Cilantro - Guess What!

Hey Hayyat,
That is a really helpful idea.  I love cilantro and use it in many many things and in a lot of different ways and I do use it in pesto.  Now that I'm dealing with hypertension, I keep a pesto on hand at all times and am using that on most of my salads, rather than dressing.  Delicious actually.  Anyway, here's another idea for those who don't like it quite as much as you and I.  I came across this method of extending its refrigerator life and I don't even remember from whom or how.  Dampen a hand towel, cut the very bottom of the stems (of the cilantro bunch) and wrap the bottom with the dampened towel. Replace in the bag from the grocers and the leaves remain fresh for maybe a little less than a week.

What is most pleasant about your idea, is that it saves a lot of preparation time.
Thanks .....Bunches. lol.     Ummi-----> Tia

Aaah... Cilantro

I had to share this little thing I learned from a Moroccan years ago. Cilantro is my favorite fresh herb to use and I'm sure if you've ever used it you know it doesn't keep very long in the fridge. But if you're like me and you want it around all the time this trick may come in handy for you too. Get your fresh cilantro (works on other parsleys as well) and roughly chop it, including most of the stem. A lot of the fresh, green taste cilantro lovers love is in the stem. Put it in a blender with some oil and a little salt. Just enough oil, depending on the amount of the herb you have, to make it blend together like a pesto. Voila! "Fresh" cilantro anytime. Store it in the freezer and you're good to go anytime...  As you can see above, I've been using it. Hope that helps someone.

Tilapia....

I'm a simple lady, and I like simple foods. I mean, something I can just sit down and eat. I don't like to have to do any work for my food, or peel anything before chomping down. So, I cook accordingly. So I baked you up some Tilapia with fresh tomatoes, Basmati rice and steamed broccoli for dinner. Enjoy!


Bee

Juice anyone?

So I've decided to start this journey of eating to live and being more conscious of my health in all aspects. So after going to whole foods to get all these fresh fruits and veggies, getting a juicer, and rushing back home...I thought it would be best to start with an immune system booster, because mine needs some work. So anyways, here we have; Kale, Carrots, Celery, Cilantro, an Apple and some Ginger.

At first I was scared of what to expect. But after taking my first sip, I was surprised that it was actually tasty. I had a really bad cold when I purchased all of these items, and now a few days later I'm feeling pretty good. Hopefully I can keep on this journey and get healthier as the days pass by.

Bee (Asma Bibi)

Oh! The dance that is going on in my mouth! 


BREAKFAST           
                            
The interplay of different tastes and textures in your mouth all at once. Those plates where all the items on the plate have complimentary flavor profiles; such that when they all end up getting piled in at once (on purpose of course) they do this glorious dance on your taste buds. 


I personally believe these moments directly precede what we know as the "Happy Dance", on account of my deciding that taste buds can hear music. In their own way. But I digress.

I just dropped in today to give thanks to The Creator, Who didn't have to, for the creation of what we know as "the enjoyment of food". I always tell my children, "You know, Our Creator may have made food like medicine & vice versa, so that we enjoy all our medicine & dread the daily nourishment. But in His Infinite Mercy, this was made an enjoyable experience. And I want them to be grateful for that. I'm grateful for that.


Yatti


P. S. I would also like to thank my parents for exposing us to all the culinary experiences we all undoubtedly had before we left the nest, that made us the culinarily diverse and adventurous home chefs that we all are. Can you tell I love them? Anywho, in the words (and I'm paraphrasing) of the famed Chef Bleezie of Chef Roble and Co. "Our culinary style has no area code."

Just Another Bonnie Butter

Another wrapped in Chocolate.....

Be back to chat later.

Tia

Cravings? good or bad?

 Hello, Ciao!, Salaam, Bonjour!

Soo I was at a Baby Shower this past weekend, and there were some sweets of course. Plenty, as a matter of fact. But by the time I got ready to have some, what I wanted was gone :-(
. Well, I saw a carrot cake that was mostly all still there, so I stood and thought "Hmm I like carrot cake, Cream cheese icing, Yum!" (Literally). but then I said "it looks bought, and the chocolate cake wasn't!" (literally). So I just grabbed something for the sake of my 45-60 min drive home. I really wanted carrot cake after that though. So what did I do? and always do? If I find something that I want, or taste something that is NOT made right, to my standards that is. I go home and make it my ----Self lol.. So here it is my first Carrot Cake.

May Watts AKA Mayza
The Experimental Cook

Just A Note

For those who are joining us for the first time, our introduction (All About Us) is dated Tuesday, January 24th, 2012.  Scrolling down and clicking on "older posts," will take you to it.  Of course, that's for newer blog readers, like me; others, I'm sure are saying ...... uuh duh.  Tia.

Bonnie Butter Cake w/ Citrus Frosting

In reality, we all know that every recipe is not our own.  Well, this one happens to be from one of my favorite "old" cookbooks.  Believe it or not,!  Betty (daggone) Crocker ... from 1969.

Firstly, it's interesting that I'd never heard of this book.  In actuality, it came to me by U.S. Postal mail, in error.  It was supposed to belong to my neighbor.  God forgive me.  I didn't ever give it to it's rightful owner.  Or, if fate be what we say, it was really meant for me.  Yikes! this is convoluted reasoning at it's best.  Anyway, I love this book; have a beat-up copy of it, still; and some of my best pastries (tampered with, altered, and made my own) have come from the recipes in this book.   Thanks Betty!

So, I wanted to make a cake for the family and thought about this recipe.  Not having the book with me, at this time, I hit that "ole" Google search.  Low and behold..... there's the recipe.  Someone had posted it and referred to it as "my favorite butter cake."  I'm inclined to agree.  Here it is:

Ingredients

2/3 cup butter or margarine (butter tastes the best} 1 3/4 cups of sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 3 cups softasilk cake flour or 2 3/4 Gold medal flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cups milk

Directions

Heat oven to 350 GREASE AND FLOUR BAKING PAN 13X9X2 INCHES, OR TWO 9 -INCH OR THREE 8-INCH ROUND LAYER PANS. IN LARGE MIXER BOWL, MIX BUTTER, SUGAR, EGGS, AND VANILLA UNTIL FLUFFY. BEAT 5 MINUTES ON HIGH SPEED , MIX IN FLOUR, BAKING POWDER AND SALT ALTERNATELY WITH MILK. POUR INTO PANS.

BAKE OBLONG 45 TO 50 MINUTES, LAYERS 30 TO 35 MINUTES OR UNTIL WOODEN PICK INSERTED IN CENTER COMES OUT CLEAN. COOL.

There is no recipe for the frosting because I've kinda grown accustomed to making my own frosting from scratch.  It's the regular, though.... butter (always butter), confectioners sugar, a little milk, and vanilla.  The citrus is some fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice and some fresh squeezed orange juice, to taste.

I forgot to take the picture of a slice, sigh... So sorry.

Next time..... count on a next time.

Tia





Anything Your Kid Can Do...

You know the rest. Forgive my braggadocious manner here, but I'm a proud "kitchen" mom. You can superimpose the word stage where I used kitchen if you please. No matter how you cut it, though, the meatball sandwich you see below is a force to be reckoned with.

Asma's Giant Meatball Sandwich

This is the result of getting your kids involved in the kitchen early. They learn to love cooking; take pride in it even. And you get to sit back and kick your feet up some nights (or mornings) while your chef-in-the-making serves up dishes the likes of which you can only hope to get at Quiznos. I think each meatball may have had its own gravitational pull. I've got your "TOASTY!"

Yatti

Hey You Guys?!!

I just thought I'd like to add that the guys I talked about in the intro really do exist.
That being said, I'm thinking they're gonna need a little encouragement.  Big on makin it and not so much on talking about it.  Not only that, there'a VERY obviously missing "head honcho" who seems to not know how to get here. Someone is gonna have to take care of that.  By the time he shows up, he'll have plenty to say about the balance of what's posted.  Ugggh.   I'm just saying. lol

Tia

Cole Slaw Straight From The "Garden"

My son had a school project to grow a plant and chart its growth. Us being foodies, he chose an edible plant (cabbage) instead of a flower. When it was time to harvest I knew I wanted to make something fresh with it instead of cooked. Cole slaw to accompany the Arroz con Pollo I'd made for dinner. I took about 4 cups of shredded, home grown cabbage and tossed with the following: 1/3 cup mayo, 1 1/2 tbls vinegar, 1 tbls dried green onion, 1tbls sugar, salt and pepper to taste. I threw in a couple tbls finely chopped red bell pepper that I had on hand for color. I really wanted my son's cabbage to be the star so that's why none of the usual additions. It came out awesome!

Yatti