Tuned-In Tuesdays

 Hello everybody! Welcome to "Tuned-In Tuesdays" as you know I usually post "quotes" or some words of wisdom on Tuesdays! I usually just call it "Tuesday of quotes" I don't even remember how that started... But I've loved it and I actually get great feedback from my readers on the quotes I share! I usually try to choose quotes according to the season, world events, etc... So, thinking about it, I thought I would actually "name" this tradition, and that's how I ended up with "Tuned-In Tuesdays"

This time I am sharing quotes about weather, for obvious reasons! My prayers with the people from the East Coast!

 "Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come". - Robert Schuller

"Sometimes God calms the storm. Sometimes He calms the sailor. And sometimes He makes us swim." - Author Unknown

"There's always another storm. It's the way the world works. Snowstorms, rainstorms, windstorms, sandstorms, and firestorms. Some are fierce and others are small. You have to deal with each one separately, but you need to keep an eye on whats brewing for tomorrow.” - Maria V. Snyder, Fire Study.

 “When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.” - Haruki Murakami

"Clouds, leaves, soil and wind all offer themselves as signals of changes in the weather. However, not all the storms of life can be predicted" - David Petersen

 "But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” - Mathew 8:26-27

Hopefully most of the damages and loss are just material, not human, as far as I know 10 lives have been lost due to Hurricane (now storm) Sandy. My prayers with the grieving families and with all of those going through storms right now, weather storms and personal storms.

Blessings!


© Paloma K.

Why you want to Carve the Turkey ahead of time and How to Do it!

 Hi Everybody! It's Monday! it's a cold day here in Texas which I am really enjoying because for most part of the year we get thick/humid/hot climate! I am happy the sky is blue, sunny and the breeze is cold! It's wonderful!

So... Going through my Thanksgiving Menu I already shared with you the recipes for the easy, stress-free appetizers:

Deviled Eggs and Stuffed Celery

I don't need to share to you the "recipe" for a "veggie tray" and dip, right? Again! Thinking of being "practical, efficient and stress-free" I suggest you just do your veggie chopping the previous day (unless you're buying the tray already prepared) and have all the vegetables individually refrigerated in ziploc bags.

Now... Going to our "Entree" section in our Menu... Let's begin with the Turkey... I already gave you a chart to know the "time to bake" per pound (both stuffed and unstuffed) here

Now it's time for me to just make some quick suggestions... First of all, if you use an oven bag (which I highly recommend) just know that the skin of the turkey won't be crispy but it can still have some color to it! How? When you prepare your turkey (with whatever seasonings you use) make sure you add paprika to the mix, and it will give you a beautiful, dark golden color. Especially if you want the big, whole turkey on your Thanksgiving Table for beautiful pictures. BUT here is where my biggest suggestion comes:

Carve the turkey ahead of time! Especially if this is your first time Hosting and/or you want to take some stress off of your Thanksgiving Dinner!

1. Let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes right after taking it out of the oven before doing any kind of cut to it. If you get a knife in it, all the juices will just drain out of the turkey and the meat will not be as moist.

2. Once it's rested, Carve your turkey ahead of time and separate dark from white meat! I know you want to take pictures of your beautiful turkey at the Thanksgiving Table, but it might not be too practical to let your guests grab a piece for themselves or if you want to carve it in front of everybody at the table you'll just add stress to the process, you'll worry about the tablecloth even! you will have the pressure of everybody watching your every move when carving, and it might not even be as safe! It's better if you have a nice, empty surface in your kitchen, where you can feel free to move! and it won't be as messy! Plus you get the chances of getting better use of ALL THE MEAT in that turkey!

What you will need to carve that turkey:

1. A great carving knife! You can use a sharp boning knife or get a good electric knife which will be very useful! like this one

2. A carving fork like this one

3. A good, big enough, cutting board.

4. Confidence! (Don't be afraid of that bird! You can do it! and again, it doesn't have to be "perfect") especially because, you're not doing it in front of everybody!

So here are the steps to carve a turkey:

How to carve a turkey: step by step! (you can practice with a roasted chicken ahead of time)

Note: -it seems like a lot but I've just gone into big detail to make it very clear- it's actually an easy task! trust me, all you basically have to do is remove the legs, remove the meat from them and keep warm, remove the breast halves from the rib cage, bias cut all the meat into serving size portions and you're done. Here are the steps though:

• Place the turkey on the cutting board or a platter, breast side up, with the legs facing away from you. Steady it with the carving fork in your guide hand.
• Cut through the skin that connects one of the legs to the carcass, cutting as close to the leg as possible. (do this for both legs) - Remove the skin from the turkey if desired, that's what I do, especially when using an oven bag to bake it -
• Set down the knife and pull the leg to make some space from the bird until the ball joint that connects it to the carcass pops (Use a towel to protect your hands if the turkey is too hot.) Once the joint is exposed use a boning knife to cut right through it and easily remove the leg. (do this for both legs)
• Lay the leg on the board, with the knee facing you, and feel for the joint connecting the drumstick bone and the thigh bone. Once you feel the joint just Place the knife blade directly on it and cut straight through to the board. (There shouldn't be much or any resistance. If you there is, the blade is on the bone, not the joint. Feel for the joint again and adjust the position of the blade accordingly.) (do this for both legs)
• With your guide hand (left, if you are right handed), hold a drumstick vertically by the end of the bone (the ankle) and let it the other side firmly rest on the cutting board. Then use your knife to cut from the the side you're holding, right to the bottom to remove the meat (do this all around the bone, as close to the bone as possible) -do this with both drumsticks-
• Once you have big pieces of meat you've removed from the drumsticks, slice them into serving-size pieces (horizontally)
• Now Lay a thigh on the cutting board, (if you left the skin on, the thigh should be with skin side down) and steady it with the carving fork in your guide hand. Cut along both sides of the bone, from one end to the other (do this with both thighs)
• Rotate the thigh and just slide your knife between the bone and the rest of the meat, pulling the bone out and removing it completely. -same thing with the other thigh-
• Now that you have removed all the meat from the thigh, bias-cut it into serving-size slices.
•  Grip a wing with your guide hand and pull it away from the carcass, just enogh so you can see where it is attached.
•  Direct the tip of the knife until you feel right between the ball joint of the wing and the socket.
• Place all that dark meat in a crock pot in low or inside a warm oven covered with aluminum foil to keep warm. You can also use a big skillet with a tight lid in very low heat and gently stir occasionally. - add a tiny little bit -almost nothing- of liquid if necessary-
• Cut all the way through the joint, through any meat and/or skin, and remove the wing from the carcass.
• Rotate the turkey so that the other wing is facing your guide hand. Repeat previous steps to remove it. 
• Now you just have the breast! Steady the side of the breast you’re not carving with the carving fork in your guide hand.
•  Make a long, thin cut along the breastbone, in the center top of the breast.
•  Using the tip of the knife, cut down right along one side of the rib cage, then lay down the carving fork and use your guide hand to push or pull the breast half gently away from the ribs as you cut.
•  Let the knife blade ride the rib cage straight down to the socket where the wing was attached. Cut until the breast half is completely removed. -Do the same thing for the other breast half. Use your carving fork on the rib cage/breastbone to steady the other half-
•  Lay the breast halves on the cutting board, skin side up (or what would've had the skin side up), and bias-cut it into serving-size slices.
•  Place white separate crock pot/pan in the oven and/or skillet to keep warm until it's time to serve.

Make sure you plan ahead of time, use the baking/time chart here to know what time you want the turkey in the oven, if your Thanksgiving Dinner for example will be at 4 p.m. and you have a 20 pound unstuffed bird, you want to place the turkey in the oven at 8:30 or 9 a.m. -the latest- This will give you 5 1/2 hours (2:30 to 3:00 p.m.) to bake the Turkey, plus 30 minutes to let it rest, plus time to carve and keep warm. If you are using an Oven Bag, with the same scenario (Unstuffed 20 pound bird) then you can get it in the oven at 11 or 11:30 a.m. at a temperature of 350F, to bake for about 3 1/2 hours, give it time to rest, carve, keep warm.

If you have a "buffet style kind of dinner" you can have the guests serve their choice of dark/white meat directly from the crock pots, your line will go very fast because everything is "ready and cut" for them. If you're keeping the meat warm in the oven, just get it out and let themselves serve from the pans (warn them it's all hot!) Or, if you want to set it all at your Thanksgiving Table, transfer the meat (separate white and dark) to warm dishes with a lid that you can display in the center of your table.

My mom and sister

Nobody will have to mess up with cutting, you'll avoid the stress of "carving in the middle of a table with all the guests around you" and everybody will focus on enjoying! Plus, you won't deal with bones at the table and you'll get better use of all the meat!

Easy, breezy! Happy with her Thanksgiving Plate!

If you have a helpful husband like I do, make sure to keep him around! (LOL!) or make a deal with him "previous" to the event, so you don't have to be "telling him what to do" ... My husband helped me keep my trash can empty, clean surfaces after me, get rid of bones, and keep paper towel handy and ready for me to use!

I hope you'll host! I really do! And I hope that if you've been hosting Thanksgiving for years but it's always been stressful and something you just dread and want to get over with, my tips will help you enjoy it this time!



© Paloma K.

Coffee Friday - Join our Princess Tea Party!

What? No coffee on our coffee Friday? Well... you're free to have your cup of coffee with you! I actually have mine as I type! But we don't want to make those who don't like coffee feel left out! After all "The Coffee Shop" like "any" coffee Shop it's more about the atmosphere, conversations (or silence) and everything around a cup of [insert the name of your favorite drink here] ... And this particular "Coffee Shop" is for both coffee lovers and coffee haters! I do love coffee Fridays to be about coffee... but I want to make sure we also reach those who don't like coffee at all !

Today, I have a wonderful lady here as our Featured blogger... she is one of those people you actually can almost "hear their voice" as you read their blogs! There's a sweetness to her that is just irresistible and you find yourself having to go back to her blog time after time!

I am very blessed and feel encouraged when reading her honest/genuine posts! I am sure you'll feel the same way! So ... instead of just going on and on about her let me just go directly to the introduction... her name is Laura and she is Pruning Princesses, in short Laura is a Jesus follower, a tea aficionado, a wife, an only child, and a mother to two girls. She writes about raising girls on her blog,

  ... and today, just because she doesn't like coffee... and I want to make sure everybody is included... I am letting you link back to us and link up even if you didn't mention "coffee" anywhere in your posts... bring "any drink" you want! So if you mentioned "tea, hot chocolate, iced tea, coke or any other drink -even water-" you are welcome to join Today's Party!!!

Now... I'll let Laura do the talking:

 I hate coffee. The smell is fabulous. I never could acquire the taste. If it hadn't been for that tea party in Boston, America might never have became a nation of coffee drinkers!
Winter in the Midwest necessitates that each resident has a favorite hot drink. Mine is tea. At first, I was tentative. Tea is deceptive like its cousin coffee. It can smell much better than it tastes. The first tea I loved was called Licorice Spice by Stash. It was sweet and smelled like it tasted. The aftertaste was subtle and pleasant. 

After my first baby I became a tea snob. Once a week my dear husband would give me the morning off from mommy duties. My favorite spot to unwind became a tea shop (not a drop of coffee in sight) near the capitol building in Des Moines called Gong Fu (the art of tea). Two peers had traveled the world searching for the best teas and learning about them. They passed their knowledge onto their customers.
I learned that green and white teas should never meet boiling water. And they shouldn't sit in the hot water for more than 2 minutes. They taught me that to decaffeinate a tea, pour the hot water over the tea, wait 10-20 seconds and dump the water out. Most of the caffeine will come out in those seconds. Use the same tea leaves and repour the water and enjoy decaf. I learned about the smooth clay cups used in India to serve chai. In India, the cups are thrown on the ground and broken when the drinker is done. Somehow food and drinks are better with story and expertise to enhance them. We moved from Des Moines a year after my new found love of green tea began.

As a mom, I've passed on my love of tea to my two girls. They are 8 and 10 but love tea. In drinking tea together, we've all expanded our list of favorite teas. Almost every afternoon we have tea time (so very British of us!). We switch it up regularly. Some days we do smooth mint teas, others we try American fruit teas like raspberry or peach. And recently after reading a fabulous young adult lit book called The Tea Shop Girls (so many tea facts packed into an appealing YA book for girls), we've been loving black teas like English Breakfast or Earl Grey with a little cream and sugar.

I try to keep my girls away from teas with caffeine, but their favorite tea is a white tea (which has 1% of the caffeine found in coffee) Sharing my drink love with my girls means we all squeal when are in a city with a chain store called Teavana. There are always 4-5 tea samples around the store and all their teas are loose (meaning not in a bag). Our favorites so far are Youthberry White and Jasmine Green. But good tea is useless if you make it wrong. And my girls know how to make perfect cup of tea. Let me share.

• Find a quality tea. It doesn't have to be loose, but fresh loose teas have the best flavors and they are beautiful (full of dried leaves, fruits, and flowers). Start heating your water. Know your tea. Read the brewing directions on the label because all are not equal (the first tea lesson I had to unlearn). If you can, use a clear mug, watching the color ooze is exciting.

• If you have green or white tea, let the water boil and then cool to 180 degrees Fahrenheit before using (fill your tea cup with boiling water add an ice cube or two and the water is ready for tea). Overly hot water will turn green and white teas into bitter concoctions that you won't enjoy.. And with these teas, don't let the tea sit in the water for more than 1-2 minutes for green and 2-3 minutes for white. The girls and I always add 2-3 drops of liquid Stevia to sweeten our tea though others prefer honey or rock sugar.

•  If you have a herbal or black tea, the water temperature can be boiling. The soaking time does not matter except according to your preferences, usually 4-5 minutes is best. 

• And if you are looking for an easy Chai recipe, try this one.

I know Paloma loves her coffee as do her readers, but now you can make a cup of green tea without a bitter taste. It might surprise you. 

------------------------

Thank you so much Laura for sharing some tea with us!!! Don't forget to stop by Laura's beautiful blog and get to know her better at: Pruning Princesses- Raising Girls to Love God in a World that doesn't  , make sure you say "thanks" for the cup of tea she shared with us today!

Have a great weekend!


© Paloma K.

Going through my Thanksgiving Menu - Stuffed Celery Recipe!

Hi friends! I am sorry I haven't been posting everyday! If you've been here for the past few days/weeks you know I've been working on a "Thanksgiving series" sharing tips, my menu and I've gone through recipes too for items that would go great on any Thanksgiving table, Today I will put them all together (in the form of links) and I will also add some amazing recipes (from the past) that I've previously shared (and that you can also find in my Recipe Index)

Thanksgiving Made Simple I Thanksgiving Made Simple II Make your own Menu! Appetizers - Deviled Eggs! Appetizers/Stuffed Celery How To Carve a Turkey Cranberry/Orange Relish Apple Pie - "Leaves Crust" Apple Cake with Maple Cream Frosting Pumpkin/Walnut Cake with Caramel Cream Topping Fall Sugar Cookies! Pumpkin Brownies Pumpkin Spice Coffee

InLinkz.com

As you can see I've been working hard, trying to share with you my tips and recipes to make this Thanksgiving a Stress-Free one! Hoping you can just quickly find here recipes that will be successful and that will help you, as a host/hostess enjoy such a beautiful American Tradition!

Just like the "if mom isn't happy, nobody is" is true, let me tell you that if the host/hostess isn't happy, the guests won't enjoy as much either! So if your plan is to have a "Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner" start by relaxing, focusing on your blessings and creating an environment/atmosphere that you will enjoy too! If "anything" goes wrong! Don't stress about it! it's not the end of the world, it might actually become a funny memory if you stay calm! Plus, fretting won't really help at all!

Now... the second recipe in my "Thanksgiving Menu" in the Appetizers Section is "Stuffed Celery" this is another "Stress-free" recipe from my "Auntie Amy" ...  you can even have others help you make these! Do you have kids? Let them have fun with it! (they might even be tempted to eat their celery if they were involved in the process of making them) Or if you have family over staying with you, let them do it! It's near to impossible to get these wrong! and you'll have appetizers ready in no time! so that's the recipe I will now share with you:

Stuffed Celery

Ingredients:

1 Bunch of celery (about 4-5 stalks), trimmed, peeled (always peel your celery to remove the overly-fibrous parts) and cut into 3-4 " long pieces.
8 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. drained red pimientos (from a jar) - chopped
garlic powder to taste
1 tsp. horseradish
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup of mayo
salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Blend all the ingredients together (except for the celery, of course) season with salt and pepper to taste if desired, stuff your celery, plate and Enjoy!

Super easy, isn't it? I hope you will enjoy it as much as my guests and I do!

Don't forget our Coffee Friday! We'll have a great Featured Blogger!

 © Paloma K.

Pumpkin Walnut Cake with Caramel Whipped Cream!

So today, I get to display the cake I baked for "The Cake Slice" Group for the month of October. Since is the last cake to bake from the book for the period of 2011-2012 we decided to make it a surprise and choose whatever cake we wanted to bake from the Book .... "The Cake Book" by Tish Boyle, which we used pretty much from the month of October 2011 to this day!

It was bittersweet to say good-bye to this book... It was a great book to bake from and I don't think that any recipe disappointed! ... Most of the bakers were pleased with the results we all got each month! But we are excited to move on to what's next for us... and we've already chosen the book that we'll be using to bake from for our new year! Of course I can't reveal it just yet... but stay tuned and you'll see the (hopefully) beautiful cakes I'll present each month!

If you want to join "The Cake Slice" you're lucky... because we are open and receiving requests to join for a short period of time as we transition to our new book! just send me an e-mail at love.for.coffee@gmail.com with "New Cake Slice Member" on the topic, then just let me know you want to join and send me your info (along with your blog address) so I can help you follow the very easy process to be part of this great (and secret) group!

Now... The Cake that I chose for this month:

Pumpkin Walnut Cake with Caramel Whipped Cream

It was easy and delicious! The amount of spices was just so balanced that it was a very delicate, moist and aromatic cake! Just perfect for fall!

The whipped cream with a mixture of caramel and mascarpone cheese in it took it to a whole new level! I had just a small piece of it (I am really watching it!) but I had friends over who enjoyed it with a cup of coffee and everybody agreed it was delicious!

The caramel was really easy to make! and it added a special touch!

You can also eat it on its own! (the squares are from the cooling rack)

Enjoy!

And if you'd like to make this cake... Here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Walnut Cake
from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups cake flour  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 2 large eggs 
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar 
• 3/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar 
• 1/2 cup safflower or other neutral vegetable oil 
• 1 cup pumpkin puree 
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

1. Position rack in middle of oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9" square baking pan.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs with both sugars at medium speed until pale, about 2 minutes. Add the oil, pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract and mix until blended. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and stir in the walnuts. Pour the batter into the greased pan and smooth the top.
4. Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool the cake completely in the pan on a wire rack.
5. To serve, cut the cake into squares, and top each with a large dollop of caramel cream.

Caramel Cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 heavy cream, divided
3/4 cup mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to high and stop stirring. Occasionally brush down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush (I confess: I never do this when making caramel and it seems to turn out ok). Cook without stirring until the syrup turns a golden amber color, about 4 minutes.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and add 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Be careful because the mixture will bubble up. Pour the caramel into a heatproof glass measuring cup and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the caramel until chilled, about 2 hours.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the remaining 3/4 cup cream with the mascarpone cheese and vanilla at medium speed until blended. Add the chilled caramel and beat at high speed until the mixture forms soft peaks. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to eight hours.

© Paloma K.

Coffee Friday! - You're going to be glued!

Hello everybody! Welcome to our Coffee Friday! I told you we'd have a special blogger today! Are you ready? Well... Our featured blogger is: [[[[drumroll]]] Stacey from Glued To My Crafts she is such an enthusiastic, dynamic, creative person! Crafty stuff is just not my talent... I mean... I'd love it to be ... but it's just not! She just makes it all look so simple! I do feel inspired when I visit her blog, she has yummy recipes, all kinds of crafts and many of them are children friendly! (moms of toddlers, RUN to her blog!) and I've found it to be a pleasure to work with her as we talked about today's feature! It's really a great pleasure for me to introduce her to you on this special Coffee Friday! ... I know she's bringing coffee in some form... let's see what she's prepared:

Hello everyone. I'm Stacey and I blog over at Glued To My Crafts. I'm a mother to a nearly two year old boy and a wife to man in the Air Force. I love cooking, crafting and inspiring. Ok, the last one is more of an "I hope I inspire you." My blog is mainly about life experiences, recipes and craft creations. Everything I post can we be recreated with simple, everyday items you probably already have in your house. I don't spend a lot to be crafty, and neither should you. I really hope you check it out and are "inspired."
Now that we got that out of the way, I want to show you my Coffee Cupcakes. They are topped with homemade whipped cream. Can we say delicious? Now stop drooling and check out the recipe.

Ingredients for Coffee Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons Instant Coffee, dissolved into 2 tablespoons water
Ingredients for Whipped Cream Topping:
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons Confectioners’ Sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin tin with liners. (Makes 12 cupcakes)
2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the egg, coffee, milk and vanilla. Mix well. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture. Once all flour is incorporated, increase the speed to medium and beat until the batter is smooth.
4. Divide the batter among the prepared cupcake liners, filling the liners 2/3 of the way. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cupcakes on cooling rack.

Homemade Whipped Cream
1. Place the heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Turn on mixer on low speed and slowly increase to medium-high speed.
3. When the cream reaches soft peaks, add in the confectioners’ sugar. Continue whisking until stiff peaks form.
4. Once cupcakes are cooled, add a dollop of whipped cream on each cupcake. Enjoy!
I love these because they are different and I had all these items already in my pantry. No need to run out and go crazy, finding ingredients. I created these for a group of girls I entertained the other day. We had our cups of coffee in hand & were watching the kids play. I usually make cookies for play dates like these, but I decided to be spontaneous and whip up these sophisticated little cupcakes. And lucky for me, they were a hit and I think the moms will be back! I even got asked to share the recipe, so I knew this was perfect for me to share with you.
Hope you give them a try. Thank you Paloma for letting me join in on hosting this Coffee Friday! Enjoy!

So... what did you think?  Doesn't it sound great?  I hope you stop by Stacey's Blog and thank her for sharing some coffee in the form of a delicious cupcake with us! Glued To My Crafts

Thank you again Stacey! This has been so much fun!




© Paloma K.

ThuRsday - Reminder, gReatfulness and Recipe!

Hello everybody! As I mentioned I've been pretty busy, there are some things I just need to nip in the bud here, so hang in there with me as I find the time to "juggle it all" and make time for my blogging! But here I am... trying to keep you updated and bring you something special each time!

So... I wanted to remind you of tomorrow's Coffee Friday! It's going to be gooooood! We do have a special featured blogger that's prepared a delicious treat for all of us! She is creative and ... well... I don't want to give it all away... but you won't want to miss it! I hope I see my "regulars" here and then some new faces too linking-up to our Party!

Also, I wanted to share with you a little quote I found that Oprah Winfrey said; although, if you know me you know I am not an "Oprah" fan... actually I don't even think I've ever watched any of her shows... but anyway... I thought this quote was a great one:

"Be thankful for what you have and you will end up having more. But if you concentrate on what you don't have, you'll never, ever have enough." - Oprah Winfrey

So true! I am just trying to get us in the mood for Thanksgiving and just keep that in mind when that day arrives, Thankfulness is an "on-going" attitude, something that can't just bloom if we never planted and watered it! It's something we must feed every day so it can finally display and reveal itself in the form of fruits that bless those around us! -woah! I guess I was more inspired than I thought-

And now... in the same Thanksgiving spirit... and going through my Thanksgiving Menu I will start to share those recipes with you so you can add to your own menu or just try them whenever you feel like it... Let's start from the beginning, shall we?

Deviled Eggs!

Yes... deviled eggs, are a tradition on hubby's Family Thanksgiving Dinner! Auntie Amy (hubby's auntie) lived in Texas for a long while, so there's always some "Southern Flair" in her kitchen, and Thanksgiving is no exception! so she incorporated "Deviled Eggs" to the Menu and so did I to continue with hubby's family tradition:

I've never really taken a good picture of them because as soon as they're out... they just disappear!

Auntie Amy's Deviled Eggs

9 hard boiled eggs
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup salsa (Auntie Amy and I use Newman's Own All Natural Chunky Salsa)
2 tbsp. finely chopped green onions
2 tbsp. sour cream
salt and black pepper to taste
Cayenne Pepper (to taste)

Directions: Remove the yellow of the hard boiled eggs, mash it and mix it with the rest of the ingredients (except for the cayenne pepper), fill the whites of the eggs with the mixture and sprinkle with cayenne pepper if desired.

Now... I am sure all of you know how to make "hard boiled eggs" but just in case, I am going to share with you my method to make them AND most importantly to avoid the "grayish" look around the yellow of the egg, it just doesn't look pretty when it's not a perfect bright yellow and there's this gray/greenish look around it... so... here it is:

Place the eggs in a  medium sauce pan with enough cold water to cover them perfectly (or a bigger pan if you have too many eggs), turn on the heat to medium, as soon as the water reaches the roll-boil point set the timer to 5 minutes, after those 5 minutes immediately remove your eggs and place them in icy cold water. Remove the shell right after they're cold enough to handle. (crack on both ends and then roll them with your hand open over a hard smooth surface putting some pressure to completely "crush" the shell, now you can easily remove the shell without "damaging" the egg). Enjoy!

Buy beautiful deviled egg platter in Amazon

 © Paloma K.

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Tuesday of Quotes - Entertaining vs Hospitality!

Hello dear friends! How are you doing? It's been busy here! I've been focusing a lot on my exercise/dieting and just trying to have my priorities in order... I often say God is first, my family is second... but... how does that reflect on my actions? Is it really showing? I think many times it isn't ... and I end up doing it all backwards! I'll continue to blog! I really love it! It's a great way for me to express myself and connect with others! In this time and day when communication seems to be at the reach of everyone and it's just impossible to not be in touch with the world... it seems we're actually losing really contact and face to face relationships... but I won't talk about that for now... I think that's a topic many have already discussed! I guess what I am saying is: Be patient if it takes me a bit to get back to you! You know me by now I hope and know that I love commenting on blogs and replying to your comments and posts! It'll just take me a bit longer, ok?

Now... to my topic of the day... On Tuesdays I usually post Famous or Interesting Quotes... Today won't be an exception... But since I've been talking about Thanksgiving and how to make it enjoyable even for the host/hostess I thought my quotes would be directed to hospitality! Remember... Being hospitable is not the same as being an "Entertainer" ... My friend, and pastor's wife, Gay shared once: "Entertaining! Just the word sounds intimidating! it's a big responsibility to think of keeping others entertained! And makes you feel stressed out" ... Very true! But being hospitable... is out of love, it's warm and caring! It's doing your best out of caring for those that come into your home, sharing what you have with others, in a peaceful environment and atmosphere! I aim for the second! So if you are looking for advice on how to be a good entertainer... you can find that on Martha Stewart's page! She is really great! isn't she? And I don't think there's anything wrong with it... But being Hospitable... now that's something I strive for! I hope others can say about me that they felt welcome in my home, that they felt comfortable and cared for!  I hope they feel like they can take their shoes off because it's like their own home and not because they'll fear ruining my carpet! If you've been reading my previous posts on my "Thanksgiving series" you'll see that I talk a lot about being thankful and attitude... hopefully this Thanksgiving you'll work towards being hospitable and not worry about being the best entertainer... It will take a burden off your shoulders and I am sure EVERYONE, including YOU, will enjoy the holidays that much more!

In Mexico we say "Where one eats, two can eat!"

With my Auntie Amy! Getting ready to start serving!

 

Great memories from Thanksgiving 2011

Receiving the New Year 2009 with family and friends in Mexico! Hospitality has no language barriers! Look at my gringo there!

So... let's see some quotes on the subject, shall we?

“Eating, and hospitality in general, is a communion, and any meal worth attending by yourself is improved by the multiples of those with whom it is shared.” - Jesse Browner

 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling (1 Peter 4:8-9).”

 "Planning a dinner party in a way that you're actually capable of getting it done without panicking is important. It's bad hospitality for the host to be freaked out." -  Ted Allen

  

"It is meant to offer an experience of hospitality, just as I believe that God extends to human beings a divine and inexhaustible welcome: the door is always open, the table always set, the arms flung wide, outstretched. " - Jane Redmont in When in Doubt, Sing

 

 "Do not forget to entertain strangers,. for by so doing some people have. entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2 

 

Any thoughts of your own that you'd like to share? Please do! Hopefully this post helps you if you've also fallen pray to the "standards of perfection" that we feel we must reach to be an "entertainer" ... relax and be hospitable! do your best, yes... but not Martha Stewart's or Pinterest best! Do everything with love and it'll be ok! 

 

 © Paloma K.