My 1st Daring Kitchen Challenge!

Yay! I have successfully completed my first Daring Kitchen Challenge! I was so excited when I found out what I was getting to make! I had never made it! I have learned to love sushi! But thought it was to difficult for me to make. Boy, was I wrong! Fun, Easy and Delicious!  I printed off my recipe, and though now what... where in the world in this town do I find all the ingredients!  My lovely friend Tara mentioned that there is an Asian Food Market.  Off I went! I walked in and immediately I was aproached by this elderly Korean lady (I assumed she is the owner since its family owned.) She says "You need help? You lost?" HAHA! Yes and Yes, I guess I was! I said "I need everything you need to make sushi." with a big "Oh Ok, I get you everything you need, follow me."  So I walk around the store with this little old lady as she is tossing random stuff in my basket.  All of which I had know idea what the packages said!  I just took her word for it after all she probably knew what she was talking about!  I bought everthing but the meat there!  I checked out and was on my way.  I purchased baby back ribs, smoked salmon, and steak strips. Because the lady had said "No good sushi in this town, but at HEB Baby back ribs good and cheap!" Again, I assumed she knew what she was talking about. Not to mention my picky eater nor my friends don't eat raw fish. I wasn't about to eat it all myself! I invited a girl whom I met in the grocery line who had a son who appeared to be the same age as mine. I had been meaning to hang out with her and this seemed to be the perfect oppurtunity.

 PART 1 : SUSHI RICE

I had never made rice before either!And so it begins with washing, rinsing, washing, rinsing, washing, rinsing, and soaking of the rice. Then you can put it in a pot on the stove and cook it for 30 or so minutes! I put sake in mine!

FYI: Don't take the lid of until you think it is completely finished cooking, apparently it lets all the stem out! I didn't do this but if i hadn't of read the instructions everso carefully I would of taken it of to stir it a few times.

While the rice cooks, heat rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until sugar and salt dissolve then set aside until rice is done.  Pour over warm rice!

This is the way your rice should look!

I used bell peppers and carrots! Just because they were in the fridge! And Avacado!

My very first time to cook ribs! In the oven I might add! And they were fall of the bone good!

My big fan of my cooking! He is such a good eater! He loves him some ribs!

PART 2 : Dragon Rolls (also called Caterpillar Rolls)

OMG! It looks like it is suppose to! Whoop!

PART 3 : Spiral Sushi Roll

These are my spiral sushi! LOL! So I didn't quiet get the spiral concept of spiral at first. I was trying to make the meat spiral. I didn't realize it was the kelp that was suppose to appear spiraled! Got to love the Blonde Moment!

Rib, Carrot, and Bell Pepper Spirals with Spicy Mayo Sauce!

Terriyaki Steak, bell pepper and, cream cheese!

My better spirals!

PART 4 : Nigiri Sushi

Not impressed with these!

The November 2009 Daring Cooks' Challenge has been chosen by Audax of Audax Artifex and Rose of Bite Me Kitchen. They chose Sushi, specifically Dragon Rolls, Nigiri and Spiral Rolls

Not Asian but I make a mean Asian Noodle Dish!

Also something I have never ever attempted to make Asain Food! But I must say I pretty much conquered and destroy them! Like all my recipes, I always put my revisions to them! I got this recipe from my favorite cookbook, "Cook Yourself Thin."

Zac wasn't impressed but I was! I cooked it for friends and she said they loved it! "Taste better than Pei Wei."

Sesame Peanut Noodles

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti (cooked)

In Bowl Whisk Following:

2 T rice vinegar

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 T grated fresh ginger (1T of powder)

1 T dark Sesame Oil (My new found ingrident that I Love!)

1 tsp brown sugar

juice of 1 lime

1/2 cup hot water (I get it out of the boiling pasta water.)

Stir warm noodles, dressing, and the following items:

1/2 bag store-boght coleslaw mix

1/2 red peper (I buy a small bag of frozen stir-fry veggies.)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 a lime squeezed

1 tsptoasted sesame seeds

MeMe's Homemade Ice Cream!

I just discovered my husband love for homemade ice cream! So I saw it as a challenge or/and oppurtunity to make something I know he likes! I imediately went to the store and bought an ice cream maker! (I can't help it when I get and idea I can't stop for anything else!) This is my first family recipe to try from my cookbook and my first time to make homemade ice cream! 

So I ask Zac, "what flavor you want?" He wanted peach! Yes, thats what the original recipe called for how can I screw it up!  For those of you who know zac well you will know that he has problems trusting people to make him food! He has control issues in the kitchen. He has gotten a tinie bit better for the most part, but its still an on going battle to keep the kiddie gate(meant for Zac not Zowie and Zane) up in the kitchen ,while I am attempting to cook!

The next batch I made butterfinger! And if I ever get my hands on some girl scout cookies... I will make every flavor they have! Oh how I love girl scout cookies!

MEME's Fresh Peach Ice Cream
6 cups milk

2 cups sugar

6 eggs
1 can evaporate milk

1 can Eagle Brand
3 cups of Peaches (or flavor of choice)

Warm milk (med-high heat then once warm bring to med-low.). Add eggs and sugar until thin. Add peaches, evaporated milk, and eagle brand. Put in ice cream maker.

Note to self: Ice Maker needs Rocksalt and Ice! Finished Ice Cream melts if left out on counter!

*For milk I put 4 cups whole milk 2 cups half&half . Then WHIP CREAM in the ice cream maker!

*Put milk mixture in fridge for 20 min before putting in ice cream maker!

Woman by Nature! Domestic by Choice!

The Hunter and I have been married a little over a year now! We have had an amazing first year that any couple could ask for! We got to travel, started our marriage 100% debt free, and had an amazing little boy! Our family is full of love and laughter! We can't wait for it to grow! 

They say that "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Soooo Cliche! For those of you who know Zac know that he is an extremely picky eater.  All he want is meat and potatoes... Absolutely no casseroles, food that is mixed togther, or even touching for that matter.  And i growing up in a family that thrives on cooking and more importantly eating. I like variety and he likes the same food over and over and over again! Needless to say, we find it extremely difficult to find foods that we both enjoy!

I like to think that I am domestic! I want my children and hopefully my husband to grow to love my food! I love to cook and try new recipes! So since we have been married I have constantly been experimenting. Most of the food I have loved and Zac has hated! Some I hate and Zac loves! Some we have both hated! But I still remain determined to find our family favorite recipes. 

I woke up one morning with a GREAT idea... Which is pretty much a norm, I seem to be full of them! I am going to make my own cookbook in a scrapebook form. So I went and bought a scrapbook put the pages together and sent a mass letter out to family and friends asking them to send me at least 5 of their family favorite recipes. I have recieved my first recipes. (Thanks Jana) I am excited to try all the recipes and to hopefully find some that will become our family favorites!

So bring on the reciepes, people! I like a challenege!

"Cook Yourself Thin" Cliche

Before I get ahead of myself, let me inform you.  While I was pregnant I gained 60 lbs.... Yep, thats right the big 6-0! (Something I don't reccomend! Please allow me to encourage you that although you're told you're "eating for two" not to take that cliche literally! Please for body's sake, you will regret it! But I will save that for a different blog!)


My caring sister, Tía, gave me this cook book 6 weeks after I had that super big booger! Cook Yourself Thin is the cookbook and show that you can also see on Lifetime. It has a fabulous concept! Basically it teaches you to cook all your favorite meal but with a healthy twist.  The Challenge is to drop a dress size in 6 weeks just by changing the way you cook!


Isn't the title kind of an oximoron though? Can you really lose weight by cooking?  I thought if you refrain from cooking you will eat less?!  Growing up in my family that is all about food, when you cook you plan to eat alot! Every conversation I can remember that we had sitting around the dinner table was about the food we were eating and how good it is! Which programs your mind to think that your stomach needs as much of that good food as you can get. Which is why I think everytime I sit down for a meal, I overeat. It's gross to think about.  I am slowly learning selfcontrol!


I have cooked atleast half of the recipes, and loved them! (My favs are Sauteed Tequila Lime Shrinp Tacos with Mango and Pineapple Salsa and Spicy Black Beans and the Cranberry and Chocolate Biscotti! Yum!) However, everytime I start my challenge about 2 weeks into it the Hunter starts begging me to go back to the "non-chick" food.  So needless to say I have never finished the challenge! But i do try to incorperate the concepts in everyday cooking! With out telling Hunter!


I am down to those last "are you kidding me" pre-preggo 15 lbs! However, I have been very good working out every single day this week! But throughout my blog I will put you on a rollercoaster with working out! Encouragement does wonders, which my husband is slowly realizing! I will keep you updated! My goal is to lose all my baby weight and then some before the next pregnancy and stay in shape throughout it! And only God has control of that issue!


Cook Yourself Thin is a great challenge if you can keep the picky hubby happy with it!  I say go for it!