Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 10

Make the best hot chocolate in the world. Enjoy with some sweet treats.

For us, the best hot chocolate is chocolate Abuelita. We drank some with the pumpkin empanadas I made on Sunday. Yuuuuum.

Sushi With Charlie.

 

The only thing better in the world than sushi is all-you-can-eat sushi! My brother Charlie and I ate five rolls and two orders of mussels in green sauce between us (my first time eating shellfish...it was...interesting.) I'm already dreaming about the next time I'll get to eat sushi again. A certain husband of mine (hint: I only have one) doesn't like the idea of eating raw fish. Bummer. I love it! =)

Wisdom And Great Treasures Of Knowledge.

It took me getting pregnant to finally change and stick to my healthy eating habits. When I read this blog post at Word of Wisdom living, I found myself relieved and sort of proud that I am actually following what he calls the "Sledgehammer blows to the modern American diet (MAD)". I will list a few of the permanent changes from the list that I've made since last summer:

*Eat a healthy breakfast:  Cereal products must have more natural fiber than added sugar.

*Be muscular: Exercise 30 minutes most days.  It’s best if you sweat. (I can only do some much at 8 months pregnant, but I do exercise!)

*Return to the plant-based diet of your ancestors: Eat (USDA recommended) five vegetable servings daily.

*Slow aging:  Eat a varied diet of whole foods (especially berries) to maximize antioxidant intake and minimize free radical damage.

The picture above is from the WoWL website, and when I saw it, it looked so familiar because it's what I snack on pretty much every day. As I read the post today, I was finishing off my snack of walnuts, golden raisins, and an apple. 

I'm not perfect at it, I still eat more sweets than I should, but I've been striving to follow these principles and have lived the blessings promised to us if we follow them. I'm grateful to have had a healthy pregnancy so far! I owe it to myself and my baby. I'm just crossing my fingers and hope he'll be used to eating healthy so he won't give me any trouble in the future!

photo from here

Food, Lights, And Other Happenings In Utah.

I couldn't resist stopping by the Mad Greek Cafe in Baker on the drive up and having one of their delicious gyros! • Franco and I tried some French cuisine at Gourmandise; I had the smashed chickpea and red bell pepper sandwich with avocado. Oh. My. Taste Buds. YUM! • Beautiful morning in Provo • my cousin Ed and Franco eating cereal and browsing the internet one lazy morning.

Whoa! Twice in one day. I may just be getting the blogging bug back again. We shall see :)

Though the pictures may illustrate otherwise, we did do more in Utah than just eat, though we did eat a lot, too. Pregnancy is so much more enjoyable when you actually have an appetite! We joke that Franco is having "sympathy pains" because he eats as much and whenever I do (probably more). Now that the holidays are over, though, we really have to rein in how much we eat and when. We don't want to end up having a twelve pound baby!

Besides being with family, here are a couple of highlights from our December 2011 Utah trip:

Temple Square in Salt Lake City is gorgeous all throughout the year, but especially at Christmastime. I was thrilled that it was only in the mid-40ºs the night we went! We expected much worse. Even if it had been a lot cooler outside, I'm sure it wouldn't have changed the magical atmosphere around the temple.

And finally some pictures of the lovely luncheon/baby shower my sister, aunts, cousins, and Bita, my grandmother, threw for us. I have the best family in the world!

Bread.

I cannot make bread. Period. Last Monday when I posted about making bread? It turned out rock hard so I had to throw it away. I don't know what I do wrong! I've tried everything. At this point I'll take any bread-making tips, though I've probably tried them all. You would think I'd give up after wasting so much flour, salt, milk, yeast, but I'm determined to make edible bread.

I tried again yesterday and the pictures above show the result. Not too shabby. Not perfect, but it didn't break my teeth. I used a glorious recipe from Betty Crocker which ironically enough starts out with, "Homemade bread doesn't get much easier that this!" I beg to differ, usually. But since it actually turned out this time, I'm willing to agree. Here's a printable copy of this recipe--let me know if you like it. But if your bread looks and tastes better than mine, then please keep it to yourself. =)

Click on the image below and right-click to save

Click here to download a Pdf copy

A Taste Of Peru + Pinkberry In Pasadena

I just realized I never posted about the Peruvian  restaurant we tried in Pasadena a couple of weeks ago. As I mentioned in my earlier post, my cousins Ed & Rachel were in town visiting family so we met in Pasadena one night to have dinner and Pinkberry, our favorite place to go together. My friend Beth and her friend were also visiting from Utah so we got to hang out with them, too!

It was 9 p.m. before we started looking for a place to eat. We had tons of choices {hello, it's L.A.}: Vietnamese, Italian, Afghani, Thai, Mediterranean, you name it. We walked around downtown for a bit {it was Cinco de Mayo so we saw many a cop light, too} until we came upon Chozo Mama, this wonder of  a Peruvian  restaurant. We were greeted warmly by a woman, whom we found out was one of the owners, who ushered us in as if we were long-awaited for family. It was kind of fun =)

Five big stars for the food, service, price, and portions. Just look at the WHOLE chickens on those two girl's plates! It was hilarious when the waiter brought it and set it in front of Kate, Rachel's petite niece. The rest of the food, papas a la huancaina, platanos fritos, empanadas de carne, was fabulous. Finish off the night with some creamy Pinkberry and you can die happy.

What made it so much more enjoyable was the company. Huzzah for family and friends! Food wouldn't be the same without them.

Traditional Easter Dinners

Two kinds of Traditional Easter dinners at the Zurcher's

Traditionally American: orange-glazed ham, mashed potatoes (with skins), roasted garlic red potatoes and green beans.

Traditionally Chihuahense: tacos de camaron en chipotle con nopales or shrimp and cactus in a chipotle sauce eaten with warm tortillas, caldo de camaron seco or dried shrimp stew, and jugo de jamaica or tamarind juice.

Did I make you hungry? It was delicious! We even ate the bunny. Don't worry, it was made out of bread.

Saving Me For Last, But You Better Not Eat Me At All.

I love going to the grocery store and coming back with a bag full of fresh fruits and vegetables, instead of boxes and bags of gross processed foods. I do still buy processed foods, but lately, it's been more of nature's ingredients like the ones above. Being a print designer, I know that we often pay more for the packaging than the actual product, so I'm weaning myself away from them as quickly as I can not only to eat healthier, but to save money. Aren't we all into saving money?

My friend gave me a bag full of huge, juicy oranges over the weekend and I've been eating at least two a day. I can't wait to make my favorite spinach salad tonight for dinner, and prepare a cucumber tomato salad with lemon dressing for tomorrow's lunch. Who said mealtimes had to be complicated? Think how much healthier it would be if you substituted a baked sweet potato for french fries next time you make hamburgers for dinner.  Personally, I feel so much better when I eat raw produce. I hope to keep this up so that my kids will also enjoy eating green beans and asparagus. It can be done, I've seen it. It just takes a little thought and planning.

Out In The Sunshine.

Isn't Camarillo beautiful? A few weeks ago, the sun was shining and instead of staying inside the office during lunch, I took a leisurely walk to the corner deli a few blocks away to get me a Greek gyro--the best in town! On the way back, my friend Emily passed by in her car and stopped to give me a ride. It was a perfect lunchtime I hope to be able to enjoy again soon: nature, food, and good company.

on my way to the deli, listening to music on my mp3 player.
now i get why teens glue their ears to their headphones--
listening to tunes on a long walk makes it so much more enjoyable!

Sunshine Orange Cake Recipe

You will love how simple it is to make this orange cake. It's perfect for parties and showers; people will ask for seconds, even thirds, I guarantee it. Please click on the banner below to download the PDF.

Serves 18-24 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Baking time: 30-40

Cake Ingredients:
1 package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
1 can (11-ounce) mandarin oranges with juice

Mix all Ingredients. Beat two minutes. Bake at 350° for 30-40
minutes, depending on the cake pan you use. I made two 8”
rounds and it took about 30 minutes to bake.

Frosting Ingredients:
8 ounces Cool Whip
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
1 can (8-ounce) crushed pineapple with juice

Mix together and spread on cooled cake. Keep refrigerated.

Fresh.

{Maura McEvoy for Real Simple}

My new favorite salad: Spinach, Apple, and Avocado Salad

The trick to this salad is getting the dressing right. I've made it a few times in the last couple of weeks so I'll share my tried-and-true recipe. The springboard for this recipe is from Real Simple, but there are a few things done differently. Here's the Real Simple recipe: Spinach, Apple, and Walnut Salad.

Here's my version of the recipe:

{click on the banner above to download the printable pdf}

Salad Ingredients:
2 Gala apples, cored, and diced
2 tablespoons lemon juice (you'll need more for the dressing)
2 (5-ounce packages (8 cups) fresh baby spinach leaves (I bought a large bag at Trader Joe's for $1.99)
1 firm-ripe avocado, peeled and diced
4 strips of cooked turkey bacon, crumbled
1/4 cup red onion, sliced into thin pieces
Optional:
To add a little more sweet to the sour, add a handful of dried cranberries
To add a little more sour to the sweet, add a handful of crumbled goat or feta cheese

Salad Dressing:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
Ground pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Toss apples with 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Place spinach in a large bowl; remove long stems and bruised leaves. Chop loosely. Toss spinach with apples, bacon, and onion (and other optional ingredients except avocado and cheese).
2. Make dressing: In a small container with lid, mix together the 2 tablespoons lemon, oil, honey, pepper and vinegar. Be careful with the vinegar--add it little by little. I put too much in the first time and the dressing was very bitter. It's supposed to be more sweet than sour, unless you want it to taste sour. Close the lid firmly on the container and shake it to combine all the ingredients.
3. Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing. Divide between four bowls. Top with the avocado and cheese.

In The Morning When I Wake Up

We've been trying out different types of {healthier} breakfast options. Frosted flakes* pretty much make me gag so I had to try something better. Apples, cheese, bran flakes, fresh berries, and a yogurt drink are my absolute favorites. Got the ideas and photos from Real Simple's 9 Fast, Healthy Breakfast Ideas.

*that's what I get for letting Franco do the grocery shopping without giving him a detailed list. =)

Clara's Birthday Crêpes

It was my wonderful mother-in-law's birthday yesterday, 

but since Franco doesn't get out of school until 9 pm on Mondays, 

we brought all the ingredients and made her one of her favorite desserts, crêpes, on Sunday after dinner.

I love making {and eating!} crêpes and have tossed the idea around to have a crepe-making station for my birthday next week. Goodness, is it that time already?

After making the thin pancakes, we filled them with Nutella, a mix of berries, and thawed whipped cream, folded them up, and sprinkled powdered sugar over them. Heaven! Besides cheesecake, crêpes are my second favorite dessert indulgence. Way better than cake, in my opinion!

I don't have the recipe I use with me, but I can find it and post it for you, if you'd like. 

It's an easy one in the Betty Crocker cookbook I received as a wedding gift.

The trick is how to rotate the pan after pouring the batter 

so it makes a nice, thin pastry. 

The thinner the better, I've found out!

Homemade Creme Puffs

The husb's at scout camp for a few more days,

so these morsels of deliciousness are the next best thing

waiting for me at home after work...

No, I'm not sharing.

Sushi!