206/365

206/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

smoothie time...

i've been planning to start drinking smoothies again...
but always seemed to forget the ingredients when i went to the store.

i've also been wanting to lose some weight...
and while chatting with my daughter yesterday...
she mentioned smoothies...
so i added the ingredients to my grocery list.

as i was purchasing the ingredients...
today's photo formed in my mind.

i eat pretty healthy...
but rarely eat breakfast.

so...
for the month of august...
i pledge to have breakfast...
either my fave cherrios or a smoothie...
five days a week.

to keep me honest...
i'll instagram my effort...
which will also get me active on there again!

***

ingredients...

2 cups greens, fresh
2 cups coconut water
1 cup pineapple
1 cup mango
1/2 cup strawberries
2 bananas
1 tbsp chia seeds

directions...

blend greens and liquid
add fruits to blender
pour into serving glasses
top with chia seeds

makes 3, 12-oz servings

204/365

204/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

chips n salsa...

this is the finished salsa from yesterday's ingredient shot.


i shot it tethered...
which i'm in love with.

props...
bamboo placemat...
tortilla chips...
cayenne pepper from my garden...
cilantro leaves.

203/365

203/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

salsa makings...

this is a recipe i found last year...
and it is truly one of the best salsa i have ever tasted.

***

Ingredients

6-8 large Roma tomatoes (2 Lbs/1 Kilo) OR 1-28 ounce can whole tomatoes, drained
2 small or 1 medium onion(s), diced
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2-3 hot peppers (see tips), seeded and halved
1/2-1 cup (a handful) fresh cilantro leaves, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground pepper, to taste
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
juice of one lemon or lime, optional

Instructions

If using fresh tomatoes, add ½ inch of water to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Core and halve tomatoes and set them, cut side up, in the skillet.*

While you dice the onions, simmer tomatoes until water evaporates and tomatoes start to soften. Peel and discard any skins that have loosened during steaming.

Toss tomatoes, hot peppers and cilantro into a blender container. Blend until smooth.

Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic in hot oil for about 10 seconds; just a flash in the pan.

Add blended tomato mixture to the skillet with the onions and garlic and give it a stir.

Season with salt and ground pepper to taste. Add cumin if desired.

Simmer on medium-low for about 15 minutes, or until salsa is reduced and thick. You may need to increase cook time if tomatoes are very juicy.

You can add the juice of a fresh lime or lemon at this point, although it's not necessary and will temper the salsa's spiciness.

Serve with tortilla chips, enchiladas, tacos, scrambled eggs, etc.

Makes about 3 cups of homemade salsa

vespawoolf.hubpages.com/hub/The-Best-Homemade-Mexican-Salsa

202/365

202/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

anniversary cupcakes...

today is our 34th wedding anniversary!

mrchazman loves sweets...
and i love cooking...
and photography...
so i made these vanilla cupcakes this morning...
and served them with the pickled strawberries i made on friday!

because i've been watching creativeLIVE for the past 3 days...
i wanted to practice some of the techniques i learned there...
and i also wanted to shoot tethered.

i found a great tutorial over at tip squirrel...
and loved seeing my photos on screen immediately!
i'm hooked!

i've been enjoying my cupcake (w/coffee) while writing this post...
and now i'm ready to get out and enjoy the sunshine.
i hope you have a great day also!

193/365

193/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

pickled strawberries...

i know...
have you ever heard of such a thing?

well...
i hadn't either...
until i read an email at 6am...
that my daughter sent me.

the article was about summer pickles...
but i only made it as far as the 2nd photo...
before i stopped reading...
and knew i had to made these.

i immediately got out of bed...
went downstairs..
and grabbed my ingredients.

it is now 7am...
i've made the recipe...
taken and edited the photo...
and written this post.

how simple is that?

***

Ingredients:
1 lb. ripe, but firm fresh strawberries
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar (can use red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar or evaporated cane juice
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. water
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1/4 vanilla bean

Instructions:
Rinse strawberries well and trim off green leaves and any bruised spots. Quarter the largest berries, and halve the smaller ones. Place into a quart canning jar with the rosemary sprig and vanilla bean.

In a small pan combine the vinegar, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil and pour over the strawberries, leaving a little room at the top. Replace the can lid and ring. Tighten. Let cool to room temperature and chill overnight before using.

Keep refrigerated. Lasts a few weeks.

the recipe is from cafe johnsonia.

191/365

191/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

mango couscous...

OMG!!!
this dish is delicious!

for my birthday...
i got marcus samuelsson's cookbook...
the soul of a new cuisine...
and this recipe is on page 96.

i googled it...
to see if it was online...
to save myself some typing...
and found it on quite a few sites.

enjoy!

Ingredients
1 cup couscous
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic , minced
1 mango , peeled, pitted and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
1 jalapeno chili , seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1 ripe tomato , chopped
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup cilantro sprigs, chopped
1/4 cup parsley sprigs, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt , plus more to taste

Directions
Prepare couscous according to package directions. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add garlic, mango and jalapeño. Sauté until mango begins to color, about 1 minute.

Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, couscous, raisins, tomato, lime juice, cilantro and parsley and toss to heat through, about 1 minute. Season with salt. Serve hot or at room temperature.

188/365

188/365, a photo by credd on Flickr.

bread & butter pickles...

i'm growing pickling cucumbers...
and had enough to make a batch of pickles today.

and because i can never leave a recipe alone...
i added a pinch of red pepper flakes to the jar...
for an extra kick.

i'll be grilling some burgers this week...
to have something to accompany the pickles.

***

Makes 4 cups of pickles, filling a 1-quart jar

1 pound cucumbers, sliced 1/4-inch thick — “pickling” or kirby cucumbers work best here
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Diamond Kosher salt
1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon celery seed

In a medium bowl, combine the cucumbers, onion and salt. Mix well. Cover the mixture with ice. Let stand at room temperature for two hours. In a pot, bring sugar, vinegar and spices to a boil. Drain cucumbers and onions. Add to vinegar mixture and bring almost back to a boil. Remove from heat and cool. You can store the pickles in an airtight container for up to three weeks in the fridge. They will begin tasting pickled in just a couple hours.

the recipe above is from smitten kitchen.