Take the Time

Posted on 10.03.12 by Bonnie

I visited Venezuela this month, and while there I was asked by my husband’s family if I would prepare a Thanksgiving type dinner for my mother-in-law to celebrate her 92nd birthday. I was able to offer a beautiful meal to share with my husband and his family in celebration. It was a wonderful feeling to to be able to bring the family a dinner made with much care and love and feel that it was so very much enjoyed. My goal was only to bring joy and delight to our family. Mission accomplished!

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

A Month in Images ~ {September}

Posted on 10.02.12 by Tiza

What We’ll Do {October} Goals

Posted on 10.01.12 by Tiza

Source for Goals Pritable: Scrapnfonts

Favorite {YUM} Pins ~ September

Posted on 09.27.12 by Diana

Good morning!

I will be having a few of my girlsfriends, my mom and Tiza over for breakfast in a couple of weeks so I decided to do a bit of research on breakfast dishes that are easy to make in larger quantities. Here are my top picks:

Baked Oatmeal

Source: Urban Nester

Mini Fritattas

Source: Fuel for the Distance

Eggs Baked in Ham Cups

Source: Babble

Pancake Bites

Source: My Heart is Always Home

I hope these ideas spark some creativity for your own breakfasts! Make sure to visit our Breakfast Pinterest Board for more ideas.

Cheers!

YUM Recipe {Fresh Roasted Veggies}

Posted on 09.26.12 by Bonnie

Fresh Market Veggies

Hello everyone! What a beautiful day wandering the Pinecrest Gardens Green Market. It made me feel good all over to see how so much beautiful and healthy produce was right at our door step. Both Tiza and I had to control ourselves because it was all so tempting. I bought loads of veggies which I cooked as soon as I got home. I would like to share how I cooked them so that those of you who have little time to spend in the kitchen will also be able to enjoy these delights not only fresh on the day you buy them, but also on other days, just by storing them in a tight containers in the refrigerator. They keep perfectly for an entire week! You will find these good to accompany any meat or on their own as a healthy snack with crackers or bread.

Ingredients

2 large sweet onions sliced in half and then sliced again thickly
4 medium size carrots sliced in half
4 medium sized beets sliced in nice round thick pieces
4 large bell peppers sliced in 6 pieces length wise. If too large cut in half width wise first (you can use either green or red)
3 sweet potatoes cut in large chunks
half of a large butternut squash also cut into large chunks
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

On a large sheet pan spread out like veggies. Salt all vegetables liberally then add a light shake of pepper. Lastly pour a very light stream of olive oil over all little by little making certain that all the veggies have their due amount.

Put in a 350 degree oven for about an hour. They will brown bringing out their natural, wonderful sweetness. Take out and put in containers to store in the refrigerator. These are delicious to eat at room temperature but if you prefer, heat them very little, using the re-heat option on your microwave oven.

My hopes are that my easy and quick recipe will help those with limited time to eat healthy and take advantage of the fresh selections at their local markets.

Enjoy, eat, and relax!

Out and About {Pinecrest Farmer’s Market}

Posted on 09.25.12 by miamiff

Pinecrest Gardens Green Market

For the last couple of years I’ve gotten my veggies and fruits from a great organic co-op. For reasons too complicated to explain in this post, I opted out in June and have been very messy when it comes to our family’s fruit and veggie grocery store purchasing and home consumption. So, I decided to start a local Farmer’s Market adventure. I want to see what I can find, how much it’ll cost me, how much organic variety is offered, and how much is local.

Veggies and fruits and…

My mom and I ventured out bright and early on Sunday and here is some of what we found:
Tons of vegetables, herbs, fruits, some meats, eggs and a few prepared foods.

The people from Coconut Grove Farms had an amazing variety and they were all very knowledgeable. About half there produce was organic but not all local.

We bought stuffed vegetarian grape leaves and baklava. I would go back for more of the grape leaves any day.

From central Florida: grass fed, sustainable beef.

She was the sweetest girl and let us sample her dried fruits and leather (like store bought fruit roll-ups except no sugar or preservatives).The Healthy Break people were sooooo nice and offered these great spreads. The cool thing is that everything is olive oil based with no mayo added. Serious homemade flavor, perfect for a lunch, snack, appetizer or for a cocktail party. Want to order some for yourself? {healthybreakinfo at gmail dot com}

These nuts were DELICIOUS! She had fantastic suggestions for serving: with salads, with fruit and cheese platters and as a healthy snack. Can’t resist temptation? {thespicednutfactory at gmail dot com}

Did I stop eating long enough to photogragh EVERYTHING?

No. I had better things to do… taste test all free samples offered, talk to everyone, eat more, have smoothie, etc. I was very busy. However, I’ll mention a couple other vendors that caught my eye:Copperpot Jams & Jellies (loved the sweeet jalapeño flavor), Proper Sausages (we actually bought some for lunch and had an overcooking until way-too-charred incident. even then, delicious),and Kreative Gardenswith their spectacular succulents, money trees, and other exotic plants.

All in all…SUCCESS! I scored a good variety of fruits for snacks and lunchboxes, plenty of veggies for everyday meals, and even a money tree for my house! So, check your local markets and make time to visit one, ask questions, buy and cook something new for your family, and enjoy!

Pinecrest Gardens Green Market – Sundays 9am-2pm – Red Rd & 112th st.

Happy shopping and cooking,

YUM Recipe {Lomo al Trapo}

Posted on 09.20.12 by Tiza

Have I told you that my dad is Colombian? Well, he is. Thanks to him and my grandma (his mom) I love Colombian food. It is the epitome of home cooked comfort food to me. Assorted meats, a variety of root vegetables, hundreds of soups, and TONS of cilantro. Yum.

I am a foodie at heart (and soul) and constantly read recipe books, food magazines, talk to fellow foodies, and well, try to keep up to date and well informed. I am moderately familiar with Colombian cuisine yet was not aware of this life changing dish. Why? How? After I tried it for the first time I mentioned it to anyone who cared to listen and apparently I was among the few how did not know of it! Here is my story:

This summer good friends of ours invited us over for a pool day and a “Lomo al Trapo”. Literally translated: “Loin in rag”. Not so appetizing? Well, I beg you to reconsider… think beautiful lean beef loin, coarse sea salt, red wine, wrapped tightly in cheesecloth and tied with twine, charred directly on a blazing wood fire, cooked to tender perfection. Sound better? Just take a look:

It was beautiful to watch and amazing to eat and enjoy with special friends.

Want more detailed instructions? Visit this site of a Colombian food blog or if you prefer a video, visit Mango and lime blog .

After that memorable meal, we capped it off with delicious snow cones with our traditional topper: sweetened condensed milk!

I hope you try this recipe soon. It is easy, fun, and YUMMY.

Enjoy,

YUM Restaurant {Giraffas @ Midtown Miami}

Posted on 09.13.12 by Diana

Today I went with fabulous friends to a new restaurant in town ~ Giraffas ~ Brazilian Steaks and Burgers. The location we visited is in Midtown in Miami. I have to say it was MUCH better than I expected!

They are located in an area where parking is easy and they have a choice of indoor and outdoor dinning. The set-up is “fast food-ish” with the menu displayed on the wall and the ordering done before you are seated. Then they give you a number and they bring you your order to the table.

The ambience is less fast food and more restaurant, very family friendly and the food was great!!! We decided to share a few different dishes so that we could all try more than one. Unfortunately I was unable to take pictures, but the pictures on their site are pretty accurate so I took them from there! So here is what we had:

Grilled Picahna: the meat was tender, juicy and grilled to the perfect medium rare that we ordered.

Filet Mignon Tips Stroganoff: The dish was creamy and very tasty. The mushrooms and onions made the perfect combination with the creamy sauce and tender filet mignon tips.

Giraffão Filét Burger: The patty was more like a slice of filet mignon heaven! And the cheese, bacon, egg and lettuce just made it even more delicious!

Grilled Picanha Burger: Again, great quality meat and cooked perfectly juicy – event the bun was nice and warm!

Now I’m really excited that they will be opening a store about 2 minutes from my home. I will surely enjoy their food more frequently!

Preserving food and Friendship

Posted on 09.12.12 by Bonnie

One of my great joys in life is food! Yes, food! I am one of those people that loves to curl up with a great cookbook and read it as if it was the greatest of novels. I love to cook a meal and then sit and taste each delicate ingredient. I love to make a meal and share it with friends and family or to make a meal to celebrate anything.

Today, I would like to share a recipe for a fantastic Ragu spaghetti sauce, alongside a wonderful friend who, through the many years we have known each other, has generously and lovingly taught me among other things a few of her wonderful Italian secrets for a yummy quick sauce. With pictures and directions you too will be able to celebrate with those you love a great meal for children and adults alike.

This recipe is as my friend gave it to me. It is a close measurement but not exact as she seldom measures. We had a wonderful day together, laughing as I tried to quickly measure her ingredients while she rolled her eyes as if to say, just watch and add a bit of this and a bit of that. It is all so easy!

For these moments I am grateful. Thank you Giuditta!

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.

William Arthur Ward

Here we go…

RAGU SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Ingredients

Pork neck bones: 1.27 lbs.
Beef shank for soup: 1.99 lbs.
Lamb neck for stew: 1.58 lbs.
6 large cans of crushed tomatoes
One onion with cloves stuck in various places
4 or so stocks of celery (leaves welcomed)
Half of a large green pepper
More or less 10 baby carrots
2 ounces butter
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Fresh nutmeg

Directions

Let meat cook until tender
Put cans of tomato in a large pan with salt and a bit more of olive oil
Add all the now cooked meat with vegetables
Add a bit of freshly grated nutmeg
Add another 1/8 cup of olive oil
Cook slowly at a very low heat for the next 2 1/2 hours
Add Basil leaves toward end of cooking of the sauce
While cooking sauce, put clean jars without tops into a 250 degree oven and let heat for 20 minutes as shown. Then, put complete tops into a pan with water at a low boil for 15 minutes
Once all is heated and sterilized and the sauce is fully cooked, take out the pieces of meat and vegetables and set aside to be enjoyed and eaten at another time with whatever accompaniment desired
With oven mitt take out the first jar from the oven and carefully fill with the prepared boiling sauce filling it almost to the top, leaving a minimum of space. Then, take the tops from the water and carefully screw on and tighten as much as you can. Repeat this process one jar at a time. (It is important to maintain everything hot as it is this that will finish the sealing process of each jar as they are each tightly closed.) You will know the process was completed correctly when you hear the popping of each jar as they complete their sealing process
Once sealed, these may be kept in any available space. Refrigeration is not necessary which is really great!

Now enjoy and with any luck this recipe will bring you great memories too.

YUM Restaurant {China Poblano @ Las Vegas}

Posted on 09.06.12 by Tiza

Last week was my 13th year Anniversary and my husband and I went to Las Vegas for the very first time. I have to confess that Vegas was approximately #857 on my “Must see before I die” list, but as life sometimes happens, my hubby had a work training in Sin City ending on our exact anniversary and it only seemed natural for me to meet him there.

I had low expectations and only 1 item on my to-do list: To lounge pool-side in silence and read in peace. Yup. It’s that simple. I live in Miami yet I have to fly 5 hours to enjoy a pool, in silence and be a able to read, in peace.

Mission accomplished! We happily retreated to the adult-only pool for 2 days in a row. I lounged! I read! True story: I didn’t take a book and apparently the only reading material aside from gossip magazines (I read 5 of them) is a very limited selection of Harlequin Romance novels. I picked my very first (and very random) Harlequin and… I loved it!

Now, aside from all the deep/spiritual literature (not!) and skin damaging rays of sun, we also enjoyed wonderful food and extraordinary service. On the very last day of our trip, just before we left for the airport, we had a late lunch at José Andrés‘ CHINA POBLANO – Chinese and Mexican fusion – restaurant.

The restaurant is hip, the decor is cool, the food was memorable and the service was impeccable. The server, I dare to say, was more of a foodie than me! He was so passionate about the menu, ingredients and preparation that I was even talked into the cocktail special the “Ponche Rosa”. It was a delicious tequila concoction with a coriander and raspberry simple syrup, and a couple other ingredients I cannot recall (lame…I know). However, the point of the tequila story is that: I don’t even like tequila! But my server was so convincing that I ordered tequila! AND I LOVED IT!

Now, regarding the unforgettable food, we ordered four of the “tapas” style dishes, mostly recommended by again, the super-server:

Tuna Ceviche: More of a tartar than a ceviche in my opinion, still magical with creamy avocado, rich pecans and those crazy-crispy amaranth seeds.
Queso fundido: A perfectly executed classic. Warm and gooey with steamy fresh made tortillas.
Dan Dan Mian: hand-cut noodles with pork slivers, peanuts and cilantro.
Twenty vegetable fried rice: I didn’t count the vegetables BUT, I immediately took notice of the unique micro-rainbow carrots and watermelon radish cubes. Delicious.

We also indulged in a couple of desserts:

Chocolate terra cotta warrior: A dark chocolate shell with a milk chocolate mouse. A sweet ginger ice cream with a bite and perfectly caramelized bananas as a garnish.
Mango sticky rice: A very complicated process of rice pudding making, mousse-ing, deconstructing, and a myriad of processes plus no doubt a touch of pixie dust to make a PERFECT combination of coconut rice pudding with a surprise mango granita on the interior.

A quick recap of the trip:

Hotel – MGM Grand (we’ll probably choose TheTropicana next time… or The Wynn if we can afford it)
Shows – La Reve and Crazy Horse Paris
Food – Tropicana breakfast buffet, The Sugar Factory, Ra Sushi, China Poblano, etc.
Activities – Visit hotels (Venetian, The Paris, The Wynn, The Encore, Caesars Palace, Bellagio & fountain show, New York, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, etc), downtown Vegas (scary but worth a one-time visit), and pool!

Now, I need you all to know that I truly enjoyed Las Vegas. The architecture, vintage and new, the food, cheesy and ground-breaking, the shows, classic and cutting-edge, and although not IN Vegas… The Grand Canyon. It is spiritual and awe-inspiring. We saw only a peak of the vast wonder but I can now look forward to going back with my girls, maybe camping overnight, and taking them to a couple of shows in Vegas. Even if it means skipping the zen pool experience, I can’t wait to go back as a family.

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