November Foodie Pen Pals Reveal

To learn more about the Foodie Pen Pals program and join Click Here

Oh yes, another great foodie pen pal month.   Holly Johnson of....Running & Baking, Oh My!... sent me a super sweet package.  I Loved everything that came in the box.

Oh My God!!!  The chocolate cherry cashew bar was the best.   I swear I can still taste it and it's been gone for a few days.  Loved the Granola, can't wait to make the 18 bean soup, Almond Butter is my favorite and the moon pie was just like I remember it.  I haven't tried the herbed salt but will soon.

Thanks Holly for sending me such a wonderful box full of goodies.

Check out Holly's blog by clicking here.


Past Months
August
July

August Foodie Pen Pals

Once again the Foodie Pen Pal program was great.  

For the month of August I was paired with Susan of  Eat Wilmington.  My other Foodie Pen Pal Jessica doesn't have a blog or site.  :(  Unfortunately you don't get to see what I sent to her.  :(

At first, I opened the box and I honestly thought it was a joke.  All I saw was what looked to me like foam popcorn.  I frowned, then laughed, shook the box around a bit scared that something might jump out of the box or at me and then I finally saw the light.  You know, one of those movie moments where you hear an Angelic voice sing, "Ah" and a harmonious melody plays in the background.   Ha, Ha, Ha!  You get the idea, right?

Let me show you the goodies I received from Susan at Eat Wilmington.   Going counter clockwise starting with Marshmallow Candy, Sweet Potato Crackers, Bag Sealer, All Purpose Rub & Seasoning, Blueberry Pepper Jelly and Pork Jerky.  

Marshmallow Candy:  Ever had a homemade marshmallow?  This is exactly what it tastes like.  Ate this one right after taking this picture.  I couldn't resist.

Sweet Potato Crackers:  You're going to have to scroll down to see what yummy treat I made for myself with these.  Excellent Snack, Excelente.

Bag Sealer:  Awesome!  Seriously Awesome.

Rub & Seasoning:  The brand name of the company sounds so mystical and interesting.  Susan mentioned in an e-mail that this is her go to seasoning.  Haven't tried it yet and can't wait to do so. 

Blueberry Pepper Jelly:  Sweet Blueberries with a hidden kick.

Pork Jerky:  Never heard of it until the day I received the package.  I'm allergic to Pork so I gave this to a buddy of mine and she said they were peppery but very good.  I smelled them when she opened the package and they did smell yummy.  It's always nice to share what I receive, it makes it all that more fun.

SNACK TIME!  Crunchy, salty, sweet & spicy with a touch of tangy creaminess.    For this snack I used the sweet potato crackers, blueberry pepper jelly and a touch of plain greek yogurt.  Different flavors & textures ALL in one delicious bite.

If you'd like to participate in next month's Foodie Pen Pal program click here to learn more and register.

Confession: I HAD AN AFFAIR!

I had an affair at a nearby hotel this weekend.
  

A CHOCOLATE AFFAIR!  

This past weekend a friend and I took a chocolate making class.  The name of the class was "Chocolate Affair" and since it was held at a hotel I just thought it would be fun to play a little with the name.  

My brain consumed a wealth of information in this class and my belly a great deal of chocolate.  My fear of Chocolatier might as well disappear.  By no means was this class a Willy Wonka Factory but it had all the essentials to make delectable chocolate.  I've always been fearful of making anything with melted tempered chocolate.  Oh yes, I now know the difference.  It was a wonderful experience.  I highly recommend these types of classes to anyone   Live the experience by taking a class and loose the fear..  It's powerful to know that at the end of instruction, you might not know it ALL, but you walk away a little more knowledgeable than when you walked into that classroom.


I'm so excited to show you what we made in class.  We test tasted chocolate from different parts of the world, drank chocolate tea and made some yummy stuff with chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.  The best thing is that we were able to take home everything we made, recipes included.   

Then after all that chocolate tasting you end up looking at the chocolate more like this.  Just kidding!  My camera goofed on this picture and I thought it was funny.  Just hoping to make someone laugh.  Say cheese, better yet say, "Chocolate Affair".

Honeydew (Bailan) Melon Ginger Agua Fresca

With the weather lately ranging between 110-115 degrees Farenheit in my neck of the Desert, I must find ways to cool down.

This concoction came into my life by fortune of a misfortune.  I'm in my kitchen one day cutting up a beauty of a melon into pieces thinking, "I can't wait to sit down and enjoy this".  I take a bite out of a chunk and my gagging reflexes reacted.  I turn in the direction of the trash can and spit it out.  It was not sweet at all and since it wasn't what I expected, my taste buds said to me, "Hell no you're not eating this!".  I was upset that I might just have to throw away this beautiful looking melon.  Then, I thought, "AGUA FRESCA".  So far, this is my favorite agua fresca this summer.

Stuff You'll Need to make this drink:

• 1 average size Bailan (Honeydew) Melon, peel removed and melon cut into small chunks
• 1 inch piece of grated ginger
• Agave Nectar to Taste (I used about 1/4 cup, make sure you taste your melon before you add any kind of sweetener)
• Tiny pinch of salt
• Enough water to dilute (I used about 48 ounces)

Preparation:

Place everything in a blender and liquify.  Pour over ice and enjoy.

My First Foodie Pen Pals

I'll admit I was a little bit skeptical about joining the Foodie Pen Pals program but I'm just weird that way.  I hesitate and procrastinate and put things off and then feel so relieved and happy when I get things done and try new things.  I've gotta tell you, this is one of the best things I've done this year.  I've already signed up for next month!  Never did I think that I'd have so much fun shopping for a complete stranger and then anxiously awaiting for a package also from a complete stranger.  Both living many many many miles away.  Oh yes, did I mention that on this program you not only get 1 pen pal, you get 2!  One sends you a package and you get to send the other a package.  For more details about how it works, visit Lindsay at The Lean Geen Bean.

To add to my excitement....well, let me back track a bit here.  I've been thinking about running for quite some time now and I guess I've been looking for a "sign".  I got my sign alright.  Both of my July Pen Pals are runners.  Check them both out by clicking on the links below.

Christina at Running for Cupcakes and Mindy at Road Runner Girl

Thank you both Christina and Mindy for your words of encouragement and inspiration.  I haven't really fully started running yet but I ran 1/4 of a mile the other day.  Baby steps, I know I'll get there eventually.

So......I get this cute ass package from Christina.  Seriously, it was so nicely put together and decorated with stickers.  I loved stickers when I was a kid and am still fascinated by them.   Here I go getting side tracked, AGAIN!  Back to the contents of the box.  Everything was so yummy.  You've gotta see it yourself, scroll down to see the pictures and read a little bit more of what she sent to me.

ALL of this was in the package.   YumYumYumYumYumYumYum.

A very lovely handwritten note.  Very nice neat handwriting by the way.

These peanut butter filled pretzels were perfect for snacking.

This granola was excellent on my yogurt.  It comes in "sheets"  or "bricks", not sure what to call them but they break pretty easily into bite size pieces.  It contains Fiber!  What's not to love about that?  Hehe

Want to try my recipe for Yummylicious Field of Granola Goodness?  Click here.  Just in case you'd rather make it yourself.  I'll be honest, I make it and sometimes I buy it if I don't have time to make my own.

I've never had these before and they were way better tasting than I expected.  These and the Luna protein bars below (which by the way are my favorite) took a trip with me to Utah but they didn't make it back.  :o)

Honey, honey let me tell you....this is great stuff.  It was ALL yummy.  Thanks again Christina!

Ensalada de Nopales = No-paw-less (Cactus) Salad

Say What?!?!  Huh?

According to Wikipedia there are anywhere from 1500 to 1800 species of Cacti.


The nopales (cactus) most commonly used in salads and other recipes are the ones below.   If you've never had nopales and are wondering what they taste like....here's my take on that.  They taste like a cooked green bean that's been pickling itself in lemon juice.  Yes, the green bean pickles itself.  :)


No, I'm not talking about the handsome fella in the picture, I'm referring to the green spiny cactus paddles behind him.    Sorry but I couldn't find a better picture of the nopales.  ;)  Haha!  Well, he looks kinda spiny in the face.....anyhow, back to the recipe.

This Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net 

This is truly my Mom's recipe and if you watch the video that is linked at the bottom of this post she's the Star in it.  The list of stuff you'll need to make my Mom's Ensalada de Nopales is right above the linked video.  

List of stuff you'll need:

5 cactus paddles (diced)  There areIU some supermarkets that sell needle-less, cleaned, trimmed and chopped nopales.  If you can't find them that way and you must clean them yourself be very careful.  The needles are very sharp and you'll be in pain. Believe me, I know.  It feels like splinters, just a whole bunch at one time.

1/2 of a medium sized onion (diced)

1 1/2 cups of diced tomatoes

1/2 cup cilantro (chopped)

2 serrano chiles (finely chopped)

1 garlic clove

salt - about a small handful for the water you boil the nopales in and then some to season the salad

The tostadas and avocado for garnishing are optional.  This salad may be eaten by itself or as a side dish to accompany the protein of your choice.  

Put it together:

Don't forget to watch the how to video below.

Rinse the nopales under cold water.  Nopales are very slimy when fresh and its sliminess will not wash away.  It will however go away once they're cooked.  Place a piece of onion, the garlic, a small handful of salt and the nopales in a pot with about twice the amount of boiling water.  Example:  one cup of nopales, two cups of water and so on.  Bring everything to a boil and cook until the nopales are tender and the sliminess goes away, about 20 minutes.  Drain and let them cool down.  Add the onion, tomatoes, cilantro and serrano chiles.  Mix and serve.  Season with more salt if necessary.  ENJOY!