Brandon's Famous Salsa

This is Brandon. I make a homemade salsa that people seem to really enjoy so I thought I'd post it. It's actually very easy to make and is delicious!

2 cans petite diced tomatoes

1 onion

1 can green chillies (mild)

1 bunch of cilantro

1 jalepeno

1 Lime

1 can black beans

1 can corn

1 chicken bouillon cube

There are probably a few ways you can make this, but here's the way I prepare it. First I get a big Tupperware container and put in the 2 cans of petite diced tomatoes. Next on the chopping board I'll cut up an onion. I usually get a really big onion and use about 1/2 of it. Chop it us and add it to the tomatoes. Then I'll add the entire can of diced green chillies. After this I will take the bunch of cilantro and chop it up finely and add it to this mixture. Cilantro usually comes in a bunch with a rubber band on the bottom holding it together. I'll use everything above the rubber band...I love cilantro!!!

Next I'll take the chicken bouillon cube and add it to 1 cup of boiling water and then put this in the blender, but before you mix it in the blender you need to squeeze the lime into it as well and also the jalapeno. Depending on how spicy I want the salsa, I'll use 1/2 to 1 jalapeno. I usually won't include the seeds because my wife says it's too hot. I put the jalapeno in the blender so it's all mixed in and you don't get a really peppery or hot bite. Once all of this is in the blender (water w/ bouillon, lime and jalapeno), mix it up for a few seconds and add it to the Tupperware bowl.

The final steps are the black beans and corn. I open up the cans and pour them into a strainer and wash them off. Once washed I'll usually add about 3/4 of this mixture to the Tupperware bowl and then mix everything together.

That's about it. The salsa tastes better, in my opinion, after it's been refrigerated for at least 1/2 hour.

Enjoy!

Dillon-isms

I know it's never as entertaining when you are repeating funny sayings on a blog - but in my memory they are adorable...

Brandon and Dillon have recently started playing Super Mario - mainly just Brandon but Dillon instructs - ie, Dad, go that way, dad you didn't get the star bits, dad get the extra life - I think you get the idea. Brandon found a game on the computer that is easy enough for Dill to play and this is a recent conversation (it's the very condensed version of about a 5 minute long conversation) ...

D - I just don't like it, when the time goes off it kills me, I have to skedaddle but I just can't skedaddle fast enough and it kills me!

M - Well, isn't that because it's a timed game and you have to beat it before the time goes?

D- Yeah, but I just have to skedaddle if I'm going to win, I just don't like it.

(The enjoyment for me in that conversation was his usage of the work skedaddle, I have no clue where he learned it)

Exactly 75% of the people in our household are obsessed with babies - OBSESSED. (You can have 3 guesses as to which one isn't, though if you know us at all there is no need for more than one guess.) Regularly through out the day I am fielding 'baby' questions, we've already covered the 'how did it get there' a number a times. Additionally, Dillon is preparing at a very early age for marriage, if it were up to him it would probably be today, and he has no doubt in his mind who that girl will be, a dark haired fireball beauty named Olivia, who is 2. She is Kenzie's best friend in the whole world and the daughter of our friends. This conversation occurred in the car on the way home from playing with her and a few other friends...

D- When mommy's get babies do the daddy's get to watch.

M- Yes, of course, the daddy has to go to the hospital and help the doctor.

D- So when I marry Olivia and I'm going to be a daddy do I get to watch when she gets a baby?

Yes, my son is ready for life, he's just missing a few skills like ummm, kindergarten on up???

Sometimes...

You know those times when your kids are being so happy and sweet and smiling for every picture? You know when you are getting used to a new camera and you've been pushing buttons and don't know exactly what you are doing?

Sometimes you win, sometimes you loose, sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes you just settle for best out of five :)

Better Late Than Never!

With Brandon working from home now I very seldom get the computer. I can't just sit down and write when he decides I can have a turn - the juices have to be flowing first then I write, he's always sitting there when the juice is ready, so I let it simmer, when it simmers too long then it burns to the bottom in a stinky gloppy mess before I get a turn... In lieu of witty commentary regarding recent events over the last neglected couple of months I'm just putting on two pictures - yes only two because our camera broke last month and we finally got a new one - yippee!

Oh yeah, and honey, happy b-day :)
We love you!

AMAZING GF Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!

These are divine - they are so wonderful, I can't even believe they are gluten free!!! Oh I've been in heaven. They are so good. I'm pretty sure they are the best cookies I've ever had! I know you wheaties are disappointed - I don't post for weeks and then it's a recipe??? Sorry, I had to!!! (these can be very easily changed if a wheatie wants to make them - I do highly recommend the coconut flour though for all your dessert baking - it's at most health food stores. Take out the rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca and xanthan gum sub with 2 1/4 c. all purpose flour)

Best Chewy, Goowey, Puffy, Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER!!!
8 oz butter
1 c brown rice flour
1 c coconut flour - I'm telling you, even the wheatie's need to start using this stuff - it's amazing!
1/4 c cornstarch
2 tb tapioca
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 c sugar
1 1/4 c brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tb milk
2 tsp vanilla (I've recently discovered the power of real vanilla, I can't believe how much better it is!)
1 bag Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips (oh yes!!!)

Preheat oven to 275 - I've played around a bit with this temp, that's for here - I'm not sure how this will work for those not at sea level - so bake a couple before you do a whole batch, they should look like they aren't done all the way though, they don't darken very much at all and they are very squishy.

Melt butter in a saucepan on low heat

Sift flours, xanthan, salt and bk soda. Put butter in mixing bowl and add sugars, cream 1 minute. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla mix well. Slowly add flour, when mixed add chocolate chips.

Chill 1 hour - crucial. Shape and bake for 14 minutes. Let cool on pan at least 2 minutes before cooling on wire rack. These taste particularly good warm and gooey, these are also the first ones I've had that also taste good as dough!!! :) I typically shape half the batch, put it in a ziplock bag and freeze them, then you can just bake them frozen for a little bit longer.


However where there is good there can also be bad... Due to the very high fiber content in coconut flour (23% in 2 tbs!) you should both be encouraged and discouraged from eating too many... not a problem us celi-akies normally have :)