And the winner is….

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Deborah

Happy Tuesday folks! First, I want to thank all you great and kind people who entered for a chance to win either an Apron or a Clothespin Bag in my Site Launch/Giveaway Contest.

I have had some really positive feedback from so many people and I look forward to writing and updating this blog pretty much daily…and henceforth, that you all still appreciate my ramblings!

So without further delay, shall we get on with the draw for a winner?!

tap…tap…tap…..(those are your fingers on the desk right?)

And the WINNER IS:

Betty Bartusevicius!

Betty, you shall be receiving an … Read more...

Steamed at Your Garbanzos?

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Deborah

My usual method of preparing garbanzo beans (aka Chickpeas) is to re-hydrate them overnight in a bowl of water, and then cook the crud out of them the next day for hours on end…but this morning I was putting away my rice cooker/veggie steamer (I like to let it air-dry overnight after washing it) when I had a brain wave… (or a brain fart if it turned out badly)…I thought… why not cook the garbanzos in the steamer?!

Seemed logical enough to me.

This way, you don’t have to baby-sit the pot with stirring and have your stove running for

The History of Aprons…

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Deborah

I don’t think our kids know what an apron is…

The principal use of Grandma’s apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children’s tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in

Frijoles Auténticos del Charro…

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Deborah

OR….Authentic Charro Beans…. OR Méxican ‘Drunken’ Beans…whatever you call them, they are NOTHING like your North American canned variety of baked beans.

I learned to make these while in México last year when I attended a one day cooking class lead by a highly talented Méxican Chef (Pablo Lopez Espinosa de los Monteros… I know..long name eh?) at the Little Méxican Cooking School in Puerto Morelos, México. Not only did I learn to make these absolutely YUMMY beans, but other recipes as well including guacamoles, salsas, home-made tortillas, sopes and I think my absolute fav… rajas con crema (Chile Poblano … Read more...

Sweet Potatoes in Soup? You betcha…

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Deborah

Today is FREEZING…so, soup is on the menu. One that makes you think of the spices and aromas that fill the air as you stroll the ‘mercados’ in the Caribbean Islands. I came across this recipe from of all places, the North Bay Nugget Newspaper, and of course, being the notorious recipe tweaker that I am, I just had to tweak it – cuz I know I could (and did) make it better. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Caribbean Black Bean Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients

4 Cups Chicken Broth* (preferably home-made, if store bought, get … Read more...