Marinated Tofu

Hi! Guess what? I burned part of this dish and my baking dish is ruined! BUT, there's a bit of good news...actually it's a big deal and happy that not everything burned. The recipe doesn't say to put tofu in the oven without the marinade, it only says "same dish" so that's what I did with the marinade still in it and the marinade & some of the pinapple pieces burned big time! but not the tofu. It was my fault though because I used a slightly bigger dish than called for. Anyway, I'll tell you guys a little later how I saved it.

Recipe from Ultimatedanielfast.com

Marinated Tofu
- 8 oz. Extra firm tofu, drained
- 1/4 cup unsweetened pinapple juice
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
- 1 clove garlic, minced

1. Slice tofu into 1 inch cubes and place in an 8 x 8 inch baking dish.

2. Mix pinapple juice, Braggs Liquid Aminos (soy sauce) and garlic in a small bowl. Use a whisk to combine. Pour over tofu and put in refrigerator to marinate 30-45 minutes.

3. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Then bake (in the same dish) for 20 mins or until the outside is a deep, golden brown and slightly crispy.

(yield: 4 servings - serving size: about 2 oz)




Mine never got crispy or deep golden brown, but I'm guessing you can cook it longer if making it on the skillet or wok and you want it a darker color. Mine was fine just like this.


Ok so I doubled the recipe but kept both parts separate. I marinaded them separately too. I used the juice from canned pineapples and even though the recipe didnt call for pineapple pieces, I added a few pieces to marinate along with the tofu. Yummy!

When the marinade was burning and tofu was barely looking golden brown, I took it out of the oven, added a tiny bit of oil to a skillet and when it was hot, I added the tofu and the pinapple chunks. When it browned on the skillet, added some of the marinade that wasn't burned, a few extra left over pinapples and pinapple juice that were still in the can. It smelled really good and when my brother tried it, he said it was really good and he couldn't taste anything burned or any bitter garlic so my tofu was saved! I put the tofu on a towel for a few minutes so it could drain a bit.

Then I heated a little bit of oil again, cooked the second batch and did the same thing...Waited for it to brown, added some of the marinade, then some pinapples chunks and a bit of the juice still in the can and when it looked caramelized and cooked, I drained it a few minutes too and done! Served it with brown rice.

My brother liked how the pineapple pieces tasted so if you like pineapples in your food, make sure to add enough. I was experimenting so I didn't add too many. Hope you guys try it on a skillet like I did it or like the recipe says, just make sure you follow every step, unlike me! haha. Don't burn your baking dish! =/

Asian Noodle Salad

My brother and his friend have engaged in the Daniel Fast and I must say, for me it's a bit of a challenge as far as finding recipes with foods that are allowed in the fast. I feel it has more restrictions than vegan cooking so it will definitely be interesting!

Some of the recipes will include ingredients that might not "technically" be allowed in the Daniel Fast so its really up to the person to decide how many modifications they are willing to make, if any at all. Therefore, please research the ingredients. I'm definitely not an expert on the Daniel Fast or any type of ingredients.

The recipes I will be following are based on what my brother is allowed to eat, but I'm sure adjustments can be made to what you can eat.

This recipe is a cold noodle salad and both my brother and his friend tried it before they started the Daniel Fast and they liked it, so I will be making it again in a couple of days. It's from a book titled "The Daniel Fast" by Susan Gregory and I just noticed that above the recipe, it says: "You'll be coming back for more on this recipe." I guess so! She's right. 

ASIAN NOODLE SALAD



Ingredients:
- 8 ounces whole wheat thin spaghetti noodles
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon creamy peanut butter
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup peeled, seeded and sliced cucumber
- 1 cup sliced snow peas
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup pinapple chuncks, cut in half
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package directions until al dente. Drain well (do not rinse), toss with canola oil, and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the cilantro, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, oil, peanut butter, and red pepper flakes. Stir until well blended.

3. Add the cucumber, snow peas, bell pepper, pineapple chunks, and noodles, and toss. Let stand, covered, at room temperature for 1 hour, stirring occasionally so the flavors soak into the vegetables and pineapple.

4. Adjust the seasoning with the salt and pepper, toss again, and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Adjustments I make:
- I double the recipe
- I don't add red pepper flakes, salt or pepper. I leave it up to the person eating it, to season it if they wish.
- I quarter sliced water chestnuts and add them instead of snow peas.
- I add both red and green bell pepper.
- I cut down a little on the cilantro and the lemon measurements

Feb. 1 - Movie: "Julie & Julia"

Valentine's Day is coming up so my plan was to watch romantic comedies, romantic dramas & all that, to stay in the theme of this month, but wanted to start with "LABOR DAY" movie. As I mentioned before, I can't go anywhere because I'm a sickie soooo I had to watch something else at home instead and I went with "JULIE & JULIA".

I really enjoy this movie because I feel it's about real people being lost, about learning, finding yourself, and doing what you love. I'm sure many of us, at some point in our life, we wish we could wake up one day and have a life changing idea, but ofcourse some of us are too scared so we'll never know, but it's nice to see people that go for it and don't give up and later find out it's one of the best decisions they've made.

This movie also includes lots of food and a blog so ofcourse I love it! It's also nice to see that both characters have a loving, supporting partner that's involved, gives ideas and enjoys their cooking. Who wouldn't want that? I love to see couples that love and respect eachother. And though, some people would think it's "depressing" to watch romantic movies so close to Valentine's Day if you're single and also after a break up (based on a comment someone made), I just can't agree. I love beautiful true love stories even if just in movies, books, or if someone else is telling them because not only does it make me smile, but it also gives me hope that sweet, gentle, solid, respectful, honest love exists soooomewhere out there in the world. Right? Any power couples out there? Hard to find, but sure they're out there.

HAPPY FEBRUARY! <3

Grandma's Special Day!!!

Unfortunately, I'm still home sick and couldn't be with my grandmother on her special day. She wanted me to bake her a cake, but I got sick unexpectedly and it also lasted longer than we hoped, so I feel bad. =(

I spoke with her earlier and she sounds very happy and sounds good, compared to the way she sounded a few days ago. I feel so blessed to still have my grandmother and to see that she is enjoying her day and her guests and hopefully soon she'll also enjoy her belated birthday cake! =) I'm so glad people from church and family have been visiting her since early in the morning. I'm so grateful to them for making her so happy.

I also want to thank my cousin Marisol soooo much for putting grams on the phone for me and for the cute pictures. I love them!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABUELITAAAAAA!!!
QUE DIOS LA BENDIGA Y QUE SE MEJORE PRONTO.

TE QUIERO CON TODO MI CORAZON MI VIEJITA LINDA!

Hope to see you soon, miss you.

Mickey Hat, Lollipop Box & Napkin Ring

 Party hat for bday baby...

Cereal box made into a themed box for lollipops. I will add styrofoam inside, tissue paper and crinkled paper so the lollipops can stand.

I traced a bunch of mickey gloves with a pencil, then a permanent marker, added the details, cut them out, glued them to scalloped circles and added a little strip of paper. They will be wrapped around the napkins with the spoons, knives and forks inside. 

Snowflake Cupcakes

A few days ago, I made cupcakes with snowflakes on them for a very special little princess and her classmates to have a "Frozen" birthday celebration...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARY!!!

HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GOOD TIME AND ENJOYED YOUR CUPCAKES.

-Thank you Di for being so thoughtful and kind to my family and me.  



Mickey Mouse Party Ears

Home sick for a few days so I'll have alot of time to work on stuff for a Mickey Mouse theme party. I will show what I've done so far, but I still have to make more stuff.

 I bought these bday headbands but removed the words so I can use the words on the centerpieces and add ears to the headbands.

 Added black, red and yellow ears to the headbands.

I typed a sign for the ears and added a picture of a mickey camera, had it printed and added red and yellow paper on the background. Then, hot glued the sign to a wooden stick and glued the stick to the red plastic container.

I also added tissue paper in the inside of the container, curling ribbon on the sides and white circles to the front of it.