Breakfast

This are the major players for my Sunday breakfast now.  (Bacon, eggs and sausage were off getting prepped.)

Quaker oatmeal pancake mix - they're a bit chunky but it's oatmeal and I'm not a fan of oatmeal but, who can argue with 4g of fiber?

Mrs. Butterworth's sugar-free syrup - When I was a kid, we used to make our mom get us this.  She always wanted to get the cheaper syrup but she never caved that is, until I walked in on her pouring cheap syrup into Mrs. Butterworth's glass container.  I never did find out how long my mom had been doing this.  It broke my heart but, at this age, it makes me chuckle at how devious my mom was.  This particular sugar-free (SF) syrup is fantastic and, like many SF products, it tastes sweeter than the original.

Hershey's sugar-free chocolate syrup - This is one of those SF products that is milder than it's sugar-laden cousin.  It's still good and a great companion to the oatmeal pancakes.

Tropicana 50 apple juice - Apple juice is my drank.  It's absolutely divine when it's super cold.  Unfortunately, it has so much sugar, even in its natural form.  Imagine my surprise when Tropicana 50 started making APPLE JUICE.  The 50 stands for 50 less sugar and calories.  Just wonderful as was my blood glucose after breakfast. 

Russo's NY Pizzeria

A few months ago, I noticed that Groupon was selling $20 coupons for $10 at Russo's NY Pizzeria.  Since they were on The List (my list of new food places to try in 2011) I had to scoop some up.  I managed to purchase 2 and saved them for when it was time to try another pizza joint.  Yesterday was that day. 

We met up with our good friend, Carlos, there and sampled a variety of items to give us a good indication on what kind of place we were dealing with.  The food was actually pretty good.  Their mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto was yummy while their flatbread, all coal fired cooked, was genius.  Of course, we had to get a pizza because, if a pizza place doesn't know how to make pizza then that's an automatic fail.  When the pizza arrived, it was perfectly crispy and full of toppings not unlike the wimpy kind I've seen at other places.  I ordered a pasta dish, chicken marsala, because I like pasta.  While I found the sauce a little too runny, the noodles were a perfect al dente texture. 

The Final Verdict:

Is it Brother's Pizzeria?  No, not at all but it makes decent pizza and pasta.  It certainly comes closer that the disaster that was Romano's.   But, would I go again?  Sure especially since I have the other $20 coupon still left to use.  Besides, another try at the pizza is needed.  And, I hear there is a brunch?  Holla.

Carlos probably playing a round of Words with Friends.  Cheater.



Chicken marsala = yum.



Evil Pancakes

Since we gave up going to House of Pies for breakfast on Sunday mornings, I've had to check the brain for making breakfast.  While out shopping, I found Quaker Oatmeal pancakes and since I'm a label reader, I had to snatch them up after reading the 4g of fiber per serving.  Not bad, not bad at all.  Mrs. Butterworth's, not pictured, in sugar-free form was perfect as well as the Hersey's sugar-free chocolate syrup, not pictured.

 

This comal, or griddle, in cast iron form, has been in my family for years.  I "stole" it from my mom when I finally moved out years ago.  Apparently, my mom received it as a wedding gift.  It will be 40 years old in November.

Darth and Stormtrooper helping with the flipping. 

That's right, evil is where it's at.  I found these are Target for $0.74. 

The pancakes came out a little thin but all in all, i'm very happy with the oatmeal pancakes and its sugar-free topping.  My apologies for nomming it all up before I took a photo of the final product. 



The Return of PB & J

A while ago, after much testing that yielded crazy high readings on my meter, I realized I had to give up my beloved PB&J.  It hurt.  It hurt more than the cereal.  PB&J is the perfect morning breakfast.  Easy to make in the morning, only dirtying up a butter knife, wrap it up and voila, done.  And, since we're always honest here, I'm not a big fan of breakfast.  Sure, I like eggs and bacon and waffles and bagels but lunch and dinner is where it's at. 

I was pretty gloomy after I made the dreadful decision of saying good bye.  Bad breakfasts happened, usually ones that had me in hunger panic mode when lunchtime finally rolled around.  But then, the sky opened because I found this.

And then this.

Which made this.

And then all was right with the world.

Don't forget the sugar-free iced coffee from McDonald's, the only thing I can stomach from there. 

The jelly, while more runny than the sugar-laced one, is surprisingly decent.  A serving of the jelly, about 2 tablespoons, contains 5g of carbs and the peanut butter contains about 6g of carbs.  The medium sugar-free iced coffee is about 8g of carbs.  So far, my blood glucose has taken to the change very well and that, in turn, makes me happy.  Very happy.  Time to eat!

Smashburger

What can I say?  The burger is still amazing.  The fries, known as Smashfries that have rosemary and sea salt seasoning, were a little eh, but it's really all about the burger.  Isn't it always about the burger?  Though I recently went, without the BNC, the burger has remained the same; succulent, juicy, orgasmicy, and overall yummy. 



Troop loves it.  It's a small price to pay for me having lost his gun. 

Albondigas

The weather continues to be erratic here.  Cold and windy one day, and then, today, muggy and foggy with the promise of falling temperatures (again) this afternoon.  Monday evening, with the cold still hanging in the air, I decided to make some albondigas, meatball soup, to warm our bellies and our toes.

I like to keep my meatballs simple.  Back in the day, I would put a few pinches of rice, maybe some cut up potatoes, into the mixture but simple really is best.  Salt, pepper and 1 egg, maybe some bread crumbs if they're on hand.  After a little mixing, not too much, I form small little meatballs and let them hang out while I warm up my dutchie on the left hand side.  A little olive oil and, in small batches, sear them a bit.  (I don't thoroughly cook them.)  Also, they aren't perfectly round and really, who cares?

You have to make these in batches otherwise they will fall apart during the flipping process as well as being boiled rather than getting a nice brown color.  No bueno.

After they're all done, pour in some diced shallots until slightly translucent.  A little tomato paste and chicken/beef broth, or water, to remove all the bottom Klingons.  Bring to a boil and, if you didn't use broth, like me, put in a couple of tablespoons of your Knorr, bouillon base, a Mexican staple.  A little time and let it boil for a minute before adding your noodles.  I have ceased using rice because I still get called out on the childhood incident when I poured more than a couple of cups of rice and made porridge with meatballs.  Thanks, mom.  Anyhow, noodles is best. 

I like Oaxaca cheese so a few little cubes go in along with a little lemon.  Throw in some toasted up tortillas to help scoop up some of this deliciousness as Roseanne, Season 1 on Netflix plays and you're good to go. 

The List

Being on vacation is the perfect time to shop and eat out while the rest of the world works.  Thank goodness for us, we have The List. 

One of the places we tried was Gatlin's BBQ.  I had previously read many great reviews from the Houston Press and was excited about finding a great BBQ place after my original go-to place started to dwindle in quality.  Dudes, Gatlin's was amazing.  We tried the juicy and smokey brisket, the yummy pulled pork and while the homemade sausage wasn't my favorite (purely a textural issue) it was still an amazing feat.  The BNC was impressed by all of our meats.  Our sides included the dirty rice, which was spicy and filling and could have been a meal all on its own while the macaroni and cheese was nothing spectacular with its overcooked macaroni noodle.  The potato salad, enjoyed by the BNC so according to him, was ok.  Overall, it's a winner and we look forward to sampling the much raved about ribs, the rest of the meats and, most importantly, the sandwiches.  Mmmm, mmmm!

When I was making The List, I left some open slots in case we managed to stumble upon a place that was worthy of including to The List.  I'm glad I did because we found Jonathan's The Rub.  After working hard in our friend's yard, as mentioned in my previous post, it was an absolutely amazing reward.  Sure, it was too much and it was quite a heavy meal for it being lunch but it was everything you shouldn't be eating every day.  Just look at it.

Chicken fried chicken with Jonathan's fries topped with bacon-infused gravy and a side of mashed potatoes.  The chicken was crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside as it should be.  The fries?  Yum.  The gravy?  Yums!  Mashed potatoes?  Whoa, very rich and heavy but good nevertheless.  I completely  intend on going back to Jonathan's but this time I am splitting the entree with the BNC.  I caught sight of other entrees leaving the chef's station and the portions were huge.  Personally, I can't see myself eating all of that food.  I'll gladly split it though.  Despite the big portions, Jonathan's The Rub still serves good food.  I'm looking forward to trying out other items on the menu and perhaps, making it a frequent haunt.

Emails

I'm supposed to be sifting through emails, saving, printing, filing, catching up, etc. but eh, if those emails waited this long, they can wait a little longer.  I've been on vacation since Friday, February 11.  Yay for me.  However, it wasn't all rainbows and cupcakes.  We were in the midst of moving and, while it only took 2 days to move all of our stuff over, unpacking and organizing and settling in while battling a nasty cold is not the ideal vacation.  But, at least I wasn't at work, not going to the doctor and dying a slow death.  Shit got done.  We're settled and the cats have settled in nicely.  Proof, check it.

A few scenes from my time away in a completely non-cohesive manner.

Helping a friend with his yard work.  Talk about embracing the Mexican roots.  I didn't know I had it in me.  I'm going to print up some business cards soon. 

My reward for the yard work was chicken fried chicken topped with fries and bacon infused gravy with a side of decadent mashed potatoes.  I couldn't finish the whole thing, which brings me to a small side note.  Dude, can we start using smaller portions?  This was a ridiculous amount of food and, while it was good, (definitely not something I would eat on a regular basis) wowza.  And, we're back.

Troop, sans gun, at House of Pies.

We moved back into the hood both the BNC and I grew up in.  We're extremely happy about our decision and are relishing in visiting the park 3 blocks away.  Since I was denied being a part of the little league, I am living my dream of learning how to properly catch a ball.  Verdict?  I suck at it.  My index finger and part of my palm are bruised but it's not stopping me.  Even B has offered to help me since he's a softball fanatic.  (That is downtown Houston in the background.)

It was incredibly windy and cloudy Sunday evening when these shots were taken.  There is a bit of a hill in the background where we used to fly our kites as kids.  I can't wait to do it again. 

Meat lasagna with Darth.  Yea.

Ugh, 71 emails still inbox.  Wish me luck.

Mother Ship

When I was a kid, and given that we weren't particularly close to my Grandpa, I never knew I was 1/4 Italian.  Teachers would constantly ask about my rare last name, wondering about its origins and guessing correctly from where it came from.  (I didn't know where it came from until much later in life.)  I would just shrug my shoulders and say, "Yea, I guess so."  I have always related much more to my Mexican background because we've always remained close to my Grandma.  However, that never stopped my dad from taking us to Pizza Hut every Saturday night or myself from making spaghetti and lasagna on my own.  I would like to say that the Mother Ship was calling us home.  We answered.

Changing the subject...

This is what I would like to do on Tuesday.  The only problem is the drink.  I don't drink but damnit, I love me A Christmas Story. 

The Keller Method

I finally tried a modified version of the Thomas Keller version for roasted chicken last night and, let me tell you, it was amazing.  I jotted down the major cooking points from The Amateur Gourmet's version of the recipe last week in preparation for one of this week's dinners.

My handwriting was horrible this day.  Oopsies.

After the hour was up, as well as the required resting time (while I roasted broccoli), we were ready to devour the chicken.  Dudes, it did not disappoint.  The white meat was so moist and juicy while the dark meat slid of their bones with no effort.  The skin was so crispy.  The only drawback is the smell.  I woke up in the middle of the night to the smell of chicken still hanging in the air like a gently woven tapestry.  (I wonder if it will hang over Lake Michigan in years to come.)  I love the smell but it permeates everything.  I kept my bedroom door locked while the chicken roasted so the smell wouldn't attach itself to my bedsheets and my clothes.  This morning though, the chicken smell greeted me with a slap in the face.  As I type, it's still in my nose. 

Regardless, the recipe is surely going to be reused over and over with very minimal changes.  It was absolutely yummy. 

The Other White Meat

I've been experimenting with recipes lately.  I've been making a lot of mashed potatoes, doing some test runs, because originally I was going to have Thanksgiving at  my BFF's house and was put in charge of the potatoes.  Cooking for people other than your family is tricky because they aren't used to your cooking which explains my starch overload recently.  I finally got the recipe down and just like that, I am now cooking Thanksgiving at my house for my family and some friends.  I was trying to avoid it again this year but how I can turn down B?  Developing my own recipe for pork tenderloin was also a lot of testing.  My old recipe involved garlic inside the tenderloin then slathered in olive oil, salt and pepper.  However, my new and much more delicious recipe involves a little olive oil, salt, pepper and soy sauce.  Just cover the pork tenderloin well in those simple ingredients, roast in the oven at 400º for about 20-30 mintues and bam, yummy pork. 

In other Thanksgiving news, it's warm and sticky here in Houston, not a complete shocker, but I was hoping to finally be wearing (sweat)pants to Thanksgiving dinner but, shorts it is...until that evening when a cold front will pass through and drop those temperatures quick.  Stay classy, Houston. 

Hot Chocolate

Abuleita hot chocolate is a staple in any Mexican household.  It's easy to make and incredibly yummy, from what I remember.  I purchased a package for the BNC and made some while the weather was nice and cool on Thursday night.  Coupled with some pan de dulce (sweet bread) and your worries should melt away. 

For every square of the Abuelita (Grandmother) chocolate bar, add a cup of milk.  Warm up your milk, not boiling, and add your squares of chocolate.  Stir and stir until completely dissolved all the while not boiling your milk or developing that nasty skin on top.  It may be a little undersweetened so adding half a spoon of sugar to your serving may bring out the flavor.  I should have tried the Modern Family version, adding some salt, but I decided not to. 

Pour into your favorite mug, which may be an oversized mug you purchased 10+ years ago while visiting the Alamo and eat with a piece of sweet bread (not the animal gland).

 

If you're like me though, you may just salivate as your BNC sips his hot chocolate while you pat yourself on the back for powering through. 

Albondigas

So warm, so soothing is what a nice bowl of albondiga (meatball) soup is.  As the zombie weather (humid, foggy and gross) was rolling out and the cold weather was rolling in, albondigas for dinner was perfect.

Form ground beef, seasoned with salt, pepper and 1 egg, into meatballs.  Then, brown on each side not necessarily fully cooked.  After they have a nice sear, get out your tomato paste, broth, thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. 

After bringing to a boil, I typically pour in a half a cup of rice and let the rice cook in the broth but, this time I opted to use some egg noodles. 

I wasn't disappointed.  It was the perfect remedy for a long and strenuous work week.  I think I may use egg noodles from now on.  The first time I made this dish I was about 14 years old.  Underestimating how much rice expands, I must have poured in about 3-4 cups.  There was absolutely no broth just rice and meatballs.  It's a story my mom tells often.  Whoops.

Good Idea, Bad Idea

I  love the Animaniacs.  It reminded me so much of The Three Stooges and The Marx Brothers.  (Listen, my dad's viewing habits rubbed off on us.  It's why I'm such a huge Niners fan.  He watched, and being we were Mexican and poor and only had one TV, it meant we watched it too.)  I enjoy the humor and the wittiness of the Animaniacs.  It seemed like a precursor to the animated movies of the moment where the humor flies over a child's head but they laugh anyhow cause you laugh. 

Yesterday, I had my own fucked up version of Good Idea/Bad Idea, a segment on the show but without the HA-HA humor. 

Cereal is supposed to be a good idea to have for breakfast and, besides soup, where else can you eat and drink your meal?  However, for me, it's supposed to be a no-no.  But, because I'm stupid, stupid, stupid, I ate it anyhow.  Maybe, just maybe, this time my blood glucose won't shoot up.  The box says that it's a great source of fiber, a plus for the diabetic crowd.  As the saying goes, denial ain't just a river.  Two hours after eating this, my blood glucose was 200+.  I have tried several combinations of cereal, all of them with different milks except the whole kind because that is just bad, and they have all yielded the same results.  And just like that, it's over, for good this time.  So, what was a good idea ended up being a bad idea.  I feel just awful that my stupidity, not to mention stubborness, got me such high blood glucose readings.  I think about the damage it may, or may not, have caused me in the long run.  Stupid indeed.

And then, last night, with zombie weather in full effect here, I opted out of making the scheduled albondigas (meatball soup) and hitting up Barbecue Inn with the BNC.  I normally don't eat, much less cook, fried stuff but I make several exceptions.  Barbecue Inn is one of them.  We sat, we talked, we ate and we compared work stories.  For now, he wins the award for tough work week.  Later in the evening, after the requisite time had passed to test my blood glucose, a normal reading pops up.  Odd indeed considering that that is not the picture of health.  But it's always a good idea to maintain your glucose levels and everyone is different.  What may not affect me may affect others in the same ways cereal and Barbecue Inn chicken does.  So, constant testing and adjusting is a big key to knowing what you can and cannot eat.  Before you know it, it becomes second nature to pass on that cupcake, order water instead of (even) a diet Coke, eat until you are satisfied, split your meal with your partner (cause there was no way I was going to eat all of that chicken) and, most of all, visit the doctor on a regular basis.  It's hard but it's not.  What wil be hard, later in life, is the damage done by acting so carelessly.  Trust. 

Papas

Every summer, the day after school was over, we'd get shipped out to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico to be with our Grandma and eventually have our cousins from Guadalajara, as well as our Houston cousins, meet us there. We wouldn't return until the weekend before school was set to start and every year we'd hate the dash to get our supplies. Parents, I tell ya. Good times nevertheless. It was a time before school gave you assignments to do during the summer, before the internet, before people were scared to let their kids play outside unsupervised, a time when you were allowed to walk alone to the store a few blocks away and certainly before anyone was allowed to roam without caution in Nuevo Laredo. But, my last remaining grandparent is very much alive and doing very well. Everyone can always count on her especially when it comes to food. To this day, you are guaranteed a breakfast of papas con huevos, frijoles and tortillas de harina. The breakfast menu has never changed.

So last night, I decided to make Grandma's old reliable breakfast. And, true to form it didn't disappoint though, as usual, Grandma's is better. I used my remaining batch of frozen beans to top off my papas because it's the way Grandma does it only hers are always freshly made.

And a just because photo of Bitty Girl going through my Hello Kitty tote bag. I got that for $1 at Target and, let me say, I'm not a big fan of Hello Kitty. But it was $1!

Move Over, Julia!

Sometimes you need to clean out the pantry and the refrigerator, bust out your dutch oven and make something that just is nothing short of yums. It came at the right time, too. I've been burnt out lately. I'm tired, slightly stressed and despite my Lunesta, not sleeping as comfortably as I would like. Add the urgent need for new pillows and a perfect storm of yucks in the morning is created. My spine feels off center and that in turns makes everything hurt. I have always suffered from terrible back problems so feeling my back out of whack (haha) has me feeling sluggish and incredibly old. But making dinner is extremely therapeutic for me so, despite a long and tedious work day, putting the time and effort for some chicken noodle soup was just what I needed to get a little spring back in my step. Part of the routine is to talk to a feline, doesn't matter which one, that may have wandered into the kitchen in hopes of a nom, as if I'm on the Food Network, and explain to them what I'm doing, why I'm doing and why it needs to be done. It's got Crazy Cat Lady written all over it (including an A&E show) but I tend to be home alone for a good while until that old Ball-n-Chain comes home. Typically Bitty Girl is my main audience. She listens and watches attentively, doesn't have her legs in the air that much and doesn't yawn. So, excuse me while I check my phone for any missed calls from the Food Network, TLC or A&E.

Grandmas Do It Better

My Grandma makes the most amazing chicken ever. (Are all of our Grandmas the best?) But, she doesn't really bake. She instead uses her oven to store her pots and pans. It must be a Mexican thing cause I've been to several homes in the Old Country where they use it as a storage unit. Everything my Grandma ever cooked was prepared on the stove itself. So, when it comes to chicken, Grandma fries it. Yet, hers doesn't stick regardless that she doesn't own any non-stick pans or a cast iron. Even my momma's chicken sticks. We call this special talent as having The Hand or, in spanish tiene mano. My Grandma tiene mano for everything. She has The Hand for plants, cooking, head scratches, story time, playing games, telling jokes, drinking beer and jumping rope. In other words, my Grandma rocks.

My Grandma showing one of my littlest cousins, bottom right, how to jump rope.

Lick my wounds

A chorizo con huevo y frijoles taco is a nice reward for going to work early Saturday morning. So early that there was NO LINE at Laredo Taqueria. SCORE.

Caldo de res is also a nice reward after your team loses a second straight game. At least the Cowboys lost too but how dare they make me root for the Titans. Had we won our game against the Cowboys, I wouldn't have cared much less watched the whole game.

The Texans lost again, Logan. I'm sorry.

Get ready

Halloween has got to rank up there as one of the more awesomer holidays. You get to wear a costume! You get free candy! You can win a costume contest! FREE CANDY! And, the day after, you can hit up Target and get all of their Halloween stuff for 50% off! That's better than that 10% off sale they have before but patience, baby, patience. Patience gets you all that stuff you wanted for far less and next year, it pays off.

You might even get a Basement Cat that likes to lay on her back.

As for my costume, Yosemite Sam is ranking right up there but suddenly I'm thinking Lucy from Charlie Brown may be nice. If I do dress up as Lucy, it will be the first, in many years, where I actually dress up as a girl. ;)