Plan and Play

Another cowl neck

2012-02-28T07:25:00.027-05:00

As I am writting this I am working on another one (What?)... They are so easy and I love how they look.

Here is to wishing for a longer winter so I get to wear them more often...

My little man is on fire!

2012-02-27T07:27:00.000-05:00

A gift from Abuelos... New favorite shoes... I wonder why?

Menu for the week

2012-02-24T07:45:00.075-05:00

4 cheese pasta/Salad
Rotisserie chicken/Zucchini with Parmesan (recipe from here) - This recipe is so easy... Use leftover on omelettes or frittata for breakfast/Herbed quinoa
White chicken chilli/Corn bread
Coconut curried vegetables - Recipe from here/Brown rice

Breakdown:

Aldi $20
Kroger $25
Costco $9

Have a great weekend everybody!

Textures

2012-02-23T07:23:00.015-05:00

The breakfast project

2012-02-22T07:05:00.001-05:00

The husband made me this for breakfast to start our new year... Oh yeah...

Challah Stuffed French Toast (adapted from Sunday Suppers' Brioche French toast - See original post here)

For batter:

1 cup sour cream
2 cups milk
6 eggs
2 Tsp vanilla
½ cup sugar
2 tsp salt
Nutmeg

For toast:

6 slices of Challah bread 1” thick, with pocket cut from small hole on one side
6 oz cream cheese
Orange zest

Instructions:

Combine all the batter ingredients and whisk together until well-combined.
Mix cream cheese and orange zest in a bowl.
Add to a piping bag (I use a Ziploc bag with one end cut), fill each piece of bread, being careful to not over-fill, and keeping the ingredients within the pocket and away from the opening.
Dip each slice in batter and allow to soak thoroughly, then drain well.
On a hot griddle, begin by searing the opening, ensuring that it has cooked shut before continuing to cook until golden brown on both sides.
Serve immediately with a drizzle of maple syrup or blueberry syrup.

Pebre

2012-02-21T07:23:00.000-05:00

Pebre is a Chilean condiment made of cilantro, chopped onion, oil, garlic and ground spicy aji peppers. Pebre is most commonly spooned on meat, usually from a barbecue. It is absolutely delicious.

I am fortunate enough to have relatives from Chile that have shared this recipe with me... Now, I am going to share it with you... Consider yourself lucky!

Ingredients:

2 bunches of cilantro

Half of a small onion

1 Roma tomato

2 large cloves of garlic

Vegetable oil - Do not use olive oil as it is too strong and fruity.

Salt to taste

Spice blend of paprika and crushed red pepper (Merken - a Chilean spicy and aromatic spice - is recommended if available)

Preparation:

Chop all the ingredients very finely. Add all the ingredients into a bowl and cover with vegetable oil. Season with salt and spice to taste. Serve over grilled steak, chicken, sausages or yuca...

More scenes from Vizcaya - The engagement session edition

2012-02-20T08:29:00.038-05:00

Just so you know... These pictures were taken at high noon... Difficult for a photographer to accomplish since the light is so harsh... But not impossible... I think having a couple madly in love helps a lot... Don't you think?

Here are a couple more from their big day:

Love you guys!

So, are you newly engaged? Do you have a wedding anniversary coming? Do you want to give your special someone a gift that will be cherished for a very long time? Please contact me at: planandplay1{at}gmail{dot}com to schedule a photoshoot like this one...

See more pictures from Vizcaya here and one more from the happy couple here.

Menu for the week

2012-02-17T08:08:00.051-05:00

Grilled 3 cheese sandwiches with caramelized onions/Summer Gazpacho
Italian wedding soup/Salad
Three Mushroom lasagna/Salad
Grilled steak salad with blue cheese crumbles - Recipe adapted from here/Focaccia bread

Breakdown:

Aldi $19
Kroger $24
GW of GA $15

In case you are wondering, I am still trying to use up the food in our freezer...

See you back here next week!

Chattanooga impromptu photoshoot

2012-02-16T08:09:00.002-05:00

Overgrown weeds, railroad tracks, shipping docks with lime green doors... Yes please...

Forgotten Chattanooga

2012-02-15T08:08:00.006-05:00

While in Chattanooga we drove by an abandoned industrial area. The buildings were delapidated, I can only imagine it was once a bustling part of town... No so much now. No doubt a sign of our times. We drove by just for curiosity but could not help to get out of the car and get some pictures - here are a few:

Tomorrow, I will be sharing a couple of pictures from an impromptu photoshoot with this industrial background.

Homemade Art

2012-02-14T07:31:00.050-05:00

I made this little wall art. Actually, this post is just an excuse to show you what I did in our bedroom. I had this plain wall as you entered our bedroom... I thought it needed some love (no pun intended)

Making this wall art was really easy. Here is how you do it:

With a hole puncher with a heart shape I punched several hearts using different papers (I used old stubs, bus/train tickets and pictures that I have collected from our travels - you could use scrapbooking paper too)
I folded the hearts in half - you can use a bone folder to get a straight fold.

Using glue dots I glued the hearts to a piece of cardstock. Rearrange them as needed to get them all in line. (You could also use a glue gun but you won't have the freedom to rearrange the hearts if you make a mistake) Frame in a shadow box

See how it looks in our bedroom

The wall is looking good, right? I got the perfect size book shelf on our trip to Chattanooga at an antique store. Picture frames from various places (Ikea, Target, West Elm) and some street art collected from our travels.

Pictures from the weekend

2012-02-13T07:57:00.025-05:00

Random shots from my weekend:

Margaritas and dinner at a favorite joint with some pretty stellar ladies

Flowers, cards, phone calls, emails... Feeling very loved

A delicious brunch

A walk around a favorite neighborhood

Sharing cupcakes with my favorite people

Have a happy start of the week everybody!

Menu for the week

2012-02-10T08:07:00.043-05:00

Carne asada tacos/refried beans
Vegetarian gumbo/Salad
Fettuccine with creamy red pepper-feta sauce (recipe from here)/Salad
Raclette/Salad

(An all of the sudden cold snap (Winter, where have you been?) got us thinking about eating a comforting Swiss meal - Raclette - very simple yet delicious).

Breakdown:

Aldi $14
Costco $12
Kroger $15
Trader Joe $9

Have a happy, happy weekend everybody...

Cowl neck

2012-02-09T07:51:00.017-05:00

Disclaimer, making things yourself will not always be cheaper than buying them already made (nice yarn can be expensive), however, there is a satisfaction that comes from doing it yourself that cannot be bought.

What do you think? I love, love, love it. Can I tell you how many times I unraveled this thing (3)?!? But I love the way it turned out, mistakes and all. I cant wait to make another one... Once you start knitting it is so hard to stop (another thing added to the list of interests... never a dull moment...)

If you want to try making your own cowl neck go here for all the details.

Busy bee

2012-02-08T07:28:00.005-05:00

My sweet girl asked Santa for knitting needles and yarn for Chirstmas... How awesome is that!... She has been busy knitting and learning new projects... On any given day you can find her knitting away around the house

Here is what she has made so far (wearing it all at the same time)

Cute right?

By the way, I too got the knitting fever... I started practicing and I remembered how to do it... I guess it is like riding a bike... Come back tomorrow, I'll show you what I did.

Huevos Rancheros

2012-02-07T07:11:00.006-05:00

Of all the delicious breakfasts we had in Mexico, Huevos Rancheros were by far my favorite. I have had different versions of this dish but this one is much closer to the ones we had at a small restaurant called Nativos in Playa del Carmen:

Ingredients

2 small tomatoes
1 small onion
1 medium jalapeno pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic; 1 chopped, 1 smashed
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 large eggs
4 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Prepare the salsa: Set a grater in a large bowl; grate the tomatoes and onion into the bowl. Add the jalapeno, chopped garlic, hot sauce, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Heat a medium skillet over low heat and add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Fry the salsa in the oil until it thickens slightly, 3 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Add the beans to the same pan along with the smashed garlic, 1/2 cup warm water and a pinch of salt; cook over low heat until warmed through, smashing slightly with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in another skillet. Fry the eggs sunny-side up; season with pepper.

Place 1 warm tortilla on each plate. Divide the beans among them, then top with a fried egg, some salsa and cheese. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with the remaining salsa.

Recipe from here

Pretty doors

2012-02-06T07:41:00.004-05:00

From Mexico... They reminded me of the pretty doors from France (as seen here and here)

Who would have thought that old and weathered can be so beautiful?

Menu for the week

2012-02-03T08:18:00.050-05:00

Asopado de mariscos (a cross between paella and soup)/Salad
Pannini with roasted red pepper, pesto and brie/Oven fries
Chupe/Salad
Ravioli with spinach, broccoli and herb sauce/Salad

Breakdown:

Aldi $21
Costco $25
Kroger $7
Super H $5

This weekend we'll: Go to the museum, have a delicious lunch at Metro Fresh, go shopping for a new bookshelf, watch "The Valet", take a long nap - next week is going to be a killer - and leave a couple of meals ready for next week because next week is going to be a killer. Wait, I just said that ;)

I hope you have a good one too!

Hey George

2012-02-02T13:03:00.000-05:00

You're everywhere these days...

I love how the husband lets me ~~fantasize~~ play around when I take pictures...

See Matty here

An Australian girl + a life lesson, I think...

2012-02-01T07:52:00.053-05:00

You've heard of the American girl doll, right?

Well, this is not her... She is an Australian {Aborigine} Girl.

My sister sent my daughter this doll from Australia a couple of years ago... She loved it immediately but lately she is really liking making clothes for her and putting her to sleep close to her.

Perhaps she is not as pretty as the American girl doll (and by pretty I mean she does not have long luscious hair and fancy outfits) but beautiful nonetheless.... Which brings me to the life lesson...

She took her doll to the playground when some girls starting commenting on her doll... "She is so ugly" which got her thinking... Mami, they said my doll is ugly, do you think so? That's when I told her: "Do you think she is ugly?" "No" she said. "Well then... Don't listen to them"... Different people have different opinions about beauty... We choose to believe that everybody is beautiful in their own way regardless of their ethnic background.... Then she when on and continued playing with her doll...

What did she learn from this? We should not judge people from the way they look? Outside beauty is not as important and inside beauty? Different ethnicities are beautiful in their own way and we should learn to appreciate them all? I really don't know... but she hasn't stopped playing with her doll so I think what I said resonated with her... At least I just hope.

PS. The other baby in her bed is the one I used to play with when I was a little girl... My mom brought it to her when she came to visit back in December. I love that she loves her... And she named her Rosa, like my grandmother! It was meant to be...

Scenes from Vizcaya

2012-01-31T07:47:00.008-05:00

On our way back from our trip to Mexico we stopped in Miami for the day and spent time with family... We visited Vizcaya Gardens and Museum... What a beautiful place... Here are some pictures...

We had a fun day hanging out with family in Vizcaya. While in Vizcaya, I also did an engagement photo shoot with my baby cousin and his beautiful bride... The pictures are coming soon.

Colorful Mexico Part II

2012-01-30T07:30:00.000-05:00

See more colorful pictures of Mexico here.

Menu for the week

2012-01-27T06:36:00.039-05:00

Ribolita/Salad
Spinach and roasted peppers calzone/Salad
Pabellon (rice, balck beans, plantains and shredded beef)
White chicken chilli

Breakdown:

Aldi $25
Kroger $14
Costco $6
Super H $10

I think it is that time again, I need to clean out my pantry/freezer of all those items I stock up when they go on sale. Also, while my mom was in town back in December, she stocked up my freezer with meals I need to use... Lets see how far I can go this time.

This weekend, we will be celebrating Chinese New Year with a hot pot dinner at our friends house... Doesn't that sound delicious? I will be bringing an appetizer (any suggestions?) I can hardly wait...

See you all on Monday

Hot chocolate trifecta

2012-01-26T07:52:00.004-05:00

Here are some of my favorite hot cocoa recipes from around the web and I can't wait to try them...

Red velvet hot cocoa with cream cheese whipped cream
White hot chocolate
Hazelnut hot cocoa

Churros

2012-01-25T08:09:00.019-05:00

Growing up, my sister and I used to spend the summer breaks with our extended family in Margarita island (Off the coast of Venezuela). Our cousins would take us to eat churros as a treat... We loved them so much we would beg them to take us all the time. One day my uncle came home with a recipe for churros (he was a great cook... I believe he was trained as a cook when he was in the Navy). I can still remember him making them for us... It was such a treat!

Churros are fried-dough-pastry snacks. Churros are popular in Spain and Latin America although nowadays they can be found anywhere. Depending on the country, you can eat them in many different ways: Sprinkled with granulated sugar (the most commonly known way), with guava, stuffed with dulce de leche, drizzled with chocolate sauce and even savory versions with melted cheese, YUM!

On our trip to Mexico we saw some Churros stands but unfortunately did not get to eat them while we were there :( So I decided to fix that and make some here at home. The recipe is simple... You should give it a try too.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten
Vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 cup sugar

Special equipment: Pastry bag and large star tip

Directions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with water, salt. Bring to a simmer and then slowly whisk in flour. Remove from heat and keep whisking until mixture forms a ball and breaks away from the sides of the pan. Slowly add eggs in thirds. Spoon batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and refrigerate 15 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large saucepan 2/3 full with vegetable oil and heat to 350 degrees F. Remove batter from refrigerator and slowly squeeze 3-inch long strips of batter into the oil. Fry in batches, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes, flipping halfway through. Drain churros on paper towels. In a paper bag, add sugar. Once churros have cooled slightly, in batches, toss churros in bag and shake to coat with sugar. Serve warm.

I have to be honest, they were not a good as the ones I used to eat as a kid... But good nonetheless. By the way, churros are best served with hot chocolate...

Tomorrow I will be sharing some of my favorite hot chocolate recipes from around the web...

Churros recipe adapted from here