Messes and Successes

Have I told you already that we have lots of tomatoes? Yeah, 5 plants between two people is kind of a bad idea unless you're the type of couple that eats it for breakfast, lunch and dinner! So, Saturday, we opted for some homemade tomato sauce (or as we like to call it, sketti). One of the fun things about trying homemade recipes are the successes that overshadow the failures.

Last week, in yet another desperate attempt to use our massive amounts of tomatoes, I made pizza sauce and dough and had a pretty delicious meal going on the grill, until we took it off and set it on layers of towels - the bottom of the crust immediately started smoking and as soon as I *looked* at the pizza. Then, the pizza stone cracked right down the center. I was really excited to post the recipe for all the makings of that meal - almost everything was from the garden or leftovers that we threw together but of course I wasn't about to share pictures of charred crust!

But today's recipe was delicious and I'm excited to share it! Even husband enjoyed it, and he rarely wants to eat sketti! I didn't have celery or carrots, so I imagine it would taste even better with those missing ingredients. Oh yeah, and I added ground beef, that we ground using our new kitchenaid mixer!
Ok, so the picture is not great, but the sauce really was good!

Homemade Tomato Sauce
recipe from here

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 small carrot or 1/2 large carrot, finely chopped (I ommited)
1 small stalk of celery, including the green tops, finely chopped (I ommited)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil or 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (I used fresh)
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, including the juice, or 1 3/4 pound of fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (I used fresh)
1 teaspoon tomato paste (I used about 3 tsp.)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a large wide skillet on medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery and parsley. Stir to coat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened and cooked through.

2. Remove cover and add the minced garlic. Increase the heat to medium high. Cook for garlic for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, including the juice and shredding them with your fingers if you are using canned whole tomatoes. Add the tomato paste and the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a low simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered until thickened, about 15 minutes. If you want you can push the sauce through a food mill to give it a smooth consistency.

grey's premiere

One of the three reasons we have cable is Grey's Anatomy (the other two are ESPN and Fox Sport - for husband, of course). Is anyone just as excited as I am for the season 6 premiere? I was really disappointed with the end of season 3 and all of 4 and I really think year 5 stepped it up and with all the cliff hangers out there, I can't wait for sept. 24th....

video from here

they're here

After a particularly long day at work (and it isn't getting any easier since by Sunday, I'll have put in 60-70 hours this week), I came home to find a pretty little package waiting in the mailbox. Our photographer, Jenny Jimenez, sent our dvd with high res images wrapped in an adorable album with the sweetest note that came close to bringing me to tears. Sigh, she never seizes to amaze me :) So I guess this means, it's time to start recaps!! Here are a few teasers to get the ball rolling...

All images by Jenny Jimenez

All Around Me

It's been one of those blah weeks. Sometimes being an adult just stinks! Come on, don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about!! I get through it knowing my Savior will never hand me more than I can bear on my own shoulders. This song reminds me to turn to Him and I always feel so, so much better after listening to it :)

Our Playlist

At the very last minute, husband and I decided an I-POD and sound system was the best way to go for our reception. My boss (yeah, we're homies) saved the day and played as "DJ" for us. I gave him a random list of artists and told him we like classic rock, along with some John Mayer-type stuff and like a rock star, he came up with a playlist. Talk about some major stress off of my shoulders! Today, he and his wife emailed me the compiled list of songs that were played at our wedding and maybe you can find this helpful for your own!

All I Wanna Do - Sheryl Crow
Always On Your Side - Sheryl Crow & Sting
Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet
Back In Black -AC/DC
Beat It -Michael Jackson
The Boys Are Back in Town -Thin Lizzy
Brick House - Commodores
Burnin' for You - Blue Öyster Cult
Can't Help Falling In Love - UB40
Chariot - Gavin DeGraw
China Grove - The Doobie Brothers
Collide (Acoustic Version) - Howie Day
Crash Into Me -Dave Matthews Band
Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da - The Police
Don't Stop - Fleetwood Mac
Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
Everlasting Love - Howard Jones
Every Breath You Take - UB40
Fat Bottomed Girls - Queen
Fly Me to the Moon - Frank Sinatra
Fool in the Rain - Led Zeppelin
Fortress Around Your Heart - Sting
Free Fallin' (Live) - John Mayer
Full Moon - The Black Ghosts
Funny the Way It Is - Dave Matthews Band
Gimme Three Steps - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Good Times Roll - The Cars
Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys
Got to Get You Into My Life - Earth, Wind & Fire
Grey Seal - Elton John
Grey Street - Dave Matthews Band
Harder To Breathe -Maroon 5
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) -Marvin Gaye
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones
I Want You to Want Me (Live) - Cheap Trick
I Wish - Stevie Wonder
In a Daydream (live) - The Freddy Jones Band
Jack And Diane - John Mellencamp
Jailbreak - Thin Lizzy
The Joker - Steve Miller Band
Just What I Needed - The Cars
The Lazarus Heart - Sting
Life Is a Highway - Tom Cochrane
Listen to the Music - The Doobie Brothers
Long Train Runnin' - The Doobie Brothers
Love Is The Seventh Wave - Sting
Lucky (feat. Colbie Caillat) - Jason Mraz
Magic - The Cars
Magic Man - Heart
The Man Who Can't Be Moved - The Script
Message In A Bottle - The Police
More Than Words - Extreme
Never Say Never - The Fray
Oh Marie - Louis Prima
Only Wanna Be With You - Hootie & The Blowfish
Pink Houses - John Cougar Mellencamp
The Remedy (I Won't Worry) - Jason Mraz
Roam - The B-52's
Rock 'N Me - Steve Miller Band
Rock & Roll - Eric Hutchinson
Rock With You - Michael Jackson
Saturday In The Park - Chicago
Shambala - Three Dog Night
Should I Stay or Should I Go -The Clash
Some Kind of Wonderful - Grand Funk Railroad
Standing In The Sun - Howie Day
Start Me Up - The Rolling Stones
Stone In Love - Journey
Supermassive Black Hole - Muse
Surrender - Cheap Trick
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Swingtown - Steve Miller Band
Take the Money and Run - Steve Miller Band
Talking in Your Sleep - The Romantics
This Love - Maroon 5
Train in Vain - The Clash
Upside Down - Jack Johnson
Waiting On the World to Change - John Mayer
We'll Be Together - Sting
We Are In Love - Harry Connick, Jr.
What's Your Name? - Lynyrd Skynyrd
What I Like About You - The Romantics
Why Georgia - John Mayer
Wrapped Around Your Finger (Live) - The Police
You're My Best Friend - Queen
You and Me - Lifehouse
You Wreck Me - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Your Body Is A Wonderland - John Mayer
Your Love (L.O.V.E Reggae Mix) - Wyclef Jean Feat. Eve
Your Song (Live) - Elton John

Bout Business

LOVE these boutonnieres from this insanely beautiful wedding.

Check out more here and here.

The leaves are turning

here

which means my favorite season is just around the corner...

Hand Stamps

Once the name-changing was complete and husband and I shared the same last name, I couldn't wait to get us an address label! They were pretty hard to narrow down since etsy has such a wide variety to choose from! Here are a few of my faves:

::1,2,3,4,5,6::

Zucchini Bread

Now that the summer is coming to an end, there is a lot of leftover zucchini to try to finish up. Husband and I grated and froze zucchini in 2 cup quantities to use this fall. I thought I'd get a head start and bake some delicious zucchini bread. The recipe is from a co-worker (no idea where she got it from) and boy is it moist!!

Zucchini Bread

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
3 tsp vanilla
1 cup olive oil
4 cups grated "medium to small" zucchini
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1-1/2 to 2 cups fresh cracked walnuts

Beat eggs until light and foamy, then add sugar, vanilla and oil. Beat until mixture will leave a trail when poured from a spoon. Stir in grated zucchini. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, soda, nutmeg, cinnamon. Fold this into zucchini mixture with walnuts. Pour into 2 greased 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pans. Bake @ 350 for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Top with butter or just ENJOY plain!

All growed up

This is my baby sis on her 1st day of kindergarden.
Tomorrow, she will be taking her senior pictures with the incredibly talented Jenny Jimenez. Where does the time go?

My Grandma's Tortillas!

I grew up watching and helping my grandma aka Welita (because until I took Spanish in high school, I didn't know it was Abuelita) make flour tortillas, or tortillas de harina. Since she lives less than half a dozen blocks from my parents' house, there were many after school days spent there. We'd smother the tortillas in butter or better yet, her homemade cotija cheese and roll them up into perfect tacos. My mom and sister always give me a bad time whenever they swing by Welita's and she happens to be making a fresh batch of them.

My last year of college, husband suggested (actually demanded) I learn the recipe, along with some of her others so they could continue onto my generation. I thought for sure since I saw Welita make them time and time again, I could pick it up just as easily. Wrong. She's 76 and has been making them at least twice a day since she was 16.

I about gave up, even after I asked grandma what I was doing wrong. In Spanish, she said, "It's so easy, Mireya. A little bit of salt; this much flour; see this much shortening; etc." She held out her hand showing me the quantities she's memorized over the past 60 years saying, "you've seen me, helped me do this dozens of times!" Husband thought they tasted just fine, but of course, he didn't know what Welita's tasted like. Finally, finally one day I made them just right - when they were so light and fluffy that they melted in your mouth before you could really even take a bite out of them. Oh how they took me back to my childhood.

It still takes me some practice. I don't make them often because of the shortening and I know I could eat at least 3 in one sitting so it usually takes me a bit to get into the swing of things. This afternoon, I decided to make some for husband. Welita doesn't take measurements, and this is the closest recipe I could find to hers. I find that I often need more water than it says though, but who knows.

Okay, so maybe mine were shaped like Batman, nothing like my grandma's perfectly-shaped circles but at least they bubbled and then puffed up when I flipped them.Maybe one day in 60 years, our grandkids will say no one makes homemade fresh tortillas like their grandma :)

Homemade Flour Tortillas

2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 c. vegetable shortening
1/3 c. hot water, or as necessary

1. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the shortening and hot water, mixing until a dough forms.

2. On a floured surface, knead until dough is soft.
   

3. Divide the dough into 16 small pieces (or 6-9 large pieces) and shape each into a ball. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 15-20 minutes.
   

4. On a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll out each ball one at a time to a 6-inch (or 8-10) circle.

5. Heat a griddle until hot. Place a tortilla on the griddle and cook until the bottom is lightly browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes; the tortilla will puff up. Turn and cook until lightly browned in spots on the second side. Place in a towel-lined basket and cover with the towel to keep warm while you cook the remaining tortillas.

6. Serve immediately.

If you decide to make this recipe and they come out stiff, don't give up. I think it took me 10 tries to get it perfect (they were edible after 5) and I've memorized the tips from Welita over the years. I still have trouble sometimes but practice makes perfect!

Note to self: Get a new rolling pin.

Homemade Tomato Soup

We have been having some unusually chilly weather this past week and today, husband and I were really craving some soup and grilled cheese for dinner. Because we have 5 gajillion (yes, gajillion) tomatoes coming out of our ears, I thought I'd try to use 'em up in the soup. After a little research, I came up with this delicious meal that totally hit the spot! The chipotle really gave it a little kick and we both agreed this recipe was a keeper :)

Excuse my amateur photography - I have no idea what I'm doing!!

Homemade Tomato Soup (very loosely adapted from All Recipes and Art and Aioli)

1 tbsp olive oil (eyeball it)
1 chopped onion
4 chopped garlic cloves
4 c. chopped tomatoes
1/2 to 1 c. chicken stock
1 handful chopped basil (also 2 leaves purple basil, optional)
1 minced chipotle pepper
1 can condensed tomato soup
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheddar (optional)

In a stockpot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil with salt and pepper over medium heat until softened. Add rest of ingredients and simmer on low until tomatoes have cooked down a bit*. Puree in blender**. Serve with shredded cheddar if desired.

*husband was on the phone with his dad from the time I started this meal until I finally had to kick him off the phone for dinner which was about 90 minutes. I'm sure it would've been done in half an hour, but the longer it simmers, the better the flavors blend together.
**BE CAREFUL!! I did this in 2 or 3 batches, and the second one exploded everywhere.

So beautiful

I just love the bride's dress. check out more here and here and here

Husband is gonna be so jealous!

One of my co-workers was very brave this past weekend and decided to drive over 1000 miles in rain, hail, and wind to Sturgis, SD all by himself. He left Friday, got there on Saturday and purchased a few shirts and headed back home Sunday.

Today, I came to work only to find this t-shirt he brought back for me.

Husband is going to be so jealous. He (and his family) love, and I mean LOVE HD. Lucky for him, my cw didn't look at the size and it happens to be a men's large and I'm a nice wife.

Post Wedding Chop-Chop?

I've been growing my hair out for the past few years for locks of love and am thisclose to chopping it all off now that we're married (I can't believe it's already been almost 2 months!). I haven't had long hair since I was in high school so I've definitely enjoyed it but it's not so much fun when you start getting headaches from the weight of your hair!

I really like Rihanna's short hair (no no, not the mohawk) and here are a few of my favorites I'm considering:

here

A little bit shorter, but would definitely work with my curly hair:

here

And I really like this one, with bangs:

here

So, should I do it??