Fajitas, Swirl Veggies, and Family! (Recipes 33 and 34)

This past week was a fun one and a full one. Our humble abode for the summer was filled to the max with Damarise's and my family coming for a visit. It was fun to have all seven of us under one roof again. I knew that while they were visiting I wanted to make a new recipe for them to try and have all our friends over so that our family could meet the friends we talk so highly about and vise versa.

However, as Wednesday dawned and the heat was exhausting (our air conditioning is still broken), I was clueless as to what I was going to make. I scoured Pintrest's food section hoping something would pop out at me. But alas, nothing did. And then, Wednesday morning, as I was waking up it hit me that I had plenty of chicken breasts in the freezers and too many tortillas not to make something Mexican. I've never made Chicken Fajitas and it seemed like an easy meal to prepare, plus a meal that would feed lots of people.

It did both.

The chicken was simple to prepare.

The Recipe:

• 12 Chicken Breasts
• 2 Green Peppers sliced
• 2 Red Peppers sliced
• 2 Onions sliced
• Pepper
• Salt
• Chili Powder
• Paprika
• Garlic Powder
• Fajita seasoning
• Water

Slice the chicken breasts into bite size pieces. Then slice up the veggies as well. Throw everything into a crockpot and fill half way with water. Cook on low for 5-7 hours. When the chicken is cooked, drain the water and add in the package of Fajita seasoning as well as other spices to taste. 

While that was cooking, I was trying to come up with a fresh summery side dish. I came across a picture of a cucumber, strawberry swirl dish that was beautiful to look at. I had a lot of cucumbers and strawberries and put them to use.

The Recipe:

• 3 Cucumbers sliced
• 1 Pint of Strawberries sliced
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• A pinch of Rosemary

Slice and arrange in a swirl and then drizzle the dressing over the swirl. Mmm. 

The meal was simple, easy, and fed a dozen people. I made some mango salsa to go on top of the fajitas. It was colourful and tasted good. 

The eaters for this meal are fabulous! All of my family (Dad, Mom, Damarise, Sarah, Ian, and Andrew), Jimmy, Matt, Faith, Janessa, and Sonya. It was such a joy to be able to have all of the family meet my friends who have been family to me. Before Dad prayed for the meal, he told our friends how thankful they are for each one of them and how much it means to them that Damarise and I have them in our lives and what a blessing they are to us. And how true he is.

My friends thank me a lot for having them over to eat, but I can't show my appreciation for them enough. Food is only a little way to say thank you to them for all they have done for me. They have blessed both Damarise and me in tremendous ways. They listen to us, encourage us, pray with and for us, laugh with us, cry with us, are abundantly generous with their possessions, and time, and continue to care for us no matter what. I am truly blessed and thank God for these friends. 

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa (Recipes 21 and 22)

Cooking is like an art. There is a variety of colour to visually appeal to the eye. Yet, the art of cooking goes deeper than aesthetic beauty. There is also the beauty of texture. Knowing that pudding will be smooth and light when you eat it is all in the art of whipping it together. There is art in putting together the right foods to create a flavour that appeals to all the tastebuds. Cooking is an art that appeals to many of the senses. And so I say again, even though I feel like I say it every time I write, God is an amazing Creator. I am thankful that He created a world with colour and taste, smell and texture. It definitely makes cooking all the more fun. 

And with that little shpeel out of my system, here are recipes twenty-one and twenty-two.

It began in San Diego. Our flight touched down a little after lunch time and after realizing we couldn't check into our hotel until 4pm we decided to wander around and find something to eat. We came across this little shack advertising Fish Tacos. I like trying new foods, plus Damarise had eaten one before and said they were amazing. So I ordered one and my tastebuds were rejoicing. They were great. (And yes, I couldn't help it... I wanted to post a picture of my family from our time in San Diego. I love 'em!)

The Fish Tacos led to me and Damarise raving about them when we got home the following Friday. Matt heard us and told me that that should me my next new recipe. I needed no more convincing. I researched the web for a fantastic fish taco recipe and came up empty handed. Correction, I'm sure there are many, but they all called for ingredients I didn't have. Thus began my adventure...

Everything in this post follows no recipe. I just mixed a little of this and a little of that until I got what I wanted. Yikes. 

I wanted to try making a salsa for on the fish tacos. I was searching around our fridge when I realized I had several mangoes that needed to be eaten immediately. Orr...made into Mango Salsa. 

The Recipe: 

• 2 Mangoes (diced)
• 1 Purple Onion 
• 4 Orange, Yellow, and Red Peppers
• 1 Large Tomato
• A pinch of Salt
• Some Lime Juice
• Sugar to taste

(I apologize for the blurry picture, but I only took a picture for Instagram.. not on the camera. Oops). Mix up the ingredients and let it sit in the fridge for a while to get some juice. Mmm. So colourful and delicious. 

Next I whipped up some guacamole. The avocados were ripe to perfection. I added some salt, lemon juice, and sour cream until it tasted just right. I also love the pale green colour of guacamole. 

And then came the fish. Fish is incredibly easy to make. It cooks in under 5 minutes and can be seasoned easily.

The Recipe:

• Fish 
• Lime Juice
• Bread Crumbs
• Salt
• Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Paprika

I covered each piece of fish in lime juice, the spices and bread crumbs. Then I let them marinate in the fridge for a bit.  

After they were done cooking I put them in a bowl, cut them up and poured in a packet of Ranch Dressing mix. This added a flavour that blended well with the guacamole. 

The table looked so colourful. And, just like they served them in San Diego, I put a lime on everyone's plate. Thank you, Aldi, for having limes on sale! 

My the time everything (rice, refried beans, fish, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and mango salsa) had been piled onto a tortilla it was a bit hard to close, but tasted so fresh. 

These were my wonderful eaters: Jimmy, Sonya, Megan, Janessa, Faith, and Damarise. I just love them all! If it weren't for their willingness to come sit in our hot house (our A/C still doesn't work) and try whatever new concoction I've made... well, this blog wouldn't exist and I probably wouldn't even want to try 50 new recipes. They are always generous and provide awesome feedback. 

Also, even though everything was made without a recipe... I think it was a hit. I definitely want to make it again!

Sour Cream Brownies (Recipe 19)

I have been on vacation in San Diego, California for the past week. On the flight I was trying to keep myself entertained and began thinking about recipes to make. Correction: I frantically realized that it is almost July and I am not even half way through 50 recipes. (hence posting yet another recipe for brownies... even though this one is different!) When I realized that I had over half way to go, I quickly began jotting down foods that sounded good that I'd never made before.

If you happened to be on that flight, that was me who was yelling to Damarise, "How about meatloaf? Do you like meatloaf?" She had in her headphones... it was hard to communicate.

Vacation in San Diego was beautiful. I got sun burnt, got to hang out with the family, and tried an amazing dish – Fish Tacos. Which will definitely be my next recipe to try. (So, stay tuned!)

I also read a lot. I have been on a reading spree this Summer. When I got home I decided to read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Roald Dahl is a writer who makes me chuckle. One of my favourite quotes from the book had to do with Willie Wonka describing cereal:

"But Mr. Wonka," he shouted, "can you send other things through the air in the same way? Breakfast cereal, for instance?"
"Oh, my sainted Aunt!" cried Mr. Wonka. "Don't mention that disgusting stuff in front of me! Do you know what breakfast cereal is made of? It's made of all those little curly wooden shavings you find in pencil sharpeners!"

Maybe cereal isn't the most flattering food, but I still like it.

While reading through Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and being enticed by Dahl's description of smooth hot chocolate I couldn't help it and started to crave hot chocolate. I looked in our cabinets for a packet of hot chocolate, but to no avail. The next best thing: bake a batch of brownies.

The Recipe:

• 1/2 cup Melted Margarine 
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 cup Sour Cream
• Chocolate Chips

Mix it up, pour it in a greased 9x9 baking pan, and bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes. Then top it off with whipcream, strawberries, and freshly picked blackberries. Yum! My chocolate craving was satisfied. 

My eaters for this recipe were the wonderful Faith and Jimmy. They arrived just in time to have a brownie fresh out of the oven. It was the perfect food for a fun evening of chess and hanging out. And it helped me finish Dahl's book with a content stomach. 

Strawberry Jam (Recipe 12)

It is 8:13am. The sun is streaming through the kitchen windows flooding the room with that dazzling golden light of the morning. I just got back from a 1.75 mile run and have determined that morning runs (i.e. runs at 7:30am) are the best. The dew is just lifting off the ground which makes the air more humid which makes breathing a … breeze (ish). While I was running I got the urge to write. Which brings me here – sitting at the tiny table in our new kitchen, a bowl of Cherrios in front of me and a piping hot cup of coffee to my right. And even though we still don't have internet, it doesn't mean I can't write now and post later. And so, without further adieu – strawberry jam.

Strawberries are in season. And strawberry season may just be one of my favourite produce seasons. Maybe it's because Africa never had berries and I'm making up for the three years without them. Or maybe it's just because they have the perfect mixture of sweetness and tartness. Not to mention that they are a beautiful piece of fruit. The fire engine red colour with the dark green leaves poking out at the top. Can I just say again that God is an incredible Creator? If looking at the fruit He has made doesn't bring you to praise Him, well… it really should!

Because strawberries are in season and because Aldi was selling them for $1.00 a pound I couldn't help but buy enough to make Strawberry Jam. I found an easy recipe online that called for three ingredients:

• 2 pounds Strawberries 
• 3 cups White Sugar 
• ¼ cup Lemon Juice 

 First, I set to hulling and slicing the strawberries or taking out the greenery leaving delicious slices of fruit.

I put the berries in a pot with the lemon juice and sugar and set my jars in hot water to sterilize them. 

Again, handy cooking tip, setting wooden spoons over a boiling pot will keep it from boiling over. The jam is ready after it has boiled for a bit and the berries have been squashed to your preferred size. 

Take the jars out of the hot water and set them up ready for jam to fill them. 

I'm sure there is an easier way to get jam into jars, but I just took a spoon and slowly but surely filled each jar. 

Vwala. 

Once the jam is in the jars, place lids on them and place them in boiling water until the lids have sealed. 

Sonya, Damarise, and I played some Dutch Blitz while the jam was cooking. 

Once the jars have sealed, take them out, label them, decorate them, give them to friends, whatever you want! It's easy, delicious, and the smell from cooking it is how Summer should smell. 

Squirrel (Recipe 10)

Adventure. 

There is not a better word to describe Saturday. From the time I woke up to the time I went to bed, it was just one adventure after another – a day of learning and trying new things. And that, that is a great day! 

Here is how the adventure began.

I am trying out new recipes. After the adventurous and semi-successful attempt at cow tongue, I thought I'd probably just stick to more basic foods for the rest of the Summer, even though trying something new is just too fun not to do. 

The day after the cow tongue adventure, I got a text from Jimmy asking me if I would cook up squirrel if he hit one. How could I say no to such an adventure? Of course, I assumed it was a joke, until he brought back a pellet gun from home and said that he would go out shooting Saturday and try to catch a squirrel or two. 

And thus began the Saturday adventure of the squirrel. 

We left the house at 9am to go into the woods and find some squirrel. Jimmy was ready with his gun and I had some homemade squirrel bait (i.e. peanut butter and molasses).  

It had just rained the night before and there was fog everywhere, not to mention an immense amount of humidity. So, after trekking around the woods for about an hour and not seeing a single squirrel, we called it quits and decided to try again later. 

Later in the afternoon, when the sun was shining and and the ground had dried up we decided to try hunting again. We trekked out into the woods and within a minute saw three squirrels. As Jimmy aimed his gun at one jumping around in the branches, I saw one sitting still on a tree. I called to Jimmy and showed him where the squirrel was. Jimmy lifted up his pellet gun, flipped off the safety, and shot. 

It was a perfect shot. The squirrel tumbled out of the tree and onto the ground. Jimmy loaded in another pellet not realizing how perfect his shot had been. We climbed over to the tree to see if the squirrel had been hit and then we saw it. The squirrel was laying there looking right at us – dead. We both just stood there looking at it. It was so sad. We moaned a little and had a moment of silence for it. Then we bagged it up. 

After wandering around the woods for another hour we came back to the same spot and got another. Two was plenty and we brought them home to start cleaning and cooking them. 

We tried each doing one, but it was hard to get started on them. 

So we worked together to clean it. Neither of us had ever done it before and it was so amazing to see how intricate God created all the intestines of a squirrel. 

It was a lot of work to clean the first squirrel. 

Megan graciously read us the instructions from a website we had found. She wasn't too excited about watching us cut into the squirrel, but without her help we would have taken way longer trying to figure out how to do it. 

Faith and Damarise watched us from the house every so often. 

The website said the skin would come off like a sock... it lied. It was a lot harder than a sock!

But Jimmy pulled and got it!

The last step was quartering it and then we started on the next squirrel, which took us about half the time to do. 

Next we soaked the squirrel in a pot of salt water for two hours.

Then we sautéed it with onions, garlic, carrots, and wine for an hour and a half. 

The adventure that started at 9:00am was done at 10:30pm. It was a long day, but an adventurous day full of new excitement. The squirrel turned out deliciously and the meat was so tender and tasty. 

Even Damarise enjoyed it!

Our hard work paid off! 

The verdict: Jimmy and I decided that we would have made good pioneers. Even though it was an all day process, we did find our own meat, killed it, cleaned it, and cooked it! Damarise, Megan, and Sonya were our eaters and they all seemed to enjoy it. The wine and vegetables gave the squirrel a good flavour. It was a fun and long day, but I loved it! Summer adventures are superb and squirrel = success!

Sloppy-Joes on Homemade Rolls and Potato Salad (Recipes 7 and 8)

Recipes seven and eight were made for the sole purpose of complimenting recipe six – the Strawberry-Rhubarb pie. I knew I wanted to make that and have people over to eat it, but I felt weird about just offering dessert. So, I scoured the web (i.e. the food section on Pinterest) until I found something that caught my eye. Sloppy-joes. It has been ages since I've had sloppy-joes and I've never made them from scratch so it was the perfect chance to make a new recipe, plus it was a Summery dish that would go well with the pie. 

I began the morning by looking for a good hamburger bun recipe. After comparing recipes I have with recipes I found online, I ended up going with one online. But it was a good start to the morning. Read some in the Psalms, some C.S. Lewis, my recipe book and drank some strong Zambian coffee. Mmm. 

Next, I set to work peeling the potatoes for the potato salad and boiling some eggs for it as well. Helpful tip: if you are boiling a pot on the stove and don't want it to boil over, place a wooden spoon over the pot. I don't know how it works, but it keeps it from boiling over. 

I would post the recipe of the potato salad on here, but I really don't know how to make it. I throw in some mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, onions, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and whatever spices sound good at the time. I mix it up until I think it tastes right. There really is no recipe for it. Just do what suits you best. 

Ah! The hamburger buns. Bread for me is a hit or miss situation. Either the bread turns out perfectly fluffy and wonderful, or it is dry and crusty. These rolls were thankfully on the fluffy and wonderful side. 

The Recipe: 

• 1 cup Milk 
• 1/2 cup Water 
• 1/4 cup Butter 
• 4 1/2 – 5 1/2 cups Flour 
• 2 1/4 teaspoons Yeast 
• 2 tablespoons white Sugar 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
• 1 Egg

Mix together the warm milk, sugar, and yeast to proof. After proofing mix together with the other ingredients. Knead well. Let rest in a greased bowl for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes divide into rolls and place on a greased baking sheet for another 30 minutes rest. 

Bake at 400ºF for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. 

And last but not least to complete the meal: the Sloppy-joes!

The Recipe:

• 1 Onion, diced 
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced 
• 1 and 1/4 lbs Ground Beef 
• 1 and 1/3 cups Ketchup 
• 2 tablespoons White Vinegar 
• 1 heaping tablespoon Brown Sugar 
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder 
• 1 teaspoon Paprika 
• 1 teaspoon Salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper 
• 2/3 cup Water

Sauté the green pepper and onion in a skillet.  

Mix all the ingredients together with the cooked ground beef. (I also put a little bit of mustard in mine). 

Serve it up on the rolls with some potato salad and veggies. 

And enjoy it with some friends. 

The verdict: the eaters for this meal were Jimmy, Sonya, Faith, Megan, Matt, and Damarise. I think it turned out well. It was a simple Summer time meal with leftovers! Yes! And as always, great fellowship. We even played some Fffbasketball after dinner. I have great friends!