A Little Spring

Missy Tippens

I thought I'd share a quick (zero Weight Watcher point) snack and a little bit of spring with you today!

First, I think our poor trees and flowers are mixed up here in Georgia. We did have some really warm weather (it was 75 degrees last week!). But even before that, I noticed trees blooming. Here are a few photos of my neighborhood (my trees aren't blooming yet).

I know some of you are in areas with heavy snow, so I hope you enjoy this taste of spring! It'll come your way eventually. :)

And now, a quick snack...

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Mexicorn (slightly drained)
1 can green chile peppers with juice
1 can petite diced tomatoes with juice
Spices (I used Penzey's Buttermilk Dressing and Dip spice mix and Penzey's Salsa and Pico spice mix)

The recipe I used before calls for Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch Dressing, but I didn't have any. Thus, I used the Ranch flavorings and salsa spices! Scoop with tortilla chips (not zero points, but still not too bad if you can manage not to eat the whole bag). :) It's a great snack!

Also! I have a new novella that just released for Valentine's Day! I hope you'll check it out.

Her Valentine Reunion

What happens on the very day Abbie Rogers makes a preemptive strike against Valentine’s Day funk by declaring herself content to be single? Why, Victor Wallis, the man who broke her heart, comes crashing back into her life, of course. Not only that, he declares himself a changed man, and he truly seems to be. She even finds herself falling for him again. But when he makes a move to take over her family’s business, Abbie’s not certain she’ll ever be able to trust the only man she’s ever loved.

www.missytippens.com

Green salsa citrus stew

Hi, everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I have a delicious recipe for you. It's like stew, but not. If you're like us, you're suffering with this heat wave. We've been eating cold everything. Sandwiches, pasta, cereal. No kidding, I've been letting my kids eat cereal for three meals because it's not ice cream (that's for brunch and midnight snack).  

But every now and then we have to have some real food, so my daughter asked if we could make this recipe she saw in a magazine.

Originally, it had potatoes, pork, green chiles, and chicken broth. But we also like to use what we have and mix it up, so here's the new and updated version!

Ingredients:

 3 cups tomatillos

one onion

3 cops chopped pork

3-4 cups chopped potatoes

5 cups broth

two oranges

four large mint leaves

 Instead of green chiles, we used a jar of home canned tomatillos. You can buy these little green tomato-type things at the store. Easy to boil until they get soft. So, a jar of tomatillos and five cups of broth (what I had stored in the freezer). Bring to a boil. It's tempting to start adding spices and seasoning but just wait because when you add the potatoes, you'll have to start all over.

 Chopped potatoes. We used about ten, but we were cooking for a crowd. I'd say as a rule for this stew to make sure your tomatillos, potatoes, and pork are in equal amounts.

 Fry up some pork chops. Ugh. not attractive before they're cooked but so good after!

 Now, chop the pork into small cubes, add to the potato and tomatillo stew. Adjust the broth if necessary. It should be pretty soupy because it has a while to boil down. After letting it boil until the potatoes are soft, squeeze two large oranges (watch for seeds). The sweet citrus is a great addition to the tangy green salsa. It gives it a balance and keeps it from being overwhelming.

 Last step, add four or five large mint leaves. Mint and pork always go together, but my husband adds mint to his stews because he says it's good for digestion. Not sure if that's true, but I LOVE the smell of mint/citrus stew. He even adds it to chicken soup, and it gives it such an exotic flavor. After the mint has cooked for a few minutes, add salt and pepper and maybe some hot sauce to taste. Depending on what heat level you like, you can leave off the hot sauce altogether, or serve it individually.

 A dollop of sour cream, some tortilla chips and some cilantro completes the dish!

That's all for now! I hope everyone is surviving the heat! I've just passed a deadline and am diving back into another series, so I'm feeling like life is AWESOME. Lol. You can tell I always love starting more than beginning a book. Or maybe both? Anyway, stop by my Mary Jane Hathaway author page, or my Virginia Carmichael page (soon to be resurrected pen name!), or my blog at The Things That Last. Until next time!

Quick and Easy Low-Carb Lunch

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed these days. I can't attribute it to any one thing, just several things, that when you bundle them all together, start messing with my psyche.

Makes me wish I was back at the ranch,

 playing peek-a-boo with the deer,

or simply relaxing beside the campfire.

But that was last week. 

I went down to help my SIL prepare for her son's wedding reception. He got married in Vermont last month and since Vermont is a bit of a drive from Texas, most of their friends weren't able to make it to the actual nuptials. 

So, we celebrated them in Texas style. 

Or maybe that should be Star Wars style.

Hans and Lea never looked so good.

These were made by a good friend.

Talk about cute!

But we also had real food that didn't come from a galaxy far, far away.

Things like ham, sweet potatoes, pumpkin bread and fruit salad.

And lest we forget dessert.

Apple quiche (must get the recipe), pecan tassies and lemon bars.

Makes me want to stuff myself silly.

Actually, I think I did.

So now it's back to the good stuff. I mean good for me stuff.

Low-carb, no carb and yummy in its own right.

I have a new quickie go-to lunch I want to share with you. And while it may seem a little strange, trust me when I say it tastes just like a taco salad, but without the guilt.

Four ingredients.

Lettuce, low-fat cottage cheese (3/4 cup), black beans (1/3 cup) and salsa (1/3 cup).

Ta-dah!!

Mix it all together and dig in.

So simple. So tasty. So good for you.

Of course, it's getting difficult to think about salads when the temps are plummeting. 

Ruthy, are getting gobs and gobs of snow? Jan?

Here it looks like we'll beat our average first freeze by a week. And it does appear that we're going to stay chilly for a while. Which means stews and soups will be appearing a lot at my house.

So long as I intersperse it with some chicken fried venison, my boys should survive.

What's up with them not liking soup, anyway? 

Maybe if I made it something exotic like gator noodle soup, they'd be more interested.

Hmm... tastes like chicken, right?

My Most Requested Recipe (Revisited)

Do you have one of those dishes that people always ask you to bring to parties?
Hands down, mine is my grape salsa.

People clamor for this stuff. Beg me to make it. Then beg for the recipe.
Yet, no matter how many times I hand out said recipe, they still want me to bring it.
It's quick, it's easy and it is so very, very delicious.

Now, I know what you're thinking, those of you who don't particularly like your sweet with your savory.
But this recipe wins the skeptics every time.

Mindy's Grape Salsa

Here's what you'll need:



• 2 cups roughly chopped grapes, I like red, but you can use green
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup (one small can) chopped green chilies
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (if you don't have red wine, just use whatever vinegar you have on hand)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least one hour. Drain and serve with tortilla chips.

Just look at those colors. I think part of what makes it so good is that blend of sweet and salty. 

And no, it's not hot. Just a subtle kick.

This makes a great appetizer any time of year, but if you're looking for something cool and refreshing--not to mention impressive--for your next outdoor gathering, I guarantee this will be a hit.

Now it's your turn. 

What's that dish people are always asking you to bring?

Avocado-Feta Salsa

Yes, you read that right - Avocado and Feta together in a salsa.

It's fabulous!

Start here:

Avocado, tomato, red onion and cilantro. Chop it all up.

And then add a bit of this:

Throw in some garlic and a bit of oregano, and then mix it all together with a splash of olive oil and some apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar - whatever you have handy).

And here's the hard part.

Refrigerate for 2 to 6 hours.

*tap, tap, tap*

And then it's good to go! You can eat it with tortilla chips, pita chips, or.....

Twice-baked Zucchini Rounds! 

Take one of those big zucchinis - you know, the ones that were hiding in your garden until they're gargantuan size and you don't know what to do with them - and slice a few 1/4" thick rounds.

Cover both sides with olive oil, and bake on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes or so at 375°. Then take them out of the oven and top them with your favorite combo. I used the Avocado-Feta Salsa. Stick them back in the oven and broil them for a few minutes, or until the cheese starts melting.

Delicious!

I had a few of these for lunch with my Salmon with Garlicky Spinach (recipe here). It was a low-carb extravaganza!

And last week I put the salsa on my hamburger - now that was delicious!

Okay, I know I need to give you the official recipe:

Avocado-Feta Salsa

(originally from AllRecipes.com)

Ingredients:

1 plum tomato, chopped

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped

2 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)

1 teaspoon oregano

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon vinegar (apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar)

2 Tablespoons crumble feta cheese

Mix together gently. Cover and chill for 2 to 6 hours.

And we'll end up with a few Thatcher pictures. I'm out of town this week and really missing this guy!

Secrets, salsa, and some smokin' hot chili

Helloooooo, everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I'm got a few tidbits for you. Nothing like that delicious peach cobbler. YUMMMY!
Now I can't wait for peaches!
 I thought I'd do chili today because it's getting warm here (90F) and for several months I won't want to go anywhere near a hot dish of food.
Ok, that's a lie.
I won't want to go anywhere near a hot stove. So, now's the chance to have that last bowl of comfort food before we all live on popsicles and iced tea for the summer.

 So, the first thing... confession. We Catholics are big on confession. We really think it does the soul good to beg pardon from God and the community. So...

That is indeed a cinnamon roll. For the woman who is not eating sugar. *sigh* And covered espresso flavored frosting. It was so good. And I feel better for sharing my failure with you. I promise to avoid sin and any opportunity to sin, amen! :D

 

The next order of business involves lots of homegrown tomatillos. I know Mindy made salsa but that was the TEXAN way! :D This is the... Munoz way. Anyway, tomatillos are small green tomatoes. You can find the larger ones in grocery stores or you can grow your own. Be careful, like cherry tomatoes they multiply year after year, reseeding, until your garden looks like a tomatillo farm.

  So, here are some before the skins are soaked and removed.

                           
Place on a hot plate (tortilla warmer, calendar, or even in a frying pan) and roll them until they start to blacken. Think of this like grilling. Brings out that deep, roasted flavor.

A handful of dried chili de arbol and give them the same treatment. Be careful. This is about the same as spraying a can of mace in your house. I usually make the kids go outside when hubby starts this step. You can just open a window.

Into the blender. Add salt to taste. A little lemon juice.

Oooo! Baby poo! Seriously, this stuff is addictive. Burn your face off hot but still you want more.

Now we need some easy chili:

Yes, that's a big can of chipotle peppers. Don't be afraid. Just open 'er right up.

I like chipotle flavoring (which is just smoked/grilled Anaheim peppers, really) but not so fond of the sludge from the can so I rinse mine. Mmmm. Looks like something out of a medical textbook.

Mash, chop, squish, dismember. You don't want anyone to get a big piece of chipotle in their chili.

Somehow I missed the picture, but combine

3 cans of kidney beans,

2 cans of diced tomatoes,

4 cups of water,

one chopped onion,

2 lbs ground hamburger if you have it

and a package of chili flavoring in a pot.

Add the chipotle. Remember this is easy chili.

Secret ingredient time! Two Tbs cocoa powder and 2 Tbs oil. Mix well. Add to the chili. You won't regret it. Plus, doesn't everybody need more chocolate??

 

Hmmmmmm. Smokey chili, deep dark flavor. And let the crazies add the home made tomatillo salsa for extra burn-your-face-off flavor!

So, I hope everybody's gearing up for summer! I'm up to my eyeballs in projects. Here's a peek at one. My digital baby is now in print. The proof copies arrived. And she's soooooo pretty! A little heavy at 471 pages but you know those fat babies are the sweetest!

 In a few weeks I'll do a cover reveal of the 2nd in the series. I'm keeping the cover deep under wraps for right now (like a state secret, ya know) but 'Emma, Mr. Knightley, and Chili-Slaw Dogs' makes me smile every time I open the file to see if it's really there!

  Until next time, dearies!

Put on Your Dancing Shoes

It's time for a little salsa.

Okay, so we're not really going to dance. But with a bowl full of yummy salsa, you just might want to.

Here in Texas, salsa is a staple. Some is mild, some will send you running for the nearest fire extinguisher. Some is superb, some...not so much. But there's one thing salsa always is and that's easy to make.

Are you ready?

Good, then let's hit it.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 - 10 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel, I like the mild version)
• 1 - 14 oz can whole tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/8 cup chopped onion
• 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Jalapeno, diced (I used a half of one, but was told by my crew I needed to add more)
• a nice-sized pinch of ground cumin
• a bigger pinch of salt
• a pinch of sugar
• the juice of half a lime (except sometimes limes aren't very juicy, in which case I use add the juice of the whole lime)

Dump your tomatoes, juice and all, into a food processor or blender, then throw in everything else.

 

Pulse a few times.

Not quite there, so I scrape down the sides and pulse a few more times.

 

Once you get it to a consistency you like, sample and adjust seasonings, if needed.

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Pour into a bowl and serve with tortilla chips or whatever you like.

 

This is great for everyday or a party. And if you want to share with someone you love....

It makes a great gift. Maybe add a ribbon around the lid. (Mine was just going into the fridge, so no point wasting perfectly good ribbon)

 

The nice thing is that you can adjust it to your personal taste. Like it a little hotter? Add more jalapeno or start with original Rotel (or both). Like more garlic? Go for it.

 

And now, it's time to dance. This little fella has some awesome salsa moves.