churro waffles

sunday i made these for my boys and hubby.

i saw the recipe on pinterest and decided to try it.

they were delish! if you like mexican churros, this recipe will not disappoint.

hubby is a big fan of all things sweet, by default my boys are too.

now if only i could get my waffles to look more like waffles than tic-tac-toe squares.

guess i'll have to practice some more.

i am sure the boys will not have complaints.

you can find the recipe here.

s'mores cookies

i have noticed that when fall comes around i feel like baking.

i am a nocturnal baker, don't know why, but that is when i like to bake.

that doesn't make for great pictures though.

i was visiting kevin and amanda's blog looking at photography tips

and i came across this yummy recipe.

i can not take credit for them.

{or the picture, it is from the kevin and amanda's site since i did not take a picture of the end product}

i will tell you that they were delicious.

 graham crackers, marshmallow bits, chocolate chips, yum!

they were delicious.

so much so that they are all gone.

i gave some away to the boys' teachers and to my sister.

no, i did not eat them all, but i easily could have.

the marshmallow bits gave the cookie a nice crunchy texture.

you should make some, but during the day not at night like me.

sunshine toast

number one asked for sunshine toast for breakfast today.

it is one of his favorites. mine too as it is easy and very yummy.

i am not a big breakfast kind of girl.

i prefer something easy and fast for breakfast 

except, that is, if we go out for breakfast. 

then i like omelets with lots of veggies along with a big side of home fries, yum.

sunshine toast is a hit with kids. it is very simple to make.

you cut out the center of a piece of bread with a biscuit cutter, gives you a nice circle in the center.

{here i used wheat bread because that is what i had}

you add butter to your skillet making sure there is plenty in the center.

{i wouldn't skimp on the butter as it gives the toast a great flavor, just sayin}

you crack an egg in the hole of the bread

let it cook, flip, and cook a little longer on the other side.

 cooking time will vary depending on how you like your eggs, i like my yolks a little runny.

 and there you have it, yummy sunshine toast. 

super easy and super yummy too.

speaking of sunshine, temps are supposed to be in 100's again this weekend.

sure doesn't feel like fall here in southern california.

boys and i have a day off today.

furlough day, which means a Friday off for me, hooray!

thanks for visiting,

love and blessings.

green beans

i went to the farmer's market yesterday and bought a little bag of green beans {among other goodies}

today for dinner i made this yummy vegetarian dish.

green beans, crimini mushrooms, and tofu sautéed with olive oil, garlic and soy sauce. 

cooking a meatless meal has been a challenge for me
especially since i live with a bunch of carnivores.
number two likes to eat tofu so he was on board.

what is exciting about not eating meat is that i get to experiment and try new foods 

that i would normally overlook.

 this dish was very easy to make and was tasty and satisfying.

with the tofu i didn't even miss the meat, really.

to make the green beans:

sauté green beans in olive oil, stir fry them, 

toss in firm tofu cubed and minced garlic

cook the green beans until they are slighty soft but retaining some crunch

continue to stir, add about 2-3 splashes of soy sauce {optional} and some crushed red pepper

season to taste with salt and pepper.

enjoy!

enchilada soup

yesterday i made this yummy enchilada soup.

it is one of hubby's favorites. my mom also loves it.

i am glad they love it because it is not a big hit with my boys.

i guess it is more of an adult soup.

it is a concoction of mine after trying to recreate Chili's enchilada soup.

to be frank mine tastes better :)

it is a thick, creamy soup made with chiles 

tortillas, chicken broth, shredded chicken breast

topped with roasted poblano peppers, cilantro, chopped tomato, and cheddar cheese.

 eat it with tortilla chips for dipping, mmm super yummy!

soup is one of my favorite meals to cook.

i crave soup...even when the temperature is in the 90's like it was today and yesterday.

soup just makes you feel good.

it is one of my go-to comfort foods.

i'll have to work on the recipe to share next time i make it, 

i was kinda in a hurry and didn't write down all the measurements.

what is your favorite comfort food?

summer favorite

i have several large beefsteak tomatoes left over from number 2's birthday party this past weekend.

for lunch today i decided to make one of my favorites.

i am not sure if it is called caprese salad or caprese tomatoes,

being i'm not italian and do not claim to know italiano

i call it just plain ol' yummy

my sister once served this for a small gathering, and i have been a fan ever since.

it is the perfect lunch for summer.

i sliced the tomatoes, drizzled the slices with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

sprinkled them with sea salt and black pepper.

topped with a  fresh basil leaf

{cut from my garden, makes me happy saying that}

and added fresh mozzarella.

 i use the fresh balls that are sold in containers in the water to keep the cheese moist. 

i have also used the fresh mozzarella cheese log sold at trader joe's.

both are yummy :)

i don't recommend using the mozzarella that you would grate for pizza or other recipes, 

that cheese is too dry and it would just not taste the same.

i almost couldn't resist eating them before i snapped these pictures.

i am counting down the days till hubby is off on vacation...his last day is this friday, finally!

i can't wait to really start enjoying our summer together as a family.

how is your summer going? 

everything but the kitchen sink

last week i made this soup

{i know i have been a little sparse on the blogging}

i anticipate things starting to slow down a bit.

last week i worked three day and it was parent conference week.

busy, enough said but.

i felt like eating soup so i looked in my fridge to see what i could use and came up with

a lentil, barley, garbanzo soup.

here is how i made it

i sautéed in olive oil:

onions, garlic, leeks, red bell peppers, celery, 

and shredded carrots (that's what had, you can use regular carrots too)

once the veggies were sautéed and onions were clear,

i added a can of fire roasted tomatoes and sautéed for a few more minutes.

at this point i added about 1/2 cup of lentils

1/2  cup barley pearls

about 1/3 cup garbanzo beans, 

i used canned garbanzo beans since i was going to simmer the soup for a while 

{you can use canned garbanzos too if you don't have two hours to wait for soup}

i added two quarts of chicken stock and brought it to a boil

once it boiled, i turned the heat to simmer, added a few sprigs of fresh thyme, 

seasoned to taste with salt and pepper and covered the pot.

i let the soup simmer on low for about two hours.

i have to admit i am a bit impatient

 i check on the soup frequently which probably extends the cooking time

and there you have it, a yummy super healthy and hearty soup.

 it was great by itself or with a grilled cheese panini.

hope you are enjoying your sunday.

it is raining in sunny california today.

i am looking forward to heading to my mom's for some

home made caldo de res or mexican stew.

nothing like sharing good soup with my familia.

seven layer chicken bowl

i made this yummy chicken bowl yesterday.

 i love pollo loco pollo bowls and chipotle chicken bowls

so i decided to try to make it at home.

they were super yummy and will be added to my recipe rotation, seriously!

i may never go out for a bowl again {maybe?}

to make this yummy bowl

you'll need these veggies

serrano peppers, lots of limes, tomatoes, a bell pepper, a red onion, cilantro, and tomatillos

 this bowl is a layering of flavors:

warning there are several layers of flavors that make this delicious!

1. cilantro lime brown rice

i use brown rice because it is healthier but you can use white just as well

first i cooked the brown rice in a rice cooker, you can season to taste

i like to add a bit of olive oil or butter to the rice

once the rice has cooked, i put it in a bowl to cool a bit then add chopped cilantro, lime juice, and toss.

 2. add beans, any type of bean that is whole (not refried) pinto beans, i had cooked some peruano beans and used those, you can also use black beans as well.

 3.add chopped grilled chicken breast

4.  sauteed bell peppers and red onions, like the ones used in  fajitas

5. pico de gallo

chopped tomatoes, a serrano pepper {you can remove the seeds if you don't like it too spicy},

chopped cilantro, red onions, salt pepper, and lime juice to taste

 it is tasty and adds lots of color

6. shredded jack cheese

7. optional but yummy layer: top with sour cream and homemade salsa

this is hubby's favorite salsa, my boys like it too.

 i make it with tomatillos, tomatoes, serrano peppers and chile de arbol

 i boil everything but the chile de arbol, those i fry in a bit of olive oil

blend in blender with two cloves of garlic, add salt to taste and there you have it

 the best salsa ever {according to hubby}, it is great for chips and salsa too.

seriously delicioso!

i like that it is also healthy too.

if you eat  it with out tortilla chips :)

 i will be making this again soon.

more cookies

last week i made these cookies.

 they were such a hit that me boys asked me to make them again..

who could resist, frankly they were delish and were gone fast so i made some more.

only this time i added 2/3 cup of oatmeal.

they tasted even better.

i am not a superbowl-football watching kind of girl...it's just not for me.

 i'm more of a baking, sipping on tea in my favorite mug kinda girl...

so i went shopping for fabric and baked cookies, my kind of sunday!