Craft Day!

This weekend I am meeting with my friend, Kristen, for craft day! We decided to dedicate a day to making some fun holiday crafts while watching One of our favorite Christmas movies, Elf.

Below is a picture from Pinterest with a chalkboard mug I will make. The link for the Pinterest image is from http://katescreativespace.com/category/homing-instinct/

My version though will be with blue chalkboard paint. The paint states it can be used on ceramic so we shall see how this project turns out. I picked up my mug from the dollar store. It's cream on the outside and blue on the inside.

Wish me luck!!!

Chicken & Birch Box

I made my first roasting chicken on Thanksgiving for Kelly and I. Turns out I really am starting to master culinary skills. It turned out incredibly delicious! I followed this recipe from Taste of Home:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Harvest-Stuffed-Chicken

We even gave the chicken a name as i was preparing it, Chachi the Chicken. Silly? Perhaps.

I also received my Birch Box this past week. It contained the following:

• Kerastase Chrome Sensitive - a gentle cleansing balm, which purifies strands & locks in color
• MCMC Fragrance - in a scent called Phoenix 
• ModelCo - Fiber Lashxtend Lengthening Mascara. Uses lash extending fibers to give you a lengthy fringe.
• One Love Organics - Aromatic Body Serum
• Chuao Chocolatier - Honeycomb Bar flavor

So far I've tried the Chuao Chocolatier bar and it fantastic! I've also been using the mascara and if I have to be honest I'm not loving it. I think there are better mascaras out there. The mascara cost $24 and I've definitely used better mascaras for both cheaper and more expensive. 

As a regular consumer with no cosmetic professional background I would say I've seen better results using Lancôme (Defincils $26), Clinique (High Impact & High Impact Curl both $16), Blinc ($26), Maybelline (Big Lash $5), and Avon (Super Extend Extreme $6).  Don't forget the eyelash curler! My favorite is made by Shiseido and is a bit pricey. I believe it was $20 but has lasted years and curls amazing.

Here are some pictures....

Fortune

Over the weekend Kelly and I had Chinese take out. I get really annoyed when I open a fortune cookie and it contains a proverb instead of a fortune. What the heck, right?!  I opened one of the fortune cookies and received that familiar annoying proverb so I tossed the cookie and proverb in the trash after reading it aloud to Kelly.

The following day I was feeling like something crunchy and saw another unopened fortune cookie on the counter. I opened it and since I know these cookies ALWAYS contain proverbs I threw the paper on the counter without reading it and happily ate my cookie.

About an hour later as I'm browsing on the couch online Kelly yells from the kitchen counter, "why didn't you read me THIS fortune that you got!" I went over to look at what he was talking about and could not contain my laughter!

Apparently this time I really did get a fortune in my cookie, but Kelly certainly did not appreciate it.

Albondiga Soup

Here is a link to the website I used to make the albondiga soup recipe this past weekend. My mom makes the best albondiga soup recipe, but since I don't go home too often and she never follows a recipe I had to find an authentic one to follow.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/marcela-valladolid/mexican-meatball-soup-recipe/index.html

The only modifications I made are the following:

Substituted ground turkey meat 

Used an additional tablespoon of tomato paste

Added some chili powder to taste while the stock is boiling prior to putting in the meatballs

Below are a few pictures I snapped...

Tomatillo Sauce

This past weekend I made some recipes that I love.  Here is one of them:

Tomatillo Sauce

Ingredients:

•  1 or more serranos (this depends on how brave you are, the more serranos the spicer the sauce...I use 3)
•  8-10 medium tomatillos 
  
•  1/2 medium white onion
•  Garlic cloves (up to you how many cloves, but I use 5 because I love garlic)
 
•  1 or more limes (I use 1-2 typically)
• Water (I don't measure, just put enough in a pot to boil the tomatillos & serranos all at once)

Cooking Equipment:

• Large pot 

• Blender 

• cutting board

Directions:

 Peel the membrane off the tomatillos and wash each tomatillo.  Wash the serranos.  Place all of the serranos and tomatillos in a large pot of boiling water. You will know they are done when the skin starts to peel off and they have a brownish color on the side of the skin that touched the water.

While the serranos & tomatillos are boiling finely dice the onion.  Once the serranos & tomatillos are finished boiling place them in a blender with half the diced onions, garlic cloves & lime juice.  Carefully place each tomatillo & serrano on a cutting board (careful, they're super hot!) and cut off the stem of each. It's messy and is easiest done with a fork holding the tomatillo or Serrano while you cut.  While cutting be careful because the water inside them can be extremely hot....I emphasize to be careful from experience!

Since the tomatillos and serranos contain water from boiling I add a little of the same water that they boiled in to the blender. Like I said, I don't measure so it's best to start off with a small amount to add to the blender. Should it be too thick you can always add more water. I also squeeze juice from a lime or two into the blender and blend away.

I either use this sauce to make enchiladas or just to dip tortilla chips in. Enjoy!

Baking, BBQ, fishing & more.....

This was a fun filled weekend. I spent it cooking recipes I found through Pinterest, attended a BBQ at a park hosted by Kelly's fly fishing club, and wrapped it up last night hanging out with friends who are hooked on new episodes of the Walking Dead.

I plan on posting the links and recipes I made throughout this weekend for the following:

The World's Best Chicken
Baked Oatmeal Cassarole
Albondigas
Tomatillo Sauce/Salsa

I'm really starting to feel the kitchen is a zen place for me. I feel so relaxed cooking these days. I'm always amazed that I can cook such tasty meals.

Here are a ton of pics recapping my weekend.

Highlights

This week has been awesome! Below is why:

a. I'm still blogging away daily during weekdays, therefore goal #1 is continuing to be achieved.

b. I started running again so I'm back on the wagon to train for a half marathon.

c. I'm super excited to put my culinary skills to work tonight on a yummy looking recipe I found on Pinterest.

d. I get to hangout with Kelly tonight! Nothing better than cuddling on the couch with the ones we love, right!

Also, my friend Bekie, gave me some stationary that I love! I've decided I must write a random thank you note to someone at work. Not sure who yet, but hopefully it makes their day :).