Summer of Selfies Challenge

There’s much being said about selfies lately.  I’ve put in my two cents about them (Me, Myselfies, and I).  Yes, sometimes they can be a bit over the top or even annoying, but are they really hurting anyone?  For me, selfies aren’t a “rub it in your face” or “look at me, look at me” kind of thing, they’re more of a “wish you were here to share this moment” kind of thing.

Selfies have also been a learning experience for me. When I started posting my “Faces of Chemo” selfies, I had no idea the world it would open up for me. I posted my daily pics as a way to chronicle my breast cancer journey. That turned into 154 consecutive selfies posted (plus other “unofficial” posts). They weren’t meant to be pretty. It was just me, how I was feeling on that particular day.  Don’t get me wrong, there were rarely one-click-and-post shots and many re-shoots (I always go with the “law of three”, take at least three shots and pick the best one… take three more if needed), but something got posted every day.  And they weren’t all selfies in the traditional sense, I would from time to time enlist someone to snap the shot for me… sometimes my arms just aren’t long enough… still pictures of my “self”.  Anyway, back to the “learning” part.  As time went on, I started to become comfortable, comfortable with me.  I began to accept myself and how I looked (although the chemo clean slate of no hair, eyebrows, or eyelashes wasn’t ideal).  This is me, today. I’m ok with that.

You don’t need to go through something like cancer to have that kind of self-discovery. It just takes giving yourself a little bit of grace every day.  Embrace your flaws, they’re what make you YOU.  Don’t hide who you are.  Don’t be so hard on yourself.  And the people who know you, they see you anyway (in real life). They love you and a less than perfect picture isn’t going to change that. If anything, it will help them share in your day, your up’s and down’s, your fun, your frustration, your adventures, your success and your losses, life.  That’s not a bad thing.

Still not convinced?  Well, my friend Christine (my partner in selfie-crime) and I would like to invite you to join us in a “Summer of Selfies” Challenge. A selfie experiment, if you will.  Beginning on June 21^st (the first official day of Summer) and running for 6-weeks, we will post prompts each week for daily selfies (like “sleepy selfie” or “at work selfie”). You would then post your selfies to Instagram and/or Facebook with the hashtag #SummerOfSelfies.  No worries if you miss a day or two (or three…), just pick right back up when you can.  It’s not a big deal that will require hours of pre and post production. Just do it and just be you.  Why should I, you ask?  Why not?!  It’ll be fun!! And let’s just see if you start to look at yourself a little differently when it’s all done.  Maybe you’ll decide you’re not so bad.  Maybe you’ll kind of start to like what you see.  You’ll never know unless you give it a try!

Here are the prompts for the first week... start posting June 21st!

#22 - Spicy Stewed Beef with Creamy Cheddar Grits

I might have mentioned before that I have a thing for grits. I mean I REALLY do! That having been said, it's not unusual that I would base a meal around them. For me they are more than I side dish... they are the STAR!

I found this recipe on Ree Drummond's website. There was no doubt in my mind that I had to try it! As usual though, I made a few changes to the recipe. First of all, Ree's beef cooks on the stove for about 3 hours and one day I'll try it that way. I just didn't have that kind of time to hang out in the kitchen, so I converted it into a slow cooker recipe. The second thing is that she put a whole stinkin' 11 ounce can of Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce into hers... that would be why it's called SPICY Stewed Beef! I decided to be a little more conservative and only used half a can (and it was still pretty spicy!). And the last thing I did differently was my grits. Stone Ground Grits are not all that common in my local grocery stores. Short on time, the only grits I could find were instant grits. Ree's grits took about an hour to cook and mine took about 20 minutes. Again, one of these days, I will try it her way! Oh, and I ended up making WAAAAAAAY to many grits! That's not a bad thing because a few days later I served the leftovers with bacon, a little more cheese, and topped with a fried egg... Mmmmmmm....

This recipe is prefect for a crowd or a Sunday dinner.  It's a bit on the spicy side, but so good and rich. I didn't bother making anything else to go with it, but it would be great with green veg or a loaf of crusty bread (lots of butter). So, here you have it... get your grits (and spicy beef) on!

Spicy Stewed Beef with Creamy Cheddar Grits
(Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman )

Serves: A LOT!

 

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 3 pounds Stew Meat Or Diced Chuck Roast
• 1/2 can Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce
• 4 cups Low-sodium Beef Broth
• 5 cloves Minced Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Cumin
• 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
• 1/2 an Onion, Diced
• 1/2 a  Red Bell Pepper
• 1 whole Anaheim Chili
• 3 cups Instant Grits
• 6 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 3 cups Water
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese

Instructions:

To make the meat, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large pot over high heat. Throw in stew meat and brown for 1 minute, then add chipotle peppers, beef broth, garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Stir, then bring to a boil. Transfer beef mixture to a preheated slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of both oil and butter. Add diced onion, bell pepper, and chilies and cook for five minutes or so. Add chicken broth and water, then bring to a boil . Reduce the heat to low, stir in grits and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the grits have thickened and start to become tender, add heavy cream.  Cook a minute or two more, remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Serve a big ol' heap of grits smothered in the beef and all of it's yummy juices!

(Recipe #22 of 52)

#21 - From Scratch Pancake Mix

I absolutely LOVE breakfast! I REALLY LOVE pancakes! When I woke up this morning, ready to make some pancakes and realized I was out of Bisquik, I decided it was time to try making my own pancake mix, from scratch. I searched Pinterest for recipes and after finding quite a few, this is what I came up with. It doesn't take much more work than using a store-bought pancake mix does and if you make up a batch it'll last you a few meals.  The bonus is that all the ingredients were stuff I had in my pantry! Just a side note, I like to add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the batter but if you don't have it, no sweat!

 

 

From Scratch Pancake Mix

 

Ingredients:

For Pancake Mix

• 6 cups all purpose flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

For Pancakes

• 1 cup Pancake Mix
• 1 cup milk (or buttermilk)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)



Instructions:

1. Whisk together all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight container.
2. To make the pancakes, simply mix together pancake mix, milk and egg. Heat a nonstick skillet and butter it. Pour ¼ cup batter onto the hot griddle. When the top of each pancake bubbles and bubbles begin to pop, flip and continue cooking on the second side. Each cup of dry mix will yield 4-6 pancakes.

#20 - Breakfast Grilled Cheese

The One Who Left Me for Higher Learning is home for the summer and this Mama is pretty happy about that! I'm also pretty happy that this kid has been increasingly joining the ranks of a foodie! Gone are the days of only eating chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and pepperoni pizza... gone, but not totally abandoned 'cuz we like a good mac or pizza as much as the next guy! It's just nice to now have variety in our dinning choices.

The other day, the boy and I watched a cute little flick called, Chef, starring Jon Favreau who plays a chef who quits his job at a popular restaurant and starts a food truck to reclaim his career and passion as a chef. In it, there is a scene where Chef makes a grilled cheese sandwich... I know what you're thinking, "bid deal, it's a grilled cheese sandwich," but just you watch...

Ooooooh, cheeeesy goodness! Yummy, right?! And that got us thinking... ya know what would make that sandwich even better?? A fried egg and bacon! The birth of our Breakfast Grilled Cheese! It's nothing fancy and it's not even pretty, but it sure is tasty (be prepared to have egg yolk running down your elbows when you dig in)!

BREAKFAST GRILLED CHEESE

INGREDIENTS

 

2 slices of bread, your choice
butter, softened
2 strips of bacon
1 egg
4-6 slices of sliced cheese, your choice
salt and pepper

 

DIRECTIONS

• Cook bacon in a frying pan.
• While the bacon is cooking, butter one side of each slice of bread.
• Melt about 1 tablespoon of butter into a separate frying pan (med-low heat) and place bread into pan, buttered side down and top with cheese.
• When the bacon is cooked, remove from pan and set aside. Carefully crack egg into the pan with remaining bacon grease. Cook until your desired "doneness" (is that a word?). Season with salt and pepper.
• Place egg on one of your bread slices and bacon strips on the other. Flip the bacon side onto the egg side and cook a minute or two more, turning once.
• Cut in half and enjoy!

Not the best picture! We were too anxious to eat
it to take a good one!

 

(Recipe #20 of 52)



#19 - Tropical Oat Squares

I made these bars to take to my oncologist (Doc Onc) for my 3-month check up. I always take him goodies when I go and this time I wanted to try a "healthier" treat... oats and fruit, that's healthy, right?  Healthy or not, they were pretty tasty!

 

 



Tropical Oat Square
(Recipe from Cooking Creation)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c butter, room temperature
• 1/2 c nonfat Greek pineapple yogurt, room temperature
• 1/2 c white sugar
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 c quick cooking oats 
• 1/2 c flaked coconut, sweetened 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp salt

Pineapple Filling:

• 2 c fresh pineapple, finely chopped 
• 2 tbsp white sugar 
• 1 lime, juiced 
• Pinch of salt

 

Directions:

Make the pineapple filling.  In a small sauce pan, add the fresh pineapple, sugar, lime juice, and salt.  Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.  Continue to boil over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Use a potato masher to mash the pineapple.  Continue to boil for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease an 8 x 8 baking dish.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the butter, Greek yogurt, white sugar and brown sugar, until smooth and creamy.  Beat in the egg.  In a separate large bowl, add the flour, oats, coconut, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Gradually incorporate the flour mixture into the wet ingredients with a spoon, being careful to not over mix.

Spread half of the batter in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  Pour the pineapple mixture (along with the juices) evenly on top of the batter.  Carefully spoon the remaining batter over the pineapple layer.

Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.  Allow it to cool completely before serving.

#18 - ASPARAGUS AND GRUYERE TARTS

I am SOOOO behind on my recipe posts! It's not that I haven't been cooking, it's that I haven't been posting! I'm going to try to pound out the posts this week to get caught up... no promises!

This recipe is SUPER easy but the finished product looks and tastes FANCY SCHMANCY!  I'm pretty sure that even someone who is not a fan of asparagus might like this one... and if they don't, more for the rest of us! My asparagus was super long, even after cutting it down, so the tarts were probably a little big but I didn't hear anyone complain! You can serve them drizzled with a yummy balsamic reduction (I made that the day before... easy peasy!).  These would be great for appetizers, for brunch, lunch, or as side dish.... or anytime, just because!

ASPARAGUS AND GRUYERE TARTS
(I got 6-8 tarts out of this recipe or you could make one big one!)
Recipe adapted from Joy The Baker

INGREDIENTS:

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed but still cold.

1 egg, beaten

2 cups finely grated gruyere cheese

1-1 1/2 pounds slender asparagus

kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

olive oil

balsamic reduction (recipe below)

 

DIRECTIONS:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

 

Unfold thawed puff pastry onto a lightly floured work surface.  Unfold the pastry and slice into thirds at the creases.  Cut each strip in half, creating six equally sized rectangles - I used my asparagus as a gage of how long/wide my strips needed to be.

 

Gently press each rectangle with your fingers, flattening slightly.  With a small pairing knife, score a 1/4 inch boarder along the inside of each rectangle.  Arrange 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.

 

Brush each square lightly with beaten egg. Sprinkle with salt and coarse ground black pepper.  Top with a generous sprinkling of grated cheese.  Press five to six asparagus spears into the cheese. Brush the asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle with more coarsely ground black pepper.

 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until puff pastry is golden brown and asparagus is cooked through. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.  Serve with balsamic reduction.   Tarts can be stored, well wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

 

BALSAMIC REDUCTION

Recipe from PopSugar

 

All you need is a bottle of balsamic vinegar!

Pour a cup of balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the heat to a boil without reducing the heat on the stove.

 

At this point, turn down the heat so that boil reduces to a simmer. Stir occasionally and allow to simmer until the vinegar has reduced by at least half (for a thinner reduction) or more (for a more syrupy consistency). However impatient you may be, don't try to increase the heat, unless you want to be left with a stiff, hardened mess!

 

Allow to cool and transfer to an airtight container; store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

 

 

(Recipe #18 of 52)

Me, Myselfies, and I

“Have you seen Julie’s pictures on Facebook lately?”
“She takes way too many selfies!”
“Is she having a mid-life crisis?”
“I bet you there’s trouble at home!”
 “She must think she’s all that and a bag of chips!”

No, I’m NOT having a mid-life crisis.  And things are FINE at home.  And I DON’T think I’m “all that”, (well, maybe the bag of chips…). I’m fine. I haven’t gone off the deep end.  Not that I should have to explain myself, but maybe it will quiet some of the chatter. Even so, to quote my nemesis Taylor Swift, “haters gonna hate,” and I know not everyone will appreciate what I have to say. Here goes anyway…

For most of my 44 years on earth I was a wallflower, happy to go unnoticed. When I got old enough to be self-conscious, I didn’t like getting my picture taken anymore (if I remember correctly, that was around 6^th grade when I puffed up like the Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man – before that, I was quite the little ham). I didn’t mind flying under the radar.  I did dabble in dramatic theater in junior high where I played “Jack” in an adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”.  I then moved on to musical theater of sorts at church and then singing solos… but that was the extent of my time in the spotlight.  Fast forward to my 42^nd year…

Most of you have already heard the story, so I’ll keep it brief. I got breast cancer. I underwent about 7 months of chemo/surgery/radiation.  During that time a few things happened: 1.) I felt a little isolated, so I reached out via social media to share my journey, 2.) unsure of how chemo was going to affect my body, I started taking daily selfies to chronical my “change”, and 3.) I kicked cancer’s ass.  Social media made my world a whole lot smaller and I felt extremely loved and supported.  My “change” didn’t end up being much of a change on the outside (aside from going bald and having no eyebrows or eyelashes), but on the inside I was learning to be comfortable in the skin I was in by posting pics of my face EVERY SINGLE DAY for something like 150 days – talk about stepping out of your comfort zone… but that’s a whole other blog post! I quickly realized that people were watching! Oh, and the ass kicking part! Chemo shrunk the invader down to almost nothing, surgery cleaned things up so the twins got to stay together, and radiation made sure the area was all clear.  Then I was ready to make up for the time I had lost to cancer - “The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts...” (Joel 2:25).  Baby steps at first as I tried to figure out my new “normal” and then at full speed, making up “normal” as I went and pausing for a nap from time to time.

I had chosen the word “shine” as my post-cancer mantra. “You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world… shine!” (Matthew 5:14). Whatever I did, even the smallest thing, I wanted to shine with everything God had done in me and through me. With that came more pictures and in 2015 I chose a new mantra, “joy”. With everything I had been through, how could I not find and choose joy? Not just that, I also wanted to share joy. To me, that meant living life to the fullest. Taking advantage of opportunities that came my way. Trying new things. Doing things that made me happy (naps included). Eating things that made me happy. Spending time with family AND friends… all the while posting more pictures.

My posts were never meant to brag or be showy. I’m sure there are some who got tired of seeing me and some who probably “unfriended” me.  Here’s the thing, I can’t go back to being a wallflower! It was my hope that I could make someone smile, share some joy, give some hope, make someone feel better about what they were going through, share faith, share fun, share friendship, share strength and courage, share love. That’s still what I hope for. God has been so good to me! Look deeper than the silly faces, the donuts, the mud covered body (if you don’t know, don’t ask), and see a girl who is thankful.  See a girl who loves life, her family and her friends.  See a girl who loves the Lord. See a girl that has chosen JOY. Don’t judge or jump to conclusions. If that’s just too hard to see or I’m too much for you, I understand… you can “unfriend” me. I won’t think any less of you. For those that stick around, thanks! I hope you enjoy the ride! And to all you wallflowers… it’s time to blossom!!

For more on my breast cancer journey and beyond, check out my other blog: Stupid Cupcake Cancer

Join my Summer of Selfies Challenge!

#17 - Masa Corn Cakes with Chorizo

 

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!!

 

When I started this 52 recipes in a year thing, I said that I wouldn't just share the great recipes, but that I would even post some of the not-so-great ones... this would be one of those. Fear not amigos, there is still hope for this dish!  It wasn't terrible, it just needs a little tweaking.

 

The original recipe I started with was from Cooking Light .  I chose not to make the pico de gallo included in the recipe. I was more interested in the "pancakes". As I started mixing the ingredients, it was quickly apparent that the 1 cup of warm water called for was way too much! It was the consistency of pancake batter, which would have been fine but I needed to "divide dough into 16 balls; flatten each to form into 2-inch pancakes". That was NOT going to happen! So, I added some more flour, some more masa (corn meal), maybe a little more baking powder, and then I added some corn (those cakes NEEDED corn). I ended up with a sticky batter more than a dough.  I shaped it into about 12 - 3" cakes and started frying.

 

They weren't bad really.  The feedback I got was that they 1. needed more flavor and 2. needed more corn. I'd have to agree on the corn issue. The flavor... well, I'm the only one that ate chorizo with mine and the chorizo added plenty of flavor. The other two in the house have an aversion to chorizo, so they had beans, cheese and salsa.  Like I said, they weren't terrible and we didn't go hungry. I'd probably eat them again, as is.



 

 

Masa Corn Cakes with Chorizo

Yield: About 12 - 3" cakes.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 1/2 cups masa harina (cornmeal)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt   

1 ounce queso fresco, grated (about 1/4 cup)

1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for cooking

1 cup frozen corn, thawed (I used HERDEZ Sonora Blend (fire roasted corn, with red and green bell peppers)

Your favorite chorizo, beans, salsa, sour cream, etc., for toppings

 

Directions:

1. Lightly spoon masa harina and flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine masa harina, flour, baking powder, queso fresco, and salt in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over top, and stir to form coarse meal with some pea-size pieces. Add 1 cup warm water, and stir until dough forms. Stir in corn. Divide dough into 12 balls; flatten each to form into 3-inch cakes.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add about 1 teaspoon oil. Place 4 pancakes in pan, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until set and golden brown on bottom; flip and cook 2 to 3 additional minutes (you may need to add more oil). Repeat procedure with remaining pancakes and oil.

3. Meanwhile, heat up your chorizo and beans. Serve cakes warm with desired toppings.


(Recipe #17 of 52)

 

 

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