Posted in Lesli, New Jersey, New York, walk, ww - Wordless Wednesday, tagged Lesli, New Jersey, New York, walk, ww-Wordless Wednesday on May 31, 2011 | 3 Comments »
When Lesli and I were walking around West New York after our feast at Ranchito Victoria, we walked slowly. Mostly me walking slowly, because I needed to ease back into movement.
I can’t remember which house it was, that had this sign. I laughed and then took a photo before any pets could come out to prove whether the sign was accurate. Wouldn’t you? In any case, I want to share this for Wordless Wednesday.
Pet
Posted in chicken, church, cooking, food, kitchen, Lesli, nutrition, recipe, Sabroso Saturday, snack, tagged chicken, church, cooking, food, kitchen, Lesli, nutrition, recipe, Sabroso Saturday, snack on May 27, 2011 |
Last week Sunday at our church was Dominican Day – I was asked to bring empanadas. Since our congregation varies from 200 to even 400 on occasion, this task had the potential to make our kitchen a danger zone. Thank God other members were also bringing food – we had everything from white rice, to stewed goat, mashed plantains and about five different kinds of salad.
Lesli and I started the process by seasoning the ground beef for the filling of the empanadas. There was no real recipe, just a kitchen cabinet full of spices. We used ground cumin, onion, oregano and adobo. A sprinkle here, a shake there, until we agreed it tasted right. Once the beef was thoroughly browned I took the top from my spaghetti pot, to drain the grease from the beef. We left the beef on the stove to cool and cut some circles out of premade pie crusts – you’ve seen these, the package has two crusts. The empanadas turned out appetizer size, not bite size. Easy enough right?
After waiting for the fourth or sixth pie crust to defrost, I got annoyed at having to cut circles from pie dough. Besides, Lesli was getting very territorial about re-rolling the scraps of dough, and I wanted the shells to be soft. We went to the refrigerator for canned biscuits. Pop them out, separate them, stretch them a little, and go from there.
We used parchment paper on a cookie sheet to bake the empanadas. I sprayed the parchment paper with my own olive oil in a reusable pump bottle, then sprayed the top of the empanadas so they would brown. We alternated two cookie sheets, and kept making empanadas until almost midnight.
I have no idea the calorie count or nutrition content on these – each empanada had about one tablespoon of seasoned beef. Of course you can make these using leftover shredded chicken, turkey or anything not too moist. Imagine, the day after Thanksgiving when everyone else is doing sandwiches, having turkey empanadas. These can be an anytime, one-hand snack.
WARNING: If you want bigger empanadas, instead of a few bites, buy the jumbo biscuits. Do not try to roll regular dinner biscuits very thin, as the dough might break.
This post is part of the Sabroso Saturday blog hop originated by MsLatina. Check in at her site for recipes from other bloggers across the country, and from all corners of the internet. There’s no telling what everyone will cook!
DISCLOSURE: The link for “reusable pump bottle” goes to Amazon. If you buy through that link, I get a percentage of the sale.
Posted in hair, home, Lesli, Mister Right, New Jersey, Newark, Penn Station, tagged hair, home, Lesli, Mister Right, New Jersey, Newark, Penn Station on May 26, 2011 | 1 Comment »
I have to clarify, best compliment ever – from a stranger. At the time it happened, the incident did not seem so important. But now that spring is turning into summer, I think back. I see boys on the street, trying desperately to catch the attention of any passing female.
I say boys, because to me these lines are not how a man would get my interest. These lines are not even the best way I can think of, to get a smile from a woman.
Picture this … Years ago, back when Lesli was shorter than me, we left home early one Saturday to meet someone at Penn Station in Newark, New Jersey. It seemed early, anyway. I had jumped into the shower and then left the house with my hair still wet. This was no big problem though, because it was summer. The weather was warm.
I held Lesli’s hand tightly and looked around for our person. Trains and buses unloaded. People flooded the hallways. I slowly walked backward until we were against a wall. As I spotted our person and stepped forward, someone crossed my path. A tall, distinguished looking man in a suit. He nearly brushed up against me but kept a respectable distance as he uttered one syllable. Mmmmm. As he walked away and went about his day, I didn’t turn to follow his voice. Just looked up calm and smiling. The time, place and manner in which this all happened made it the best compliment ever. Truth be told, this man may have been thinking about his lunch date but I took it as a compliment.
Since that day, Lesli has said some amazing things about my mothering skills, creativity and even my cooking. Those compliments were more significant. Still, from a man who didn’t know me, and didn’t try to “spit game” about being my Mister Right, who could ask for more?
Posted in exercise, Lesli, shopping, surprise, walk, week, ww - Wordless Wednesday, tagged exercise, Lesli, shopping, surprise, walk, week, ww-Wordless Wednesday on May 24, 2011 | 4 Comments »
When Lesli and I were in West New York for Ranchito Victoria, we walked a lot. A whole lot. First, to get to the restaurant, then after the meal hoping to work it off. We were browsing on Bergenline Avenue, and held each other back from running in to a few different stores. Mostly our browsing was an exercise in wishful thinking.
Unexpectedly I spotted this shiny sparkly bit of jewelry in a display – right over the www. After years of never seeing my name on any keychain or bracelet, it was definitely a happy surprise. Ta-da! My Wordless Wednesday photo.
Surprise Jewelry - Wordless Wednesday
Have you ever had an unexpected moment like this?
Posted in breakfast, cooking, dinner, event, food, giveaway, Latina, Latino, Lesli, lunch, New York, nutrition, recipe, restaurant, review, school, Twitter, week, winner, tagged breakfast, cooking, dinner, event, food, giveaway, Latina, Latino, Lesli, lunch, New York, nutrition, recipe, restaurant, review, school, Twitter, week, winner on May 22, 2011 | 17 Comments »
A few weeks ago we attended the McDonald’s First Taste event in New York City. I picked up Lesli from school. When we first got to the restaurant Lesli and I sat in a quiet spot to eat an Asian Salad with grilled chicken (available for a limited time this summer), but pretty soon we caught on to where the action was happening: the Nugget Corner on the second floor.
This section of the restaurant had everything: comfy lounge chairs, sunlight, and quick access to the steps. When Lesli and I came over, the ladies were laughing and relaxing. Melanie’s baby sat quietly in his car seat, while she chatted with Jennifer, Johanna, Ruby and me. Lesli stayed nearby, and occasionally made fun faces at Ruby’s gorgeous daughter. I mean, really, have you seen this cutie?
We passed each other Mango Pineapple Smoothies, Premium Chicken Sandwiches and Chicken McNuggets with all the new sauces: Chipotle Barbecue (smoky with a kick), Creamy Ranch, Hot Mustard, Spicy Buffalo and Sweet Chili (jelly with flecks of spicy chili pepper) while waiting to interview the speakers. Chef Dan Coudreaut, Julia Braun and Sylvia Meléndez-Klinger were available to answer questions about these tasty new dishes. Chef Dan even did a cooking demonstration while he offered suggestions (use less oil) and answered questions for the entire group.
I sat with Sylvia Meléndez-Klinger, registered dietitian, to discuss the new menu items. This video starts right after I asked “what has been your involvement?” We go from there to talk about McDonald’s, nutrition and food, even our comments about the dreaded “D word” for Latinas and Latinos.
Now to the giveaway. Since Sylvia shared so much about how to balance calories, taste and eating out, I am asking you to go to McDonald’s website and Bag a McMeal. Then come back here, leave a comment detailing your meal. Was it breakfast, lunch or dinner? How many calories did you end up? Keep in mind U.S. Government guidelines recommend about 2000 calories per day for adults over age 18.
Five (5) winners will be selected at random, to win a goodie bag from McDonald’s. This black bag, with two pockets on the outside for “mobile” (cell phone) and “H2O” (water), comes packed with:
Entries will be accepted until 11:59 Friday, June 17 and I will announce the winners by June 21.
Your mandatory entry, is a comment detailing your McMeal. For extra entries leave a comment after you:
One comment counts as one entry. One bag per winner.
DISCLOSURE: The compensation level for this post is CL 10. Products or services were provided to OfeliaNJ to give away in a contest, and to keep for use or review.
Posted in breakfast, comfort, dinner, food, Lesli, recipe, Sabroso Saturday, snow, tagged breakfast, comfort, dinner, food, Lesli, recipe, Sabroso Saturday on May 20, 2011 | 1 Comment »
It seems the weather has been on some type of delay – we had snow in April now rain in May. This means I haven’t quite figured out whether to put away the galoshes, or start shopping for barbecue supplies. I mean, any minute now we should have warm weather for barbecues. Any minute now we should have fireflies in the evening.
With this confusing weather, my taste buds have also been out of whack. I ate spicy chopped tomatoes with jalapeño peppers, and whole grain chips. Had hummus straight from the container. Wednesday night, though, I had my favorite meal of the week. Breakfast for dinner. If you’ve never had breakfast for dinner, give it a try. Until then, I have two words for you: comfort food.
Lesli made one fried egg on a raft of turkey bacon. It was so simple it can barely be called a recipe.
When Lesli brought up the bacon-and-egg creation, I put it on the toast. The egg was over-medium, just how I like. The white was fully cooked, the yolk was a little soft. Much more fun than eating an overdone, gummy egg. Besides, the bacon under the egg was crunchy enough. Why mess around?
Breakfast-Dinner
This post is part of MsLatina’s Sabroso Saturday blog hop. Check in at her site for recipes from other bloggers across the country, and from all corners of the internet. Get your napkins ready, all these recipes are going to make you drool!
Posted in Lesli, New Jersey, New York, walk, week, ww - Wordless Wednesday, tagged Lesli, New Jersey, New York, walk, week, ww-Wordless Wednesday on May 17, 2011 |
A couple of weekends ago, as Lesli and I were walking and wandering the streets of West New York, New Jersey. As we made our way to Ranchito Victoria, we had to stop and stare at some unusual things. The transmission in the back of a truck caught Lesli’s eye. Then I pointed out, the truck was parked in front of a garage so it might be a potential replacement. Every so often we found another surprise.
One of the things that made me stop, stare and bring out the camera was this box. Don’t go thinking it’s a mailbox. Notice although the shape is exactly the same as mailboxes everywhere, the writing on this one tells you “NO MAIL”. And that’s why it’s my ww – Wordless Wednesday photo.
Flag Box Not Mailbox
Posted in blog, contest, Facebook, giveaway, Twitter, tagged blog, contest, Facebook, giveaway, Twitter on May 17, 2011 |
Like many others (bloggers and non-bloggers), I have grown to rely on Facebook and Twitter to share information. Recently I saw a tweet from someone about Facebook, contests and giveaways. Today I looked up this new development for myself. Below is a direct cut and paste (italics are mine). The link, which I imagine will be staying the same, even if specific details are updated before we can figure it out occasionally, is here.
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Promotions Guidelines
Date of Last Revision: May 11, 2011
These Promotion Guidelines, along with the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, the Ad Guidelines, the Platform Policies and all other applicable Facebook policies, govern your communication about or administration of any contest, competition, sweepstakes or other similar offering (each, a “promotion”) using Facebook.
If you use Facebook to communicate about or administer a promotion, you are responsible for the lawful operation of that promotion, including the official rules, offer terms and eligibility requirements (e.g., age and residency restrictions), and compliance with regulations governing the promotion and all prizes offered in connection with the promotion (e.g., registration and obtaining necessary regulatory approvals). Please note that compliance with these Guidelines does not constitute the lawfulness of a promotion. Promotions are subject to many regulations and if you are not certain that your promotion complies with applicable law, please consult with an expert.
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So, I’m off to think about how to do my next giveaway without getting into trouble. Will this change how you use Facebook?
Posted in blog, event, Facebook, giveaway, swag, Twitter, tagged blog, event, Facebook, giveaway, swag, Twitter on May 16, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Non-bloggers might think me a geek. I have made my peace with that. Translation: it’s ok, I know I’m a geek.
So it might not seem like a milestone to reach 500 comments. To me it was a very big deal, especially when I write about some personal experiences. It really helps me feel less weird, when people leave comments and say “I like this too”.
I decided to do a giveaway to the person who left comment 500. No blog post, just Twitter and Facebook updates. And finally Monica left comment 500.
Comment 500
I checked to make sure what kind of event swag she would enjoy, packed a box and sent it off. She just got it today. Now time to wait and see how she likes all the items. How was this one? What about that other item?
All things considered, I feel like a winner for getting the goodies out of the house where someone will appreciate them. Thanks, Monica, for sharing your thoughts.
Posted in breakfast, chicken, family, food, kitchen, Latino, latism, Lesli, New Jersey, New York, restaurant, Sabroso Saturday, snow, Spanish, week, tagged breakfast, chicken, family, food, kitchen, Latino, latism, Lesli, New Jersey, New York, restaurant, Sabroso Saturday, snow, Spanish, week on May 13, 2011 | 2 Comments »
It was an unusually nice evening in April – clear skies, no rain or snow – when I met Sal at the Latism tweetup in New York. He wasn’t the only person I met (there was Angry Latino {who smiles}, and Corazon Tierra {who blogs and tweets about healthy bodies and self-esteem}, and so many others that escape my memory right now). But Sal told me his family owns a Mexican /Salvadoran restaurant and bakery. You may have guessed by now, it doesn’t take much convincing for me to try a new food, or food combination. The idea of a multi-Latino meal was enough to get my interest.
When Mothers Day weekend rolled around it was time to make this a reality. Lesli and I left home on a sunny Saturday and made the trip to West New York, New Jersey. Yes, that’s really the name of the city. We walked along quiet one-way streets, and found Sal at the door of Ranchito Victoria. He had expected us earlier, but there were some wardrobe issues (mine, not Lesli).
Sal greeted us with a smile, let us pick a table and asked us some questions. I like spice, Lesli likes chicken. Sal knew the latest batch of jalapeño peppers had been hotter than usual, and he asked our waitress Araceli to bring over Mexican tamales in a range of spice levels. My plate had three tamales: tamales de rajas, salsa verde, comino. I unwrapped the corn husks from my tamal de rajas (jalapeño wedges surrounded by firm corn masa), ate about half and looked up for hot sauce. Sal got me the fresh-made salsa from the cooler. Made fresh that morning, just as the breads had been baked and everything else for that day was prepped. Lesli was busy with her tamales – mole and comino if memory serves. We didn’t talk much but made yummy noises while we sipped our champurrados – hot chocolate, just sweet enough to take the edge off the spices.
Sal sat with us, asked more questions and guided us toward Salvadoran pupusas. I don’t have pictures of the pupusas because it got messy. Once I grabbed my pupusa revuelta, my hands were full. The pork and cheese inside the pupusa were warm and gooey, then I added curtido and salsa de tomate. To a non-Latino they might be called slaw and ketchup, but if you taste them you can tell this is no ordinary slaw or ketchup. The slaw was crispy, crunchy, sweet and tangy. The salsa de tomate was smooth and creamy. The perfect bite was a mix of contrasts in flavors and colors. Once I got started I just reached for my fork to get more curtido and eat my pupusa. Incredibly, as we sat and chatted afterward Sal asked if we wanted to try one more dish.
Lesli and I had no clue what to ask for. Somehow the idea of eggs for lunch floated over the table. Lesli decided on a Salvadoran desayuno tipico – typical breakfast. Eggs, beans, cream and cheese. She swiped beans and cream onto her fork before scooping up the scrambled eggs. Picked up the maduros to dip into cream or beans. The salty bits of cheese were a bit tangy for her but that was the only item on her dish not made on the premises, so it barely even counts.
My dish was chilaquiles. Tortillas cut into sections, then served with spicy salsa verde, beans, rice, avocado wedges, radishes and eggs sunny-side-up. I kept switching – avocado, beans, rice. Radishes, salsa verde, beans, rice. Fried egg and beans. Finally with about half of my dish staring at me I surrendered. We had the dish wrapped up, and Sal threw in an assortment of their fresh baked breads. There was a swirled cinnamon thing, that was delicious as part of Mothers Day breakfast. I need to go back and find out what it’s called. Who wants to come with me?
NOTE: If you ever visit the area, stop in. For the locals, Ranchito Victoria does deliver. I would only do delivery (or pickup) for date night in front of the TV. Otherwise, come as you are, sit at a table, and watch the world go by while yummy smells drift over from the kitchen.
RanchitoVictoria
If you made it this far, you might be wondering about the recipe for this week. Well, I don’t actually have a a recipe for you. I have several mouth-watering links though. Tracy of Latinaish shared videos on her blog about how to make them, and how to eat them. When you see her adventure eating pupusas with her son, you’ll understand why I didn’t get pictures of my pupusa. On Tracy’s blog you can read how to make curtido for your pupusas.
How to make pupusas by Tracy of Latinaish
NOTE: If you ever visit the area, stop in. For the locals, Ranchito Victoria does deliver. I would only do that for date night in front of the TV. Otherwise, come as you are, sit at a table, and watch the world go by while yummy smells drift over from the kitchen.
Tracy’s recipe for curtido is after her video at this post
How to eat a pupusa by Tracy of Latinaish (dialogue is in Spanish – who would believe she is Latina by marriage?)
I hope you enjoyed this Sabroso Saturday post. MsLatina started this at her site so we could share recipes. Go check who else is sharing a favorite recipe or even a story about their favorite food.
DISCLOSURE: Sal did not tell me when he mentioned his family’s restaurant, but he surprised us by picking up the tab for our feast. I left a tip for Araceli, because she was amazingly patient, gracious and knowledgeable about the food. My next visit I plan to pay for the meal, and maybe video the whole thing to better jog my memory.
