Aurora's Garden

Recipes Galore!

2010-07-22T10:36:00.030-04:00

I'm way overdue for a recipe post, or any post for that matter! I've tried quite a few recipes in the past couple of months. I've been experimenting with baking a little even though it's not one of my strong points, however I don't wanna toot my own horn but I think my attempts have been pretty succesful. :)

Here are 3 of my fave recipes for you to take a stab at....

Braised Smoked Paprika Chicken

I came upon this first one looking for something new to make for my boyfriend. Not that he doesn't love all the Cuban food but I wanted to change it up a little. This is an old Hungarian recipe only I switched the sweet paprika for smoked and added the mushrooms to the mix. The paprika thing was actually by mistake (oopsy), but it turned out really well! ;)

Ingredients:

3 -3 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast (you can use thighs and legs too)
3/4 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp butter
4 cups onions, diced
pinch of sugar
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp chopped dill or chives, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Pat the chicken dry and season with 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper.

2. Heat the oil and butter in a large casserole pot or Dutch oven over Medium heat. Add the onions and sprinkle them with sugar. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and light brown.

3. Stir in bell peppers, mushrooms, tomato paste, paprika, and crushed red pepper. Add the chicken and stir everything well. Add the marjoram and chicken broth. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and simmer over medium-low heat for about 50 minutes.

4. While the chicken is cooking, whisk the sour cream, flour, and remaining 1/4 tsp of salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

5. When the chicken is tender, remove it to a plate. Stir the sour cream mixture into the sauce and simmer until the sauce thickens a little. Reduce the heat to low and return the chicken to the sauce to reheat for about 1 minute. Sprinkle the garnish on top.

Goes great with white rice. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

I've made plenty of butternut squash soup recipes in my cooking days, but this one is by far my favorite. It really celebrates the veggie's buttery sweetness and makes eating healthy a walk in the park.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs or 1 medium butternut squash (I was very excited to use one from my very own garden)
2 tsp canola oil
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 large carrot, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin (Love Love LOVE cumin!!)
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 cups of veggie broth
4 cups of water
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.

2. Peel and cut the squash into medium-sized pieces. Drizzle 1 tsp of canola oil on a baking sheet and place the pieces on top. Put the squash in the oven for 45 min to 1 hour, until squash is tender.

3. Heat the other tsp of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, onions, and carrots and stir well. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low, stirring frequently, until soft. Add in the squash, cumin, and ground cloves. Add the broth, stir, and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender.

4. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with a drizzle of yogurt.

A delicious and healthy low-calorie meal!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

I made this for my mom's birthday last month because I didn't just want to buy her a cake and I know how obsessed she is with pineapples. Needless to say, it was a big hit!! And soooo easy!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 (20 oz) can pineapple slices in juice, drained, juice reserved
1 (6oz) jar of maraschino cherries, without stems, drained
1 small can of crushed pineapple
1 box Betty Crocker Supermoist yellow cake mix
1 1/4 cup water/pineapple juice mixture
3 eggs
1/3 cup of vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350° F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place the butter in the baking pan and put the pan in the oven until the butter melts. Take the pan out of the oven and pour the cup of brown sugar over it, spreading it evenly.

2. Place the pineapple slices on top of the brown sugar in the pattern that you'd like. Then place the cherries where you'd like them. Use the reserved pineapple juice to make 1 1/4 cup of liquid (add water if there's not enough juice).

3. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, oil, 3 eggs and the pineapple juice mixture. Add the small can of crushed pineapple to the batter and stir in well.

4. Pour the batter into the pan over the pineapple slices and cherries. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 50 to 60 mins. It's done when you stick a toothpick or knife in the middle and it comes out clean.

5. Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife along the edge of the pan to separate the cake. Place a large heatproof dish over the pan and quickly turn the pan upside down onto the dish and voila!

Serve it warm or cool or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

Mmmm mmmm!

Hope you enjoy all these recipes. There'll be more to come soon but these'll keep you busy for now. ;)

Seize BP!

2010-06-08T11:35:00.007-04:00

This oil spill has gone on long enough!!! We as a country cannot stand by and let some big oil corporation destroy that which is so important to us! We MUST make them accountable for the death of countless ocean life and destruction of thousands' livelihoods!

For more information on Seize BP and how to get involved in your community, go to www.SeizeBP.org

Amazing Curry Chicken Salad!

2010-05-20T20:52:00.014-04:00

You guys are going to LOVE this recipe!! .... My boyfriend and I went the Keys a few months ago and on our last day we went on this day-long sailboat trip complete with snorkeling, kayaking, and a delicious lunch with a chicken salad that was to die for! After that, I set out on a mission to find a chicken salad recipe that came close to resembling the one we had on that gorgeous, sun-filled day.

It took some mixing and matching but I think I've come really close!

Whether it's on a bagel, a whole wheat wrap, or by itself, I really think you, your family and friends are going to make this recipe one of your favorites!

Curry Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

1 whole rotisserie chicken, cooked
1 cup of mayo* (Hellman's is pretty tasty)
1 cup of non-fat plain yogurt
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt and fresh pepper
1/3 cup white wine (I used a chardonnay I had opened the day before)
1/4 cup Major Grey's chutney (in the bbq sauce area of grocery store)
3 tbsp curry powder
2 large celery stalks, medium-diced
2 scallions, chopped, white and green parts
1 to 2 tbsp of fresh dill, chopped (I love dill! I think I put close to 3 tbsp)
handful of grapes, green or red, cut in halves
1 cup of walnuts, roughly chopped

*Although regular mayo is higher in fat, most of it is unsaturated fat and the ingredients are a lot more straight-foward and simple compared to low or fat free mayo which has things like cellulose gel and modified corn starch. Not my cup of tea.

Instructions:

1. Grab the chicken. Remove and discard the skin. Then remove the meat from the bones and cut into large bite-size pieces. Place the pieces in a large bowl and lightly season with salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice and fresh dill and give it a stir to make sure all the pieces are evenly coated. Set aside.

2. In another medium bowl, combine the mayo, yogurt, wine, chutney, curry powder, and about 1/2 tsp of salt. Blend well.

3. Combine the chicken with enough dressing to moisten well. Then add the celery, walnuts, grapes, and scallions and mix well. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Enjoy!!! :)

It's a Jungle Out There!

2010-05-20T12:24:00.029-04:00

It's been a month since my last post and you wouldn't believe the explosion of veggies and fruits in my garden since then!! Especially my butternut squash plant... It's TAKING OVER!

To illustrate just how far along my garden has come in a few months, check out these before and after pictures....

First I'm going to show you the one that takes the cake! It started with these little seedlings that I found growing in my compost container and I thought, "hmmm, maybe I'll plant these and see what I get." Well what I got was a whole lot of vine growing all over the lawn! If they weren't sprouting so much squash I would've aborted the mission a while ago. At least I can I say I've had the experience of growing butternut squash. :)

BUTTERNUT SQUASH

"I'm just an innocent little seedling"....

"Look how pretty my leaves are"....

"I'm only growing so much cause you're taking such good care of me"....

"So I'm spilling over into the grass, you've still got plenty of grassy area left"....

"Look flowers! And flowers mean squaaaash!"....

"It's official, I've taken over! But I've got plenty of squash to go around though"...

Now that you've seen the most dramatic development, here are the rest of my babies all grown up .....

TOMATOES

CUCUMBERS

CANTALOUPES

Yaaaaay! It's so incredibly rewarding to see the fruits of my labor (literally) after devoting so much time to something I enjoy. :)

New recipe coming SOON!!!

Peppers! and more...

2010-04-27T13:53:00.007-04:00

I decided today was harvesting day for my California sweet peppers. I've been eyeing them for a few weeks waiting to see how much bigger they'd grow and I think they're just about done growing. But just in case I'm wrong, I only cut two of the five off.

I'm also excited about the baby cucumbers sprouting all over my cucumber plant. They're so cute!

And last but certainly not least... the hope of yummy beefsteak tomatoes! I'm crossing my fingers!

Better Late Than Never!

2010-03-26T20:41:00.024-04:00

So I'm back from my extensive blogging vacation!! I won't go into crazy detail about why I went on vacation in the first place, but between my last month of nursing school, graduating, a new and amazing love, taking my board exam (and passing it!), and looking for a J-O-B, my life has been pretty hectic since November! FYI, I'm STILL looking for a job, but that's a topic I will likely vent about on another post. ;)

So anyway, I'm SO excited to be back! You wouldn't believe the amazing evolution my garden has undergone since November... from, new flowers, new veggies, to an upcoming exotic flower bed. So without further delay, here is Aurora's Garden in April....

Blooming Morning Glories

Fragrant Roses

California Sweet Peppers

Butternut Squash (taking over!!)

Strawberries! :)

Flowering Venus Fly Trap

Tomatoes (again- but this time will be better!)

This is the site of my new flower bed that will include all sorts of

oriental lilies, calla lilies, and freesias.

Stay tuned to see how everything progresses in the next few months!! Also get ready for a bunch of new and delicious recipes!

Last Call for Thanksgiving Recipes!!

2009-11-25T16:03:00.011-05:00

Okay, I know it's cutting it a little close but unfortunately I've been crazy busy with school for the last week and haven't been able to post any of the last recipes I wanted to share with you all. So here is my desperate attempt to include the last couple of recipes I wasn't able to post earlier. ...They may not be as elaborate or well-illustrated as the other recipes, but they can still spark some last-minute ideas for tomorrow's big feast!

Sweet & Savory Bacon and Jack Cornbread

A kickin' twist on your traditional sweet cornbread.

Ingredients:

1 box cornbread & muffin mix
milk, eggs, and vegetable oil as directed on the cornbread box
1/4 cup mild green chilies or jalapeños, chopped
1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (you can use cheddar or a mix if you prefer)
1 cup sweet corn, drained

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Prepare the batter as directed on the box.

2. Add the corn, crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, and green chilies or jalapeños to the mix.

3. Pour batter onto mini loaf pans or muffin pans filling them 2/3 of the way and bake for 23-27 minutes, or until light golden brown. Serve!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bacon-Wrapped Thanksgiving Turkey

There are no exact measurements for this turkey dish. This freelance recipe is all in the marinade!

Ingredients:

1 turkey of your liking
1 pack of bacon
fresh lime juice from 2 or 3 limes
garlic, (lots of it!) minced or ground into a paste using a mortar and pestle
1 yellow onion, minced
sour orange juice (can be found in the spanish aisle of your grocery store)
mojo criollo (pronounced "moho kree-oh-yo")
Sazón Completa, a few generous shakes
ground cumin, a dash or two
freshly ground pepper
salt
Stove Top stuffing, cooked as directed

Instructions:

1. Defrost your turkey and remove the giblets! Veeeery important. ;)

2. Go ahead and give your bird a "last bath" under the kitchen faucet to make sure it's fresh and clean for the marinade. Place the turkey in the roasting pan, then starting with the butt end of the turkey, carefully separate the skin from the meat. This involves reaching your hands all up in places you thought you'd never go with a turkey so make sure your hands and arms clean! Also try not to separate the skin completely through to the other side (head side) so that the marinade doesn't just run out the other side.

3. Now for the marinade: First take the salt and pepper and spread it all through the turkey with your hands (this means on and under the skin). Then take the limes juice, garlic, onions, sour orange juice, mojo criollo, Sazón Completa, and cumin and mix it all in medium-sized bowl.

4. With your hands, begin spreading the marinade all in, out, and through the turkey. I like to make a few holes down into the breast and stuff it with garlic and marinade. Once you've covered your turkey in the marinade, cover the turkey and place in the fridge overnight if possible.

5. Remove the turkey from the fridge. Grab the pre-made stuffing and stuff the turkey full of it. Now, it's time for the BACON!! Take the strips of bacon and, one at a time, wrap them along the top of the turkey starting from one side and ending on the other, making sure it's completely covered.

6. Place the turkey pan in the oven (covered with aluminum foil or with turkey placed in a bag) and cook it according to the weight of your turkey. If covered with aluminum foil, uncover the turkey towards the end of your cooking time to let the delicious bacony outside get nice and crispy. The smell in your home is going to be AMAZING!

7. Lastly remove the turkey from the oven and present to your astonished guests! ;)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Fig-alicious!

2009-11-15T08:59:00.032-05:00

When you see grocery stores stocking up on figs, you know the holidays are upon us. Now, how many of you actually buy figs on the holidays, or ever? I don't. I'm not really a big fig eater, however I did change my mind when I came across these two recipes I'm about to give you. These appetizers are delicious(!!) and very simple to make. I promise you your guests will eat every last one of them up! :)

Bacon-Wrapped Figs Stuffed w/ Goat Cheese and Pecans

Ingredients:

6 dried or fresh figs, whole
1 tub of crumbled goat cheese
6 pecan halves, toasted
3 slices of bacon, cut in half

Instructions:

1. Preheat the broiler. With a knife, make a slit in each fig and stuff them with goat cheese.

2. Press the pecan into the cheese. Then wrap half a slice of bacon around each stuffed fig.

3. Place the figs on a baking sheet and broil them for 5 minutes or until the bacon is evenly brown and crisp. Serve! (but be careful, they're hot!)

Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs

Ingredients:

4 large whole figs, halved
1 tub of goat cheese (if you're making both recipes, one tub will be more than enough for both)
1 package of prosciutto
3 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Fill each halved fig with goat cheese.

3. Take a prosciutto slice and tear it in half . Wrap 1 half around each cheese-stuffed fig and set on the parchment paper, evenly spaced. (Use a toothpick to hold it in place, if needed.)

4. Combine the pumpkin pie spice and honey in a small bowl and drizzle the honey evenly over each fig.

5. Place on the top rack of the oven and roast for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and serve immediately!

Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole

2009-11-09T09:18:00.019-05:00

It's time for recipe #2 of my Thanksgiving Recipe Series!

This is a grown folks sweet potato casserole! And there's nothing more that I like than adding my favorite liquor to a Thanksgiving classic. ;)

Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

6 medium sweet potatoes, cut into large chunks with skin
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup of butter or margarine (I used Smart Balance Light)
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup bourbon (Jim Beam!!)
1/2- 1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a large pot, cook the sweet potatoes in boiling water until they're tender. Drain and let them cool before you peel off the skin.

2. Place the peeled sweet potatoes in an oven-safe dish and mash them. Add and mix the mashed sweet potatoes with the brown sugar, butter, orange juice, bourbon, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.

3. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from heat and sprinkle the marshmallows all over the top. Broil just long enough to give the marshmallows a golden color.

Voilá!

Thanksgiving Recipe Series

2009-11-07T10:12:00.028-05:00

Hello peoples!! Are you as excited as I am that the most delicious holiday of the year is right around the corner??!! I thought that it would be a good idea to do a Thanksgiving Recipe Series for the next couple of weeks leading up to the BIG day. I know lots of people are scrambling trying to find those crowd-pleaser recipes guaranteed to impress the fam, so I'm gonna try to help you out.

Since 2004 when I moved to DC and my friends and I were forced to make our own Thanksgiving together, I've been trying out all sorts of different recipes, some that I've liked, others that I (and my dinner guests) could've done without. So follow me these next couple of weeks as I share my favorite Thanksgiving recipes, including my mom's bacon-wrapped oven-roasted turkey recipe. Yes, I said BACON-wrapped!

For today, we're going to start off with probably the easiest soup you've ever made. It's Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup. You can serve it as an appetizer or as part of the main course. You can even substitute the sweet potatoes for butternut squash, which I've done on numerous occasions. Best thing about this soup... ZERO fat! Kinda helps make up for the other, not so health-conscious recipes. :)

Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients:

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 red peppers, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 quart vegetable stock (I used Kitchen Basics Vegetable Stock b/c it's lower in sodium than many other stocks)
1 1/4 cups dry white wine
1 cup sherry wine (if you don't have sherry, just add 1 more cup of veggie stock instead)
hot sauce, to taste
salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Put the sweet potatoes, red peppers, carrots, onions, garlic, veggie stock, and wine in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.

2. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the veggies get soft.

3. Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and a generous dash of hot sauce (if you like a little kick). Serve warm.

More to come!!! Stay tuned...

Okra Success

2009-11-04T16:15:00.020-05:00

It's been a few months since I planted okra seeds in a plastic bin I had laying around the house. I had never grown okra before but was pleasantly surprised to see how easy it was. The plants are very hardy and love lots of sunshine. And because I live in Miami where it's hot as all hell, I watered the plants every day; however, I'm sure anywhere else you can get away with watering them every other day.

5/25/09

7/15/09

8/23/09

9/7/09

9/09

After the okra sprouted, I realized that it was going to take more than two plants to give me the amount of okra I needed to make Quimbombo (okra stew). So what I decided was that I would let the okra dry out on the plant and harvest the seeds so that I can plant a bunch of them later when I expand my garden.

***For those with sensitive skin, always wear garden gloves when handling the plant. The okra's beautiful leaves are a little prickly and can cause allergic reaction.***

If you have kids that are into gardening or you want to get them involved in gardening, planting okra is a good way to get them started. Besides being easy to grow, the okra is a cool-looking veggie. The kids will be seeing the fruit of their labor in no time!

Here's a great website to help you get started: Tinker's Garden

The Dreaded Pressure Cooker

2009-10-27T21:00:00.015-04:00

After my last entry, I realized I had to dedicate some time to the discussion of the pressure cooker. I realize I do A LOT of my cooking with one which is not necessarily great for you because it may be off-putting when you want to try a recipe.

So first let me say: Do not believe the hype people! I've had many friends over the years see me in action in the kitchen and tell me that they won't buy a pressure cooker or don't use the one they have for fear that it will explode in their face. Sounds scary, yes, but in 10+ years of using one, I've never had one explode or even come close to exploding. As long as you properly clean your cooker, you have nothing to worry about.

Pressure cookers are a great addition to your kitchen. The #1 reason? It cuts the cooking time by more than half!!! Now, I don't know about you but I don't have 2 hours of hanging out time waiting for meat to get tender, beans to cook through, or veggies to soften. My meals are cooked in 20-30 mins max, and usually in less time than that. The drastic reduction in cooking time uses much less energy making pressure cooking an extremely energy efficient way of cooking meals. The decreased cooking time also allows the food to retain more of its vitamins and nutrients.

So what I'm trying to say is, just think about it, let it marinate. Maybe get reacquainted with the one you already have collecting dust somewhere in your kitchen. Maybe stop by the pressure cooker aisle in the kitchen accessories area of the store and give 'em a look. The new models lack the noisy quality of the older, more familiar models and they're easy to use.

You don't need to commit to anything now, but I highly recommend you give a pressure cooker the chance to change your life (at least in the kitchen, anyway). Plus how much easier will it be to make a lot of my recipes!? :)

For more info click here.

It's Flu and Cold Season...

2009-10-24T10:27:00.022-04:00

...And I've got just the thing!

After an entire year of being in a hospital around all sorts of illnesses thinking I might get through it without getting sick, ... I got sick. :P It was like a domino effect. One day one of my classmates had it, the next day two did, and so on until I got it. It's all over Miami! This morning I went to CVS and found myself in the cold & flu aisle along with four other people (it's 8 am on a Saturday morning). We all looked at each other like "yep, I feel ya". Whatever this flu/cold/sinus thing is, I've decided I'm going to nip it in the bud today. Which leads me to today's recipe: a shmishmorshen of caribbean veggies made into a delicious and hearty soup.

I give you ajiaco [ah-hee-ah-ko]. It's the kind of food mom used to make when you were young that somehow magically cured all and made you feel better instantly! Traditionally, ajiaco is made with tasajo (cured, dry beef) and pork. For today, I decided to ix-nay both. I made it with yuca (cassava), malanga, boniato, corn on the cob, platanos (plantains), calabaza (West Indian squash), potatoes, and carrots. You can find all of these vegetables at a latin grocery store or in the latin produce section of your supermarket.

*I used a pressure cooker to make the ajiaco. If you have one, great! If not, just use a large pot, it'll just take longer to cook.

Ajiaco (vegetarian)

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion, diced
10 garlic cloves, diced
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
2 bay leaves
Sazón Completa seasoning
2 corn cobs, cut into smaller pieces
1 malanga, peeled and cut into chunks
1 small yuca, peeled and cut into chunks
2 yellowish-green platanos, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 boniato, peeled and cut into chunks
1-2 cups of calabaza, peeled and cubed
3 carrots, chopped
salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Fill the pressure cooker half way up with water and add the corn cobs, green pepper, onion, garlic, 2 bay leaves, and a few dashes of Sazón Completa . Bring the heat to medium-high, secure the lid on the pressure cooker, and cook for 10-15 minutes. This will give the corn the extra time it needs to cook.

2. Let the pressure out of the pressure cooker and open the top. Add the rest of the vegetables to the broth and add a little more water if the water level is too low. (*Do NOT fill the pressure cooker past the maximum level line) You may also want to add a few more dashes of Sazón Completa to maintain the seasoning level for the added water.

3. Secure the lid back on and cook for another 5 mins. on medium-high heat. Let the pressure out once more, open the top, and check to see that all the veggies have cooked through. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve. Squeeze some lime on top and you'll be feeling great in no time!

Enjoy! :)

I'm Baaaack!

2009-10-18T10:24:00.012-04:00

Ah, and what a great day to be back! We had our first cold front come through last night and this morning it is a chilly (by Miami standards) 60˚F out. I love it!!! It just gets me in such a great mood. We're finally getting a hint of the change of seasons. And if you can't tell by now, it's my favorite time of the year. I don't know, there's something about autumn and the change of weather that gives me a nostalgic feeling. It takes me back to when I was younger. I've always had good memories about this time of year. I remember getting excited about the carnival that would come to my church/school every year. It would usually be cold out so my sister and I would bundle up and meet up with our friends, ride the rides, eat all the yummy carni food, and of course try to spot my crush and hope that somehow I'd end up sitting next to him on the ferris wheel by the end of the night. Aaah the good ol' days. ;)

This time also represents change. Change has always been something I thrive on. It's the feeling of something different, maybe mysterious or unexpected on the horizon. It's exciting, new, and promising. I know I'm getting a little deep but it's true. When I sit here and really reflect on why I love this time of year so much, it's for all these reasons.

And on the more mundane, practical side, this time of year has a lot of my favorite things like Halloween!! Halloween is my favorite holiday. I know, for some that may sound a little strange and normally people say Christmas or Thanksgiving is their favorite but not for me. The supernatural has always fascinated me, whether there's truth to it or not. So for a whole month I get to watch scary movies and tv specials on hauntings and all sorts of ghostly things. And those of you who know me know I love a good scare! Plus how much fun is it to get dressed up in costume and be whoever (or whatever) you want for one night?

Some of my other favorites include my mom's homemade hot cocoa with marshmallows, fall foliage, hot spiced cider, warm soups, Thanksgiving dinner(!!), winter clothes and boots, getting holiday cards, and of course sharing special time with my fam and friends.

So you see, I'm have a ton of reasons to be excited about this time of year. and I hope you all can share the excitement too. :)

On Brief Hiatus

2009-09-18T16:04:00.008-04:00

If you've popped in the last couple of weeks, you've probably noticed that I haven't added a new post for a while. I know, I know, I'm as disappointed as you are. ;)

The truth is I'm having a sort of writer's block. Lately I've been lacking motivation to write about anything, probably because my brain cells don't have the energy to spare. The culmination of almost a year's worth of mental and emotional torture has drained the joy out of everything I once enjoyed doing... Ok, ok, just kidding. It's not that bleak, but seriously folks, I'm POOPED! The psyche class we're finishing up has literally brought the crazy out in a lot of my classmates, and their craziness is driving the rest of us AND the teachers nuts! One of our professors even broke down crying in the middle of class the other day... aaawkward!! No lie, it's getting a little out of control.

Luckily, I can just faintly make out the finish line up ahead. December 9!! The countdown continues. But don't worry, I'll be up and blogging again way before then. I just need a chance to recover from this unnecessarily arduous psyche class!!

Shot out to Cassandra who is now realizing that she will have no life for the next year! I feel ya girl. ;)

And a very Happy Birthday to Anne who is STILL younger than me (so don't even worry about it lol)!!

Blog You Soon!! <3

Good Eats

2009-08-31T10:59:00.012-04:00

One of my favorite shows on the Food Network is Good Eats with Alton Brown. He's great at explaining food concepts and giving information that is interesting and very easy to comprehend. He's kind of like the culinary version of Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Here is one of Alton's recipes. I like snapper but you can use another fish if you like. I've made it twice already and trust me, this is a complete meal! If you had to add anything, I'd say pair it with a nice white wine. Besides being delicious, it's a very visually-pleasing meal. It's perfect if you're trying to impress a special someone with your culinary skills. ;)

Red Snapper en Papillote

Green Lil' Pride And Joy

2009-08-28T20:06:00.007-04:00

Ahhh FINALLY!!! After I thought all hope was lost!

I'd like everyone to meet my first ever tomato sprout! :)

Oh Babies!

2009-08-25T16:00:00.023-04:00

If you go as far back with me as my second blog posting (I'll be surprised if you do), you might remember a couple of Bromeliads that I featured from my garden. These flowers are beautiful, exotic-looking, and easy to maintain, but best of all is that once you buy one, you never have to buy another one AGAIN. That's a good deal if I ever heard one! The reason for this is that as time goes by, the flowers begin to produce offshoots of themselves, also called baby bromeliads (hijitos in Spanish).

The next step, once the baby bromeliads are big enough, is to separate them from their mom and plant them in their own pot (or in the ground if you prefer). I thought the babies were free-standing (and now that I think about it, I'm not sure why??)... I didn't realize they were still attached so I wasn't sure what the best way to separate them was. To yank or not to yank? Google time! You'd be surprised how many sites are dedicated to bromeliads. The Answer: Definitely NOT to yank. All you have to do is take a pair of garden scissors and cut the baby bromeliad at the very base where it attaches to the mom. It's okay if there are no or minimal roots attached; baby bromeliads don't need roots to live. Then transplant the babies into a new pot (I used one pot for each).

Bromeliads prefer to be planted in material that provides good drainage. I went with what I had available in my shed which was a mixture of perlite, sphagnum peat moss, and gardening soil. You can also use river gravel, coarse granite, fir bark, treefern fiber, cork bark, or sand.

Here they are, the whole new, happy family of bromeliads, resting on their new home on the tree in my backyard.

Summer Days Driftin' Away

2009-08-13T18:47:00.022-04:00

Ah Summer. The scent of coconut suntan lotion fills the ocean breeze, the sun glistens as the waves come rolling onto shore, and I am FINALLY getting some much needed rest and relaxation!

It feels great to give my brain a little time off for good behavior. I'm in my second week of a three week vacation from school and the only thing school-related that I think about are my awesome friends and partners in battle. Aside from that, I am in total vacay mode. I'm spending a lot of my time at the beach, evening out my farmer's tan and catching up on some reading. I love going in the mornings. It's so

peaceful and there aren't too many people so it's like I have the beach all to myself. Of course, I'm not talking about South Beach. I usually go to Crandon Park in Key Biscayne which is one bridge-crossing south of South Beach. It's less touristy and more naturey which I like. In the mornings especially you can catch some cool-looking iguanas, turkey vultures, and lots of bird life around the park.

I've also been tending to my garden which right now is not at it's best I will admit. I lost the green pepper (capsicum) plant to some kind of fungal disease. RIP. Next time I'll plant my own seeds instead of buying a plant already grown at Home Depot. My okra plants are

coming along nicely. Just transplanted them to a larger container (I turned a plastic storage bin into a plant container by poking a few draining holes at the bottom - easy peasy). My basil are finally stable. The leaves aren't growing as large indoors, but the flavor is still as strong as ever. Sadly, I think my tomato plant is headed for blossom drop. I was in denial at first, but my dad made a good point the other day when he said that he's seen tomato plants a lot smaller than mine sprouting tomatoes by now, so chances were that mine weren't gonna be giving diddly squat. Thanks dad! :P He did have a point though. I might have to accept that it's not going to happen this first time around. :(

I've also got some good recipes lined up that I'll be trying out during the next week or two. I'm going to try my hands at some asian cooking if I can find all the ingredients. I'm also going to try some middle eastern cuisine. About time too! I've been ignoring my Lebanese side for too long.

Hope everyone's enjoying their summer whether you're lounging by the pool or having amazing adventures in new places. Enjoy it!!

It's A Soup Kinda Day

2009-08-10T21:03:00.017-04:00

I know it's 100 degrees outside and the last thing I should be thinking about is a nice, warm bowl of soup, but guess what? I am! Now that I'm in Miami, I never really have the reason of cold weather for making soup like I did during the harsh DC winters. Nevertheless, that hasn't stopped me from making one of my favorite foods.

Today I got my trusty soup book out and decided to make Chicken and Almond Soup. It sounded interesting and I was curious to see what it would taste like. As I found out, the smell alone was worth making this soup!! The poblano chili packed immense flavor throughout and made my kitchen smell deeeelicious.

Chicken and Almond Soup

Ingredients:

6 tbsp butter
1 leek, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh, shredded ginger
3/4 cup almonds, finely ground (use food processor)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed black peppercorns
1 poblano chili, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup boneless, skinless chicken, cubed
2 tbsp fresh, chopped cilantro
2 1/2 cups of water
1 cup light cream

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a deep skillet or wok. Add the chopped leek and the ginger root and sauté until soft but only just turning brown.

2. Lower the heat and add the ground almonds, salt, peppercorns, chili, carrots, peas, and chicken. Fry for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, stirring constantly. Add the cilantro.

3. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly. Put the mixture in the food processor or blender and process for about 90 seconds. Pour in the water and blend for another 30 seconds.

4. Pour back into the rinsed pan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and add the cream gradually while stirring. Simmer for 2 more minutes and you're done.

5. If you'd like, serve soup with a sprig of cilantro and a few thin slices of avocado to complete the dish.

Gardening Ups And Downs

2009-08-02T19:15:00.031-04:00

I have suffered my first official crisis as a basil grower for the last three weeks. Seems that something has overtaken my basil plants and I don't like it! Unfortunately, I had been so busy with finishing up my last weeks of OB that it took me a while to even realize I had a problem.

I was checking my plants as I usually do when I get home from school and noticed these small necrotic-looking black spots on some of the leaves of both basil plants. I cut the spotted leaves off and called it a day. But hellooo, there they were again(!!), the next day, and then the next day. At first I inspected the bottom of the leaves in case some little critters had decided to set up shop under there, but I found nada! I had to figure out what it was soon cause my basil was going down fast so I did what I always do when I'm in need of answers quick... I Googled it. After browsing through a few websites, I narrowed it down to a fungus called Colletotrichum (black spot disease). From what I read about it, it seemed to fit the description of my basil problem pretty well. The website said that Colletotrichum occurs especially in places with high humidity. It's also

perpetuated by overhead watering (guilty!) because it prolongs leaf wetness. So there you go...

My only problem now was that none of the websites gave a specific remedy for this problem. Because it's the actual leaves that we eat, there really aren't too many products on the market that can be applied to the leaves that wouldn't do harm to us if we consumed it. So I decided to go the non-fungicidal route and hope for the best. First thing I did was bring my two plants indoors. That would drastically cut the amount of

humidity they'd be exposed to on a daily basis. The next thing I did was remove any leaf that had a black spot on it. And let me tell you, there were A LOT! I thought my plants would be bare by the time I was finished with them. The last thing I did was stop overhead watering to keep the leaves as dry as possible.

After almost a week I thought the basil was a goner. I would still come home and find new spotted leaves. But FINALLY (with a little time and patience), it looks like my basil is going to pull through. For the last couple of days I've only seen maybe one or two new spotted leaves. I'm so glad! I thought I was going to have to start all over again.

On a brighter note, my tomato plants have taken off since I transplanted them! The plants look beautiful and healthy and the first set of flower blossoms have come in. I'm crossing my fingers that I'm lucky enough to avoid the dreaded blossom drop! It's pretty tricky because weather plays a huge role in whether or not the blossoms will produce fruit or just dry up and drop off. Any extremes are bad (humidity, heat, cold, rain), and if you know South Florida weather, you know that's ALL we have! So let's see what these next couple of weeks bring.... I hope it's delicious beefsteak tomatoes!!! :)

Beans, Beans, They're Good For Your Heart

2009-07-25T15:13:00.014-04:00

... the more you eat, the more you increase your dietary fiber intake. What? ;) But seriously, this fresh summer recipe is packed full of fiber, protein, antioxidants, and vitamins A and C! Enjoy!

Three Bean Salad

Ingredients:

1 15oz can of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15oz can cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained
1 15oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 cloves of fresh garlic, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced

Ingredients for Vinaigrette:

4 tbs white wine vinegar
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs dried oregano
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the beans, red pepper, celery, and red onions.

2. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and oregano. Add the vinaigrette to the bean salad and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour to let all the flavors mingle.

10 Years Later

2009-07-19T18:43:00.013-04:00

It's hard to believe that 10 years ago I was coming to the end of my high school career at La Salle. But the reality of that set in quickly as I drove to my 10 year my high school reunion last Saturday! I was pretty nervous, I'm not gonna lie, after all, I hadn't seen these people in 10 years and who knows how much they've changed since then. Thankfully, all my nervous jitters went away as soon as I saw all my old friends excited to see me as much as I was to see them. The night was spent laughing, reminiscing, and catching up on new and old times. We had so much fun! It really turned out better than I could've expected. I learned that people don't really change that much at all after 10 years. The cool, fun, down-to-earth people were still cool, fun, and down-to-earth while the ones that were too cool for school, still are, only now they're the odd ones out. After a few hours at Monty's, we took the party back to a friend's apartment and continued the good times there. I'm glad I had the chance to reconnect with all my old friends. I just hope it's not another 10 more years before we get together like that again.

Sun + Rain = Happy Garden

2009-07-07T20:34:00.024-04:00

It's July people! June is but a faint memory I hope to suppress for the rest of my academic life. The good news is I made it through yet another class and figured out that I might possibly want to specialize in pediatric oncology after nursing school. So with that very brief and vague

update I'm moving right along to what I really wanted to blog about... my garden. :)

The last 3 months have brought a ton of rain to South Florida. In fact, there was one month where it stormed practically every day! Hey, I wasn't complaining. It didn't ruin my social calendar. Plus it's been great not having to water the garden every day, which is really a must in this hot inferno of a city. It's only been a couple of months and I can really see the difference a little time and lots of water and sunshine has made for my plants.

My little basil plants have gone from this....

... to this!

Love the smell of fresh basil!

And my tomato plants are coming along as well.

I recently transplanted them to a large pot to give the roots more room to grow, and in turn allowing the plant to grow larger and hopefully produce lots of delicious beefsteak tomatoes.

In addition to my basil and tomatoes, I recently planted some okra seeds. I hope they grow so I can make quimbombo (okra stew) with my very own organic okra. :)

As long as the sun continues to shine and the rain continues to pour, I have a feeling I'm going to have a very productive veggie garden this summer. :)

Stay tuned... I have two sunflowers that are ready to bloom any day now!

Who Loves Meatloaf?!

2009-06-22T11:43:00.011-04:00

I DO! Who doesn't enjoy a good loaf of meat? Yuuuummy. ;) But for those of you who are trying to find healthier options to your favorite foods, here's one I tried this weekend for Father's Day. I was a little skeptical because I'm a little funny when it comes to ground turkey, but it actually came out really, really good!

Turkey Meatloaf with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 - 2 lbs ground turkey
1 cup breadcrumbs
2/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 cup skim or non-fat milk
2 eggs
2 tsp dried ground sage
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
ketchup

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Grease an aluminum or glass loaf pan with PAM olive oil spray and set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Then add the celery and garlic and continue to sauté until vegetables are very tender. Transfer to a large bowl.

3. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the ketchup, to the large bowl and mix thoroughly. Transfer mix to the pan and put it in the oven for 1 hour. Then take it out and spread ketchup on top and place it back in the oven for another 15 minutes or so. The temperature in the center of the loaf should be 165˚F.

4. Remove from the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes, and serve!

Go Home Yanks!

2009-06-21T16:02:00.017-04:00

What a week! I had my first Peds exam on Friday (don't ask) and was so ready to enjoy my weekend. My friend Pedro, an avid Yankees fan, invited me, an avid Marlins fan, to go to the Marlins/Yankees game on Saturday. Of course I said "YEAH!". So Saturday afternoon we headed to the stadium. I was a little nervous since the Marlins had lost to the Yankees the night before. But I had to keep my game face on cause Pedro was talking mad crap already. We went and sat in our section and, as it filled, I realized I was one of the possibly four Marlins fans in my area... faaaaaantastic! Not gonna lie, it was a little intimidating. But I sucked it up. I figured, I'm already here, so I'm just going to scream and be as obnoxious as humanly possible to make sure everyone here knows I'm a Marlins fan (in case the Marlins jersey and hat didn't give it away). Luckily the giveaway at the entrance that night was a Marlins cowbell. Can't get too much more obnoxious than that!

The game couldn't have been better. But what happened to all the trash talking Yankee fans?!? I tried so hard to rattle their cage, but nada! Even Pedro, who a week before the game kept texting me about how the Marlins were going down, was sitting there with nothing to say. I, on the other hand, was screaming and taunting them like a crazy person. I was shaking that cowbell so much I was getting blisters on my hands! All Pedro could do was laugh and shake his head. I don't think he realized what he was in for. :)

Long story short... Marlins WON IT!! We won and the cocky Yanks had no choice but to shut up and leave with their tails tucked between their legs. Victory is sooo sweet! Go Marlins!!

So excited!!!

Yes, I went with the enemy. lol

Surrounded by a sea of Yankee fans.

Just so we're clear.

Marlins win it, 2 -1!

Agony of defeat!

Celebration bizatches!!

Cowbell 1, Yankees 0!!

Workin' It Out

2009-06-15T12:21:00.009-04:00

It's Monday, and I decided yesterday that I wasn't going to let a whole day go to waste laying around the house, so this morning I woke up, had breakfast, and was out the door by 9 a.m. I went to one of my favorite spots, Kennedy Park. I like going there to work out or start my bike ride to Crandon Park. It's really pretty and right by the water, so when I get done with my workout I usually bring a blanket and a book and read for a while.

Anywho, today I just went for a work out but DAMN it was hot! 85 degrees at 9:30 a.m. and I heard it's going to reach 94 degrees by early afternoon. I went for a run, then did some exercises until I felt I was gonna pass out and then walked around for a bit and took a few pics. Saw some cool things including a crab, a sea slug-looking thing, and some cool fish. I decided there was no way I could go a whole year without working out, no matter how busy I get with school. Doing just straight studying everyday, including weekends, without any other sort of activity was burning me out. And now that I have Mondays and Thursdays "off" (always in quotations cause there's never really a day off from nursing school!), I'm going to get back into working out and just doing something other than studying.

So I'm off to enjoy the rest of my Monday, I hope you're enjoying yours! Let me leave you with a few pics of my morning.

Make a SIGGnificant Difference!

2009-06-14T13:53:00.013-04:00

Calling all plastic water bottle users! I know you're out there!

I used to be one myself, going through a 24-pack of water bottles every two weeks. That was, until about a year or so ago when my friend Anne introduced me to SIGG bottles. As soon as I saw them, I knew I had to get one (or two)!

These trendy bottles are incredibly durable, safe (no scary chemicals leaching into

your drink!), and of course, eye-catching. The inside coating is resistant to fruit juice acids, soft drinks, and just about any beverage you put in it and you don't have to worry about lingering smells or tastes. There are so many designs to choose from that I'm sure you'll find at least one that has YOU written all over it. And if you don't, you can make your own custom SIGG!

I never thought twice about all the plastic bottles I threw away each week. But to put it in perspective, in the year that I've been using my SIGG, I have saved approx. a total of 624 plastic water bottles from being dumped in a landfill somewhere. Not to mention, the $208 (approx.) I saved by not having to buy a 24-pack of water bottles every two weeks!

So check it, and if in the end you decide you still have to have your plastic water bottles, then remember to recycle!! :)

www.mysigg.com

Tostones (Twice-Fried Plantain Fritters)

2009-06-09T14:19:00.030-04:00

Here's a Cuban favorite of mine that's great to serve as an appetizer or with a meal. It's not a low-fat recipe (as implied by the "twice-fried"!) but it's definitely delicious and the Mojo Criollo dipping sauce that goes with it is the perfect compliment to these crunchy treats!

Tostones

Ingredients:

3-4 green plantains (yellow plantains are sweet and we don't want that for this recipe)
canola oil (or vegetable oil)
salt
Tostonera (plantain press)

Instructions:

1. Take one plantain and with a sharp knife, cut the ends off. Then make a shallow slit lengthwise from the top of the plantain peel to the bottom, being careful not to cut into the plantain itself. Then take your fingers and separate the peel from the plantain. Remove the peel and discard. Do this for each plantain.

2. Cut the plantains into small slices, about 2 to 3 fingers thick.

3. In a large frying pan, pour enough canola oil to almost cover the slices of plantain (about 2 or 3 cups depending on the size of your pan). Heat the oil on Medium heat. Once the oil is heated, gently place the plantain slices in the pan and allow them to cook on each side until each side is golden (maybe a little brown, very little though!). *Cooking over Medium heat is very important because if you put the heat too high, the outside will cook too quickly while the inside won't cook through enough.

4. For this next step, you'll want to create a little assembly line to make the process more fluid. Grab a bowl filled with water and pour salt in it liberally. Make sure the salt is mixed into the water well. Place a thick layer of paper towels on your prep counter. Next to it place the Tostonera, next to that place the bowl of salt water, and next to that place another paper towel. Got that? ;) *If you don't have a Tostonera, you can use the flat bottom of a bowl.

5. One by one, remove the plantain slices from the oil and quickly place it on the thick layer of paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Then place the slice in the Tostonera and flatten. Dip the flattened plantain (tostones) in the salt water and then set it aside on the last paper towel. Do this for each slice.

6. Turn the heat up on the oil to Medium/High. Place the tostones back in the oil and fry until crispy and lightly browned.

7. Put a paper towel on the serving dish. Remove the tostones from the oil, place on the serving dish, and sprinkle salt on top. Serve with Mojo dipping sauce.

Mojo Criollo (Creole Garlic Sauce)

Ingredients:

6-8 cloves of garlic
1 tsp salt
1 small yellow onion, very thinly sliced (almost translucent)
1/2 cup GOYA sour orange juice OR 1/4 cup sweet orange juice
juice of 1/2 a lime and 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Use a mortar & pestle or a food processor to crush the garlic with the salt to make a thick paste.

2. In a bowl, combine the garlic paste, onion, and citric juices and let it sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes.

3. Right before serving, heat the olive oil over Medium/High heat in a saucepan until it's really hot. Add the garlic mixture (careful it might splatter), stir, and serve immediately. (Any extra sauce can be refrigerated and used later.)

ENJOY!!!!

Happy Birthday Papi!

2009-06-08T21:10:00.010-04:00

Today's my dad's 74th Birthday! I feel very blessed to have such an amazing and loving father in my life and I hope God blesses him with many years of health and wellness.

And yes that is half a cake. They sell it like that. We Gesni's have no business having a whole, huge, delicious cake at our disposal for the next week. I'm trying to watch everyone's figure. Plus this was after making him a blackberry cobbler. :)

Coming Up for Air

2009-06-03T17:25:00.018-04:00

I'm sure I've said this before, however, this has truly been the week from nursing hell! Actually, it's been more like two weeks in the making. Last week my class took the critical thinking/care plan exam where we are given a nursing scenario and have to determine what could possibly be wrong with the patient and what we're going to do improve their condition. About 5 minutes after turning in my exam, I realized "IDIOT!!! You forgot to write a secondary nursing diagnosis!!!!!! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" Ugh, it was SUCH a bummer! (Actually that's the day I decided to take a trip to Jungle Island to calm me down.) I knew I had secured a spot at next week's retake exam, which might not have been so bad if I didn't have two other exams that week!

That was a Wednesday. I spent Thursday thru yesterday either at a library or hospital studying and preparing for today's two exams. It's hard to describe the stress and toll that a week of continuous studying and worrying takes on a person, but you could definitely see it on our worn out faces and empty stares. A constant flow of coffee was all we had to keep us from succumbing to the one thing we longed for more than anything... SLEEP!!!

But the day finally came. For those retaking last week's exam, it was do or die... we either passed this time or kissed our hopes of graduating in December goodbye. Frankly, there was no chance in hell my butt was not going to pass this exam (plus I don't really have a Plan B if I fail out of nursing school, so I had no choice). Our professors didn't make it easy for us though, throwing a big curve ball when they gave us diabetes for a scenario. Diabetes?!... we learned that 3 months ago! I think they ended up agreeing that as long as we didn't kill the patient in the process of resolving his hyperglycemia we'd pass. And guess what? Everybody passed! PHEEEW.. One down, one to go, and by this point I'd had enough. I just wanted to get the day over with. Luckily, on my second exam (pharmacology) I scored a 2 out of a possible 1, 2, or 3 and as long as you got a 2 or 3, you received full credit. Haaaaaallelujah!!! I have one more exam (Med-Surg final) on Friday and then my semester's over. Yippeeee!

A weekend off sounds pretty amazing to me right now... I'm pooped. :)

My Little Parrot Friend

2009-05-28T22:12:00.013-04:00

So I went to Jungle Island a couple of days ago to relax and enjoy the scenery, and for the second time I saw this ADORABLE blue parrot. The first time I saw her (I decided it's a "she"), I wanted to put her in my purse and take her home! She did the cutest thing where she would scoot over to me and bow her head so I could scratch it. How freakin' cute is that!? (I'd like to think she only did that for me lol) So when I saw her again this time around, she did the same thing. Not only that, but she made this cute little noise, like if she was purring. Anywho! I filmed a little clip of it....

Olives and Capers

2009-05-28T13:47:00.010-04:00

If you like olives and capers, you're definitely going to like this one. The recipe is simple, quick, and doesn't require many ingredients. It's also a nice change from your regular spaghetti and tomato sauce.

Spaghetti with Olives and Capers

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I heart garlic, so I used 5 cloves)

1 small dried red chili, crumbled

12 oz tomatoes, fresh or canned, chopped (I like to use grape tomatoes)

2/3 cups pitted black olives

3 tbsp capers, rinsed

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 lb spaghetti (I used whole wheat)

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, to serve

Instructions:

Bring a large pan of water to a boil, and add salt. Add the spaghetti and cook until pasta is al dente. Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic and dried chili, and cook for 2-3 minutes until garlic is just golden.
Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, and tomato paste. Stir well and cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes letting all the flavors seep into the sauce.
Pour the spaghetti into the sauce and cook for 1-2 more minutes, turning pasta constantly making sure pasta is well coated.
Sprinkle some parsley on top and serve!

(Crispy garlic bread goes great on the side.)

Bon appetit!!

My First Video!

2009-05-23T08:52:00.003-04:00

It's taken me all day but I finally did it! I've been taking One to One lessons at the Apple Store so that I can learn to use all the programs on my Mac, so during my last lesson, my Genius, Jen, gave me an overview of iMovie. The program let's you take your video clips, pictures, and music and manipulate them to make your own video. It had so many cool features that I couldn't wait to get started on my first one!

Just so happens this past Thursday at Jackson North (the hospital where I do my clinicals), some of the students decided to play a little prank on our professor, Ms. Gibson. (mwahahaha!)

Ms. Gibson left her purse in her car that morning and when lunch time came around she asked Hafida and Zoila (bad move!) to get it. Hafida, Zoila, and a group of us headed down to the cafeteria while Ms. Gibson finished with he rest of the students. It wasn't very long before the words "Let's do something to Ms. Gibson's car!"

came flying out of Hafida's mouth. A couple of ideas were thrown around (including "I love Boozer" Post-Its all over the car - Boozer is Zoila's beloved dog) until it was finally decided that her car was going for a ride... to another parking spot. So there they went, while the rest of us headed for the cafeteria, Hafida and Zoila went to carry on their mischievous plan.

We all had lunch, sat through post-conference, and FINALLY it was time to go! As we headed into the parking lot, we all stuck close by as Ms. Gibson chatted about this and that, with absolutely no clue of what awaited her. And then it happened... :)

Here it is... my first VIDEO and our first prank on Ms. Gibson.

Enjoy!!

Composting Time

2009-05-20T18:27:00.000-04:00

I finally decided to get this compost thing going. When I first fiddled with the idea, I really liked that it would be a win-win-win situation for me, my garden, and the environment. It would save me money on store-bought compost , provide my garden with nutritious organic material, and by using organic waste from my kitchen and yard, it would reduce the amount of trash that ended up at the local landfill.

I did some research to see what my options were and decided to start on a smaller scale, just to try it out first. I went to K-Mart the other day and bought myself a 32-gallon plastic storage bin. You can start with a smaller bin than this one but I got this size because I had already accumulated a good amount of yard clippings and leaves from my garden.

Now, here's the not-so-fun part... So apparently, the microorganisms and bacteria that break down waste into compost like oxygen (aerobic), so in order to make sure they're getting sufficient O2, it's important to poke holes all over your plastic bin (including the top lid and bottom). I used this handy little pick shown below to poke small holes on every side, top, and bottom of the bin. You want your holes to be small enough to deter any small vermin from getting in. (A word to the wise, use the hand opposite to the one holding your tool to help drive the tool into the plastic - it'll make it easier and faster.) Of course, there's always a power drill, just be careful if you do use one that you don't crack the plastic.

I'm not going to lie, this was tedious work, but it's best to just knock it out once and get it over with.

And now you're ready! Time to gather the materials you're going to add to your bin. You should gather an equal amount of green (fresh grass clippings, veggie and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags) and brown (dry yard leaves, wood chips, sawdust) materials. You want the moisture in your bin to be equivalent to the moisture of a wrung-out sponge. This environment will promote microbial activity that's conducive to the breakdown of your materials. Too much water and you'll prevent O2 from getting to the bacteria, too little and you're composting time will slow down significantly. For more tips, check out this helpful website.

I added some old apples, mango peels, and coffee grounds to my bin today. :)

In the coming weeks I'll let you know how my compost is coming along and what's been working for me or hasn't. Hope everyone's having a good week!

OH, but I did...

2009-05-18T20:01:00.002-04:00

SPAM (Lite) ... it's what's for dinner. And yes, by choice. Hey, I never claimed to be above canned meats and processed cheese. It's one of the guilty pleasures I like to indulge in once in a while... I just decided to share it with everyone. :) Do I get a little credit for the Lite SPAM at least? No? Okay, fine. But I'll have you know that SPAM is a delicacy in Hawaii. HISTORY LESSON ALERT: I was watching Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern and he explained how SPAM's popularity grew during WWII when there was no fresh meat to be found anywhere so the islanders resorted to the salty canned meat being supplied for the troops stationed on the islands. Now, it's a staple of Hawaiian cuisine. So I guess what I'm saying is that if it's good enough for the people of Hawaii, it's damn well good enough for me!

What a load of crock, I know. hehe :) Truth is I was in the mood for some comfort food tonight. No history lesson needed. But how much cooler do you feel now knowing about Hawaii's history with SPAM??

You're welcome. ;)

Sunday Already?!

2009-05-17T15:15:00.000-04:00

Good Lord what a week!! I spent Monday through Friday morning (4 a.m!) in seclusion studying for my Med-Surg cardiac exam. And this wasn't just any exam, this exam could very well mean the difference between pass and fail for most of the class (myself included), so you can imagine the amount of stress we were all carrying around! So Friday 8 a.m. rolled around and you could feel the tension in the air of our unreasonably freezing classroom. As the professor passed out the exams, I took a deep breath and gave myself a little pep talk to calm myself down and remind myself not to overanalyze the questions as I'd gotten in the habit of doing in my previous exams. 35 questions, 45 minutes... The professor said "begin" and there I went, trying to keep a good pace. I fought the urge to let my mind wander a few times and ended up finishing the exam pretty quickly. It was now time to avoid the crowds of people who had gathered outside the class to ask each other what answer they got for this and that question. I decided I wasn't going home until I knew my grade so my friend and I hung around, grabbed some lunch (and a well-deserved beer), and met with the professor who held our fate in her hands. Drum roll please............ yes ladies and gentlemen, I got an A!!! WOOOOHOOO! I couldn't have asked for better news. All the stress, sleep deprivation, and Cuban coffee was SO worth it!! :)

Let's PLAY BALL!
After such a long week I really looked forward to Saturday. I was taking my mom and dad to see the Marlins play the Dodgers and praying that the Marlins would finally win one. The afternoon was perfect for a ball game. My mom had a blast

and my dad, though he didn't pass the chance to say how much better he could watch the game if he were at home in front of his TV, enjoyed himself too. ;) I definitely had a great time... a cool, breezy afternoon, a corn dog and fries, some hotties sitting directly in front of me, and a big W for the Marlins, was all I could've asked for.

After the game, I sang and danced my butt off at the Super Saturday concert with TKA and Stevie B. For those who aren't familiar, TKA and Stevie B. are two of the biggest freestyle groups from the 80s and early 90s. Freestyle music was huge in South Florida during that time and it still draws a big crowd. Other freestyle artists you may have heard of are Exposé, Lisa Lisa & the Cult Jams, and The Cover Girls. It was a fun Saturday overall and I'm glad my parents had a chance to get out of the house.

And now it's Sunday! Where did the weekend go? As I sit here typing away, the annoying voice in the back of my mind is saying, Aurora, it's Sunday, why don't you do something productive like picking up your Med-Surg book and reading ahead for tomorrow's class? Fortunately and unfortunately for me, I've become pretty good at ignoring that voice. My predictions for the rest of the evening are: I will finish up my blog, prepare myself a nice dinner, and watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition and have myself a good cry. :) Hope you all had a great weekend!

Look for a new, delicious soup recipe coming soon!

Yumm-O!!

2009-05-11T19:04:00.001-04:00

So yesterday I told you my sister and I tried out this new recipe we found for my mom's Mother's Day dinner and I gotta say it was GOOOOD!! I mean, really good (and healthy)! We made Couscous-Stuffed Chicken Breast with Feta, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, & Kalamata Olives... how can you go wrong with that!?? Side dishes included Roasted Asparagus & Rosemary Potatoes. The meal is extremely tasty and all the flavors really compliment each other well. Pair it up with a nice bottle of white wine and you have the makings of an unforgettable, "wish I had more room in my stomach" meal. ;) I recommend it for your next dinner party or a nice romantic dinner night with your significant other.

Here's mami and papi getting ready to chow down while watching the Marlins game. Aren't they cute? :)

The New Garden :)

2009-05-10T13:38:00.001-04:00

My mom and I have been working on our back yard for a week now. Believe me, it needed (and still needs) some work but we did manage to clean it up and plant lots of pretty flowering plants, shrubs, and palms. I'm also going to try to make my own compost (in an attempt to be more green), so if it works I'll let you know. How hard can it be to throw a bunch of trash together, right? ;) Here are some pictures I took yesterday.

OH, and a Happy Mother's Day to all the beautiful mothers out there!.. Especially my mami. :) My sister and I are going to make her Couscous Stuffed Chicken Breast w/ Feta, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Kalamata Ol ives with Rosemary Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus. I'm hungry already!!! :)

Here I Am!

2009-05-08T22:01:00.001-04:00

Finally! I've been saying to myself that I wanted to start my own blog for a year now. However I finally have the ability to actually keep up with a blog now that I am officially a Mac owner. Just made the PC/Mac transition a few weeks ago and I am looooving it! So here I am, with a little patience and perseverance I think my blog is looking just like I wanted it to. Now all I need are readers. :) I can tell you right now, you can expect favorite recipes, pics and progress of my garden, as well as anything else I feel like ranting about. I'm in nursing school so you can be sure there'll be interesting stories in my adventures in nursing. I'm currently watching the Marlins play Colorado, so I'm going to peace out for the night and pray that they freakin' win one! Good night! :)