Awards and Curly Ribbon

I’m working on some house cleaning today. It’s a busy, long weekend for us. I know this is a lengthy post but I’ll do my best to be as brief as possible. There is also a silly recipe at the end of the awards. I’ll be back Tuesday with a regular food post.

Let me start by telling all of you thank you. Blogging has been fun for me and I have learned a lot from all of you. I check all the blogs on my blog list on a regular basis and I have fed many of your dishes to my family and friends. Please check out all of the blogs listed today. I know you will find something you like and want to make.

The MEME award below comes from Sweet and Savory Says it All. This award requires that you list seven personality traits about yourself then pass it on to seven bloggers.

1) Athletic- I like to stay active and I participate in many different types of sports. Athletics also keeps me from gaining too much weigh after eating all of your wonderful dishes.

2) Over committed- I have a tendency to sign up to do way too many activities. This month I joined the PTA, became room mom for two of my three children and signed up to plan and organize the Christmas play for my son and daughter. Remember, that is just this month.

3) Organized-When you are over committed you have to have a plan. If you visit my kitchen you will find that I keep three calendars up so that I can quickly see events that have already been scheduled.

4) Fair- My dad always told me as a kid “life is not fair” I’m still working to prove him wrong.

5) Sunny- I love warm, sunny weather, being on or in the ocean and my favorite color is yellow.

6) Adventurous- There are many things that I’ve never done before or eaten before but I’m always willing to try at least once.

7) Thinker- I have a tendency to over think and over analyze life.

Bloggers

1)Adventures with the Woods.

2)Plum Bush Cottage

3)Happy Tummy

4)Life's Ambrosia

5)Cooking, Dunkin Style

6)Surfing the World Cuisine

7)Reservations Not Required

The Kreative Blogger award is from Journey of an Italian Cook. This award asks that I list seven random things about myself and then pass it on to seven bloggers.

1) I live in Texas.

2) I grew up in Florida.

3) I have duel citizenship.

4) I once ate a whole large pizza and an entire batch of uncooked cookie dough in the same day.

5) Clutter makes me crazy.

6) I love to bleach the bathrooms.

7) I eat chocolate everyday.

Bloggers

1)Ruby Mountain Beads

2)Small kitchen Big Ideas

3)Rubber Slippers In Italy

4)Tide and Thyme (dot) com

5) Munch + Nibble

6)A Southern Grace

7)Italialicious

The next award, One Lovely Blog award, comes from Latest Addictions and Simple Recipes. For this one I must pass it on to 15 other bloggers that I have recently discovered.

1)Zoe

2)Slim Shoppin

3)Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog

4)Chow and Chatter

5)Tomatoes on the Vine

6)Just cook NYC

7)Nourish

8)Mocha Me

9)Daily Diner

10)Vanilla Sugar

11)A Nyonya's Kitchen...for all seasons

12)Food Gourmand

13)Chocorang

14)The Food Addicts

15)Are You Hungry? Mom's cooking...come n' eat

Thank you to the four of you that passed these awards onto me. It’s always nice to be recognized by other bloggers.

Now for a silly recipe:

Curly Ribbon Hair Barrettes (not to be eaten)

This recipe comes from my good friend over at Ruby Mountain Beads. Go check her out. You’ll like what you find. I know I did!

Ingredients:

• Grosgrain ribbon
• ¼ dowel rod
• paper clip or clothes pins. Just something that won’t burn and will hold the ribbon in place.
• Spray starch
• Barrettes
• Hot Glue Gun and Glue.
• One little girl that likes to accessorize.

Directions:

• Wrap the ribbon around the dowel rod. Careful not to overlap it.
• Secure with clothes pins or paper clips.
• Saturate with spray starch.
• Bake at 275 for 25 mins.
• Cool and remove the ribbon from the rods.
• Cut to desired length.
• Tie and glue to barrette.

Empanadas and Awards

This is the second installment of Blogger Finds. Blogger Finds is my little way of honoring some of the blogs that I visit and the wonderful dishes that their authors create and share. When you see a link to another blogger’s site please visit them, they are some of the best and they have some wonderful dishes to share.

This month I tried Black Bean and Corn Empanadas from Cheryl of Cooking, Dunkin Style. Cheryl, in addition to having some great meals, has an adorable puppy that you don’t want to miss on Tuesdays. Anyway, back to the empanadas, these are so yummy and very easy to make. My husband and kids just loved them. My husband would eat them daily if I would make them. The idea of using puff pastry is so smart and such a great way to get away from frying them. Thanks again Cheryl for sharing with all of us bloggers.

The recipe as it appears on Cooking, Dunkin Style.
(Any changes made will be in red)
1/2 onion, diced1 can black beans, drained

1/2 can corn, drained (you could use a whole can I am just not a fan of corn)

2-3 breasts of chicken, poached in water, and diced into cubes I cooked mine quick in my fry pan.

2 whole canned chilies, diced 1 can

salt and pepper
1 tsp Bandia Spice
1 tsp Smoked Paprika

1 cup Mexican blend cheese I didn’t add cheese, I forgot

1/2 cup Cotija cheese crumbled (you can get this just about anywhere) Again, no cheese

2 jalapenos peppers, seeded and minced No Jalapenos, I would if the kids were older.

1 tbl onion powder I didn’t add this

1 tbl chives

1/4 cup tomato based salsa of your choice

2 tbl lime juice

2 tsp Franks Red Hot Didn’t add, too hot for the kids.

Salsa Verde (to taste)

1 package puff pastry I used two boxes.

Poach (mine-not poached) your chicken breasts, remove from pan, cool and dice, then place in a large bowl.Add in the beans, corn, salsa, and remaining ingredients. Mix well, taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper. Add salsa verde by the spoonful until it is at the level of taste you desire.

You don't want this mixture loose and moist; keep it on the dry side. You can adjust any of the above ingredients or seasonings.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and use pan spray on your baking sheet.Place your room temperature puff pastry into a floured surface; roll it out a bit until the seams integrate. Cut into 4 pieces.

You are going to fold them into triangles, so place several tablespoons of your filling in the middle of each piece.Using your finger and a small vessel of water, dip your finger and run it around the edge of the pastry.Fold over and using your fork pinch and seal the edges.

Cut several holes in the top for venting. Brush each empanada with a bit of vegetable oil (I sprayed mine) and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until golden brown and puffy.

Awards
This month I was the proud recipient of two awards. The first from Culinary Wannabe and the second from Savor the Thyme. So now I will pass these awards on to other deserving bloggers.

From Culinary Wannabe the award below. Culinary Wannabe, I was very honored to receive this award from you as you have been visiting my blog almost from beginning. Your comments and your visits are must appreciated. Thank-you!

This award is for:
"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated."

I would like to pass this award to Sara of Sara's Kitchen. Sara has also been a regular at Foodie with Little Thyme since the beginning. She always has kind words to share and has an expansive cookbook collection. She makes some very beautiful dishes too.

The next award from Savor the Thyme. Savor the Thyme, you are so creative I’m honored that you thought of me and included me in your sisterhood, Thank-you. Savor the Thyme always has some fun contest she is hosting. Right now a Peeps contest. Make sure you enter.

This is an award to share with other so… the awards goes to.
A Southern Grace
Adventures With the Woods
Ciao Chow Linda
Elra's Baking
Finding La Dolce Vita
munch+Nibble
Rtemis
Rubber Slippers in Italy
Shortbread
Two Peas in Their Pod

And the guidelines for passing this award, I think and hope?
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 10 people whose blogs you enjoy.

3. Link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know they have received this award by commenting on their blogs.

5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person who has nominated you for the award.

Thanks to all of you guys for having great blogs.