Qué Sera Sera

Whatever will be, will be.

It’s hard to remember those words. We can relive it over and over, yet still fail to remember. Usually we want to know what is in our future, whether it is relationships, finances, whatever. I think most want to believe they can change what is supposed to happen also. In some cases it’s “do we interfere?” or turn our head?

Only ONE knows what is in our future, what’s ahead of us. You know all the sayings and quotes “we are busy making plans while God laughs.”  Also, He knows what we need more than we do. Most of us only see that in hindsight. We are put through trials and tribulations in life for good reasons, either we need to ‘see’ or ‘feel’ more. Sometimes we are put in situations so that we will be more understanding toward others in that position, or some may be knocked down a notch from boasting, etc..On the other hand, we are also greatly rewarded for doing what is right. It is so so true that we reap what we sow. I have been through a lot but I must say I am ecstatic, in awe, at my harvest. My children are first-class, with wonderful families and lives of their own. That in itself is worth going through anything I’ve endured.

So here I am…doing the same thing. Yup, in my supposed retirement years, helping raise a child. Well…if I get at least the same results, I’ll die happy! Besides, I’m only half way there!

As I throw my head back with a BWAHAHAHA!

You can stand by quote “the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.”

And always…thank God.

LOL

OH aren’t I silly!

never take myself seriously!

 

Lily’s Boots Are Made For Walkin’ ♫

And that’s just what they’ll do. One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you! Boom Boom Pow! ♫ ♥ ♪ MUAHAHA….. She’s a real hoot alright ;D Dec 7, 2009 (Lily is 5 years old, almost 6)

What do you think?

Hey, I had to mix this blog up with a little fun…besides the ‘cooking fun’.

 

Chili

Today is Chili…

my son’s preferred way!

© All rights reserved ♫ ☮ ♥ ♪ Dawn ☼ ♀ ♡ ©

click on photos to view UP CLOSE!

Because I am making it for my son, basically, I have to go the No Beans Chili’

There are endless lists of Chili recipes, and just as many opinions and/or debates. Okay, arguments or even fights!

I just had to make a recipe from what I had in my pantry.

So this is it…

(For accurate measurements, you might want to follow No Beans About It – Chili)

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Directions

1. Crumble the ground beef into a stock pot or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook stirring frequently until beef is evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.

2. Season with chili powder, oregano, cumin and hot sauce. Stir in the tomatoes and vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 1 hour – or longer if you have time. Stir occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom.

Now y’all know you can vary things here. Like BACON ;D beans, Worcestershire sauce , etc….

Or even use this for Chili Hot Dogs or Chili fries???

It turned out very good! And it also turns out to be good that I picked up a lot from my Aunt Ann aka Missy (Italian = plenty if company stops in.)

I ended up with an ex-neighbor unexpectedly stopping by to visit. He is a sweet older man, Dwayne, and he, my son, I and even Lily enjoyed this chili. Although Lily had to drink a lot of milk!

bon appetit, dawnspitfire!

 

Albondigas Soup

I did it! I love this soup. It is such a warming comfort food. So I finally made it myself. Before this I only got it at very few Mexican restaurants.

The recipe I used was recommended by my lovely friend Domingo Ramon Jimenez. Neither one of us are good at passing on our recipes because we don’t measure and/or can make adjustments, etc.. So the closest recipe to how he makes this, that he could find, was here http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/albondigas_soup/

My family loved it and said “Delicious”. Good enough for me.

Comment from my friend ~

Domingo Ramon Jimenez ~ Dawn congratulations again, I can see that you became an International food Connoisseur, but let me tell you that after couple of lately visits to my doctor I have to choose from two kind of foods: foods for my mouth(which I love) and food for my nourishment and it is becoming difficult for me to justify either of the choices.

This is a comfort food that has been around for many years with Mexican families…as common as Chicken Soup.

Recipe:

If fresh mint is not available, you can use a couple teaspoons of dried mint from herbal mint tea. You can also vary the vegetables depending on what you have on hand. Spring peas in their pods instead of shucked peas, for example. Or you could add some chopped fresh zucchini or corn. My mother often puts a couple extra tablespoons of chopped fresh mint directly into the soup. Feel free to substitute ground turkey for the ground beef, we do it often.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 3 quarts of chicken stock or beef stock OR water OR a mixture of both (we usually use half stock half water as the meatballs will create their own stock)*
• 1/2 cup of tomato sauce

• 1/2 lb of string beans, strings and ends removed, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced

• 1/3 cup of raw white rice
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup of chopped parsley
• 1 raw egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• A dash of cayenne (optional)

• 1 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh peas
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, crumbled, or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

*If using prepared stock, be sure to use gluten-free stock if you are cooking gluten-free.

Method

1 Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot (5-qt) over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add broth mixture and tomato sauce. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add carrots and string beans.

2 Prepare the meatballs. Mix rice into meat, adding mint leaves and parsley, salt and pepper. Mix in raw egg. Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs.

3 Add the meatballs to the simmering soup, one at a time. Cover and let simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the peas towards the end of the 1/2 hour. Add a few pinches of oregano and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne, to taste.

Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Serves 6-8.

[personal note - don't over-do mint, it's a strong flavor. It's a must for authenticity but you want a 'hint' of it]

 

Oatmeal Date Bars

While growing up these Date Bars were a regular part of my mother’s baking. How I treasured these squares. Oatmeal crispy mixture with puréed dates in between. One way or another over the years I fail to remember them, recalling them merely when I saw a recipe. Oh how delicious for “Breakfast Lunch Tea”. I instantly got down to finding a good recipe, with the taste and consistency I remember; sweet though in some way earthy tasting. These are magnificent with a cup of tea or for dessert.
The chief element of these squares is the dates. Dates are the fruit of the palm tree that grow here in Arizona. They are sweet and are also an excellent source of protein, Vitamins A & B. Used for this recipe is dried pitted dates. You can generally find them in the produce section of your grocery store. Before starting the date filling, you have to soften the dates in water, and then puree them in the food-mixer until nice and smooth. Then just make the oatmeal crust which, once more, is easily done in the food-mixer. Then layer the ingredients. First, 2/3 of the oatmeal mixture is pressed on the bottom of pan. Then the date puree is spread over the crust. Last, the rest of the oatmeal mixture is crumbled over the dates. Bake until golden brown.

OATMEAL DATE BARS

1 1/2 c. oatmeal
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. butter, melted

Mix and spread 1/2 of mixture in a 9×13 inch pan. Pat down.

1/2 c. sugar
1 c. water
1 c. dates

Spread over oatmeal mixture. Spread remaining oatmeal mixture over dates. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) for 45 minutes. Cut while warm.

#foodlove #lovedates #arizonadates #datelandarizona

 

Say Hey, I Love You

 

Coffee Cabana

YAY! I heard back from a friend, John in earlier post. Friends are so worth taking that step to stay in touch.

We had our group of friends that met & hung out at a coffee shop, the Coffee Cabana. It is so strange how things work out in life, timing. Obviously it is meant to be.  This group of people would have made a TV show more like “Seinfeld” then” Friends”.  What a mixed bag! All very interesting yet so diverse. Everyone there had exceedingly interesting backgrounds and came from various places. We had our Texan, love her and she’s very smart, independent, pretty, owns her own successful business in Scottsdale, AZ. Then there was Nikki, cute, full of useless information (and I mean FULL, like a set of Britannica’s!), very sweet, from Dublin. Nikki is a good artist in the field of photography. And John, whom you can read more about in my preceding post about him. That’s just three! We had our Jewish friend, our therapist and a few others, all just as remarkable. We had the most fascinating conversations, deep philosophical, trivial, comedy, tears and a lot of religions, even Bible study…lead by John.  And MUSIC! What a blessing!

I’m so grateful for all of the above for enriching my life. But like everything in life, it came to its end, changed, and evolved. We moved on, the coffee shop closed. I have since met up with one or another at other coffee shops but it was never the same. The friends are the same though, that’s the best part.

Love and as John always ends conversation, PEACE

 

Lily Loves Donuts

#RAOK

Random Act of Kindness ~

 Lily asks me for a donut from a specific donut shop near by. I didn’t tell her that I had a selfish thought on my mind…that I wanted one too. So we went for a walk for donuts. When leaving, I noticed an elderly lady struggling to simply get to her car. One could tell at a glance that she had a bad back and hip at the least. I just nodded my head in that direction and Lily immediately looked at her. The lady said in a weak voice “Oh look at that beautiful hair.” So I had to tell Lily what she said and Lily said thank you. Then Lily looked at me with an inquiring face and just as softly asks “can I offer to help her?” I said, with a hint of doubt regarding her ability to do so “sure.” So I stood back watching. It was a little difficult for Lily to steer her cart, but equally as difficult at the other end. As I watched I was struck by how equaled out the two were, except one was five years old and the other closer to ninety-five. They were both unaware that they had drawn a small audience. Well, they made it to her car. I heard the lady tell Lily thank you and that she could get it from here. I also heard Lily ask her, with a very puzzled face, “Do you need help putting groceries in your car?” Not only do both speak especially gently, they both seemed to hear that way also. I’m sure you know what I mean. I did hear the lady answer “oh no, I can get it from here. Thanks for your help.” And I was so curious what Lily would do next because she’s never put groceries in a vehicle before. You can bet it gave me a good idea about teaching her. Lily felt so good about herself after that. She went on to tell me about how she will help me when I get like that. You never really know all that goes on in those little heads but it was easy to see the satisfaction, along with curiosity and concern, on Lily’s face. Not to mention her conversation.

The rest of the day was just as interesting to me because Lily played with a baby doll. That’s not typical of her and even more awesome to me was to see her acting out a loving, nurturing and “connected” mommy. That is great for me to see because she has had no mommy since birth, no role model other than daddy, grandma and aunt. And because that is a situation our family is completely unfamiliar with, I have been interested in how that would play out. Oh sure, we still have a lot ahead of us before that time comes, if ever, but huge relief! I remember thinking for a long time that one magic ingredient makes all the difference and that is “love”. Well, she certainly has a lot of that.

© All rights reserved

 

Good Friends, Good Music and Good Food

CLASSICAL SMOOTH JAZZ ♥ Can’t beat it! ♫

Missing a wonderful friend. I think I am going to have to be the one that changes that.  I didn’t keep him updated on my moves.

Okay, so I did email him and received a pleasant reply, of course. However…I will have to go where his gig is soon.

John Summers (http://www.johnsummersjazz.com/)

And he’s playing at a fabulous Italian restaurant Christo’s Ristorante (http://www.christos1.com/index.asp)

 

John, my coffee shop buddy…

Now that was a lot of interesting conversation.

 

A native of Cincinnati Ohio, John is a classically trained musician. He and his brother Charles grew up in a modest home that taught them respect and refinement. They spent most of their summers with loving grandparents in Paris, Kentucky. Under the strong loving Christian guidance of their mother, both boys were led to play music.

TRAVELS AND CREDITS

John served in the United States Air Force and found new musical opportunities. He played keyboard in a mixed military personnel band that toured Europe concentrating on France and Germany.

In 1970, John returned to the states and moved to Boston. John played keyboard for the recording group Tavares. They toured the Bahamas before returning to Boston where they opened for Earth, Wind and Fire.

In 1971, John toured the U.S., Europe, and Canada after successfully auditioning for bass player with the late legendary blues man T-Bone Walker. Highlights included recording at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland later released on the Polydor label as “Fly Walker Airlines” (PD5521). The T-Bone Walker Blues Band played at clubs in Paris before returning to the U.S. with a performance at Carnegie Hall in New York.John continued performing as keyboard or electric bass player in opening acts in Boston for such stars as Roy Orbison, Alice Coltrane and Donny Hathaway.

MIND AND MATTERS

After five years on the road, John returned to Cincinnati to seek higher education. He transferred to Jarvis Christian College in Texas where he earned his Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude with a double major in Religion and English. The University of Chicago Divinity School recruited John where he completed his Master of Arts degree focused on religion and psychology. He preached as a student pastor and often served as choir or music director for several churches. he continued on to receive his J.D. (Doctorate of Law Degree) from The Law School at The University of Chicago.

In 1987 the Attorney moved to Phoenix as the proud father of three handsome young men: John Jr., Jason an Joseph. But it wasn’t long before the attorney dedicated his professional life to Social Work enhancing and supporting youth program and basic family structures which John truly believes is the foundation and basis of a strong society.

SOUL AND SPIRIT

Throughout his travels, education, professional and personal development music has been John’s pivotal center. He mixes smooth, classical and edgy-cord sounds with his raw and silky voice inviting you into his musical playground of original compositions and lyrics. His improvisations of old jazz favorites exhibit respect for the composers, artists and their music. His deep passion and love for his music is felt by audiences both young and old and from all walks of life.
John is well-known in the Valley and has played numerous local venues and private parties, solo and in trio. He has appeared at Everett’s Steak House in North Scottsdale with his Trio that featured Ray Carter on acoustic bass and Sherman Martin-Austin on drums. He also played five years at My Florist Cafe in Phoenix. Never one to rest on his accomplishments, John continued to break new creative ground on stage with the Black Theatre Troupe as a musician and musical director.

NOW APPEARING

John now appears in the Jazz Lounge and Piano Bar of Christo’s Ristorante on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 6:30 to 9:30p.m. Christo’s Ristorante is located at 6327 North 7th Street in Phoenix. Phone for a reservation: 602-264-1784 or just stop by the Jazz Lounge and Piano Bar.

 

FOOD!

I so love this site http://www.tastespotting.com/

(btw, thank you!

bon appetit, dawn_spitfire!)

They not only have awesome recipes, but the photos & way they make it easy!

I don’t have to surf the Internet, I can just go to Taste spotting .

 Easy step by step photo directions.

Too many yummies to choose here…

Delicious Site!

YUMMM Click on photos to see LARGE!

Tiramisu Cupcakes

AND…Guinness & Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes