Sometimes we just don't think

Hey y'all,

So, today there were some DIY home projects going on around the house. My kiddo and her GrandDude got up bright and early today to paint and accent wall in the family room for my mother today. 

Well, let's just say that by the end of the project my kiddo remembered why painters wear smocks when they work. Lol

You see any other time she would have been wearing shorts, an oversized t-shirt, and bare feet around the house. But today of all days she decides to be fully dressed in decent clothes and her favorite pair of boots. What the child was thinking, I have no idea. So of course she ended up with paint, Red paint, splattered across her boots. 

Fortunately, being the daughter of a solider I still have access to some really good stuff. Although I have no idea what this stuff is made of, so I doubt the ingredients are very environmentally friendly, but they work in a serious pinch like this. I initially tried hydrogen peroxide and failed miserably. But this stuff 

Is pretty amazing. Leave it to the army to figure out how to make one thing work for just about everything. Apparently this is the 800mg ibuprofen of boot cleaners. (Fellow military brats will know what I'm talking about if you've ever been to the doctor for anything Lol)

So of course the cleaner worked and her shoes are almost back to normal. Which was a life saver, because she almost lost it when I told her I didn't think red paint was going to come off. I can't blame her though, I love my boots too and I am exceedingly sad that one of my favorite pairs is in need of either a cobbler or replacement. I felt her pain. And I'm glad we were able to save the boots. 

Now off I go to turn an old button down shirt into an art smock for the little one. Then a down dog for myself before bed. 

Have you ever done something and then realized you knew better and should have taken better precautions? 

Peace and namaste y'all 

Beating the sugar blues

Hey y'all,

As of today I have 6 days until my birthday and I am super close to a personal goal. And well in order to hit that goal I need to stay really focused on my daily routines and my eating habits. But of course this week I am having an influx of emotions that trigger some old habits with food. 

But fortunately for me I am so muchore aware of myself these days. Mostly because I am not trying to hide from the world or from myself anymore because of my fears, disappointments, or shame. So in light of my ability to acknowledge my feelings and the courage to do something about them I  choosing to drink as much unsweetened herbal tea as my heart desires. Rather than raiding the freezer for this year's thin mint haul. 

Celestial Seasonings has been a long time favorite of my fruity herbal tea selections. Although I have grown found of many other brands, including loose leaf teas. Although I find that when I'm being lazy I just want to pop a bag into hot water wait a minute and sip. 

I know it doesn't take much more with loose leaf teas, but the clean up of the leaves afterwards is what I think about when I'm wanting to put in little effort. Lol. I know. I know. Judge me if you dare, but I'm sure you have a little idiosyncrasy of your own. 

What helps you curb your sweet tooth? 

Big trouble, I also have a ton of time on my hands this week and I feel like baking. Uh oh

Peace and Namaste Y'all 

Haven't made these in awhile

Hey Y'all,

So I was reminded that I had been slacking off on making my famous fish tacos. (Well famous to my kiddo anyway) So today I obliged the brood and made some great food. (See that, I'm a rapper Lol) 

I have a lot of photos and tonight I chose to not venture out in making yellow rice from scratch. But that's okay, every now and then we choose to have a little extra help in one way or another. 

4 fillets of Mahi Mahi

2 Altufa Mangoes

1/2 Avocado

1 8oz container of Greek Yogurt (sour cream will work too I just like yogurt)

1 TBSP red onion

1 jalapeño with seeds and ribs removed

2 TBSP chopped cilantro

3 Limes

2 cans of Black Beans

1 family sized box of Goya Yellow Rice

1 bag shredded cabbage 

Southwest seasoning (or taco seasoning)

Salt pepper 

Sazón seasoning

Favorite salsa

I chose to make the mango salad and the line crema first so the flavors had a chance to meld together better. Dice the mangoes and scoop out the insides into a bowl. Add 1 1/2 half TBSP of the cilantro. The juice of one lime. The diced jalapeño. And the minced red onion. Season with a little salt. Stir and place in the refrigerator. 

Scoop half of your avocado into a container with the yogurt, remaining cilantro and the juice of two limes. Mash the avocado until smooth and and well blended with the yogurt. Give a quick season with salt and pepper then cover and refrigerate. 

While the mango salsa and lime crema chill make your rice according to the instructions on the box. Then take both cans of black beans. Rinse thoroughly and pour into a pot. Just barely cover the beans with water, a TBSP of butter, add a couple tsp of the Sazon tropical seasoning. (If you do not have this seasoning then feel free to season with salt, pepper, garlic, and onion just to add flavor) 

Create an aggressive simmer in the beans. Not a rolling boil that will quickly burn the beans. 

Mahi Mahi was the fish of choice for the night. It is thick and fleshy and able to stand up to big flavors like a southwest seasoning. You do want to keep an eye on it, or you may overcook it cause large dry chunks as opposed to moist flakes. 

This is the southwest seasoning I used. Be warned, my kiddo proclaims that it is a little spicy. But she survived it with a glass of chocolate milk. (Almond milk to be exact Lol)

A pan fry in olive oil with no batter is my preference for this particular fish in the taco. 

The flesh colors well and doesn't fall apart when time to flip like certain more delicate fillets might do. 

So I toon the shortcut way out on my tortillas this time and gave these white corn tortillas a try. They were pretty good. Of course not as good as freshly made tortillas always are. But good none the less. Take two tortillas and warm them over a flame until softened. 

In the end all of the elements come together to make a plate that could easy say "I want you to sit with me for awhile". Mostly because you'll end up stuffing yourself until you no longer have desire to move. Lol

If you like fish and you like tacos, why not put the two together? Especially when there's mango salsa involved! Test this one out, plan around with your own adaptations. The next round I'll make a battered and fried fish taco and see if I can top the one I had at Surf Taco.....I'm pretty sure I can. Lol

Time to plan the next meal. This weekend is going to be crazy! I'd better stay on top of my tasks while I still can. 

Stretch and lights out!

Peace and Namaste y'all 

The slow road to homesteading

Hey Y'all!

So this weekend the nice weather rolled in for a day. The kiddo and I took advantage of that and planted the herbs we sprouted indoors. 

We sprouted our seeds in egg shells which can be planted as is and the shells decompose in the soil adding nutrients. I saw this neat idea on Pinterest but the photo I had didn't have a link. Whoever you are, thank you for the idea, it saved money on seedling containers. 

In the past I have made half hearted attempts at starting container gardens. This year I feel a bit different about my little potted plants. For one I don't see it as "yet another thing to take care of" now that my plate in life is overflowing. Also, as of late I have really grown attached to the idea of having my own piece of land one day and operating a little homestead. With a few animals and a big garden. But I can't expect to just hit the ground running on such a project, right? I need to start practicing now if I'm going to succeed at such an endeavor. So we're starting small. Herbs are useful, easy it grow, they don't require a lot of space, and overall a good beginner place I think. 

We have Basil here

This is Dill. I chose dill mostly because the selection of herbs at the store I was in was slim. And dill made the most since for the summer dishes I could make with it. So expect to see new potato salad posts, fish recipes, and maybe even something you might not normally think of with dill. 

Here we have Cilantro! My star player. Mostly because I love Mexican and Asian food so much and this herb is utilized quite a bit in both cuisines. Now I won't have a half bunch of wilted cilantro in the fridge because I forgot the rest needed to be used after taco night. Lol

My kiddo was so excited to get her hands into the dirt. She thinks she wants to be a little farmer with me even though she has no idea what that would entail. Lol but that's why I love her so much, she's so excited about everything in life. And she's really growing into the little animal lover. I have a feeling you may be seeing even more vegetarian dishes from me once she hits her teenage years. Lol. And that will be just fine with me. 

This little contraption was not easy on the fingers to snap together. The whole idea was simple, but the squeezing of plastic pieces was not. Lol

But success was had. Pots were filled with soil. Seedlings were planted along with their compostable "pots". Water was given. And a sunny spot was selected. 

I don't think my mother was looking to have pots full of dirt Inside the house. So we hung the pots from the banister out back. I said a little prayer asking that there were no winds strong enough to knock them over. And viola! All finished. 

(Yes that's my grill in the background. I picked it out all by myself. I love that grill. Lol)

All in all this is one of the most fun and fulfilling projects we've done in awhile. Oh did I mention that each pot drains excess water down into the pot below it? It's pretty cool to watch. Do you have any plant projects going for this Spring? If so, what? Are you an experienced gardener with some tips for us newbies? Share your knowledge because I know I will need the help sooner or later. Lol 

Peace and Namaste Y'all 

Prep in a hurry

Hey y'all!

This weekend I was inspired to be prepared for life. I've been researching a few random things and it resulted in a sort of nesting cord being struck. So I've had the urge to organize my life better. Trouble is my life is not my own just yet Lol. But succeeded in prepping a few meals for the week in a matter of a couple hours this afternoon. So all in all, fairly productive day. Ha!

One thing though, I spent so much time rushing about that I failed to take adequate step by step pictures. So today I'll just give you the gist of things and my next meal prep will have better photos to follow along. 

These are my baked spinach egg white omelette muffins. Lol

I am almost certain that you can do this with any of your favorite omelette ingredients.

1 bag baby spinach

3 -16oz cartons egg whites

1 bunch green onions

1 red bell pepper 

2 Roma tomatoes 

2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper

All ingredients were mixed together in a bowl and spooned into a muffin tin. I had to do 2 separate batches because I only had one 12 cup muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until the eggs are set and a knife inserted comes out clean. 

At 2-4 egg "muffins" depending on how hungry are that morning, this will easily be breakfast for the rest of the week for my daughter, my mother, and me. 

Low calorie, full of flavor, and taste great with a dose of your favorite hot sauce. I'd say it's a win! 

At least now mornings will be super easy for the next few days and I won't find myself so hungry when I get back to the house that I'm ready to eat anything that falls out of the fridge. Lol

If you test this out let me know what you like about it and what you might change. I think the next I try this I will use a different cheese. Something that melts better and see how that works out. 

Okay time to stretch, leg day always hits me hard. Lol

Peace and Namaste y'all 

Inspired by a gas station

Hey y'all,

So after yesterday's gas station soup I got a wild hair to make my own soup. For Lent we gave up land animals and my poor kiddo is quite bored with fish at this point. Lol. I can't say that I blame her, the dinner creativity did take a dip for a moment. But that's okay I'm back on my game and tag teaming my mom in the kitchen. 

Tonight I made her favorite soup: Creamy Tomato Basil

I wanted to keep the soup light for my own dietary needs. So no cream was used in this soup. But the texture was nearly spot on and the flavor turned out very nice. 

Ingredients:

4 lbs of Roma tomatoes 

1 medium red onion 

6 large cloves of garlic

1 medium butter potato

Dried basil (I didn't have fresh on hand)

1 qt of vegetable stock 

Parmesan cheese rind

Kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

Cut the tomatoes in half and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet. I was tempted to cram them all on to the same pan but I had to remind myself that I'm looking to roast these tomatoes not steam them. So they need space to allow heat to circulate and caramelization to happen. Drizzle the tops with olive oil and the season with salt, pepper and dried basil. 

Place in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. 

I seem to have lost my photo of the diced onion and minced garlic. But dice the whole onion and mince all 6 cloves of garlic. Peel and dice the potato. This is what adds to the "creamy" texture in the soup without all of the fat and adding some fiber. 

A few turns of olive oil into the bottom of a pot. Sauté the onion, potato and garlic until the onion is soft and near browning. 

The tomatoes should be finished roasting at this point. 

I do not have a food mill, so while the onions softened I peeled the skins from the slightly cooled tomatoes. I waited until they were just cool enough to handle. 

The whole quart of stock goes into the pot once the onions are soft

All of the roasted tomatoes and their juices go into the pot along with the stock and sautéed veggies. 

This is a small piece of Parmesan cheese rind. I dropped 3 pieces about an inch and a half long into the soup. The rind has all of the nutty slightly salty goodness of Parmesan and imparts an different element of creaminess than the potato. 

I allow the soup to simmer for 40 minutes over a medium-low flame. Then I fish out the cheese rinds. They don't really melt down all the way. You can eat them if you like but they are kind of chewy and the flavor can be intense for some. But you never know if you like it until you try it, right? Lol so I say give it a taste!

This little guy is an immersion blender. And he is my friend Lol. It isn't mandatory that you have one in order to successfully make this soup, it just makes for easier clean up since there's one less container. You can easily use your blender, just do a few cups at a time. Please do Not fill your blender pitcher to the top with hot soup and turn it on high. There Will be a mess and it very likely will hurt. 

Because I could I used the immersion blender in the pot with it was still on the stove. 

Blender until smooth and you have this beautiful creamy tomato texture. Give a taste and add your final salt and pepper adjustments as it simmers for another couple of minutes. 

I topped mine with a swirl of extra virgin olive oil an additional crack of black pepper and added a whole wheat roll with a slice of Brie cheese in the middle. 

This dinner turned out better than I anticipated. It's always nice to not race against the clock when I'm cooking and really take my time and enjoy what I'm doing. Funny enough though my kiddo got home and allowed her eyes to be bigger than her stomach. She sat down at the table and polished off her GrandDude's leftover pancake dinner and didn't have room left to finish the soup she had in front of her. Lol go figure. I guess pancakes beat out tomato soup when it comes to the dinner plans of a 10 year old. Oh well, at least my mother and I enjoyed it. 

Time to stretch and then pass out

Peace and Namaste y'all 

What's a Wawa?

Hey y'all,

Today was the longest day I've had in quite some time. A full 12 hour day at work did not leave me much time to cook. So needless to say I ran out on a hunt for lunch since I was poorly prepared today. The closest establishment to my job that sells food is a local convenient store/gas station by the name of Wawa. When I was first told "there's a Wawa just around the corner" I was so confused, but dared not ask what Wawa was because I was tired of being looked at like I'm an alien just because I'm not familiar with this place. 

So instead I drove based on the verbal directions give to me and found the infamous Wawa. When I went inside what appeared to simple be a convenient store I was pleasantly surprised by a full functioning hot deli and coffee shop off to the side within the store. I've eaten food from this store on more than one occasion and I'm inclined to say that they have the most consistent execution in their food. 

Today I chose Broccoli cheese soup with a warm whole wheat roll. And to be honest it was pretty good. It was hot, there were chucks of real broccoli to be found, and the soup was just cheesy enough. It was almost as good as Jason's Deli or Panera Bread. Go figure! A gas station of all places serving good soup. 

So I guess if you ever find yourself out East and you happen upon a gas station by the name of Wawa. Go inside, check it out, even order something. It should be a decent experience. 

Off I go to do some bedtime yoga. 

Peace and Namasta y'all