How the West Was Won

A few weeks ago I went to Biscotti's for Stephany's, one of my good friend's, birthday. I was beyond excited, because it being on a Thursday night (out on a work/school night???) and with all of my friends and I being so busy, I rarely get to have time to relax with my friends. Biscotti's is a local gem where birthday dinners are a must in that it is known for its wine, salads, and CAKE. All a great combination in my book and luckily this visit I wasn't lacking in any department. Before we were able to order our food, one of the girls ordered a combination patter that had mango salsa, brushetta, and black bean hummus. Being starved to death, we dug in and where surprisingly shocked of how scrumptious the black bean hummus was. Normally, I don't reach out on the supermarket isle and buy hummus for myself, since most of the time it can be lack luster in the flavor department and can catch up with you on the calorie count (health food? I'm still skeptical). This black bean hummus though was exploding with a southwestern flavor that gave boring hummus a new view in my eyes. I couldn't have enough and despite having six of us girls splitting 3 (double chocolate, bread pudding, and carrot) cake, I later found myself dreaming about that hummus.

Fast forward to this weekend when yet again my parents went out of town leaving me to my own devises. Being a (soon to be) 24 year old, when my parents go out of town I normally revel in the idea of being by myself and cooking myself something that I want when I want it. Do not think that I'm complaining and am being starved, but when you return home from school the notion of cooking dinner is decided by what the majority wants to eat. Having had weeks to brood over what to cook, I decided that black bean hummus was exactly what the food gods ordered to finally quiet the cravings that I've had for it ever since that glorious September night at Biscotti's.

The major obstacle I found was that while the Crabtree's have 4 (count them: 1, 2, 3, 4) Bundt pans, we did not have a food processor. That just goes to show the type of food we southerners typically lean towards, since the notion of needing a food processor to make hummus never would have come up in my household before. Therefore, I went out and both myself an early birthday present and got one right before going to Publix to pick up the ingredients I needed. The recipe that I decided to follow a Cooking Light winner for their 2008 Ultimate Reader Recipe Contest entitled “Spicy Black Bean Hummus”. The name is very literal, and not to be corny but is literally the best hummus I’ve ever eaten.

You first start off by chopping the garlic in the food processor...(I love garlic so I used 2 cloves instead of 1)

Then you add all the other ingredients....

Grind, grind, grind

Add some olive oil and voila! I know now you all want the recipe so here it is....

Spicy Black Bean Hummus

Ingredients
· 1 garlic clove, peeled
· 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
· 1 tablespoon tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
· 1 teaspoon ground cumin
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
· 1 small jalapeño pepper, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
· Dash of crushed red pepper
· 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
· Dash of ground red pepper
· 1 (6-ounce) bag pita chips (such as Stacy's Simply Naked), carrots, sliced green peppers, etc.

Preparation
· 1. Place garlic in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add lemon juice, tahini, cumin, salt, black beans, jalapeño pepper, and crushed red pepper; process until smooth. Spoon bean mixture into a medium bowl, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with ground red pepper. Serve with pita chips.

Note: I have been dying for a good turkey sandwich so I toasted up some bread, added Boar's Head turkey, sliced tomato, spinach leaves, pepperjack cheese, and a smear of hummus on the bread.

Add Sun Chips and Diet Cherry Coke, my other guilty pleasures and I think I upgrabbed the commoners lunch to a kings (or in my case, a queen).

Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover

A few weeks ago, the Crabtree family had a reunion at my Aunt Elizabeth’s (AKA Shorty) house. My grandfather’s family on my dad’s side is a collective bunch of individuals who like to have a good time. There should always be a never ending supply of food and booze when the Crabtrees are concerned, because when in the south it’s a law in spite of living on the boarder of the Bible Belt of America. Staying true to our roots, fried chicken, collards, and mac and cheese where only of the few options that we could choose from for dinner. From the bar I won’t even go into the selections, but I’ll just say that we had so much fun getting to catch up, tell old stories, and enjoy each other’s company.

Surprisingly, this post isn’t going to be about the food we ate, but about a book that I read that was suggested to my mom by my Aunt Susan at the family reunion. Any passionate reader will tell you that getting a book suggestion by someone that you know and care for is golden. The bestseller list is a joke in my option, because despite my 3 failed attempts, I still believe the Girl that Kicked the Hornets’ Nest is a joke of the masses where people say they liked it because while they actually hate it, they don’t want to be the one person in the world that doesn’t like it. Therefore, when someone suggests to you a book that isn’t on the bestsellers list, it means that the book is quality and is liked for its content. I’m sorry for sounding bitter, but the hours I’ve wasted on awful books can be summed up to years of my life.

Okay, back to the reason for this post…. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. My mom went to Chamblin’s Bookmine which is a heaven from another world for book lovers and bought Redeeming Love. At first I smirked at the title, expecting it to be another Nora Roberts type book, but I decided to give it a shot. I have to say that I was presently surprised. Here is the Amazon.com review:

“In this splendid retelling of the biblical story of Hosea, bestselling author Francine Rivers pens a heartbreaking romance between a prostitute and the upright and kind farmer who marries her; the story also functions as a reminder of God's unconditional love for his people. Redeeming Love opens with the Gold Rush of 1850 and its rough-and-tumble atmosphere of greed and desire. Angel, who was sold into prostitution as a child, has learned to distrust all men, who see her only as a way to satisfy their lust. When the virtuous and spiritual-minded Michael Hosea is told by God to marry this "soiled dove," he obeys, despite his misgivings. As Angel learns to love him, she begins to hope again but is soon overwhelmed by fear and returns to her old life. Rivers shines in her ability to weave together spiritual themes and sexual tension in a well-told story, a talent that has propelled her into the spotlight as one of the most popular novelists in the genre of Christian fiction. This is one of her best.”

I began the book expecting to find a love story, but found there to be a deeper message woven into the storyline that was unexpected. Throughout the book there is a strong presence of God as a voice of reason for the characters that I found to be stilling. I don’t want to give away any of the story, but the idea of being “reborn” as a Christen has always baffled me, but now I know that is a decision to change your heart as the character Angel had. The past will always be with us, but it is the choice to overcome it and grow from it that truly matters. The reoccurring themes of love, forgiveness, and self growth taught in Redeeming Love leaves the reader with hope and joy that faith is the solution whether it is in yourself or God and believe that sometimes it is from the ashes that we can build our strength and become better individuals.

 

My favorite part about the book is the connect you feel to the characters. While they are all flawed, you find yourself rooting for the most flawed of all Angel to over come her demons (literally). When comparing yourself to a prostitute (Angel) and her struggles, you realize that nothing should stop you from being who you want to be. That, and I'm not going to lie, romance was a big part of the novel and I did thoroughly enjoy reading it (what girl doesn't??). Therefore, I probably wouldn't recommend it to any of my males, so women that just means more Redeemed Love for us!  

 

The Good: Inspirational book that will leave you hopeful for your future and more understanding of other.

The Bad: There are some slow parts of the book, but it’s worth it to solider through.

I honor of my favorite season, I give the book 3 pumpkins

Football, Food, and Glory

First of all I would like to say congrats to the Florida Gators for breaking the banjo over the Tennessee Volunteers' heads on Saturday by winning 33-23. I had such a great time with my family and friend in Gainesville for the football game and the silencing of “Rocky Top” was music to my ears. The night ended at Krystals for me, which if you are from Ortega you know always is the stamp of approval for a night out on the town.

Overall, this was a very successful weekend for me which started off with making a steaming bowl of Chicken Fajita Chili. With the cooling temperatures (mid-70s burrrr!) and the promise of fall in the air, I have been craving homemade soup and decided to indulge myself. I searched the net looking for a recipe to use and didn’t find one that fulfilled my few requirements: 1) it had to be spicy, 2) it had to be loaded with veggies (no, I do not consider 3 types of beans veggie approved), and 3) is had to be cheap to make (my roommates are still my parents people!). Only one type of food came to mind when thinking about spicy and cheap….

I bet you can’t guess it….

Mexican!



(I just want to note that I realize Mexican didn’t fulfill one of my requirements (VEGGIE LOADED or HEALTHY, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t make it work.)

With Mexican on my mind I decided that Chicken Fajita Chili was exactly what my stomach was rumbling for. During my lunch break from work I went to Publix and grabbed all the ingredients that I needed. The best part about soup is that you can add and subtract based on personal preferences and since my parents left me and the dogs all by our lonesomes for the weekend, I put in the soup exactly what I wanted. I must note though, that getting a rotisserie chicken is on the expensive side for all the coupon lovers out there, but when in a time crunch it does the trick. On the flip side, when dealing with mostly frozen or canned items I was saving some doe. It’s a great tip to stock up on the canned items to have on hand if you want to bulk up the chili or make it spur of the moment.

I basically threw all of the ingredients in a pot, brought it to a boil, and then let it simmer for 1 ½ hrs. It was that simple for a gigantic pot of soup that could have feed an army or at least a unit. I may be biased, but I think that it was some of the best chili I’ve had in a long time, especially with the extra cheese and hot sauce I sprinkled on top, because who can deny more spice and cheese? Not wanting the chili to go to waste, I froze some of it and then lived off it for the rest of the weekend. You know that it was good when after 3 meals of chili I still wanted some more, but opted to eat it as a dip with Tostitos Scoops- let the chili simmer longer and you can make a great dip!

My one regret is not having a marg with it....CHEERS

The recipe to my Chicken Fajita Chili is below, but I must warn you that chili is a taste as you go affair. Don’t be afraid to add more water if the sauce is too thick or more spices if it’s too bland. Chili is one of the most forgiving meals you can make so just avoid burning it, taste as you go, and you will be fine.

Chicken Fajita Chili

Ingredients:

3 cups shredded or chopped smoked chicken (about 1 lb.)

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup spinach, cooked and drained

2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles

1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed

1 (14.5-oz.) can low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1 can red enchilada sauce

2 cups hot water

2 teaspoons hot sauce

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

3 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 package of chili seasoning

Garnish (optional): Tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, sour cream

Directions:

Shred the chicken, chop the onion, and mince the garlic. Put the onion and the garlic in a large pot (or crock pot) with the chicken broth over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce heat and allow pot to simmer for 1-1 ½ hrs. Stir occasionally. Garnish with toppings.



Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Pumpkin!

Fall is always an exciting time for me in more ways than one. If I was up to me, football would be a year round sport and every time the Gators play it would be a national holiday (not the I don't treat it as such anyways). On top of that, all of my favorite holidays are right around the corner which allow me to spend time with family and friends while eating/drinking non-stop not worrying about having to be bikini ready. I take full advantage of this and unfortunately spraining my ankle has only slowed down my working out not my eating habits...thank goodness for being able to layer in the fall, because I have a problem. Not a problem, an obsession that cannot be controlled and that is with everything pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pudding, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin. I sound like Bubba from Forrest Gump when talking about pumpkin. It has been days since I have not had something pumpkin and I don't see an end in sight until Thanksgiving is over with and I move on to focusing on Christmas food obsessions. That, or until I physically turn into a pumpkin or OD from too much pumpkin.

While trying to satisfy my love of pumpkin, I have tried to get creative with pumpkin and stay somewhat healthy. After all, I still do live in Florida and it will always be bikini season no matter how many boots I buy trying to convience myself otherwise. I googled and foodgawked until I found a recipe for Fat-free Pumpkin Pudding on BigOven.com. It is so easy to make which is great for me who until last week would go to the gym after work (boo sprained ankle!) and had no extra time on the week days. My only critique would be that the recipe needed more cinnamon, so I have edited to my liking. Cinnamon is a runner-up in my book for all-time favorite spices so depending on your preferences just add enough until you are happy with the flavor.

Fat-free Pumpkin Pudding

Ingredients:
1 pk Fat free vanilla pudding
2 c Skim milk
1 c Pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp Pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp Nutmeg
2 tsp Cinnamon
*Fat free cool whip topping (topping the pudding with cool whip straight from the freezer is a nice way to get a cool treat)
*Crumbled graham crackers
                                                  *optional

Directions:Prepare the pudding per direction (whisk pudding mix with 2 cups cold milk until set) and add the spices and pumpkin, whisk  together. Spoon into 4 dessert dishes. Garnish with toppings.

Welcome!

Welcome everyone to my blog!

I am currently the Registration & Program Support Coordinator for the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and a recent graduate at the University of Florida (GO GATA!). Being home has been a blessing, because I have been able to really grow as an individual and realize what makes me happiest in life while would be....books, wine, tea, and food, food, food. My dream in life would be to move out to Napa Valley for a while and work on a vineyard and take cooking courses, but when times get tough, the tough get a big girl job. That doesn't stop me from dreaming, but I'll settle for the next best thing which is to cook for my loved ones and drink wine along the way. I hope that you enjoy my blog as much as I have creating it, because I want to share the things and experiences I love with you hoping you will love them to!

~Emily