Cambodian Style Hot Wings

A few months ago I made these sticky and spicy wings and a few friends asked for the recipe.  So here I am today on my very neglected blog sharing with you my recipe for wings.  I'm calling them Cambodian style because that's what I am and the ingredients are found in my "Cambodian" kitchen and cooking. 

A ton of people love Sriracha now, but I grew up with this stuff.  As a young girl I called it rooster sauce.  Growing up in a Cambodian-American household we had a lot of condiments in our fridge that my American friends looked at with a very puzzled look and NOT wanting to try.  I don't blame them.  Open a jar a shrimp paste and it knocks your socks off! Lol.  Fish sauce is definitely found in many refrigerators these days so you might not need to run out to your grocery store for the ingredients.

So basically if you love hot wings.  Or Asian flavors, or you ever wondered how my food tastes that I'm constantly taking pictures of. You will dig these deliciously spicy, juicy, messy wings!  Mario and I can inhale these bad boys.  They are not on our girls taste buds yet.  Someday I hope.

Here's what you'll need:

3 lbs. chicken wing drumettes
3 Tablespoons Sriracha Sauce
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
1 Tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1//2 teaspoon chili spice blend
Cilantro to garnish

Put your oven on the broil setting and the rack on the 3rd rung, not the top rung.  Line your cookie sheet with foil.  Mix your marinade in large bowl and reserve a good amount in another small bowl for basting wings.  Then place your chicken wings in bowl and cover with your hot marinade.  Let them sit for 15 minutes.  After that spread wings onto cookie sheet and cook for 10 minutes under broiler.  They will get dark on the edges but that's good.  Then take out and flip your wings.  Baste on the remainder of sauce and put back into the oven for 10 minutes. 

Go ahead and transfer onto platter or serve straight off the sheet.  Sprinkle on some chopped Cilantro (because that is my favorite) and enjoy!!  I hope you try this one out and please let me know what you thought of them!  Thank you so much for reading.

Recipe, Organic Vanilla Sugar

Hello friends, and happy Tuesday!  Today I'm sharing a delicious recipe for organic Vanilla Sugar.  It only has two ingredients which makes it uber easy to whip up. This sugar has a warm, sweet vanilla flavor and scent that makes it even more delightful than basic white sugar. It is the perfect accompaniment to your teas, coffees, toast, fruit, or anything that needs a sweet sprinkling of something!

Also, if your the kind of person who loves a good DIY or Mason jar gift, this a good one for you.  Personally I love anything in a mason jar.  They are so cute and popular which makes finding the jars at your craft store very easy.  They come in different shapes, colors, and sizes.  So you can tweak this recipe to make more if needed.  The size I made is perfect for giving as a gift or just leaving out on your coffee and tea station.

Organic Vanilla Sugar
2 Cups organic Granulated Cane Sugar
1 whole organic Vanilla Bean
2 clean and dry Mason jars

Kitchen tools you'll need is a pairing knife and a food processor.  I tried using my stand mixer but it didn't work, sorry.

Measure out your sugar and place inside food processor.  Then take your vanilla bean and cut off dryish tips. Slice it in half length wise.  Using the the dull side of your knife scrape along the half collecting all the vanilla caviar.  Do that to both halves of bean and set them aside. Then drop the vanilla caviar inside sugar.  Put on lid and lock food processor, begin to grind on 5 second intervals.  I did this for about 20 seconds till all the vanilla and sugar was mixed together.  The specs of vanilla should show throughout all the sugar.  You don't want any big clumps of vanilla. 

Now you'll want to place one half of the vanilla bean inside each jar.  Then pour your sugar carefully inside Mason jars.  Go ahead and put lids on jars and decorate them as you wish.  For mine I just used some chalk labels I had on hand and some ribbon. 

I hope that you enjoyed this recipe.  If you try it out let me know how you liked it.  Thank you so much for reading!

Gia's 3rd Birthday!

My little baby Gia is now 3.  I guess that's not so baby anymore. A great quote; "The days are long, but the years are short."

If you asked her what she wanted for her birthday she would have said a puppy.  The fluffy white FurReal Friends one to be exact.  Well I was sure to pick that up at least a month prior.  Having a birthday so very close to Christmas can be a drag I hear.  So my hubby and I make sure to give her a special day to remember. 

Her actual birthday fell on a Tuesday so we, mainly Mario secretly decorated the kitchen in the wee hours of the morning.  She opened one present in the morning and then waited for daddy to get home from work to open the rest.  I always feel bad he misses so many cute moments!  I made her a vanilla cake with cream cheese frosting and a pony on top.  That was her idea, all I kept hearing was she wanted a pony cake!  I'm definitely not talented enough so I opted for a mini figurine.

That weekend we hosted her birthday party at the local pizza place.  I was able to decorate a little bit so that made my heart happy.  She wanted a princess theme so I found the cutest décor on Zulily.  I made her cake, dawning a unicorn this time.  And 60 cupcakes, omg I've never baked that many before.  After a while all the frosting was looking like pink piles of poo!  The kids decorated trees with glitter stickers.

Mostly all of her family on both sides came and lots of her little friends.  The kids were running around like crazy having a good ol' time.  Gia was very spoiled with love and gifts.  We are so grateful to everyone!  These days are just flying by and our daughter is growing like a weed.  So articulate and spunky, she never leaves us a dull moment.  Her beautiful brown eyes and curly dark hair gives her a magical charm.  We love you so much sweet Gia!!!

Coconut Christmas Cookies

Number 1, I know I've been missing in action on my blog.  Number 2, I know coconut and Christmas don't quite go hand in hand but what the heck.  I think any sweets and Christmas go together!  I also thought why not go ahead and try blogging again today.  If it makes you feel good, than do it.  These little gems are a cross between butter cookies and macaroons. So please, eat the cookie.  Better yet, have two!

Mario saw some coconut cookies in a magazine and asked me to make them. Sooo being the good wife I am I decided to make my own version ;)  This recipe is adapted from my mommas Gooey Chocolate Cookies that I have made a couple versions of so far.  The base is a cake mix, so it's pretty easy and has just a few ingredients.  I love that. We are big coconut lovers over here. 

Ingredients
1 box French Vanilla cake mix
1 package softened cream cheese
1 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1 stick softened butter
1 cup flaked coconut
1 egg

Cream butter and cream cheese in stand mixer. Add in egg and extract, mix on med high speed until smooth.  Then add cake mix and whip together.  Lastly incorporate coconut flakes.  Chill dough in fridge for about 2 hours. Spoon onto Silpat cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes depending on your oven.  Cool cookies on a rack then enjoy!  Store in airtight container.

Thanksgiving is just a few short days away and I am so excited!  We are going up to Arlington and celebrating with the hubsters side of the family.  There will be turkey and all the fixings, lasagna, and my macaroni and cheese.  I'm debating sharing that calorie fest recipe seeing as a lot of my friends are healthy work out mamas!  They would shoot me down ;)

Thank you for reading, and I hope you all have a blessed holiday week!

My version of Stuffed Shells.

I posted a picture on Instagram last week of this dinner. A few friends said it looked delicious and one might like the recipe.  So here it is, I aim to please.  This dish has a few steps but it also has a some short cuts.  I'm all about Semi-homemade meals, ala Sandra Lee! 

I basically love anything with pasta as does the rest of my family.  The creamy sauce was pretty much drinkable.  It would be great with raviolis or even lasagna. I hope that you try it out and enjoy it as much as we did.

Ingredients for Sauce

1 jar pre-made Alfredo Sauce (here's the short cut)
1 can Organic Diced Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon fresh Organic Basil, Chiffonade (fancy term for thin strips)
Garlic Salt & Cracked Pepper to taste
1/2 Teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
1/2 cup water

Heat sauce to medium heat till flavors have melded together. 
While your making sauce bring a big pot of water to boil for your shells.  I used about 15 Jumbo Shells from Ronzoni.  I would boil extra in case some tear or you end up needing more.

Filling for Shells

1 20 oz Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup Tomato Basil Feta Cheese crumbled
1 Organic Egg
Garlic Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix filling in medium bowl. 
After Shells are done boiling take them out and lay on foil to cool.
Meanwhile spray a 9x13 casserole dish and then ladle some of the sauce into bottom of dish.  Coating the entire surface.
 
When shells are cool enough to touch you can spoon ricotta mix into them with a spoon. A piping bag would have been a nice touch but this mama did not have time for that ;)  When all the shells are filled up you can gently pour the rest of your sauce over them.  Making sure to fill every nook and cranny. 

Final touch would be to garnish top of shells with more fresh basil.  Then bake your pasta in a 350 degree oven until hot about 15-20 minutes. 

Labor Day Weekend Camping!

 

This end of Summer camp trip is always our most favorite of all.  We go every year with my folks, and close family friends that are more like aunties and cousins to us.  Just the drive is the crappy part, 4 hours with young kids can be less than perfect.  This road trip was actually much easier though because we took our nephew Logan, and both girls just adore him!  Gia and Amira are both at the age to where they finally listen and don't go running off into the road!

My parents have been taking us camping here at Lake Mayfield for 20 years now.  Back in the day we started out in tents.  Then progressed to tent trailers and now they have a beautiful 5th wheel.  Amira bunked with them the first few nights.  She cant get enough of her grandparents and their new puppy Wyatt!

Mario and I have a camper and I'm so thankful for that.  My old aging body couldn't handle sleeping on the dirt floor!  This year our camper was full of kids coloring, goofing around, and more than I like to admit, watching Peppa Pig.  Gia is newly in love with this cartoon.  One fun things the kids were able to do was go jet skiing.  Or as I would say, Sea Doo'in.  I took Amira out on her first rides ever and it was a blast!  That girl likes to go full throttle, not surprised.  Now Mario is on Craigslist looking at Sea Doos, lol!

We did a couple camping trips this Summer and one log cabin excursion.  Getting outdoors and doing fun things with our girls are most important to us.  In the next few years I hope to have a tropical getaway with the hubs, I'm patiently awaiting our alone time ;)  Thank you for reading!

Oven Baked Potatoes with Bacon

Wow.  It has been eons since I blogged.  I'm not sure if anyone has noticed much. Haha. Well here I am tonight with a simple rustic recipe.  Blogging about food is much easier these days than spilling all my beans!  Lately in Washington we've been going through a good heat wave which has left me very wary of turning on a 400* oven!  We don't have AC in our house and I'm seriously thinking we need it by next Summer.  The past few evenings haven't been as brutal so I thought, why not turn that bad boy on and make some stick to your ribs food.

It doesn't look like much but these potatoes will have them running from the hills.  The smells coming from your oven will be like bacon heaven.  Sorry if you're a vegetarian!  The recipe is very easy, has few ingredients, and most likely you already have them in your pantry and fridge!  I made steak and salad to go along with these but you could just eat this as your meal.
These potatoes are my hubbys fave and a close second to mine.  Here's what you'll need.

Ingredients

375 degree pre heated oven
1 1/2 pounds of baby red potatoes, quartered
1 small white onion, diced
3 pieces bacon cut into lardon (strips) getting fancy ;)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Red Pepper Flakes
Dried Basil

In large baking dish 9x13 I add my potatoes and onions.  I try to cut my potatoes and onion similar in size.  Then I add sliced bacon (lardon).  Add minced garlic and olive oil and toss together.  Season with salt and pepper liberally (after the oil so it sticks) We love heat so I add quite a bit of red pepper flakes but you can use less or none if you wish.  Dried basil or fresh would be perfect for this dish.  I just sprinkle it on before putting in oven.  Bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and browned.

I hope that you enjoy this dish and if you don't try it now, maybe in Fall, my favorite season!  Thank you so much for reading!

Life Via the Camera Phone.

We haven't exactly had a ton of uber exciting things happen around here.  Which is actually quite fine for me, I like having a schedule and set plans for the family.  I was definitely more spontaneous in my 20's!  With Amira finished with pre-school we are finding fun things to do around our town.  I love having play dates with friends and letting the girls socialize with kids their ages.  It's also really nice and therapeutic for this mama to see her girlfriends too.

I have been taking full advantage of my Mothers Day gift, aka my Kitchen Aid Mixer.  I have baked three from scratch cakes and one ice cream candy pie.  We have some serious sweet tooths here!

Around our house the hubs and I are finding home projects to start, and finish lol.  We had a huge pile of topsoil delivered last weekend that we are using to grow more grass around the fence line and fill a dip we had in the backyard.  Night, after night Mario has been outside with his wheelbarrow doing man stuff.  I took a trip to Lowes and purchased some perennials and other flowers.  I'm praying that I can keep them alive!  Mario picked up a new hummingbird feeder for me and I put it out on the front of the house.  I love hummingbirds!

The filled dip/slope

 

The coming weekend we are ripping out our front porch and building a new one, which I am super happy about!  The girls love hanging out there finding bugs and caterpillars.  I don't know about your place, but caterpillars are everywhere these days.  Amira is literally obsessed with them.  I have been asking to see her hands when she gets into the car just in case she tries bringing them or potato bugs along. (It happens)

As for me I've just been taking it easy.  I need to loose a few pounds this Summer, boo!  I have a bridesmaid dress I need to fit into in August.  I have been living in loose fitting pants and I'm not looking forward to anyone seeing me in a swimsuit, except my girlies of course.  We be lovin' the backyard pool ;)

I made my way to Ulta and picked up a few goodies for Summer, I'm really excited to try this Benefit Primer.  I've also been looking for a good BB Cream and this Revlon one is my favorite so far.  If you love the Beauty Blender I heard this Real Techniques one is the best dup and a fraction of the price $

This is just a random picture from last weekend of Mario's grandmas bull.  We are so lucky to be able to visit her farm when ever want.  Amira and Gia absolutely love Nona and her place!

Well that's all folks. Have a happy weekend and thank you so much for reading!