If you’ve ever been invited to someone’s home for authentic Puerto Rican food (usually prepared by a mom or grandmother but sometimes dads too), licked your fingers and said, “that was deeelicious and so tasty, what did you use for seasoning?” This may sound familiar to you. The response you probably received was: “you like it because I made it with love.” Well, I am Puerto Rican and am here to tell you there’s more to it. It was love… and a little Adobo.
Normally I wouldn’t reveal this secret ingredient (a staple in most Hispanic households) but it doesn’t matter because it’s too late. The secret has been out for years. I’m increasingly seeing Adobo show up anywhere from entree descriptions at fusion-style restaurants to on the shelves at most major food retailers.
I kind of liked it when I had to travel into the city to a Hispanic specialty food store or ‘Bodega’ to pick up this bottled salty, garlicky goodness. I guess it’s not a bad thing that Adobo is now available at my local Starbucks. Just making sure you were still with me.
If you’ve never used Adobo Seasoning and are tempted to purchase some on your next supermarket run, be forewarned…once you start you can’t stop. I’m not kidding. Your hand will somehow make its way across the counter various times to grab the Adobo when preparing meals. Even when something is pre-seasoned.
A sprinkle for taste. A few dashes just in case…and one more shake for good luck!
It’s definitely a problem (in my house at least) but a tasty one. Go Goya.
What’s your favorite “go to” seasoning?
What do you do when it’s 90 degrees outside without a cloud in the sky? You take your out of town friends to a nearby farm for some sweaty fun. Why? Because you mentioned to your friend’s daughter how great it would be to “pick your own” fruit and after that…there’s no turning back! So, off we went to Wardsberry farm. Blueberry picking was a breeze but we spent quite a bit of time digging through the strawberry patch since it was so late in the season. Alas, check out all of our beautiful blueberries and strawberries (and the precious smile on this child’s face):
Despite the heat, we had a blast. The farm also has daily hayrides, picnic tables and play areas for children. But the best part comes after – snacking on this delicious fresh fruit.
How do you enjoy your fruit? Please share a favorite dessert or smoothie recipe in the comments below. As for me, I’m thinking blueberry pancakes are a must for tomorrow!
Preparation is key before a photo-shoot. Making sure your clients feel comfortable can be a big part of that but when it is freezing cold, there’s not much you can do but try and take the best photos in a short amount of time. That and blankets. Luckily, Michelle and Pat were sporting an “I can’t wait to marry you” glow which made my job easier. Here are a few of my favorites from that day, over 7 years ago. These two have three beautiful children now…you’ll be seeing them in future posts!
My first visit to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was a short but tasty one. The main purpose of the trip was to get to know my brother in law’s family which didn’t leave much time for sightseeing but we wasted no time to start bonding, laughing and eating! Getting absorbed in a new culture, meeting new people and trying new food is my sort of trip. We snuck in a couple of tourist attractions including a visit to Christ of the Redeemer statue (make your way there in time to catch the sunset and witness an amazing array of colors). But this post is not about heavenly views or attractions…it’s about the heavenly food found in and around Rio.
My first meal was a dish lovingly prepared for my family by my brother in law’s mom. What can be more welcoming than being greeted with a smile and home-cooked dinner?
The next day we started the morning off right by stopping at one of Rio’s popular juice stands. My favorite was Suco de Maracuja (passion fruit juice).
No trip to Rio is complete without a visit to the beach (this was taken at Ipanema) and all of that fun in the sun is sure to build up an appetite…
…which is not a problem when you can easily find “Salgadinhos” sold in just about every corner of Rio. These savory bites range from fried pastries filled with cheese to shredded chicken and other fillings:
Kids if you’re watching don’t play with your food – until you get to be an immature adult like me!
If you’re feeling jet-lagged like I was, wash it all down with a soft drink made with Guaraná fruit. It’ll provide a temporary energy boost and it tastes good too.
And just because I’m a sucker for Watermelon…I couldn’t say no to this:
After some freshening up, it’s time for more food! Not just any food – Churrasco. Meat that is expertly grilled and simply (but perfectly) seasoned with coarse sea salt:
End the night with a VERY CHILLED local draft beer:
Before packing up to return home, don’t forget to buy some snacks for your plane ride back:
Hope you enjoyed this post. Now wipe that drool off of your face and start planning your trip to Rio!
This has been my go-to Summer refreshment since I discovered it on a food truck a few years ago. I asked what was in the “Thai Basil Limeade” and the answer was, “Thai Basil, Sugar and Limes.” Fair enough, I guess it would be asking too much for the food truck personnel to provide me with the secret ingredient that made it so delicious. After buying this drink practically every day on my lunch break I thought it would be a good idea (not to mention good on my wallet) to figure out how to make it. I started with the basics and to my surprise it really was just those three ingredients!
It took me a couple of tries to get it to taste exactly like the food truck version and the trick was to use a simple syrup.
For an individual serving:
Fill a cup with ice water about 3/4 of the way, add some fresh squeezed lime juice, and sweeten with Thai Basil infused simple syrup. That’s it!
To prepare a larger quantity here’s what to do: Make your simple syrup (I use 2 parts water to 1 part sugar), throw in a handful of fresh Thai Basil, cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours or leave in overnight. Find a limeade recipe that calls for using simple syrup and replace with your infused version.
It might take a few times to figure out the perfect balance of water, lime juice and simple syrup but it will be worth it.
Enjoy.
I don’t know what they look like but the twins in my sister’s belly have stolen my heart. Today I had the chance to take pregnancy photos during the “golden hour,” the perfect time to shoot! Put simply, it’s the first hour of light after sunrise, and the last hour of light before sunset. The natural light and my sister’s pregnancy glow were unmatched. You may want to plan ahead and take advantage of the amazing light revealed during this short period of time – plug your location into this Golden Hour calculator to see exactly when it occurs in your area.
I believe it’s important to make a home comfortable for you and your family’s needs. It makes me sad when I visit someone and they say something like, “that’s our formal living area but we NEVER use it, I wish it was an office (or playroom, study, etc).“ If you don’t have use for a space as it was presented to you when you purchased a house or in its current layout, don’t be afraid to change it.
For this reason I have converted our dining room into an office and creative studio space. Don’t get me wrong, I love a private dining area and one day that’s what the room pictured below will be. For now, when week-night dinners at our house are consumed in front of the television and guests inevitably gather around the kitchen island, I am happy to use the room in a way that makes sense for me today.
Here’s a peek at a section of the room I will begin to use as my home office:
BEFORE
AFTER
Before and After (alternate views)
The room was originally painted in butter cream-like tones (a bit darker than what the photos reveal). I decided to change it for something that would allow bright artwork and colorful accents to really stand out.
I almost chickened out on the selection of white – would it look too plain, too boring? By selecting varying paint sheens (semi-gloss white for trim and matte white for the walls), it is anything but. The walls beneath the chair rail are painted in a satin finish (Benjamin Moore’s Iron Mountain Gray) and I absolutely love the result.
…for color inspiration, ideas for seasonal decor and more!
I’ll keep it real for you – I’m not the “crafty” type but I do believe in customizing a home to your unique taste. In the “Do-It-Yourself” section I’ll most likely share ways that I have re-vamped older furniture or put personal touches to improve the look or function of a room.