Grilled Stuffed Jalapeños

I could not really remember the first time I made these, but it all came back to me when they were special requested a few weeks ago! 

After even doubling the recipe, they were still gone before I could whip out my camera of the final grilled product...

But that's the best part - making something people like to eat. :)

 Here's the recipe.

Pie for Dinner

What do you do when you are a first-time gardener and it's too much of a success?

Make pie!

There are some steps to it, but it's really quite simple and surprisingly delicious - as TOH already dubbed it...

Start out by baking your pastry shell.  Let it cool.  Put an even first layer of tomatoes down.  I used cherry tomatoes because I have an abundance of them in my garden.  It calls for plum tomatoes, but personally I love the bite-sizes....

Evenly sprinkle the green onions next.

Next, layer the rest of the tomatoes on top.

Sprinkle with the basil, salt and pepper.  Spread the mayo/cheese mixture next.

Lastly, sprinkle the bacon and Parmesan.

Even though it says it serves 8, if you're serving it as an entree, it's closer to 4 or 5...  However, it'd be a great side to something and THEN, yes, it would serve closer to 8 people!

Print the recipe here.

Happy Summer Cooking!

Homemade Granola Bars

Ever since I received this amazing cookbook for our wedding [and then actually unpacked it and started using it], I wanted to make these granola bars.  I also heard from a friend that she'd made them and they were terrific!

As I almost always do, when I use a recipe for the first time, I try not to alter it at all - then I find out what I want to change for the next time.  [As perfectly exemplified in my very-cashewy Spicy Stir-Fried Cashew Chicken I made tonight, about which I may or may not blog - it was cashew-iculous!]  These granola bars were a bit sticky.  Okay, a LOT sticky.

I'll definitely make them again (because they were seriously so good), but I'll certainly need to change some quantities.  And when I DO and find some better solutions, I will blog about it.  In the meantime, please let me know if you have any ideas, as well!  This time I tried almond pieces, coconut and sunflower seeds.  Next time, I might try peanuts and raisins or something else!  There are truly endless possibilities.

Print the recipe here.

Or here.  :)

Some More Colombian Food Pics

If you guessed dragon fruit on my last post, or Pitaya, your were correct!  And because I didn't KNOW the answer before I wrote the question, I'm glad to have learned something!

Every South American country I have visited so far seems to have its own local soda.  Most remind me of Cream Soda, and this one was no different.  It's been years since I even tried Cream Soda but I don't remember liking it.  However, I did like this pop?  My taste buds might have changed OR it could have just been another hot sweaty day in Cali, Colombia.  Heh.

You can find drinkable yogurt in the States and it's ALL you could find in Peru, but the yogurt in Colombia was even more liquidy - it is like flavored colored milk.  They even sell these little plastic things you snuggle the bag of yogurt into for pouring purposes.  It's still pretty tasty!  Just funny to me.

Walking around the streets of Cali, you'd see these things being sold everywhere.  I never caught the name (it was a whirlwind of a trip, let me tell you) but they give you a couple in a plastic bag and pour honey over them.  To me, they tasted like very strange sweet potatoes with honey poured over them. :)

On my last night, we ate true Colombian food - Arepa Maizao.  I'm not sure if these kinds were made of cornmeal or flour or what, but they were stuffed with all sorts of goodies.  We ordered the "con todo" and it had 3 different kinds of meat (chicken, pork, and mystery), cabbage, and I can't remember what else.  They were quite good and I'd definitely try one again!

Back & Fruity

I’m back, I’m back, I’m baaaack.

Oh, Drinkwater Kitchen blog, I have thought about you often.  It’s been one humdinger of a few months, and I’m glad to be back.

I’ve been out of country/town for almost the whole month of May and definitely have some fun foreign photos for you all!

Let’s start out short and sweet.  The first place I went to this month was Colombia [for work].  I came across this fruit that I’d never seen before, even when living in Peru with all their hundreds of different fruits.

It didn’t have a very powerful taste, very mellow, and you could eat the seeds.  Can anyone name it??

I Always Want to Spell Hiatus with a Y

OBVIOUSLY, I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus lately.  Sorry about that.

One of my close friends suddenly died in a single car wreck a few weeks ago.  That combined with many other things has caused for one strange month.  But, although I miss my dear Alicia friend, I know without a doubt that she is dancing with Jesus right now.  That comforts me.  God’s glory will shine through everything, even when the world seems to dim in a tragedy such as this.  I’m sure his grace is the only reason I’ve improved as well as I have since the shock and I thank God that I have my relationship with Christ to carry me through this sad time of mourning…

Unfortunately, this is not me saying “hi, I’m back!”  My schedule is not better and probably won’t be for a couple months.  I miss cooking, I miss writing, I miss sharing!  But it just can’t happen right now.  In a few weeks I will be traveling to South America for work and hopefully can share some fun food photos if I get the opportunity!  I WILL be back.  I promise.

In the meantime, have a HAPPY Easter.  I love you all. :)

Old Recipes

My mom recently went through a few boxes of my grandparents' (her parents') belongings.  She organized several items she wanted to give to my siblings and me and this envelope was in my "pile."

She admittedly saved the "best" ones in her own kitchen - ones that reminded her most of her daddy - but I still love the old little books!

Old things are cool.  And old things that were my Grandpa's are even cooler.

Chili & Cornbread

I renamed this to be called Marvelous Beef Chili.  I'm a chili lover and am absolutely saving this recipe forever.  That's all.

This cornbread was very moist.  Surprisingly.  It was the first recipe I cooked out of the A Taste of Oregon cookbook we I received for our wedding and, in Mike's words, "didn't taste like any cornbread we'd ever had before."  It's sweeter than most but the most refreshing part of it was that it didn't taste like you were putting a spoonful of dry bread crumbs into your mouth.  Yes, I'm saving this one, too.  Taste of Oregon, you are 1 and 0!

Print the Chili recipe here.
Print the Cornbread recipe here.

First Pea Plant

Remember I'm a new gardener, right?  The little things excite me!

I was worried that the greenhouse might not have been able to withstand the dropped temps last night so I brought a couple of the plants.

Look closely - can you see it?  Can you see it?  The first plant!  They didn't freeze to death!

Yessss.

Haha.

HEARTY Chicken Pot Pie

I just realized something silly.  I made this 4 or 5 days before Valentine's Day and cut a heart out of the top for fun.  As I dug up the recipe to share with you guys, I realized what it was called...

Oh, how clever I accidentally was.

Mike can never resist trying Sriracha on everything.  We more affectionately call it Rooster.

On a side note, I started a Twitter account a while ago and keep forgetting to tell you.  If you're into that sort of thing, check it out and follow me!

Click here for printable recipe.