Chicken Enchilada Nacho Bowls

 

Gorgeous foods are very much apart of my Latin culture. We have a passion for spices and flavors that are bold and fierce.  The diversity of foods in the Latin culture are vast and colorful.  The foods differ from regions, yet they all have on commonality; bold flavors.  From simple dishes made in the average Hispanic kitchen to elaborate 5 star restaurants in LA or Miami, there are endless versions of the traditional nacho bowl.  Make a basic dish of these nacho bowls including chicken in a spicy sauce, tortilla chips, lettuce, and a squeeze of lime.

 

recipe    

Exercise

 

I choose to exercise my way to feeling happy every day!

 

 

 

   

Love the Coast

A perfect place, a perfect sunset, a perfect romance. 

   

Daily Workout Plan

 

     

Thank God for Football

Have You Accepted Tim Tebow

as Your QB and Sunday Savior?

 

 

source

Savor New Mexico Chiles

Green Chiles Stuffed with Almonds and Raisins

recipe
 

This dish softens the chiles' heat with raisins, nuts, spices, and a slightly sweet tomato sauce.
To experience chile season in New Mexico, you could head to the Hatch Valley, near Las Cruces. The world's single-largest chile crop ― about 18,000 acres ― is grown in the fertile valleys of southern New Mexico, and the annual Hatch Chile Festival draws about 30,000 heat-seekers every Labor Day weekend.

Strong, Healthy, Happy

I started a new health revolution on January 27, 2012.  A lot has changed since then, starting with appreciation I now have for the life I have been given.   To life an unhealthy life by choice is simply foolish and irresponsible.  Today I choose to take care of myself, my body, and my emotions.  I want to be sure that I do my part in maintaining a healthy body that will sustain my life and give hope to my family.   I don't want to be careless about my meal choices or exercise regiment.  I want to lead by example and follow people who mentor my way.  It is my hope that I will be around to see the grandchildren I might have some day.  This world is majestic and I want to experience it.  When we choose to be strong, we are saying to God that we embrace his blessings.  To be happy starts within us and our inner self manifests outward.  Today I choose to be Strong, Healthy, and Happy.

 

 

 

For more Reasons to Be Fit, click here.

 

 

Perfect Pumpkins

 

A staple for autumn festivities, the pumpkin makes its way into a multitude of dishes this time of year. Enjoy this versatile squash while it's fresh—the flavor is vastly superior to canned.  To select, look for pumpkins that are small, about 5 to 8 pounds, with tough skin. They are prized for their concentrated flavor and sweetness.  source

 

 

 Pumpkin and Yellow Pepper Soup with Smoked Paprika

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 1/2 cups chopped yellow bell pepper (about 2 large)

1 1/2 cups chopped carrot (about 2 medium)

1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)

1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika

2 garlic cloves, chopped

5 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (15-ounce) can salt-free pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons unsalted pumpkin-seed kernels, toasted

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, carrot, and onion; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add paprika and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add 3 cups broth and black pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
2. Place one-third of vegetable mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid spills). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining vegetable mixture.
3. Return pureed vegetable mixture to Dutch oven; stir in remaining 2 cups broth and pumpkin. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in juice. Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 7 bowls; top each serving with about 1 teaspoon pumpkinseeds and about 1/2 teaspoon parsley. Serve immediately.

Jackie Mills, Cooking Light
NOVEMBER 2006

 

Such a Handsome Boyfriend

Sofia Vergara puts a tennis-ball-sized rock on full display Thursday while attending the U.S. Open in Flushing, N.Y., where she and beau Nick Loeb watched Angelique Kerber upset Venus Williams during the second round of women's singles matches.

 

 

     

Vintage Romance

     

Back to School Shopping

It's that time again!  Back to school shopping is the only thing on our agenda for this coming weekend.  I think I enjoy it more than my daughter.  We have so much fun at the mall and boutique shops are our historic town.  My daughter Gina is a senior in high school, so the look is mature and preppy.  She likes the romantic look of laces and floral.  My baby girl is grown-up now and I'm going to make the most of it.

     

Canning to preserve the summer

I remember when I was young watching my father in the kitchen canning hot peppers.  Being Hispanic meant that hot chili peppers were essential at every meal.  My dad loved many different varieties of peppers, like jalapenos, serranos, chili pequin, and so many others. 

It seems like it was just yesterday that I was walking in the house and being confronted by the strong aroma of boiling peppers.  The aroma hit like a strong heat to my eyes, my nose, and quickly to the back of my throat.  As a kid it was yucky, but now it's a wonderful memory.  He took such delicate care in making sure everything was perfect through out the canning process.  He would blend some of the peppers in to a salsa base.  Others he would leave whole, which was a perfect finger food at kitchen table.  The pantry cabinets were fulled with bottles of canned peppers, and there were always opened bottles chilling in the refrigerator. 

My father passed away several years ago and I wish I could go back in time to learn the canning process from him. I wish I would have sat there with him as he proudly and loving worked with his beloved peppers.  There is so many things I would do if I could turn back time.

Canning to preserve the summer

If you want to eat locally ― and eat well ― year-round, can your own fresh fruit and vegetables. That’s what Kelli Glazier of Palo Alto, California, and her book club decided they’d do last summer after reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, inspired by the author’s account of preserving the glut of tomatoes and other summer produce from her farm.

"We wanted to support our local farmers, buy as much pro-duce as we could, and can all day ― like in the old days, making food for the winter," Glazier explains.

None of the four friends had canned before, but they jumped in and learned together. "It was so much fun," says Glazier. By the end of their first day, they had transformed boxes of produce into gleaming jars, and everyone got to take some home.  source

   

Progress

 

My Son-Shine

My son Vinny is the sunshine of my life.  He attends the University of Texas in Austin where he majors in Government and a minor in Communications. He just came back last week from Washington DC where he spent the summer working as a political intern.  He is moving in to his new apartment this weekend.  You should see my house, his boxes and furniture all over the place.  We have been storing his stuff since the summer when he moved out of his dorm.  I'm so ready for the my place to get back to normal.  I love my son and I'm going to miss him, but I'm not going to miss the clutter.  Thursday evening we went to dinner at the Gristmill, a restaurant near our home in Gruene.  They have delicious salads that are served in huge platters.  The three of us shared 2 grilled chicken Caesar salads, and we still have left-overs.  I loved it when I started to annoy my kids by taking pictures during the meal.  Gotta love them!!