Celebrate! It's Hatch Chili Season!

Yes, I know that's not exactly a holiday, but I love to celebrate and love to find things to turn into  family traditions.  So, when HEB (our local supermarket) has their big Hatch Chili roasting days, I celebrate with our favorite Hatch Chili appetizer.  You can buy the pepppers already roasted, but I kind of like to do that myself...and not on an open fire, but in an iron skillet (which I pretty much use for everything.)

Here's what you need:

Hatch Chilis-if they are large and you are only making appetizers, one per person

Panela Queso Cheese-this cheese can be cooked in a skillet to brown

A little bit of Olive Oil

Baguette Toasties-probably not the real name, but they are sliced and toasted bread in most large grocery stores in the bakery section

Raspberry Chipotle Marinade

Here's what you do:

First, wash your peppers and cut them in half to seed them.  They are a bit spicy, so it helps to have most of the seeds out.

Next, cut the cheese into slices, and brown them in a little olive oil in a skillet.  

Once they are browned the way you like, cut the pepper halves into fourths, layer the peppers and cheese on a bread toasty, then pour a little Raspberry Chipotle marinade on top!  That's it!  Celebrate New Mexico Style!

Mom's Good 'Ole Cooking and a Recipe

Maybe because it's Mother's Day Week and I've been thinking about my mom a lot, or maybe because my sister mentioned that she made one of Mom's standby recipes last week-but  for whatever reason, I've been thinking about Mom's cooking lately.  My mom was a really, really good cook.  She often said she wished she had gone to chef school, and I believe she could have taught them a few things if she had.  I was one of those kids who left for school every day with a home-cooked meal in my tummy (even if I didn't want it-which I rarely did), and came home every afternoon to a delicious hot dinner.  I know I didn't appreciate that enough. 

I remember the mornings that I did want my breakfast and those were the cold mornings when she made hot cocoa (always from scratch), and heavily buttered toast for dipping. To this day, I can't drink instant powdered cocoa.  One day when I was in 5th grade, the bus dropped me at the corner after school and I had a short walk to my house.  It was COLD, and as I walked up my driveway, I clearly remember smelling homemade vegetable soup.  Such a comforting smell, such a clear memory!  As an adult, she would often make me soup to take to work.  Although I haven't thought about it much, I have a full, emotional bank of food memories from my mom. 

So, yesterday I decided I wanted to make Mom's simple standby dish-Ground Meat and Potatoes.  It can't get any easier, or any more filling, comforting or tasty.

I'm a Cajun girl who cannot be separated from her black cast iron.  All of my skillets and pots were bought at garage sales 44 years-ago and were second hand at that point.  I rarely cook a meal without one of them in service.  So, this recipe was made entirely in cast iron skillets.

First cut potatoes (I used two large Irish potatoes) into chunks, but don't peel them.
Cook them in about 1/4 inch of bacon grease melted in the skillet, stirring until they are brown (bacon grease? Yes, I know.)

At the same time, brown ground meat with chopped onions (one) and garlic (three cloves) until completely browned.

Once they are both done, mix together and season to taste-salt and cayenne for us...that's it.

I also cooked a batch of cornbread, skillet of course, and added a salad.  My husband was a happy camper when he got home.

Thank you, and love you Mom.  Betty Lucille Hebert Puryear.

Hydrate in Style!

"I've always thought of accessories as the exclamation point of a woman's outfit." —Michael Kors

Well sisters, let's not overlook accessorizing our water bottles!  I found these cute beaded stretchy rings at a little store in my village called Rusty Bugs and Roosters. They are meant to go around the top of a beer or wine bottle. When I saw them, I knew I needed them for my S'well water bottles. I drink more water than anyone I know, so I have a bottle for toting, and one for the car (which becomes a holy, blazing inferno in a TX summer).  Now I think my bottles look undressed without their necklaces.  If you don't live here, these would be so easy to make with some stretchy cord, and your choice of bling!

I'd Like to Introduce.......

....well, she doesn't really have a name.  But she's pretty hot (sometimes) and amazing! She's my vintage, harvest gold crockpot.  She's 44-years-old..been with me since the beginning of my cooking career.  We've been through a lot of meals together.  She's faithfully cooked up pot roasts, chicken, broths, soups, stews and beans.  She's worked full-days, while I was away working full days.  She's made my tribe happy to come home to a hot meal after a long day (especially me since I didn't have to cook after that long day!)  I appreciate this old friend.  I've brought her to school functions, and the first thing people do is kind of snicker at her "style".  But once I tell them how much experience she has, she gets appropriate respect!

Lately, it seems that she needs a little maintenance--(sisters, don't we all??) Her handle broke-I think an easy fix.  I'm going to make her handle something really special, maybe a little bling.  She's earned it!

My New Beach Hat

This summer I'm taking a beach vacay. My husband says that everything I do begins with an outfit-not entirely untrue!  So, I decided I needed a great beach hat and started looking. I found the perfect hat, but it was $450!  I decided I could make a similar DIY hat and got busy buying what I needed.

First, the hat. I found one that fit right at Academy for about $15. Then, Hobby Lobby had their trim 1/2 price, so I bought a roll of black sequins for 1.50, and a bottle of fabric glue. 

I wanted a great beach "saying" and my friend who does my nails chose this one. 

I just wrote the words in glue on the hat. Then started covering the glue with sequins. If I made a mistake, I quickly cleaned it up with water on a washcloth. Fabric glue dries clear, so you have to be patient. Simple as that - and my beach hat is ready to go. 

I Made Grain-Free Granola

I'm neither gluten-free nor grain-free, but when I'm paying attention I do like to limit grains in my diet.  I also love yogurt parfaits.  The ones that I buy are usually full of sugar, and I'm a fan of plain, unsweetened yogurt.  A few weeks ago, I picked up a small container of coconut, grain-free granola at my local natural market.  It was delicious, but very spendy! So, I decided to make my own, and it's almost perfect! 

Here's what you need:

Heated oven - 350 degrees; cookie sheet and Silpat or parchment

A little less than 1/4 C coconut oil

1/3 C honey

1 C of any mixture of nuts, seeds, dried fruit you like

1 C coconut (shredded)

Vanilla

Cinnamon

Here's how I did it:

Mix a little less than a 1/4 cup of coconut oil with about 1/3 cup of honey.  I buy honey at our local farmer's market, and you can get coconut oil anywhere-it's great for everything from cooking to slathering on your skin! 

Cook these for a bit in a small sauce pan until a little bubbly.

I added about a teaspoon of vanilla after cooking.

Then in a bowl mix a cup of whatever you choose from nuts, seeds, dried fruits, etc. I used raw almonds, and pumpkin seeds (because that's what I had!) that I buy from the bins in our local market.

 Also add a cup of shredded, unsweetened coconut. I also buy this at the local natural market. Once these are mixed, add the liquid, and you can also add some cinnamon at this point. 

Once it's mixed well, pour on to a cookie sheet covered with a Silpat, or parchment paper. 

Cook it until it's browned (maybe 15-20 minutes).  Let it cool, then break into pieces.  I did this process twice, because I wanted it more brown in the middle.  So I pulled off the browned pieces, and back in the oven it went.

It is really toasty, crunchy-chewy, and delicious!  I stored in in the fridge in an airtight glass container.

What I will do differently next time: I'll definitely use pecans as well as almonds and I may try NO oil since I've seen some recipes online with just the honey...maybe a little butter?? 

If you try it, be sure to let me know your results.

Dressember Day #7--It's Not About The Dress!

It's about dignity for all women and children.  One hundred percent of all of the proceeds raised by Dressember go to International Justice Mission.  I've read about their work...it's good, it's honorable, it's changing many lives for the better.  You can read about them here:

https://www.ijm.org/

On another note-why is my hair so big today??

The Power of a Dress

It's just the 6th day (dress) of December, and many thousands have been raised to rescue women and children-all by spreading awareness in a dress. Be a light!

https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/fundraise?fcid=576609

Dressember Day#3

Because not all women have a voice.

How Can wearing a dress every day in December change the world?

https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/fundraise?fcid=576609

This is why I'll be wearing a dress every day in December-  I'm thankful for all of the beautiful women in my life. I'm thankful that we've had opportunities that some can only dream of having. I'm thankful that through everyday advocacy I can help a woman in unbearable circumstances find freedom. Please support Dressember by donating here to help stop human trafficking, and please share!

House Blessing

One of my children recently bought a new house.  I was trying to think of a good "house blessing" for him and his family. In my search, I found two that I am going to use.  The first one is from 2 Samuel 7:29.

New Living Translation

And now, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that I may continue forever before you.  For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign LORD, it is an eternal blessing!

The second is a traditional house blessing, but I think the only time I've seen it is on one of my favorite movies, It's a Wonderful Life.  It will be accompanied by the items mentioned.

Bread - May this house never know hunger.

Salt - That life may always have flavor.

Wine - That joy and prosperity may reign here forever.

I hope you're blessed today!

Bacon-Stuffed Pancakes

I will admit it, I am a Pinterest addict.

I actually do some of the things I find there, and keep thinking I'll do a lot more when I retire someday.  Recently, I pinned bacon-stuffed pancakes.  It's Spring Break, so I decided I had time to do some interesting cooking.  Mine are not as pretty as the Pinterest ones, but they taste great!

Start by cooking a pound or so of bacon, and mixing up some pancake batter.

I first tried laying the bacon in the skillet, and covering it with batter.  That didn't work as well as putting batter in first and then the bacon.  After that's done just cover the bacon with a little more batter.

It's nice to have heated syrup.

Final product.  My husband ate 4!

I Love Thrift Shopping!

We have a few thrift stores in my area where I frequently find great deals on really nice clothing.  Yesterday I made a little haul.  I found two cute Ann Taylor tops, a Talbot's jacket, and a cute belt for $15 total. Because I find such bargains, I don't feel guilty about adding to my wardrobe frequently.  Okay, I also bought a Miss Me sweater at a shop in San Antonio that always has a Groupon.  It's a great bargain...$40 for $20, and I bought the Groupon a month ago.  So the sweater was $60, but it only felt like $20 - logic only my bargain-hunting sisterscan appreciate! Here are some pictures of my super finds.

Back of the sweater

Front of the sweater

Ann Taylor



Dat's Cajun Gumbo Cookin'

My mom is truly Cajun, and my dad is truly French, so I grew up with great cooks, and delicious food.  I tend more to healthier fare now, but I will always have my childhood heritage favorites. 

Where I grew up, most people were Catholic and couldn't eat meat on Friday.  So our schools often served seafood gumbo on Fridays..really!  My mom always had plenty of shrimp in our freezer that she bought from the guys down the street who were professional or hobby shrimpers.  But for some reason, we mostly ate chicken and sausage gumbo.

It's been the worst winter in Texas that I can remember (be gone, Polar Vortex).  Cold weather to a Cajun equals gumbo.  So, today my husband (Cajun by virtue of being married to me forever), is making gumbo for the family.  My sons and families will be here...my daughter would, but is a little far away for lunch.

So, here's the family recipe....minus details because a Cajun girl really just needs an iron skillet, Le Creuset pot and some natural Cajun soul to get the cooking job done (in other words, we don't measure ingredients).

Chicken, chicken parts (whatever you like)
Sausage, several links (we like Opa's Beef, but I'm not sure where that's available)
Roux (I really can make it, but have turned to roux in a jar)

Chopped veges...onion, bell pepper, celery, green onions (add these at the end), garlic (and many use turnips).
Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, file
Rice

Brown chicken, cook sausage in boiling water..then discard the water.
Make stock by boiling the chicken and some veges together...then discard the veges before adding the ones you chopped for the gumbo.  Take the meat off the bones and set aside.
This part is controversial among my Cajun sisters...some cook the chopped veges in the roux..easy to burn, some add them to the stock.

At any rate you end up with the chicken, sausage, roux and veges in the stock.
Season with salt and pepper, red pepper, and file.

The Seasonings

You need to cook it for awhile, but don't let your chicken get stringy.  Adjust the roux to the thickness you like.

You'll need some large bowls to put a couple of delicious scoops over rice.  What do you serve with gumbo?  Garlic bread and potato salad are traditional...many a true Cajun will put a dollop of potato salad in their gumbo.

Gumbo Bowls

And always remember that it's much better the next day!

Finished Product!

May cher, dis house smells good, yeah!

Thoughts on My Career

I’m glad my daughters and granddaughters don’t have to wonder what they can do with their lives..anything is possible for young women now, especially young women who know the Lord, and know that He has a purpose for their lives.


When I was young, I never thought of myself as a career person, but now, I have a career that has spanned almost 25 years that I can’t imagine having not experienced.  Some women in all generations have gone forth, meaning to shatter a glass ceiling, and have done just that. Some women, like me, have to shatter the glass ceiling in their head.  Based on where I started my career, I would never have imagined that being a woman, and being a principal were not mutually exclusive.


I know this sounds really odd to most people reading this in this day and time…even that small ET town where I started has several female principals and has had a female superintendent. But, I can promise you this, I would NEVER have thought about trying to be a principal during my time there.


The day that I started working in my current district, we were at a new employee orientation. One of the first things they did was to introduce all of the administrators in the district.  The person who was sitting next to me had also spent some time in the same ET school district. I told her that I was shocked at the number of female administrators. She responded that ours was an equal opportunity employer!  As Tin Cup says…some moments are defining moments, and that was one of mine.


I began to think that maybe administration was a path I could take. Three years later I was a central office administrator. Although I learned a lot in that position, I began to miss campus life and started seeing myself as principal. I registered for college-for the third round-and started my career as an assistant principal shortly after.


And now, I am in my third year as principal, after four years as an assistant. I am amazed at where God has taken me in my professional life…from a stay-at-home mom (which was the most important career I’ve ever had-I taught my own three children to read), to a teacher in my very late 30s, to the leader of a school with the responsibility of the safety, welfare and education of 450 children, 50 employees, school grounds, building, and a budget.


I know that I don't/can't do this without a lot of help from the staff, faculty, fellow campus leaders, and central office administrators that I work with. But mostly, I have to cling to my savior every day. I take this responsibility very seriously. It has eternal implications for me.

New Braunfel's Farmer's Market

I love our Farmer's Market here in New Braunfels!  Where else can you go to buy local honey, homemade pasta, goat's milk soap, get your scissors sharpened and listen to live music?

It happens every Saturday, downtown, from 9-1.

Homemade Sangria...everyone's breakfast drink of choice, I'm certain!

 Handcrafted goat's milk soap from Soapzees.  I love the peppermint.  I'm a pretty regular person, not too high-maintenance.  But there are a few things I'm a snob about..tortillas, bed sheets, coffee and tea, and bath soap! You can find his here:
soapzees.com

Live music....does this happen anywhere else?



My bounty!

Delicious Texas honey for my tea. You can find it here:
http://www.realtimefarms.com/source/8335057/youngbloods-honey

Basic Farmer's Market equipment...a Hootie Bag.  You can find them here:
http://www.hootiebag.com/

Have a wonderful week!