Shish Kabobs

Unfortunately, the summer is coming to an end. So, before I lie in a bed of snow with angels I want to share this amazingly simple shish kabob recipe. Shish kabobs are the ultimate reminder of the summer season and are absolutely delicious and fun to eat (and make). Ask me about the bbq process ...I can't help ya there. But in terms of preparing this easy peasy appetizer, I gotcha. In fact, 90% of this recipe is preparation.

Beef & chicken shish kabobs

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Ingredients:

1 package of beef- stew cut (about 1-1.5 lbs.)
3-4 thinly sliced chicken breasts 
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 orange pepper
1/2 onion
cilantro
ground black pepper
red pepper flakes 
salt
garlic powder
paprika
oregano
Goya Adobo (without pepper)
distilled white vinegar
wooden skewers
*Bonus ingredient - 1 Mango, for that pop of sweetness*
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Step 1

Cut peppers and onion into strips that will appropriately fit skewers. 

Step 2

Pour a generous amount all the seasonings (cilantro, black pepper, pepper flakes, salt, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, Adobo) into a bowl.

Step3

Add distilled white vinegar to the seasoning mixture. Pour until all seasoning in bowl is fully covered, turning it into a liquid mixture.

Step 4

Place about 5-7 pieces of meat (beef or chicken) in the bowl at a time and use hands to massage the mixture into each piece. 
*If you want an even tastier experience, marinate overnight. Place beef into a large Zip Lock bag with seasoning mixture and put in fridge. If you're also using chicken, do the same in a separate Zip Lock and put in fridge.*

Step 5

*IMPORTANT- wet skewers before use. This will prevent them from burning during the cooking process.*
Place beef, chicken, and vegetables on each skewer in an alternating pattern. Be sure to leave enough  space in between each piece to allow for proper cooking. Make it colorful and fun!

Step 6

Grill those babiessssssss.


*Makes about 10-20 skewers*
*Total time- 30-40 minutes*

Main Bagels

This morning I had none other than thee most delicious breakfast known to man- bacon, egg, cheese, and taylor ham on an everything bagel, toasted. YUUUUUMMMM. One of these and you'll be set 'til dinner. OR you can just do what D does and ask them to scoop out the dough =P (No, really. Ask). After a good night of drinking, Sam, D, and myself decided there was a void that needed to be filled- besides the fact that me & D lied in our 4a.m. bed of morning breakfast sandwich plans for the proceeding few hours. Our go to? Main Bagels, located at 45  Main Ave in Wallington (NJ). Sunday mornings are the best because it's the perfect way to end either an awful week or an amazing one. Despite the [2] not so friendly comments on Yelp, this hearty breakfast sandwich definitely has its spot in my day after drinking (not hungover) survival kit. Throw some salt & pepper on this bad boy VVVVVV and you've got yourself a deal....for like 7 bucks with a drink. Whatever, it's worth it.

Thee most delicious tasting heart disease on the market
(guaranteed)

For some reason, people from New Jersey are the only ones I know of...so far...who are familiar with even the term, "Taylor ham." I guess others might refer to it as "pork roll." Apparently, people from Philly should know what Taylor ham's all about too. Anyway, I would say that the look and taste kiiind of remind me of bologna....fried bologna. But, then again, Taylor ham is Taylor ham and can't really be compared. So, this guy named John Taylor from Jersey came up with the idea in 1856 and ever since then it's been quite the hit. You can only buy it in Jersey (and maybe Philly)- that's what makes it so great =D

Here's some more wiki info if you're up for some random, late night, potentially useless information:
The Product
The Man Behind It All

Dino Nuggets!!!!!!!!

Dino Nuggets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Due to my...hollow pockets, I have been on a strict dino nugget diet. This is far from a complaint, other than the fact that I keep getting these weird premonitions of me 100 lbs. heavier face down in ketchup (i don't like ketchup). Anyway, THEE best ever chicken nuggets ever to be conceived on this here planet. This being a product of Canada, makes me wanna say, 'WOO! Canada.' They can no how be compared to fast food nuggets or anything really. They just...stand on their own- just like the real deal millions of years ago. There are no gross fatty deposits or weird crunchy/squishy tendony stuff when you bite into it (other than the crispiness that crisping tray magnificently creates). What makes me love 'em even more is the horrible HORRIBLE mistake of producing too few Pterodactyls. NO! This one tastes way better than all the other [overproduced T-rexes] ones. I swear. This follows the same idea that SpongeBob macaroni & cheese tastes way better than any other kind. It's true.

A reenactment of my face when I found
the last Pterodactyl in the box

I started eating these God-given dinosaurs because Liz (whom has provided me with this complementary box) would make 'em for Gisella allllllllllllllll the time. Paired with the right BBQ sauce and french fries and this is a meal made in heaven and fit for a queen ... or kid. Either way, you can't go wrong. So, hop on that man-made road and get to your nearest BJ's or Costco or whatever other variation of that food haven you can find. It's completely okay to unleash your inner kid. If you're not interested... YOU LIE! Enjoy =)

Portuguese Tavern

Today's post is not so much a recipe, but a yummy restaurant suggestion. And I'm sure this won't be the last. My mom often works 'til late so when I'm not being so much of a housewife daughter she picks up some food on her way home for the two of us. Last night she grabbed a yummy platter from Portuguese Tavern, located on Crooks Ave. in Clifton (NJ). Here's the link to their website if you want to check it out: Portuguese Tavern
Below is what's left over from me & mamma's feasting hour:

Skirt Steak Platter

Unfortunately I cannot comment on anything other than the {skirt steak platter} because that's all we've ever gotten, but it's delicious. The meat is so tender and flavorful- a little fatty in certain areas, but that's just my picky meat eating habits sharing their complaints. All platters can be found under the Churrasqueira Menu on their website (that term is mostly understood as "steakhouse", featuring all meat dishes). All platters are served with yellow rice, vegetables bathed in vinegar (like 4 pieces, I don't know why), and french fries. It serves about 5-6- depends on who's eating. It sucks that there are no listed prices, but for only 24$ this platter is the way to go. Oh my, all of this Portuguese talk reminds me of Brazilian Rodizio- Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. But, yep. All in less than a day's work = )

Farfalle w/ asparagus & prosciutto

So my boyfraaan Andres spent this past week with me and decided to cook a Sunday dinner for my mom and I (thanks babe). Shocked, but lovin' it, I proceeded to help him prepare the dish below. Lemme tell ya, for someone who doesn't like prosciutto and who was skeptical about this heavy cream of a sauce, I freakin' loved it. Delicious delicious. And the best part is that you can incorporate as many other vegetables and seasonings as you'd like. There are many variations of this dish out there, but this is by far the easiest and fastest. A must try!

Farfalle w/ Asparagus & Prosciutto

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Ingredients: 

1 box of farfalle (bow tie pasta)
6 slices (about a 1/4 lb.) prosciutto, cut into strips 
1 lb. of asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
ground black pepper
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Step 1
Boil water for pasta.

Step 2
Once water begins to boil, pour the entire box of farfalle into the pot. Meanwhile, pour 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream into a small sauce pan until it begins to boil.

Step 3 
Simmer for about 6-7 minutes or until it begins to thicken. This will be your sauce.

Step 4
Pour pasta into large serving bowl after draining.

Step 5
Cut asparagus into 1" pieces and submerge  in water  in a microwavable bowl. Cover and microwave for 3 minutes.

Step 6
Pour the heavy cream sauce over the pasta.

Step 7
Place prosciutto strips and asparagus over the pasta.  Give the pasta a good mix.

Step 8
Add grated Parmesan cheese and ground black pepper to taste.  

*Serves about 8*
*Total time- 30 minutes*

Summer Salad

Salad is salad. It's pretty much a boring bed of leaves. However, dress it up and make it look attractive and you'll have yourself a yummy healthy snack. I make a mean lettuce wrap but, that's for another day's post and with a completely different set of instructions. For now, let's stick to this delicious Goya gropin' summer dressed salad. {All suggested ingredients are not shown in the dish photo} What makes this so special is the below ingredient that is unfortunately not sold everywhere (I found this one at a Shoprite in Passaic). This stuff even got Andrezio to eat salad (reminds him of his grandmother).  

Voila!

Summer Salad

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Ingredients:

Lettuce
Tomatoe
Green and yellow peppers
Onion
Cilantro
Carrot shreds
White vinegar
Olive oil
Ground black pepper 
Goya Salad & Vegetable Seasoning!!!!!!!!!!!

* I didn't incorporate any exact measurement for each ingredient because building a salad is like building a home...it's all personal baby :) 
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Step 1
Prepare lettuce and place in a medium or large sized bowl.

Step 2
Prepare vegetables as desired. {I personally despise tomato gook so I remove the center stuff which includes the seeds}

Step 3 
Combine all ingredients in a bowl; add ground black pepper, Goya seasoning, white vinegar, and olive oil.

Step 4
Give that a good tossss & enjoy the fruits of your labor!


*Serving size depends on how much of each ingredient you actually decide to use*
*Total time- 15-20 minutes*

Let's Try This Again...

#2 Good Songs, Good Times

I love songs that play (sometimes ironically) and instantly remind me of a place, time, or moment in the past. In June I went to Puerto Rico with my dad, which turned out to be not so bad after all. But, during the times I wanted to shoot myself, I decided to continue on with the series of love letters to my Andrezio. On this one particular Puerto Rican day my dad and I were sitting in the back seat as his uncle and Lucy were the pilots of this vacation. I had nothing more than a sentence down and "Somebody I Used to Know," by Gotye began to play on the radio.

This song reminds me of Andrezio. Every. Single. Time. Next, it reminds me of school because thanks to Rick, his apartment was equipped with speakers EVERYWHERE. It was fucking great. No matter where you were--downstairs, kitchen, living room, upstairs, bedrooms, bathroom--there was a soundtrack to your life playing in the background. And me & Britt would play this obnoxiously on repeat, at Andrezio's, at our place after the shower and such,  so this song has been embedded since day 1. It reminds me of spring time, drinking, smoking, being naked with Britt time & time again (she might hate me for that one) (probably not) ( Andrezio will hate me more =P ). Anyway, love this just because I love what it reminds me of.

{What song reminds YOU of something so pleasing? }  

Absolutely.

#1b.Some Visuals For Ya

Wordy tattoos are tricky to begin with. Here's an example of one that's not so charming.

 Ashley Bickford @Pinterest

Very cool. But would love to see the front.

Crystal Shepard @Pinterest  <---not supposed to be here

Just amazingly sexy.

 Olivia Granny @Pinterest

Not so hot about the tattoo itself (although great artwork), but my absolute favorite placement.

Rebecca Lebowski @Pinterest

What do you think?

How do you feel about tattoos when we're .... not so young and bouncy?

#1Tattoos

This is my very first post so I was thinkin' of starting out on the lighter side of discussion- TATTOOS! =) 

I am an absolute advocate for tattoos...on guys, girls, kids-ha you get the point. Whomever wears it, wherever it is, tattoos are amazing. They're a roadmap of our lives. Even when we sport the ones that are soon to be regretted, at least you can say "hey, remember that awful time when I made that awful mistake?" 

The ONLY tattoos I will never ever support are name tattoos. Only exception? Family members. Getting your lova's name tattooed on your body is a curse and just really stupid. And if they actually let you do that to yourself, you're not in love. Sowwy. 

I got my first tattoo when I was...18, yea 18. I went with my mom ; )

{Specs: small piece-full color-located on my lower hip/groinish arier-and meaningful} 

Tis two M&M's. One's blue, one's purple, and they're both holding hands to spell out my initial- "M." The story is simple. It's me and my mom, our initials are M & M, I wanted a tattoo foreverrrrrrrrrrrr, and I wanted to be badass going into college obviously. She got the same one which I beegged her to do and she did...cause she loves me :)  But, trust me, I begged, pleaded, begged. My mom's a tough cookie and that right there folks is another topic for another day. Anywho, I'd love to show you guys but eh I don't really wanna cause, as gay as this sounds....it's special (in my jokingly (but not really joking) rolling eyes whiny voice) and I never took a picture of it and I like it that way.  This one hurt, but was bearable.

{ Total time/price: 1.5 hours, no breaks, $250 }

My second tattoo i just got last summer. Oh my is it sexy. This one I went completely against my family's will, (love you!). 

{Specs: big piece-black & gray & red-located on right side rib-meaningfuuuul (as all my tats will be)}     

It's a wolf with the Italian gobbo hanging from its mouth on a chain. 

{Meaning: there is a saying in Italian, "In bocca al lupo!- In the mouth of the wolf!" Simply, this would be the equivalent to our way of saying, "Break a leg!" The response would be "Crepi [il lupo]!-May the wolf die!" The incorporation of the Italian gobbo (hunchback)/ Italian horn is also a gesture of luck.} I just wanted to put something on my body that reminded me of my heritage, and hey, some good luck never hurt noboday. So, that's that. I love it. I will never regret it, as won't I my first tattoo. This one hurt like a bitch with a vengeance. First hour hurt cause twas only my second tattoo, second hour was bearable, third hour i wanted to quit-felt like someone was fileting me over and over until I was suddenly skinned alive BUT my awesome tattoo artist didn't let my lame ass give up-he convinced me I'd be the coolest kid on the block haha.

{ Total time/price: 3 hours, 3 breaks, $700 (ouch...in every way) }

{ Both tats done at Starlight Tattoo-215 State Rt 17 South-Rochelle Park-NJ, by  Tito. }

Here she is

 Anywho, I would LOVE to hear from you! Please? =) Honestly, as much as I love to write about my boring life, I would love to hear your point of view and your experiences, your opinions, pictures, complaints, comments, ANYTHING!.I would more than love it actually. 

So here are some things you can maybe think about and respond to:

1- All the shit I just blurted  about

2- Your favorite tattoo placement/the most painful

3- Bad/good/funny tattoo experiences

4- The meanings behind YOUR tattoos

5- Meaningful tattoos vs. "whatever" tattoos

6- Stupid tattoos that you just love to make fun of 

7- Tattoo shop recommendations =) always appreciated 

PICTURES ARE SO WELCOME. I love pictures, you love pictures, we alllll love pictures. And videos are even cooler ((sometimes)). Just don't spam my shit with a bazillion links and what not. Thanks! =D