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Thursday, April 18, 2013

Two-minute Guacamole

Being born in California and a California native as well as living a short time in New Mexico has made me an ardent fan of not only authentic Mexican food, but of Tex-Mex as well. Much respect for moms who toil in the kitchen from dawn until dusk; but with Boy Scouts, piano, drums, ballet, sports....who has time!?

The following is a recipe I came up with. I've used it for years and years; although not auténtico, we still enjoy it when having the best isn't an option.







You will need:

Ripe (I like mine firm, but able to indent upon touching) Avocado

Pace Chunky Salsa (or salsa of your preference)

Lemon juice

Salt

Begin by dividing the avocado in half. I use a spoon to remove the fruit.







Once all the fruit is removed, I save the pit by placing it in the hull.






I add approximately two tablespoons salsa per avocado.





Add about one tablespoon lemon juice per one avocado. I use bottled; sometimes fresh lemon zests can be bitter causing the juice to also be bitter.





Sprinkle with a small amount of salt. About 1/4 teaspoon.





Combine ingredients together using an electric mixer.





Put into your serving dish and enjoy! I know it's an old wives' tale that leaving the pit in prevents browning, but alas, old habits die hard (and I still like the presentation).






You may even add or garnish with fresh cilantro and lemon or lime wedges.




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Sunday, April 14, 2013

Fettuccine Make-Over

Sometimes being a mom to five is a balancing act. If you are hurried to the point of harried like me, anything to alleviate the time-crunch helps. This is a recipe my kids can't get enough of. I love that it costs under $15 and takes about 15 minutes to prepare. I call it my fettuccine make-over.






You will need:
2 Knorr fettuccine pasta sides
1 stick real butter
2 cloves garlic
Approximately 1 teaspoon Garlic salt
Fresh broccoli, freshly trimmed
4 Fresh chicken breasts or Frozen chicken breasts, thawed
Milk
Seasoned salt
Pepper

Begin by peeling and cutting the garlic into thin slivers.
In a large pan (I use a wok) sauté butter, broccoli, garlic, and garlic salt. Cook until broccoli is still firm, but cooked enough so that a fork can cut through it easily. Set aside. 

Slice chicken breasts into slivers (think fajita-sized). Season the meat to your liking with the seasoned salt (a girl's best friend) and pepper.
Add to the broccoli and sauté at medium heat until chicken is tender, turns white and almost cooked through. Set aside.

In a separate pan, prepare the fettuccine sides according to the package instructions. When complete, add to your wok and sauté until chicken is thoroughly cooked. All done!! You may choose to add a small amount of milk, depending on how thick you like your sauce. This is a fast and easy recipe (reminds me of the fettuccine at of one of our fave spots, Fazoli's, yum) that your family will be sure to enjoy.


If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Perfection.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 
Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 
 
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Homemade Starbucks Frappuccino

With the summer and its unbearable heat impending, it makes a gal like me want to run, not walk to the local Starbucks to indulge in mocha frappuccinos. This can become an expensive habit, however; especially with five munchkins clamouring for the decaf version. Last summer, I came up with my own version....prior to this post I searched the net, and I found lots of recipes for homemade frappuccinos, but none specifically how I do it. It still isn't a Starbucks; but it definitely is a pretty good knock off.





  





The cost of a Tall Mocha Frappuccino at Starbucks is $3.52. In my recipe, I use store-bought Starbucks doubleshot espressos. A four pack costs $4.49
Each doubleshot makes approximately two 8 ounce or tall sized sized mocha frappuccinos. In essence, I estimate my version in total costs under $1.00 to make: The coffee costing $0.59 for each tall size, the syrup and ice I'd guess costs much less than $0.41
You will need:
Starbucks doubleshot espresso (small can)
Chocolate syrup
Ice




Start by pouring the espresso into your blender.


                                              



Add approximately 4-5 tablespoons chocolate syrup.




Add two cups ice and blend thoroughly




                                        
   


Serve with whipped cream and garnish with syrup or chocolate powder if you prefer.


                                        


I like my drinks very sweet; you can also add two tablespoons sugar along with 1-2 tablespoons milk for a creamier, sweeter version. Or, you can add different syrup flavors. I buy mine at Cost Plus World Market. They are now available in smaller sizes at Walmart.  Add syrup according to your own specific taste, and add it prior to blending.




If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Perfection.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 
Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 
 
Follow me on Pinterest!!
 
Thank you for stopping by! ❤