Cranberry Walnut Squares

Perfect as an afternoon snack in the office when you’re looking for that extra energy to get you through the day.  Definitely better than getting something from a vending machine.  You might even bring some extra… because if your office mates find out you’re eating one of these delicious and appealing bars… they’re going to want some too!

These Cranberry Walnut Squares are loaded with dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, flaked coconuts and raisins.

These squares are great for picnics.  As travel foods… And if you have kids… are undeniably healthier snacks compared to a regular candy bar.

Once you have gathered al the ingredients you need… these bars only take minutes to prepare.

Yes… it’s simple and easy… and for a little effort, you will be rewarded with all these goodies.  I’ve used Kitchen Aid mixer in mixing the crust.  And I’ve also used spatula and my hands/fingers.  For those who may not have an electric mixer.

Below are what you need for this recipe:

Crust ingredients: old fashioned oatmeal, all purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, coconut oil and milk, and ground cinnamon.

These are what you need for the filling ingredients: dried cranberries, raisins, walnuts, sweetened flaked coconut, sugar, all purpose flour, dried orange peel (optional) freshly squeezed orange juice, eggs and vanilla extract.

Making the Crust:

Measure one and one half cup of uncooked oatmeal into a food processor.

Pulse a few times until crumbly.

And pour the contents into a large mixing bowl.

Add to the coarsely ground oatmeal the rest of the crust ingredients.

Mix them up with your hands, breaking up the lumps of brown sugar.

Since the coconut oil is solid.  I melted it in the microwave for 30 seconds.  And added 1/2 cup of coconut milk.

Add these to the oatmeal, flour and sugar mixture.

If you are using butter… this is where you’ll add the melted butter to the  oatmeal and flour mixture.

Oatmeal, flour and sugar mixture with the coconut oil/milk combination.

Mix until crumbly.

Mix well until soft dough chunks are formed.

*** If using butter, the mixture will be more crumbly and will not form into soft chunks of dough.

Reserve half the crust (soft chunks of dough) for topping.

Meanwhile…

Press half of the crust onto a 9 x 13″ rectangular pan.

Bake bottom crust for 8 minutes.

And while you’re cooling the crust.  Mix the filling.

The Filling:

In a large mixing bowl, combine dried fruits, walnuts, and flaked coconuts.

And flour and sugar.

Mix.

Add orange juice.

In another bowl.  Beat eggs and vanilla extract.

Add beaten eggs to the dried fruits, flour, sugar mixture.

Stir until eggs/vanilla extract is absorb and a sticky mixture is formed.

Add the filling to the cooled crust.

Press the remaining crust over the filling.

I made small flat patches out of the remaining crust/soft dough chunks, by either pressing them in between my palms or between two pieces of waxed paper.  And then placing the flat patches (crust) over the filling.

And then bake in preheated oven for 28 – 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes of baking…

Completely cool for at least 2 hours before cutting into squares.

Serve as snacks, travel food, in place of lunch, and for kids lunch pack…

The Recipe:

Cranberry Walnut Squares

Crust:

1 ½ cups uncooked oatmeal – coarsely ground

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 ¼ cup brown sugar

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

¼ cup coconut oil melted

½ cup coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Measure the coconut oil into a microwavable measuring cup.  Microwave for 30 seconds.  Add ½ cup coconut milk to the melted coconut oil In.  Stir.

Ground Old Fashioned Oatmeal in a food processor until coarse.

Empty the ground oatmeal into a large mixing bowl.  Add flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Mix with your hands, crumbling the brown sugar.  Give the coconut oil/milk a quick stir.  And power over the oatmeal and flour mixture.   Mix with your hands until soft chunks of dough formed.  Divide mixture in half.

Press half of the soft chunks of dough into the bottom of a 9”x13” baking pan… pressing on the corners and sides.

Bake Crust in the preheated oven for 8 minutes.  Remove crust from the oven and cool while you mix the filling.

Filling:

1 (6 ounce) package dried cranberries

1 cup walnuts – chopped

½ cup sweetened flaked coconut

½ cup raisins

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup + 1 TBSP. unbleached all purpose flour

1 tsp. dried orange peel – Optional (Available in the “spices section” at your local grocers.)

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

3 TBSPs. freshly squeeze orange juice

1 tsp. vanilla

2 extra large eggs

In a large mixing bowl… combine dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, flaked coconut, raisins, sugar, flour, dried orange peel, and salt.  Using a spatula, stir all these ingredients until well combined.  Add the orange juice and stir to coat all the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl… whisk together eggs and vanilla extract just until lightly beaten.  Pour over the cranberry – walnut mixture.  Stir with a spatula until all ingredients are combined.

Spread filling mixture onto the cooled crust.

In between your palm, or between two waxed paper, flatten the soft dough chunks into flat patches, and place over the filling.  Press lightly with your hand.

Bake at 350°F for 27 – 30 minutes or until the sides or edges of the crust are golden brown.  Do not over bake.   Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Print a recipe using butter.

Tess’ Kitchen Secrets:

#1 – Coconut oil and coconut milk make these squares dairy free.  And it  makes the crust a bit more crispy and less crumbly.  And if it weren’t for the eggs, these bars would be considered vegan.

#2 – Walnuts blend so well with these bars.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess Harris

In The City

Somewhere out there on that horizon.

Out beyond the neon lights
I know there must be somethin’ better

But there’s nowhere else in sight
It’s survival in the city

When you live from day to day
City streets don’t have much pity

When you’re down, that’s where you’ll stay
In the city, oh, oh. In the city

~ The Eagles ~

 

Tok – Tok – Tok. Tok – Tok – Tok

“Hi… Is Elvie in?”  I opened the door to see who’s outside.

“Who you looking for…?”

“Elvie.  Is she in?”

“No.  She is not.  I think she was “bar fined” last night.”

The lady paused for a moment… a confused expression painted her face.  Then the lady said…

“Aww… OK.  I come back later.”

“Who was that?” My half-sister asked, with a towel wrapped around her head, and another towel wrapped around her body.  She just came out of the shower.

“I don’t know.  It was a lady.  She asked where Ate Elvie is.”

“What did you tell her?!”

“I told her – Ate Elvie was “bar fined” last night.  That’s why she’s not here!”

“Aahhh shit! Why did you tell her  that?”

“Because that’s where Ate Elvie is… right? I heard you talked to Ate Mary, you said ‘she was bar fined’ last night…”

“Jesus! You’re not supposed to tell people that!  Her family doesn’t know that she works in a bar.  They think she works as a teacher!”

“Oww. I hope she doesn’t get in trouble.  But I didn’t know.  I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about it…”

“I didn’t know it was a secret.  You didn’t tell me it is supposed to be a secret.”

What’s bad about working in a bar? I wondered… What is a bar? My sister and her friends always talked about bars.  They met guys at the bars, and then they go bar hopping.  Or they go eat at restaurants.  Women find boyfriends there.  And then they get married and go to America or Australia.  But some women are too picky, so they get old and never marry.  And many bear  illegitimate children whose fathers they’ll never know.  Others get left behind by their boyfriends, who after three or four years of living together, the American boyfriend decide to not marry and off they go.  Nine out of ten, the girlfriend goes back to the bar, hoping she’s not too old to find another boyfriend. And the quest begins all over again.

Angeles City is one of the two sin cities in the Philippines, where Clark Air Force Base was located.  The largest American Air Force Base in the Pacific at that time.  The other is Olongapo City.  With Subic Bay, home to the U.S. Naval Base.  Both cities’ economies were dependent on the bases.  But when the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Naval Bases pulled out in 1991 after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, both cities suffered tremendously, displacing hundreds and thousands of Filipino workers, both on and off the bases.

Both Angeles City and Olongapo City had a thriving night life.  They owe it to the U.S. Servicemen who were stationed there.  And the tourists from Australia and Europe.  It took at least five years before these cities start to recover.  But even if it recovers.  It will never be the same.  Like how it was when the U.S. Forces were there.

In a way… Angeles City is like Las Vegas.  Both are considered sin cities, full of promises for those who wish to improve their fortune and or gamble their lives.  While Las Vegas is famous for its gambling, entertainment, and its luxurious hotels which could make anyone dizzy and disoriented when they first step out of McCarran Airport, Angeles City is famous for its night life.  The bars and the girls.  This city is a haven for foreigners looking for a good time, and maybe lifetime companions.

Ate Elvie is Ilocana.  She came from Ilocos – the southern part of Luzon.  She has a degree in Elementary education.  She has smooth light skin, round face, and short wavy hair.  I liked Ate Elvie, especially her rugged and non-pretentious personality.   I never find out if she got in trouble with her family about the “bar fined” issue.  All I know is, since that morning when that lady was asking about her, they stopped talking around me about anything, especially about the bars and they guys they met over there.  And then we moved to another apartment a month later.  So I’ve never seen or heard of Ate Elvie again.  Years later, my sister told me that she’s in America, married to an American.

At 13, I wish they could take me to the bar.  The more they did not want to   talk to me about it, the more I wanted to know.  I wanted to see what all the excitements were all about.  I wanted to see what’s in the bar?  Why do they seemed animated and exited every time they talk about it?  It sounded like a fun place to be.  And then I always hear them giggling about the men they met.  But I remember Ate Elvie saying… “No – no – no.  You’re too young.  They don’t let young girls in the bar.”  I wish I was grown up like them so they could take me.  They seemed to be having so much fun.  I want to have fun too. What a silly girl I was.

Two weeks before the school was to begin.  Ate Elvie accompanied me and my sister to Angeles University Foundation to help me enroll in first year high school.  She said she knew somebody there, which will make my enrollment a lot easier.  So we went.  I remember getting into a long line, and waited for almost one hour.  Ate Elvie spoke to the girl she knew.  My sister paid and I was set to go to school in two weeks.  Except for the uniforms.  I  had to order my uniforms – a green and white checkered skirt, and a solid white jacket style top.

I was excited and terrified at the same time.  My new school is so big, with too many students.  Only in the Philippines where they can get away with it.  In the same school and inside the same campus, the building to the north was the elementary school.  The high school building was on the east side and five stories high and on the other side, in the west side was the building for college students.  Several guards are stationed at the gate to check for school IDs.  No IDs no entry.

I memorized my jeep route so I don’t get lost.  I had to take two different jeepneys to get to school.

This whole thing – being new in a big city, going to a big school, seeing people other than Filipinos, these were all dizzying to me; exciting and scary and the same time.  But this was my dream.  I wanted to live here.  No more planting rice in the mud; no more going to the farm to dig up sweet potatoes and cassavas.  No more carrying fire-woods on my head; no more basket full of foodstuff on my back while walking in the rain and muddy foot paths.  No more!  I got away!  Yaaayyy!

My first day of school came.  I sat on the front row, close to the window.  Our classroom was on the third floor.  There were about 30 students in my class.  And I was surprise to see that one third of the class were grown women – married and have children.  What are they doing here?  When I was in fourth grade, the oldest girl in my class was 19 years old.  She decided, after having gone to Manila to work as a house-girl, to go back home and finish her elementary education.

Now in my high school class… I found out that the older women in my class, most of them are married to Americans.  Amercano as we call them.

Gloria is 37 years old who’s married to a Master Sergeant.  She has three children.  Her oldest child – a daughter is 13, and going to middle school.  I didn’t know what middle school was back then.  Because in the Philippines, we don’t have middle school.  We have elementary school and high school.  No middle school.  So while her kids go to DOD (Department of Defense) school at Clark Air Force Base, she was going to first year high school at AUF.  And there was Maggie.  She was tall.  She was from Cebu she said.  She looked like she is mestiza – Filipino mixed with Spanish blood.  Her features proved it.  White skin, pointed nose, large round eyes with brown lashes, brown-reddish, wavy hair.  She has two children.  Both in elementary school.

And then there was Ate Nelly.  She wasn’t married but she was living with a steady boyfriend.  She told me she’s 27 years old.  She’s about 5 foot 7 inches tall.  Skinny with long black hair, down to her butt.  And then there was Grace.  She’s only 16.  She’s probably about 5 foot 2 with a gap on her upper teeth.  One day in class, she whispered to me… “I have a boyfriend.  American boyfriend.”  I know what that means.  I don’t know how I know.  But from then on, when a girl tells me they have an American boyfriend… that means, they are no longer virgins.  They are having sex with their American boyfriend.  I was only 13 so I never had a boyfriend. And Mirasol.  Very pretty girl.  She has flawless, white Asian skin, thick long, wavy hair down to her waistline.  She seemed always tired and sleepy when she came to school.  I found out that she worked as a dancer in one of the bars… Of course she didn’t announce it to the class.  Grace is friends with her and that’s how I found out…

I was keeping tab as to who is who and who is doing what.  I have always been a curious little girl.  I listen with full intent about people and their lives… I think it’s very interesting.  So different from mine.  That’s probably why I like to read biographies and memoirs of people.  Interesting famous people and sometimes bad people too.

My stay in Angeles City was short lived.  My sister or half sister.  I prefer to call her my sister instead of half-sister.  To me she’s my sister.  Though when I call her half-sister that is my urged to get even with her back when I was 13 and living with her.  She’d introduced me to her friends as her half – sister.  It’s true.  She’s my half – sister.  But it bothered me.  It hurt me.  Why couldn’t she just introduce me as her sister?  What’s the difference?  I looked up to her and loved her like she’s my full sister.  But that was then.  This is now.  Now in her early fifties, now I am her sister.  Yeah. Ah huh. It makes me wonder…

Like I said, my stay in Angeles City was short lived.  After two years, I was sent back home, to the province.  My sister married an Air Force guy who was stationed in Korea so she had to go with him.  I finished high school in the province.  And two years later, I was back in the city, Angeles City.

~~~

It was in Angeles City that i first tasted pizza.  It  was a small place off Fields Avenue.  That place was always crowded. Everyday.  Their pizzas or at least the ones I tasted were cut in squares.  I don’t even remember what kind of pizza that was.  All I remember is – it was good.

This pizza – if you can call it pizza.  But i will call it pizza… is quick to make.  I made this yesterday for my husband to eat at work.  I always try to think of a more convenient way for him to eat out there – when he’s working.  Something good and less messy.  So when i was at the grocery store the other day, i picked up a package of Pita Bread.  I didn’t know exactly what i was going to do with it, but told myself – “I’ll think of something.  And the result was amazing.

Pita Pizza Squares

(Serves 2 – 4)

4 Pita Bread – squares

1 TBSP. olive oil for brushing

2 Fresh Italian Sausage (I used Hot)

2 large cloves garlic – peeled and minced

1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary – chopped

8 slices Pepperoni – 2 slices per pita square

6 slices Provolone Cheese – 1½ slices per pita square

¼ medium onion – sliced

12 medium sizes Mezzetta Hot Chili Peppers – sliced (3 peppers for each pita square) – you can use olives if you want

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat.  Remove the casing from the Italian sausage.  Add the sausage into the heated skillet.  Crumble the sausage into bite size pieces.  Stirring until cook, about 6 minutes.  Add minced garlic and chopped rosemary.  Stir another minute.  Add the onion slices.  Stir and remove the pan from the heat.  Divide the sausage mixture into four portions.

Line a Baking sheet with aluminum.  Lightly brush with olive oil.

Place 4 pita bread squares in the pan.  Lightly brush each bread with olive oil.

Top each pita square with the sausage. One portion for each.

Add slices of hot chili peppers to the sausage toppings.

Tear each pepperoni slices into four pieces and also add to the sausage toppings.

Tear the provolone cheese and add to the toppings.

Bake Pita Pizza Squares in the preheated oven at 375°F for 10 minutes.  Remove pizza from the oven.

NOTE:  For crunchy pita squares, after 10 minutes in the oven, remove pizza from the baking sheet and slide each Pita Pizza Square on top of the oven rack and bake for another 4 – 5 minutes.  Be careful not to burn the cheese.

Tess’ Kitchen Secrets:

#1 – Placing the Pita Pizza Squares directly on the oven rack, makes the bottom crust crispy.  Which makes it easier to handle.  Of course you can serve it unsliced.

#2 – You can use different toppings if you like such as olives, Canadian bacon, Anchovies, etc.  Just try not to put too much toppings so you don’t weigh down the bread.

#3 – You can serve this as an appetizer or party food. Just slice each square into four little squares.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess Harris

My Proven Methods on How to Survive on the Road

Eighteen years…

That’s how long it took for me to realize and pay attention to a few things I must do when I am on the road, driving long distance.  By long distance, I mean, driving in the car longer than two hours.  And the few things I learned after all these years make a difference between enjoying the trip and suffering.

Driving is stressful, both physically and mentally.  And the stress doubles when driving at night and in hazardous condition such as snow and heavy rain.  It’s tiring even if you are just a passenger, because sitting in one position for hours on end, hinders our blood circulation.

I remember when I first learned how to drive.  It was barely three months since I arrived here in the U.S.  Ramon was only five months old, and we moved from South Carolina to Jacksonville, Arkansas – Willie’s new military assignment.  In his job, he had to travel a lot, away from home.  When we arrived at his new assignment, he was to be deployed to another city for a temporary duty and therefore only have 30 days to teach me how to drive.  That meant – within 30 days I had to learn how to drive… and get my driver’s license.  Or I and our five month old baby will be stuck in the apartment, while he is gone, and nowhere to go.   And we both know this is not going to work.  At minimum, I had to be able to go to the grocery store to buy food.

At first learning how to drive wasn’t so bad.  He enrolled me in a three day class, for one hour each day.  The driving instructor was boasting my confidence, but in reality it was a FALSE confidence, because after that first day, when Willie had me practiced driving in a parking lot, he was horrified.  He thought: “Oh my fucking god!  She didn’t learn shit from that driving course.  And the worst thing is… she thinks she can drive! What the fuck!  If I let her think she can drive, she’s going to kill herself… and my son.  Oh no no no… NO!

So… he pulled me out of that driving course and taught me himself.

Every day, for the next 30 days after work, he taught me how to drive.  It was hard.  It was frustrating.  For me and especially for him.

He said:  “You have got to be the worst, most hard headed student I’ve ever taught…” And each time we were on the road, I scared the bee Jesus out of him…

I was like, well… what do you expect?  I was never around cars when I was growing up.  We walked everywhere! And if we didn’t walk, we boarded small boats, jeepneys and buses…

Never in my young life had I dreamed of learning how to drive!

But of course… there are a lot of things that happened in my life that I never, ever imagine or expected.  Like marrying an American.  And coming to the United States.  This is just how life is.  It takes us in places we never expect…

Here in America, driving is a NECESSITY not a luxury.  Yes, there are buses, especially in big cities.  But in smaller towns, it is impractical to think that I can get around in a bus.  And besides, I find it demeaning to take a bus.  I know it’s hypocritical considering where I come from.  But that’s how I feel.  And that’s why I had to learn how to drive.  It really wasn’t a choice, in my case, it was survival. I had a young son to take care of while living in a new country, in a new city with no one to turn to.

So despite of my hardheadedness… I learned how to drive.  Not great at first.  But I got my license within 30 days.  Just in time before Willie left for his TDY (military term for “temporary duty.”) I didn’t know how I got it… but I got it.

It was very scary.

I survived three car accidents during my first three years of driving.  The first one was very minor – I hit another car in a parking lot.  The second one involved another car.  I was making a left turn and got hit by an oncoming car.  Both incidents were my fault.  The third one, I was involved in a “hit and run” accident.  I was getting ready to get on the interstate in Little Rock, Arkansas and I was hit by a red pick-up truck on my right side. The driver, knowing that he hit me, just sped off into the highway.  I was so furious, I was cursing: motherfucker, sona-mabitch…how dare you hit me and just drive away… I was so angry! Red, hot steams must have been oozing out of my head.  I stopped thinking.  I took off after that truck.  But the traffic was so heavy that I lost him.  Finally, after 5 miles of chase… I pulled over at a gas station and called my husband, and called the police. My husband was horrified on what I had done.  He couldn’t believe I actually tried to chase the guy who had hit me, while our son was in the back seat!

“What the fuck were you thinking?” He asked angrily, after he made sure Ramon and I were alright.

“What do you mean? That guy hit me and did not stop.  He hit me…!” I defensively fired back.

“But that guy could have pulled out a gun and shoot you and my son! Did you realize that?!” he’s still pissed off and horrified.

“I didn’t care.  I was going to get him back! You can’t hit me and get away with it!”  That’s how silly I get when I am mad.  All common sense goes out the window.

This is not the first time I had done something like this – chasing after somebody.  Several years before in the Philippines, in Angeles City, I was in the market with my sister shopping for Christmas.  When all of a sudden, a guy yanked an 18 karat gold chain off my neck.  Over a split second, when I realized what had just happened, I took off running after the guy.  All I could think of was:  Oh shit, my husband is going to chew my ass for wearing jewelry to the market.  He’s warned me not to do it because I might get mugged.  But I did not heed his advice.  I would rather wrestle the mugger than face my husband’s wrath. And because of me running and yelling after the mugger, I alerted the cop, who stopped the mugger, who dropped my necklace so he won’t be caught “red handed with it.”  I got my necklace back, and only sustained bruised and painful feet.

When I came home I told my husband what had happened.  He said:  “You’re crazy! I can’t believe you did that.  What if the guy had other accomplices, so that… one could have stabbed you while the real mugger kept on running?”

I’m thinking:  Hmmm…he’s right, while suddenly having a sick feeling in my stomach.

My last auto accident happened 17 years ago, and I never had an accident since.  (Knocking on wood and crossing my fingers.) I have so much more sense now compared to back then, it’s unbelievable.  I guess it comes with getting older and becoming mature.

I have also learned so much from my experience of driving long distances.

During this past 4 weeks, I have driven over 5,000 miles (roughly over 8,000 kilometers) between Tulsa, Abilene, Dallas and Fort Worth. And good thing I now have a proven method on how to make my life easier on the road.  And believe me, it wasn’t always like this.

Here are the things I do before I get on the road:

(1) Map out my route.  Thank god for Google Maps, knowing exactly where I’m going and mapping out my exact route is a breeze.  I print out a detailed directions and maps for my whole trip.  So I know exactly what exits and turns I need to make.

(2) I make a note of the towns in between my route.  How far apart are these towns?  This is good information, in case something bad happened and I get stranded on the road, and in case I need to use a restroom, when rest areas are not available.  I also plan ahead where I am going to refill my gas tank.  For example:  A good stopping point between Abilene and Oklahoma City is Walters, Oklahoma.  I gas up here, take restroom breaks and eat if I’m hungry.

(3) The night before my trip, and before I go to bed, I drink a quart of Pedialyte to hydrate my body.  And then, I drink another one when I wake up, preferably three hours before I hit the road.

From years of suffering while on the road, I learned that I cannot drink at least two hours before I hit the road.  This way I can avoid using the restroom for two to three hours.  And I cannot eat.  I like to drive in an empty stomach.  If I do eat, it’d be stuff like macadamia nuts, peppered beef jerky, and chocolate.  These are foods that keep me awake and alert.  And then I wash it off with a gulp of Pedialyte.  Not a lot… just a gulp.

“Pedialyte is better than water in keeping our bodies hydrated.  It’s like getting an IV.” According to my husband.  He learned this trick from a Para Rescue guy while he was in the military, in an elite unit.  And he’s saved my life countless times with Pedialyte.

I remember one afternoon in my office while working in Las Vegas.  My left arm started to feel numb.  And then about half an hour later, my left body, down to my legs started to feel numb too.  I panicked.  I thought I was getting ready to have a heart attack.  I called my husband:

“Honeyko… I don’t feel good.  The left side of my body feels numb.  My left arm… my leg… I think I am getting ready to have a heart attack. Should I call 911?” I was afraid and in tears.  I’m only 38 years old. How could this happen?

“No… Tell you what.  Come home right now! Can you drive?” he asked with a concerned voice.

“Yeah… I think so…”

“Are you sure…?

“Yeah…”

By the time I got home, he had already went to Wal-Greens and bought several bottles of Pedialyte.

From his years of experience in the field, he knew I was simply dehydrated and knew exactly what to do.  He had me drank one bottle (32 ounces) of Pedialyte every 2½ hours.  And since my body temperature was also high, he put me in a tub of ice.

That night I felt much better… This was my first introduction to Pedialyte…

(4) Whether I am driving alone or I am with Willie or Ramon, I make sure I have the following items:

• Cash – between $100 – $200.  This is to be used for food and drinks, and in cases where I can’t use my debit or credit card. (My husband taught me this from his many years of traveling around the world.)

• Drinks: (a) small bottles (8 ounces) of Pedialyte, so I can sip on them if I feel thirsty.  My body uses this more effectively than water.  (b) Diamond tea.  I drink this as my last resort, if I can shake off my sleepiness.  (c) And a case of bottled water.  In case we get stuck in the middle of nowhere.

• Snacks:  macadamia nuts, beef jerky (Ramon introduced me to peppered beef steak  jerky, and I like it), and chocolate.  I like chocolate, though messy to eat, because of its caffeine and minimal sugar content.  I usually like the Lindt chocolate bars.

• Music.  My husband and I have similar taste in music.  Really… I think most of the music I listen to are the same music he listens to.  He introduced me to most of them.  When I am driving, I like to listen to music I am familiar with and can sing along to.  During the first leg of the trip, my adrenalin is usually high, so my husband suggested I listen to slow music to calm me down, so I usually listen to Christopher Cross, The Beatles, The Bee Gees, and Jim Croce, etc..  And I listen to The Very Best of Doors and Lenny Kravitz’s Greatest Hits during the last leg of the trip, where I need to kick my energy high to reach my destination

• Misc. items: paper towels, toilet paper, and microfiber kitchen towel to clean my glasses.  I always like to have a clean, clear eyeglasses and sunglasses especially when I’m driving.  So… I make sure I bring a microfiber towel – usually a microfiber kitchen towel that’s been washed and dried without fabric softener.  Way better than the little cloths you get from the optical shop.

• EMERGENCY Supplies other than what’s listed above:

>Band-Aid

> Peroxide

> Antibiotic Ointment

> Cortisone cream or ointment

> Dimetapp (the only cold and allergy medicine we all could tolerate)

>Children’s Motrin Fever Reducer (good for me and Ramon)

> Activated Charcoal Capsules (I used this a lot especially if I eat food that I have no tolerance for)

> Flashlight

> Candles and matches

> Heavy blanket (during winter season)

> Long – heavy coats, hats and gloves (during winter)

(5) Decide who is going to drive and who is going to navigate.  If I am with Willie and Ramon… I usually drive the first leg of the trip, and then Willie drives the other half.  But when I am with Ramon, I do most of the driving.  I have more confidence in my driving skills than with my navigating skills.  And since Ramon is a great navigator, I have him navigate, especially when we are going to a big city we have never been before.

(5) If I can help it… I prefer to drive during the day.  I find the drive to be more enjoyable during the day than at night.  Besides, my vision is much better during the day.

(6) Observe the rules of the road:

• Keep enough distance from the vehicle in front of you; do not tail gate.  (I think one of my pet peeves when driving are people who tailgate and cut in front of me.)  I keep a good distance away from the vehicle in front of me especially when driving at a high rate of speed.
• If possible, I do not like to be behind big trucks and trailers.  Long ago, my husband told me:  “Try and stay away from these big trucks.  Stay away from their rear, and do not stay beside them.  Their big tires blow off all the time, and when it does, the debris could hit your windshield and cause you to have an accident.  It could mean a life and death situation.”
• Drive within the speed limit.  I might drive 3 miles over the speed limit, but that’s it, unless I am passing another vehicle, and then I maintain my normal speed.  So this way, I don’t risk getting a speeding ticket. And besides, Ramon is my ‘speed patrol.” He reminds me when I’m speeding! He adheres to the principle of “haste makes waste.”
• Have my headlights turned on when it’s dark and cloudy, and especially when it’s raining.

(7) Drink more Pedialyte when I reach my destination.  I am certain that I am dehydrated again after 3 – 6 hours of driving.  So instead of drinking water, I quickly hydrate my body with more Pedialyte – one 32-ounce bottle, every 2½ before I go to bed.  When I week up the next day, I feel rested and refreshed .

I will add more this list as I learn along the way.

~~~

These cashews are so good, they’re highly addictive!

These are great especially on the day they are made, and they stay fresh in 3 days at room temperature and one week if stored in the refrigerator.  Though I try not to eat sugary stuff when I’m on the road… I like to snack on something like this once I get to my destination, especially when we are staying at a hotel.  It’s cheaper and better than buying snacks from the vending machine.

I just make them a few days before my scheduled trip, and pack them in plastic containers.

You need the following tools and equipment, and ingredients to make these:

Kitchen Tools and Equipment:

1 large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

Wooden spoon or spatula

2 quart heavy bottomed sauce pan

1 quart sauce pan for boiling water

When making candy or other sweet confection, I always have a pot of hot water to hold the spoons or spatulas, and other utensils I am using.

Also I prefer to line the cookie sheet with parchment paper as oppose to oiling it. However, if you don’t have access to parchment paper, you can go ahead and just butter the cookie sheet so that the candy won’t stick to the pan.

Since my goal for this recipe is to have crystallized sugar coating on the cashews, I kept stirring the sugar syrup throughout the entire process.

You will note that I did not use a candy thermometer for this recipe.  I pretty much just gauged it based on the consistency of the sugar syrup – not too thick.

Ingredients:

1 pound roasted cashew nuts

½ cup brown sugar – firmly packed

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup raw cane sugar

¼ cup water

3 TBSPs. coconut oil – available in health food stores, (you may use 4 TBSPs. butter in place of coconut oil)

½ tsp. coarse sea salt – the best is Celtic sea salt

In a 2 quart heavy bottomed sauce pan, combine all the sugars (brown, granulated and raw cane sugar), water and salt.

Over medium heat, stir the sugar mixture with wooden spoon until all sugars and salt are dissolved.

Bring sugar syrup to a boil, stirring constantly, until syrup is slightly thick, about 4 or 5 minutes.

Add the coconut oil and roasted cashews. Keep stirring until the cashews are well coated with the sugar syrup, and until the syrup is reduced and has thickened into a soft caramel texture. (This process will take about 4 or 5 minutes.)

Immediately pour and spread cashews into the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Cool to handle and then separate the cashews into small clusters or individual pieces.  Store in plastic container or tin containers.

Serve as snacks, appetizer, and travel food.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess

Beautiful Morning Muffins

I love muffins!

My husband thinks I’m weird because whatever food I eat in the morning, I can also eat them any other time during the day. I love eating breakfast items for dinner, snacks or dessert. I eat pancakes for dinner, or granola with rice milk for a midnight snack.  Who says I can’t?

Ramon is the same way.  We’ve never given him any restrictions when it comes to food and drinks (except alcoholic beverages, of course), ever since he was a little boy.  He can eat whatever he wants, and whenever he wants.

I’ve been around parents who imposed so many restrictions on their children, especially when it comes to food and drink. “Mom, I’m thirsty! Can I have a drink?” “No, it’s already 9 o’clock (at night) and it’s time for you to go to bed! You know the rule: no more drinking before bedtime! Now, go to bed!”

Now… I grew up in a nipa hut, if we’re thirsty, we drink.  In fact, if that’s all we want – something to drink (water) my poor parents was more than happy to oblige.  “Water is free. You can drink all you want!” What is so bad about drinking before bedtime? She’s thirsty for chrissake!

Or… “Mom can I have some cookies?” “Fine, you can only have one and that’s it!”

One…? Who eats only one cookie? If my son wants to eat 5 cookies, he can.  If he doesn’t feel well after overeating cookies, then he won’t do it next time… and if he doesn’t learn the first time, he is guaranteed to learn sooner or later.

For me, I think that’s wrong. I think the more you restrict your children, the more that they are going to rebel.  They might pretend to do what you want them to do while you are in sight, but once you’re not around, they are going to let loose, and do everything you did not want them to do.

My husband, Willie, is really the person that needs to be credited with this type of thinking on how we raised our son.  He believes that the more you forbid your child, the more they want to do the forbidden. It’s just human nature.  It makes us highly curious when something is forbidden.

And, you’re probably wondering what’s this got to do with the muffins?

Well… probably nothing.  But with these muffins, you don’t have to worry about any restrictions or an ounce of guilt for eating one or more. You can eat them anytime, other than in the morning.  They are good for you, or at least good for me, in my opinion…

And, they’re easy to make, and every time I hear the word “easy” I get excited.

Here’s what you need to make these muffins:

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamom

½ tsp. kosher salt

Wet Ingredients:

2 eggs

¾ cup extra light olive oil or coconut oil

¼ cup rice milk

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Other Ingredients:

1½ cups shredded carrots (3 medium sizes)

1 cup shredded apple (peeled and cored – pink lady, braeborn, etc.)

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (available at health food stores)

½ cup raisins

¾ cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line 18 regular size muffin cups with paper baking cups.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients, by whisking them. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, beat eggs, olive or coconut oil, rice milk and vanilla with a wire whisk.  Pour this mixture over the flour mixture.  Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Add shredded carrots, apple, and coconut; raisins and sliced almonds.

Fill each muffin cup with the batter, about ¾ full.

Bake in a preheated oven for 26 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean, when inserted.

Remove from the oven.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess

Buns of Sweet & Spicy Pork

Great food on the go…
Lunch at school or work…
Food while traveling be it a road trip or plane…

I really do not have a story to go with this recipe… other than these buns are one of my husband’s favorite food on the go, and one of my son’s favorite snack. The dough recipe itself can be used for making sweet dinner rolls, dinner rolls which is comparable to the taste of the dinner rolls served at Texas Roadhouse – a popular steakhouse here in the south. To make the dinner rolls simply follow the direction for making the dough, and instead of stuffing with the sweet n’ spicy pork, simply rise the 16 dough balls for 25 minutes and then bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with butter.

The Dough and the Buns:

1 packet Yeast (1/4 ounces)

1 TBSP. granulated sugar

1 cup + 3 TBSPs. lukewarm water (about 110°F)

3 cups high protein flour or bread flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 TBSP. Baking powder

1tsp. Kosher salt

1/8 cup vegetable oil (extra light olive oil)

1 TBSP. White vinegar

In a large measuring cup, combine water, sugar and yeast. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes or until mixture is bubbly on top. Using an electric mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using the paddle attachment, blend the flour mixture until well combined. Add the yeast mixture to the flour and blend on low speed for about 1 minute. In a small bowl, combine oil and vinegar and add them to the flour mixture. Blend until well combined and mixture becomes sticky. Remove the paddle attachment and replace it with the dough hook. (If the dough is too wet… gradually add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour.)

Knead the dough on medium high speed for 5 – 8 minutes or until the dough clings on the dough hook and away from the sides of the bowl.

Lightly flour your board or a clean kitchen counter. Knead the dough, by hand, for another 2 minutes. Form the dough into a smooth ball.

Grease a large bowl with 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, coating the bottom and sides of the bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and let rise until doubled, about 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or foil and lightly grease them. Set aside.

After the dough has doubled, lightly flour the board or clean kitchen counter. Punch the air bubbles and knead the dough for a few minutes and cut it into 16 portions. (The easiest way to do this is to first divide the dough into four portions, and then further divide each portion into four.) Form each portion into a smooth ball, being careful not to tear the dough. Cover the rest of the dough balls while you flatten and fill each one.

Flatten each dough ball with your hands, and then with a rolling pin until it measures about five inch circle. Fill each circle with about 2 tablespoons of the pork filling and a quarter slice of the hardboiled eggs. Gather the edges of the dough, pinch and twist to seal. Place filled buns, twisted side down in a lightly oiled parchment or foil lined baking sheet.

Cover the buns with waxed paper or kitchen towel. Let buns rise for 25 minutes.

Bake buns in a preheated oven at 350°F for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove buns from baking sheet unto a wire cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with or without dipping sauce.

Buns can be left at room temperature overnight, and then store in the refrigerator for a few days. If refrigerated, microwave for 10 seconds before serving.

Sweet n’ Spicy Pork Filling:

1¼ pound ground pork

2 TBSPs. Bacon dripping or vegetable oil

1/3 medium onion – minced

2 TBSPs. Ginger – peeled and minced

5 cloves garlic – minced

4 TBSPs. Hoisen sauce

4 TBSPs. Plum sauce

2 TBSPs. Soy sauce

1 TBSP. medium dry sherry or rice wine

1 tsps. Sesame oil

½ – 1 tsp. ground hot pepper

½ tsp. ground black pepper

¼ tsp. monosodium glutamate or msg (optional)

1/8 tsp. five spices or ground anise seeds or fennel seeds

3 stalks green onions – chopped

4 boiled eggs – quartered

Heat bacon drippings in a medium size sauté pan.

Saute onions until translucent. Stir in ginger and garlic. Sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the ground pork. Sauté for a few minutes, while breaking large pieces of meat with the spatula. Simmer over medium low heat for about 10 minutes or until the pork is cooked, stirring once or twice while simmering.

In a small bowl, combine hoisen sauce, plum sauce, soy sauce, medium dry sherry, sesame oil, hot and black peppers, msg and five spices. Add sauce to the pork and stir until pork and sauce are well combined. Simmer pork until sauce is bubbly for five minutes to ten minutes. Stir in the chopped green onions. Remove pan from heat. Pour off excess oil that may accumulate at the bottom of pan. Fill buns as directed above.

Dipping Sauce:

2 cups chicken stock

1 TBSP. ginger – peeled and minced

3 cloves garlic – minced

3 TBSPs. plum sauce

3 TBSPs. hoisen sauce

2 TBSPs. soy sauce

½ tsp. ground hot pepper (optional)

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. five spices or ground anise seeds or fennel seeds

3 TBSPs. Cornstarch mixed with 2 TBSPs. water

In a small sauce pan, combine all ingredients except cornstarch. Bring to a boil over medium heat. While boiling, stir in the cornstarch mixture. Keep stirring until the soup is smooth and slightly thick. Remove pan from the heat. Serve as dipping sauce.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Tess