I Love You, Miami (and Fritas too)!

I have been gone from Miami for 2 years, 4 months, 9 days, and about 16 hours -- but who's counting?

Mi Gringito and I just got back from a trip back home to visit the family.  We were only able to be there for a week, but oh what a week it was!!

First off, this was the first time in years that I did not have to ask a flight attendant for a seat belt extender.  I was so giddy, I had to take a picture of how much seat belt I had left over once I was secure:

Our first item on our "To Do" was have a good 'ol Cuban breakfast...in Hialeah!

Cafe con Leche y Una Tostada - Ambrosia & Nectar of the Gods!

Second item: Go to Cuba Nostalgia. For those who aren't "in the know", Cuba Nostalgia is an annual festival held on the weekend of May 20th.  I rarely went when I lived in Miami, but I was tickled pink when I found out that our trip was coinciding with this event! What can I say? Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

I was on a mission at Cuba Nostalgia, though.  I could not leave there without a charm for my bracelet from Santayana Jewelers and a print from Tony Mendoza. I succeeded on my mission and got these:

Yes! A Caja China (right next to my cafetera!)...isn't that the cutest thing ever???

With Tony's art, I was torn.  He has so many awesome prints but I only had a few dollars to my name, so I grabbed this one titled "Cafe Amor" and vowed that it would be the first of my collection.

I vow to make this my first of many of his art!

There were so many lovely things to see. Mi Gringito especially loved the old baseball uniforms.

Third item: See the new Marlins Stadium.

Thanks to my lovely cousin, Tatertot, we were able to enjoy a Miami Marlins game at the new Marlins Stadium.  I have to say that I was impressed with the venue, the food and the new "look". The uniform and colors are growing on me and Mi Gringito had me on a day long journey to find him an orange Hanley Ramirez t-shirt.

Definitely could not complain about our seats!

The food, albeit pricey, was delicious! I am still dreaming about my  Shrimp Burger!

The home-run board...a little too flamboyant for my taste...

SAFE!

Billy the Marlin was shuffling!

I got a kick out of the signs in Spanish...

So, after an awesome and tiring week and us about to head home, Mi Gringito mentions to me that he has never had a frita. I was flabbergasted as were Mami & Papi.  Them being the wonderful hosts that they are decided to remedy that problem and took us to El Rey de las Fritas. Oh readers...what a treat! I wasn't able to finish an entire frita, but I did enjoy the few bites I could. Did Mi Gringito like it?  Well, I hope that he wasn't just being polite as he scarfed down three of them!

Once we got home, Mi Gringito couldn't stop raving about the fritas he had eaten in Miami.  That's when I mentioned that I had at least three different recipes for fritas in my arsenal.  He begged and pleaded for me to make them and make them I did!

I looked at the three recipes I had on hand as well as a handful on the internet and noticed that not one of them was even similar.  Some called for onions, some omitted chorizo, some were pork, others ground beef.  I decided to just take the information I gathered from my research and make my own version. If they ended up tasting awful, I could always learn from my mistakes and move forward.

Fritas Cubanas con Papitas
Ingredients:

• 1/4 C Evaporated Milk
• 1/4 C Bread Crumbs
• 1 1/4 Tsp Paprika
• 1 Tsp Onion Flakes
• 1 Tsp Cumin
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp Ketchup
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 lb. Ground Pork
• 12 oz Ground Chorizo
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1/2 Tsp Pepper
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 16 to 18 Round Potato Rolls
• Ketchup
• 1 can Potato Sticks

Directions:

• In a small bowl, mix the evaporated milk, breadcrumbs, paprika, onion flakes, cumin, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and the egg. Set aside.

• In a large bowl, mix the ground pork, chorizo, salt and pepper.

•  Add the seasoning mixture to the meat mixture and blend well. Hands really work best with this step, but you could use a fork if you wanted to.

• Wash your hands frequently, it gets messy.

• The mixture is a bit wet, so you want to cover it and place it in the fridge for a couple of hours to set. I left mine in the fridge for about 3 hours and it made it very manageable in the next step.

• Divide the mixture into 16 - 18 equal sized balls.  You can make them smaller or bigger, its basically a taste preference in this step.  I found that 16 balls became the perfect size for the bread I was using.

• Flatten the balls into patties that are about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. 

• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil using medium-high heat. Make sure not to crowd your pan and fry the patties approximately 3-5 minutes per side.  

• Let patties drain on a napkin while you fry up the remainder of the patties. 

• Place a patty on the bottom side of a potato roll then top with loads of Potato sticks and a dollop of ketchup.  

So, once I was finished I asked Mi Gringito if mine were as good as the ones he had in Miami.  With his mouth full, he responded that they were better!  I certainly enjoyed them as well, and let me tell you that they tasted even better the next day cold and right out of the fridge! Move over, cold pizza--there's a new bad boy in town!

I'll let you guys be the judge, though! Buen Provecho! Let me know if you try this out!

Mudanzas y La Cosita de Guayaba

Happy Saturday, Readers! It's been a while, but I can explain...

You see there's this thing called school which I had completely forgotten how much time it could consume and oh yeah, we moved! Although we loved living with Los Suegros, it was time for us to be on our own.

I love "Welcome" signs & I love Disney, it was a win/win

We were able to move and build loads of IKEA furniture in about two days time. We are very thankful for help from one of our dear friends, Java, who only demanded payment in food, coffee & grape soda! The apartment is still full of boxes and containers. I'm a bit overwhelmed with it all, but school will be over in two weeks and I will be able to focus on the apartment before I start all over again with Summer classes.

My only gripe is that I had to buy a Cuban mop online because they don't sell those things up here.  Please don't ask how much it cost -- I mop my floor with my tears mixed into Fabuloso.

Shipped all the way from Miami

To celebrate the move (and as a form of payment for her services), I decided to introduce Java to the wonder's of Cuban food.  Our first meal at the apartment was my ropa vieja. She loved it, of course! But my crowning achievement was La Cosita De Guayaba (Java named it as such). The story behind this delicacy stems from when I first moved up to NH and was working at a call center.  We started having food days and being one of only four Hispanics in the entire office, I decided I'd make something akin to a pastel de guayaba con queso but not. It never had a name so they started calling it my "Guava thingy" -- Java just took it one step further and translated it into Spanish.  I like the name...how about you?

La Cosita de Guayaba
Ingredients:
1 tube Pillsbury cinnamon roll
1 16oz can Guava marmalade
1 8oz tub Whipped Cream Cheese
1/2 Tbsp Lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp Vanilla extract
1/4 C Sugar


Directions:

• Preheat oven to the temperature on the cinnamon bun package
• Roll out the cinnamon buns in an 8x8 pan and press down to make a crust

• Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes
• In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice & vanilla extract

• Remove pan from oven
• Spread cream cheese mixture evenly on top of the crust

• Pour guava on top of the cream cheese mixture until completely covered (you will use approximately 1/2 to 3/4 of the can)

• Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes

• Let cool & enjoy!

I've found that if left in the fridge overnight, the taste gets even better!

Do you have moving nightmares you want to share? How about cooking nightmares?  You should've seen what my first version of La Cosita De Guayaba looked like...not very appetizing, but it sure tasted yummy!

No tengo ganas...but we need to eat something!

Happy Tuesday, Readers!

Last week was famazing! The weather was perfection. Bright, sunny and in the 80s. We slept with the windows open every night! Sitting here now, in my sweatpants, long sleeved t-shirt and fleece sweater, I have to ask myself if it was just a dream. It started raining this weekend and with that, the temps started to drop again to "normal" March standards.  I am not pleased.

I was feeling so stubborn about it that on Monday I went to school in skinny jeans and my croc flats. I wore long sleeves and Mi Gringito's Red Sox jacket, pero from the waist down, I was in the tropics. I regretted the fashion statement as I walked across campus to get to one of my classes.  Have you ever had cold wind hit you so hard that your skin and bones hurt? Yep...that was good 'ol Mother Nature letting me know who was boss. I've been bundled up ever since.

Not the right apparel for 40 degree weather

As I have mentioned before, I've been making bean stews every week since it was cold and it felt good to have that warm yumminess just sit in your tummy. But, since it was sweltering when I went to do groceries last week, I didn't even glance at the beans, let alone anything else that might go well in a stew.  We went out for supper last night with a great friend, but we can't do that every night -- Mi Gringito certainly is not Mr. Moneybags and I fear I could gain back all the weight I've lost so far!

He might look like this if he grew out his mustache...

So what is a girl to do? I really didn't have any ganas to put some decent clothing on and drive to the grocery store to pick anything up and everything else was frozen. I'm cool with just eating some yogurt or cottage cheese, but Mi Gringito needs some sort of sustenance. I'm pretty good at making due with what I have, so I was sure I could come up with something.  I even treated it like if I was on Chopped and I had a mystery box. I opened the freezer and just stared in there until I felt little icicles forming on my nostrils. In the back of the freezer, almost caked in ice was a bag of pre-cooked mini-shrimp I bought at the beginning of Lent, long forgotten since I've been sticking to veggie burgers on Fridays. One of my favorite Cuban dishes is Camarones Enchilados, so I figured that I could try to make my own version. My next stop was the pantry in hopes that I would find the rest of the ingredients. Thankfully, I usually keep a stash of my favorite go-to's just in case I'm ever at one of these predicaments.  I made the sign of the cross, and hoped that mixing everything I had would make a meal fit for my darling and loving husband.

Camarones Enchilados Para Los Vagos
Ingredients
1 pkg Frozen Pre-cooked Shrimp (any size will do, I just had mini's in my freezer)
1 6oz can Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
1 pkg. Goya Seasoning
Sriracha Sauce (to taste)
1/4C White cooking wine
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Directions

• Place the frozen shrimp in a colander and run under water in your sink until they are defrosted. This usually takes a few minutes. If your shrimp have tails, remove them at this stage.
• In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Add the minced garlic and packet of Goya seasoning. Stir mixture for about a minute.
• Add the shrimp and mix well, making sure the shrimp gets coated with the seasoned garlic mixture. (They should look neon orange).
• Add the cooking wine, tomato paste and sriracha sauce*.
• Mix all ingredients well, lower heat and let simmer for a few minutes.

*A little goes a long way so you might want to start with about a teaspoon and add more if you want more heat.

I usually serve this on top of a bed of rice.  The sauce is nice and thick so it stick to the rice perfectly.  Mi Gringito practically licked his plate clean, so I guess I did something right despite being una vaga! I thought it tasted just like the one I used to order at El Rinconcito, but I might just be nostalgic at this stage! Whatever the case, both of us ended up pretty happy with the end result!


What are some recipes you've come up with just by looking in your pantry?

A Gift to Myself

Spring is around the corner! 6 days to go and boy am I yearning for it! We barely got snow this Winter and I know the temps didn't dip nearly as cold as last year, pero el mono chiflo more than once! I tell you that I have been making a variation of my bean stew at least once per week! Thankfully, it seems like the worst is over. We've had relatively warm days this past week, even hitting the 70s on Monday.  I know I have an extra Spring (pun totally intended) to my step!

I decided when I began my weight loss journey to give myself little goals and reward myself once I reached them. In the past, if I had a goal to lose weight, the prize would be food of some sort.  It's sounds absolutely crazy to me now, but even nine months ago I rewarded a hike with ice-cream. I've rewired this old noodle and I gift myself in other ways. I've rewarded myself with a pixie haircut once my face had thinned out. I've also bought some jewelry & good make-up and excellent bath & body products to show myself some love!  On the day of surgery, I told Mi Gringito that once I reached my goal of getting to under 200 pounds, I'd go for something substantial.  It was between a handbag, a pair of aviator sunglasses or a pair of shoes.

I can happily announced that I met my goal last month!

So what to choose? I own at least a dozen handbags, mostly all COACH. I have two perfectly good pairs of sunglasses, COACH and Ray Ban.  Shoes? Well, since I got a new job and am back in school, I had been in the market for a pair I could wear all day and hope to not have blisters or achy feet. It was decided and I began the shoe hunt.  My work uniform is a black top and blue jeans, so I wanted something that could stand out -- I was searching for something with some color, style and of course, comfort.  I got these:

Yes, I'm very loyal to my brands so I did not hesitate when these came on sale.  I've had them for two days and have not taken them off, except to shower and sleep.  They have a great fit and my feet don't hurt in them.  The true test will be at work this weekend, though.

You know what's another test? Making sure I get all my water and protein in by the end of the day. It seems like its a full-time job. I have to get a minimum of 48oz of water and 60g of protein. I have no problem with the liquid - since decaffeinated coffee counts as a liquid, I'm drinking the stuff almost exclusively.  Yes, I said decaf.  I haven't had anything caffeinated since October.  I'm a much calmer person and sleep like a baby, but I digress...

Protein is a bit harder to get.  In the beginning, I used to drink a protein shake daily which would give me 42g in a serving.  I soon got very disgusted with it and just shudder when I even think about it.  Pero que pasa? I forgot to inform La Suegra that protein shakes saben a rayo to me and she bought me an entire case the day after I completely swore them off. They have sat there now for over three months and I feel so bad.  I decided I needed to do something with them and came up with a recipe.  I figured that if the recipe came out decent, I'd be able to use up the shakes and get some protein in; if it came out bad, no one was drinking the shakes anyway so it wasn't a total loss.

D's Cake Batter Protein Pops
Ingredients:
1 17oz container of Myoplex French Vanilla Protein Shake (or any other pre-made protein shake)
1 box of Sugar-Free Butterscotch Instant Pudding

Directions

• Pour protein shake into a large mixing bowl

• Add instant pudding

• With an electric hand mixer, mix on Low for approximately 2 minutes or until well blended

• Pour mix into ice-cube trays and place in freezer until set (about 2 hours)

• Pop them out and keep in a freezer bag for storage

Makes approximately 24-28 depending how much you fill the trays. I tell you, as I mixed this it gave out an aroma like vanilla cake batter and I hoped it would taste like that once they were done...Yep! I don't know about you, but I used to love to lick the bowl clean when I was younger so this is an awesome treat for me. The nutritional stats will depend on how many pops you end up with.  This batch yielded 27 pops which came out to 15 cal and 1.5g of protein each. I also think you can also play with other flavors of pudding, but bear in mind that the vanilla flavor is very strong in this protein shake so you will always have it lingering.

I can't wait until the pretty flowers of Spring start popping everywhere! How about you? Did you feel Winter's sadness and welcome the joy of Spring?

Hasta la proxima!