Thursday, October 09, 2008

Happy 1 Year Tavo!

My handsome husband on our wedding day!

To my handsome husband.............

Octavio, you are my life, my love, and my best friend. Our wedding united two lives in the miracle of love. The true beauty in marriage is reflected in its ceaseless possibilites to bring out the best of what we are and what we can become.

As we have started our life together, wish for us a love that makes both of us better people; the kind of love that will continue to give us a joy and a passion for living, and provide us with the energy and courage to face the responsibility of our life together. May we continue to grow both separately and together and may our love for one another expand and deepen with the passing years.

Mr. & Mrs. Perez

Since Tavo is working out of town and we are unable to be together today we celebrated our special day over the weekend. We had a great weekend together, but it was short. I picked up our Anniversary cake on Friday and we enjoyed it all weekend long. YUMMY! Friday night and Saturday we just hung out together, not doing much. Sunday we went to dinner at Forever Fondue in La Jolla and had a wonderful time! We had great conversation talking about our future and how much we have grown together and how we are better people because we have each other in our lifes. We both feel very blessed to have met one another and couldn't imagine life without each other. Te Amo mucho amor!


The cake!



Tavo dipping in the yummy cheese!



Us at the restaurant!

Recipes

I have several recipes I would like to share. The first recipe Tavo and I really like and have made many times. It's easy! The others are new recipes we haven't made yet, but were highly recommended by a friend.

YUMMY PASTA

Ingredients

  • 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 bottle of ‘Good Seasons Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette w/ Roasted Red Peppers’ Dressing (Albertson’s in SD is the only store we can find this at)
  • 1 box of pasta (The Rotini or a thicker noodle to absorb dressing, even the Barilla wheat pasta is good)
  • Mushrooms – Amount varies by desire
  • McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning
  • Tin foil
  • Non-stick spray (not flavored)
  • Oven Tray

Preperation

  • Place tin foil on your oven tray and spray with non-stick spray
  • Place FROZEN or FRESH boneless skinless chicken breasts on tray and season (to your liking) with Montreal Steak Seasoning
  • Place in PRE-HEATED oven at 375 degrees.
  • Cooking time verifies on oven and depends on if you use frozen or fresh chicken breast.
  • After pasta is done cooking leave the pasta in the strainer.
  • Put the empty pot used to make pasta back on burner and reduce heat of burner to LOW
  • Mushrooms – fresh or canned (whatever your liking) – sauté in a pan. I personally apply a little of the Montreal Steak Seasoning to give it a little spicier kick.

Now it’s time to get it all together

  • Pour/squirt a little of the dressing in the EMPTY pot used for the pasta (it will hiss and even seem like it’s burning but it helps to not have the pasta stick)
  • Pour ¼ of the pasta in the pot
  • Pour 1 chopped up (to your sizeable liking) chicken breast in the pot
  • Pour ¼ of mushrooms in pot
  • Pour/squirt ¼ or so of the dressing and STIR
  • REPEAT steps 1-5 until all chicken, pasta, mushrooms and dressing are used.
  • STIR one last time for good measure (leave on low heat so it’s warm for second helpings!)

Warm Chicken, Rice and Black Bean Salad with Mango Mojo Dressing

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup almonds, slivered
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup jasmine rice
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 cups rotisserie chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/2 cup sliced scallions
  • 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 avocado, diced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

Mango Mojo Dressing

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 small hot red chile, stemmed and seeded
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 mango, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • Diced red pepper, for garnish
  • Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

For the chicken:
In large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the almonds and saute until golden. Add rice and cook 1 minute more. Stir in chicken stock and cover saucepan. Let simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is cooked. Mix in cilantro, chicken, scallions, beans, avocado and diced pepper.

For mango mojo dressing:
In small heavy skillet over medium heat place the cumin seeds and toast until fragrant (about 2 minutes). In mini food processor combine the toasted cumin, garlic, chili, and salt. Grind to coarse paste. Add olive oil, mango, orange juice and lime juice.

Return mixture to skillet and heat until warm.

Drizzle chicken mixture with half the mango mojo dressing and toss. Spoon into serving dish and garnish with red pepper and cilantro sprigs.


INDIAN-STYLE CHICKEN WITH GINGER AND CURRY

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup bottled nonfat Italian dressing
  • 1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
  • Plain nonfat yogurt (optional)

Preparation
Mix first 6 ingredients in 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Add chicken; turn to coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Remove chicken from marinade and reserve marinade. Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Add reserved marinade and chicken broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Transfer chicken and sauce to platter. Serve with yogurt, if desired.

SPICY CHICK PEAS

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  • 1-2 small chiles, coarsely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp ghee or canola oil
  • 2 tsp tamarind concentrate
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups of cooked garbonza beans (chick peas)

Preparation

  • Saute onions, garlic, and chiles in ghee or oil until onions are tender- about 10 minutes.
  • Dissolve the tamarind paste in the water.
  • Puree the onion mixture, tamarind liquid and all the remaining ingredients except the chickpeas.
  • Add this mixture to a non-reactive, heavy saucepan.
  • Add the chick peas and simmer, uncovered, on low heat for 20-30 minutes, until the sauce becomes thick and dark.
  • Serve at room temperature or hot.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Missing my husband

I am really sad! My husband had to leave to go out of town for work this morning. He works for a sheet metal company and the company has been having a lot of layoffs. So when they asked him to go work in Yuma, which is about 2 1/2 to 3 hours away from us, we felt we had no choice. They need him to work for 6 to 7 weeks at this job site building a casino. Any other time in our lives we would be sad, but would be able to deal with it better. It's especially hard right now with me being 7 months pregnant. He left this morning and it was really hard to say goodbye. Of course I cried like a baby. Even though we know it's not the end of the world and at least he has a job, it's still hard. He will be able to come home on the weekends which is good, especially since our babyshower is this month and next month every weekend we have baby classes. In the 7 years we have been together we have never been apart for a huge length of time. We have had a couple weekends here and there apart and when my sister had her 3rd child I was gone for a week, but that's it. So this is going to take some getting used to for sure. It hasn't even been 24 hours yet, but I miss him like CRAZY already. To top things off he is going to be gone for our 1 year wedding anniversary :-(

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Baby Ariana Luz

Jaycee is a special little girl. She has two girl cousins born this year. I hope the three of them grow up to be really close friends. Tavo's sister had a little girl this year also on July 8th, 2008. I almost got to be there for the birth, until the mean nurse kicked me out of the delivery room. Atleast I was there to help hold Diana's hand during the pushing. Diana did well and was really strong!


Ariana Luz just born




Proud uncle Tavo holding Ariana almost 6 weeks old now.


Sleepy Ariana almost 12 weeks old. Pretty little girl!


Baby Zerah Jane

Our newest member to the Carr family is doing well. Both mommy and baby are healthy and happy. My sister had her at home with a midwife on September 25th at 10:34pm. Zerah Jane weighed 8 pounds 8 oz and 21 1/2 inches long. Daddy got to delivery baby Zerah. How exciting for them. I am so sad I was unable to be there and missed it. But with my pregnancy and no time off at work I was unable to make it. :-( Tavo and I will make it out to see them soon, I hope. Here are some pictures of my beautiful little niece.



Baby Zerah right after being born!

Baby Zerah Jane 9 days old!