Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Are The Bubs alive?

Wow, it really has been a long time since I've blogged. Of course we are still eating and doing all of the fun food things we enjoy. Life has been crazy. With both of us working full time and myself in Grad School, life has gone back to full speed. Funny enough, though life has been crazy and non-stop we have made it a point to find time in our lives for the little things we enjoy.

This year we have our first ever actual garden. We are growing crookneck squash, pumpkins, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, and a few failed attempts with corn and strawberries. Our garden allows us to check out of the hectic Silicon Valley and bond with the world we love. So I do truely apologize for the lack of entries. Hopefully we can find time to finish out this summer with many of the wonderful things we have been growing, cooking and eating.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Welcome Chance!

I wanted to formally welcome our newest family member, Chance. He is a male read eared slider (RES) who I've known for about 3-4 years. We rescued him from my work. He was living in a classroom that seemed to have lost interest in him. RES's are a lot of work!

I first met Chance when I worked in his classroom. I was his care provider for quite sometime. He's who inspired me to get Molly. I moved on and he stayed behind. With the building of the pond it was time to move him into a better situation. So, on April 30, 2009 he moved into our life. I introduce the world to Chance Perotti.

Chance is a lot smaller and a bit more unsociable than Molly. He has very large claws, different markings, and a pointed face. It's nice to be able to tell them apart. I'd be a horrible mother of twins! After being with for a few weeks he is doing quite well. I even caught him basking with Molly one day.
Awww look it's there first meeting. I turned off the pump so I could see how they reacted to each other. She's HUGE compared to him. I think that Molly McButterPants remains queen of the pond. The look on Molly's face is priceless.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Whip Cream Adventures

Hey sicko's first off get your minds out of the gutters. Maybe I should have titled it stabilized whip cream adventures. Enough of that, let's get our minds on food! A couple of weeks ago was Mario's 35th birthday. We had a great weekend of celebrating in a beautiful hotel on the California coast. Unfortunately, the big day actually fell on Monday.

Being the loving wife I am, I had to make sure he got to blow out his candles. I ran to our local grocery store to whip up a box of cake mix. On the way I called my mom and told her all about what I was going to make. I told her how Bub had said that his favorite cake was chocolate cake with whip cream frosting. And how the "I can do that" light went off in my head. As we talked about my plan, and she said the statement that sent my brain into a tale spin, "are you going to stabilize it?" I had no clue what the hell she was talking about.

The more we talked I realized she did know what she was talking about. Mom filled me in on how by not stabilizing my whip cream that it would not be stiff and it would be a watery mess by the second day. In a panic I asked her what I needed to do? She informed me to get the ingredients I was already going to get and to pick up some gelatin. As soon as I got home I hit the computer to make sure mom wasn't crazy . And wow she wasn't, I found that there is a pretty standard method of how to stabilize whip cream.

I was able to take this standard recipe and go from this:


To this beauty:

It was perfect and lasted for a good 3-4 days tasting just as good as it had the first night I made it. I have to say that 1. this will be my go to whip cream recipe for umm probably the rest of our lives and 2. Mom you were right (she likes to hear that)!

The final product for Mario's birthday baked treats were cupcakes and I also had tried making cupcakes in cones (which Bub loved). Adorable and perfect for kids. But not so great the second day, the moisture of the cupcake destroys the cone.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Fresh Finds: Pork Medallions with Grapes in Pomegranate Sauce

The other week we found ourselves in a conversation about our cookbooks and the need to try more new recipes. It started out as a conversation about stepping out of our comfort zone and dipping into the different flavor combos out there. So we decided that we would cook at least one new recipe a week. We decided that there are few rules, the two rules being it has to be new and not our own recipe!

We were so fired up about this idea we dove right into it! I thought it'd be great to take a picture of the cookbook and a pic of the final product. I know it's silly but I really wanted to see how closely we could get our dish to look like the dish in the book. I'm aware that not all books have pics but I thought it'd be fun for the ones that do.

Our first dish is brought to you from Jacque Papan's More Fast Food My Way 2008 book. I grew up watching this man on PBS and was so excited to get this book. We settled on a Pork Medallions with Grapes in Pomegranate Sauce. I think we were both a bit apprehensive to try this dish at first. Eventually it sunk in that pork and fruit tend to go together quite well.

Overall we agreed that the combination of flavors were yummy and the texture of the grapes were really enjoyable. I had expected the sauce to be a little thicker but then again I'm a gravy loving girl. Mario overall expected the dish to have a lot stronger flavor.

In the end it was a little disappointing dish. I think we expected some amazing flavors to pop due to the ingredient list and they were just very subtle. Now don't get me wrong we did enjoy this dish, it just probably won't get made again. I had it for lunch the next day and I think the sitting over night did it some justice. But we all know things taste better the second day.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

*drum roll please* The Kitchen

I figured since I wrote about the pond it was time to keep the ball rolling and finally get to the post about our new kitchen.

As any cook knows the kitchen is what makes up a big part of one’s cooking experience. In our old kitchen we had minimal room, white grout counter tops, white porcelain sink, a gas stove, horrible cabinetry and a standard refrigerator. For 5+ years we made the best of our situation. We learned to make this kitchen work and complained about it every step of the way.
Well when picking a house we knew we knew what we wanted in our new house. When we first stepped foot into our house it seemed cool then we entered the kitchen. Our eyes grew very big in excitement. To be honest between the endless possibilities of the backyard and the beauty of the kitchen we were sold. So I present our new kitchen!
Complete with granite counter tops, a gas stove, cabinets a plenty, a lazy Susan for whatever we want, a refrigerator with french doors, a deep stainless steel sink. And man look at the lighting! I also have to say that for the amount we cook and move around in the kitchen the mass amount of space is refreshing.
I think our fridge is one of the best purchases we have made so far. See the little white board to the left of the refrigerator? That's our weekly menu. It is nice to not feel cramped in the kitchen. We even have a window that allows us to watch the world around us go by.
Of course I can't forget our ever growing cookbook collection! We still need a better dinning room table, but that will come eventually! I dunno, I adore our kitchen and wanted to share it with anyone who happened to take a peek at our little blog!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The Bubs will be choosing Earth!

Next Saturday night we have decided to take part in this very interesting event. I encourage everyone to take one hour, just 60 minutes out of their life to support the world! Which side are you on, the earth's or global warming? Make your vote count switch off your lights.

To learn more go to Earth Hour for more information and tips. The website sums it all up, so no need for me to!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

A new home for Molly McButterPants

This weekend was a big weekend for our pet turtle Molly. Yes her name is Molly McButterPants. She is our 2 year old Red Eared Slider. Over the course of 2 years Molly has grown to be a lot larger than we ever expected. She went from a 29 gallon indoor fish tank to a 110 gallon pond in just under two years.

In the scope of things we felt like building Molly's new habitat was a top priority and a quality of life issue for her. Since moving to the outdoors Molly hanging out in large Rubbermaid container with a filter. These were not ideal conditions but we knew it was a temporary fix for our massive turtle. Enough about Molly on to the pond!

The morning started off at about 7:30 a.m. at our local Home Depot store. We grabbed a pre-formed pond and headed home to deal with the deed at hand. When we moved in to our house there was this slab with rocks and wood. We assumed it was for a hot tub. Well we really aren't hot tub people so this seemed to be the perfect spot for Molly.
After a lot of shoveling rock and getting ride of the wood frame we finally hit actual ground. The natural next step was to figure out how we wanted the pond situated and to start digging. We ended up sinking the pond in the ground about a foot or so. Once it was perfectly into the ground we were off to Home Depot again!
We had to make trip number two to pick up the cement blocks. I'm sure they have a proper name but I'm just going to say the heavy cement blocks. We loaded up 20 blocks and headed back home knowing that as much as we did not want to we had to do a 3rd trip to Depot. Did I mention that we are lucky enough to have a Home Depot RIGHT around the corner? So like I was saying we headed back for a 3rd time to good ol' Home Depot. All in all we needed about 40 blocks to get the look we wanted.

After our shape was fixed we had to support the blocks and pond with the dirt we had pulled out. So, back in the dirt went.
Mario found a great use for the flag stone we had been tearing up in the yard. He put some stones into the ground surrounding the pond. Once the winter passes and we clean them up they will be a lot more visible. We filled up the pond, de-chlorinated the water and let it circulate for awhile.

Next came Mario's favorite the fencing (not really it was a big pain in the butt). One might ask "why the fencing" well folks our turtle is like most other turtles an escape artist. She has the option of land but not the option of running away. Good thing Mario had the brute force to get those suckers in the ground!
At around 6:30 p.m. we grabbed up Molly and let her check out her new home, while The Bubs grabbed a beer. Molly appears to be happy and we love how it looks, so a good situation all around. Now the next step in this project is to get some plants in there. Phew one project down a billion more to go. I couldn't forget the lady of the hour Miss Molly McButterPants!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Offbeat Grub: Prickly Pear

I get so excited when we try new foods! Our most recent new food we picked up a Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit This fruit was going for $3.99 per pound, which meant we spent under $2.00 on one piece of fruit (I forget the actual price).
The prickly pear when cut into has a great magenta color and minimal fragrance. As with most fruits we try we wanted to taste it in its purest form and decided to have it with our lunch. I did some research online as to how to prepare the fruit for consumption. I peeled it and carved it up and put some slices on a plate.
Presentation wise the fruit is very visually pleasing. The taste was very subtle. The one draw back to eating a prickly pear is the amount of seeds. There is a TON of seeds in every bite. The amount of seeds for us took away from the enjoyment of the mellow flavor.
It is nice to report that we both agreed that we would love to try cooking with prickly pear and making some sort of reduction out of it. The flavor condensed with maybe a little honey would very tasty over some pan fried chicken or pork.

Anyone got any great Prickly pear recipes they wanna share?

Friday, March 6, 2009

Lunar New Year

During the moving process we tired our hardest to keep making yummy meals. At times we had to resort to the evils of fast food. While this wasn’t the healthiest of choices it did save our hides more than once.

Even though our time was being consumed with packing and moving we did make time to celebrate a new holiday. I was so excited in February to celebrate our first Lunar New Year. This was the first year that Mario and I had actually paid attention and took the time to learn about the food traditions and cultures surrounded around this very special holiday.

(A photo from our parade)
I was super stoked to be celebrating it both in my home life and my work life. I work at a special education school that focuses on complex emotional and developmental disabilities. The Lunar New Year allowed me to organize a celebration and parade around this cultural holiday. The students and staff both seemed to love it. After the parade we had a snack table that was complete with oranges, tea, and cookies.
That night before our big celebration at work Mario and I had our own feast. As I was preparing cookies for the students I was also preparing a low fat lunar feast. I felt as if I had on a very small scale transformed into a person who was excited and filled with the culture of the New Year. My thoughts of year of good prosperity, good fortune, and good healthy in my little family filled the kitchen. It was important to us that everything we ate during this feast had meaning and understanding
Our meal consisted of dumplings for wealth , egg drop soup for fertility, and long life noodles for well a long life in the new year. So it may be late but from we wish everyone a great and healthy New Year!

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

The Bubs are back!

It seems as though we have made it through the move! Life right now is all about getting settled and making the house our own! We had to do a lot up front to make it our own! Right off the bat we painted the front room and the bedrooms. We had the floors done with hardwood and carpet. They look great by the way! This house looks so different already from when we first checked it out.

We have also had our fair share of new home owner syndrome. After only three weeks of living here we already have an electrician and a plumber. Luckily, these guys have helped us out and taken care of business.

Now that we are all settled-ish it's time to get back to business and making our dream house.

It's good to be back!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

The Bubs are Moving!

Please forgive the lack of posts over the next few weeks. We are officially moving! We are moving from a rented condo into our very own three bedroom house. We could not be more excited right now.There are definitely some things that need work, but we are up to the challenge. I can't wait to show off our new kitchen!

Hope to be back in a week or two!
The Bubs

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Brussel Sprouts and Bacon

Recently, a couple of friends and I got to talking about how one either loves a brussel sprout or hates them. I have to say that The Bubs love us some brussel sprouts and bacon. One of the ladies said that she was willing to try eating brussel sprouts again if she had a good recipe.

So, this week I made it a point to have us put brussels sprouts and bacon on our menu. We've been cooking this dish for years but never had a formal recipe.

Brussel Sprouts and Bacon
Ingredients:
  • A little over 1 pound of Brussel Sprouts
  • 2 pieces of slab bacon
  • salt and pepper
Instructions:
Cut the tip of the brussel sprout steam off, and then peel the loose dark green leaves. Usually 3 to 4 leaves will fall off or will need to be taken off.
Next cut each brussel sprout in half. By leaving a little bit of the steam on this will keep the sprouts in tact.
In a non stick pan boil some water. This will be the pan you use to saute the brussel sprouts in. Once the water comes to a boil, add the brussel sprouts and boil for 4 minutes. Once the time is up rinse the vegetables with cold water to stop the cooking and set aside.
While the brussel sprouts are cooking I typically cut the bacon into small pieces. Then when the vegetables are cooling, cook the bacon on a medium heat and render the fat. Once the bacon is crisp pull the pieces out of the fat and set it aside.
Heat the bacon fat on a medium high heat and put the brussel sprouts in. (If you are feeling adventurous try adding a little shallot or finely chopped red onion for a little flair.) Salt and pepper to taste. Cook the vegetables at this heat for about 10 minutes. You want to cook them until they brown a bit.

Once the are browned to your liking then put them on a plate and sprinkle with the bacon that had been set aside. Enjoy.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Homecooking

This past weekend I made a trip up to Modesto, California to see my parents (Mario stayed at home). My dad's birthday was the 19th so I thought it'd be a great surprise! I baked up some splenda oatmeal cookies (that were actually pretty tasty) for my dad. Well I showed up and he wasn't there.So, since he was not there Mom and I had some time together. My mom when she found out I was coming up whipped up some "Monkey Bread". I had never had it and it was so yummmy! And look how beautiful it is!She also treated me with a good ol' home cooked meal on Sunday night. I've been begging her to make me gizzards for over a year now. Well my wish/demands finally came true.

My mom lightly breaded the gizzards and tossed them in the pan. She then added chicken stock and let them cook for almost 2 hours. At the end of the cooking she tossed in some dumplings *drools*. So my mom, aunt and I sat down to a lovely Sunday dinner. Thanks Mom!Now, I only wish I could get Mario to eat a gizzard!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Quick Meal: Pan Fried Chicken, Grilled Veggies and Black Beans

Tonight we decided it was time we introduced the world to Mario's dinner he created which we refer to as "Grill". When I was going to college, Mario developed the meal. I'd be at a night class and then come home to a tasty plate waiting for me.
This meal is great for weeknights, we make this at least once a month. The key to this dish is getting the vegetables on the stove as quick as possible. These veggies will take the majority of the time to cooking. We tend to use our two burner non stick griddle. I'm sure that any non-stick pan will do.

Ingredients:
  • 4 carrots
  • 4 zucchinis
  • 1 large red onion
  • 1 tbsp. canola oil
  • Cajun spice
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 can of black beans
  • 1 lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
  • Non fat cooking spray
Instructions:
Cut vegetables on the bias and put into a bowl. Then add in oil and a generous amount of Cajun spice, depending on your preference. Mix everything together and put onto griddle on a medium high setting.
Mince garlic and set in a bowl. Dump out excess liquid from black beans. Mix black beans and garlic together and set in the microwave till needed.
Spray non-stick pan with cooking spray. Then pan fry chicken breasts. To make your chicken go further, cut the chicken in half horizontally then pound the chicken thin with a mallet.
When the chicken is almost done, zap the beans in the microwave. And there you go, serve it up and enjoy this yummy quick meal!
Total Cooking Time: 31 minutes and 18 seconds

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Baked Tortilla Chips

It is official The Bubs, like so many others are back on the weight loss train in the new year. Our history of weight loss goes several years deep and several pounds lost and gained back. We are no strangers to the the programs out there and the tools used for weight loss. We decided that this year we had a new motto "A new year, a new house, a new attitude."

Over the years we have learned a lot about ourselves and our bodies. We know that the keys to weight loss for us are to:
1. Not feel deprived, keep the food interesting
2. Keep Moving
3. Measure what we eat

These may seem like simple guidelines, but these are what have worked for us in the past. We as a couple are aware of our downfalls and aware of our strengths. We tend to spend many hikes and walks talking about how we want to be healthier. We know that as a couple we can do anything we set our minds to. Mario is a great motivator and helps to keep us active. I am the voice of reason and help insure that our meals and snacks are on target. Together this is a combination for success. But like anything in this world weigh loss takes dedication
and hard work.

Since snacks are limited at times we have found that one of our favorite low fat and low calories snacks is baked tortilla chips. They are super easy to make and are just as tasty as anything you can find in the store.

The Bubs Baked Tortilla Chips
Ingredients:
  • 1 pkg of 12 corn tortillas
  • non fat butter flavored cooking spray
  • salt

  • Instructions:
    Pre Heat your oven to 375 degrees.

    Instructions:
    Take four tortillas and cut them into triangles. The smaller you cut them the more there are.

    Place on a baking sheet. We use a pizza pan with holes in it. It gives a nice crisp on all sides.

    Spray tortillas with cooking spray then salt.

    Bake in the oven for 11-12 minutes.

    These chips are great with a fresh homemade pico de gallo (which is low in calories and super good for you)!

    Tuesday, January 6, 2009

    Happy New Year!

    We may be six days behind but better late then never! Here's wishing that 2009 is truley a year of change and new beginings!

    Now, lets talk food! For New Years this year (like many years before) we brought back our tradition of fondue. We are not a couple who tends to go out and get crazy on New Years Eve. Our New Years style tends to be grabbing a couple drinks and sitting down to a pot of molten cheese and some tasty broth! This year we were lucky to have our friend Liz over to share the experience.

    Our first course was steamed broccoli and oven baked potatoes dipped in a mix of Gruyere and Swiss Cheese combined with toasted almond yummy goodness! The second course was a bit more involved and extravagant. This round of fondue consisted of a vegetable broth that was cooked for about three hours. We also had out table top Japanese grill available for some grilling pleasure. We had an array of meats to choose from we had pork, buffalo, shrimp, rib eye, chicken, and a little lobster in the middle. I'd say half the dips we made up and the other half came from various cookbooks.

    Once we cooked our meat of choice in the method of choice THEN there was a choice of dip. Our fondue set has five bowls so we made five dips. Each dip had a different flavor. We had a curry yogurt dip, Asian style, Homemade BBQ sauce, Roasted garlic aioli, and a Cajun swamp sauce.

    Unfortunately, we did not make it to the chocolate course. By the time we were done with the first two rounds of food we were full and it was midnight. Even though we didn't get this course the night consisted of good people, good eats and full tummies. What better way to bring in a new year?