Feliz Año Nuevo!!! 2017 - Lentil Salad, Pickled Radishes, Simple Sauted Radishes Recipes

Happy New Year, Everyone!!!

Spent New Year's Eve in Mexico with some friends.

After cleaning my space, I dumped the mop water out the front door to clean out the old new year.

For the dinner, I wore white underwear for good health and brought a lentil salad for prosperity (lentils look like tiny coins).

We lit blue, red, yellow, green, orange and white candles for peace, passion, abundance, health, intelligence and clarity.

We made a toast to the New Year and to our good health with sparkling grape juice and said prayers for the meal and the New Year.

After dinner, we walked to the Remate and, a minute before midnight, we ate 12 grapes, each one representing a wish for the New Year as the Christmas Tree flashed its lights and at midnight spelled out Feliz Año Nueveo 2017!!!!

Firecrackers burst all around. Fireworks could be seen in the distance. We blew our whistles, and tossed streamers and confetti!!!

The romantic in me wanted to toss a coin in the Remate Fountain and make a wish, like a scene from the American movie Three Coins in a Fountain set in Italy. But, after tossing a coin in and making a wish, I thought I should get the coin back, so it wouldn't clog the fountain's machinery.

It was a delightful evening with friends and electronic contact with family and friends!!!!

***Wishing Everyone the World Over: Peace, Prosperity, Good Health & Hope. May all your wishes come true***

Lentil Salad Recipe

Adapted from: http://www.skinnytaste.com/lentil-salad/

I think I've found a lentil recipe I can make!

Ingredients:

1 cup dry lentils, rinsed

1/2 palmful thyme, dry, crushed

2 handfuls carrots, shredded

1/4 cup bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup onion, diced

10 sprigs of fresh parsley, torn from stalks and torn again

1 clove garlic, minced

2 capfuls lime juice concentrate

1 TB olive oil

Salt/ground black pepper to taste

1. Process:
2. In a medium saucepan add lentils and thyme.
3. Cover with enough water so there's an inch above lentils.
4. Bring to boil.
5. Reduce to simmer uncovered until lentils are tender but not mushy, about 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Drain lentils.
7. In serving bowl or covered container add: carrots, pepper, onion, parsley, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
8. Mix well.
9. Add lentils.
10. Mix well.
11. Cover and store in frig to chill before serving.

Note: my lentils were a bit crunchy because my hot plate is finicky, yes, I have watch the pot to see if it is simmering.

The real test will be my friends tonight because this is a New Years's Eve dish.

It was ok, no raves. While it tasted fresh, it had little flavor.

Note 2: I just added a little bit of table vinegar to some leftover lentil salad and that made all the difference, it brought out all the flavor of the ingredients!!!!

At the grocery store, I don't often buy radishes because they come in a bag of about 20 bulbs.  Normally, I couldn't use all those radishes before many went bad and that would be a waste. But, this time, I had 2 recipes I thought would solve the problem, so then I could have some fresh radishes, then saute some for a side dish and pickle the rest. Goal: No Food Waste.

Pickled Radishes Recipe

Adapted from:

http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cook-with-fruits-and-vegetables/how-to-pickle-radishes/

Pickling Solution:

1/2 cup table vinegar? (see note)

4 TBs sugar

1 palmful dry thyme, crushed

1 1/2 tsp Salt

1 TB black peppercorns

Mix and stir these together in a large jar with a lid.
Make sure the sugar has dissolved.

Next prepare:

6 medium radishes (cleaned and trimmed).
Slice radishes into thin slices.

1/4 onion, cut into small wedges

Add radish slices and onion wedges to the jar of pickling solution.

Refrig 8 hours

Note: hit a few sags, when the recipe said cover radishes with pickling solution, it didn't say the radishes would float above the liquid, so I added a lot more vinegar. But, I wasn't sure about the sugar to vinegar ratio. I didn't want to add more sugar, so I didn't.

Not knowing how pickled radishes should taste, they tasted fine to me.

Note 2: Just added some pickled radishes to a serving of leftover lentil salad, not bad. But, I ate a black peppercorn, I wouldn't recommend it.

A Simple Sauted Radishes Recipe

6-8 radish bulbs, cleaned, trimmed and cut in half.
a dollop of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste.

After putting the olive oil in a skillet, add the radishes.
Season to taste.
Cook on medium until radishes are brown and semi-soft.
Serve warm.

I added a video of the Christmas Tree but don't know why it won't play. Sorry.

Homemade Peach Ice Cream Success and more

While I am now in the process of assembling the next volume of Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook, which will take at least a year to complete, I still peruse recipes and try new ones.

During the process of looking for recipes to try for this volume of RKFNC, I asked my family and friends for some of their recipes. A cousin sent this one:

6 Threes Ice Cream Recipe

3 Cups sugar
3 Cups cream
3 Cups milk
3 mashed banana
3 Orange juice
3 Lemons juice

Stir and freeze.

While I had not intended to try all the recipes family or friends sent, I thought I’d give this one a try, especially since I had run out of commercial ice cream and wanted a dessert.

I thought the original recipe would make a lot of ice cream, so I cut the portions down and made a few changes:

Homemade Peach Ice Cream

Ingredients:

3/4 c sugar
1 Cup cream
1 Cup milk
4oz plain yogurt
1/2 Cup diced peaches
1 Cup Orange Juice
1 Capful lime juice concentrate
A dollop of honey

Process:

I used an empty Ovaltine jar which was about a liter in size for the mixture.

I added all the ingredients to the jar.

Then, I stirred the mixture, closed the jar and shook it until the contents appeared fully mixed.

While as a liquid it fit into the jar, there wasn't much space left.

I realized after putting it in the freezer and checking it every hour that the liquid needed space to expand as it froze, so I poured out a small amount of the mixture into a separate container and returned the mixture to the freezer.

I was surprised, every time I checked the mixture, it was partially frozen around the edges but not in the middle, so I stirred the frozen parts back into the liquid part.

I checked that mixture every couple of hours for 2 days. I was surprised how long it took to freeze but once it froze, it was ice cream and it was great.

Notes: I need to research the complexities of freezing various liquid mixtures. Plus, while the ice cream was sweet, it was too sweet for me, so I will reduce the sugar by half in my next batch.

Then, today, I decided I wanted a little dessert. So, I grabbed the container of leftover apple bread pudding I had pulled from the freezer a few days ago and heated it up. Then, I added a heaping tablespoon of the peach ice cream on top. Success! It was great.

Now, I can make my own ice cream at a savings. A local tienda sells 1 liter of ice cream for $56MX, my ingredients cost roughly $25MX.

As you can see, this ice cream recipe is adaptable. I added yogurt, honey and diced peaches for a delightful flavor. I suspect that other fruits or flavors can be used in this recipe to make a variety of homemade ice creams.

Other Recent Semi-Successful Recipes

Chicken Casserole with cheese topping, a variation on Amy Dacyzyn's Universal Casserole.

When I decided to use a can of chicken breast, I wanted a recipe that would make several meals, so I choose Amy's Universal Casserole Recipe, that recipe has never failed me.

Note: I topped the casserole with cheese slices, I should have torn the cheese up because the cheese slices hardened in the microwave cooking process.


Imitation Tuna Salad (without fish juice) topped with shredded carrots, no picture, see previous recipe.


Asparagus Rollup or Wrap
(This is the recipe that gave me the idea: http://www.cooks.com/recipe/5h5wk8ju/asparagus-appetizers.html)

1 tortilla
1-2 Asparagus Spear(s), canned
1/2 Tbspn Tomato, diced, drained
1/4 Tbspn horseradish sauce

Place asparagus spear(s) on top of tortilla
Add tomato
Add sauce
Roll up

Note: Every recipe can always be tweaked. For this one, the tomato juice did not make it possible to cut the rollup into pieces. Also, I used horseradish sauce instead of a white sauce. While the horseradish sauce was tasty, it overwhelmed the other flavors.


Toast Topped with Asparagus, Tomato, and Fried Egg

Ingredients:

Olive oil
Tomato slice(s)
1-2 Asparagus spear(s), canned
1 Slice of bread
Black pepper
1/2 Tbspn Horseradish sauce

Process:

Add oil to skillet
Place toast in skillet
Add pepper on toast
Heat medium to high
Cook until brown
Flip toast over and brown the other side
Remove and set aside on a plate

Fry egg in skillet, add extra oil if needed

Pour about a 1/2 tablespoon of sauce over toast
Add slice(s) of tomato
Add spear(s) of asparagus
Top with fried egg
Add more pepper

Note: While this was a tasty dish, asparagus, canned or fresh, has a delicate, delightful flavor, so choosing a sauce or accompanying ingredients can either enhance the flavor of asparagus or disguise it. Unfortunately, the use of horseradish sauce overwhelms the asparagus flavor. Knowing how to pair flavors is what makes a great cook.

Note to Self: Put on to do list, figure out how to pair flavors :-)

Hotplate: Turkey Reuben Sandwich

Hotplate: Turkey Reuben Sandwich Recipe


Ingredients:

2 slices of bread (Rye is recommended, but any type bread will do)
Olive oil
1 Slice of deli Turkey
1 Slice of Swiss or mild Cheese
1 Tbspn sauerkraut
French Dressing or DIY Thousand Island Dressing
Salt and pepper


Process:

In a skillet, add a dollop of oil.
Put in 1 slice of bread.
Cook at low-medium temperature.
Top with slice of cheese.
Add turkey slice.
Add sauerkraut.
Add dressing.
Season with salt and pepper to taste
When first slice is toasted on the bottom, put second slice of bread on top and flip the sandwich so the bread on the top can get toasted.
Once toasted, remove, place on plate and cut in half.

Enjoy!

Microwave: Mug O'Pinapple Bread Pudding

Microwave: Mug O'Pineapple Bread Pudding Recipe

This one worked right off the bat! It is easy, tasty and adaptable.

Ingredients:

1 8oz coffee cup

1/2 TB pineapple chunks
1 slice of bread, torn into pieces
1 egg
1 1-2 TB sugar
2 TB milk (or yogurt)
1 TB olive oil (or margarine)
1 tsp vanilla
2 Dashes of cinnamon

Process:

Add pineapple chunks to bottom of cup
Break bread into pieces, place in cup.
In separate bowl, mix rest of ingredients
Pour mixture over bread.
Push bread down into cup so all pieces are soaked in mixture.
I did not stir, I wanted the pineapple on the bottom.

Microwave 2 minutes on high.
Remove, let it cool for a bit before eating.

Cinnamon made it tasty.

Variations: use other types of fruit or no fruit.

Pre-Order: Budget Guest Accommodations Opportunities, Mérida, México, Marketing Report Available

Now Available — As a Pre-Order

Budget Guest Accommodations Opportunities

Mérida, México

Marketing Report

by Ria Stone

50% off Smashwords Coupon: DW22H

PRESS RELEASE

November 1, 2016

Ria.Stonemail@gmail.com

NORTH AMERICA — With tourism on the rise in Mexico, the need for budget guest accommodations (BGA) will increase.

This marketing book focuses on budget guest accommodations in Mérida, México on the Yucatan peninsular.

Sadly, many businesses start and fail. What steps can the owner or prospective owner of a BGA do to increase their chances of running a successful business?

Based on extensive research and on-the-ground observations and experiences, the Budget Guest Accommodations Opportunities, Mérida, México, Marketing Report offers low-cost market analysis and marketing ideas for current and future BGA owners, managers and administration staff, to help their business succeed.

The report provides specific details on: running a successful budget guest accommodation, developing marketing analysis and plans including sample plans and press kit templates.

An extensive resource list is included and contains: management articles; economic and tourism reports; low-cost marketing services: tourism and trade association websites; as well as guides and handout suggestions.

Take a peek. See what works for your budget guest accommodation. Bien Dia.

Contact Information:

Email: ria.stonemail@gmail.com

Blog: http://riastoneblog.blogspot.mx

###

My Self-Publishing Experiences

Recently, I revised two publications and submitted them as ePubs to Smashwords.

I also created a PDF/a using Libre Office of the revised RKFNC to submit to Lulu to create a POD.

Then, I formatted a new publication, Budget Guest Accommodations Opportunities Marketing Report, Mérida, México in Pages, created an ePub and submitted it to Smashwords.

But, the preparation of the revised publications took months because I struggled to format the manuscripts created in Pages, exported as ePubs, to get the format I wanted, or to convert to a docx to create a PDF/a format.

I had so many problems, I can't remember them all. But, most days, I would start out optimistically, thinking it would take a couple of hours to fix the current problems and then find myself at 10pm at night still trying to fix problems.

I tried Open Office to create a PDF/a format but never got past all the formatting errors. Then, I tried Libre Office. I finally figured it out when I formatted the revised RKFNC.

I had almost 16 versions of each manuscript in attempts to fix formatting and image problems. Conversions of previous manuscripts produced loss of formatting, changes in styles, and image disarrangements. In one conversion, I kept getting Arial microcode font which I never used.

The takeaway from these issues was the realization that even though I tried to use a clean manuscript, in some  cases, I was using a file that had been formatted for a particular use and using the same file for another format introduced errors in coding. Coding I could often not see.

When I converted BGAO from pages to an ePub format, I had fewer problems because I was using the original file even though I had revised the manuscript many, many times.

Converting the revised RKFNC from a docx using LibreOffice to a PDF/a was a little easier than creating an ePub. I did have to fix some formatting errors. But, generally, the process was fairly smooth.

For authors who only produce about one book a year, I feel that I have to learn how to use various software programs all over again.

While using Lulu was fairly straightforward, I made a few mistakes and lost some work and had to start over.

I use macbook with Pages, Word for Mac, Preview and PhotoscapeX. While I had a few other software packages just a year ago, it seems I keep losing them when I upgrade my devices. But, in general, I don't want to spend any more money on software just to produce a book.

Plus, I hope the big software developers realize their popup reminders are aggravating. I ignore them now. I delay updating my software because it means too much downtime while it reloads and often I lose some functionality in the updated software.

Below are charts I created to try and capture the elements of making choices when you choose to self-publish. These charts are incomplete as I continue to gather information. Also, these represent my personal experiences, I know others who use several of these online publishers and are happy with their services.

Because this process took so long, over that time, I began to sense changes in the eBook marketplace. Large eTailers seem to be abandoning support for free or low-cost publications. Other online publishers have increased their fees and costs.

Unless you wrote a bestseller, or are an established author, or a popular niche author, it will be hard to get eyes on your products.

While I have researched and attempted to tackle marketing, it is a huge endeavor to try and find your audience, especially, if you write eclectic books like I do.

 

The Search for the Very Best Bread Pudding Recipe

Mixed Apple Bread Pudding

Using the "Use What You Have" approach, I decided to use a can of baby apples I had had for a long time, two small frozen containers of apple slices and three apples in the frig to make another bread pudding.

I tried to follow my Peanut Bread Pudding recipe but instead of Peanut Butter, I used apples and made other changes.

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1/2 tbspn sugar
1 cup coconut cream or cream
2 cups milk
2 tspns vanilla flavoring
Lots of apple slices
6 slices of bread (multigrain), broken into chunks
Cinnamon, lots

Process:

Mix eggs, sugar, cream, milk and vanilla. Stir thoroughly and set aside.
Spread the apple slices on the bottom of the microwave dish.
Spread bread chunks thickly over the fruit.
Pour egg mixture over bread and fruit.
Sprinkle cinnamon over the top of the mixture.

Cover the dish with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
Microwave on high for 15 minutes.
Let casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving.

First disaster, the canned baby apples were little whole apples with stems and seeds. I had to “pare" the apples.

Second disaster, I had cleaned and rearranged the entire kitchen. I am a visual person. What I see to my mind is what I have. So, I grabbed my large round covered casserole dish and began making the pudding. As the bowl filled up, I thought something did not look right.

Then, I realized that before I had used a square glass cooking pan. Volume wise, I don’t think there was a big difference but soaking wise, it may make a difference since the liquid was at the bottom of the dish and the bread was on the top. They weren’t really mixed well.

Plus, with all the various apples, they took up most of the dish.

Third disaster, based on my previous experience, I knew needed more liquid, so I decided to add more milk or coconut cream, but I got carried away.

But, I went ahead anyway.

I let the dish soak in the frig overnight. Then, in the morning I cooked it in the microwave in 3 -five minute intervals, on high. It tasted good but was still soupy.

I was not going to give up.

So, I broke apart three more slices of bread and added the pieces to the mixture and let it soak again for several hours.

Then, I cooked it again for five minutes on high.

It worked. It is a tasty, "interesting" apple bread pudding. It really wasn't bad but I doubt I can duplicate this recipe.