The little things

It's the little things in life. The one's that make you think and make you smile. Enjoy what you have and embrace it. Keep it close.

Sweet Potato and Leek Soup

Sweet Potato and Leek Soup

Ingredients

2 medium leek

2 stalk celery, diced

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (plus extra for garnish)

3 lbs. small sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into coins

2 cups + 3 cups of almond milk

2 cups water

salt and white pepper to taste

curry powder (for garnish)

Directions

1. Trim the end off of the leek, and slice it into thin rings, discarding any darker green leaves. Put the sliced leeks in a salad spinner and fill with water. use your hand to swirl the water around and dislodge any dirt from between the leek's rings. Lift the basket out of the spinner, then dump the water out and repeat once. Dump any water out of the bowl of the spinner, return the basket, cover and spin the leeks to remove the excess water.
   
2. Add the leeks, celery, and alive oil to a pot and cover with a lid. Turn the stove on to medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally until the leeks are soft (10-15 minutes). Remove the lid and turn up the heat and saute, stirring constantly until the leeks are reduced to about 1/4 of the original volume and caramelized.
   
3. Add the sweet potatoes. 1 cup of almond milk, and water. Cover with a lid and simmer over medium-low heat until the potatoes are tender and falling apart.
   
4. Turn off the heat, and then add the rest of the almond milk.
   
5. Use an immersion blender or regular blender to blend the soup until smooth. If you are using a regular blender, cover the lid with a large towel and hold it there as you slowly turn up the speed of the blender, otherwise the sudden escape of steam will cause the lid to blow off, spewing hot soup all over you and the kitchen.
   
6. Add salt and white pepper to taste, as well as more almond milk if you want the soup thinner. Return the soup to the pot to reheat.
   
7. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of curry powder. 

Yields 6-8 servings.

I wanted to yield more, so I just added 1 extra of something to each ingredient. For example, I have 2 medium leeks above. Instead, I used 3 leeks. For the almond milk, I did 3 cups + 3 cups.

Buffalo-style Meatloaf

Meatloaf:
1 lb ground chicken
3 pc bread, cubed
2 jalapenos, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 stalks celery diced
1/2 red onion diced
1 egg
1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup buffalo sauce
salt and pepper

Topping:
Buffalo sauce
1/2 cup blue cheese (optional)

Bake 350 for 60 min.

In the summer you can make it into a burger recipe by removing the bread, egg, and go lighter on the veggies. It's ohhh soo good!
(Recipe by: Sarah W.)

Mayer Sauce

It's all about the sauce!

1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup Redwine Vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 1/2 tbsp dry mustard
2 tsps paprika
2 tsps salt
1 1/2 tsps blk pepper
2 dashes hot sauce
1/4 cup mustard
3-4 dashes Allspice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 clove garlic

Food Trucks in Detroit

Here is a list of food trucks that can be found in the Detroit, Royal Oak, Ferndale, Dearborn, Mt. Clemens, Novi, Waterford, Allen Park, and Plymouth areas:

• El Guapo
• The Mac Shack
• Treat Dreams
• Ned’s Travelburger
• Concrete Cuisine
• Green Zebra
• Jacques’ Tacos
• the Grindhouse
• Dago Joe’s
• Taco Mama
• People’s Pierogi Collective
• Debajo del Sol
• Franks Anatra
• Cheese Dream
• Beignets
• Buffy’s Mexi-casion

Buffalo Chicken Mac n' Cheese

I've had a few requests for this recipe, so here is my twist on it:

Ingredients


16 oz of uncooked elbow macaroni
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 package)
Cheddar cheese soup* (please look below for homemade recipe)
1 cup of milk (I used almond milk because it's healthier)
8oz of VELVEETA (add what you feel is right)
1 - 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
Franks Red Hot sauce (add to taste)

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*Cheddar cheese soup
NOTE: You can purchase canned cheddar cheese soup by Campbell Soup. I did not do this because of all the additives in their products. I felt a homemade mix was the better way to go.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1 cup cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a sauce pan, then add flour and wisk until smooth and bubbly.
2. Remove from heat; add milk, whisking to keep smooth.
3. Return to heat, bring to gentle boil, whisking until thickened.
4. Add cheese. Stir until melted.
-----------------------------------------

Directions


1. Boil chicken, drain water, and cut chicken into bite-size pieces.
2. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and place into a large casserole baking dish. Stir in chicken.
3. HEAT soup, milk, and cheeses (1 cup Monterey Jack) in a medium sauce pan, stirring until cheese is melted. Stir in Franks Red Hot sauce (add to taste).
4. Pour sauce over pasta and chicken; mix well.
5. Top with remaining Monterey Jack cheese

Optional: top with battered bread crumbs (pull apart bread, add it to a little melted butter in a pan, mix around, and place on top of mac n' cheese. After baking, it should be nice and crunchy.)

BAKE at 350 degrees F for 30 min. or until hot and bubbly.

Prep time: approx 1 hour

Total time: 1.5 hours.


**If you have any questions, please leave a comment or contact me directly**

Homemade Strawberry Lemonade

1 Cup Chopped Fresh Strawberries
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Honey
2 Cups Water
Ice for Serving

1. Puree strawberries and honey in a blender or food processor until smooth and transfer to a pitcher.
2. Pour the strawberry mixture, water and lemon juice in a pitcher and stir to combine.
3. Chill and serve over ice.

Credit: Homesteading/Survivalism

Sociable, but stuck...no more

I've always considered myself a social person. I love to talk, discuss, and think with other people like me and with people who are the opposite. Through these experiences, I have learned a lot of positive and negative things about the human populous. On the positive side: we laugh, help others, are honest with ourselves, donate, volunteer, and do good for the world. On the negative side: we cheat, lie, deceive, hurt, and cause pain. Over time, one can learn a lot about people through the above mentioned.

Because of what I've experienced and what I seem to think I know through the positives and negatives, I find myself constantly thinking about the negatives that the human race is capable of. I then ask myself this from time to time: who can I really trust? If I know what people are capable of, surely I am capable of having something negative come against me as well.

Because of my understanding of the world, does this potentially create a confusing world for me? Does it make me want to hide from the world? Will it create potential disasters on a personal level in the future?

I crave information about people; I want to know more. I want to learn more about people.

Is this setting me up for my own disaster? Is it creating a sense of insecurity for me? How can I trust others if I know what they're capable of?

One thing that keeps me going and having hope for people are the positives that I posted earlier. Yes, humans are fully capable of massive destruction on both personal and worldly levels. However, we are also capable of doing some really great things along with having reason and understanding of each other. Life should never be lived in fear simply because destruction has been created. Together, we are capable of a lot of things in life. If we hold back from experiencing aspects of life, we'll never live. To live means to experience both the positives and the negatives of life. If everything was always positive, it would grow old and we'd never learn to appreciate it. So, I say bring on the negativity so that I can enjoy the positive aspects in life when they come along.

The important message that can be taken from this is to always trust, but keep your eyes open to the fact that people can turn on you and will at some point hurt you. Not everyone will hurt you, but it's important to remember that people are capable of doing so. A good balance between the the 2 worlds of good and evil, I think, will keep life interesting and better help you in the future.

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Purpose: The sole purpose of this post was to piece together some things that I have been thinking a lot about lately. I keep asking myself how I can still trust people even though I've been hurt and deceived in the past. Now I understand why I hold on.

Thai Red Curry Coconut Chicken Recipe

Here is a recipe that I made today with my own spin:


Ingredients
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast – cut into thin strips
• 4 – 5 Tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• 1 ½ (14oz) can light coconut milk
• 1 red bell pepper
• ½ cup sliced carrots
• 1 onion
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• Red pepper flakes

Directions
Add oil to hot wok; add curry paste and let it heat for a bit. When it starts to boil, add the coconut milk/cornstarch mixture. Let everything come to a boil. Add chicken, lower heat, and let simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Then, stir in carrots, onion, red bell pepper, fish sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, and grated lemon zest. Simmer until chicken is cooked, about 15 minutes.

7 Liquor Ass-Kicker

This is an alcoholic beverage made popular at my workplace:

7 liquor ass-kicker

*Ingredients*

Jack Daniels
Captain Morgan
Vodka
Grand Marnier
Midori
Chambord
Peach Schnapps
Pineapple juice
O.J.
Grenadine

Speak Everything?

Imagine a world where every person spoke what was on his or her own mind whenever possible. Not only would everyone know what everyone was thinking, but I think there would be utter chaos and hatred among the masses of people.

I find that people tend to ask this question from time to time: "Why is (insert name) always lying or bending the truth?" I am a full believer that people tell little lies because they want to protect others feelings. I think this is necessary to do so to keep peace. If we always said what was on our minds, I think people would always be angry with us. At the same time, what if we always said what we thought and people learned to respect us instead?

I think there needs to be a fine line, or filter, with what kind of information we spill to others. While I believe that honesty is most important, I also feel that filters are needed in order to protect some things. Is it proper or moral to tell people something that might hurt their feelings? Perhaps not. There are some people who will spill this information without even blinking an eye. Then you run into the situation of whether you know the other person can handle it or not. I find through observation that people who speak their mind constantly always have some form of drama or another in their lives. Why do they have this drama? First, a filter was not applied. Secondly, they didn't previously assess whether or not they thought the person could handle it.

I am a full supporter of the 1st Amendment to our U.S. Constitution. However, I am always aware that limitations must be set. Just because we can speak or say something doesn't mean we should. Some things should simply be left protected. Example: John Doe has really disgusting body odor. Do you tell this person or do you hide it from them? Now we have to deal with how well we know the person. If this was someone off of the streets that I never met before, I will most definitely not tell them because I risk getting into a fight, hurting their feelings, or causing some form of other ruckus. However, if it was a close friend that I know I could tell anything to, I would most definitely say something knowing that I was not be lashed at for doing so.

See the difference? This is what is called filtering, knowing your limitations, and where to draw the line. Some people cannot make this distinction and therefore ALWAYS have drama in their lives. I find this quite unfortunate for people and I feel bad for them because they lack those types of social skills that are deemed necessary for a calm and peaceful life.

In conclusion, speak your mind, but do so with a filter by knowing when to say it, what to say, and who to say it to, all in the right time when it is needed. Protecting the feelings of others is important, yet sometimes we must break the barriers when we know that we can.

Leading for followers

Today's post digs a little deep because it's been something on my mind within the past year.

Ever since I was little, I knew that I was some form of a leader. My personality and my actions have both portrayed me as some type of leader. I am an individual and I follow my own path for the most part. What yanks my chain is when I have people who follow me as though they are in a cult or a groupie following a band.

This is for sure an ego booster. Who wouldn't want to have followers? ....right?

Well I have found that this isn't always the best case. How does one go from being a leader to an actual follower? Should one go from being a leader to a follower for the mere purpose of stopping certain actions of other people?

My personality is strong.

I really wish that others would follow their own path instead of following mine. I'm honored, really I am. But in the difficult world that we live in, we must follow our own way and not that of others. Having people follow me, sometimes, puts me in bad positions because others look to me for my next move and wonder which course of action I will take. Based on this course of action will determine what others will do.

I see this occurring more and more as time goes on.

I must set a tone for this before it continues to get out of hand.

I know what the solutions is, but taking the necessary steps to do it will be the hardest challenge to date.

In conclusion, I do not mind being a leader. It's who I am and who I will continue to be, I just wish I didn't have groupies following me while I strum my guitar.

The Lean Belly Shot - Wine drinker?

Ladies and gentleman, are you looking for a tasty drink that will help to give you a lean belly? Look no further than my blog! Here is the recipe from Dr. Oz:

1oz Gin
3oz Club Soda
5 mint leaves, muddled
1tsp grated fresh ginger
cucumber slices

140 calories or less

Also, are you a wine drinker? Do you get a lot of headaches? Chances are it is caused from the nitrates within the wine itself.

Want a heart-healthy wine? Pinot Noir is the best way to go.

Believable lies

There are people in this world that lie so much. It comes to a point that when their lies work really well for them, they begin to feel personal peace, sensation, and satisfaction. Following that point, they begin to believe their own lies and lie on a regular basis because their continuous lies have worked for them over and over (peace, sensation, and satisfaction). These people find that if they lie and they don't get caught, that it actually is more positive for them because it creates less drama. In reality this point serves a great purpose, because it can keep peace at some points. Only when the lie is found will it cause great harm. The offender is willing to automatically take that risk, however painful it is. Not getting caught outweighs getting caught because they are so good at it.

Drama all over...

I am not happy with how things have been playing out in the past week. Just saying...and I don't mean personally, but just other things going on around me. Simply put: I'm tired of the drama and it needs to stop. I'm referencing the drama up north and the little love situations that have been taking place with other people within the group. When we go on vacation, it's meant to be a good time, not drama filled.

That's all I have to say about that.

Spoiling children...a walking contradiction?

The following words are my response taken from a conversation I had on FB in regards to someone commenting that "all children deserve a great deal of spoiling in their lives."

We complain about children growing up into young adults and not appreciating a damn thing. When we spoil children, all we are doing is training them to grow up and not appreciate anything. I think it must be done in moderation and be done appropriately. There's a way to approach everything in a healthy manner.

I just have an issue with this, that's all. Not trying to be a downer. I think kids are spoiled too much and they grow up not appreciating what they have; and then we turn around and complain about them not appreciating anything when all we are doing is training them for it in the first place! We are all walking contradictions!!

Thoughts? Comments?

Omega 3s...the real deal

I watched an interesting episode of Dr. Oz yesterday (yes I know, kinda lame) and he had some really good information on there regarding Omega 3 fatty acids. He mentioned that a lot of us are not taking the right fish oil supplements (a high source of Omega 3s).

When shopping for Omega 3s, here are the do's and the do nots:

1. DO buy the Omega 3s that are DHA or EPA labeled.
2. DO NOT buy the fish oil labeled ALA (this is what the majority of Americans are consuming, which is misleading because it has little to no Omega 3 fatty acids within).

Why DHA or EPA?
1. This oil comes from the salmon (highest Omega 3 count) that eat natural algae, which is where the good Omegas come from.

Why NOT ALA?
1. Fish oil labeled as ALA come from salmon that are farm raised and fed with corn meal (no source of Omega 3's at all, but rather Omega 6 oils, which are bad if we consume too many of those.)

So, stick with DHA or EPA labeled fish oils as they will benefit you in the long run due to be packed with many Omega 3s.

Taco Bell's Creamy Jalapeño Sauce

Hey all, here is the recipe I use for making Taco Bell's quesadilla sauce. It's not the exact recipe and it needs to be tweaked a bit, but it's the best one I can find. For mine, I add extra jalapeño juice to mine for a better burn. Friends seem to like it and I've never heard a complaint.

I use this with steak.

*------------------------------------------------------*

Taco Bell Creamy Jalapeno Sauce

For Taco Bell's Chicken Quesadilla


1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons minced jalapeno slices
2 teaspoons juice from jalapeno slices
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
dash salt

Source: http://www.kitchencraftsnmore.net/recipesfound013.html

Don't search, let them come to you...ERGH

Ok stop, hold up for on second. Do you ever hear the saying, "Don't search for that special someone, let them come to you?" My goodness, I hear it all of the time. As a person who is constantly searching for that proper soul mate, I can't help but hear this statement on a regular basis.

You know what I say to that? BULL

Tonight I had a conversation with a friend who told me just this. I responded by saying: "If I search and let them search, then I have better odds. Think about it...all that talk about 'don't search let them come to you' is all hocus pocus...because either way, someone in the party is always searching." If everyone followed that general rule, then no one would be together.

Think about it for a moment: if a person sits back and waits for someone to find them, won't that take a bit longer? However, if both parties are out searching, wouldn't this increase the odds of finding someone and maybe allow for it to happen faster? So even if that other person is searching, what if they would've simply sat back and waited? But they didn't! They were up and moving. So in turn, if both parties were always in search mode it would increase the chances. Therefore, the phrase "don't search let them come to you" is bologna because there is always someone doing the searching, whether it's you or the other party. If both parties sat back and didn't search, then no one would find each other. So I say, don't listen to that hog wash and go out and find your true love! And don't stop until you find that special someone.

Sitting back will not help you find someone faster. Stopping the search, to me, is simply giving up hope. I refuse to give up...so I continue to search. What would you be missing out on if you simply sat back and waited? You could've passed up the girl/guy of your dreams.

Giveaway: Vegetable Planting Slide Chart | Freedom Gardens

Giveaway: Vegetable Planting Slide Chart | Freedom Gardens