Beef and Lentil Stew

Hi friends,


     Today I'm bringing you guys a yummy stew. I've been making this stew for a very long time (5 years or so) so its definitely a favorite in my home. Because its so easy and hearty, I must admit I make it pretty often, especially during the winter. Im very excited to share it with you! Lets begin!

***Keep in mind that these are the ingredients I stick too, but you are welcome to omit anything you may not like or try different vegetables. Have fun cooking =)


Things you will need:

• Vegetable peeler
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Pot
• 1 measuring cup (1 Cup)
• 1 wooden spoon

Ingredients:

• 1 small yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves (missing in the pic)
• 2 carrots
• 2 stalks of celery
• 2 medium potatoes
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 5 cups of water
• 2 Tbsp of Olive oil
• 1 lb or so, of Beef chunks
• 2 cups of dry Lentils (rinse and drain)
• 1 Tablespoon of parsley and cilantro
• A handful of spinach (fresh)
• Meat seasoning (your choice, I used Adobo)
• I packet of "Jamon Goya" seasoning (missing in pic) (ham flavored seasoning)
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

1. Take your celery and carrots and rinse, peel the carrots, and dice both vegetables, set aside.

2. Now take your yellow onion, and dice it up. Set aside. Now do the same with your garlic. Make sure your garlic is minced well.

3. Now take all your herbs,  rinse and chop them up as well. (parsley, cilantro, and spinach)

Now that all your herbs and vegetables are chopped, lets get busy.

4. In a deep pot, throw in  2 tablespoons of olive oil. Let oil get hot (about 1 minute). Now throw in your onion, garlic,  parsley, and cilantro. Sautee for a few minutes. Once your onions start looking transparent, go ahead and throw in your meat.

5. Now that your meat is in the pot, season with a little bit of Adobo. Let the meat brown a little. (Letting the meat cook a little before adding anything else, will help it seal in the seasonings).

6. Once your meat has browned, add all your vegetables. Mix well with your wooden spoon.

 7. After mixing well,  add the 1 can of tomato sauce, 2 cups of lentils,  5 cups of water, spinach, and your packet of ham seasoning.  Stir with your spoon. Make sure to cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes. Once vegetables are tender, meat is fully cooked, lower heat to low or medium low and continue to cook for 15 minutes. Check the pot every 5 minutes or so. Make sure it doesn't get too thick, you want a stew consistency NOT mush =)

8. After 45 minutes or so, turn stove off. Let the stew simmer down for about 10 minutes. Once simmered down, taste for flavor. If salt or pepper is needed, now would be a good time to add it in.

9. Grab a bowl, and serve (you may also serve this over some white rice)......Enjoy =)

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Precious Moments

Hey There!

 

 

             So tonight is one of those nights, that I'm just tossing and turning. Which is kind of frustrating cause I'm actually tired, but for some reason, these eyeballs of mine just wont stay shut hahahah. So I decided, why not come on here and share a little something.  I call it "Baby Treasure Box"

 

               I would always see these cute little boxes at Michaels, and one day I decided to buy one. Inside of it I have I decided to put my daughters first earrings, baby bracelets, hospital clothing and hats, hospital bracelets, her ultrasound pictures, and a few more precious things. =)

 

              I previously had another box for these items, but in my last move, the box got crushed, which not only did it break my heart. But thankfully I found this one. 

 

              And I love it! I just hope one day I can sit down with my daughter when she is my age, and open this box again.

 

               I'm glad I kept all her things, and I will continue to keep more things as she grows.

             

              Well this is it for tonight =) I hope I motivated you into doing something similar for your children or a loved one. Goodnight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Oatmeal and Eczema

Baby Eczema and Oatmeal

(Pictures and recipe are at the bottom of the page)

  This is my 100% experience and advice. Im not trying to give any medical advice, Im just trying to show you how some foods in our pantry can actually be good for our skin.

As many of you may know, I have a precious baby girl. And although she is very strong and healthy, she was diagnosed with "Baby Eczema". From my understanding Baby Ezcema is a non-contagious skin condition, a type of skin rash that developes very early in a childs life, usually anywhere between 2 weeks old - 5 years of age. My baby was only 3 weeks old when she was diagnosed, and she is 16 months now   =)

Although the pediatrician said its not cureable, she mentioned it should get better with time. In the meantime she said Eczema can be controlled and treated. In some cases, children who get it in their infant stage, by the time they are 5 years old, they barely have rashes, and those who get it between 2-5 years of age, are not done with it until they are teenagers. Instead of the kids having breakouts every other week, they will just break out in seasons. (Winter - cause skin is dry, Summer - skin is too hot, so they get "heat rash")

Look at her cheeks (4 months)

Look at her arm at the time (3 months)


When you have eczema, your skin in red, patchy, itchy, and most of all raw. You can find these patches on their cheeks, arms, back of knees, and even behind their little ears at times. You have to use a lot of drugstore  and prescribed creams and special body washes, to relieve the itchiness. But one thing I found that makes wonders, is OATMEAL! She still breaks out, but her skin is doing much better.

As we all know, Oatmeal is very tasty. And usualy while growing up ( at least in my household), my grandmother or mother will make some in the morning, and pour my sister and I a small bowl of it, and make us eat it before going to school. (Ahh memories). But as I grew older, I also found out, it had other uses. Like helping babies with eczema relieve some of the itch and redness. So here is how I use oatmeal during my daughters bath time. I do this about 3-4 times a week.

This is also good if you or your child if you have poison ivy, mosquito bites, diaper rash, or just dry skin.


Tools Needed

Infant bathtub or regualr bathtub filled less than 1/2 way with warm water

Strainer - (make sure the holes arent too big, cause the oatmeal will fall through, something like this will be perfect)

1-2 Cups of Plain Oatmeal (either old fashioned or instant, any brand, no added flavor) (Example dont use Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal) (I use Food Lion brand or Quaker if its on sale)


Preparation

After you fill your bathtub with water, take your stariner, and put 1 one cup of oatmeal in it.

Now with oatmeal in strainer, place strainer in water, where it will cover oatmeal, and shake. Do not throw oatmeal in water, cause it will make a big mess, and can even clog your drain.

Keep shaking and stiring with your hand until water is cloudy, if you want, add the other cup of oatmeal. Sueeze or press on oatmeal to release all the water it has absorbed.

Set oatmeal and strainer aside.

Bathe yourself or your child as you normaly would. I bath my daughter with "Gentle Naturals Eczema Wash, Aveeno Baby Cleansing Therapy Moisturizing Wash, or Johnsons Vanilla Oatmeal Baby Wash) you can buy all these at Walmart.


I know Im missing a wash, sorry!

After you have lathered and washed your child, rinse her/him with the oatmeal water (you can rinse their hair too) Then take a second, grab your wet oatmeal, and just rub some on skin that is red and patchy, rub it for a few seconds, and rinse.

Now that you baby is nice and clean you can take her out, and pat dry!

And there it is. Right after her bath, I usually lather her up with some moisturizer speciffically for Eczema or dry skin I use:

Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream  (Walmart)
Gentle Naturals Baby Eczema Cream    (Walmart)
Keri Shea Butter Conditioning Therapy  (Walmart)
Absorbase (Pediatricians prescription)
Vanicream - Moisturizing Skin Cream (Pediatricians prescription)

What the white/green tube? It treat Eczema, the actual affected areas or rashes, the doctor gave me a prescription for "Triamcinolone Aceptonide Cream"  its a steroid, and you apply it on the affected area 2-3 times a day for no more than 7 days at a time. Usually you see improvement with this cream within days. After you apply, let it dry, and go ahead and moisturize their whole body with a good cream.

I hope this blog was helpful, and Im hope you guys use the Oatmeal Bath recipe! It has worked wonders on my daughters skin.











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Homemade Sofrito

Sofrito (So-free-toe)

FYI .... recipe its at the bottom of page.

What does Sofrito mean?

     It basically means to lightly fry or sautee. Its not a dish its just an "ingredient" added to your dish.

What is Sofrito? 

     Sofrito is a blend of  fresh herbs, spices, and a few vegetables. This blend or sauce, may be used in stews, baked beans, seasoned rice, and even meat. It also varies in color, depending what color vegetable you use (ex, green, red, or yellow peppers), it can go from bright green to a light brown, and even red in color if its tomato based. Sofrito doesn't only add color to your food, but it also adds tons of flavor.

How do I cook it, how long can I store it for?

      The way my grandma used to cook it, was by adding 2-3 tablespoons of sofrito in a hot pot with some olive oil. She would sauté it, and once you were able to smell the onions and peppers, she would go ahead and add her next ingredients (ex. beans or rice). Cover her pot, and let everything cook on its own.

If you freeze it, it can last you about 2 months before it gets frost bite, and in the fridge it can last you about  2 weeks.

LETS BEGIN, please keep in mind this is my version.

Tools Needed

Spoon ( your choice, I use wooden)

Blender or food processor

2-3 medium containers or 2 ice cube trays

Cutting board and knife

 Ingredients

Bunch of cilantro ( at least 3 handfuls)

1 medium yellow onion (diced)

1 medium red onion (diced)

1 whole garlic bulb (about 10 medium cloves, peeled, no need to dice)

1 green bell pepper

1 red pepper

Fresh Oregano - cant find? use 2 tablespoons of dried oregano, but if you have dried and fresh, use both

1 Tablespoon of dried oregano

10 green olives

1 Tablespoon of olive juice

Pinch of Salt and Pepper (go easy on the salt, cause remember you will be salting your food again)

1/2 -1 cup of water - no oil

(some people add oil, but I don't, I find that it makes food too oily, cause not only are you putting oil in sofrito, you will use oil to cook sofrito  in it too.)

Preparation

1. Wash your veggies.  Now chop your cilantro, oregano, onions, and bell pepper in to bite size. And dump into blender. Now add garlic gloves, olives, and the rest of your dry ingredients and olive juice. No need to chop garlic and olives, they are small enough.

2. Blend all the ingredients in the blender at high or puree mood. If sofrito needs some help pureeing, now is a good time to add water. Now turn off blender, and push ingredients down with a spoon, turn

back on,  continue to do this, until ingredients can puree themselves.

3. Now that your sofrito is done, it should be a thick consistency, kind of like Tostitos salsa, just green hehe.

4. Pour your sofrito into different containers (should take up about 4 small ones, or 2 medium ones),  tighten lids and put into freezer or leave in fridge if your going to be using some soon. Or you can spoon the Sofrito into ice cube trays. Once cubes are filled to the top, pop trays into freezer, let it freeze overnight, and the next day pop them out, and dump them into a zip lock bag. 1 cube = 1 Tablespoon

I already had some frozen.

Hope you enjoy this new ingredient, in your cooking.

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Homemade Wreath

 Hey There =)

Ok so ever since we moved into our new apartment,

Ive been trying to find new ways,

to make this new place feel like home.
 

So I started to look around my house, to see what I could do.

And then I though about, a wreath!

I though it was a good way to make my house stand out a bit,

and not have my door look so bare!

So I decided to go shopping, and try to find the perfect wreath.
But no luck.

Most of them were either too pricey or too seasonal.

All I wanted was something, just right!

Something, that can take me through the rest of the summer,

and through the early stages of Fall.

And since it looked like I wasn't going to find one any time soon,

I decided to make my own

I went to Wal-Mart, picked up a few items,

and this is what I came up with!

Isn't it lovely?

(I will place the items needed, below the picture)

You can just fill half of the wreath or you can fill the whole thing, I personally liked filling half.

**Remember if your going to fill the whole wreath, make sure you buy enough flowers!

You can get all these supplies at your local Walmart, Kmart, Family Dollar, or even Michaels

Ok, You will need:

Wreath - Walmart for $6.00

Flowers - Walmart, $2-$5/stem. I got about 10 stems.

Wire Cutters - Walmart for $2-$4

Clear Hanger - Walmart for $2, the wreath hangers can be found in the same isle as the wreaths.

Ok, so now what you do is cut the stems into a decent size, cut them long enough,

to fit through the wreath, but short enough where they are not going to poke through.

Wiggle them around until you find the perfect spot!

Now that you are done with your wreath,

just take one more look at it, make sure its perfect,

Hang it on your clear hanger, and now hang it on your door.

Isn't it beautiful? You should be proud!

Its not only beautiful, but unique!

There's no other wreath, out there, that looks just like yours!

Good Job =)

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Newbie!

Hello My Dear New Friends!!

                     Ok, so I decided to start this blog, because I just have so so much going on in my life, that posting pictures on facebook just isn't enough. So I asked myself, why not start a blog?  I must admit, I'm not that great a this blogging stuff, not yet at least. But I know one thing with this being my first blog, I'm going to start by introducing myself.

                   What can I write?...Well to start. I'm a proud Latina who grew up in the city, and somehow got stuck in the country- sorta lol. Actually, my husband and I were regular NJ teens, until he decided to enlist in the United States Marine Corps at the age of 17. Once he settled down, and I graduated high school, we married, and he brought me down here to North Carolina. And I have been here since. I must admit, its very different down here. The cost of living, is definitely cheaper and it barely snows ....I mean, I have seen snow maybe about 4-5 times in 3 years. Very little compared to NJ...with that being said, lol....we also have a lovely baby girl.

                   She goes by Baby Mia (ME-ah) lol....she is such a handful though. She is actually getting ready to turn the BIG 1, and also stepping into the toddler stage, leaving her baby days behind :(  I cant believe my sweet baby girl, she has grown so much and is trying to become so independent. Soon, she wont need me at all. She already stands up and walks on her own, holds her own sippy cup, feeds herself, and doesn't want to be carried as much any more. She is such a big girl now. But I'm happy. Even though, her teeny tiny baby days are almost over, and I wont be able to hold her like a newborn anymore, I'm still excited. I'm so looking forward to her first day at pre-school, and for her riding a bicycle for the first time, and Im definitely excited for her first soccer practice, her first cheerleading competition, her first softball game, and her first ballet audition. LOL (I'm getting a head of myself, aren't I ? hehe) I'm just so so excited. I mean, who wouldn't be. If you have kiddos, you know what I mean.
                  All I can say though, is that I love my BIG BABY girl. She brings inspiration, motivation, joy, and most of all warmth to our hearts. She is our gift from God. And we thank you for that Lord Jesus, she is pure perfection in our eyes (sighs).
                  Well my friends, that's it for today. My hubby should be getting home soon, and I have to get my Paula Deen on soon. I still don't know what's for dinner.  In the meantime, stay tuned because once I get better at this I will posting more blogs. Next Blog: A yummy recipe. Thank you for reading, and have a great blessed day.

                                                XOXOX  Latina Kisses

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