It's no secret that I like to try out places from cheap and scary to nice and expensive. However....I usually embark on the cheap and scary places on my own. We've (all 3 of us) have been sick this weekend...no swine, just a cold, and today we needed to get out of the house.
Somehow I talked Jessica into going to the Olympian...home of the $2.50 breakfast. I decided to document this as I'm quite sure it will never happen again.
By the way...should anyone want to try this place out in secret, its not too bad. About 2200 South and 700 East on the east side of the road.
What is a pupusa? I suppose now would be a good time to talk about their deliciousness. A pupusa is a wonderful treat which comes to us from El Salvador. However, instead of using a thin tortilla like our amigos mexicanos, these salvadorenos use maize flour dough to create a thick flat bread which they will with all sorts of things like cheese, pork, chicken and many others. The best way I have found to describe pupusas to most people is that they are a lot like a mexican gordita but their bread is much thicker.
Pupusas at the stand run $1.50 a piece and usually 2 or 3 will be more than enough for a meal. Add a bit of cabbage and salsa and you’re in business for a great meal on the hustling and bustling streets of downtown Salt Lake City. These were really so good! On the corner of 300 South and Main.
So, Saturday I did my first half marathon.....as you can see from the pictures, it went about how I look here...also, really sore for the next two days. I'm re-thinking that desire to do a marathon.
So here's the deal....I promised myself long before Sofia arrived that I wouldn't ever give up and fall prey to the "Happy Meal." But...today it happened. We were at a funeral, Sofia was a wreck (hungry and tired), I was on my way home with her and realized that we haven't been shopping for awhile and had nothing to eat, Sofia was crying, and McDonald's came into view as I sped home. So...you can see the results above, and now I have a full, happy and sleeping baby. Thanks Micky D, but don't get used to seeing us!
It is so great to see Sofia enjoy some of the things that I enjoyed growing up. Wheeler Farm is always a highlight in the fall. Some things never change, I guess. She loved the tree house, just like I did when I was little. She loved the animals, maybe a little more than I did when I was little. Happy Fall!
Just read this book last night. Yes, it was a sleepless night and let's just say I was glad to have a book to read and help pass the hours. I am grateful for a new day and that the sun has once again decided to peek through the clouds, making a beautiful fall day.
I know I'm late jumping on the band wagon for this book, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It made me think about how fast life goes by and how important it is to find joy in the journey, and love each and every day, even the hard ones. Oh, and also, how grateful I am that I can live in a state, and not a territory in those wild, wild days.
I'd recommend this book to anyone, sleepless night or not.
Ami (Matt's mom) gave Sofia her first hair cut a couple of weeks ago. It was so nice to get it all trimmed up evenly, and to have her hair out of her eyes!
Sofia did quite well, holding pretty still and letting the stylist do her work!
Now, could Ami move closer and open her own salon???
Last night for FHE we made some apple cider from the apples on our tree. Sofia was a great helper! I love that she wants to be "in" on all of the action. She is so curious about everything. And, yes, that is her "pretty smile" in the top picture...a bit frightening, I know.
This may seem like a bit of a strange post, but I actually get asked fairly often my opinion on the place to go buy Mexican food ingrediants. Traditionally, most of these places are small and usually across town, but 2 weeks ago, Tenochtitlan Super Market, opened up on the east side. It's huge with their own tortilla factory, restaurant, butcher, bakery, and everything else you would expect. Much closer and better selection!
Yesterday was a day I had waited for as long as I can remember. After a morning "hike" with Sofia. (due to distractions such as sticks and rocks, the 100 foot hike took about 20 minutes), I started working on a small wood project in the garage. Usually, Sofia wanders over to see what I'm doing, but then will run off to play. This time she was right by my side the entire time and was my little helper. She would carry things such as screws and pieces of wood, hand me items and was so interested in the whole thing. So excited for future projects with this little girl!
This was an amazing recipe that we used over rice, with beans and later as a burrito. So Good!
(You can make this recipe with fresh tomatillos, or you can use canned chile verde tomatillo salsa as a substitute for the tomatillo sauce.)
Tomatillo Sauce
1 1/2 lbs tomatillos
1-2 jalapeño chile peppers, or 2-3 serrano chili peppers (include the seeds if you want the heat, remove them if you don't want the heat), stems discarded, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tbsp lime juice
Pinch of sugar
Stew
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cups tomatillo sauce
1 teaspoon dry oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped
1/2 cup packed chopped cilantro (about one bunch, rinsed and chopped, stems and leaves)
1 Make the tomatillo sauce. Remove the papery husks from the tomatillos and rinse well. Cut the tomatillos in half and place them cut-side down on an aluminum foil-lined roasting pan. Broil for 5-7 minutes until blackened in spots. Let cool enough to handle. Place the tomatillos, any juice they have released, chile peppers, garlic, salt, lime juice and sugar in a blender, and pulse until well blended. If you make ahead, refrigerate until needed.
2 Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large, thick-bottomed pot on medium high heat until almost smoking. Pat dry the cubed chicken parts with paper towels. Sprinkle salt and pepper over them. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, and adding more olive oil when necessary, brown the chicken pieces on two sides. When you place the pieces in the pan, make sure there is room between them (otherwise they will steam and not brown), and don't move them until they are browned on one side. Then use tongs or a metal spatula to turn them over and don't move them again until they are browned on the other side. Do not cook through, but only brown. Remove the chicken pieces from the pan and lower the heat to medium. There should be a nice layer of browned bits (fond) at the bottom of the pan.
3 Add the onions to the pan, and a tablespoon or two more olive oil if needed (likely). Add ground cumin and coriander. Cook a few minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are softened and the browned bits from the chicken have been picked up by the onions and are no longer sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant.
4 Add the browned chicken, the tomatillo sauce, chicken stock, and oregano to the pan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add the cilantro to the stew in the last minute or so of cooking.
Serve over white rice, accompanied with sour cream if needed to offset the heat from the chiles. The stew will thicken as it cools.
Your first reaction might be to say "no way," with this recipe, but this is really worth it. You might be surprised how good it turns out.
Steak with Nopales
2 lbs. Steak cut into 5cm cubes
2 T. Olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 or 2 jalapeno chilies, seeded and chopped
1 15oz. can nopalitos (cactus pieces), rinsed and drained
1 small can of green salsa
1/2 C. Fresh Cilantro chopped
1 C. Beef Stic
Salt & Pepper to tastw
chopped fresh cilantro, to garnish
Method :Pat the beef cubes dry with kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the beef cubes a few at a time, until browned all over. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef cubes to a flameproof casserole or pan. Add the onion and garlic to the boil remaining in the frying pan and saute until the onion is tender. Add more oil if necessary. Add the onions and garlic to the casserole or pan together with the chilies.
Add the nopalitos and green salsa, with the can juices, to the casserole. Stir in the cilantro until well mixed. If more liquid is needed to cover the beef, stir in as much stock as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a slow simmer, cover and cook over a low heat for about 2.5 hours or until the beef is very tender. Serve sprinkled with the chopped cilantro.
I've loved Mark Marby's photos from the first time I saw them, and so excited for his next project. For some reason, it simply made Christ's life more real to me. Here is the link to his first project, Reflections of Christ, if you haven't seen it.
It's no secret that I like to try out places from cheap and scary to nice and expensive. However....I usually embark on the cheap and scary places on my own. We've (all 3 of us) have been sick this weekend...no swine, just a cold, and today we needed to get out of the house. 
Somehow I talked Jessica into going to the Olympian...home of the $2.50 breakfast. I decided to document this as I'm quite sure it will never happen again.
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