Senior Home Coming

Pork Pozole Verde

this is from over a week ago, my sinus were wreaking havoc on me, So I made a pot of Pork Pozole Verde. Only big bowls of love will when I am sick!

the ingredients you need to roast/broil.
Tomatillos
poblano peppers
jalapeno peppers
onions


  Set your oven rack 2 notches down and broil on high, checking frequently and turn half way through.  You may be wondering is this necessary?  Trust me, i was so tired the day I made this and suffering from a sinus infection and I really wanted to skip this step, but when you roast/broil your veggies they will get a nice char and a sweetness to them...so all in all..yes do this step!

the end result of broiling your veggies

Saute your your pork in batches.  Make sure to mariatite your pork for at least 30 minutes before you sear.
1 1/2 lbs of country style pork ribs cut in bite size pieces
1. tbs of dried organo
1.tbs of cumin
1 tbs salt
1/2 tbs of chipotle powder

sauteed  pork.

 You may be asking yourself "self, why do I saute the pork first" well, Heidi is here to tell ya...you are going to leave  these great "burnt" bits of flavor to the bottom of your pot.  you then add a little stock and scrape all that flavor up with a wooden spoon

After you scrape up all those great bits of flavor add a tablespoon of garlic.  ( I ain't gonna lie, I did double on this because I was sick!)

Blend all of these ingredients together:
your broiled veggies
kale
pumpkin seeds
Cilantro
add blended ingredients, pork and stock to pot.  cook till pork is tender then add hominy

Ladle in bowls top with queso fresco, radishes, pumpkin seeds and I personally like a dollop of sour cream and avocado wedges and then sliced onion

TRASH MOUTH WITCH Pattern in ETSY

NEW PATTERN IN ETSY!!!

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HERE

This is what you are missing if you don't follow me on Instagram!

Halloween Goodies 2016!

Greetings All....

hope all is doing well. Going to keep this short 'cause I got lots to do on the home front.

just wanted to share that I  Have listed some Halloween goodies in ETSY, and a new pattern will be in the works as well.

Also, plan to make a few more things so keep checking back!

 Hope you are having a great week.

click 

HERE

First Day of School 2016 and Food

Whelp, the 2016 School year started last week.  It has been actually the hardest for me, as Gabby Is a senior this year and Sophia is now in Jr. High.

"Sisters"

My Baby Growing up way to fast

Gabby Dressed up for Marching Band practice, the theme was NIGHTMARE.....

THIS GIRL FRIGHTS BACK..What ever she faces should be afraid, very afraid.

Had a Greek dinner one night, made homemade tzatziki, grilled meat, zucchini,  onions, peppers and tomatoes.  Served with Naan Basmati, and olives. Oh, and a whole head of garlic...(I highly suggest not eating a whole head of garlic, not unless you want to avoid talking to people in public...

when I grill Kabobs I really like to keep the meat with the meat, the chicken with the chicken and tomatoes with the tomatoes.  Peppers and onions I separate too, but sometimes I put them together:  on the zucchini (same would go for yellow squash) just simply cut in half and no need to skewer, I don't no about you but I only have so many skewers.

   Sure, it looks all so pretty when all one skewer, but I want it to cook evenly and taste good!

My gorgeous and even YUMMIER Salad Nicoise I made for Julia Child's Birthday. 

and simply one of  my Fav Go to Dinners....Roasted potatoes,  Sauteed Kale and Cannellini beans. Crispy  lemon chicken thighs, salmon, Bruschetta.  


yesterday was a total junk food day, ramen, hotdogs and a root beer float, got to reel it back in today..about to make me a ceaser salad!
As always, if you want to know what I am up to, be sure to follow me on Instagram!

CRAZY EASY ~super yummy~ less then 10 ingredient PASTA

If your like me, on most nights you need something super quick, hopefully not over processed.  During summer this is so easy! But I can almost guarantee you that you will have awesome results in the middle of January when everything is iced out (just will have to pay more for ingredients, all ingredients should be at most wally worlds year round)

As Stated this is a 10 ingredient or less recipe.  An Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa Recipe...kinda of, she borrowed it and shared it with us common folk.  

but where I made it better is I seriously cut the time down from when you start from when it GETS IN YOUR BELLY...

first off the recipe...

4 pints cherry tomatoes, halved 

Good olive oil 

2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves) 

18 large basil leaves, julienned, plus extra for serving 

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 

Kosher salt 

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1 pound dried angel hair pasta 

1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving 

Combine the cherry tomatoes, ½ cup olive oil, garlic, basil leaves, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature for about 4 hours. 

Just before you’re ready to serve, bring a large pot of water with a splash of olive oil and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil and add the pasta. Cook al dente according to the directions on the package (be careful – it only takes 2 to 3 minutes!). Drain the pasta well and add to the bowl with the cherry tomatoes. Add the cheese and some extra fresh basil leaves and toss well. Serve in big bowls with extra cheese on each serving. 

sounds great right? More so during the midst of Basil and tomato season.  Even more awesome when ingredients come from your garden or local farmers market.

I grew purple basil this year, it is just beautiful. I have 4 varieties of Basil in my container garden and all is very plentiful. 

BUT 2 VERY important points I want to make real quick.

if you don't have 4 hours for all of this to sit 'cause your peeps are hungry NOW, ....SIMPLE 

microwave tomato mixture for 5 minutes, then let stand 1 hour. I used a Pyrex dish with a lid.

alas, no fresh ingredients, still super easy on the family food budget to bring together!! 

Enjoy!

thank you to Sophia for being my Parmasean Fairy Dust Maker 

Harvest Moon Pumpkin Gal

ON EBAY.

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it feels so good to create again and have ideas.  Stay tuned!

Witchie Pooh with Scaredy Jack

PATTERN IN ETSY!!

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Watermelon Goodness

In my Etsy shop, Only one available of each, priced to move and ready for IMMEDIATE Shipment...

Asparagus ~ Even if it makes your Pee Smell Funny they are Yummy

(ok, I know what you are thinking..Pee? Yummy? in the same sentence? read on folks..)   


Sorry for the Title Folks, I couldn't help it. I am still Me, no matter how refined I may cook

Aww, the humble Asparagus...It is such the perfect time of the year to head up to your local farmers market and pick some up.  Did you know that the Asparagus is from mediterranean and asian  decent and means Sprout or shoot and derives from the lilly family? as are onions, garlic, leeks, turnips and gladioli. The ancient Greeks loved wild asparagus but it was the Romans who first cultivated it.

So a few weeks back I went to the Farmers Market to pick up this lovely Shoot.  

I have cooked asparagus many different ways. When I first learned to cook asparagus I slightly boiled them till Al Dente. Left them whole and dressed with vinegar, oil, purple onions and blue cheese. Of course S&P.  Back then I only wanted the thinnest asparagus I could find, Because I had visions of when I  bought thick aspargus my Grandma actually taking a potato peeler and trimming the woody parts.

 then I went totally raw for a while, they had to be thin for this.  I chopped, then added diced Purple onion, diced hard cheese such as pecorino romano along with fresh thyme, lemon juice, EVOO and S&P

FAST FORWARD TO NOW

I like'em thick and tender! 

The local Desoto Farmers Market is really gaining a name for itself with fresh produce and of course meat (from Henry Meat Co)  But my Favorite Vendor has got to be Cindy!  her prices are the best and so is her produce.  

But before these delectable plants were available at your farmers market and store

they were  cultivated  more than 2,000 years ago in the eastern Mediterranean region.  Greeks and Romans prized asparagus for its unique flavor, texture and alleged medicinal qualities. They ate it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use in winter.

A few weeks ago I picked up asparagus from Cindy at the Desoto Farmers Market, They were gorgeous! with hues of purple and green, enough for my heart to salivate what I was going to make with them.  Was it going to be Asparagus Salad that had been boiled? how about grilled asparagus? raw asparagus salad? how about Asparagus soup? 

NO. 

 None of the above 

It was oven roasted with prosciutto(pig meat aka PORK) .  This asparagus was the best that I have ever eaten.  I don't know if it was the cooking process or the grower of the produce. The Asparagus were naturally sweet from the dirt which it grew in.  

I loved the wee bit of the al Dente that the thicker asparagus has with the crispy salty goodness of prosciutto wrapped around it. 

 And if that wasn't good enough I Kicked it up a notch..WITH HOLLANDAISE SAUCE! 

Julius Caesar would have been in HOLLANDAISE heaven if he could have eaten asparagus  this way. Julius Caesar was the first to request BUTTER with asparagus.  

(Because, well, butter makes everything better..duh)

Can someone please tell me how just a few simple ingredients like Egg, a whole stick of butter and lemon juice becomes so elegant? wow...I just love the stuff!

(hence the the whole stick of butter and going back to the comment "butter makes everything better..." DUH)

and in short, to finish our history lesson, (cause I  have made myself hungry)

These graceful spears of the asparagus plant have always been a sign of elegance and in the past asparagus was deemed a delicacy only the wealthy could afford. Roman emperors were so fond of asparagus, that they kept a special asparagus fleet for the purpose of fetching it.

But now you too can feast like a king! head up to your local farmers market and grocer and buy it fresh!

 feast on asparagus when in season.

Until we Eat Again,
Heidi

Taco Tuesday...Kinda

Happy Taco Tuesday...err, Tostada Tuesday (lets face it, a Tostada is an open face taco, right?)

Fried up corn tortillas for our tostadas 

Made Shredded Beef Mole

Of course quac is a must for Taco Tuesday..err, Tostada Tuesday
kept simple, just salt, lime and wee bit of garlic

Yummo.........

I prefer a poached egg on my tostada...(with the meat too..) Also made from scratch refried beans..first time ever worth saving my bacon grease for that!

Also, mastered Pork Pozole Verde.  However we at it all. Will post recipe and pics  the next time I have a hankering for some Mexican.

Until we eat again,
Heidi

abandoned lead plant and a provencal meal

Homemade butter with french breakfast radishes from the farmers market.  (sophia made the butter) topped with sunflower sprouts and himalyan salt

gorgeous leg of lamb from henry Meat co.....that I purchased 

my finshed dish...an Ina Garten Recipe.