Been Gone Too Long

Too long? Dang right too long! The time is now one month since my last post, and probably my post before that was a month earlier.

Instead of blogging, or using Facebook and Twitter, my time has been spent unplugged. My phone has been on silent or turned off for church, for class, for work. Late nights, early mornings, rushing or taking off my shoes to enjoy the feel of warm carpet.

There have been days where I completely forgot to turn on my computer, respond to emails, open my postal mailbox or check voicemails. On those days, I ask Lesli to do certain things. This is not a perfect system but it keeps me more sane than if I tried to handle every single detail of the day. Not long ago I would have tried doing everything myself, but I learned and re-learned the lesson until it sank in: if mom’s not happy, then nobody’s happy.

I have been mostly smiling – except for the times I giggle like a schoolgirl or get buried in textbooks. I write school assignments in my notebook, then draft blog posts in my head. I have WAY TOO MANY goodies in the house from events I have attended, and scribbles everywhere about how to arrange a giveaway. Or several giveaways. So here I am, starting back at the beginning.

Hi. My name is Ofelia. I started college in the fall of 2010, found love this past summer, then said goodbye to my thirties last month. My days are crazy, and my evenings too. Some days I leave my class notes at home and carry a notebook full of empty pages. Some days I carry too many books because my bag “always feels this heavy” and still manage to forget my calculator at home. Sometimes I carry my bookbag on the weekends because I do not want to go find another bag. I misplaced my lip balm last week so now when my lips feel dry I reach for an almost sheer lipstick.

What do you think? Can you forgive me for being gone so long? Will you be cranky when I disappear again for a while – when exams and papers attack all at once? Do you have any news to share?

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Monkey bars and beyond

In case you missed it, this morning Lesli and I were on television for Good Morning America’s discussion of teens and contraception. I copied the video to share in a separate post. The website for Good Morning America also has a short summary of what the panels – one all moms, one all teenagers – discussed with Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Here is a quote from me, as shared on their site.

“It would be like ‘Did you brush your teeth before you left the house?’” mom Ofelia Almedina told “GMA.” “Did you brush your teeth before bed, did you take your pill?”

I realize the editing team had a big job to handle, cutting down three or four hours of footage to three or four minutes, so allow me to clarify. In our house, Lesli decided that her method of birth control will be abstinence. She has seen other teens go through the drama and trauma, after having sex outside of marriage. Add this to the teachings of our church, my daily life as a single mother, the film they saw in school where women went through labor and delivery then held their babies, she decided on her own that abstinence is a very good idea.

To those who have met Lesli, this will be no surprise. To others who have not, I can tell you – she has always wanted to go her own way. When she was about two years old, Lesli wanted to cross the street by herself. I told her “no” and kept a grip on her hand. She was so emphatic about wanting to walk alone, she pulled and yanked her hand out of mine. She scraped herself on the curb. I never had to remind her about being careful while crossing the street after that. To this day if we walk together she reaches for my hand. She not only learned the lesson for that day, it stayed with her for life.

Lesli’s favorite story about when she was younger, would probably be the one where she fell off the monkey bars at school. She had been enjoying the sunny days, running and jumping around at recess, , but her hands were starting to get calluses so I asked her to please stay off the monkey bars. Lesli went on the monkey bars anyway, and fell off. When her father and I both got phone calls from school “she fell off the monkey bars” we rushed to school, found her sitting outside the principal’s office, and asked what was wrong. Lesli sat there quietly. The teacher said “she was complaining of shoulder pain, and we rolled up her sleeve, and saw this.” He and I looked at the teacher, looked at each other, and I forget who said “she had that since birth”. The look that the teacher had taken for “need emergency service” was more like “mom told me to stay off the monkey bars”.

So I guess what I should say here is: I know my daughter. I know she is constantly evolving and changing. As a two-year-old she was strong-willed, as a five-year-old she always wanted to face the obstacle, as a teenager I think the word for her behavior is determined. I ask that God gives me patience, wisdom, strength to handle all that we have beyond the horizon.

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Easy Empanadas – Sabroso Saturday

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.

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Miss Nonnegotiable

Here we are. The weather is getting nice. Soon you can spot me cheering or clapping for my niece or nephew at one of their many activities. And I feel like the neon sign is over me, even sitting outdoors or nowhere near an exit. You wonder why? Well, imagine me with Lesli, suddenly looking up and seeing all the happy couples. My back stiffens, in preparation. I can almost count down to the moment someone will ask: “so, do you have a boyfriend”? My easy response of “no” brings another question: “would you like to meet someone?” (yes, yes I would really like to meet someone special). Sometimes, instead of “would you like to meet someone” I get an awkward silence accompanied by the “you’re not getting any younger” look .. a raised eyebrow, eyes shifting to one side or even a pout.

Once in a while, someone will ask “are you on any dating services?” No, and I do not plan to spend the time or effort to join one. I know at least two women who found their Mister Right on dating sites. I even signed up on a dating service, way back when. What happened was, I found more frogs than princes. And I learned something about myself. The idea of getting dolled up, dressed up and worked up, then desperately trying to “be cool” is enough to make me hide under the covers. Besides, I already have a lot going on my life without a man. No need for Jerry Maguire to complete me.

Each morning I wake up to nag Lesli until she leaves get Lesli out to school, then handle my own day. As a full-time college student, student programming member, mom to a teenager, and blogger, my day can include: classes; committee meetings to plan or decorate; discussions with students, teachers, staff, administrators or vendors about campus events or extracurricular activities; social media events online, or in person at different locations; contacting public relations or marketing staff about products. And this is Monday through Friday, while Lesli is at school or at home. Saturdays we: do errands like shopping; volunteer for our community; attend church socials; or prepare for the upcoming week. Every Sunday is church. Lesli and I each serve in the nursery at least once a month. Sometimes we cook or bake for functions at church. Now that the weather is so nice, Lesli often suggests getting out of the house for a long walk together. This can be a good thing, because I wear a pedometer whenever possible, to keep from adding exercise on my to-do list.

By now you may be thinking, does she ever plan to get out there and meet Mister Right? Well, no. Mister Right needs to lace up his shoes, get out and find me. I refuse to give up any of my activities. Blogging? No time soon. If I kept every thought to myself it would not be good for my health. College? No – education is the key to my future. I plan to keep learning, even after I graduate. My work on student activities, is how I give back to the school, my classmates, the staff and administrators. My church is a source of inspiration and support. Motherhood is a rewarding duty and privilege. Mister Right will have to catch my eye and say hello. I have faith that it will happen at the right place and time.  We have not met yet because God is working on my Mister Right, and on me, so we can recognize each other.

For those who believe “be careful what you wish for” (or my version, be specific in what you ask for) here is my list. I am certain all of these items are very important. Just call me “Miss Nonnegotiable”. Take it or leave it.

1. Share my faith
2. Family man: love his parents, love me, love Lesli, be comfortable around children
3. Physically and mentally strong
4. Willing and able to work with kitchen gadgets – at least fix a salad, sandwich and brew coffee (or limeade) for himself or me
5. Kind, especially if he has to tell me that my latest Sabroso Saturday recipe creation needs to be tweaked
6. Study with me – or get out of the way when I dump textbooks, notebooks, pamphlets, brochures, samples and research all over the couch, table or floor – and leave everything just like that until I ask for help
7. Understand that sometimes I process things by talking – I ask for advice, then solve the problem on my own
8. Skilled communicator – nice speaking voice, good listener
9. At least one: philanthropist, volunteer, activist
10. Taller than me
11. Intelligent
12. Curious
13. Adventurous
14. Ambitious

Am I asking a lot? Do you have a list of nonnegotiable expectations for potential romantic partners?

DISCLOSURE: The link above for Jerry Maguire is my Amazon associates link. If you buy the movie, I get a percentage.

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Point of View 3 – Wordfilled Wednesday

Have I mentioned International Sundays at my church? Members of the congregation share highlights of our native countries. So far we’ve covered Puerto Rico, Korea, British Caribbean, Africa, and this past Sunday was Latino countries of Central and South America. Every week is a feast for the senses, with native costumes, music, photographs and food.

You can imagine what happens when every week brings new food. I sample everything at the buffet. Every Monday morning, the numbers creep up. A little something here, un poquito por allí, don’t forget dessert. And there are about six weeks left of International Sundays.

In order to bring the “numbers” back down, this Sunday Lesli and I walked home. We shopped at one store to pick up something she needed for school Monday morning, then somewhere else to pick up salads, then finally came home. As we came over the hill, this was the view that greeted me.

Later in the year, this view might make my eyes water from allergies. Believe me though, after eating a little each from the trays that had guineos en escabeche, papa a la huancaina, arroz con gandules, taquitos, jalapeños, tortas de res, arroz con leche (and trying to walk it off) .. this sight inspired me to hustle so I could get in and take off my shoes. It’s all about the point of view, folks.

 

spring

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Chicken with Cumin, Coriander and Lime – Sabroso Saturday

As spring starts acting like spring, I find myself craving different flavors. Seasonal fruits that taste juicy fresh, or as part of granita. The family meals for Easter, International Sundays at my church.  Mothers Day and Fathers Day are coming soon. Mmm, warm summer days where you can fix a pitcher of limeade and dip your toes in the pool. I’m looking forward to the 60s and 70s!

This past week at my school we had a “healthy cooking” demonstration. Our chef shared the recipe below. He also gave us some tips for those engaging in the eternal struggle (weight loss), which I will post separately.

Chicken Breast with Cumin, Coriander and Lime

Serves 4 – 150 calories per portion

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless chicken breasts, skin removed – 4 ounces
Juice of 2 fresh limes
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 ounce olive oil
Fresh cilantro sprigs

METHOD

1. Remove skin from chicken, trim off fat, pound chicken until cutlet is the same thickness. (This helps it cook evenly)
2. Combine lime juice with cumin, coriander, salt and cayenne. Mix well, add chicken and marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Chop cilantro and set aside.
4. Add olive oil to hot pan. Saute chicken to 165 degrees internal temperature.
5. Garnish with fresh cilantro and limes.

Chef served this tangy chicken with choice of couscous, brown rice or steamed veggies – cauliflower, carrots and squash. Lesli and I really enjoyed the brown rice. It soaked up the juices and gave us a nice contrast in texture.

Chicken Cumin Coriander Lime

I wrote this post as part of the Sabroso Saturday blog hop originated by MsLatina. She writes a post each week at her site – then other bloggers add links to their recipes. I would suggest grabbing note cards, stocking up on ink for your printer. You will definitely want to try more than one of these recipes!

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Caldo Verde – Sabroso Saturday

This past Saturday Lesli and I went to our church’s annual mother/daughter dinner. The room was decorated in a garden theme, with creeping vines on the walls. The tables were set with pretty floral plates, and the napkins had butterflies and flowers on them. Each table had a basket full of bread, with oil for dipping. The teen boys were assigned the task: make sure the moms and daughters had food and drinks. Brother Angel (yes that’s really his name) checked to make sure all the ladies – young and not-so-young, were happy with their meals. Our first dish was caldo verde. It was delicious, and felt just right for these past few weeks – a big bowl of soup would comfort me when the weatherman starts to call for snow in April.

Caldo Verde - originally from Serious Eats.

I did a search for caldo verde. After comparing a few different photos, this recipe for Azorean Kale, Sausage and Bean Soup looks most like what we enjoyed. Caroline Russock shared this originally at Serious Eats. Read her post here.

This soup looks yummy, with tons of vegetables.  I will be making it soon, and serving it with warm crusty garlic bread (we mash the garlic with olive oil and add a few secret spices). NOTE: I cut and pasted Russock’s recipe exactly. There are certain steps where I plan to make changes, such as using canned kidney beans instead of soaking dried beans overnight. Also, since the recipe calls for garlic cloves, I plan to mash a bunch of garlic in my pilón (mortar and pestle) – some for the bread, some for the soup, some for future use, then mashing the beans in step  4. I’m not afraid of some bean skins.

Azorean Kale, Sausage and Bean Soup

serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups dried red kidney beans, picked over, rinsed, and soaked overnight in water to cover by 3 inches
2 tablespoons olive oil, or more if needed
12 ounces chouriço, linguiça, or dry-cured smoked Spanish chorizo, cut into 1/4-inch coins
2 large yellow onions, chopped
1 Turkish bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups homemade beef stock, or low-sodium store bought broth
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 pound collard greens or kale, thick center stems and fibrous veins removed, roughly chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Drain the beans, dump them into a medium saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are tender but still hold their shape, about 45 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers. Toss in the chouriço and cook until browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Fish out the slices with a slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat from the pot, or if the pot is dry, drizzle in more oil so you have 3 tablespoons. Add the onions and bay leaf and cook, stirring often, until the onions are deeply golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary to prevent the onions from burning.
3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the beef stock and 5 cups of water, add the potatoes, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are just tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. While the soup is simmering, spoon a third of the beans and a bit of the soup broth into a food processor. Pulse to make a loose paste, then, if desired, pass the paste through a sieve. Straining the paste gives the dish extra body without errant bean skins floating in your soup. It’s entirely optional but, I think, preferable.
5. When the potatoes are cooked, stir in the collards, chouriço, bean paste, and beans. Turn off the heat and let the soup sit for 10 minutes to marry the flavors.
6. Remove the bay leaf, season the soup with salt and pepper to taste, and ladle into warm bowls.

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 be cooking!

DISCLOSURE: I was not paid to post about this event. There is an Amazon link with my Associates code, so if you buy the product I will get a percentage of that.

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Guava Pineapple Pastries – Sabroso Saturday

Last week was Puerto Rico Day at my church, a part of our International Sunday spring program. I made these pastries filled with guava and pineapple jelly – fruit flavors that make me think of tropical breezes. The shells were made using cinnamon-roll dough (a tube of 8 rolls). Open the tube, separate the strips, work out some anger, mush them up, roll them out. Leave the icing aside – the fruit filling is sweet enough!

Each of the shells got about 1 spoonful of filling. No matter what we did, they popped open while baking. Nobody complained. We made a batch at home and drank milk with them. The filling was a non-recipe adventure. See for yourself.

FILLING
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
2 bricks guava paste (check ethnic section)

Cut each brick of guava paste into about 8 chunks. In clean glass jar, melt guava paste in microwave – 2 chunks at a time, one minute at a time. Stir before adding more paste. Jar will be HOT! Wait 5 minutes after the last bits of guava paste are melted, then stir in half of the drained pineapple bits. Mix thoroughly.

I still have some jelly in the refrigerator – it could be a good topping for cinnamon-raisin bagels or cinnamon swirl bread.

Guava Pastries

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!

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Cupcakes Two Ways – Sabroso Saturday

This weekend we have two social events at church. My daughter and I decided to make cupcakes, to avoid the “bigger piece” issue. I found the book “Baker’s Field Guide to Cupcakes” by Dede Wilson at our library, and decided to do Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes and Red Velvet Cupcakes.

I was ready to go, mixing and whisking and pouring and baking .. until the fine print. The pastry cream, to fill the Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes, needs four hours to cool!

While the pastry cream chilled overnight, I took the time to get creative with the Red Velvet Cupcakes. The Boston Cream Pie cupcakes will be finished tomorrow  morning or afternoon, and I’ll add that information as an update / bonus on Sunday or Monday.

For the Red Velvet Cupcakes, we started with Duncan Hines mix from a box. Then, instead of following the basic instructions, we followed the “lower fat recipe” and used unsweetened applesauce instead of oil, and 3 egg whites plus 1 whole egg. After all, we want yummy but we also want healthy – MsLatina‘s sons might even want one of these cupcakes if they didn’t know my substitutions.

For frosting we have Betty Crocker whipped cream cheese frosting. I cheated a little bit, by putting the frosting on top of the stove. When the cupcakes were done, I smeared the frosting on top and then let them cool.

Here are photos of the yellow cake cupcakes (before being filled with pastry cream) and the red velvet cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting soaked into them. The second batch of red velvet cupcakes is in the oven right this minute, and as soon as I take out the tins it’s bedtime!

Red Velvet In Progress

 

Frosted Red Velvet

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE: Saturday  afternoon we took almost four dozen red velvet cupcakes to church (some got stuck to the paper liners), and brought back an empty case.

UPDATE #2: We came home and filled the yellow cake cupcakes with pastry cream. My favorite way to do this was to unwrap, slice in half across, then squeeze/spoon a layer of pastry cream and replace top of cupcake. The Duncan Hines glaze was easy to use, and when we chilled the cupcakes it dried smooth and glossy.

NOTE: Instead of making pastry cream from scratch, vanilla pudding (or your favorite flavor) can be used instead. I won’t tell anyone if you use instant pudding from a mix. I can tell you, it felt really good to make my own pastry cream. Instead of following the recipe which called for whole vanilla bean, I substituted banana extract.

Below is a photo collage showing cupcakes that we filled using a “flavor injector” and a “cookie press” which created tunnels of cream. My favorite has to be the cupcakes that were sliced into two layers.  The video showing that center cupcake is

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

NOTE: I followed the book’s recipe for pastry cream. When it came to using a whole vanilla bean, I substituted banana extract. Tonight I realized that pastry cream tastes and looks almost like pudding, so feel free to  use your favorite flavor of pudding. Try vanilla, butterscotch or maybe even chocolate (shh I won’t tell anyone if you use shortcuts)

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Let’s Talk About It

Social media sometimes can be viewed as a self-centered tool. When we have 500 connections with different people, all the posts about “me, me, me” can be overwhelming.

I try to teach my daughter to use social networks as a new method of communicating and sharing. I make it a point of cautioning her to use discretion, when sharing anything personal. As many have heard by now, “what you say can and will be held against you” is not limited to a court of law.

This morning we both woke up from dreams where we were criticized for posting something on Facebook and/or Twitter. Coincidence? I think not. We discussed briefly and went about our day including attending church. Today’s sermon, as it turned out, was about communication. The pastor’s intent was to focus on marriages (differences in speaking to your spouse or your friends, etc). What struck me was a verse we looked up.

^{Matthew 18:15}

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone..

I know, I know … some people stopped reading right after the word church. Well, guess what? If you’re still with me, you’ll probably agree that each of us, whether we worship or meditate, pray or chant, lives by standards. These standards may be rules, regulations or general guidelines at work or school. If by chance you don’t have standards, well go get some!

OK, back to my original point. The Good Book (best-selling among all books) says “go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone.” My personal translation is that before we criticize someone or hold a grudge, the best first step is to approach each other and discuss the problem. I like it!

Before I tell the world about “somebody did me wrong”, I’ll go talk to that somebody. If he or she doesn’t want to hear it, then I feel no guilt telling the world about the problem. If ever accused of airing dirty laundry, my defense is “I went to the person responsible, they didn’t want to talk about it”. After all, friends look out for each other – I wouldn’t want to see someone else go through the same problems.

Ah, I feel much better now. I don’t have anything special to tell anyone (and if I did, that would be handled in private).

Do YOU have any personal guidelines for communication?

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