Monday, May 23, 2011

More Turkey talk....

I must share a great new place for good eats.  I told you about Bruxie and now I present to you Archibald’s!  Oh, Archibald you sly devil!  Such a small place for such powerful flavors!  Our paths had to cross and cross they did this Sunday in the wee morning hours (approximately 2:00 am Pacific Standard time…don’t ask me what I was doing in Long Beach at that time).  I mentioned my good friend Glenda (she is of the waffle magic post), well she has a great accessory by the name of Tom (her hubs).  He’s super cool and can bust an ACDC song like nobody’s biznez!  Anyway, he introduced me to Archibald’s Mediterranean Turkey Burger...tada!  OK so a photo would normally appear here but I was too busy enjoy the burger that I didn't think to take a picture!  If you saw the photo though you would see all this gloriously juicy turkiness of a burger with lettuce, tomatoes, and other stuff...sorry can't recall other stuff as I was too busy eating said stuff... I swear I scarfed that sucker down!  And the fries! Dang were they good…you can’t go wrong with some paprika in your fries! Anyway, that’s Archibald’s…if you are ever in Long Beach, Victorville or anywhere near their other locations you must pay them a visit!  Check out their website.

So, I’ve been working on some stuff and hope to post soon.  I found these while going through an old box I had thrown nicely put away in my closet.... 


and made these earrings.  I really like the color combo! 


Until next time…heeeeeeerrrrssss LUNA….sleeping!



Besos,

Alma

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Turkey Balls & Waffles....

Hola!  I know I have been away for a bit but I’m here now with a recipe and a post about a most delicious dessert.  First for the recipe....last night I cooked turkey balls…OK, so the technical term for them are turkey meatballs…whatever.  I looked through the web to find a recipe while utilizing the ingredients I had at home but couldn’t come up with just the right one.  I was on the Food Network site and liked the Alton Brown recipe for “Baked Meatballs”.  It looked like it would be full of flavor, but alas, I didn’t have any ground pork, or ground lamb or frozen spinach for that matter.  So, the following is what I came up with....

Directions:
Recipe inspired by Alton Brown

Makes approximately 15 turkey balls!

1 pound ground turkey
1 egg -- beaten
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup panko crumbs 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Grab a baking sheet pan and either spray with cooking spray or cover with aluminum foil – I did both as mine likes to hold on to stuff. 

Combine all ingredients in one bowl.  Use your hands to mix all ingredients together.  Once mixed shape the turkey mixture in to small rounded meatballs (approx. 1.5” or so in diameter or you can do what Alton does and weigh them to 1.5 ounces…umm…yeah, I don’t have a scale thingie so just made small meatballs).  Cook for 20-25 minutes (mine were done in 21 minutes exactly).

I didn't think about posting this on my blog until after I started the recipe so don't have step by step pix. I do have this picture of the lil' suckers cooking....


I then cooked some spaghetti and mixed in some Vodka sauce (my fav!) and then added the turkey balls.  And dinner is served….



OK, now for some waffles....Last week I met up with two of my very good friends Glenda and Santa for some dinner and lots of girl talk.  We met up at Old Town Orange (love that area!) and ate at Henry’s Grill & Rotisserie (great place with super friendly waiters).  We talked about going next door (or two or three doors down) to eat some cupcakes for dessert,  but we kept talking and talking and when we decided to leave Henry’s and make our move to the Cupcakery the dang place was closed!!!  What the what!?!?! Our sweet tooth (or is it teeth???) demanded dessert so undeterred we marched on over to Bruxie.  They make waffle magic I tell ya!  Glenda ordered the S'Mores, Santa, the ever adventurous one, decided to try one of their featured waffle concoctions called the Strawberry Crème Brule, and I stuck to my favorite in crepes...Nutella & Bananas.  Oh heavens!  I cannot even explain to you how good each one was (yes, of course we each had a bite of the others…we’re tight like that!).  I still have flashbacks of the nutella and banana combined with the sweet cream – it’s like my taste buds won the lottery.  {{sigh}}  I will definitely go back real soon.  Oh Bruxie, I am over the moon for you!  But glad you are not that close to my place, as I fear my waistband would expand way too much from all your goodness and no amount of Tae Bo would help!  OK, so instead of Luna pix I leave you with waffle pix...Luna understands and will be back next post. 

S'Mores -- um, yes I'd like some more!

Stawberry Crème Brule -- oh hecks to the yeah!

Nutella & Bananas -- the most perfect of combos...just look at that ooey-gooey goodness!


Thursday, May 5, 2011

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Today is Cinco de Mayo.  The day the small "army" of farmers beat the big army of french men.  Yep, I am a great history teller!  OK, how's this for some history...I am told my French Great Grandfather met my Mexican Great Grandmother during this time – I’m thinking not actually at the war itself but maybe he was patrolling the  riverbed and she was…I don’t know…picking wild flowers then suddenly she looks up and sees this handsome young fellow but notices the uniform and is scared at first because, after all, he is a French soldier but then meets his eyes and…BANG!!! She fell in love, but she was one step behind him, as upon seeing the vision of loveliness that she was he immediately was smitten with the Mexican  señorita!  However, since he was in the French army that was invading her town their love couldn’t be, but it was much bigger than any war (and apparently language) and they persevered…OK, I’ll stop….I think I still have some of the cough medicine in my system!  I just asked my mom and she said she vaguely remembers being told that the French soldiers were stationed in the town where my great-grandmother lived and that’s how they met.  My great-grandmother’s family apparently came from money and she was a socialite.  Her aunt also married a French man as well.  She wasn't able to tell me more as she said that as a young girl she wasn't really interested in her grandparents lives.  Hmm…I like the riverbed story better!  OK, back to business...I have a recipe for you!  I know my first one and hopefully not my last.  This recipe is for one of my favorite weekend breakfasts -- Papas y Huevos con Chorizo (potatoes & eggs with chorizo).  Here’s what you’ll need:

Serves 4-6

5-6 potatoes depending on size (we use Russet potatoes)
½ pound of chorizo – I like pork chorizo but you can use beef if you prefer – you can add more chorizo if you prefer
5 eggs – can use more or less if you prefer -- I like one egg to 1 potato ratio.
2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil – I ran out so used grape seed oil, which was more than fine.
2 tsps. Salt (more or less depending on your taste buds – can also do garlic salt)
2 tsps. pepper (again, you can add more if you want – don’t recommend using less)
Cheese – we use the Mexican blend in a bag (Sargentos), or you can use pepper jack, cheddar or colby.

Peel each potato 

 cut each potato into small squares (the smaller you cut the quicker they cook).  While you are cutting the potatoes you can heat the oil in skillet.  

Add potatoes to skillet.  Add salt and pepper, and cover. Lower the heat to medium.  

Cook until potatoes are nice & tender (fork will go through it with no problem)
While potatoes are cooking – in a different skillet cook the chorizo – if purchased chorizo links make sure to cut into the casing so that you can squeeze the chorizo out.  

Once in pan turn heat to medium high and breakup the chorizo so that you have smaller bits (like when you cook ground beef).  Make sure to stir frequently.  You’ll notice it’s done when the meat looks darker and it’s firm (like ground beef).

Drain the grease from the chorizo and add chorizo to the cooked potatoes.  

Now for the eggs – I like to add a splash or two of milk then whisk together until well combined, you can omit this if you like and just whisk the eggs together

After eggs have been properly introduced add to the potato and chorizo mixture.
Mix all together – don’t over stir as you don't want to make the potatoes mushy.  Just cook until eggs are done.

Now, you can either eat as is (I recommend putting it on a plate first, but if you want to eat out of the skillet I won't judge) with cheese sprinkled on top…or do what we did and make a burrito out of it!  Heat up a flour tortilla then add the mixture some cheese and sour cream and call it breakfast. OLE!

 Disclaimer:  This is my first ever food tutorial so don’t hate on me if the directions aren’t that great. 
 I could go for one of these right now! 


And that's all folks!  Ooops! Almost forgot the Luna pic of the day....
Looks like Luna had a couple of those cadillac margis! 

Monday, May 2, 2011

Medicine head...


I have a cold.  It sucks.  I’m hooked on Halls.  I’m sure I’ll kick the habit once the cough goes away, but for now I am popping one every hour…I know it says every 2 hours but I think I’m OK.  Hey, it beats having medicine head from the cough syrup.   Anyway, Halls company must be on a positive kick mode as they now have a “pep talk in every drop”…no joke!  Well, it’s not actually inside the “drop” it’s actually in the wrapper.  I guess they want you to feel better about having a cold (after all if you didn't have one they'd be outta business!). Some of their "pep talk" jems are..."Don’t waste a precious minute.” and “Fire up those engines!”, but honestly my “fire” is gone and really I do want to waste “a precious minute” (actually several hundreds of them!) at home in my bed sleeping!  But thanks anyway Halls company, I appreciate your efforts.  OK, enough about my complaining.  I actually finished some new jewelry. Yay me! (how’s that for a  pep talk?!?).  I took some pics with my phone camera so the pics aren’t very good, but I thought I would post them here before I put them on my Etsy store. Oh, speaking of my Etsy store. I have a new banner! It’s really pretty.  I purchased it through Etsy and I love it!  Now I have to work on making my blog nicer.  I am still on the fence with the name and driving Vivian crazy coming up with some goofy ones.  I’ll decide on one soon or keep this one.  Maybe I’ll name it “Undecided”.  






And of course, here's a photo of Luna....

Besos!

~Alma