Vegetarian Chili

I have been exploring some vegetarian options for dinners, mostly because of financial reasons but also, of course, health.  One of my favorites so far has been the slow-cooker vegetarian chili we're having for dinner tonight.  It smells and tastes amazing and sneaks in a lot of colorful veggies.  Also, it's easy--mostly made in the crockpot.  We're serving it with corn chips and cheese, which is what I grew up with, but of course you can have it plain, with cornbread and cottage cheese or crackers or whatever you like.  :)

Chili never LOOKS as good as it tastes.  :)  But this is amazing!

VEGETARIAN CHILI

1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 red onion
4 cloves garlic
2 cans kidney beans or chili beans
1-2 cans diced tomatoes
1 small box macaroni
3 cups broth (or 3 c water and 3 bouillon cubes)
chili powder, oregano, cumin, pepper, red pepper flakes

1, Chop the peppers, onion, and garlic.  Saute in a few tablespoons olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are clear and the sauce seems kinda yellow and buttery.
2. Put the vegetables in the slow cooker.  Add in the beans, tomatoes, and broth.  Season to taste. (I started with 1 tsp of oregano, pepper, red pepper flakes, and cumin, and then added chili powder 'til it had the kick I wanted--about 4 Tbsp.)
3. Cook on high for two hours.  Add macaroni, and cook for 2 more hours.  Chili is done when everything is soft.
4. Serve with your favorite chili mix-ins and fixin's!  :)

If you're not too crazy about peppers, then you can substitute with zucchini, squash, carrots, etc.  Enjoy!

Guess What I'm Doing for Earth Day? :)

A brilliant little thing I found HERE.  Affordable, easy, adaptable, and travels well.

I tried a garden on some Purdue plots last summer, but it was far away and I had no motivation to go there every day.  Also, bunnies ate many of the plants before they even stood a chance.  This I could put right out on my patio, and even when we move this summer it will travel decently well.  I'm going to grow some of our more commonly-used herbs (mint, cilantro, parsley, chives...what else?) and some baby lettuce leaves so we can have salad more often.  I can easily label what is in which pouches so I'll never get confused.  I won't have to weed much at all!  Really I'll just have to look out for a good water/sun ratio and keep an eye on bugs.  I'm SOOOOOOOOO excited!

April Fools!

I don't usually get too into April Fools' Days, not on principle but mostly just 'cause I forget about it until it's here.  Once in a while, though, I pull out some real gems.

Like last year, when I was student teaching--I often gave the kiddos "fun packs" of activity pages that went along with the theme of our units or of the holidays (so that they can have something to do when they are done with seatwork or during quiet time), and on April Fools' I gave them bogus word searches and mazes...and then had them play tricks on their parents by sending home permission slips to the moon, just to see how many parents even read what they are signing.  :)  The kids loved it.  I got all my printables here--they also have a TON of ideas for family pranks and faux foods, you should really check it out!  When we have kids, I'll be doing something from this site like every year.

Then there was the year (2008) when Paul and I faked an engagement on facebook.  It was believable because we'd been dating for about 4 months at the time and just about EVERYONE was trying to get us to just do it and move on...although Paul was ready, I wasn't really even close, and I thought this would be the perfect payback to all the pressure!  We were pretty convincing, too--we had realistic-looking fake rings, engagement photos (taken by my sister, Cerene), a story about how it was all done, and, of course, facebook to make everything "official."  :)  On April Fools' Day, we told everyone it was a joke...and even got the story mentioned in the Exponent (Purdue's newspaper).  It was pretty dang memorable.  Of course, I had no idea at the time that all that "practice" would help us realize that that's what we really wanted, or that six months later, I'd be getting my own real diamond ring and a promise to go with it...

Cerene is the awesomest for taking our fake engagement photos--and she brought their dog, Leo, to join in the fun!

This year, however, I didn't plan well enough ahead to do anything.  I mentioned the shame of this on facebook, and here are some of the replies I got:

Mary--"Announce you are prego! You'll be like my 5th friend today!! Or your pup got the neighbor dog prego and the neighbor is ticked! =)"

Emilie--"I tried to convince Ian's mom I was pregnant..... too bad I'm Mormon....... hahahahaha she was like Love ya, nice try!"

Ashley--"I don't really have to think of any I have an April Fool every day of the year since I've had Phoenix." (Phoenix is her daughter. :)

Great-Aunt Jan--"I didn't think of any this year either, but in past years, I would tell my husband there was a big spider on his back, and he fell for it every year...ah, those were the days... :-)"

And Spencer--"My lame holiday gag is to ask Jamie (his wife, my old roommate) if she has gone to get the mail yet. Worked the first few years--now she's caught on and asks me. : )"

Thanks for the inspiration, friends!

What about YOU?  Any funny April Fools' Day pranks or stories, from this year or years past?  Any suggestions for next year?

Riley

Cerene and Riley...best friends forever.  :)

After Caida's diagnosis, Cerene wanted another little something to take care of, too.  Mom says it's her maternal instincts kicking in.  :)  Anyway, since they got her the day after Caida's visit to Riley Children's Hospital, this puppy is appropriately named Riley.  She's a golden retriever/catahoula mix.  She's GORGEOUS, and adorable, and merle, and so big for only being 7 weeks old!  We got to not only babysit, but puppysit last night--of course, Paul was most excited.  :)

Caida's getting used to Riley, too...

Although, we're definitely more appreciative of Obi.  I am not patient enough to handle a newborn pup--the whining, the lack of house training, the chewing/biting on everything, the tininess in our definitely-NOT-puppy-proof apartment...I had a hard time giving Caida the attention she wants/needs while still keeping an eye on the puppies.  (I guess it's a good thing I don't have kids?  If last night was any indication, I'm just going to go crazy...)  Not to mention Obi's total jealousy (and a little fear of the small puppy--Obi really needs to be socialized!) and need to stake her claim (aka pee on our carpet, which she NEVER does).  The two might not have totally hit it off this time around, but Riley's only getting bigger.  :)  There's always next time.

But isn't she the cutest?

To make matters even MORE exciting, our power went out late last night for no apparent reason.  There was no storm, no snow.  Most likely there was an accident somewhere with power lines, because I heard some police/fire sirens wailing down the road not long afterward.  But I don't know.  Caida wasn't too scared, though--just enough to sleep with me instead of on the blow-up bed, but otherwise she was fine.  We lit some candles and went to sleep.  I bet we sleep REALLY well tonight, though!

Emilie, don't be jealous, but...really, you would have died.  :)  She's too cute.  :)

Dried Apples!

These are even better than the bananas.  I love them most.  I wasn't sure exactly how I wanted these, so I tried a few different things.  Now I know!

First of all, while I wish I had one of those awesome apple-peeler-corer-slicer doohickies out there (that would make this whole thing SO MUCH FASTER), I have never really tried peeling apples much, but it turns out I am a naturally-born-apple-peeler-magician-guru. I can peel an apple so that the peel comes off as one long, pretty spiral...which isn't actually important, but man alive! I should have been an apple peeler by trade.

See?  Proof!  Side note: if you don't have a dog begging incessantly for your apple peel scraps (ahem, Obi), don't just throw them away!  For a deliciously unhealthy snack, cut them up and fry them up with a VERY little little butter and some cinnamon and sugar!  They are a chewy, apple-y treat.

Secondly, you don't need straight lemon juice to pretreat apples.  You can make a solution of 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1 cup water, and just soak the apples a good 5-15 minutes after you slice them however you want.  You SHOULD pretreat apples--oxidation not only is gross-looking, but MAY mess with the flavor and WILL cause a slight loss in some of the vitamins (A & C).  At least, that's what I read.

Thirdly, I tried just plain ol' apples, some with cinnamon, and some with cinnamon and sugar (I wanted to see if the natural sweetness of the apple would be enough sugar for it).  It turns out that, at least with green apples, you really do need that sugar added.  So they might not be quite as healthy, but they are really, really yummy that way.  But I like the plain ones quite a bit, too.  And I will have to get back to you if the red apples are any different...it seems like they would be, right?

Fourth and lastly, apples dry WAY faster than bananas, which surprised me as I don't think of bananas as a very juicy fruit.  But the apples were done in 4 hours, and I let them dry another 2 for good measure, and they were most definitely perfect.

So, here are the final products (that are already halfway gone, and I can't wait to make more for my sister and niece tomorrow!):

Apple rings!  I cut these at 1/8".  I STRONGLY suggest, if you're like me and don't have the cool corer/slicer/peeler gadget, that you cut the slices FIRST and then just "connect the dots" to cut out the core--you'll see what I mean.  :)  I tried taking the core out first, and I almost cut off my thumb.  Then I got smart.  :)  These are the ones I put just cinnamon on, so the taste wasn't quite as awesome, but the fun shape makes up for it!  And now I know better for next time.

Apple slices!  These were plain and tart and waaaaayyyy good.  If I were making a baggie of dried fruits or wanted them for cereal, these are the kinds I would make.  I quartered the apples, cored them, then I cut these in 1/8" slices.

Apple bits!  Perfect for trail mix, young kids, and oatmeal.  I cut the apple in eighths, then sliced them in 1/4" thick slices.  I should try just dicing them in cubes, but anyway...I love how light and tart these are--I could eat them like popcorn.  :)

And my FAVORITE--apple chips!  I know these aren't as crisp as in an oven, but they are pretty dang crisp, and I kind of like this better, anyway.   I sliced these SUPER THIN, like a millimeter maybe, and sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on top.  I made sure that even in the rotation of the trays these stayed on top, near the heat source and fan, and it helped.  These are the kinds I'm making more of for the family.  

That's it!  Happy eating!

Dried Bananas!

I have this dehydrator that I bought YEARS ago at BYU and haven't really used since.  But I love granolas, fruity oatmeals, adding fruit to cereals, etc.  So this year, since I have no idea how to can, I am going to put my NESCO American Harvest Dehydrator to use!  So you will be seeing LOTS of posts of my dehydrating successes...and failures.  First up, success: dried bananas!

Now, first of all, it needs to be said that unless you use oil and bake or fry the bananas or add extra chemicals, banana chips will not turn out crisp and crunchy like they do in storebought trail mixes.  I think if I had dehydrated them longer, they could have gotten MORE crisp, because the outsides of these are nice and crunchy, but the inside is chewy, like a fruit gummy.  I love them this way.  And, more importantly, they are healthier this way.  And, just as importantly, they are still beautiful.

Next week, I'm going to try dehydrating them a little longer and see if I can get them crispier.  I may also try one of the MANY oven recipes out there (which require a little cooking spray and being baked in the oven at low temperatures for several hours) and see how those turn out.  But for now, and for all of you who are just beginning to learn how to dry fruit like I am, here are some tips I learned to make this batch turn out so well:

1. Banana chips actually turn out best if the bananas are still a little green.  Drying fruit seems to bring out the natural sugars.  Also, the firmer they are, the less likely they'll turn brown quickly and the easier they are to cut.

2. A really cool trick I learned is that you can cut the bananas into thirds or fourths and use an egg slicer to get them that perfect 1/4" thickness consistently.  I love that!  It's really important in a dehydrator to have everything at the same thickness, because otherwise you can burn some and not fully dehydrate others (which prevents them from storing well).  And I'm not so good at that.  So I went so far as to go to Walmart and buy an egg slicer just for this purpose (Paul's allergic to eggs, so there was no reason to have them before!).

3. To keep the bananas from getting brown, bathe them in a shallow bowl of lemon juice for about 5 minutes. You can't taste the lemon once they dry, I promise!  I also put a little honey in the bowl, but I don't think you can taste that, either.  So it's not important.  Another blogger I found actually puts lemon juice in a spray bottle and sprays all her fruits with it before drying, which I thought was clever.

4. Lay your slices on the tray, close but not touching.  Make sure, also, that from tray to tray your pieces aren't "overlapping" or stacked right on top of each other or that will slow down the drying time, too.  So stagger them.  FYI, I used rather medium bananas, and I could fit 3 bananas on each tray.  Just an estimate.  :)

5. Dehydrate!  Fruits in general should be dehydrated around 135 degrees--I put mine up to 140--and bananas should be dried until they are firm but pliable.  You should flip the fruits at least once during the drying time (I did after 4 hours), and rotate the trays.  A good test for the doneness of ANY fruit is to pick up a piece of fruit and rip it in half--if there are any beads of moisture, it's not done.  In my dehydrator, I was done after about 8 hours.  I probably could have gone longer, but it's getting late and I wanted them to cool.  Which brings me to:

6. COOL THEM DOWN IN THE DEHYDRATOR!  Unplug everything and let them cool down in the dehydrator, slowly at room temperature is best.  If you try to put them in your airtight container warm, they will let off steam and heat which will just mean more moisture inside the container, which will spoil them faster.  Well-dried and cooled fruit can be stored in an airtight plastic container (even just a baggie) for MONTHS, even up to year--longer if you put them in a freezer.

7. ENJOY!  These are so yummy.  You can rehydrate them if you want for recipes and stuff later--just google that.  Our two trays worth (I only dried a single bunch) won't last beyond tomorrow, I am sure of it.  :)

Like I said, next week I will be buying some more bananas and trying out a few other methods, just to see what I like best.  But for a healthy, potassium-rich natural snack, these bananas are amazingly simple and SOOOOOOOO yummy!  Hope you make some and enjoy them as much as we have!

28 Things You Might Not Know About Me

Since I’ve been 28 (for one whole week now), I’ve been working a lot on my self-awareness.  This is mostly because I’m trying to apply for jobs and prepare for interviews, but also because I sometimes feel like I, the REAL me, gets lost in the shuffle of staying at home or even the niceties at church or the familiarity of friends.  So, as a mental exercise AND a celebration of being 28, here are 28 things you may not know about me:

1. I’m a Tetris nerd…especially Tetris Shadow.  Not only do I love it, but I’m pretty good at it…I’m currently ranked 52 in the world for the Wii Tetris Shadow game times.

2. Teacher or not, I still want to be a writer.  I have dreams of having a children’s book published someday…for real, not like my recycling book.

3. If I were a car part, I would most definitely be the steering wheel.  I have control issues.

4. My tastes may have changed quite a bit since I was a kid, but I still don’t and never will like brussels sprouts.

5.  I go through phases about once a year where, for like a month straight, I will have nightmares and sleep really awfully.  I have no idea why.

6.  My favorite “domesticated” animals are horses.  My favorite animals overall, though, are penguins and giraffes.  I’m pretty fond of dogs, too.

7.  I love cold cereal or oatmeal for breakfast.  I prefer them over pancakes, waffles, eggs of any kind, or breakfast meats.  My FAVORITE oatmeal flavor is raisin, date, and walnut.  My favorite cereal is cracklin’ oat bran (MUCH tastier than it sounds!).

8. I went to exactly two elementary schools, two high schools, and two colleges.

9. I can’t stand Josh Groban’s voice.

10. I think motorcycles are HOTT, but I would never let Paul buy one because I’d be too scared he would die.

11. I am a completely different person in front of a classroom than I am anywhere else.  My teaching strengths, like flexibility, being brave and taking risks, a quick wit, or the ability to multi-task well, somehow do not translate at all into my “real” life.

12. I H.A.T.E. using the phone for anything besides texting.  I think it’s borderline phobic.  I get a small panic-attack whenever I hear it ring, and I usually don’t answer it unless I know who is calling and why.

13. I want, even need, hot showers (the kind that steam up the mirrors) all year long.  Even on the hottest summer days.  I just really hate being cold.

14. I am a morning person.  I pretty much turn into a pumpkin at midnight.

15. I don’t mind cleaning the bathroom or vacuuming, but I hate doing laundry.  Even dishes, once I get started, aren’t too bad…but I never enjoy doing the laundry.

Obi loves it, though--she can make a nest for herself in the pile of laundry.  :)

16. I’ve recently discovered a pet peeve of mine is when I’m discussing something with people and they break out their cell phones and start texting.  Maybe I’m self-centered, but I want their undivided attention if we’re having a heart-to-heart.  I’ve also discovered another pet peeve: people using google to PROVE how wrong I am about unimportant things.

17. Paul was my first “real” boyfriend.  I’d dated enough, and had quasi-relationships, but nothing official ‘til Paul.  I don’t regret at all that he got all my firsts.

18. I’ve recently become obsessed with National Geographic specials on Netflix.

19. I’ve never been to a concert.

20. The craziest thing I’ve ever seen was here at Purdue--a guy on a bike getting hit by a car…they came at each other at right angles and neither of them saw each other, and the guy’s bike literally flipped in a perfect arc over the car while the guy rolled gracefully across the hood.  The biker landed on his feet on the other side, got up on his bike, and rode away—he looked more embarrassed than hurt.  But it was a shocking moment for everyone else who saw it!

21. My favorite hymn is “Lead, Kindly Light” (and only PARTLY because I’m kinda afraid of the dark).

22. I still have no idea how to answer the question about which famous person, living or dead, I would want to meet/have lunch with/travel with on a road trip…if someone asked me that question in an interview, I would be completely stumped and would just freeze up.  Even now, thinking hard about it for the last 10 minutes, I’ve got nothing.


23. During my 4 ½ of my 9 years of off-and-on-again college I worked as a Taco Bell Cashier, Alcoa sales temp, BYU laundry/textiles cleaner, preschool aide, EFY counselor, factory/assembly line for Heartland Automotive, reading/math tutor, daycare teacher, ESL tutor, and before-and-after-school-program worker.  The other 4 ½ years, I didn’t work.

24. I am actually really clumsy, especially lately, and most of my bruises come from my own clumsiness rather than my dog.  Currently I have 4 bruises that I can see—one on my arm, two on my right leg, and one on my left hip.  The most likely way to get these bruises is by walking into doorways or swinging my arm into a doorknob.

25. I was, overall, a really good kid.  The only time I ever got grounded or punished in any real way was when I didn’t stand up for my little sister when my friends said she couldn’t play kickball with us one summer day and I had to stay inside for the rest of the day.

26. Even though we watched a lot of T.V. as kids, my brother and sisters and I still played outside a TON and had all sorts of awesome games we played regularly—like drive through, Indian orphan children, kid on the mountain (only at Grandpa’s house!), and mean babysitter (with the chocolate milk medicine).  And, of course, I played school ALL SUMMER LONG.

27. I hate wearing shoes.  If I could go barefoot safely all year long, I would.

28. Guilty pleasures?  Music—Aly & AJ.  TV/movies—Star Trek stuff (I blame Paul).  Books—the Hunger Games series. Food—chocolate, not only the food itself but my COMPLETE AND TOTAL INCAPABILITY TO CONTROL MYSELF around it.  If there is chocolate in the house, I will eat it instead of eating real food.  For days, until it’s gone.  It’s that obsessive part of my mild OCD coming through.  J

That’s it!  *Whew*  I know none of it is shocking or surprising, but I hope you still learned something about me that you didn’t know before!

We All Must Do Our Part

This is the children's book I "published" as part of a graduate student's research on the impact of literature on science education in elementary classrooms in Provo.  I got lucky to be picked as an "author," as the whole thing was a lottery.  The whole process was really cool--I had to pick a science content/standard that the other 10 people weren't covering in THEIR books (I wound up with recycling), research and include at least 5 facts and at least 2 teaching applications, get my research approved by a faculty member, write and sketch the concept of the book (I'm still not sure where my other teaching application ended up...it's not in the file), then get paired up with an illustrator from the art department.  Going through the process and seeing the final result kinda reminds me of the time I recorded an original song in a recording studio--it's not that the final product is all great or anything, but I still feel blessed to have had that experience, because it's just something that not everyone gets to do.  I know a little more now about writing for someone other than myself, and even though my tastes AND understanding of how children think and learn have changed tremendously since then (this was Fall of 2003!), I'm still proud of it.  I'm even prouder because of the 10 or 15 people who went through this, mine was the one that the grad student chose to present at her presentations.  I must have done SOMETHING right.  ;)  Anywho, here it is, and feel free to use it!  (If you want the pdf files, just email me at pcfernandez515@yahoo.com and I can get the larger files to you.)

A "Greener" Cleaner

I found this great, simple idea for a natural cleaner for your home that I thought I would make and pass along.  I found it HERE.  The smell of it reminds me of my step-mom, who used newspapers and vinegar to clean the windows in our home.  I personally love it.  :)  Anyway, it's simple, cheap, and non-toxic...and so far it has actually worked pretty well, too (which is important!).  In fact, it's just about PERFECT on mirrors/windows (it looks like it's going to streak right before it dries, but then, like magic, everything is beautiful and clean and streak-free).  I'm particularly going to use it for a windex substitute...anyway, here it is:

Fill a spray bottle halfway full with white vinegar.  Add as much lemon juice as you want to cover up the smell of the vinegar.  Then fill the rest of the bottle with water. (If you want the lemon scent to actually come through and not just cover up the vinegar smell, you'll have to add quite a bit...like 2 parts vinegar, 1 part lemon juice and 1 part water.  For my first round, I just put a few tablespoons in to cover up the smell and you really can't smell anything.)   Shake before using.  THAT'S IT!  :)  If you're at all like me, you should probably label it so you don't accidentally use it to spray plants or puppies.  ;)  But I like using this for our bathroom and kitchen--it smells fresh and clean, and I don't feel bad about breathing in the fumes or rinsing it down the sink.  :)  Going green AND saving money?  YES, PLEASE!

Easter Button Egg and Felt Chocolate Bunnies!

I love following artsy-craftsy blogs, because I find the best inspiration for easy, cheap projects.  I particularly loved this craft because it looked simple and I had all the materials I would need on hand already--which meant a cute, simple, perfect Easter decoration that cost me NOTHING!  Can't get better than that!

My white chocolate bunny.

My milk chocolate bunny.  :)

Anyway, you can find the GORGEOUS original as well as a tutorial (including the bunny pattern!) HERE.  I pretty much did what she did, except I used a slightly less sophisticated color palette since I had all those springy buttons and lots of spring felt.  I also used two different colors of felt instead of the burlap, and hot glued it (after I sewed) right onto the backing of the photo frame.  (Side note: this was even MORE perfect because I had a boring 5" x 7" wood frame that was missing its glass and needed revamped, so this worked out just right!)  Otherwise, I pretty much just followed exactly what she said in the tutorial.  I WILL advise, however, that if you make the bunnies, you stuff as you sew--especially on the smaller size!  Even my pinkie didn't quite fit in the ears or front feet, so stuffing as I sewed made it easy.  Still, it was a SIMPLE, cute project and I would make it again in a heartbeat!

The finished product.

What do you think?  :)