Tomatillo Avocado Salsa

My best friend……

She is turning a year older this Friday the 13th of August and to avoid the tears shed because I can’t be with her on her big day I turned to food all weekend, because that is what I do when I am sad I eat Mexican food and lots of it. My Mexican love handles and backside are a stark reminders why I really need to find a different outlet than eating Mexican food for comfort. However, this past weekend there was no time for thinking of different outlets…….I needed to fill the Nicole’s birthday void with something PRONTO!!!

That void was slightly filled with Tomatillo Avocado Salsa. I do have to admit I forgot about the world around me as I took that first sample bite. In fact I thought maybe I had died and this was the food served at God’s banquet table. But then I opened my eyes and saw the huge mess of dirty dishes in the kitchen sink and quickly realized……..no I was still in Oklahoma with a mound of dishes that needed to be washed. However, I will admit this yummy appetizer…..well it became my meal for dinner, yes it was that good.

Ingredients:
• ½ pound Tomatillos; quartered (about 4 medium Tomatillos)
• ½ cup Cilantro; loosely packed
• 2 whole Serrano peppers; roughly chopped
• ¼ cup water
• 1 whole Avocado; diced ¼ inch
• ½ whole medium sized White Onion; diced ¼ inch
• ½ teaspoons Salt; or to taste

Preparation:
Place tomatillos, cilantro, Serrano pepper and water in a food processor. Pulse until it is a slightly chunky puree. Toss the avocado into the processor and pulse a second or two. Make sure to keep the avocado in good sized chunks. Place the diced onion in a colander and give it a good rinse in cold water to rid the onion of the sulfur flavor and then add it to the salsa and stir, season with salt.

Eat till you belly hurts, you won’t regret it I promise. I would never steer you wrong when it comes to food.

Love ya,
JB

**recipe courtesy Sweet Savory Planet.

Confetti Cakeballs

I am often asked the question: “do you like to cook”? Now to me this question is loaded with way too many variables. My regular response is “could you specify ‘cook’”. If we are talking Ramon noodles……I am the queen, if the reference is made to any meat dish…...you are better off making a deal with the devil than expecting some dish of that caliber to come out my kitchen, if it is high carb low protein entrées..... that is doable, but if you were a gambln’ man you would do best to wager on anything encompassing sugar. Cook=questionable at best………baking=extraordinary!!

A couple weeks ago an amazing young woman, a great friend, and spunky college senior turned 21 and I made cakeballs for the celebration.


They were beyond a hit and I promised I would put the secret recipe out on my blog…….so after weeks I finally come through on my promise here you go Kristi and Dana.



You will need:
1 box of confetti cake (bake as directed)
1 can cream cheese frosting
1 tube birthday sprinkles
1 package candy quick coating

To prepare:
Bake cake according to package directions.
Let cake cool completely.
Crumble cake into a large mixing bowl.
Add 2/3 can of cream cheese frosting to crumbled cake.
Combine completely.
Roll into balls (the size is up to you).
Place balls in freezer for 30 mins or until firm.
Coat with candy quick and immediately add sprinkles.

Enjoy,
Jennifer

Suffocating, scorching and lethal

I come to you from a distance and deselect place where the heat is so intense you see it rising from the pavement. Where people are covered from head to toe knowing that if even an inch of their skin is exposed to the blistering heat they might evaporate like liquid. A place that I like to call the Sahara, but most refer to as Tulsa Oklahoma. To say it is hot is an understatement; I like to refer to this day as suffocating, scorching, and lethal to one’s health.

We are going on our third day of temperatures soaring over 100. I would love to share with you all the things I love about this weather but as it may end up all I can think about is how much I long for days gone by.

Days of ice storms.........



freak snow storms.....


cut through you wind, beanies, scarves......


and down filled blankets. Days curled up by the fire, not to be confused with catching on fire, which happened to me yesterday as I tried to step outside in the atrociously nasty heat. Days of sweaters, football games, and falling leaves. I simply long for days that are anything but those that are devastating to my wellbeing.

Remind me I told you this when I am writing from the frozen tundra of the arctic in January.

Love ya,
Jen

Guinness Cup…..game 3

Guinness Cup game 3 was an adventure of sorts. We were playing a well rounded team full of talent, athleticism, and a heart to win. I should take this moment to point out that during summer league there are only 5 teams as appose to fall and spring where there could be as many as 25 teams, so we play each other quite frequently during these hot summer months. This however was the first time we played this group of cats and the first time our undefeated record had a chance to be broken.

Our team was off to a good start.....



we won the chug off……


The kicking was good…………..



The running was good………



Then all went to hadies in a hand basket for me. At the bottom of the 4th a ball was kicked……


Straight down the third baseline right to me. I called it “I GOT IT” next thing I knew I was being asked if I was okay and a teammate was pealing me off the grass. Being I am the only one that takes pictures, I don’t have any documentation of the story I am about to share……thank goodness!!

As rumor has it I was a part of……in the words of Lindsay “the most ungraceful thing I have ever seen” three teammates vying to catch the same ball. Now for any of you, not just those that are familiar with sports containing flying balls, if three people try to catch the same ball there are bound to be problems and problems there were. As I mentioned I saw the ball coming my way and I called out that I was going to catch it, unfortunately my teammate standing in front of me playing third base did not hear me. He began running backwards, but being I was looking up in the sky at a ball about to hit me in the face I missed the fact that my teammate and I were growing closer and closer to a collision. While all of this was unfolding, I had another teammate to the left of me that has no confidence in anyone on the team and their ability to catch a ball as a result he tries to catch every ball that is kicked passed the pitcher no matter field location. As one teammate was running backwards in my direction, there was another one running at me from the left, and amidst all that I never knew anything was going on because silly me I was watching a ball I CALLED!!! I am sure you can all guess the outcome of the story……………we all collided the ball was not caught by any of us and I was laid out with only a loss of consciousness for a few seconds and a bruised bottom and chin to show for my valiant efforts.

Despite the chaos we won 1 run to 0.

*****I was unable to make game 4 due to work, but we won with some drama 5 runs to 1.

Go TEAM!!
JB

What a day!

Today started out a bit on the rocky side, I have to admit I was sad while driving into work. I know what you are thinking……well Jennifer anyone would be sad who has to drive as far as you do into town every day, battling all the road construction. You are right that does tend to make me sad, but today I was sad for a different reason, for today was the first day that we would be flying solo without our summer intern. Kristie was not only our summer intern; she also became a great friend. Her positive disposition in helping wherever we needed her was a breath of fresh air, but even more specific to my personal life Kristie’s fun loving, easy going, free spirited personally quickly paved a path to a great friendship. Don’t get me wrong I will miss the help, but I will miss the friend I made even more.



However, I am happy to report my day quickly made a turn in opposite direction. Following our staff meeting I noticed I had a missed called as I checked the message I began smiling……………by the time I hung up the phone I was grinning from ear to ear, for on the voice message I heard I had been selected to be in a Hard Rock Café commercial. Are you kidding me!!!!! I was super excited.

Long story short a day that I dreaded at the begin, ended up being one of the best in a while.

Love,
Jen

Fettuccini with Tomato Basil Cream sauce

Because it was Sunday, because it was so hot outside I was doing anything to avoid stepping even my big toe out the front door, because if I am going to try my hand at cooking it is only going to be on Sunday’s.….I made a pasta dish that quite possibly may be my new favorite entrée.

This dish encompasses everything that makes my heart skip a beat. Fresh tomatoes, basil, cream, balsamic vinegar the yummy list goes on and on and I will share it right here with you.

Fettuccini with Tomato Basil Cream sauce



You will need:
1 ½ pound Fresh Plum Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
½ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Sugar
¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme Leaves
2 Tablespoons Fresh Minced Basil Leaves
1/3 cup Heavy Cream
8 oz, weight Fettuccine (or pasta of your choice), Cooked Al Dente
Parmesan Cheese and fresh basil for garnish

Instructions:
Peel and seed the tomatoes, making sure the tomato juice is reserved. Discard the seeds. Once peeled chop tomatoes or pulse quickly in a food processor.
Heat 2 Tbs oil in a large skillet over medium high heat; add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.

Add chopped tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, salt, sugar, red pepper, balsamic vinegar, thyme and basil and bring to a low boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and cook just till heated through.

Serve over Fettuccine or your choice of pasta, and garnish with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Note: You can substitute a 28 ounce can of crushed Italian tomatoes if desired.

Enjoy,
Jen

Guinness Cup…..game 2

Guinness Cup game 2 started out with a bit of an uneasy feeling for me. You know that feeling deep in the pit of your stomach when you feel as though something is going to go terribly wrong? Well that is how I felt as I made the long daunting walk from the parking lot to the ballpark, I will spare you all the juicy details as to why I had that “make you nauseas feeling” but it had nothing to do with the fact I am having a hard time figuring something out regarding a situation on my team. It is a.....what should I say......an interesting dynamic.

As in most any game it needs to be decided what team will play offense or defense first. Typically a coin toss would determine this staging of the game, however in kickball there is “chug off”. Whatever you are imagining you are correct, there is a beer chugging "coin toss". The teams best chuggers stand at home plate and chug a beer the first one done chooses field position. Again, I apologize for lack of photographic documentation of this classy start to a game, game three I will be more on the ball. Our team lost the chug off, so we started in the outfield.


As fate may have it we kicked the socks off the our opponents, getting their first three runners out. It was now our time to shine and shine we did……………..

Matt pitched…………




and Lindsay ran.....


This rotation, Matt pitching…..


our team running....


and running......carried on throughout the entire game. Poor blue team hardly had the chance to run at all.


We won 6-0 in the sweltering 107 Oklahoma heat. It was a bitter sweet victory over a team full of old friends.


Michael brought his amazingly out of this world super cute twin boys. Their cheering was the reason for our win I am positive.