Sprinkle Bakes: Mehndi Inspired Spice Cookies

Sprinkle Bakes: Mehndi Inspired Spice Cookies

Mosaic Head

I needed a styrofoam head to display/photograph all the crocheted hats that I make. No one around here wants to model for me, so this is the next best thing.
This white head sat on my table for as long as I could stand it, being white and offensive to me. Today, she came alive. This color scheme represents the many people in my life that are mosaic in color/culture.

Someone gave my daughter some false eyelashes for Christmas a couple of years ago. (as if) She needs to donate them to my lovely lady.

Valentine's Day Gift

Yes, I know. I've always said that I didn't want small appliances or household appliances for Valentine's or Christmas presents. But this is different. I needed this food processor! Especially since I keep burning up blenders making Hummus. I also didn't want one because I would have to find an easily accessible space to store it. Well I threw out (put into storage) some useless items and found a perfect home for this machine. I have lots of use for this food processor.

Sara's Kitchen: Brownie pudding cake

Sara's Kitchen: Brownie pudding cake

Grocery Shopping at Sun Harvest

Finally made the trip to Sun Harvest for some FOOD!!  We ran out of our tofu-tarian food items. My local HEB no longer carries the tofu that I want/need. It was cheaper next door at the Asian Grocer, but I guess Sun Harvest decided to lower their prices.

Last Night's Meal

I love these Spring Rolls.

Got them at the Asian Grocer in McAllen.

I need "Nada" recipes

I have a collection of cookbooks, including the one I wrote/compiled.

And yet, I need recipes.
What kind, you ask?
Vegetarian & Dairy-free & Egg-free.
All the great recipes contain meat or milk or cream or eggs.
I can't have either or, neither nor, nada.
It's hard to find and/or adapt recipes to this criteria.
I suffered as a child with stomach aches, bloating, and gas.
I didn't know I was lactose intolerant until, as an adult, I ate a spoonful of ice cream and doubled over.
Okay, I can eat, or not eat, to keep healthy. To keep free from pain.
But I still eat butter and cheese.....

Dried Figs and Wooden Spools: Cake Balls, Who Knew?

Dried Figs and Wooden Spools: Cake Balls, Who Knew?

LUCKY is alive!!!

"LUCKY" a black cat belonging to my husband and mother, survived for 48 days locked up in one of our vacant rental trailers since the night of the "Big Freeze"!!! Since January 6, 2010!!! He is a miracle cat!!! Wonder how many lives he used up. He is currently being over-fed by his owners!!! I can't imagine what he ate... all that time.

Sunshine Daisy Dishcloth

The finished dishcloth.

I knew I had to crochet this dishcloth when I spotted it in an old issue of "Crochet with Heart."

It came out even better that the one in the magazine. I ran out of white cotton yarn, so I edged the petals in an ivory. The O Cedar scrubbie that I bought is yellow-orange in color and looks very nice. This is just too pretty to use in my kitchen. I guess I'll give it away as a gift.

Huggy Bear is Finished!!!

Huggy Bear

Huggy Bear crochet bear pattern from the June 1999 edition of "Crochet with Heart" magazine.

Fried Breaded Tofu

Fried Breaded Tofu                                                          

1 package extra-firm tofu, drained and dried
Canola oil

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup corn flour
1/2 teaspoon each of Red Curry Powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
1 pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup rice milk
1 beaten egg

Mix dry ingredients and put on a pie dish. Mix rice milk and beaten egg and keep in a bowl. Cut the tofu into cubes and dip in egg mixture and then roll in the dry ingredients. Fry until golden brown.
We tried the new Chili sauce from McDonald's, and the sweet and sour sauce. Yum!

Body Worlds 2

Body Worlds 2

If you ever get a chance to see this exhibit, please attend. It is something you will never forget for the rest of your life. It was mind-boggling.

San Juan Book was unveiled yesterday!!!!

                            San Juan Centennial Committee

L-R: Estela Salazar; Kathleen Carrizal-Frye, Romeo Jimenez, Dr. Fernando Castillo, Estella Rojas, Juan Maldonado, and non-member Lupe Rodriguez (mayor pro-tem)

Mexican Mud Cake....yum

Mexican Mud Cake
(From co-worker “L.F.” in 1986)

1 stick margarine
½ cup vegetable oil
2 squares unsweetened chocolate or 4 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
½ cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine margarine, oil, chocolate and water in a saucepan and heat until chocolate is melted. Combine flour, baking soda, and sugar in a large bowl and stir well. Then add the milk, eggs, and cinnamon and vanilla stirring well. Blend this with the first chocolate mixture.
Pour batter into a greased 12X12 sheet pan.
Bake 20-30 minutes. (test)

Mexican Mud Icing

1 stick margarine
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, or 4 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons milk
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cups chopped pecans

Combine margarine, chocolate, and milk in a saucepan and heat mixture until bubbles form around the edge, being careful not to scorch or burn the mix. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar, a little at a time, mixing well and then add vanilla and pecans. Beat.

Ice cake and enjoy!!

San Juan Centennial Book unveiled today!!

This book was a three years in the making for me.
San Juan EDC started one year ago, and this is the final result.
The book is awsome.

http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=9780738566818&Store_Code=arcadia&search=San+Juan&offset=0&filter_cat=&PowerSearch_Begin_Only=&sort=name.asc&range_low=&range_high= %26srch_name%3D1

Magnolia’s famous vanilla cupcakes!

Sex and the City's favorite cupcakes!!!!
Let's make them. Super easy!!!

Make Magnolia’s famous vanilla cupcakes! - Today: Food: Recipe

Sure to be your favorite too....

My Heart "Dia de los Muertos"

So, back in November of 2009 I was asked to decorate a heart for the "Ofrendas del Corazon" auction. The money goes towards scholarships for the Dual-Language Program seniors. (PSJA ISD)
This is my creation. The heart is 10"X10", excluding the cross on top.
I didn't want to post photos until after the auction.

"Quilted Mosiac Felt Hearts"

Hearts made of felt:

Cut a heart out of paper, as a pattern. Make numerous hearts. Some of these will be the base, the heart that you will sew your pieces onto, so the color won't matter. Take 3-4 hearts and stack them evenly. Take your scissors and cut into 3-4 pieces. Reassemble them onto the base and sew together (like a puzzle) using all the decorative stitches on your machine. A simple zig-zag will do, but if you have the machine and the time, go for broke.

These can be used for coasters, to decorate a homemade card, or a pin on your shirt.(add a pin on the back) I'm using these hearts for a display announcing my Dia de los Muertos exhibit. I intend to cover a wall with decorated wooden hearts surrounding an altar. This is the display in progress.

Ofrendas del Corazon III

Ofrendas del Corazón III
Friday February 12, 2010
Contact: Michael's Legacy, 956-884-9776, michaelslegacy@yahoo.com
Description: Join us for our annual “heart art” auction benefiting the Michael M. Rutledge Legacy Award. Ofrendas del Corazón III will be held on Friday, February 12, 2010, at the Jose “Pepe” Salinas Civic Center in Pharr, Texas .
Each year, wooden hearts are given out and decorated by various community members and notable celebrities. The hearts are decorated as the participant chooses and then sold in a silent auction.
At the time of his passing, Michael Rutledge was a sophomore at PSJA North High School and participated in the district’s Dual Language bilingual education program. Through his parents’ gift of organ donation, Michael was able to give life to five Texas residents. Because of this, the heart has a taken a significant meaning. The Legacy Award is given to PSJA North and PSJA High School Dual Language students.

Some of this year's featured hearts include comedian/actor George Lopez, authors Victor Villaseñor and Pat Mora, Grammy award winning musicians Ozomatli, professional skateboarders Tony Hawk and Ryan Sheckler, actors Sara Ramirez (Grey’s Anatomy), Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen), Efren Ramirez (Napoleon Dynamite), and the cast of Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place. Other notable hearts include artists Celeste De Luna, Tony Schaub, Ariel P. King, Erren Seale, Jennifer Rodriguez, Carl Vestweber, Verónica Sandoval (Lady Mariposa), Alejandro Goga, Roel Flores, Einar de la Torre (Los Angeles), Xavier Garza (San Antonio), David Mercado (Austin), Ricardo Ruiz (Corpus Cristi), Santa Barraza (Kingsville), Javier Ivan Perez (Laredo) Kathy Sosa (San Antonio), Judith Hernandez (Chicago), Maya Gonzalez (CA), Stanley Burmudez (Atlanta), de la Torre Bros. (CA), Soreida Martinez ( New York ), T.M. Gand (Abeline), jewelry designer Carolyn Dublin ( San Antonio ), and numerous local artists.
In addition to the auction, guests are treated to an evening of poetry by the Mariachi Poet Daniel Garcia Ordaz and music provided by Mario Aleman! Anyone interested in participating or attending can email michaelslegacy@yahoo.com or call (956) 884-9776.
Location: Jose “Pepe” Salinas Civic Center; 1011 W Kelly Ave; Pharr , TX

Alice's Kitchen...Tabbouli

Again, I've adapted a recipe from Alice's Kitchen. Our friend, C. Assir, owned and cooked at two restaurants in Houston, Texas. There, we learned to love Lebanese food. My children, and grandchildren, and all their close friends love this food. Now, living in South Texas, I've scrambled to find ingredients that we need to continue cooking our favorites. This is the recipe that we use for tabbouli.

Tabbouli

1 cup bulgar (soak in hot water for one hour, drain and use)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup lemon juice

14-16  large cherry tomatoes (diced)

1/2  bunch of parsley (to our taste, add more if you must)

1  cucumber, diced (our added ingredient)

1  bunch green onions, chopped

We stir this all together, and refrigerate overnight, or at least one hour. (Sometimes we eat immediately, we just can't wait)

Serve with pita bread wedges and hommous.

We like flat-leaf parsley, but can't find any down here. We like small grind bulgar, but only find coarse grind. So we have to soak it in hot water for an hour to soften. We omit the mint, but serve it on the side if we can find any at the grocer.

alice's kitchen: traditional lebanese cooking: alice & linda are cover girls again!

alice's kitchen: traditional lebanese cooking: alice & linda are cover girls again!

ofrendas del corazon III

My Heart will be auction at this event next Friday.

I am so excited.

Kirsten also has a Heart at the auction.

Kylie Jane on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxPVed7INCo