Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

...I'm trying to eat healthier, so I saw this recipe here, and decided to give it a try...

...and I don't know where my baking sheet it, so I cooked it in my beautiful star mold...

...the result?...nah...good but not as I expected it. Here is the recipe anyways:

Ingredients

• 8 cups 1-inch-thick slices cauliflower florets, (about 1 large head; see Tip)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

 Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Toss cauliflower, oil, marjoram, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until starting to soften and brown on the bottom, 15 to 20 minutes. Toss the cauliflower with vinegar and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven and roast until the cheese is melted and any moisture has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes more.

S'more cookies...yesss....

...We just went camping and had some (a lot) of extra stuff to make s'mores...I saw this recipe here, so I decided to give it a try...the result: AMAZING!

...Basically you just make a bed of graham crackers...

...prepare a special cookie dough with marshmallows and place it on top...

...cook it for 5 minutes, then put some Hershey's chocolate on top...

...and cook it for another 5 minutes!...so, so, so GOOD!...Here is the recipe: 

S'mores Cookies
Source: Ice Cream Before Dinner

11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ½ cups flour
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
3 regular sized Hershey’s bars, broken into pieces
1-2 packages graham crackers, broken into squares

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking pans with parchment paper. I used one 11x17 pan and one 9x13 pan but you can really use any sized pans you want.

Lay out graham crackers side by side on the pans as close as possible (they should be touching). I used 16 graham cracker squares on one pan and 10 squares on another. You may have to add or remove graham crackers according to how much dough you have. If you want your cookies thicker you will use more dough and less graham crackers.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter with white and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixer and combine on low speed.

Fold in the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour to overnight

Place tablespoons of dough on graham crackers about 1 – 1 ½ inches apart. I averaged about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per graham cracker square as seen in the picture above. Press down slightly with fingertips.

Bake for 5 minutes then remove from oven to press Hershey’s bar pieces on to the top. You can place as many pieces or as little as you want depending how much chocolate flavor you want.

Bake for 5 – 7 more minutes or until dough is beginning to turn golden brown at the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool. For clean cutting make sure cookies are completely cool and cut with a sharp knife.

Pico de Gallo salad and Chili and corn bread in a jar?

...For Fathers day I wanted to cook something special for the best father (after mine, of course:) in the world...my Mike...

and after finding this recipe here, decided to give it a try...Soo easy, so good and so healthy!

Pico de Gallo Salad

Recipe by"La Kocinera"

2 Tomatoes, chopped

½ bunch fresh Cilantro, chopped

½ Red Onion, chopped

Juice of 1-2 Limes

1 can Corn, drained

1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed

1-2 Jalapeños, finely diced

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate to chill.

Serve with chips, on its own, or as a topping for just about anything. 

I doubled it to make more, didn't use the jalapeños (hate spicy stuff) and also added two avocados...delish...

...Also I saw this wonderful idea here, so it was time to try!

You basically make Chili and then  scooped it into the jars. Then I mixed up cornbread batter and spooned it on top and baked it for like 15 min.

Soo good!...Give it a try!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala, yummy but a pain to cook.

...I first saw the recipe here and wanted to try it...

 ...I'm a big fan of recipes with not a lot of ingredients, and fast to cook, definetely this wasn't one of those, but oh well...worth trying...Mike and I loved it!

Here is the recipe: (from The Meal Planner)

 Chicken Tikka:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
1/4-1 tsp cayenne (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt

6-8 chicken thighs (skin on, bone-in)

Stir all ingredients except chicken into the bottom of a large plastic container. Add the chicken and coat the chicken completely with the marinade, cover and place in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.

Masala:
1 can 28 oz. diced tomatoes
1 can 5.5 oz tomato paste
2 inches fresh ginger, grated (store your ginger in the freezer and it will be super easy to grate)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp tikka paste (could use mild curry paste instead, but then also add about a tbsp of lemon juice)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
Salt
1 cup cream
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped


Turn your oven to broil. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a rack over top. Take the chicken out of the marinade and place on the baking rack. Place under the broiler about 6-10 inches from the heating element and broil on each side about 10 minutes. You don't have to worry about cooking the meat all the way through, you are just looking for a nice browned color.

While the chicken is broiling, in a pan over medium high heat, add about a tsp or two of oil. Add the onion and saute for a few minutes to soften. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for a few more minutes until the mixture is nice and fragrant. Place the mixture into your crockpot. To that, add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garam masala, tikka paste, cumin, chili powder and coriander. Stir together. When the chicken is done broiling, add them straight to the slow cooker and stir into the masala (sauce). I have cooked and experimented with this dish quite a few times, and it by far tastes the best when the chicken is first broiled and then slow cooks in the masala sauce. It gives the sauce a real richness of flavor. Slow cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low 6-8 hours.

Before serving stir in 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala and salt if it needs it. I find this just brightens up the spice flavors a bit. Then stir in the cream and fresh cilantro. Serve a chicken thigh with lots of sauce over basmati rice or Yellow Basmati Rice: 2 cups basmati, 4 cups water, salt, and 1/2 tbsp of turmeric. Stir together and prepare as you normally would. When the rice is done, stir in 1/2 cup frozen peas.

Pancake fun

My  nieces and nephews are staying with us for a few days while my sis and her husband are in NYC...fun...so this morning for breakfast and before church, we had a pancake decorating contest...

...I bought these condiment bottles at Wally World for 90 cents each, the girls mixed the pancake mix and added some food coloring (you can make the color in a healthier way with strawberry jam or blue berry juice)

...and then we had some fun!

...we had hearts...

...stars...

...strawberry...

...rainbows...

...and targets...so fun and yummy...

today I made these...

...and they turned out pretty good...perfect treat!

 Recipe:

1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
Pretzels
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat peanut butter and butter until combined. Scrape down bowl, add sugars and beat until combined. You should be able to roll the mixture into balls without sticking to your hands. If needed, add more powdered sugar until you reach a consistency that is easy to roll.
3. Roll the mixture into small balls, about 1 teaspoon of mixture for each ball, and place on prepared baking sheet. Sandwich the balls between two pretzels and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Pregnancy Photo Journals

While surfing the web, I've noticed that doing some kind of photo journal during your pregnancy it is becoming more and more popular. When I got pregnant with Diego I decided to make one, I would take every Sunday a picture on the same wall, and then using photoshop I would write how I was feeling that week, weird cravings, feelings etc...I made mine in Spanish because that is what I speak to Diego, and I really think he will (or maybe his wife) treasure this someday.

...after I was done, I printed all the pictures and they are all in Diego's first Year scrapbook...Here are a few close ups...

I loved the final product, but I wish I would have taken a last picture on my week 41, when I had him, maybe with him in my arms to close the whole cycle, but I was not really in the mood for pictures on those first weeks (they were tough..). If I do it again with my next pregnancy, I would like to maybe do something like this:

...I love the idea of wearing during the whole thing the same outfit.. and the doily with the numbers....very cute, plus she is adorable...

(image via pinterest)

...or maybe this, a perfect coffe table book with not only belly shots...so cute...

(image via pinterest)

Whaaaaaaat?...This made my day! Let's celebrate!!!!

H&M will open first Utah store at Fashion Place Mall

April 28th, 2011 @ 4:12pm

By ksl.com

MURRAY — Swedish clothing retailer Hennes & Mauritz — H&M — announced Thursday the opening of the company's first store in Utah at Fashion Place Mall in Murray. The store is scheduled to open in the fall.

The new H&M location will measure approximately 23,000 square feet and will feature two floors of retail space.

Since opening its first U.S. store on New York’s Fifth Avenue more than 10 years ago, H&M has expanded to more than 210 locations across the country.

Established in 1947, H&M is headquartered in Stockholm and has more than 2,200 stores in 40 markets around the world.

Hi there...

...yes, I am alive...we just came back from a trip to Cali for Mike's grandma's funeral...a long trip with a baby (14+hours each way) for a very special reason.

This little blog...

Has been featured here!...How exciting!:)

 

I'm a mormon

A few months ago, I received a call from the LDS media departament. They wanted to do a story on me....go figure. I said yes, and here it is. So happy I did.

Arroz con leche yum!

...This weekend I cooked "arroz con leche" a typical dessert from Spain (not to be confused with rice pudding... please...this is more rich, more tasty....a lot better!)

...My grandma Isabel taught me how to make it before my mission. It is a family recipe and  the smell of it brings so many memories...so making it made super homesick!

..I cooked it a lot during my  mission: for investigators, church parties, other missionaries... so a lot of people asked me for the recipe, so I made copies of the instructions and a picture of my cute grandma . At the end of my mission this dessert was famous all over the place!..

...sorry...it is in Spanish...if you are very interested I might translate it just for you;)

Oh so adicted!

Yes, my friends...like if I didn't have enough sites to waste my time on already (I have accounts in facebook, blogger, twitter etc, etc...) now, one more thing is grabbing my attention and my time: Pinterest!

...it's basically a place where you can save all your favorite pictures, sites and project ideas,  and have all that (including the links) in the same place. At at the same time you can see other people's pages, or boards, so for me, it's a place where I get inspired and get a lot of ideas for future projects (that I won't probably ever make, if I keep wasting time looking for ideas instead of making them!) 

This is my "PROYECTOS" (projects) board...

...And this my "RECETAS DULCES"  (sweet recipes) board...

...so give it a try and you'll see!...it's addictive!
Check my page here!

Conference weekend is...awesome.

...and I will tell you why: because I get to spend a great amount of time listening to my church leaders and enjoying a much needed family time. Today, as I type this at 1:26 p.m., I'm still in my pj's while eating that very "planned" soup while is snowing outside and we wait to hear the next session. Perfect. Just perfect. But the best part isn't being at home with my loves while eating comforting food...the best part is listening to our Prophet speak and getting my soul  fed as well. Can this day last forever?..please and thank you.

Do you want your own photobooth?

...check it out here...

Chocolate Crackles...(thanks to Martha)

...after seeing these cookies here and here, I decided to give them a try...

...they were pretty easy to make...

...and they look so pretty!...

...so yep, definitely a good recipe to keep and try again soon...

Ingredients

Makes about 4 dozen

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop bittersweet chocolate into small bits, and melt over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
2. In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.
3. On a clean countertop, roll each portion of dough into a log approximately 16 inches long and 1 inch in diameter, using confectioners’ sugar to prevent sticking. Wrap logs in plastic wrap, and transfer to a baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut each log into 1-inch pieces, and toss in confectioners’ sugar, a few at a time. Using your hands, roll the pieces into a ball shape. If any of the cocoa-colored dough is visible, roll dough in confectioners’ sugar again to coat completely. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12 to15 minutes.
4. Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

From Martha Stewart Living, February 2003

I'm back!

...yes, believe it or not...I'm back!...it has been a very very busy Christmas season with my family visiting all the way from Spain until last week...and I have missed blogging!, but lets be honest....I had nothing really to blog about, since I have not worked on anything lately...so yep..how about a very easy, fast and cute Valentine's craft, now that the love month is so close?

...I made these little hearts 2 years ago for my Primary class...they loved them....Got the idea here.

...so there you go...

On my project and crafty agenda for the next weeks: a picture collage, a new recipe that I'm dying to try and a whole house make over!...keep tunned!