Wordless Wednesday

Hi, my name's Jenna, and I'm an addict ...

... a chihuahua-card-buying addict.

I have to buy every chihuahua greeting card that I see. It's impossible for me to read a cute chihuahua card and just put it back and walk away.

It must come home with me.

And I'm pretty sure that the greeting card companies are aware of my weakness and prey on me and other animal-lovers.

I've been known to buy the same card two and three times.

So don't be surprised when your birthday or anniversary rolls around, and you get a card from me that looks awfully similar to the ones below ...

Crisis!

A few nights ago, hubby called me in a panic. I was at a meeting, and he was home.

Kent: "BABE."

Me: "Yeah?" (I was slightly worried, I sensed the urgency in his voice ...)

Kent: "Where are those chocolate truffles?"

Me: "You mean the ones from two Christmases ago? Those are long gone."

Kent: "Darn it."

Me: "Why?"

Kent: "I need some chocolate, and we don't have any."

Me: "Are you going to be OK?"

Kent: "I guess."

So the next day, I went to World Market and surprised him with this:

Wonder how long this will last until we have another "chocolate crisis?"

See the bars with the bacon on them? There are pieces of real Applewood bacon in the dark chocolate. It's actually pretty darn good!

Wordless Wednesday

Yummy Recipes - Puerto Rican Beef

I knew that cold weather was on the way, so I decided to make one of our favorite dishes, because it's warm, hearty and satisfying. I can't get enough of the saltiness of the olives mixed with the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. Thanks to Everyday Paleo for this recipe.

Puerto Rican Beef

1 lb grass fed ground beef (lamb works well, too, when you're ready to switch it up)
1 bunch kale, (stems cut away) chopped into small pieces
1 white onion, chopped
1/2 of a green and red bell pepper sliced*
1/2 cup pimento stuffed green olives
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 Tbsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp dried oregano
Pinch of saffron threads (optional)**
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
3 sweet potatoes
1 ripe avocado

In a large skillet brown the ground beef. Add the bell peppers, onions and olive oil and saute until the onions and peppers are tender. Add all of the spices and mix well. Add the kale and green olives, continue cooking stirring often until the kale is tender (about 4-5 minutes). Serve over mashed sweet potatoes and top with sliced avocado.

Enjoy!

*The original recipe calls for 1/2 of a yellow bell pepper, too, but they are usually too pricey for me. Occasionally, I'll come across a sale on red ones, but this recipe is still delicious if you just use green, in which case I would use 1 to 1 1/2 bell peppers.

**I have never used saffron in this recipe, because I don't have any saffron in my spice cabinet. And considering that it's the most expensive spice per ounce in the world, I don't think I'll be getting it any time soon! :)

Hiatus

Just realized that I've been on a month-long blogger hiatus.

Shame on me.

What can I say, the holiday season left me ....

Tired.

I'll be back soon to catch up on the last month ...

... and I'll have new recipes to share. :)

Priceless Keepsakes

My grandparents have always been crafty. I look back now and can recall wearing some real fashion disasters that my Nana made for me back in the 80s, but back then I loved them. Nana is the seamstress/painter and my Papoo does incredible woodwork. The little details and intricacies of their work never cease to amaze me. Here are just a few of my treasures from them:

But one of my absolute favorite pieces is this unique take on a traditional Advent calendar. This hung in our house every Christmas for as long as I can remember.

My siblings and I used to fight over who got to hang what on the tree each day. It's quite large (about 3' x 2') and the wood is also quite warped from being stored in the attic for three decades.

I inherited this calendar a few years ago, and each morning on my way into the kitchen, I feel like a kid again as I hang the corresponding day onto the tree. The same anticipation is there, the excitement of counting down the days until Christmas.

This year though, there's also a bit of anxiety that goes along with this cherished piece. The tree seems to be filling up quicker than usual ... only 10 shopping days left? What?!? Seriously, where did the time go?