taquitos

I had looked at many taquito recipes after googling that very phrase.  Told myself oh this would be hard to make.  Then it hit me.  Food processor! I was correct. I thought these were fantastic and easy! just one of those repetitive dishes where you repeat the same steps over and over again rolling till i almost ran out of pans. 

Taquitos

1-1.5 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast
1/4th cup buffalo chicken style hot sauce. (red hot brand)
1 package of cream cheese
3 cups of 4 cheese blend (mexican style)
1/2 tsp or enough to lightly season chicken    of cumin
2 packages of flour tortillas (Tortillas cut in 1/2)
1-4 cup salsa
1 small onion,
1 small green pepper
salt and pepper to taste

saute seasoned chicken (with cumin, salt and pepper) and peppers in a large skillet over medium heat till cooked to temp.  allow to cool slightly.
put chicken and peppers in a food processor and pulse till fine mince.  Remove mixture place in to a bowl
place hot sauce, and cream cheese and salsa in food processor and pulse till cheese is completely incorporated with hot sauce
Add shredded cheese, pulse till cheese mixture is combine.
Remove cheese and start slowly stirring together with chicken.

On each tortilla that has been cut in 1/2 on the cut end of tortilla place 2tbsp (apx) of mixture and spread evenly from one end to the other.  Roll tortilla and place in a lightly greased pan so it will not unroll.
repeat till all mixture is used.  Bake in oven at 375 for 15 min

(I have always  seen different blogs that someone has made home made taquitos. I thought they would be very laborious .  I said to my self I'm going to attempt to make them A cheap and yummy snack, or appetizer.  Make it your own tweak it as you may... Let me know how you change it!)


I wish I would have more pictures then just the few that are left over that I put in the fridge.  I will make these again soon. Perhaps next time I make them I will use some fine shredded beef in some of them. I thought these were so easy to make.  Food processor helped that along so much.   I tweaked my written recipe a little different from how i made it.  I found mine to need more spice.  I had only added apx 3 table spoons of hot sauce, it needed more of a kick.  I didn't add salsa to mine but next time I will.  I ended up with 32 or so.  Perhaps I should make these for Superbowl Sunday! Lets go Steelers!!!!!

"Eat Pray Love"

This is not going to be so much a spoiler. It will more just be my expression of how much i enjoyed this movie.  This movie is touching in so many ways.  It is a great movie to help one connect to them self.  It helps you find "peace" with yourself.. 


I have often wanted to travel the world. -  I have always wanted to live with in the towns, not as a tourist but as someone whom knew and understood the way each culture lived.  Dreamed and behaved.  Many couples do not know how to dream together-  .  This movie is set to help people develop them self ... I feel like I need to watch it again... I would love to read the book perhaps it will envelope my head with more things that will make me restless .  Eat pray love was a very good movie...

Will it rise or not!

Short on groceries Trying to figure out what I could make and not have to go to the store.  I'm the queen of pantry meals.  Always trying to make something from nothing.  I knew I had everything I needed to make for pizza at any given time. I am not one to pick up the phone and order pizza. I would rather make it my self. 

Yeast- I knew i had some in my spice cabinet. I pull it out got my flour, some sugar and warm water. I go to cut the package and i see the date. OH NO!  Sep 2010.  I thought- I will proof it see if it wakes up.  VOILA! It started to rise. YAY!  so- I tried to keep my eye on the bowl hoping it wouldn't get out of control. It came very close.

These are a few of my favorite things.  (I usually never buy for the name of a cook) I just happened to grab the "EVOO".  Gia Russia pizza sauce is by far my favorite from  any store bought sauce you could get.  Then its just diced onion and motz cheese, deli pepperoni .

I lightly baked the crust then added my toppings. To assure those thick areas of the crust got done.

Bon Appetit!

My green beans dish!

A few weeks ago I submitted a recipe on a whim.  It was for a cook book released by Mount Nittany Medical Center. I have honestly become obsesed with fine dinning plates, food appeal, simple, clean foods.  So I decided I was going to work on recreating the "green bean casserole " .  That dish that is served at the holidays that looks like slop.  Why take some beautiful green beans and make them look like that. 

So-  There I sat picturing it in my head.  I started just jotting down ingredients I would use.  Picturing in my head if i was in the kitchen cooking this how would I make it.  It just started to pour from me.  The items to use were easy.  I wanted it to be like the traditional.  I wanted fresh ingredients. So I did my best at tossing measurements on to paper. Picturing this dish coming together.  Put the steps together, and hit submit.  Didn't honestly think any more of it.  I have done this before. I have submitted recipes. Only to get an instant response saying "Thank you for your submission. We will review what you have given us."  Very generic. 

Then when it came for my Turkey dinner at my sisters house where i do most of the cooking, I thought this is it. I will make it NOW.!  So that is what I did.  I thought it was wonderful.  Looked amazing. I never took a picture or anything. I was very proud of it though. 

More than one week passes from the date that I made the dish. I was at work and I clocked out to go home checking my phone i seen i had a voice mail. I check it..-  It was a representative from the contest telling me "We have chosen to use your recipe, please call us to discuss details and your prize"  I was floored! I know its honestly not as big of an ordeal as what i felt.  It still means something to me.  The dish will be in the cook book and I will be getting dinner at the restaurant I wanted!  It is hard for me to do anything involving a recipe. I am cook by feel, flavor and what I have. 

You will have to just enjoy my picture or buy the cook book when it is released :)

One step in the right direction

Today I had the pleasure of meeting with the Executive chef of a very nice restaurant.  I walked in to this place and as I grabbed a hold of the door nob i took a deep breath!< in- out> I walked in to a very quiet place ... and that was great.. ... Dinning room set for dinner, I quietly just turned around and let everything sink in. Absorbing things slowly...    

I spent the next 2 hours having the pleasure of walking around this kitchen been showed everything menu, recipes, storage.  I keep running everything back threw my head trying to remember the things that were told to me.  I am spilling with excitement.  This is what I want! This is where I belong. I see my future here.  If they only knew how hard it was to hold my emotions back and keep from practically crying.  Faith in my self is the biggest thing right now !~ I need to learn to trust in my self. I need to go with the flow. 

My family are going to need to understand and be there to support me in my adventure down the path that i have been waiting for my entire adult life.  I can't wait to actually share images of "things to come" .  Please keep me in your thoughts over the next few weeks, days, hours.... I need all the faith in the world to get me where i need to be. 

Plates full of dreams are honestly where my dreams are !

My love of Cooking

I have not had the time that I would like for the one thing that gives me great pleasure.  Cooking! 
I have been making some very simple meals.  I keep drawing a blank unable to come up with something creative. I have spent many hours looking at pictures of food "art" on tastespotting.com  I love it!  I have so many things I want to create from looking at that site.  One thing I would love to try to make is Sushi. The lack of fresh sea food here would be my biggest preventive.  I could make veggie rolls, and CA rolls..

Anyway- I have realized that the more I think of the things that I want so badly have me becoming depressed, forming hatred  for my job.  Wishing I could figure out the direction I wish my desire for cooking would take me.  I fear the working in a restaurant because the times that they are the busiest is the time I love being with my family. In the evenings and on the weekends.  Personal chef in this area would never last.  I have thought about creating a banquet hall/catering.  That doesn't allow for ME to shine... It is so much easier on a smaller scale to create works of art on a plate.....

For now I will just tough it out... Perhaps one day my eyes will open and I will see the direction I'm to go.  Till then I will be miserable dreaming about that possible chance I might one day get to create a "plate full of dreams".  .....

Love your family

I have found sometimes we get to caught up in our own lives. We find that we "don't have time" for others. We rush our lives away!
I honestly have a major problem with this.  I stopped at my mom's the other day to get my dog after work and my niece and nephew were at my moms. My nephew is getting so big!.  I haven't seen them in a while and that is my fault. It is hard when you are working and have your own children to enjoy your extended family. Everyone has busy lives. It has had me thinking recently. Of my family growing up.  I always enjoyed spending time with my aunts, cousins, and extended family.  It makes me so sad to see how a family once so strong and happy has now grown apart. -  I still love my extended family. I miss them. I just know that our relationships will never come back to what we had some 10 years ago or even longer...Wow, might seem corny but a "Boys 2 men" song came to mind- The name of the song is "Water run dry" - Many words in this song couldn't be more true! "We don't even talk anymore."  - "Don't even say I love you no more"  "Now they can see the tears in our eyes- But we deny the pain in our hearts"... Just listen to the song- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNRHnwCFQ4Q

Thinking of that it has made me realize my relationship with my own family.  I love my husband and children very much.  I think I have seemed distant in many ways as of recent. Showing a lack of patients, affection, and expressing my love for my husband. No matter what my excuse is I vow to changes! My children are my world! I love them very much. It is scary how hard reality hits showing how fast they grow up.  I wish it would just slow down a little. My oldest will be 14 in just a few weeks!!!!!!!!! He is play football as i struggle to let go and just watch him grow all of the fears in side of me just want to pull him back and shelter him.  My little one being the dare devil he is always hurting himself. Making requests for more things to hurt himself on! It just never seems to end. 

I just want my family to know that I love them. I wish I could spend more time with them. Hold your family close to you. Express your love constantly!  HUG! .... - Ok I promise to cook something and add another dreamy plate of food!