Blueberry Tea Cake!

Michael and I bagged the crafts today. We decided to put a few ounces on the baby instead. We made a delicious blueberry tea cake. This is the recipe that we used, just click on this link. (FYI on the recipe: we used real blueberries, 2 cups, instead of pie filling.)

After the cake cooled, we took a few pieces to my Grandmother's house. She made us a delicious lunch today. And, as usual after lunch, Michael HAD to play in her yard. He has a very special spot in her yard where he likes to line up his cars. It's so precious. It's on a little hill with a patch of dirt and rocks, a little boy's dream! Michael took a soccer ball outside this afternoon, as well, and created his own basketball game with a hanging basket. My job was to reach in the basket and pull out the ball when he made his shots! It's so interesting to watch his imagination grow everyday. He's turning into a little boy right before our eyes.

I'm not feeling the greatest this evening, so this is a short post. : ) My back and ribs are killing me. And, don't get excited, it's just due to the size of the baby--not contractions! I'm ready for the little one to drop, that's for sure. The last few weeks are kind of rough.

A Summer Favorite:

This afternoon, while Michael napped, I made the first batch of gazpacho of the summer! I think this just might be one of my very favorite dishes. Here is the recipe that I use, which is from Reluctant Gourmet. (Check out the Reluctant Gourmet link, it's a great site!!)

Recipe from Reluctant Gourmet:

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups cold tomato juice (I use V8 juice)
• 1 small, well minced onion
• 2 cups freshly diced tomatoes
• 1 cup minced green pepper
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 cucumber, diced 2 scallions, chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lemon and 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon each of dried tarragon and basil (if you have fresh, use 1 tablespoon of each)
• dash of ground cumin
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
• dash of Tabasco sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil salt & pepper to taste

PREP WORK

Even though everything is going to go into the food processor, you still have to chop up a bunch of the ingredients beforehand. So get out your favorite chopping knives and get cutting.

HOW TO MAKE AT HOME

Process all the ingredients except for the tomato juice in a food processor. Don't over process the ingredients. Then combine that with the tomato juice in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

If you don't have a food processor you can try processing the ingredients in a blender with a little tomato juice. You may have to prepare it in batches.

I like to serve this with a fresh baguette that I also purchase at our Farmer's Market.

It's Super-Duper

Tortilla Soup Recipe.

Stolen from Reluctant Gourmet!

INGREDIENTS

8 tablespoons Canola oil
5 10" to 12" corn tortillas
1 onion
6 garlic cloves
1 small bunch of cilantro
2 - 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes
8 cups chicken stock
14 ounces of canned or frozen corn
3/4 - 1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin
1/2 - 1 Tablespoon chili powder
4 bay leaves
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves or try thighs
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
juice from 1 lime

PREP WORK

Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Wash and towel try the cilantro, remove stems and chop. Open your cans of tomatoes and have them at the ready. You don't have to measure out all the spices unless you like the way they have it all ready on the cooking shows. Rinse the chicken under cold water and dry.

HOW TO MAKE AT HOME

You can make this all in one large soup pot or fry the tortilla strips in one and make the soup in another. I like to clean as few pots as possible especially when I'm working one handed. Cut up 2 of the tortillas into 1/4 inch strips and fry them in 3 tablespoons of Canola oil. You want them to be a golden brown but be careful not to burn them, they cook quickly. Depending on the size of your pot, you may have to cook several at at a t time. Remove the strips from pot and transfer to some paper towels to drain. Season with a little salt.

Heat the remaining oil over medium high heat and sauté the onions for a couple of minutes. Then add garlic and sauté for another minute or two. Tear the remaining 3 corn tortillas into bite size pieces and add to the pot.

Now add the cilantro, stir, and cook for a minute more. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice and the chicken stock, cumin, chili powder, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, add the corn, whole chicken breasts, and cayenne. Simmer the chicken breasts for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked throughout. Remove the chicken breasts and put aside to cool. Turn off the soup at this point.

Once the chicken breasts are cool, shred them with your hands and return to the pot. Add your lime juice and taste for spiciness. If you like it hotter, add more of the spices. Reheat, and serve with the fried tortilla strips..

My neighbor served this soup with the fried tortillas, freshly diced avocado, grated cheddar cheese, and sour cream. The sour cream really helped mellow out some of the spices and gave the soup a wonderful creamy appearance. This soup is a meal. It's great for a party or a dinner, and the leftovers are perfect for the baby-sitter if you decide to go out later in the week.

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So, readers!! Instead of laboriously typing this recipe out, I did a little cut and paste. (What??? I'm raising a cantankerous two and a half year old, okay???)

I'm super, duper lazy!! This recipe was recommended to me by Mary Jane. She found it on Reluctant Gourmet; which, is now one of my very favorite sites! You should go here, and check it out!

There is also another Tortilla Soup recipe, in which you use a slow cooker. You can find that recipe on My Five Little Monkeys site. The slow cooker recipe is easier, that's for sure.

However, you just can't beat this one from Reluctant Gourmet, can you Mary Jane? : )