Mu ini. eh! tubuh badan tak payah, mmg da sihat, sihatkanlah mane2 yg tak sehat ni!

perasan tak sy selalu tulis 'eh salah' and so on. tu bkn buat2, cuma bile tulis blog, sy jrng nak tekan BACKSPACE or DELETE. sbb mmg tulis dgn spontan, on the spot. jd kalau slh tu mmg slh! :)

ok lah. tu je. saje na ingtkan diri sendiri ttg ape yg da di-pelajari hari ni dan semlm. till then!

A few days in the life of this blogger

I‘m just back from wonderful, exciting London, literally last night. I must say, it is nice to see that those autumnal mists and rains haven’t yet struck Istanbul: the sun is in its place and I like it! The day before I went, I was in Eminönü in the Spice Market. How I love that place! Look at this photo and try to guess what these are:

 No, not new potatoes but fresh dates from Jordan! The seller informed me that they should remain for 2 days in the fridge before eating. He gave me one to try and it was a truly delicious taste sensation with a consistency that I would describe as being moist, soft, and creamy.  Very different but worth trying.

But London: first port of call once I had dropped off my case was to zoom off to buy some food for dinner, the nearest place conveniently being M&S. You forget what it looks like. Mmm ,what a mouthwatering selection of food . I made my choices and then had to smile to myself : 3 pork loin dinners,  beautiful crunchy celery such as we don’t get here, a bag of rocket and chard (oh joy, pre-washed!), some cheddar cheese, and lovely fresh raspberries. And no, I didn’t get the cream but instead Greek-style yogurt. Old habits die hard. It’s only when you revisit a place like that, that you realise there are some things that you really quite miss.

Another foodie stop a few days later was the Food Hall at John Lewis on Oxford Street. Amazingly, I had never been there. I know Harrod’s, I know Fortnum’s but  not this one. All I can say is don’t miss it next time you are in London: upmarket food enticingly presented and totally eye-popping.

Fish restaurants in Istanbul are deservedly considered excellent but I suddenly had a yen for good ole English-style fish’n’chips on my last night. Luckily my son lives very near Borough Market where there is a very nice restaurant nestled next to Southwark Cathedral charmingly called Fish.  Fresh cod in batter? Can’t beat it.

Later, the lights in the Cathedral were still on so we wandered round to see if we could visit. There were two men in robes who said it had just been locked. It did cross our minds that in Turkey, they would probably have unlocked it for us.

On the plane yesterday afternoon I had a copy of the Times Weekend to read. It turned out to be one of those very informative ones where every article strikes a chord. What immediately caught my eye was a supplement entitled How to make soup. Following my last blog re lentil soup, I was intrigued. But as my practiced eye scanned the ingredients, my face fell: too many unobtainables such as ham and bacon,chorizo sausage, parsnips, sorrel – I don’t even know what that looks like – split yellow peas, as well as a great deal of coriander which is a new herb here and as such only available sometimes in plastic packets in supermarkets.  There was a nice-sounding soup with dried shiitake mushrooms and I think I have seen them in my local 3M Migros. Not a usual item though.Of course one can substitute here and there but that destroys the integrity of the original recipe. So, unfortunately, nothing for me there. However, with the imminent arrival of pumpkin on the scene here,  I have a delicious creamy red pepper and pumpkin soup recipe up my sleeve that my French cousin Michele made for dinner last week. Watch this space!

 I discarded the supplement and went on with the Travel section which is always a good read. And here what did I see but 2 pages on a super-sounding place in a remote location overlooking Kumlubük bay in the south of Turkey. I have never heard of this bay but apparently it is somewhere near Turunç and right now it is offering a family ‘olive harvest’ week during the UK halfterm holiday. But what further caught my eye was the writer’s lyrical descriptions of the food offered at this place, Dionysos Estate:


'Slivers of cheese with fresh oregano. Raw sea bass with grated tomato. Grilled mushrooms in oil and rosemary. Baby courgettes, barbecued, bathed in oil and dill and served with a dill-spiked yogurt. Roasted red peppers enlivened with chopped basil and slivers of white cheese.'                   


Those of us who live here can easily do this! The ingredients are all the stuff of everyday shopping with an eye to what is available this week. The writer was obviously salivating at the memory but you can produce food like this too. Just go out there and buy the fruit or vegetables even if they seem unfamiliar. The important thing is to try them and try my recipes!


                                          Go on!

DISMA

Aku enggak pernah paham, mengapa hidup menjadi seorang aku begitu sulit. Semakin dewasa, semakin memberat beban pikiranku, jua aku makin kian tak berdaya. Sulit. Semuanya serba sulit. Adakah makna yang harus kuserap nantinya? Mimpi semakin menyekik.
Kadang aku ingin menangis, saat aku bekerja, saat aku belajar, saat aku berpergian, bahkan saat aku tertidur akupun ingin menangis. Beraaat! Dan aku yang masih terlalu muda, masih seumur jagung mereka bilang, sudah harus menanggungnya sendiri. Malang? Apakah iya? Aku kah gadis malang yang sering terdengar dalam dongeng-dongeng? Mungkin. Hanya hembusan nafas jawabku.
Sedikit lagi, semangatku akan patah, namun disaat ini juga aku bernafsu besar merebut mimpi-mimpiku. Sakit Tuhan, sedikit saja aku tersenggol air mata kan menyapa dunia. Sakit Tuhan, hamba-Mu ini masih lugu menerpa nasib yang keras Tuhan. Tuhaaaan. Oh Tuhaaan. Aku gadis malangkah Tuhan? Tuhan beriku jawaban, Tuhaaan.
Baiklah, mulai saat ini panggil aku Disma, menyesuaikan nasibku, gaDis Malang. Ya ya ya. Bermanis-manislah kau namaku. Aku memang gadis yang malang.

BEST DIET TIP #3

                                                  Double click on above image to enlarge

basic make up sy... tu pun kire rajin la tuh.

ok, hari ni ambil EL since pergi bank, settle down to clinic, melayang duit beratus sbb ambil segale ubat. ubat cacing *semua org perlu mkn setiap 6 bln*, then demam + sakit tekak + selsema. mama ambil ubat migrain. apetah lg. howaaa. duit mcm air! and beli mjlh dara.com just sbb ade fatin suhana :)

and, saje gedik nak tunjuk ape je basic sy pakai, tu pun sbb org kate makin pandai melaram. sesungguhnya percayelaaa sy sgt ta reti make up mahupun menjage personaliti diri. dan maaflah gmbr shot lebih kurang je sbb ambik gmbr sdiri. wahaha.

1st of all. pakai moisturizer. sy ta pernah pakai sun block, since i dont have one :P

2nd - contact lense. hari ni merasmikan contact lense amethyst from fresh look.

3rd - bedak muke! atau ade org lain pakai compact powder, mineral powder, or foundation.

4th - blusher. body shop.

5th - eyeliner. sy pakai liquid eyeliner revlon. tgk ni belah kiri dah apply, kanan belum.

6th - da siap dua-dua belah mata. dgn tudung. namin kate tudung mls :P

7th - lip gloss saje. from victoria secret.

itu je lah. itu kalau rajin! kdng2 keluar pakai lotion je dkt muke. lip balm, sbb bibir merekah mcm tanah gersang. ke-2 rajin just bedak, blusher, lip gloss. ke-3 rajin baru mcm dkt atas. ke-4 rajin, tambah mascara. itu saje haaa! eyeshadow bagai ta reti pakai. :P

KBB # 19 Birthday Edition - Chocolate Mouse Cake

Happy birthday KBB yang ke 3 semoga selalu sukses dan tiada bosannya mempunyai member seperti akyu yang senantiasa telat "nyetor" dan membuat jenggot ibu kepala sekolah tercintah "Arfi B" semakin panjang.....qiqiqiqiqiqiqi....

Selama gabung di KBB jadi tambah wawasan di dunia perbakingan meskipun ada beberapa tantangan yang belum berhasil aku taklukan....tapi tantangan itu tak jua menyurutkan niatku untuk tetep baking....

Di usia yang ke 3 ini ternyata tantangannya cukup "mengenakan " untuk semua member dimana member bisa bebas memilih resep dari tantangan 1 s/d 18 dan kali ini pilihan aku jatuh pada tantangan ke 2 yaitu " Chocolate Mouse Cake ". Kenapa aku pilih ini ? karena waktu itu aku masuk member pada saat tantangan ke 3 dimulai jadi aku mau mencoba resep yang ke 2 ini saja karena ditilik dari cara pembuatannya lebih mudah xixixiixixixxixi....dan semua bahan bahannya tersedia dirumah, meskipun hanya satu yang minus adalah oven baru selesai di betulin minggu lalu dan aku harus menggauli panas ovenku dengan baik dan benar dan tarraaaaa emang suhu oven panasku berubah jiahhhhhhhhhhhh aku harus mulai belajar lagi dari awal...tapi tak apalah yang penting tetep bisa menghasilkan cake dan cookies yang tetep yummy dan crunchy.....

Setelah pilih resep ini akhirnya aku pelajari lagi dan ternyata haiyaaa takarannya pake "cup" nah ini bikin keder juga secara dirumah juga ada cup cuman sering gak yakin juga akhirnya mulai deh blogging ke blog masing masing member kali aja ada yang sudah konversi resep ini ke gram dan ternyata ada di blognya neng cantik "Widya" thanks ya Wid udah tulis dalam gram muachhhhhhh.....kan akyu jadi lebih cepat nih....(alesan.com).

Cake ini mudah bikinnya mudah sekali dan non butter ....nah sangat ekonomis sekali....seperti biasa untuk resep ini aku hanya cukup bikin 1/2 resep saja dan hasilnya cukup kok mana sampai dengan saat ini masih 1/2 bagian duduk manis di kulkas.....yuks ah daripada berlama lama bercerita simak resep ini ya :

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Sumber: Penny Oliver. Cuisine.

Cake

4 btr telur,
¾ cup gula kaster,
2/3 cup tepung terigu,
1/3 cup tepung maizena,
1 sdt baking powder

Kocok telur menggunakan mixer hingga naik dan kental. Tambahkan gula sedikit demi sedikit sambil terus dikocok hingga adonan putih dan sangat kental. Ayak semua bahan kering lalu campurkan ke dalam adonan telur hingga rata. Tuang ke dalam loyang ukuran 26-28cm yang sudah diolesi mentega dan ditaburi tepung. Panggang dengan oven yang sudah dipanaskan terlebih dahulu suhu 190C selama 25-30 menit. Keluarkan cake dari loyang dan letakkan ke atas rak, dinginkan. Letakkan cake ke atas piring saji. Eratkan aluminium foil ke sekeliling cake (kalau mau bisa pakai baking paper tapi digandakan, supaya bisa tegak dan lebih kukuh kalau disiram dengan mousse nantinya).

Mousse

250g cooking chocolate (saya memakai Cadbury Old Gold 70%),
6 kuning telur,
250g mentega lunak,
6 putih telur

Tim coklat hingga leleh. Kocok kuning telur lalu campurkan dengan coklat, aduk rata. Tambahkan mentega sambil dikocok. Kocok putih telur hingga kaku. Masukkan adonan putih telur ke dalam adonan coklat. Tuang adonan ini ke atas cake. Tutup dan dinginkan selama 4 jam atau semalaman.

(Jika menggunakan thickened cream, pakai 250g lalu kocok dan campurkan ke dalam adonan coklat).

Topping

300ml krim, kocok,
100g cooking chocolate dilelehkan dengan 50ml krim dan 3 sdM brandy (brandy bisa dihilangkan atau diganti dengan vanili—meskipun tidak sama setidaknya ini memberi flavour ke coklat)

Tutup cake dengan krim kocok lalu tuangi coklat leleh tadi. Potong dan sajikan dengan sedikit tambahan coklat leleh di sisinya.

Busy days a go-go

Hi everyone, how's going? I'm a little busy with the work these days because I'm learning lots of new things, and if everything is going on, I'll announce something soon ;)!

(Cute cute things around here)

On friday, Esther, Laia and I had a coffee at Laia's and ate some delicious macaroons that she took from France... delicious!!

The rose macaroon was so great, yaw!

On saturday I had to work, but the sky was so great that day...

And today my friend Felipe came and we had lunch, because tomorrow he's moving to frankfurt, Germany. And Nati moved today too to Germany... everybody's moving to Germany, God!!

Anyway, this is how I looked today:

Yes I know (as someone said at my formspring) that my coordinates are so weird (he or she said some unpleasant things too, anyway); but fashion is funny, isn't it? ;) And if I can't play with it... well, it would be so boring.
And if I can't dance, I don't want your revolution!!

Live Life

Menu Plan Monday

Here is what we are having this week for meals. A couple of them are carry overs from last week because I didn't get to them.

Mon - BBQ Choplets and Mash Potatoes
Tues - Veggie Meatload
Wed - Potato Soup
Thurs - Veggie Pizza (Pampered Chef recipe I am trying)
Fri - Haystacks
Sabbath - Burritos
Sunday - Leftover Buffet

Have a great week!!

This post is part of Menu Plan Monday link up @ OrgJunkie.com 

Ancho Tequila Salsa

  

  
I believe a life well lived is a life where we strive to do better.  Doing good is of course always important, and doing well is important to many, but doing better is important to making our lives more interesting, more entertaining, more enriching.  How much more fun is life, how much happier are we, how much better to do we and our friends feel when we take the time to do something a little more special, a little more interesting, a little more fun than the normal and original?
    
Food is definitely in that category.  We can always do the same, the routine, the normal.  Sometimes we must do quick and easy, but many more times we should do better.  For me, I try to think of what I am doing, and how I can make it more adventurous, more entertaining, more challenging.  Cooking from foreign destinations visited or waiting helps me bring adventure home.  Trying new and interesting cocktails and dishes is always a more fun and stimulating way to entertain.  And taking on the ingredients and techniques of a fine chef or restaurant challenges me intellectually and as a craftsman.
    
Take salsa for example.  How easy is it to put out a jar of salsa with whatever chip or taco dish you are contemplating?  But how much more boring and underperforming can you be?  Why not do something totally different than what you have ever done or what your guests have ever tasted?  This recipe from from Marcella Valladolid's Fresh Mexico may be something you've never encountered, and yet will not be too unfamiliar.  Ancho chiles go into into the adobo sauce that complements our now popular chipotles.  Tequila is familiar to all, at least in idea and style.  Garlic and orange juice, opposite in the taste spectrum - how can you get more familiar than that?  These ingredients go into a salsa that will have your guest talking and you smiling.  The best part?  It's really quick and easy.  Serve it with a feta type cheese if you like for dipping, or just spoon it straight onto pork, chicken or beef in mini soft tacos.  Makes about 1 cup.
    
Ingredients:
8 dried ancho (sometimes called pasilla) chiles
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup golden tequila
1 garlic clove, minced
4 tbsp olive oil
salt/pepper
     
Directions:
Cut open lengthwise the chiles and scrape out the seeds.  Tear the chiles into pieces and put into a food processor along with the orange juice, tequila, garlic and 2 tbsp of oil.  Puree the salsa until smooth.  In a medium saute pan over high heat, warm the remaining oil.  Add the salsa and cook for a few minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and let cool.  Serve.