A Gift From Kevin ;

i received a gift from Kevin today ; its a black BENTO BOX ,

with removable compartments & painted oriental designs, on the lid.

i cant wait to use it !

its been awhile since ive made a bento box, and now im stoked to get back into it ~

Oh, and INSIDE the bento box, he included a few thoughtful goodies as well,

- his Night Light ; which hes had ever since he could remember,

knowing that i have an extremely unhealthy fear of the dark..

- a Loonie ; (a Canadian dollar coin) ; for winning a bet against him.

unfortunately, we both cant remember what the bet was now..

- random requested drawings on the back of a 

" S.H.I.E.L.D Psychiatric Evaluation" paper, of Bruce Banner (aka. The Hulk).

(an inside joke between us. hehe)

- & a Letter .

This is what the Bento Box was wrapped in.
haha i would of loved to see Kevin walking around
West Edminton Mall. with this in hand, but he decided
to be a square, and shoved it inside his school bag instead.
pshhh

The Bento Box 

Filled with letters, drawings, a very special night light,
and a legitly won dollar coin~

Inside
with a removable 3-compartment insert.

once again, thank youuu~
& ill promise to take care of it, and use it often for my
future bentos !

Accidental Teriyaki? ;

To be honest, i was trying to just marinate a fillet of chicken,
but it ended up tasting like spicy teriyaki instead.
it was still very yummy & i wouldnt mind making it again for a meal.
i didnt really take measurements with the "teriyaki sauce", i just kinda
added random ingredients from my fridge & spice cabinet, to combine
what seemed like a good mixture, according to my preference in sauces.

My "Teriyaki Sauce"

i just combined a whole bunch of random ingredients from

my fridge, things such as..

garlic, peppers, green onions, lemon, garlic powder, pepper,

balsamic vinegar, hot sauces, soy-sauce, ginger, honey.. etc.
basically suite the sauce according to what YOU like ~

i marinated the chicken for a good 40 - 60 mins

i cooked it in a pan half way, both sides,
& scored the chicken fillet for it to marinate quicker~

bake it the rest of the way through.

once its done, i let it sit for about 7 mins,  so the fillet can
recollect its juices. believe me, its worth the wait !

The end result is an amazingly juicy & soft fillet of chicken

i arranged the chicken on top of some rice, drizzled the
drippings on to my rice, and added a simple side salad~

the salad is yummy! its simply, chopped cabbage, a small
handful of baby grape tomatoes,  and a dressing made-of
mayo, ketchup, and sriracha sauce.
(similar to thousand island dressing, but with a spicy kick)

Cooking for Man & His Best Friend ;

So, Hobby Farms sent me a contract this week,

and it stipulated that i had to cook 12 of their recipes.
( which ive finally completed ! )

Here are the pictures for the last 7 ;

"Chicken & Dumpling Casserole" (Hobby Farms Edited)
ive always wanted to try this recipe, and now i finally had
a chance to try it out. the original recipe for this left the
casserole a bit on the runny side, when i was expecting
thick, bubbly, creamy, goodness, like how a real casserole
should be.  So heres my improved version on this dish;

Recipe ;
- 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, uncooked.
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 cup coarsely chopped celery

- 1 cup thinly sliced carrots

- 2 tbs of dried sage

- 1 packet of gravy mix

- 1 cup of cheddar cheese

- 2 cups of chicken broth

Recipe for Dumpling ;

- 1/2 cup milk

- 2 tbs veggie oil

- 1 cup flour

- 2 tsp. baking powder

- 1 tsp salt

whisk the milk & oil first, and gradually stir in the dry

ingredients for the dumplings.  Set aside.

Cut each chicken breast in half, and place them in a greased

casserole dish (8 x 8 inch glass dish) . Sprinkle half of the

gravy mix over the chicken, and cover the chicken with

carrots, onion, and celery. Sprinkle the cheese, sage & pepper

over the vegetables, and pour broth over all.

Distribute  2 inch balls of dumpling dough evenly over the

casserole, cover tightly with foil & bake at 325 degrees F

for 90 mins, or until the dumplings are slightly browned.

*Serves 4

"Cream of Pumpkin Soup" (Hobby Farms Recipe Edited)
if youre a pumpkin lover or just simply looking for a
holiday dish, try this out.

Recipe ;
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 2 tbs butter
- 1 1/2 cups orange juice

- 2 1/2 cups of cooked, mashed pumpkin

- 2 cups of chicken broth

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tsp pepper

- 1 tsp nutmeg

- 1 cup of cream

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- 1/4 cup sour cream for garnish (optional)

- 1/4 cup toasted walnut halves (optional)

In a large sauce pan, sauté onion in butter until soft.

Add in OJ, pumpkin, broth & seasonings. Simmer for 20min

& remove from heat. Purée in a blender until smooth.  Return

soup to the sauce pan and stir in cream, place over medium

heat for 5 mins, careful to not boil. Garnish each bowl with

a swirl of sour cream & walnuts halves.

"Breakfast Wraps w/ Turkey Ham" (Hobby Farms Recipe edited)
This Breakfast wrap was certainly a yummy way to start
my morning.~
but this was defiantly too fat to wrap. haha !

Recipe ;
- 3 eggs
- 3 tbs of butter (divided into 2 portions)
- 1/4 cup of red or yellow bell peppers, seeded & diced

- 1/4 cup of cilantro

- 1/4 cup onions

- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese

-  2 tbs of milk

-  1 1/4 cup of turkey ham

- 1 medium tomato diced

- salt & pepper to season

Melt one portion of the butter in a frying pan.

Whisk the eggs with the milk, & scramble.

season with salt & pepper if desired. 

in another pan, melt the final portion of the butter &

cook the bell peppers & onions until soft,

then add ham. Cook until the Ham is browned & the

bell peppers & onions are tender.

warm up the tortillas by placing a damp napkin.

over the wrap & microwave for 10 seconds.

The Wrap should be soft & warm, sprinkle cheese over the wrap,

and microwave for another 15 seconds (without the damp napkin)

cheese should be melted bubbly goodness ~

Now, just pile on your ingredients and make your perfect

breakfast burrito !

" Cornbread " (Hobby Farms recipe edited)
This cornbread recipe wasnt too bad, but i personally
would of liked it to be a little bit sweeter & with
corn pieces in mine.
so, here is an edited version of my recipe for cornbread~

Recipe ;
- 2 cups of corn meal
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups of sugar
- 7 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt

- 2  1/2 cups milk

- 3 large eggs well beaten

- 2 1/2 tbs of butter

- 1 cup of canned corn; drained.

Mix the dry ingredients together, & add the wet ingredients

together, fold the corn into the mixture.

Bake at 425 degrees F for 20 min. or until golden brown

to double-check for doneness, insert a toothpick in

the thickest part, if the toothpick comes out clean, its done.

Lentil Soup w/ Turkey Sausage (Hobby Farms edited)
i personally enjoyed this soup. it was hearty and satisfying.
a small bowl of this, easily filled me up. altho i would of
used some sort of spicy italian sausage VS the turkey.

Recipe ;
- 1/2 pound of dried brown lentils
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 1 large bayleaf

-  1 1/2 quart beef, chicken, or vegetable stock

- 1 pound of your favorite sausage brand, sliced 1/2 thick

- 2 potatoes, peel and cut into big chunks

- 1 cup of peeled and diced carrots

-  Salt ( depending on the salt content of your stock &

   sausage, you may prefer to not add additional salt.)

Be sure to wash the lentils first, remove any dirt or rocks from

them, and then transfer them into a big pot. Boil the lentils

in the Broth until soft ( NOT until theyre mush) about 1 hour.

Stirring occasionally.

While lentils are cooking prepare the sausage according to

the package. set aside.

Add the potatoes, carrots, and sausage and simmer until

vegetables & lentils are tender. Stir occasionally and

adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot.

*Serves about 4

"Cheesy Chicken Dog Cookies"
My puppy loves these ! he`ll hold one between his teeth &
run over to a spot to eat it alone in peace. ahaha !
(picture below)

Recipe ;
- 2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 6 chicken buillion cubes (low sodium)
- 1/2 cup margarine

- 1 cup boiling water

- 2 cups whole wheat flour

- 1 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

- 1 cup milk

- 2 eggs

- 3 tbs sugar

- 3 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

- all purpose flour to sprinkle

Prehead the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 2 large cookie sheets

with non stick spray. Mis the oats, bullion cubes, & margarine

in a large bowl. Add the boiling water & allow oats to cook &

dissolve the bullion cubes. Add the remaining ingredients

except the all purpose flour. Mix & form the ingredients into a

big stiff dough ( add flour to stiffen if need.) Roll out the

dough to 1/2 inch thick & using a bone shaped cookie cutter,

cut out the cookie pieces and place on cookie sheets.

bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Let the cookies cool completely before offering treats.

"Apple Cinnamon Dog Bits" (Hobby Farms Recipe Edited)
oh my god, i thought these smelled JUST like apple pie!
i was tempted to eat one myself, which would actually
be okay, if you check out the ingredients, but i think
Coco would of been mad at me if i stole one of his treats~

Recipe ;
- 4 cups of whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1 egg

- 2 tbs veggie oil

- 3 tbs cinnamon

- 2 apples grated

- 1 cup water

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the apple &

water. Grate the apple into the mixture, then add the water.

Mix well until it forms a stiff dough,  (add more wheat-flour

if needed.) Roll out on a lightly floured surface and flatten

the dough to an 1/2 inch thickness. Take a knife and score

the dough horizontally & vertically to make a grid of

1 inch squares. Be careful not to cut through the dough

completely. Place the dough on a baking sheet that has

been greased. Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour, & Break

apart when cooled.

COCO! with a "Cheesy Chicken" doggie cookie~
hes running away to look for a "private" place to eat.
i think hes afraid ill take it away and eat it myself.
hehe~
oh, you might not be able to see it on here, but if you
click this image to see an enlarged version, you can
see a little cookie crumb stuck to his nose. haha!
so cute ! i love him .

A Thankful Thanksgiving;

Truth be told, im not very close with my own family.
we just cant seem to get along..
i dont spend much time wit them, & i cant even recall the last time
i had dinner with my mom.
or even the last time i even had dinner MADE by my mom.
which is probably how i started cooking on my own.
But ever since i met Frankie,
his family has welcomed me with open arms,
and i have been so blessed since.~

Frankie, his dad, cousin, niece, auntie, mom, myself, Amy (sister), Auntie

his parents are such a wonderful pair ~
His mom tends to buy random trinkets & gadgets that she never uses,
but still insists that i read the manuals for them anyway; from ice-cream churners,
waffle irons, cone makers, individual egg steamers... any random cookware!
She buys a ton of little dolls, hair-clips, accessories, bags, & keychains and she
attaches them to any place she can find, haha! 
shes just an adorable person, whos fun to be around~
Even sitting around watching game shows with her is a joy, served with
corn-on-the-cob (her fav.)  while garnished with random arguments
over the correct answers, to the trivia questions.
---
& his dad is a totally " hip & happenin` " individual !
He initiates conversations of Frankie's interests,
like tracking cars, work, & tennis. While learning a few curse words from Frankie,
and tries to fuse them into his sentences. (which always makes me laugh)~
He also brainstorms new ideas for his company by involving the development
of car-parts, since Frankie has such a deep passion for cars & the track.
oh and did i mention that he even drinks with Frankie & his friends?
haha, such an awesome dad.
& every other week or so, he tries to have a "cooking day" with me,
and we`d cook together, exchange tips, provide suggestions, and show off by
channeling our inner iron chef skills. BAM !
----
but even with all these amazing features, the best part about them is
their never ending love for their family.
once in awhile, ill catch a glimpses of them just looking at Frankie in
complete adoration, and it`ll make my heart melt.
Theyre such an interactive, supportive, happy, & generous bunch~
im extremely thankful for them to consider me as one of their own.
i love them all deeply.
This entry is dedicated to them;
it was truly a Happy Thanksgiving !

Our Thanks Giving Dinner!
with Roasted Turkey & Glazed Sweet Ham

My Dog Coco !
hes patiently waiting to eat his ham & turkey

Yummy!  our Roasted Turkey & Glazed Sweet Ham

My Garlic & Bacon Mashed Potatoes!
a favorite among my friends,
& always requested by Frankie`s dad

Recipe;

- Boiled Potatoes (in salted water)

- Drained & Mashed

- Pour in Heavy cream, till desired consistency

- Finely chopped garlic (alot if youre a garlic lover like me)

- a handful of Bacon Bits
- a sprinkle of black ground pepper, & more salt if needed.

"Swedish Potatoes"
This is a recipe from my step-dad
its his "specialty" or atleast, the only thing he can cook
that doesnt come in a box. keke~
Believe me, even if the word" anchovie" sets you off,
you wont even taste them! these potatoes are SO good.

Recipe;

- 5 Peeled & Sliced potatoes (cut french-fry style)

- 2 oz. can of anchovies; cut into tiny pieces.

- one large onion, finely chopped.

- 3/5 of a pint of Heavy Cream

- 1 Cup of Bread Crumbs

- Half a Stick of Butter ; sliced.

- Salt & Pepper to sprinkle.

Butter the bottom of your casserole dish, and layer the

potato slices at the bottom. (enough to just cover it).

sprinkle pieces of anchovies on top, with a sprinkle of

onions on top of that. add a splash of heavy cream

over it all & repeat.

ending with potatoes on top.

add a final splash of heavy cream, sprinkle the bread crumbs on top

and scatter the sliced pieces of butter on top of it all.

& bake at 420 degrees, until potatoes are tender & golden brown.

Adding the Last Dash of Cream
over the potatoes

Finishing with a Sprinkling  of Bread Crumbs

The Final Touch.
adding slices of butter ontop of your bread crumbs

Moose Bread? ;

i dont usually bake much,
its not that i cant , i would just rather COOK food instead~
But today i decided to try out this recipe called "Moose Bread".
its a sweet molasses bread, studded with golden raisins.
i wasnt sure how this was suppose to look, so i decided to google it
to help me get a sense of how it should turn out, but i couldnt find any pictures of it.
i wonder if theres another, more common name for this recipe,
rather than "Moose Bread" ?

"Moose Bread" - (Hobby Farms recipe edited)

i never knew molasses was so stinky!

but the end result of this was

sweet, chewy, crumbly satisfaction.

Recipe ;

- 1 cup of molasses 

- 1 egg

- 2 1/2 cups of flour

- 1 1/2 tsp of baking soda

- 1 cup of sugar

- 1 tsp of salt

- 1 cup of golden raisins

- 1 cup of milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, beat the wet ingredients

together, and in a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients.

pour the wet into the dry, and fold in the raisins.

bake the mixture in a 9inch square baking dish,

for 45 min or until golden brown.

The Starving Artist is Gettin` Paid! ;

Can you believe im working for a magazine?!
i recently got hired at "Hobby Farms" magazine co.
as their freelance photographer!
basically, im sent a list of their recipes, i cook the food, & then take pictures of it~
how great is this? im getting paid for a hobby that im already doing!
Special Thanks to Peter Lam, for hookin` it up !
I had a free day today,
so i decided to get a few of their easier recipes done with.
Here they are :

"Fresh Peach Preserves";
its basically like a peach jam. it was pretty simple to make,
but my only problem with this recipe, was that it required
"fresh" peaches in WINTER; so theyre no longer in season!
its fine tho, i used canned ones.
shh dont tell!

"Fresh Peach Preserves" (Hobby Farms recipe edited)
Heres the peach preserves on some toast; quite yummy

Recipe ;

- 4-5 ripe peaches

- 1.5 tbs of lemon juice

- 3/4 of a cup of sugar

Peel & pit peaches,  remove any bruises on the fruit,

& discard.  Coarsely mash the peaches and stir in the

lemon juice.  Pour the mixture into a large skillet(not cast iron)

add sugar and cover the pan. Bring it to a boil in high heat,

for a minute. Remove the lid & reduce the heat so that the

peaches continue to bubble, but dont boil over.

Cook & stir the mixture until it reduces to half.

(do not over cook, preserves thicken as they cool)

skim off any foam, immediately ladle it into a heat proof 

container , and let it cool in room temperature for an hour.

Cover and store in the fridge (can store for a week.)

*makes 2 cups.

"Farmer Fuel Trail-Mix"
yet another simple recipe; all i had to do was buy
assorted nuts, fruits, and a few pretzel bites & tada!
a quick & easy snack

"Farmer Fuel Trail-Mix"
i thought i`d get creative, by using a small paper bag &
crumpling it until it was soft enough to fold into a little
 pocket pouch. over flowing with
sweet, nutty, crunchy, salty goodness ~

"Blueberry Kiwi Smoothie"
not only does it have blueberries & kiwis,
but it also has a generous pinch of cinnamon
& dizzle of honey. yumm

"Blueberry Kiwi Smoothie" (Hobby Farms)
in a tall, frosted glass~

Recipe ;

- 2 cups of ice

- 1 cup of your favorite flavored yogurt

- 1 cup of blueberries

- 1 cup of peeled kiwis

- 1/2 cup of milk

- 2 tbs of honey

- generous pinch of cinnamon

Blend the ingredients togther, and serve

right away.

* makes 2 large servings

"Maple Roasted Parsnips" (Hobby Farms)
i never knew what parsnips were until today.
it looks like a giant, white carrot.
and has a very strong smell of it as well.
Although these were baked in maple syrup
until they turned golden, sweet, and crispy,
i can say with confidence,
that i personally, do not like parsnips.

Recipe ;

- 2 1/2 pounds of parsnips

- 1/5 cup veggie oil

- salt & pepper

- 1/2 cup of pure maple syrup.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel & cut the parsnips (french fry style),

should be about an inch wide & 1/2 thick.

Place the parsnips into a roasting pan, &

pour oil over the parsnips & mix them well,

coating each parsnip. Pour the maple syrup

over the parsnips & bake until tender

(about 35 mins) or until crispy & golden.
*serve as a side dish for a meaty main course
   ex; roast beef.