A Few Favorite Recipes

I know it's been a bit since my last post, things have been a a little busy lately.  However, I couldn't resist posting a few favorite recipes.  For Mother's Day I offered to cook a Mother's Day dinner for all the mothers in our family, I'm so awesome!  We had a great Mexican Fiesta, Colin and the boys came (Emily wasn't feeling too well), Meridith and the kids came and we got to know Cody a little better (He is such a keeper and he will be a much welcome addition to our family!), Boni and Abbi came and Jared brought his girlfriend, Miriam.  Add Grandma and a few neighbor kids into the mix and our house was hoppin!  I made my famous guacamole, pineapple salsa, beef and lime chicken fajitas and strawberry pie.  Everything was so yummy I had to share a few recipes with you.  No...I won't share my guacamole recipe, I have to have a few secrets don't I? 

Pineapple Salsa

I found this recipe in Marguerite Henderson's book, Small Plates.  It's tastes so fresh and all the ingredients really play well off each other.

2 c. finely chopped fresh pineapple

1 red bell pepper, cored and finely chopped

1 c. jicama, peeled and chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, cored and chopped

1/4 c. chopped red onion

2 T. cider vinegar

1/4 c. vegetable or peanut oil

1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. sugar

Combine all ingredients in bowl and serve.  Makes 3 cups.

Easy Beef Fajitas

Yes, they are SO easy.  They are a new favorite for me.

In a crockpot put:

1 onion, chopped

1 can tomatoes, diced

1 roast (I used a rump roast)

1 pkg. taco seasoning

Cook on high all day.  Shred beef.  Put in taco shells with cheese, sour cream, tomatoes and onion mixture from crockpot.

Lime Chicken Fajitas

These fajitas are an old family favorite.

Fajita lime marinade:

2/3 c. olive oil

1 1/2 c. fresh lime juice

2 T. minced garlic

4 t. ground cumin

4 t. ground coriander

1/2 t. ground allspice

1 t. salt

1 t. pepper

1/4 c. vinegar

Marinate approximately 12 chicken breasts.  Grill on BBQ.  While grilling, slice onions and bell peppers and saute in a skillet.  Cut chicken into fajita strips and add to onion and pepper mixture.  Serve with warm flour tortillas, grated cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, gaucamole, sour cream and salsa.

Let's Get Excited!

Today I met some friends for dinner at Paradise Bakery in Bountiful.  Driving by I saw that Bellisimo Gelato is finally opened!  Yay!!!!!  Can you tell that I'm excited?  Even though I just had a bowl of soup, I had to stop by for some gelato.  If you've never had gelato, you have got to go try it.  I'm always a willing accomplice.  I tried the mango and coconut and I was in heaven.  As well, this store is an independent store.  I think we should all support awesome, inventive stores making a go at it in Davis County.  So let's have some gelato!

Happy Birthday to Me

So, of course, today is my birthday and I am sending hearty birthday congratulations to myself.  However, not the best birthday, somehow today is the day my body decided to fight off a cold.  Not much of day, but I did get the most gorgeous flowers at work.  One fact about my birthday is that I share it with my niece, Paige, who is turning 14 day!  Here's the story...Paige was born on my 18th birthday.  My sister-in-law, Jen, had a due date a few weeks before ( or was it after???) my birthday and I kept telling her that the baby would be born on my birthday.  Well, sure enough I got a call on my birthday that Jen had had a sweet little baby girl.  What a special 18th birthday that was!  Since then, Paige has always held a special place in my heart.  She is the sweetest girl and now she has grown up into a beautiful, amazing young woman.  She is talented and very smart and reads voraciously (I would like to think I passed on the reading thing to her!) So a big Happy Birthday to me and Paige!  I love ya Paige!!!

A Jane Austen Smackdown

VS

The 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility has been considered a classic.  For the last few months Masterpiece Theatre has been presenting all of Jane Austen's novels.  I was pretty excited for this season, considering the excellent production of Jane Eyre last year.  For the most part, I haven't been as impressed.  However, a few weeks ago a new version of Sense and Sensibility was presented, and I am pretty pleased with it.  Pleased enough that I added it to my DVD collection.  So, here's my take on what I liked and disliked.  I really liked the actresses who portrayed Elinor and Marianne.  I love, love, love Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet but I always thought Emma Thompson was a little too old for her character.  New version:  Colonel Brandon was hotter, Willoughby was not.  I like Edward more in the new version as well, I am not a huge Hugh Grant fan.  1995 version:  there's nothing better than the combo of Kate Winslet and Greg Wise as Marianne and Willoughby, they are fantastic together!  In the new version - not as intense or passionate.  I feel the 1995 version is sometimes a little silly, and the characters sometimes cartoonish.  In the new version,  seems a little more real, as well as there are some added scenes that are very interesting.  Overall, I love both versions.  They each have something different to offer and in the end both present a very satisfying version of Jane Austen's classic Sense and Sensibility.

Hmmm....

The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans are suffering from some form of mental illness.  Think of your three best friends.  If they're ok then it's you.

Rita Mae Brown

General Conference Brunch

In our family, there are two occasions reserved for preparing a nice breakfast - Christmas and Sunday morning on General Conference.  I decided to try my hand at these danishes.  I haven't generally been a fan of danishes, I think they are usually too sugary and the pastry is too dense.   These Fresh Fruit and Almond Cheese Danishes fit the bill quite nicely.  I was given the recipe in a cooking class by Marguerite Henderson - my hero!  They turned out perfect - mild cream cheese sweetness enveloped in soft flaky pastry (thanks to the puff pastry dough) with fresh berries.

Fresh Fruit-Almond Cheese Danish

1 pkg. puff pastry sheets, thawed

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 T. half and half

1 egg

2 T. powdered sugar

zest of 1 lemon

1 c. fresh berries of choice: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries

1/2 c. sliced almonds

Place the pastry sheets on work surface; cut each sheet into fourths.  Have two baking sheets lined with parchment or silpat ready.

In a bowl, beat cream cheese, half and half, egg, powdered sugar and lemon zest.  Divide mixture among the 8 squares of pastry, placed the cheese in the center of each square.  Top each with a tablespoon of fruit of choice.  Cut a small slit in the corners of each pastry square, and then fold pastry over the cheese so the center is exposed.  Sprinkle with sliced almonds.  Bake in a 425 oven for 20 minutes or until golden.  Remove from oven, sprinkle with powdered sugar and cool slightly before serving.  Makes 8 danishes.  

Note:  Somehow when I was folding the dough, I kept thinking this will not be pretty.  Don't worry, they don't look pretty going in the oven, but, as evidenced by the picture, they sure look beautiful coming out! 

Something New...

I was driving in Layton last night and saw the newest shopping addition.  This place is freaking awesome!  Apparently this is a big shoe store everywhere but Utah and they've finally come to here.  There are a few other locations in Salt Lake, but the Layton store just opened.  They are located across from Target in the new shopping area where Cafe Rio is located.  I went in and browsed for a few minutes and struggled to hold on to my wallet.  I already found about 5 pairs of shoes that I'm in love with.  Stop by and take a look, you won't be disappointed!