Mexican Style Shrimp Cocktail

This is a perfect summer snack that can even be a meal!  I sometimes add imitation crab meat and serve it on tostada shells.  My husband and I have been watching our carbs and eating something like this sure helps us feel like we are not being deprived of anything yummy!  

We eat it right out of the glass like this since we are not eating tostadas, crackers or chips right now.  It is very refreshing, easy and healthy!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 lb. cooked jumbo shrimp- peeled, de-veined and chopped... A few can be left whole for presentation. ;)

1 Large Roma Tomato diced

1/2 cup peeled and chopped cucumber

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup of tomato/clam or tomato/shrimp juice cocktail such as Clamato

2 stalks of green onion chopped

1 large avocado peeled, pitted and diced

Salt to taste

Tapatio or other hot sauce to taste.

Combine all ingredients. Chill for about one hour (if you can stand to wait - haha!) and serve in glass dish with saltine crackers, tortilla chips or crunch tostada shells on the side. 

 I prefer Roma Tomatoes for cooking. 

Limes for lime juice... 

This is the tool I use to squeeze my limes. =) 

 Make sure your avocado is just right!

 Chop your cilantro making sure to not leave leaves or stems too large.

Dump all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl, combine, chill and serve. 

Enjoy!!

Sherry's 10 napkins Baked BBQ Pork Ribs

Not too long ago, a good friend of mine called to give me a heads up on a really good sale on steaks and ribs at my local grocery store chain.  That's a good friend, I tell ya! =)  I was getting ready to go grocery shopping, so it was perfect timing.  She mentioned that she got some pork ribs and she was telling me that she got it from the meat case and by listening to some of the other ladies that were ordering, she was able to really ask for a good piece of meat.
So, I took her advice and asked my butcher to do the same thing.  I asked for a whole rack of pork ribs, which happened to be about 6 lbs.  You want one that is trimmed of excess fat.  I asked him to cut it down the middle and crack it.  My friend wasn't sure what the ladies meant by "crack it", but now we do. =) There is a section of bone on a whole rack of ribs that goes across the top and is hard to cut through.  "Cracking it" is when they cut through that bone for you. See top, right piece of meat in the picture below.
I've cooked ribs in the oven before, but I usually cut up my rack and then boil it first.  I wanted to bake these from start to finish.
These were thee best ribs. Ever.  So, I will tell you how I made mine and you can either be jealous ;)  OR you can make some too.  I think the latter statement is the better thing to do. =)

Sherry's 10 Napkins Baked BBQ Pork Ribs

Ingredients:

6 lbs. whole rack pork ribs - split and cracked =) and trimmed of excess fat

1 bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory and Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce

Dry Rub Ingredients

1 teaspoon of each:

chili powder

black pepper

cayenne pepper

onion powder

garlic powder

Mrs. Dash original blend

smoked paprika

1 TBS Kosher Salt

5 or 6 dry bay leaves

Directions:

Cut the rack into sections.  Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.  

Sprinkle dry mix generously onto your meat, then rub it in being sure to get both sides. I use my hands!

In a large 13x9 glass dish, place about 4 or 5 dry bay leaves.  Arrange your seasoned meat with the meat side facing up and then add about an inch of water to the pan.

Place in a 200* oven, uncovered for 1 hour.  After an hour, check the water level and add more if needed. 

Bake for another hour.

After the second hour, remove from oven and turn up to 300*.  Pour out any water left in the dish.

Using a basting brush, liberally cover the ribs with barbeque sauce and cover with foil.  Bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, turn up temperature to 350*.  

Remove meat from oven, uncover and add more bbq sauce.  Return to oven for 25 more minutes.  

After 25 minutes, put meat under broiler for about 5 minutes to crisp up the edges, but keep an eye on it.

Three hours later - but you will have THEE best ribs.  Seriously.  Try it and tell me if this is not true.

Of course, we had corn on the cob and potato salad to make it the perfect summer meal.   

Next time I make this, I will put it on the gas grill for the last few minutes instead of the broiler.

ENJOY!!  And oh! Don't forget to have plenty of napkins!! ;)

Have a YUMMY 4th of July!!

We were invited to spend our 4th of July with some friends celebrating our country's independence as well as their son's birthday.  They are having the get-together at the beach and that's usually where we are for the Fourth anyway, so it worked out perfectly!

We are bringing some carne asada to share towards the grilling.  I got some really good quality flank/skirt steak at a really good price.  I marinate it myself with all sorts of dry seasonings, plus orange juice.  It's going to be delicious!!

I also wanted to make a little something to bring as a side.  I did two different salads that are a favorite with my family and friends.

Creamy Bacon, Avocado Pasta
Ingredients:
1 box of Barilla rotini pasta
1/2 package of bacon
1/2 cup of mayo (I only use Best Foods)
1 large avocado pitted and cubed
2 Tbs dry Ranch dip mix (from the packet)
2 tsp dried dill
2 tsp Mrs. Dash Original Blend seasoning
Directions:
1.  Boil pasta according to directions on the box.  I like Barilla pasta because it really cooks up al dente, which means it's firm, but not hard.  Drain, rinse and let it cool.
2.  Cook bacon until it is crisp, but not too dark.  I like to cover a cookie sheet with foil and lay my bacon (spaced evenly) on the sheet and cook in 350* oven for about 15 minutes.  Drain grease and chop into small pieces.
3.  Cut avocado in half and remove pit.  Slice into cubes.
4.  Begin putting salad together by dividing the pasta and adding the mayo to one batch.  Fold and mix into pasta distributing the mayo evenly.  Then sprinkle in your dry seasonings, followed by the bacon and then the avocado last.  Add the rest of the pasta and mix carefully.  Continue folding without mashing the pasta or the avocado.
5.  Squeeze the juice of one whole lemon over the whole thing and mix one more time.
6.  Chill until ready to serve.

Caprese Salad - My Way

Ingredients: All produce purchased at Trader Joe's

1 Container of baby heirloom tomatoes (I quarter the larger tomatoes)

1 Container of mini pearl grape tomatoes

1 8 oz. container of Ciliegine Whole Milk Fresh Mozarella packed in water (drained and halved)

3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove minced

4 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1 cup of fresh chopped basil (I bought a plant at TJ's a while back and it's been the best!)

Salt/Pepper/Italian Grinder Herb Seasoning (McCormick's)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl (I prefer glass).  Season to taste with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.

Serve immediately or refrigerate and then serve cold.

p.s.  If this salad was just for me, I'd add some amazing black olives, but I've got to many picky eaters around me. =)

Well, there you go.  I look forward to having an amazing day tomorrow with my family and friends.  Last year, we were also at the beach, but little Marco had an asthma attack and my husband ended up taking him to the hospital. =(  They both totally missed the fireworks.  Praying that all goes well this year.

We are so thankful for the freedom to enjoy a day with our family and to celebrate by remembering all of those that served and gave their lives to secure that freedom.  God bless America!

Pinned and Tried..."IHOP" Pancakes

So, I saw this recipe and decided I needed to try it for a few reasons.
1. My family loves IHOP pancakes.
2. I have never made pancakes that didn't come from a mix.
3. I had all the ingredients on hand and...
4. It looked super easy and fail-proof.

Here is the actual link to the blog that I found the recipe on...I give credit where credit is due!

I did follow the recipe exactly this time.  I usually like to shake things up a bit and get creative, but this one seemed to be one of those that you don't mess with!  However, I did double the recipe since there are six of us and we also had a guest with us.

The picture is my own and the pancakes turned out GREAT!!  We enjoyed some fresh strawberries on the side and that made them even better.  This recipe gets two thumbs up!  

IHOP pancakes

1 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/4 c. sugar

Stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder,and salt. Mix the egg with the buttermilk and add to the flour mixture, stirring only until smooth. Add the melted butter and sugar. Fry on a greased griddle. Serves 4.

FIRST TIME EVER... Not so basic Basic Crepes

I love crepes.  I love them sweet and I love them savory.  I have never made my own crepes...until today.  Oh my goodness.  It was so easy.  I looked through a few cookbooks that I have and even looked it up on-line.  I decided to go with a basic recipe that I kept seeing over and over again.  I had all the ingredients on hand too.  That was the other reason I chose this one. 

So, I made a small batch and oh.my.word.  Sooo good.  I posted on fb that I made crepes for the first time and then got several requests for the recipe I used.  Since I've been wanting to post more recipes on my blog - not just pictures of food - I decided that I would blog about the crepes.  However, I wanted to wait until I made some super-fancy crepes like Sauteed chicken, mushrooms and spinach with a heavy cream sauce...or something like that. haha! Then I got 3 more requests for the recipe and I decided to just do one right now.  My girls would be home soon and they would be hungry for a snack.

Won't you come into my kitchen? =)

• Ingredients:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

First, grab a large mixing bowl and add your wet ingredients...

 Then beat well.  I like to use a hand whisk for something like this...

 Add dry ingredients and mix again until there are no lumps...

 It should be runny...it's a thin batter...

 I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour the batter.  You want it to be thin and even when you pour it on the hot griddle.  Oh, of course I oiled the pan a bit...

 When you see that it's cooked pretty much through, just give it a flip with your spatula.

 I used what I had on hand, so I put some strawberry jam and store brand cool whip.

• Don't forget the powdered sugar on top!! Enjoy.  

Because the crepe by itself has such a neutral taste, it will blend with just about anything.  You could add fresh fruit and heavy cream, Nutella and strawberries or any other sweet item you like.  You could go savory, which is what I'd like to do, with some chicken, mushrooms, and cream sauce.  You could do ham and cheese, eggs and bacon, spinach... YUM!

I was thinking that you could even go fancy for fall and do something with pumpkin or apples.  Get some cinnamon action in there... oh yeah.  Try it out and let me know how it goes.   =)

By the way, the kids all loved it when they got home from school!

Fried Eggplant from the community garden!

I shared a picture of some beautiful veggies my husband got from a local community garden. I went to meet the person in charge of it today to learn more about how it works. I came home with another eggplant and another zucchini! I decided to bread and fry the white and purple eggplant. Seasoned flour, 2 eggs beaten, and panko bread crumbs. The family loved it!!

Cauliflower mash instead of potato

Beautiful grilled pork chops from Costco

Well, that's what's on the table in our house today. We sure have been doing a lot of grilling. Only a few weeks of summer before school starts up again. I don't think we are ready for that at all. =) What are you serving up these days?

You've got to move it, move it!!

I woke up with the feeling to create something this morning. However, when I walked into my studio, it wasn't very inviting. It was a mess. I'm not talking about an "I've been creating all kinds of beautiful art so things are all over" mess. It was just a mess. My tables have become the 'catch all' for the other things that need to go upstairs and my daughter and her friend were working on their art journals, so things were just out of place.

This is my work table (the one without a cover). What a mess!

See? Things are really looking crazy!

I started to straighten up...and the next thing you know - I am moving furniture around!!

I got to dusting off the shelves and throwing stuff away. I wanted my sentimental things to be displayed properly!

I wanted my paints and stamps to be within arms reach.

Everything looks and feels so much better. It may still look crowded to you, but I know where everything is - so that's what counts. I will be giving you a close up look at some of the stuff in a later post.

After that project was done I got busy on dinner. I kept it simple - baked chicken thighs, zucchini, and a green salad. Also got about 4 loads of laundry done while my girls helped by folding them. Over-all it was a really productive day! I'm getting ready to head out to church. We have prayer meeting during our mid-week service and I will especially be thinking of my friends, Kim and Tracie and their family. Their mother has been battling cancer for some time now and I know that these final days are precious to them. My heart goes out to them.

Pho for the first time!

It seemed like every time I turned around, someone was meeting up with their friends for Pho or having Pho on their lunch break or posting on their status that they were really craving some Pho. It was driving me nuts. It was worse when they'd post a picture because it always looked so good - or at least like they were having fun eating it. hehe
My husband had Pho once when a friend of his invited him out for lunch. He's not sure what he had, but he didn't care for it. I wasn't convinced. It's got to be good if this many people are talking about it around here, right?
Well, one of those people that are always taking pictures of it and posting about it is my youngest sister Deborah. So, when I knew that we were going to Washington, I told her she better take me and show me how it's done.
She whole-heartedly agreed. Let me take you through my lunch with the pictures. By the way - it's pronounced FU - short u. =)

We started out with a shrimp spring roll. I liked it. It was light and went well with the peanut sauce.

My sister's friend KP came along. I guess they are professionals when it comes to Pho. lol

I ordered the beef brisket Pho. It came in a very hot broth with TONS of rice noodles and chopped green onions. Then there is a whole selection of things that you can add to it. There's the mung bean sprouts, cilantro, jalapenos, mint, Vietnamese basil and lime. There are different sauces that you add to make it sweet, spicy, etc. I steered clear of the sweet. I did add a splash of Hoisin sauce, but that was it. I also only added the sprouts, cilantro, lime and a bit of basil.

I loved it. It took me forever to get to the bottom of the bowl, but it was delicious. Now that I know how it works, I will probably start looking for a good Pho place around here. =)

My mom and Marco ordered the one that not only had beef brisket, but it also had beef tripe. Ick. Not for me thankyouverymuch. My mom also loaded up the hot sauce in hers. She knows what she's doing. haha. Marco liked his as well.

Naomi is not an adventurous girl. She opted out and asked for fried dumplings. My oldest daughters Tary and Hannah thought that it was just "okay". They let Deborah prepare theirs (it was chicken) and she totally doused it with the Hoisin sauce giving it a very sweet taste.

Glad that my first (not my last) Pho experience was a good one. Oh, and I must add that my little sister paid for the whole meal. That was over $70!! She's a hard-working 23 year old, but I certainly didn't expect it. Thanks sis!!

Have you had Pho? What's your favorite kind and how do you like to eat it? Any tips for this newbie?

Not so "St. Patty's Day" dinner...

I LOVE berries and grapes in my salad.

Sauteed mushrooms...just butter and herbs

Asparagus!!

Thick cut pork chops on the grill - my favorite way to cook them...

Simple. Fresh. Clean. Paleo. Yum.

From my kitchen...

Simple Paleo fare... Sauteed shrimp

World's easiest sausage stuffed mushrooms...

Asparagus wrapped in bacon...

Chicken and asparagus salad...

Simple, yet tasty low-carb eats. Keep it fresh and colorful and everyone's sure to like it!

Reverb 10|Day 26|Soul Food

December 26 – Soul Food
What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul?
(Author: Elise Marie Collins)
________________________________
Well, okay. This one's kind of making me laugh and kind of making me nervous. You see, food is such a big event in my life. I love food. I love cooking. I love gathering friends and family together just so that I can feed them. Food is a big deal to me.
On the other hand, I am really coming to terms with the fact that I can no longer hide behind the "it's my culture and I just like to eat" comments about food anymore. The fact is that I feel good when I am full. I like good quality food. I don't really care for sweets or junk food...just good food and the more the better. 2011 will be yet another year that I deal with the issue of trying to get myself to where I feel healthier and more confident. Lord give me strength.
I know how to make and choose healthy foods, but I do have a problem with portion control. So, that being said...I am going to post a few pics of some really great things that I had this year. I don't know if any of it really "spoke to my soul"...but it was memorable enough that I took a picture of it, so here goes.

This was some very good Tiramisu that I had in Idaho at an adorable little tea house. It was more special because I was there with a kindred spirit of mine, Erin.

I enjoyed these greens with some other home-made Korean foods while I was in Washington this summer visiting my parents. These greens came from my mother's garden. Oh, how I wish that I appreciated this more when I was growing up.

Macadamia encrusted halibut on a bed of baby bok choy. It was soooo good. Marco took me to a little seaside resaurant in Dana Point for our anniversary. It literally melted in my mouth. If anything ever spoke to my soul, it was this.

This was a fresh spinach and greens salad that I made with grilled scallops and sauteed shrimp. I added fresh cucumbers and blueberries and grape tomatoes from the Farmer's Market, as well as watermelon and mushroom. Sooo good. The perfect summer meal.

This last photo was taken at Benihana restaurant. We took my daughter, Hannah, for her 15th birthday. The food was very good, but more importantly, it was so much fun and brought joy to the whole family. The chef put on a big display of fancy knife work, flipping the shrimps, etc, and the food was cooked very well. It was definitely a night of great memories!