Day: May 12, 2012

Rachel’s Homemade Salsa

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So I’ve become a fan of making my own sauces.  Since I can’t eat much processed food making my own sauces gives me the ability to customize the flavors that I like to my dietary needs.  So far I’ve tackled vanilla, barbeque sauce, marinara (didn’t turn out great so no post on that), and today SALSA!

Last week Kate and I got a mexican addition to our bountiful basket.  This included an array of peppers, tomatoes, cilantro and tomatillos.  With these ingredients I made 2 different kinds of salsa- traditional red and a pineapple salsa verde.  I’m super happy with the way they turned out.   I have put the salsa in jars and then my grandma is going to let me borrow her canning pot so I can seal them.  There will be salsa for months to come!

The finished collection of salsa!
pineapple salsa verde

pineapple salsa verde

3 peppers (I’m actually not sure what kind they were), seeds, stem removed (depending how hot you like)

12 tomatillos husks removed. (canned works too.  I doubled the batch with 3 cans of tomatillos and it tasted the same to me.)

lime juice

2 small onions

1 ripe pineapple diced

1 bunch cilantro

salt

put everything in food processor or blender and blend.   That’s it!

original salsa

Original salsa

6 cans S and W stewed tomatoes mexican style drained (this saves a ton of time)

2 small onions

2 poblano peppers stem removed but I left the seeds

lime juice

Put all in the food processor (in 2 rounds) and blend.

I was going to put diced tomatoes in but it really didn’t need it but if you like it more chunky go for it.

tomorrow I’m going to put cilantro diced and green onion so its fresh and not soggy.

It tastes really good and couldn’t be easier.  Tomorrow I’m having my grandma and family over for a Mother’s Day dinner and hopefully they like a Mexican fiesta! I’m doing crockpot chicken tacos with salsa, guac, toppings and it should be pretty delicious. Happy Mother’s Day friends and family, especially my own Mom.

Feliz Dia de las Madres!

 

 

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Before and After Scams

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So how many times have you seen an ad for a diet and it shows a before and after photo of a participant with amazing results?  All the time.  Well, 20/20 had an expose on the diet industry on Friday and while most of it was old hat to me this segment stood out.  Evidently its an internet sensation with over 8 million hits but I’d never seen it.  I just had to share it with all of you:

I personally hate dieting and I know lifestyle changes are the important thing but let’s be honest to have significant results you do need make changes, which could be interpreted as a diet.  I sometimes feel resentful of all the sacrifices and things I have to give up. I’ve got a bit of a rebellious streak and I hate being told no.  I have friends who don’t eat dairy, grain, all meat, red meat, all starches,  fruit, all sweeteners, are vegan, vegetarian, eat raw, only organic etc. Not to mention no fast or processed food ever.  I even have a friend who won’t eat mushrooms because of some perceived health problem.  It sometimes makes me a little crazy.  You are going to take all that away from me and mushrooms…

I think most of all I miss baking.  I never make anything with yeast or that smells nice any more.  I never get out my cake decorating supplies.  In fact, my fondant has gotten all hard.  A sad, sad site…

Anyway, I do the best I can and am happy with my progress.  I’ve been training really hard for the upcoming race in the Great Salt Lake and I’m confident I will finish.  (First practice in lake this Wednesday!).  I’m certainly giving it my all.  This week I did 4 intense training sessions (I got a massage today and the lady said my upper back was total tightness.  That’s a swimmer for you!).  I also ate very well, including attending a raw food class on Tuesday that was a lot of fun (it was exactly what you would expect a raw food class to be like in every way.  Kate and I even got scolded for talking in class!)

You just have to keep plugging away day-by-day, try to make good choices, and don’t by into the quick fixes, trends and scams.  It will only lead to depression and a rapidly decreasing pocket book.