National Cocktail Day

I have decided to make Tuesdays National Cocktail day.  You may ask why a Tuesday and not a Friday or Saturday. Simple! Tuesdays are my toughest teaching day. On Ts, I teach 3 very different 1 1/2 hour classes and to spice up the day a little more, I also pump every 3 hours (I'm still breastfeeding) , and plan for the next day. By the time I leave work, I am more than ready for a drink!

Being that Tuesdays are now National Cocktail day, I am posting one of my favorite recipes:

Traditional Caipirinha:

Ingredients

• 1/2 lime, quartered

• 1 teaspoon white sugar (add more if needed)

• 2 1/2 fluid ounces cachaca (I have also used Vodka and it tastes just as good)

• 1 cup ice cubes
• 
  

Directions

1. In a large rocks glass squeeze and drop in 2 eighths of lime. Add sugar, crush and mix with a spoon. Pour in the cachaca and plenty of ice. Stir well.

Great Friday

It's finally Friday and the beginning of the weekend! I wanted tonight to be special and different from other nights, so I decided to cook something different. Actually, hubby nor I were in the mood to cook. To make matters worse, I was also not in the mood for take out. I know. I'm a pain in the touchy. I decided to look online for something fun, tasty, and easy.

Found it! It's a tasty, easy, and kid-friendly recipe from the Food Network. It literally took less than 10 minutes to make and it was delicious. My daughter loved the different flavors and texture of the meal. To make it all more special, we ate in the living room while watching Rio. Really, this was a great dinner and fun night for the whole family.

 Here is the recipe:
* 1/3 cup whipped cream cheese, at room temperature (about 3 ounces)
* 1/2 tablespoon honey 4 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas 1/2 small red apple, such as Red Delicious, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
* 1 cup shredded smoked mozzarella (I ended up using whatever I had at home)
* 1 cup shredded mild Cheddar (I ended up using whatever I had at home)
* 8 thin slices smoked Black Forest deli turkey meat (I ended up using whatever I had at home)
Directions:
* Spray a nonstick grill pan or nonstick griddle pan with vegetable oil cooking spray. Place over medium-high heat.
* In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese and honey until smooth. Spread evenly over 1 side of each tortilla, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge.
* Place 2 or 3 apple slices in a single row about 1 inch from the nearest edge of each tortilla.
* In a small bowl, combine the 2 cheeses. Sprinkle half the cheese mixture on top.
* Place 2 slices turkey side-by-side on top of the cheese.
* Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
* Tightly roll up each tortilla like a jelly roll. Place the tortilla rolls, seam-side down, on the grill. Cook, turning every 2 minutes, until the tortillas are brown on all sides and the cheese starts to melt.
* Cool for 10 minutes. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice each tortilla roll into 1-inch pieces. Arrange on a platter and serve.

By the way, the cream cheese and honey mixture also functions as frosting on chocolate and pumpkin cupcakes :)

The Best Pao de Queijo Recipe

I can now die and go to Brazilian heaven, a place full of Carnaval parades, brigadiers, coconut water, and men in speedos. The reason for my excitement comes from a Pao de Queijo  recipe.


This recipe is awesome! In fact, it's a hassle free, error-free, mess-free...you get the point. I found it on Our Best Bites. The recipe is perfect the way it is but being adventurous, I have, at times, made a few addition. I have added garlic, crushed black pepper, and salami (not all at the same time).

FYI: I prefer to double the recipe and eat the leftovers later in the day. If needed, place them in the micro for 10-15 seconds and eat away.

Enjoy!

Pao de Queijo

Quick Brazilian Cheese Rolls {Pao de Queijo} – Gluten Free!

Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup tapioca flour (sometimes labeled tapioca starch) no substitutions

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 C grated cheddar cheese* (preferably medium or sharp)

1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

*you can play around with the cheese.  I’ve used Monterey Jack, low-moisture mozarella, swiss, and even gruyere in place of the cheddar.  All great!

Optional:  extra cheese to sprinkle on top and any herbs/flavorings you’d like to add.  Try rosemary and or garlic powder, my favorites!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place egg, milk, oil, tapioca flour, and salt in blender and blend until smooth.  Add cheeses and pulse 2 times.  Immediately pour batter into a mini muffin tin (if your muffin tin isn’t non-stick, spray lightly with non-stick spray first), filling each well about 3/4 full, or just slightly less.  If desired (and I recommend), sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top and/or a tiny sprinkle of kosher salt.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden.  Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before removing rolls from pan.  Serve warm. {Que Gostoso!}

Yield: anywhere from 16-24 rolls, depending on how full you fill your muffin pan. I fill  mine pretty full (a good 3/4 full) and I generally get about 16-18

Spice Carnival Site

Yeah!!!! After a 3-week absence, my iPad has returned home. I must say once you go iPad, you never go back.

Now that I have my baby back, I am once again connected to everything that is good in the virtual world. Consequently, I ran into cute and interesting costumes site that I must share.

Spice Carnival based in Europe makes (very expensive but cute) Carnival costumes. They are creative and I  like the use of fringes--a great way to add more movement and color to a costume.

Check out some of my favorite costumes:

I'm not crazy about the bikini, but I love the feathers.

 I must have been a cowgirl and burlesque dancer in my past life. I adore the fringes and love anything with tassels.

 This costume would have been perfect for the Roman theme Carnival parade we had a few years ago. The draping of the fabric gives the costume a regal and exotic look.