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My Grandma recently got me a copy of her ward cookbook.

Guess what greatness was inside?

Knock off Cafe Rio recipes!!!!

I had gotten these off the internet before but they were never quite perfect. The dressing had 20 ingredients and cost a fortune. But the ones in this book are almost exact!

I decided to try them out on my friends a couple weeks ago and everybody loved them! {I didnt take any photos. : ( We actually prepared all the food and then ate it all at the bar. We dont need no stinkin table!}

So here are the recipes to make yourself an authentic-ish salad.

Dressing:

1pkg Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch dressing mix

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup mayo

2 tomatillas

1 clove garlic

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/2 juiced lime

1 small jalapeño pepper {seeds removed}

Purée all ingredients in blender.

Lime Rice:

2 tbsp butter, softened

1 yellow onion

4 cloves garlic {minced}

6 2/3 cups water

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 bunch cilantro

2 tsp. cumin

2 small cans diced green chiles

1 Tbsp lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups long grain rice

In a saucepan, sauté yellow onion and garlic in butter. In a large pot bring water, chicken broth, cilantro, cumin, chiles, lime juice, and salt to a boil. Add onion and garlic to boiling water. Add rice. Reduce heat, cocer and simmer for 30 minutes.

{This is a lot of rice. I half it.}

Pico de Gallo

4 fresh tomatoes {chopped}

1 white onion {chopped}

1/2 bunch cilantro {chopped}

2 cloves garlic {minced}

1/2 Tbsp lime juice

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Combine in medium bowl and mix well.

Pulled Sweet Pork

1 pork roast

1 Tbsp honey

1 {1 liter} bottle Coke

Place all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low all night. In the morning take the roast out, leave the juice in the crockpot. Shred the roast. Place the roast back in crockpot and leave it on low until ready to serve.

{I think you should use a two liter bottle of coke instead. It covers better.}

Chicken:

5 lbs skinless boneless chicken breasts

1 bottle zesty italian dressing {small}

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1Tbsp. cumin

3 cloves garlic {minced}

Mix all ingredients together in large crockpot. Cook on high for 5 to 7 hours. Remove chicken and shred with fork. Reserve a small amount of juice and pour over shredded chicken. Keep warm.

Serving Order:

Tortilla

shredded cheese

chicken or pork

black or pinto beans

red and green leaf lettuce

pico de gallo

guacamole

{top with}

fresh cilantro

parmesan cheese

fresh lime slice

dressing

En-freakin-joy!

Not at all like taco bells.

Chalupas

Mexican enchiladas

{The cook book got it wrong! : )}

2 cups cooked chicken

2 cans cream of chicken

1 cup sour cream

1 {4 oz.} can diced green chiles

2 cups grated cheese

1 bunch green onions

tortillas

Heat soup, sour cream, chopped green onions, chicken, and chiles. {Do not boil} Heat tortillas and put 2 to 3 Tbsp soup mix on each, along with some cheese. Roll up and place, seam side down, in greased 9 * 13 casserole dish. Pour leftover soup mix over top of chalupas enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover and bake for about 5 minutes.

I just HAD to have it.

One of my all time favorite stores is Kitchen Collection in Draper.

After getting married Diego and I were shopping at Kitchen Collection to pick up some of the things we would need to complete our kitchen.

Thats when I found this.

I told Diego that I had to have it and that it would be used all the time in my kitchen.

Of course I got it and have never used it for almost 4 years.

Well I used it last night and wow I have been missing out.

I wanted garlic bread with dinner but I only had french bread.

Got online and looked up a recipe for garlic bread.

The best ones said to use roasted garlic.

Good thing I have a garlic roaster right?!?

{You can use tinfoil, so if you dont have this awesome terra cotta thingy you are fine}

 What you need:

Whole head of galic

Olive Oil

2 sticks of unsalted butter

Cut about 1/4 to 1/2 inch off the top of the garlic so you can see the bulbs.

Drizzle/cover with olive oil.

If using terra cotta dish soak top in cold water for at least ten minutes.

Place garlic in dish.

If using tinfoil just wrap garlic tightly.

Place in 400 degree and cook for about 40 minutes.

Take out of the oven and let garlic sit until cool enough to touch.

The garlic will be so soft it will slide right out of its skin.

Add to the room temperature butter.

Blend.

Use spatula to rub on bread.

Put bread under broiler until browned.

Better then anything you buy at the store!

Alfajores.

I left my Sandyland bubble today to go get me some Dulce de Leche.

I get to La Pequinita and thought about maybe not going in.

I always stand out and I was not in the mood to get stared at.

I go in and head right for the dulce de leche like I know what I am doing.

Of course they don't have the one I want from Uruguay so I choose one from Argentina.

Then I start looking around and find the Bon O Bons.

I bought a whole box.

Since I had made my dough the night before I got it out if the fridge so it could get to room temp.

Dough recipe:

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 huevo {egg}

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp honey {Thanks for the honey Kim.}

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients well. Recipe says you can add water if dough is to dry. Mine looked like bread crumbs so I added water a tbsp at a time till the dough formed itself into a ball.

Refrigerate dough for 2 hours.

Roll out dough to 1/8 of an inch thick. Use a 2 inch circle to cut out the dough.

{Circles are boring.}

Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes on 350 degrees.

Jealous of my baking stones??

Seasoned to perfection.

After being completely cooled on wire racks put the dulce de leche in the middle of two cookies. If you want you can cover the cookies in melted chocolate. Yummy

Now enjoy!

♥ Day 2010

Every year for Valentines I feel like I need to make an amazing meal.

Try something new and harder to prepare.

Our very first Valentines Day as a married couple is one I will NEVER forget!

I got out one of my very few cookbooks and found a meal by Rachael Ray that I had to try.

I had never cooked steak before so I thought I would try a "man" dinner of steak and potatos.

{This is before I realized my ♥ of cooking!}

I was doing my shopping list and was looking through my stuff to see what I already had and saw "steak" written on some meat that my dad had given to me.

While I was cooking these steaks I kept thinking to myself why the heck arent they turning brown?

But I kept cooking.

Made the sauce.

Cooked the potatos.

Still the steaks were weird looking.

Diego came home from work and we sat down to eat.

I bite into the steak and realize that it was from the pig my dad had just hat butchered!

I felt so freaking dumb.

But I did not want to let on that I had not meant for this to happen so I just ate my potato.

At the end of dinner, which Diego had eaten all of, he turned to me and asked why I had not eaten mine.

I said I did not like it.

He then said...

"Not to be rude, but next time... use real steaks!"

Ass!

I told him thats what it had called for.

He asked how I had not noticed. I mean I was raised on red meat.

I told him I had been suspicious while I had been cooking but what did I know!

Memories right?!?!

So this year I decided to ask all the guys at work what their all time favorite food is.

They all decided that Beef Wellington was the greatest.

I had never even heard of such a thing!

But I looked up a bunch of recipes for it.

Printed out my favorites and went to town!

What a mess.

{No pictures of this masterpiece. Sorry.}

I get to the store and it calls for $30 a pound steak.

And I needed three pounds.

Ha Ha Ha.

I bought a $10 peice of meat and decided I would improvise!

I slaved away in the kitchen all day making sure everything was going to be special.

Well I did not fully read the last paragraph about DEFROSTING the puff pastry.

I get the meat seared, the garlic, onion, and mushroom mixture chopped, blended, then sauteed.

Layed proscutto down with mixture of crap above and wrapped it around the meat.

Then it says to wrap the puff pastry around the masterpeice you have just created.

I pull out the puff pastry and it sure was not about to roll out nicely.

First roll... Broken in frozen pieces.

Second roll... tried to thaw in the microwave. Cooked itself.

Back to Harmons.

Third roll... Thawed it SLOWLY in the microwave!

Wrapped it around the meat and baked it!

It was gross.

I liked the meat but could not get past the mushrooms.

{Not a fan of them but my hubby is...}

But Diego loved it!

That was all that mattered!

Good thing I had made two deserts for the movie that night so I did not go hungry!

Here is the first desert!

Brownie Trifle!

First you make a sheet of brownies.

Cool completely.

Next you mix I box chocolate pudding mix with 1 can condensed milk.

Mix well.

Add a small container of {thawed}cool whip. {sorry dont know the ounces. maybe 9?}

Blend until no white streaks are left.

You will also need a 13 ounce thing of cool whip.

Now to assemble!

Layer of brownies. You can space them how ever you want.

I cut my 9*13 pan into thirds.

Now put a third of your chocolate pudding mixture down.

Then a third of your thawed cool whip.

Again...

Again...

Just keep repeating till you run out of ingredients!

It then says to grate a chocolate bar over the top.

I decided to use Toblerones!

{Make sure you freeze your bar before you grate it!}

Then I realized I had forgotten the most important part of Valentines Day...

Chocolate covered Srawberries!

Holy Cow!

I got in the car and Jessa, Mo, and I ran to Wally World.

I got to the chocolate isle and decided to "try" something different.

I bought the biggest Toblerone triangles I could find and melted it down!

Ah-freakin-mazing!

It worked like I had been making them my whole life!

Hope you all had as great of a Valentines Day as I did!!!

Bacon wrapped goodness.

One of my all time favorite appetizers is bacon wrapped water chestnuts.

Mi Madre and I made them yesterday.

Soak your water chestnuts in soy sauce for about an hour.

Then roll water chestnuts in sugar and wrap with 1/3 slice bacon.

Bake on cookie sheet with lip on 325* for 45 Minutes!

Drooling...

just add a little bit of crunch

I am seriously addicted to reading!

That's all I want to do!

I could walk up and down the isles of a library for hours.

I just found this baking/murder mystery series that has all the recipes of the cookies they make!

I decided to make cookies for my man!

Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies

Mix:

1 Cup butter melted

1 Cup White Sugar

1 Cup Brown Sugar

Add:

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 beaten eggs

2 1/2 Cups flour

Blend all well.

Add:

2 Cups crushed corn flakes

1 1/2 Cup choco chips

Make walnut sized balls
Use a fork with pam on it to makes grooves.
Bake at 375* for ten minutes.

Make sure your rack is in the middle of the oven.
Let sit on stone/tray for 2 minutes

Cool on baking sheet!

Cinnamon Bear Popcorn!

I was blogstalking and ran across this recipe!
Thanks Desantis Family

Combine butter, Karo syrup, and sugar.

Cinnamon Bears meet The Froggy!

I only cut my bears into thirds but I recommend cutting them even smaller!

Ta Da!!!!

This was my dinner for two nights!!!!

I did share a lot of it with friends though!

1 Cup butter

1/2 Cup Karo/light corn syrup

1 Cup sugar

3 Cups mini marshmallows

Few drops of red food coloring (if pink/red coloring of popcorn is desired)

1 Cup Cinnamon Bears, cut up

6-8 quarts popped corn (1 cup unpopped)

Combine butter, corn syrup and sugar in saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn to low. Cook for 5 minutes on low. Remove from heat and add marshmallows, red food coloring, and cinnamon bears. Pour over popped corn mix until well covered. You may also use gummy bears or any gummy candy in place of the cinnamon bears. Do not use sugar coated candy, as it will not work.

Spanish Recipe!

Since Diego wont teach me to cook some Uruguayan food I asked my little brown friend to help me!

First we had to take a trip to the Mexican store Anayas.

The meat counter at this place is awesome. I am glad I took my translator with me!

Now I am going to teach you how to make Milanesa!

Enjoy!

I always get a lot of meat when I get there because I can freeze what I don't use.
I would say that for 4 people you would only need 3 pounds.

Kelly usually buys her meat at Smiths or Harmons but make sure it is really thinly cut but I went all the way and got the good stuff!
When you are preparing your meat make sure there is not a lot of fat on them. You do not want any holes in your meat. So make the meat two or three pieces instead of 1.

What you need:

• Eggs (beaten)
• Italian bread crumbs
• oil to fry your meat in {Kelly does hers inside in a skillet but Diego hates the smell of fried food in the house so we decided to do it in the deep fryer outside! but make sure your meat is not bigger than your basket in your deep fryer!}
• Two deep dishes {one for your Italian bread crumbs, one for your eggs!}
  Tongs to flip the meat if you are using a skillet or to keep the meat under the oil in the fryer.
• Oh and your meat!

1st put your meat into the bread crumbs and make sure none of the flaps are folded over.
Next dip it in eggs.
{Diego says his Momma put milk in her eggs.}
Make sure everything is coated with the egg.

Than you SQUISH the hell out of the meat in the bread crumbs again. And you really do need to press down hard to make sure that your crust does not crumble off when it is frying!

Can you see the force I am using! : )

Kelly is a little bit better at it than me!

Make sure you have enough bread crumbs to go around. I would say always have an extra bottle just in case.

The boys decided to take over for the frying part of the meal!

Your hand get very cakey when you are doin the smushin!

Make a whole plateful and then start your frying.
We had two per person and that was PLENTY!!!

We had our deep fryer on 275 and it was perfect. The inside got cooked before the outside got burned.
{Yummy!}

Since the boys were finishin up I decided to take photos!

{yes Kelly I am glad you can be in our Christmas photo!}

Kelly's BEAUTIFUL Colombian mother made us some traditional South American Potato Salad.

{Just 411, Uruguayans put Mayo on EVERYTHING!!!}
Very yummy salad!

I finally got to eat my Milanesa!!!

Definitely put some lime on it!!

It was Delish!

Even Ary liked the limes!

{Ary is giving the "how could you" look to her momma!}

Lexie and Mo showed up after dinner.

{love these girls!}

And of course no get together of our would be complete with out a game of hand and foot!

Shocker! I lost again!

Perfect night!