XXX Cupcakes
Ok, maybe these cupcakes aren’t x-rated, but they are best consumed by a mature audience. I ran across this recipe on Pinterest and, although I’m not as addicted to chocolate as the majority of the population, was more drawn in by the wine and mascarpone frosting. Call me crazy!
The end result? A slightly dense, chocolatey rich, wine-infused cake topped with a simple, light frosting with just the right amount of sweetness.
Give ‘em a shot and let me know what you think.
This Isn’t YOUR Mama’s Taco — It’s Mine
I’m not a chef, by any stretch of the imagination. I can cook, but I’m not a creative force in the kitchen. My Mother made everything from scratch, and still does. She learned authentic Mexican cooking from her Mother, and also her Mother’s Mother. You can only imagine the aromas that came from my childhood kitchen.
So if there’s one thing I’m familiar with, it’s real Mexican cooking — frijoles, tamales, and tacos. I didn’t even know you could buy taco shells in a box, or that taco “seasoning” existed, until I hit college.
With that said, every once in a while I reach back to my roots and whip up a batch of tacos…REAL tacos.
REAL TACOS
1. Sauté some diced onions in canola oil then add your choice of meat to brown. I used natural ground turkey for this batch.
2. In a new, large saucepan, heat some canola oil and leave it on medium to medium high heat.
3. Using tongs, dip a corn tortilla in the canola oil…just to coat both sides. This helps soften the tortilla so it folds without cracking.
4. Move the tortilla to a pan or plate. Fill with meat (or a filling of your choice). You just need a little…too much will make it difficult to fold.
5. Using the tongs, fold the tortilla in half and transfer back to the hot canola.
6. Cook the taco on one side for a couple minutes, then flip it over and cook the other side. Total cooking time depends on how crispy and golden you want your taco.
7. When crisped up, pick up the taco with tongs and shake off excess oil. Transfer to a plate or pan lined with a paper towel.
8. Sprinkle outside of tacos with a little salt. Stuff with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Sorry Mom…I used taco seasoning in this batch.
Mommy Brain Strikes Again
I love Mommy Brain. It can be the cause of a lot of mishaps. For example…
As the kiddie pool was filling early last evening I loaded up my arms with bath toys and headed outside to prep some toddler entertainment that was sure to last at least seven minutes. Naturally, I grabbed my iPhone before leaving the house as I’d planned on planting myself on the patio and catching up on emails (I can get a lot done in seven minutes these days).
Approaching the pool I tossed the toys in, turned around to (instinctively) grab my phone which I had set on the…..um, wait. No I didn’t set it on the fence. Where did I set it? “No Jala, you didn’t set it anywhere. You threw it in the pool with the bath toys of course.”
You see, this has happened at least two times in the last year. I haven’t thrown my phone in water, but my phone has ended up in water. First the bath tub — I’ll let you guess who’s handy work that was. And most recently, the pedicure foot bath. I’m not pointing any fingers (publicly) but let’s just say I didn’t tip the nail tech and there are a lot of nail salons in Sellwood to choose from other than this one.
So because I’ve been through this before, and have resuscitated my phone, successfully, each time, I wasted no time in the rescue process. Grabbing my phone from the depths of 10” of water I sprinted into the house and threw open the pantry door, grabbing for the first bag of rice I could find — which happened to be herbed pilaf. “It’ll have to do,” I realized.
You know they say…if your phone submerges in water soak it in rice for 24 hours. The new iPhone is coming out in September, and the thought of having to buy a new one now (an OLD one now) make me nauseous. I wasn’t doing to let this little guy die.
So, here he sit in his happy little rice home, drying out until later this evening. I checked on him. He’s still alive and kicking. He’s well on his way to his fourth life and hopefully, based on my iPhone/water track record, I’m thinking he has many more left. Thank you Apple, and China.
WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT?: Daisy Cut Mason Jar Toppers
I have a love hate relationship with awesome inventions. I love that they exist. I hate that I didn’t come up with the idea. I take full responsibility. I can’t tell you how many half written business plans I have in my ‘New Biz Ideas’ folder on my laptop. At some point, during the brainstorming process, I talk myself out of moving forward with developing the concept. I second guess the validity, and potential success, of the idea. Just because I think it’s fabulous, doesn’t mean that others will…and I’m not willing to risk my life savings right now. I’m fairly certain that one of these days I’ll put on my big girl panties and make it happen….or, I’ll get involved in someone else’s awesome idea. Until then, I’ll continue to be envious of those who’ve believed in their idea, and themselves, and hope that some of that confidence rubs off on me.
With that said…I ran across these super fun Mason jar toppers at New Seasons Market last week. We all seem to have a Mason jar or two laying around. Rather than recycle them, grab a few of these toppers and make good use of the jar. If you can’t make it to New Seasons you can buy them online here.
If you’re curious about other inventions I think are pretty fabulous, follow my ‘Inventions I Love’ Pinterest board. It’s a work in progress.
Daisy Cut Mason Jar Toppers…why didn’t I think of that?
Some super amazingly smart and kind friends of mine just launched an awesome new (that was a lot of adjectives) data visualization tool — Vizify. It graphically represents all of your social media presence and activity into a sweet portfolio. I geek out over this kind of stuff so excuse me if I sound a bit over excited.
If you’d like to check mine out, well, you can….here.
Have fun making one of your own. And if you’re a digital geek like me, you might consider using it for some of your main URLs…maybe in place of about.me? Just a thought.
Have fun Vizifying!
Let The Games Begin!
Well, this is it. After many, unsuccessful, attempts at ramping up my professional blog, I’ve decided that I should revert to a format that’s a little less intimidating…and (potentially) a lot more fun.
Family, travel, food, Portland, creativity, relationships….life. That’s what you’ll find on this page.
I’d also like to add that I’m a bit of a sucker for questions, about anything, especially if it has to with people, place and production recommendations. So ask away and I’ll answer, in a blog post.
