What are you cooking today?

It's Sunday and that means family dinner night. Jessica requested fried chicken so that will be the star of our dinner tonight. I'm going to make an oven fried version as well as the real fried version.

The chicken is already marinating in seasoned buttermilk (low fat buttermilk, hot sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne) so that, by the time it arrives on the table tonight, it will be moist, juicy, and full of flavor.

Come back tomorrow for the recipes!

Fish Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa and Mexican-style Rice

As promised, here are the recipes (along with photos). Begin with the tomatillo salsa.

Tomatillo Salsa

2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, cubed
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 serrano pepper, finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons oregano, ground
1 teaspoon salt
Pam Cooking Spray or Oil, to coat pan

Add enough oil to coat large skillet or spray with Pam. (Since I was doubling the recipe and didn't have a skillet that large, I used my wok.) Heat to medium high. Add onions, garlic, and peppers and saute until onions are golden and limp, 10-15 minutes.

Add tomatillos and cook until smooth, stirring occasionally and mashing tomatillos, about 15-20 minutes. If desired, puree in blender or with immersion blender.

Add oregano, salt, and cilantro. Cook until desired consistency, so that it's not watery.

Use as a dip with chips or to top fish tacos, enchiladas, and many other dishes.

Fish Tacos
One recipe for tomatillo salsa, cooked fish of your choice (I grilled red snapper), tortillas, sour cream, shredded cheese.
Simply warm tortillas, place fish in tortilla, top with salsa, sour cream, and cheese. Roll up burrito style and enjoy!


Mexican-Style Rice
1/2 c. diced celery
1/2 c. diced green bell pepper
1/2 c. diced onion
1 c. rice (I used Uncle Ben's)
1- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 c. water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
Pam Cooking Spray or Oil, enough to coat skillet

Heat skillet coated with spray or oil over medium high heat. Add veggies, cumin, and rice and saute until rice begins to brown. Slowly add 2 c. water, being careful not to splash yourself. Bring to a simmer and add bouillon cubes, stirring until dissolved. Add tomato sauce. Stir all to combine. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquids are absorbed.

Sunday Dinner

What's on the menu today? I'm making fish tacos and Mexican rice. I don't make my fish tacos the way I see them in most restaurants. I have my own recipe made with an incredible home-made tomatillo salsa and fresh red snapper.

Come back tomorrow for the recipes, but tell me what you're making today, or this week. Any recipes to share? Post them in the comments section.

Anticipating My New Great Niece

I did a bit of sewing, making some things to welcome my great niece, Abby, into the world. She's due to arrive any day now, although her official due date is March 4. I really love these tiny pillowcase dresses. I can't wait to see her in them.

Please ignore the wrinkles in these blankets. I already had them all folded and in the box, ready to mail, when I realized I hadn't photographed them yet, hence the wrinkles. They're each double sided and very large (about 48"x 24") so Abby can use them for quite some time.

Painted Baby Frame

I'm currently teaching a class in how to paint this adorable frame with calico lettering, using this one for the promotional display. I made it with my soon-to-be great niece Abby in mind. (I'm going to reverse the first B and the A later, so it will say "ABBY.") The frame is a generous 12x12, with 4 inch letters, and an opening for a 4x4 photo. Isn't it cute?

I've also added it to my Etsy shop.