Cinco De Mayo

Happy Tuesday :D
  ARE you ready for Cinco De Mayo?  I love going to the festivals, eating the 
wonderful foods.  Today I am going to concentrate on bringing you some 
of my favorite recipes.  You don't have to go to the festival :D Bring it 
to your home for family and friends.   


Guacamole 
prep / total time : 10 minutes
yield : 12 servings 



INGREDIENTS
1 medium ripe avocado, halved, seeded and peeled
4-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 small tomato, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped green chilies
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
Tortilla chips ( below i will show you how to make yours :D ) DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, mash avocado with lemon juice. Stir in the tomato, onion, chilies, garlic and salt if desired. Cover; chill. Serve with tortilla chips.
 Yield: about 1-1/2 cups.


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Tortiilla Chips


INGREDIENTS

1 large pack of 6 inch tortillas 
spray olive oil
kosher or sea salt


DIRECTIONS
Place three or four tortillas and cut in half , then cut in half again.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet, do not over lap.  
spray with oil,  lightly salt and use any other season you like 
( chili powder,  cayenne, etc )   
bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes
or until slightly golden.  


to make the sweet chips 
follow directions above except the salt,  
mix 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon 
2 tablespoons of sugar, sprinkle over chips
that have been sprayed with oil.  These chips can also be 
seasoned after they are out of the oven.  while still hot.  

• DIP: for  cinnamon chips
• 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) vanilla yogurt
• 4-1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
BLEND well, cover and chill for at least for two hours to overnight




NOTES AND TIPS
To make your own tortilla chips and also the sweet side chips :D
keep an eye on these,  You can also deep fry the tortilla chips
they taste really good.  I have tried to bake them more often 
for the healthy side :D  The small dark green avacados are HAAS
the larger lighter green avacados are FLORIDA AVACADOS
enjoy 

HAPPY 2012

WELCOME,   
   It is so hard to believe, that it is now January, 2012.  We stayed home, invited out neighbors over. 
I fixed alot of appetizers, made some home made tortilla chips.  Laura our neighbor brought over her 
delicious dip.  She asked what she could bring, truth is ..... We got just about everything since it was easy and  simple,  appetizers.  


Here is what we had :D
fresh cranberry, orange Jello relish
home made salasa
lil sausage pig in the blanket
home made tortilla chips
meat / cheese tray ( eric bought lunch meat and cheese from the Deli and rolled it )  
smoked gouda cut into cubes

I bought veggies for a  veggie tray : cherry tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, 
black olives,  celery.
  For the celery I placed a bowl of peanut butter and a bowl of raisins on a plate for what they 
call at the daycare  :D  ANTS ON A LOG  :D   if you have not tried it, it is really good and  those that 
try it are always suprised that they like it so well
2 cheese balls  ......  1 port wine ,  ...... 1  sharp cheddar.......
four different types of crackers and bagel bites.




for the 
CRANBERRY ORANGE JELLO RELISH
1 -  6 oz  raspberry, cherry or strawberry jello
1 bag of cranberries
1 large orange unpeeled
2 red or yellow delicious apples unpeeled
2 celery stalks
3/4 cup crushed walnuts
1 can crushed pineapple juices drained
1 cup of sugar


directions
dice,,  apples, oranges, walnuts, celery,  place in this in a food process, process until tiny bits, not smooth.  you want some texture,  when finely diced thru food processor,  place in a bowl and add the sugar, mix well.   Add the cranberries to the food processor,  i set mine on high and process until
the cranberries are finely crushed.  when these are done,  place in bowl with the other mixture, blend well.
   while this is blending,  place jello in a seperate bowl,  boil  2 cups of water, pour into  the bowl with the jello, stir until blended,  place in fridge for about 20 to 30 minutes,  do not let the Jello set. 
just as it is beginning to set, mix all the ingredients together and chill at least four hours,  it tastes even better if you are able to make it a 2 to 3 days ahead of time.   


notes and tips
i do not eat mine with anything special, i eat it as a side dish,  on crackers, in my salad,  :D any way you want it.  any time you want it :D  


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Salsa
ingredients
10 to 12 romas  diced small
2 green bell peppers deseeded and diced
2 mangoes  peeled and diced small
1 can of black beans rinsed well
3 garlic cloves minced
cilantro chopped to taste,  ( eric prefers more than i do ) so add just to taste
2 teaspoons of cumin
dash of salt  ( i use sea or kosher salt ) 
juice of one lime
zest of one lime ( do not use the pith it is very bitter )  


directions
add all ingredients togehter,   allow to blend. it taste better if you are able to  make it at least a day ahead,  chill at least  two to three hours in advance.   


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HOMEMADE Tortilla chips
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
cook for 5 to 7 minutes 


ingredients
 you can use any type of tortillas,  sometimes i use the spinach, tomato, whole wheat
this time  I bought a large bag of  flour tortillas, 10 inch,  lay them on cookies sheets and sprayboth sides  with oil, I use walmart brand olive oil spray.   I then placed about 8 to 10 on top of each 
other,  cut them in half then cut those in half so i have  cut the tortillas into quarters.  :D  
    lay these in single layer, sprinkle  with any seasoning you want.  I just use a little bit of sea salt or 
kosher salt.  options are  chili powder, pepper, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder,  make a couple different ones and taste them to see if you like them  :D   
   cook only for 5 to 7 minutes once they are in there for 5 minutes they cook extra fast.  just as they begin to brown on the edges,  watch and take them out immediately.  


after I baked the salt tortillas,  I  decided to coat these with cinnamon sugar mixture.   they were good, next time i will add a little more sugar.  I purposely didnt wipe the salt off of the cookie sheets.  
there was a touch of salt with it .......sweet and salty. :D 
  your discretion,  and your taste  :D  i always say the great thing about recipes is you can make them anything you want it to be, change, add,  take away,  it becomes yours.  


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PIG IN A BLANKET
 1 package of  lil sausages drained 
3 cans of 10 biscuits  ( i buy publix or walmart brand )  
I place biscuits on a plate press the biscuit flat,  
cheese ( option ) make sure it is a cheese that melts easy


directions
place 1 sausage in the biscuit,  slice the sausage in the middle down lengthwise DO NOT CUT IN HALF  :D
place a small piece of cheese down the center,  wrap the biscuit completley around  the sausage 
and seal it.   I  then use soft butter to brush over the biscuit.  bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.   
notes and tips
i dont always use the cheese :D it sure is good tho :D   
When we fix these,  some of our friends come in and head straight to these little bites  :D they love them and very very rarely have anything left over.  the key is to have fun with what you are making, cooking or baking.  then is made with LOVE :D


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CELERY APPETIZERS
  2 or 3 stalks of celery  cut into pinky finger lengths
peanut butter
raisins
cream cheese
   with a knife place cream cheese or peanut butter down the center to fill the 
crease.      :D     on the peanut  butter,  place raisins on top.  :D  so very tastey,  
enjoy kids love them too  :D  


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