Hot Chocolate

1/4 cup of powder chocolate

1/3 cup of sugar

dash of salt

1/3 cup of hot water

4 cups of skim milk

1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Spinach Rice and chicken in 30 minutes

My grandmother used to do this green rice as a complete meal adding at the end a can of tuna and melted cheese on top. I love it.

Ingredients for green Rice

1 cup of parboiled rice

salt 

1 clove of garlic

1 can 13 1/2 oz of leaf spinach and same measure of water

1 spoon of oil

Open can of leaf spinach

place oil, garlic and turn on the range at high temperature, add rice and mix

add content of the can and water, let it boil, mix and cover and lower temperature to a minimum for 20 minutes.

Mix after about 10 minutes and cover again for another 10 minutes

1 -2  chicken breast cutlets

thyme 

2 spoonful of oil

1 small onion

2 cloves of garlic

a slice of green pepper

1 spoon full of soy sauce

matchstick carrots or any other colorful veggie. 

Thaw chicken breast and season with thyme.

Heat oil - medium high - add onion cut in 8 or 10 cook until it gets white

add chicken, garlic, pepper and veggies, soy sauce for about a minute

lower to medium low and cover for about 7 minutes and turn chicken around for another 7 minutes.

Let sit for about 5 minutes and serve. 

Jam Thumbprint Cookies I (50 Cookies)

3 sticks of unsalted butter

1 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour sifted

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water for egg wash

7 ounces of coconut flakes

Cream butter and sugar then add vanilla

separately sift the flour and salt

with the mixer at low speed add flour to the butter mixture.

Mix until dough come together

Dump on a floured board and roll into a flat disk. I use waxed paper.

Wrap and chill for 30 minutes

Cream butter and sugar then add vanilla

separately sift the flour and salt

with the mixer at low speed add flour to the butter mixture.

Mix until dough come together

Dump on a floured board and roll into a flat disk. I use waxed paper.

Wrap and chill for 30 minutes

Raspberry or apricot jam

Preheat the oven 350`F

Cream butter and sugar then add vanilla

separately sift the flour and salt

with the mixer at low speed add flour to the butter mixture.

Mix until dough come together

Dump on a floured board and roll into a flat disk. I use waxed paper.

Wrap and chill for 30 minutes

Roll the dough in 1/4 inch ball

Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll in coconut 

place the balls in wax paper on cookie sheet

Place the balls on wax paper on cookie sheet. Place a light indentation on top of each cookie with your finger

Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation

Bake for about 25 minutes or until the coconut is golden brown. Immediately after separate them from the paper and let them cool.

Enjoy

Jam Thumbprint Cookies II Cont.

Recipe for 50 cookies

Dip each ball into the egg wash

 and then roll in coconut 

place the balls in wax paper on cookie sheet

Raspberry or apricot jam

Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation

Bake for about 25 minutes or until the coconut is golden brown. Immediately after separate them from the paper and let them cool.

3 sticks of unsalted butter

1 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour sifted

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water for egg wash

7 ounces of coconut flakes

Raspberry or apricot jam

Preheat the oven 350`F

Cream butter and sugar then add vanilla

separately sift the flour and salt

with the mixer at low speed add flour to the butter mixture.

Mix until dough come together

Dump on a floured board and roll into a flat disk. I use waxed paper.

Wrap and chill for 30 minutes

Roll the dough in 1/4 inch ball

Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll in coconut 

place the balls in wax paper on cookie sheet

Place the balls on wax paper on cookie sheet. Place a light indentation on top of each cookie with your finger

Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation

Enjoy

Oatmeal & honey bunches, from scratch

Recipe for 24 cookies

1/4 cup of coarse chopped walnuts or pecans

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup chocolate chips, optional

1/2 cup of sweet flaked coconut 

1 1/2 cup of oatmeal

1 stick of butter 

2/3 cup of honey

Canola cooking spray

Melt the butter and the honey

Mix all the ingredients

place in the baking sheet 

24 halves walnuts or pecans

You can push a half walnut before placing in the oven or take them out in about five minutes and do so.

Bake at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes. Let them cool for 5 minutes and release them from the mold, otherwise they can get stuck. let them cook and move them to a cookie jar

Mix the oatmeal, flour, chopped walnuts, coconut, and chocolate  chips

Melt the butter and the honey

Mix all the ingredients

place in the baking sheet and you can push a half walnut before placing in the oven or take them out in about five minutes and do so.

Bake at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes. Let them cool for 5 minutes and release them from the mold, otherwise they can get stuck. let them cook and move them to a cookie jar

Enjoy

Oatmeal and Raisins Cokies, from scratch.

For those interested here are the recipes. 
about 50 cookies

2 Sticks of butter

1 cup firmly press brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Heat the oven to 350•F

Beat butter and sugar until creamy

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Add eggs and vanilla; beat well

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of salt

3 cups of uncooked oatmeal

1 cup of raisins

Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and beat well

Stir in oats and raisins; mix well

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto un-greased cookie sheet. You can I waxed paper.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown

Cool one minute in the cookie sheet; remove to wire rack

Enjoy!

Heat the oven to 350•F

Beat butter and sugar until creamy

Add eggs and vanilla; beat well

Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and beat well

stir in oats and raisins; mix well

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto un-greased cookie sheet. You can I waxed paper.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown

Cool one minute in the cookie sheet; remove to wire rack

Ahora en español
Galletas caseras de avena y pasas

Para aquellos interesados en la receta en español

2 barras de mantequilla

1 taza compactada de azucar morena

1/2 taza de azúcar blanca

2 huevos

1 cucharadita de extracto de vainilla

1 1/2 taza de harina cernida

1 cucharadita de soda

1 cucharadita de canela molida

1/2 cucharadita de sal

3 tazas de avena cruda

1 taza de pasas

Pre-caliente el horno a 350•F

Bata la mantequilla con el azúcar hasta que este cremosa

Añada los huevos uno a uno y la vainilla; mezcle bien

Añada la mezcla de la harina, la soda, la saly la canela; mezcle bien

Finalmente añada la avena y las pasas y mezcle bien

Coloque en la bandeja de hornear sobre una hoja de papel encerado

hornee por 10-12 minutos o hasta que esten doraditas

Enfríe por un minuto, despegue las galletas y dejelas enfríar en una rejilla

Disfrute!

Rolled tapers

I poured the paraffin on waxed paper previously creased to the desire size.

Place the primed wick on one end

and as it still warm rolled it carefully to the desire thickness,

cut if needed and let it cool.

I poured the paraffin on waxed paper previously creased to the desire size. Place the primed wick on one end and as it still warm rolled it carefully to the desire thickness, cut if needed and let it cool.

Visualize

A while back, I was looking for a new direction in life and a friend told me her experience with what we call a "treasure map". She said the she took a board and put pictures of things that she wanted, a VCR, and TV, A record player, etc., and a year later, she went back to it and realized that she had all the things that she wished for on that board. Following her advise I did something similar, on a notebook I start adding pictures and notes as they came along; it was a good exercise to focus my goals and my wishes. At the beginning was hard as I didn't really know what I wanted. A couple of years later, my daughter asked me to see my notebook so she can get ideas and as she was going through it I notices a picture of 3 cars, a black coupé, a red convertible, and a Silver sedan... As I told her, at the time I place that picture in the notebook, I had and old white coupé, and that day I realized we had 3 cars: the car she was driving, was a red convertible, a gift from my brother, a black coupe that my son bought, and a new Silver sedan. I always wanted a new car with 4 doors. I went through the notebook and realized a number of materializations, e.g., I had a page from a magazine with pictures and statements like; gifts, jewelry, perfumes, etc,. it turns out that I was receiving a lot of junk from different avenues that I really didn't want, and I think it had to do with the map.

Some people think that the Paleolithic Lascaux Cave Paintings, between 15,000 and 17,000 years old, were used for magical purposes. I can only imagine that food was what these artist wanted most, some of the paintings are located in unaccessible parts of the caves.

I believe by the experiences that I had that creative visualization works, it is a proactive way of living our lives, it gives me a sense of purpose and also leaves a lot to the universe, all I have to do is ask for things that are good for me and for the world. I learned that when we trust the power of the universe, we don't really need to collect "stuff". We create what we need and use it until we move to a better situation and leave to someone that may need it. 

Clean and Clear

About a week ago I decided to sit in Barnes & Noble for a coffee and a muffin. The only table available was full of books. I opened one and it was an art book. It said that you should try different materials and to use whatever you may have available to work with and to look at your work and see what you wanted and what could you do. I am no artist, but I guess I got some ideas from the book and as I am in the process to clean my house from all unneeded stuff. I already gave a lot away but there is still many things that I will never use again and if I ever need it i am probably go and buy a new one as I don't know even if I have it or I don't know where it is. 
I start looking at things from a different perspective. I had a corner next to the TV with piles of games and the place where it should be occupied by numerous photo albums, so I took everything out from the TV stand and there was stuff in there that I haven't seen for years. After I was done I had half of the stand empty and the corner clear. Next I took a hard look at the entrance hall that I never noticed, really that  was packed. Some people commented on why was all that stuff there and I guess I disregarded the remarks by thinking that they where either on the way in or out and it was a momentary place for stuff. I start selecting and I really didn't need any of that. I think I gave away everything. I even had cat food and I don't have a cat.  

Living in a hurricane zone I guess you must prioritize your needs so I know that I am very fond of my pictures and probably next to it my music, so I am in the process of downloading my music to my Ipod and so are my pictures. I bough a scanner and I am scanning the negatives. Some are damaged beyond repair but to me its been an adventure.

I think what I am trying to say is that by cleaning my house from "stuff" I had more time and space to do the things that I really care for. Even though it is a physical act my mind is also clearer. It is a process and I can feel the effects as the days go by.

It is my work of art. 

Before

After

Make a candle from a hollowed-out orange

This is fun and easy.

Melt in a low temperature paraffin wax You can also use leftovers from scented candles.

Get a beautiful looking orange and cut the off the top of an orange in a sawtooth pattern and scoop out the fruity pulp. Cut some peel of the bottom to make a base for the candle to stand securely.

Tie 1 end of about 4" of wick to a bolt or wick holder tab and insert it inside the orange and tie the other end of the wick to a skewer laid across the top of the opening . You can make your own wick by dipping the rope in the melted wax, if you need it to be thicker just twist as many strands as needed. Pour the melted paraffin wax into the orange. Let it cool and trim the wick to 1/2".

Enjoy! 

This is fun and easy.

Melt in a low temperature paraffin wax You can also use leftovers from scented candles.

Get a beautiful looking orange and cut the off the top of an orange in a sawtooth pattern and scoop out the fruity pulp. Cut some peel of the bottom to make a base for the candle to stand securely.

Tie 1 end of about 4" of wick to a bolt or wick holder tab and insert it inside the orange and tie the other end of the wick to a skewer laid across the top of the opening . You can make your own wick by dipping the rope in the melted wax, if you need it to be thicker just twist as many strands as needed. Pour the melted paraffin wax into the orange. Let it cool and trim the wick to 1/2".

Enjoy!