Guineitos en escabeche

Guineitos en escabeche

Green Bananas in Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 cups milk (or milk substitute)

2 quarts water

1 tablespoon salt

4 pounds unpeeled unripe (green) bananas,

halved crosswise (do not peel)

2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 tablespoon black pepper

1-2/3 cups light olive oil

1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

4 bay leaves

optional 1 onion diced
4 garlic cloves chopped

In a soup kettle or large pot,bring the milk and water to a boil.Add the salt and bananas Bring to a boil again,then reduce the heat and simmer until the bananas are cooked but firm,20 to 25 minutes.

Drain and peel the bananas, and cut them into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

In a large nonreactive bowl,mix the vinegar with the black pepper.Wisk in oil. Add the olives, bay leaves, garlic, onions and bananas and toss well. Let stand at room temperature

for at least 1 hour before serving.

This dish can be refrigerated.

http://www.elcolmadito.com/USRecetasDetaile.asp?Numero=374
http://sazonboricua.com/guineitos-en-escabeche/

Arroz con Dulce with powerful Essential Oils

Arroz con Dulce with powerful Essential Oils

Sweet Rice Pudding

4 cups water

1 teaspoonful salt

2 drops of Clove essential oil (or 1 teaspoonful cloves)

2 drops of Ginger essential oil (or 1 tablespoonful crushed fresh ginger)
1-2 drops of Cinnamon essential oil (or ground cinnamon to taste)

1 14-oz can coconut cream

1 cup regular, uncooked, short-grain rice

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoonful coconut oil

1/2 cup raisins

For best results, soak rice in water for about two hours prior to cooking. then drain.

Add the salt, coconut cream, sugar and oil to three cups of water in a deep sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Add the rice, Cook covered over medium-low heat for about twenty minutes. Add the oils and optional raisins and blend in. Continue to cook, uncovered, until the rice has absorbed all the water (about fifteen more minutes).

Cooking times vary depending on your climate and elevation from sea level. Don't worry: this recipe is very forgiving of cooking lapses. Just don't overcook!

Pour into a square or rectangular dish about one inch high and allow to cool. Sprinkle ground cinnamon on the pudding and cut in two-inch squares for your diners.

It is equally enjoyable after refrigeration. It will keep for several days, well covered in the refrigerator.

Serves 4 (I quadrupled the recipe for Christmas Eve)

adapted from:

http://www.elcolmadito.com/USRecetasDetaile.asp?Numero=182

The antidote to anxiety is adoration

"Anxiety can wear anger's mask. Fear of failing, of falling, of falling behind, it can make us fierce." "The answer to anxiety is the adoration of Christ." -Ann Voskamp

Everyone Poops

After watching a hilarious commercial for an actual product and hearing the words "essential oils" I decided I had everything I needed and could try my hand at making something similar. It's kinda food related, and all natural, so why not?

Ingredients:

2 oz water

5 drops clove oil

5 drops geranium

5 drops lemon oil

1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

Put it all in a 2 oz. travel sized spray bottle. (Or double or quadruple the recipe and make it family sized, or maybe you need to use it a lot. I won't tell anyone)

Keep one in the bathroom and one in your purse - to go (get it? to go!)

Use:

• Shake the spray bottle to distribute the oils in the water

• spray the toilet bowl/water surface  - 4 spritzes should do

• the oils float on the surface of the water coating anything that drops in

• sit and do your business

• flush

• pretend nothing ever happened!

for airborne smells (farts), spray sparingly in the air, not too much so the oil doesnt accumulate on the floor making it slippery.

In the words of one of my favorite t-shirts... 

Everyone Poops

You can change the oils to whatever you want. Next one I will make with Tea Tree, Rosemary and Lavender

Let me know if it works for you :)

Back to school mom's lunch

I had a last minute lunch with a few of my favorite ladies on the first day of THEIR kids going back to school!

Back to school day brings back bittersweet memories for me.  For a while it was exciting, but stressful when they were little.  Sticking to the school's schedule and demands for my kids' and my time was painful, 2nd grade homework and drama drove me insane, and the almost immediate labeling of kids as learning or behaviorally challenged rubbed me the wrong way. But then we home schooled for quite a few years.  It was stressful in a different way, but so much more relaxed and low key and playful and freeing, So then back to school day was awesome, we started when we wanted, stayed in our PJ's most of the time, went to the library, to the park, played, read, read, and read some more. The later high school years came and it was stressful again sticking to someone else's schedule for their days but in the end it was all for good because they made awesome friendships and had experiences that to this day we are all grateful for.
So, even though my kids are not going back to school on this day, lots of people that I care for are going through all these emotions and experiences in their own ways so I decided to just have a little lunch and I raided the garden and came up with all kinds of yummyness.

Cucumber cups with Tzatziki sauce and a friend brought pickled blackberries (yum!)
Bruschetta
Grrilled eggplants and tomatoes
raw zucchini noodles
chicken with dairy free faux pesto sauce (with a secreted ingredient instead of parmesan)
garden fresh watermelon
gluten free bread cut in cubes and broiled with olive oil, garlic & basil

I work on getting the recipes up soon.

9 FREE Kindle books today 8-13-13

9 FREE books today only 8-13-13

**Make sure they are still FREE before you click buy**

If you see a free Kindle book that you want then get it as soon as you can.

Prices often change and it's difficult to tell how long the book will remain free.

When downloading a free Kindle book on Amazon

verify that the book is still free by making sure the price is $0.00.

If it lists a price or says "read for free" or has a price for prime members

the book is not free anymore.

Easy Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Recipes (Gluttony of Gluten-Free)

The Gluten-Free Dessert Bible (Gluttony of Gluten-Free)

Boxed Set 1 Carrier Oils Guide

The Homemade Medicine Book

Confessions of a Raging Perfectionist: Learning to Be Free

The Juggling Act: Bringing Balance to Your Faith, Family, and Work

What's It Like to Be Married to Me?: And Other Dangerous Questions

25 Cool Things to Do with Wine Bottles

PUPPY LOVE BUNDLE (New Dog Series)

If you are interested in purchasing oils or learning about essential oils and how to incorporate them into your quest for a healthy life let me know, I'll be glad to share.

**ask me how to save 25% or more on the best essential oils available**

Fancy Tostones

Sorry about the lack of posts in the last two weeks. I got that new "phablet" I wanted and it's been fun setting it up just right and playing with it. Between working, having out of state family visiting for a week, and... somehow I've taken on a different little project. Helping the local animal shelter get into the 21st century with some social media exposure. You can check them out on Facebook and www.petfinders.com
I got all OCD on that project and knocked it out, but I'm sure there's more to do, and I'll be like... "ooooh shiny!" and I'll disappear again.

Anyway, I still gotta eat so I still gotta cook. So here is one of last week's experiment.

TOSTONES! (toes-toe-ness)

What the heck is tostones you say?
Only pure natural gluten free deliciousness. Duh!

Normally I just peel and  cut up the very green plantains into 1 inch or so slanted rounds, but this time i decided to use my new spiral slicer.
I made little tangled mounds and fried them until golden for about a minute on each side in grape seed oil.

Added some salt and pepper and enjoyed their crunchy goodness with some pan fried fish and a baby spinach, cucumber, tomato salad fresh from the garden.

Did you know that you can get tostones instead of french fries at most fast food franchises in Puerto Rico? And they ARE your side of fries at most authentic restaurants on the island.
True Story.

now I'm hungry, and homesick