College Prep

My goals as I start school this year are

1. Be on top of things (LESS STRESS)

2. Be healthier

3. Have fun!

So I did some looking around and I just wanted to post some websites that are really helpful for all your college goals.

Summer

So today summer officially starts, but for me summer ends this weekend.

Don't you love summer classes :)

Less so... if you get more time to lazily eat a sandwich under the warm sun.

A Whole Wheat Tuna Sandwich with piles of lettuce and little mayo is my idea of a delicious and healthy relaxation.

Ever since I have been working out I have been trying to clean up my diet, but my sore arms (and taste buds) sometimes don't agree.

So I gave in and had pancakes for dinner... in bar form... baked in the oven. Technically I had both a dessert and breakfast for dinner. Hows that for healthy!

Pancake Bars
You can use your favorite pancake recipe or even Bisquick. Just spray a medium rectangular Pyrex with non-stick spray and cook on 350 for 20-30 min.
Here is my favorite pancake recipe
3/4 C milk mixed with 2 Tb vinegar and let it sit for 5 min. Whisk 1 C flour, 2 Tb sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Whisk 1 egg and 2 Tb melted butter and whisk into dry until lumps are gone.

We were hoping to watch Monster University, but my little sister had a dance performance later than we thought. We came home and watched Studio C instead!

After sleeping in guess what I was craving in the morning?

PANCAKES! (hopefully this is a phase)

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes
3/4 C milk mixed with 2 Tb vinegar and let it sit for 5 min. Whisk 1 C flour, 2 tsp lemon extract (or 2 Tb lemon zest), 2 Tb sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Whisk 1 egg, 2 Tb poppy seeds, 2 Tb melted butter and whisk into dry until lumps are gone. Cook on a non-stick surface and flip when the tiny bubbles in the middle of the pancake don't fill in when they pop.

One Week

There is less than one week until school starts and I couldn't be more excited!

I do admit that I am probably going to miss all the time that I have had to myself lately. Being able to read the Count of Monte Cristo, Les Miserables, and learning some basics of the French language.

I have also been spending a little time on a little website called Pinterest. I admit I spend a lot of time looking for new recipes, but occasionally I look at the health tab. Which is where I found these cute little calendars.

 So along with my half marathon training I try to fit in these exercises every morning. Which reminds me I got cute new running shoes!

They are pink of course!

When my little sister joined me for one of my runs in the morning, I promised her I would make her one of my green smoothies. After making it for her, I was inspired to greenify my own peanut butter smoothie.

I know this doesn't look green or very appetizing, but when you try it your taste buds will thank you.

PB & Green Smoothie
1 large handfull spinach, 1 C milk (soy, almond, cow, ect.), 1 tb peanut butter, 1 frozen banana, and ice (I add a little chunk of dark chocolate). Blend until desired consistency.  

While we are on the topic of my little sister she made these amazing sugar cookies on Fathers day.

Here is where she got the recipe, but cookies weren't the only thing we enjoyed on Fathers day.

How about some family (including fathers) and more food. We went to my grandparents apartment and we had a Peruvian potluck. After a great meal we chatted and joked and I caught the perfect picture of my cute little grandparents.

The next day my sister had to wake up early for dance and what is a better way to wake up than with French Toast!

This recipe was amazing thanks to the addition of flour.

My dedicated little sister spends most of her time in a dance studio and it pays off! We got to watch her perform in the Orem Scera's show Utah's Stars and Friends.

It was a fun evening and we were lucky to watch so many talented performances!

This week my sister was also filmed an infomercials. Needless to say it has been very busy around here. So I decided to make a relaxing dinner for my family.

Grilled Steak Tacos with Pico de Gallo
Marinade the meat with a mixture of 1/4 C apple cider vinegar, 2 Tb Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tb sugar, juice from large limes, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 twigs cilantro, and mix in 1/4 C olive oil at the end. Marinate overnight and grill. Cut in bite size chunks and put it in small tortillas with shredded cheese on the grill until shell is almost crispy. Serve immediately.

Grilled Corn
Peel back husk, remove hair, cover in butter and season with salt and pepper. Cover with the husk and cover with aluminum foil and grill for 30 min.

I also made strawberry lemonade and pumpkin bars, but I cheated and made them from a package.

Back Home

I can't believe I am back in the states!

Going to Peru was such a fun vacation! I learned so much and met so many amazing people. I am sad that it's over, but am so excited to continue my adventures here at home.

But, before I move on here is my last recipe from the wonderful country of Peru!

Lomo Saltado

Fry one pound of potatoes lengthwise with a little salt. Cut one onion lengthwise, 2 tomatoes, and cut tenderloin in 2 in lengthwise pieces and fry in leftover oil from potatoes. Dump out any liquid that comes from the meat. When it stops giving liquid add salt, pepper, cumin, 4 tsp ajo molido and mix. When cooked add onion, tomato, vinegar, soy sauce, beef broth, then mix, and cover. Chop 2 sticks of parsley and add when tomatoes are almost cooked. 

I was so happy to see my family in the airport when we arrived and boy was it warm. Like 95 degrees Fahrenheit warm!

When we got home I was starved and went straight for the fridge. Right on the top shelf was my absolute favorite food, SALMON! My mom gave me the honor of cooking it up and the method I chose was... GRILLING of course!

Grilled Salmon

I got this recipe from Pinterest but found the original on Allrecipes. Here is the link, I recommend watching the video as well.

The next morning for breakfast I was craving pancakes, so after a search on my Pinterest I settled for Dutch Babies. A pancake that is cooked in the oven, and claims to be fluffy and beautiful.

Lets just say I failed. My attempt to be healthier backfired as the addition of whole wheat flour made the pancake bubble in the middle and flatten on the sides, not to mention that it had a very stiff texture. My sister happily gobbled it down, but next time I try to be healthier it will be to eat breakfast with a banana.

Later on in the week we attended a ward picnic. It was so much fun and the food was wonderful! They had hot dogs, hamburgers, potluck side dishes, cotton candy, and snow cones!!! 

After our tummy's were happy we stood in line for half an hour to get a caricature of my little sister and I. My cute little grandpa said in between laughs that my sister resembled a monkey. Well maybe it wasn't the best capture of our features, but the picnic turned out to be a lot of fun!

Peruvian Cuisine June 6

My grandpa is awesome :)

He bought me these Alfajores just because!

For lunch we had Catapulka. This is one of my favorite dishes ever, the kick of peanuts makes all the difference.
 

Catapulka
Soak dry potatoes overnight. Boil potatoes in large pot for about two hours (or until rehydrated and soft). Fry chicken (or another meat) until hardened but not cooked in a fry pan and put aside. Add cebolla, ajo molido, pimento, cumin, and aji molido colored to oil and add to potato pot after onion becomes translucent. Blend a handful of roasted peanuts with a little water. Let it boil and cook until chicken is cooked.

Next a recipe long awaited...

Sopa de leche
Boil water, potatoes, noodles, and a little bit of yellow squash. When everything is cooked add lima beans. When that is cooked add eggs, cheese, cilantro and stir. When the egg is cooked add 1 can evaporated milk with salt and wait until it boils. Serve hot!

I was taught not to play with my food, but my inner child couldn't be restrained.

Puree de papa
Boil peeled potatoes and boil with salt. When they are done, mash them with butter and milk.

This is on every Peruvian table, everyday. Little breads that are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Pan Frances
6 C flour, 2 tsp salt, 2 C warm water, 1 tb water, 2 tb yeast, corn meal, and 1 beaten egg white. In a large bowl mix 2 C flour, the yeast, and salt. Mix with warm water. Mix at low speed for half a minite, cleaning the sides constantly then mix on high speed for three minutes. Add as much of the rest of the flour that you can with a spoon. Put dough on a floured surface and add any left over flour so the dough is firm, but smooth and elastic. Make a ball and put it in a greased bowl. Cover it and put in a warm place until it doubles in size. Break into two parts and place on a floured surface, cover, and let it sit for 10 min. Shape pieces (as many rolls as you want) of dough into a rectangle. Then fold sides in half on the bottom and then out the extremes. You can put a little cornmeal on the bottom. Brush on eggs whites with water if desires. Let it double in size, with a knife make a distinct line down the middle (1/4 the dough). Put in the oven for 40-45 min.

Last and best, Budin which is like a bread pudding.

Budin
1 loaf of bread, 4 C milk, 1 can evaporated milk, 1 can condensed milk, 1/2 C melted butter, 2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 C sugar, 5 eggs, 2 tsp cinnamon and mix very well. All the bread will be soggy and the ingredients are well mixed. melt 1/2 C brown or white sugar in the pan you plan to make the Budin in and cover every inch. Add 3/4 C raisins, stir, and put in pan. Put in 350 F oven for about an hour or when knife comes out clean. Flip over, cool at room temperature, and slice.

Peruvian Cuisine June 5

TODAY WAS CRAZY... FUN :)

We went to the Circuito de Agua a beautiful place that has a some amazing water works.

I mean look at this teapot made of flowers, grass, and real running tea... I mean water. We also stopped at the museum of Natural History and...

Huaca Pullana! A site that displays ruins from ancient Peruvians. I learned so much and had a lot of fun!

Oh by the way I saw this wonderful peice of art that wasn't being used for it's intended purpose.

As for food? Well I had a wonderful gooey churro :) and some real food of course! My grandma made a chicken dish with a peanut sauce. (Normally Peruvians use cuy (guinea pig) meat in this recipe, but I insisted we save the life an innocent rodent)

Pollo al Mani
Cut chicken in large peices. In a bowl mix 1 tb vinegar, ajo molido, salt, pinch of cumin, aji molido colored, mix this with the chicken and let it sit overnight. Fry chicken in a little oil until it starts to harden and then take out. Put diced onion in the left over oil with ajo molido, cumin, aji molido colored and any marinade juice left. When the onions are translucent slowly add liquified toasted peanuts with water [3-4 cups of the mixture (enough to cover chicken)] When mixture boils add chicken and put on medium heat until chicken is cooked.

We also made Chicha Morada and Masamora Morada today. They are both made with purple corn so we killed two birds with one stone.

Masamora Morada
Making this from scratch is great, but we don't have half the ingredients in the states. My advice? Go to the Latino store and buy the ready made packets, I recommend the brand Negrita.

Chicha Morada
I haven't checked if they sell the prepared drink in the US, but it's worth checking because it is so delicious.

Random Food Fact: Quail Eggs

I was surprised to see people selling these little things around every corner. These little quail eggs are eaten almost as often as chicken eggs here in Peru.

Peruvian Cuisine June 4

Today was a relaxing quiet day at home. Which translates into a perfect day for cooking!!!

First of a battle of recipes... Leche Asado vs Crema Voltado!

VS.

The verdict? They taste almost the same! The only difference is one is made with powdered milk and cooked on the stove, while the other is made with fresh milk and cooked in the oven. 

Beginning of Both Recipes

Melt 1/2 C sugar while constantly stirring and cover every inch of the pan when done, put aside and let it cool.

Leche Asado

In a blender add 8 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 4 C milk, 1 C sugar and blend. Pour into prepared pan of melted sugar and place the pan in a large container that serves as a water bath in the oven. When the the top is hard and the middle not watery take out, cut edges and cool in the fridge overnight.

 Crema Voltado
 In a blender add 8 eggs, 240 g dry milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 C sugar, 2 C water and blend. Place mixture in the melted sugar pot. Place this in a large pot of boiling water and cover with plastic wrap. Put on the lowest flame and cook about 45-1 hr or until the it springs at your touch. Take out, cut edges, and chill in fridge overnight.

My aunt made the Peruvian equivalent of a hamburger today.

Torijito
Mix ground beef, black pepper, finely diced onion, finely diced tomatoes, an egg, bread crumbs, and parsley in a bowl and cook like a hamburger patty.

Today we visited a store that reminds me a lot of a giant Walmart, called Wong.

Yes I actually got all this stuff. On the top left we have pan chapla, in the top right we have a chicken empanada. On the bottom is my favorite stuff, the desert! It includes an alfajor, cheesecake de Maracuya, and frutas de mazapan that looks like a little piece of corn but tastes like caramel! (Dont worry, it took me four meals to finish this stuff off)

Bonus Recipe...

Causa Rellena
when potatoes are cooked mash them let it cool. 1 tsp salt, oil 3 tsp, 2 limes, ajo amarilla 1 tb, mash with the potatoes. grease pyrex. 1/2 lemon, salt, one meium onion finely diced mix in little bowl. With mayo and cooked vegetables, aji amarillo, maizena add 2 can tuna. potato on bottom pyrex, tuna mix, rest potato, little mayo on top, egg, acetuna, salt, onion china, red pepper shreds, parsley or cilantro. Serve with lettuce, sweet potato, corn.

Picture Citation

Peruvian Cuisine June 3

When I first came to Lima I thought it was a city. I guess technically it is but there are so many districts that it reminds me of a county or even a small state. In the center of Lima is called Lima Central and is one of the most popular tourist destinations.

And Lima is exactly where we spent the entire day.

Around every corner another restaurant. We finally decided on a little place called Don Juan and it was a great choice. I got Ocopa and stole a little of my aunt's Bistek.

Ocopa
Fry onion, aji amarilla molido, ajo molido. In blender add 3 leaves wakati, 1/4 C toasted peanuts, 4 saltine crackers, 1 tbsp oil. Pour over cooked potatoes and serve.

Bistek
Season thin slice of chicken breat with salt and pepper and then fry in a little oil.

As we walk from museum to museum I spotted this little place...

I have never been to dunkin donuts and I have never been more excited to eat a donut in my life.

This donut was filled with manjar blanco. It was very delicious marriage of American and Peruvian flavors.

After a long day of a lot of fun we came home to a hot plate of Estofado. A flavorful dish with a distinct color.

Estofado
fry cebolla, ajo, carrot, tomato, pimento when mushly add chicken, add cumin, and water to cover, then finally add raisins and peas. Add sugar if wanted.

Peruvian Cuisine June 2

Cuisine wise, today was a difficult. It was fast Sunday which meant food was constantly on my mind. To pass the time until dinner we went to church and.... MUSEO LARCO!!!

 It was really a beautiful place and I learned to much about the Inca's!

Yes that is pure gold :) It was so fun to spend time with my family during our last Sunday here.

When we got home I was so glad I got to sink my teeth into this...

Locro
Fry onion, aji molido, ajo molido, and one diced tomato. When translucent add two pounds squash, corn, potatoes, and peas that have already been cooked. Wait to boil and add diced cilantro and cheese chunks.

Next up one of the most famous Peruvian dishes that displays not green eggs and ham but green chicken and rice.

Arroz con Pollo
Fry chicken and with a little salt and until just hardening and put aside on a plate. Fry onion, aji molido, ajo molido and fry the chicken. After add enough water to cover the chicken. Next add (1/2) one bunch cilantro puree, carrots, peas, chicken bullion and boil until the chicken is cooked. Add the water from the chicken in a rice cooker and prepare rice as you would normally only adding the rest of the cilantro puree (If more water is need add). Serve with chicken on top.

Picture Citation

Peruvian Cuisine June 1

Today was a special treat in two ways spiritual and physical. I was so lucky to visit the Lima, Peru temple today. I was able to do baptisms and confirmations for the dead. The spirit was sweet in these rooms and I am so happy I had the chance to enter its doors.

 Physically... one word.

Pachamanca! My tummy had a party today. We went to this cute little restaurant.

That was complete with food, entertainment, and costumes. What is Pachamanca you may ask?

It was a popular dish is cooked underground. Seriously, it is cooked with hot rocks under a pile of dirt.

The meat's (which include chicken, pork, and beef), humita's, abba's (like lima beans), papa's (potaotes), and camote's (sweet potatoes) are seasoned and then covered in a hot pit covered in dirt until this barbecue like dish is ready. It was amazing! I could eat this all the time. Sadly I don't think digging a pit in my backyard would be okay with everyone. And to wash it down?

Chicha Morada!!! This sweet drink is a norm for Peruvians and I can see why. It tastes like a sweet prune juice... but in a really yummy way. Finally to top off everything...

Torta Helada! This half soggy cake, half jello dessert was a very new taste for me. I was so excited that I had already dived in before I remembered to take a picture. Although I will admit it wasn't my favorite I will send you to this great website that shows you step by step to make this traditional cake.