Tag Archives: #food #recipes #mom #blog #cooking

578.1 – Time off, August 2020

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Staycation is coming up. Wednesday through next week. I will be taking the time off from blogging as well but I will be back with new end of summer and early fall posts.🙂
I know I haven’t been on that much lately, but I really needed the break. Besides, there really isn’t much going on with me.
nooshloves: Lazy summer days
We decided that since we don’t have to go back to the office for work yet, we are keeping the kids home and opting to do remote learning when school starts in a few weeks. We have that option and we are going to take it. I’m not comfortable sending the kids yet. I am going to be looking into a tutor too.
Online tutor Stock Photos, Royalty Free Online tutor Images | Depositphotos®
My garden on the deck is in full bloom right now. The huge storm last week knocked over some of my flowers (I have replanted and I am hoping they come back) and my veggies are doing well. This year I am determined to use as much of the garden as possible.
How to Grow Tomatoes in Pots — Even Without a Garden
Last week I made pickles (https://www.thechunkychef.com/refrigerator-pickles/) , candied jalapenos (https://www.thechunkychef.com/candied-jalapenos/) from https://www.thechunkychef.com/. I love that lady. Her recipes are really good. My husband loves the jalapenos, he’s been adding them to his omelets in the morning.
holding an open jar of cowboy candy
I used the eggplants and made Trini Stewed eggplants. It was pretty good.
and this Citrus Chicken Thigh:
The chicken recipe is a keeper for us, we really liked it.
Ultimate Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Thighs
I don’t even know what peppers are growing in some of my pots. My friend just gave me a bunch of his different super hot pepper plants. So I threw all the ones I haven’t dried yet in a container and pickled them. That smells dangerous but we have not tasted it yet. I used this recipe:
Pickled chili peppers, jarred and ready for consumption.
I haven’t had any big tomatoes yet. The Squirrels have. Maybe I’ll get one at some point.🙂 I have some grape and cherry tomatoes that are delicious. I have thrown those into my salads. One of my favorite memories from childhood is picking tomatoes out of my dads garden and eating them like an apple with a little sprinkle of salt. So good. Or making a tomato sandwich with some mayo and salt and pepper.
Kitchen Sink Tomato Sandwich: gluten free style – Life on the Farmlet
My rent the runway subscription is going well. I am enjoying trying dresses and skirts this summer although my go to is still pants. I doubt that is going to change although I have found a few skirts and dresses that I have loved. At least there is that. I am thinking about pausing this membership again. It’s just a lot of money to rent something to wear for what? To water my plants? To run to the grocery store? I mean, nothing is going on right now. We’ll see though.
Woman wearing protective mask and shopping in grocery or department store | Premium Photo
That’s pretty much it for me. I was thinking about trying to charter a boat to go fishing on Staycation. We’ll see about that. I imagine I am not the only one with such a brilliant idea. Haha.
THE 10 BEST Long Island Fishing Charters & Tours (with Photos) - Tripadvisor
How are you ladies and men doing? How is your summer going?

Cooking and Eating – Two on my favorite things

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When I was young I loooooved to bake. Muffins, cupcakes, cakes. I used to make my mom take me to the library so I could take out recipe books. I remember taking a Japanese cooking class in elementary school and I fell in love with trying new things.
I worked in restaurants right up until I was pregnant with my son and then I decided that I needed a career change with better hours so I went back to school,  finished my associates and switched to office management and then medical billing. I do miss the restaurant, just not the hours.
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When I was pregnant with my daughter, my in laws gave me a kitchen aide mixer for my birthday. Bright Red. I love that thing.
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I made breads every week and cookies every weekend. I tried and failed my first from scratch cake… I think it would have worked out but we were going to a friends house for dinner and I did not time the cooling part so my icing melted and the top layer slide off. It was not pretty, but it was edible.
Then I had my daughter and sort of put bread making on the side while I got used to 2 kids. I am starting to get back into it but I need to focus more on healthy because my husband and I need to lose about 20 lbs. Okay, 30 really.
I love to cook. I love the internet for looking for new recipes, you can find pretty much anything you look for. And pretty authentic recipes too. So far I have made Jamaican, Indian, Greek, Italian, Polish, Czech, Peruvian, Mexican, Thai, American southern, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and that’s really all I can think of right now. There is really nothing that I won’t try. I am totally open to new things. I am slowly working my way through the library.
This year I will be focused on healthier eating and I will be posting the good things on here. So follow this blog already because I promise there will be some interesting things.
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I cook Easter, a big family reunion in the summer and Thanksgiving for my entire family (and any friends they may bring) every year and it makes me so happy to have people I love get together and eat, relax, catch up and have fun.
Image result for familyBBQ mixed race cartoon free image
(Side note: Why  is it so hard to find a mixed race family BBQ picture? )
In the future, when my kids get older and I finally become a successful blogger and best selling author, and I have some time (ha ha) I would like to open up a free kitchen serving lunch Wednesday through Sunday. Just to have people come sit and eat. That is my ultimate dream. I know we will make it happen one day.
What’s your favorite thing to do? What’s your ultimate dream?

Jamaican cooking and Me

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I have a friend I worked with for over 10 years when I worked at a Pizza Hut. They ended up closing our location because the 20 year lease was up and they wanted to triple the rent or something and it made no sense to keep us open because we were a restaurant that wasn’t in the red, but made little to no money. Everyone was there for so long that we were all at the top of the pay rates for our positions so we would often work a skeleton crew so we could stay in budget for the employee costs.  I learned a lot from this place and from the people I met there. I will forever miss it.
I developed some pretty great relationships while working there and one was with a Jamaican woman named Odette. Her nickname is Vivi and that’s actually where my daughters middle name came from. When I had my son I was out of work and Odette had just opened her very own Jamaican place about 40 minutes away from where I lived. Right past the palisades mall in New York. https://www.yelp.com/biz/tropical-delicacy-spring-valley  I highly recommend this place if you are in the area. The food is amazing! The people are amazing! Just go and eat!
Photo of Tropical Delicacy - Spring Valley, NY, United States. A classic oxtail and beer
 I use to bring my son with me and we would hang out all morning while she cooked. I would feed my son, put him down to nap and dive right in to whatever she needed. Wash dishes? Sure! Cut cabbage? Absolutely. She taught me a lot about how to cook Jamaican. When my son was 10 months old I ended up getting a job as an office manager so our time was cut down.
Then life happen and we just weren’t able to make it over there for a while. I needed Jamaican food though and even though I had helped in the kitchen I didn’t actually write down any recipes. Then I found this website https://cooklikeajamaican.com/new-recipe-brown-stew-chicken/. I have found lots of delicious recipes on this website and I really recommend trying a couple!
Now, since it’s the weekend, I think I need to make a trip to visit and old friend.
Photo of Tropical Delicacy - Spring Valley, NY, United States. Steamed fish wow!!!!