Tomato Soup

I've been watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC and it made me really think about what we are eating. Even before the show we have been trying to eat better, and I think we are doing a good job! But watching the show just reminded me about why we are trying to eat better. So I checked out Jamie's Food Revolution book from the library (I love it, so I'm going to buy it!). The 1st recipe I made from the book was tomato soup. I've never been a big fan of it, but I know Gary loves it so I figured I would try. To my surprise, I loved it, I ate the entire bowl (by it self!) usually I will only eat enough to soak up the bread! It is so much better than the canned stuff! In the book Jamie asks that the recipes be passed on, so I'm passing it on to the 3 people who read my blog ;0) (Mom, you can make it, it isn't that hard and doesn't take that much time)

Serves 6-8
2 carrots peeled and sliced
2 celery sticks sliced
2 medium onions peeled and roughly chopped (I used half of a large one, and it turned out good)
2 cloves of garlic peeled and roughly chopped
1 3/4 chicken or vegetable stock (I used 3 cans of chicken broth)
olive oil
2  14oz cans of plum tomatoes (I used the diced ones)
6 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped.
a small bunch of fresh basil (I used 4 leaves and a tsp of dried)
sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Put a large sauce pan over medium heat and add 2 TBSP of olive oil. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Mix together and put the lid on askew. Cook for around 10 minutes until the carrots are tender but still keep their shape and the onions are lightly golden. Meanwhile, put the broth in a large pot, cover and bring to a boil. Add the veggie mix to the large pot, along with the canned tomatoes and the chopped tomatoes. Mix it with a spoon and let it come to a boil. When it comes to a boil turn it down to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes.

Turn the heat off and season with salt and pepper. Add the basil.  Using an immersion blender (or you could probably blend in batches in a blender or food processor) blend until smooth. Season again and serve.

*I paraphrased the directions.

After adding everything to big pot.

I served it with garlic sour dough bread that I brushed with olive oil and toasted.

With fresh mozzarella.

Potato Gorditas

Growing up my Nana always made "gorditas" (I really don't know what to call them in English, Gorditas, means fat girls in Spanish) with left over mashed potatoes. I look forward to these every time I make mashed potatoes I really don't have a recipe since there is always a different amount of left over potatoes but here is the gist:

Around 4 cups left over mashed potatoes
1 cup - 2 cups shredded cheese
salt
pepper
Minced onions and/or chopped green chili (optional)

2 eggs
1 1/2 tbsp flour
oil for frying (optional)

Mix the 1st 5 ingredients together and form patties.

In a bowl scramble the egg then add the flour and mix well (it will be thick)

If you want then fry the patties in about a 1/4" - 1/2" of oil (this is the way Nana does it).

Since we are trying to eat better, I wanted to omit the frying step and try to bake them, to my surprise they came out great!!  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put the patties on there. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn the oven to broil and bake for another 5-10 minutes, keep checking on the gorditas so they don't burn! Take them out and enjoy!

Before I baked them. I used the cooling rack to try and make them crispier but the batter just dripped through, so I wont use it again.

Just out of the oven...and so yummy!

I can't remember who I said I would give this "recipe" too...so here it is for everyone to enjoy!

Bring out the hot-glue gun!

I have ALWAYS wanted someone to give me a mason jar filled with something, then topped with fabric and a ribbon...no such luck yet. So for my dear mom-in-laws birthday, I decided that she needed this lovely gift. I decided to fill the jar with homemade taco seasoning...but the fun part was making the top of the jar!

After about 4 sticks of glue, it was done (yes I said 4, and it's a small jar).

She hasn't received my creation yet (along with some glue-free gifts). But my hubby was supportive and when I showed him my creation he lavished me with the same praise that a 4 year old gets after making a macaroni frame.

I am still trying to figure out if that's a good or bad thing.

But I did make her some awesome taco seasoning and I made it mild, just for her, so hopefully she will ignore the strings of glue all over the jar  :0)

Onion Powder!

If you read the title you probably think I'm crazy, you wouldn't be that far off...

But the other day I had an onion that was about to spoil, and I didn't have anything planned for it, so I brought out the dehydrator and made onion powder!

The onions after they were dehydrated, it took about 5 hours on 145 degrees.

The onions in my itty-bitty food processor.

The finished product. I am guessing I got about 2 TBSP of onion powder from one onion, so I will never complain about the price of a bottle of onion powder again! But I really do like the taste of my onion powder over the bottled stuff, the one I made just tastes onion~ier.

I got the "recipe" from here

where are my teeth?

  On friday I took a tiny blue pill and Gary drove me to the dentist...to get my wisdom teeth taken out!! I had 3 left (one was taken out in HS). 2 of the 3 broke while being extracted, I also got a cleaning and a filling while I was sedated. I just have to tell anyone who will listen to my complaining, how much this hurts!
  I have tried to eat semi-soft food and failed, I am getting tired of protien shakes and applesauce. Hopefully I lost some lb's while on this insane diet. I think I have a dry socket in one of the incisions cause its the one side that wont stop throbbing!
  Anyway, thanks for listening to my whining :) Have a great day eating normal food...think of me.
 

Yummy Breakfast!

Check out my yummy breakfast from this morning...Im actually just really proud of the picture. I've never seen pancakes look so pretty :0) I posted it on my other blog that I never post on...dunno why?

Raspberry Compote-ish

Soup please :0)

Since fall is here, it's soup and stew time! Problem is, we can only eat so much chicken soup and beef stew (those are the only recipes I know and trust) so if you have some yummy soup & stew recipes please share them!

Im done begging ;0)

Salsa!

About 2 weeks ago we decided we should do something with all the vegetables in the garden...Salsa! So we started slaving over the cutting boards and stove.

About 8 jours later, with burning hands and watery eyes we managed to crank out about 20 pints and 7 quarts. It was really worth it cause the salsa is so yummy! We left 10 pints up stairs and 4 is all thats left. I don't think we made nearly enough to last till next summer.

It tastes like a bagel, but.....

Today, was a sad day. I failed at my first attempt to make bagels:(

I followed the directions to a"T" but my bagels are UGLY! (they do taste great though)

The directions said to "sprinkle" cornmeal on an ungreased cookies sheet...well Im now having to remove the bagels with a jack hammer, next time I will grease the cookie sheet!

After they rose for the 1st time...the dough was super sticky. Is it supposed to be? So this was the best I could do.

Who knew you had to boil bagels before you baked them? Yes the pot is bent, I dropped it, it still works though.

The final product! Yes, you can laugh. I am.

They do taste good though.