Welcome New School Year!

Well I have written this post several times but none made any sense. To put it simply, I have NEVER started the year this unprepared!

I've been homeschooling or we have been home learning since Oldest Peep was 3. This was not my choice but many have heard me tell the story of our start. A just-turned-3-year-old insisted every day for a month straight that I must teach her to read. When I saw that she was serious, I had to do some quick research because I had no idea where to start. I wasn't a teacher. I had no training but here she was insisting EVERY DAY!!!!! I, fortunately for all of us, stumbled across The Well Trained Mind. I was sold instantly. We started formal lessons when she was around 5. She again insisted on planners and schedule. (I know...she's weird that way....first born thing I think!) Every year after that I would go to homeschooling conferences, buy books, order books, read the WTM boards faithfully, buy back to school supplies, and eventually sit down to plan out the year.

This year.................................

I am still trying to decide on some subjects. Other subjects (like Latin) the peeps have taken the reigns and I have no idea how to reinvolve (is that a word....it is tonight!) myself. Some things we are doing on the fly with no plan (music and art). Some planned things we haven't even started (History) because unplanned things keep coming up ( like this course on Justice by a Harvard Professor). We have two different science classes at home (Chemistry with Baby Peep and Conceptual Physics with the other 2 peeps) and 2 different science classes outside the home. The subjects giving me no headaches are being done online...... Classical Writing Diogenes: Maxim and Chreia (Oldest Peep) and Jacob's Geometry (Middle Peep). What a relief these have been! I don't have Oldest Peep in a puddle of tears because I suggested she rewrite a particular sentence in her story and I don't have to convince Middle Peep why writing just an answer to a problem is insufficient work at this level in math (not to mention teaching proofs to an 11 year old brain!)

So while I feel completely unprepared and I feel like a juggler on the first day of training camp, the peeps are actually producing work. They are learning. They are curious. They are progressing.

I guess the rest of the lesson plans can wait just a little longer. I have just this one sock to finish and this hat to knit up real quick and these new starts to plant and while I am at it, I might as well paint this wall because all this white is making me crazy, and.........

Well how has your school year started off? As planned?

Washington Renaissance Fair

How fun!!!! 

We found out about the Washington Renaissance Fair last week so on Sunday we decided to check it out. The last time we went to one of these was several years ago when we still lived in GA.

As soon as we parked the car, I felt like we had teleported to another time. It is always amazing to me to see how serious some people take this event. We saw all sorts of costumes. The part my kids enjoyed the most was the entertainers that walked about the place. When we first entered we saw a group of pirates hassling people in the pub. There was another pirate in the street walking around with a plank on a rope. We didn't really understand that. we really enjoyed seeing the Queen walking about from show to show with the Royal Court. Sadly, there was no King with her. And the food! Well, let's just say we all looked forward to walking around eating our huge turkey leg (not pictured). Enjoy the few pictures I was able to get.

Garden!

The garden is busy with activity!

The only herb we managed to grow was cilantro and that took us several tries to get going.

Tomatoes!!!

Finally here!!!!! 

Cherry tomatoes!

We have had tomatoes forever but they just were not ripening. 

Yesterday I noticed that they are on their way!!!!

Here the Roma Tomatoes are still very green!

But forming well!

Next we move on to the cucumbers. 

This summer we are growing two kinds of cucumbers. 

Regular cukes!!!

And lemon cucumbers!

This is the cucumber plant. Look at all those flowers. 

I have seen several bees busy pollinating so I hope we get many more cucumbers!

Onto the pole beans!

We have already harvested many!

We have 5 bean plants but this is the only one which has vined and also the only one that hasn't produced any beans. the others are small and bushy but have given us lots of beans. 

Weird, huh!

Peppers!!! 

When I got these 2 plants all the natives doubted me. They pooh poohed my peppers. Well, guess who has peppers now! :-)

Strawberries!

We just got 2 new strawberry plants. They are the everbearing variety! We can't wait!

These are the June bearing ones. The leaves have been doing well and we got a big crop in June but since then the leaves have been turning red. Anyone know why????? Please tell me it is normal!

Watermelon!!!!

Yes you read correctly! Watermelon in Western Washington!

Like the peppers I raised lots of eyebrows with my choice, but I think they are doing rather well. Let's hope the warmth doesn't run out before they actually grow. 

And since the weather did turn colder I got some broccoli plants. We have three and we will see how they do. These are a first for us.

So there you have it. A look around my garden. 

How is your garden doing?

Spring Rolls

I have been asked several times for this recipe. It is very simple once you have all the ingredients and a perfect meal on a summer evening when you don't want to eat anything warm.

First gather rice paper for spring rolls. I have found this in the Asian section of my local supermarket. You will also easily find these at any Asian market.

This is the only MUST have for these. All other ingredients are what I use but you can add practically anything you want in them.

I add: 

Green Leaf Lettuce

rinse and let dry

Turkey Kielbasa

cut into strips

and then cook

Bean thread

Put water to boil

Turn off and add threads

Cover and let sit in hot water until soft

You do not boil water with these in them. The hot water will soften and cook them. After they are soft I rinse them to cool them off but leave some water in the pot or they will be difficult to work with.

Eggs

omelet style which I cut into strips (not pictured)

Here is where you can add other things. My mom makes them with shrimp instead of kielbasa. You could use strips of pork or chicken or beef or tofu. Imagine strips of albacore/ahi tuna or salmon. You can add cilantro if you like it.  

I usually add bean sprouts, but I had none on hand today.

 A local Pho place makes them with Thai Lemon Basil.

The possibilities are endless. You get to pick the ingredients.

Now I prepare all my filler ingredients beforehand. Everything is ready and in bowls on the island waiting for assembly. I put them in front of me from left to right in the order I need them. This would have made a great picture but I just now realized I didn't take one. Oh well! I am sure you get the "picture".

Now you must have a container big enough to fit the rice paper flat. I use this round and flat container.

I fill it with about 1/2 an inch of water and then heat it in the microwave. 

Once it is hot but not too hot to put my fingers in, I drop a rice paper sheet in the hot water.

In about 20 seconds it becomes very soft.

You will have to heat the water after every 4 or 5 sheets. Remember, the warmer the water the faster the rice paper softens.

Carefully take it out and lay it flat on your working surface.

Here starts the assembly!

Place about half of a green leaf lettuce on top in the middle.

Next place some bean threads.

Add your other ingredients.

Begin Rolling!

Fold the left and right sides over.

Then the side closet to you.

Finally, roll the entire thing over 

until you have a cigar shape roll.

Repeat a billion times because I promise you they will eat them as fast as you can make them.

I had to threaten them just so I could get a picture of a full serving dish. 

OH! And don't forget your favorite dipping sauce.

In your house it could be hot sauce!

Buen provecho!

College Fair!

This past Sunday the whole family (YES ALL 5 OF US) went to a college fair. First off we did not know how long it would take and the idea of leaving Middle Peep home with Baby Peep did not appeal to Papa and I. They have stayed home before but this was a bit far away (usually I am no more than 5-10 minutes away) and we did not know how long we would be away so into the minivan we all went. Fortunately, there was a place they could hang out at while we went from booth to booth.

I discovered a book that talks about small liberal arts colleges and while I was still reading it (and loving it), someone on my homeschool email list shared about a college fair the organization was hosting. Since I didn't know if they would be coming back to this area and I was really enjoying learning about the schools in the book, I marked the calendar and shared with Papa Peep and Oldest Peep the date.

When we arrived, we filled out a registration card. On one side it asked our name and address and what year she would be graduating. On the other side were all the colleges in attendance and we were free to check off the ones we wanted to contact us further. They had a small 30 minute information session where they introduced their organization....Colleges That Change Lives....and made us feel comfortable and relaxed about the whole process. There were over 200 people in attendance and you could tell all were anxious to get to the booths. When they opened the hall, just about everyone ran over to talk to recruiters. Oldest Peep and I hung back and tried to figure out who would be our first stop. Papa stayed back with the boys to settle them into a game on his iphone. We stopped at Agnes Scott College as we remembered them from our time in Atlanta. As soon as the recruiter said, "All girls....." she lost Oldest Peep. From there we went to The Evergreen State College.....no swim team....keep moving. We wondered some more and then settled on Kalamazoo College. Swim Team? Check! Study abroad program? Check! Languages Department? Check! So far so good! We talked to the recruiter (who did not believe I was her mom) and he really sold the school to us. We were both very impressed with what he had to share with us. From there we went to a few others she enjoyed hearing about. What we.....really she.....most learned from this is that she can stand in front of a complete stranger and share with them what she thinks she might want to study, the importance of an active and competitive swim team, and her desire to see the world and interact with it in its languages. We also learned that she needs to work on eye contact and speaking up, but I say not bad for a first time!

To be honest, I did not really prepare her beforehand. We took her without really telling her what a college fair was all about. She was nervous once she realized what it entailed since she is always pretty shy around strangers.

Job well done sweetie! And don't worry, we will have plenty of chances for you to practice over the next few years!!!

Thanks to Sara at Source: Sara for this find. To be honest I have never heard of Lupe Fiasco but I live in my own bubble. Apparently Papa Peep thinks I am not hip. I disagree!

So where have I been????

Driving!!!

I wish it was for pleasure to so some exotic location. No! It has been for sport's practice. The boy peeps were both involved in basketball in the winter, while the girl peep continues swimming. This "spring" season the boy peeps were both involved with baseball and basketball. This, but baseball especially has taken over our lives. There were practices just about every day for someone and/or a game. Madness!!! But I think it all paid off.

Swimming went well this year. Oldest Peep has really enjoyed her new coach after much trial and error with other teams. This coach really understands what motivates her and exactly when to push and when to back off. He has been a positive experience in her life. To top the year off, she earned a spot in her team's relay team for 13-14 girls at the Championship meet and although her shoulder is giving her troubles (rotator cuff issues) she swam well. Her teammates were very happy to have her since we discovered the injury just days before the big event. Her PT dr gave her the go ahead for the two swims and we were all relieved when they were over. For the next month she will focus on strengthening it so she can have another great swim year. The new season starts in September and after only having the last 2 weeks off she is already anxious to get back in the pool.

Sports for Middle Peep went well for him this year. He has really made huge strides in basketball. He has been fortunate enough to have the same wonderful coach for the past 2 years. Sadly this coming year will be the last year he can be on his team. Coach is moving away and Middle Peep is aging up. (Where does the time go??? A question for another post.) Middle Peep has finally become comfortable in the role of point guard and earning double digit numbers for rebounds and assists in most games. He is also shooting the ball more and trusting his instincts. Baseball was a BIG WIN this year. We lucked out again here as he was drafted by the BEST coach in our league (in my opinion). We hope to be as lucky next season. His baseball team only had 2 loses in the regular season to win the division championship and then went on to be completely undefeated in the Tournament of Champions earning their team two trophies and an ice cream party from coach. The coach promised the kids ice cream if anyone hit a home run. Well, middle peep, at bat in the first inning of the last game, hit a 3-run home run. The final score was 10-8 for the win!!!! Go ANGELS!!!

Baby peep had a great sport season as well. His basketball skills improved greatly. He has managed to not push it so hard against the ground causing it to bounce everywhere. He now is smooth and in control. He is also working on a great jump shot. The hoop in the back yard is in constant use between the two boys! Baseball season was a bit tough for baby peep as he was on a team with complete newbies. It took the team several games to figure out how to win together but they did in the end. Baby peep in the meantime learned how to motivate his team and be patient in the outfield. He still much prefers the infield....1st base or short stop but has learned the value of a good outfielder. He is currently working on his pitching as he would like to be a pitcher as well.

As for school wise...well....things are moving....slowly....but moving. I think it has taken us all a long time to adjust to our new seasons here. Also with all our sports activities, getting everything done has been a challenge. I hope to start our days earlier (UGH!) so that we can accommodate everything. With Oldest Peep approaching high school, middle peep put pacing me, and baby peep starting 3rd grade, I need to stay on target! I will save the 2009-2010 school update for tomorrow. For now, thanks to all who have emailed asking me to update. You have been my motivation. I will try to put the blog back on the schedule!

For now enjoy these pictures of our year since the elections!

Always something (or someone) to laugh at!!!

Love Love Love!

Can you feel the love?

Mt. Rainer from above...one our way to L.A.

MamaLee's Birthday Bash in L.A.!!!

There is a teenager in the house!!!!

Are there really all those kids in my house?

Easter Egg Hunt in our neighborhood!

Baby Peep is always in front of the camera!

Go Baby Girl!

Ichiro is the man!!!!!!

Go Griffey Jr.!

Advice from the coach!

STAR FISH at the Tide Pools!

Ready in the outfield!

HOME RUN!!!!!!

TEAM CELEBRATION!

It's a New Day!!!

I went asleep last night

Tired from the fight

I've been fighting for tomorrow

All my life

Yea I woke up this morning

Feeling brand new

'Cause the dreams that I've been dreaming

Has finally came true

It's a new day

It's a new day

It's a new day

It's a new day

It's a new day

It's been a long time coming

Up the mountain kept runnin'

Souls of freedom kept hummin'

Channeling Harriet Tubman

Kennedy, Lincoln, and King

We gotta maninvest in that dream

It feels like we're swimming upstream

It feels like we're stuck inbetween

A rock and a hard place,

We've been through the heartaches

And lived through the darkest days

If you and I made it this far,

Well then hey, we can make it all the way

And they said no we can't

And we said yes we can

Remember it's you and me together

I woke up this morning

Feeling alright

I've been fightin' for tomorrow

All my life

Yea, I woke up this morning

Feeling brand new

Cause the dreams that I've been dreaming

Has finally came true

It's a new day

(it's a new day)

It's a new day

(it's a new day)

It's a new day

It's a new day!

It's been a long time waitin'

Waiting for this moment

It's been a long time praying

Praying for this moment

We hope for this moment

And now that we own it

For life Ima hold it

And I won’t let it go

It's for fathers, our brothers,

Our friends who fought for freedom

Our sisters, our mothers,

Who died for us to be in this moment

Stop and cherish this moment

Stop and cherish this time

It's time for unity

For us and we

That's you and me together

I woke up this morning

Feeling brand new

'Cause the dreams that I've been dreaming

Have finally came true

Yea, I woke up this morning

Feeling alright

'Cause we weren't fighting for nothing

And the soldiers weren't fighting

For nothing

No, Martin wasn't dreaming for nothing

And Lincoln didn't change it for nothing

And children weren't crying for nothing

It's a new day

It's a new day

A new day

It's a new day

It's a new day!

2 DAY MEAT????

Humitas

So what is in here???

One of my favorite things about different cultures is the food! I am an eater!!!! Papa Peep eats to live and I live to eat!!!! Being snowed in for Christmas was rough on my waistline especially since my mom was here.

We made all sorts of treats and I will share the one we made in the above photo.

Humitas as described in Wikipedia is a dish from pre-Hispanic times. They are common in many countries in South America with each creating its unique version. The ones that I will show are the Ecuadorian version, sweet of course!

First find corn with the husks still on. Be sure the individual corn kernels are not juicy. Believe it or not, the harder the kernal the better.

Cut the ends off each corn.

Carefully remove the husks as you will need these later. Try to get them as whole as possible.

The ugly and harder outer ones will serves as string to tie the humitas. I will show you how to do this later.

The softer inner ones will serve to house the masa.

Once you have undressed the corn then, using a sharp knife cut the kernels from the cob carefully. I did not get a picture of this as my cooks moved too fast for me but I snagged this off the net. 

 

Eventually you will have a bowl full of kernels.

Using a food processor turn the kernels into masa.

I know my food processor is puny! Stop laughing now!

If the masa is too runny, you will need to add some corn flour (also known as harina) to thicken it.

Fortunately we got good corn and we did not need to add this step. 

Now add some salt and sugar to taste.

I know you need measurements, but I just don't cook with measurements and my mom much less so. We cook by taste. Since we are not adding eggs, feel free to taste the masa. It won't hurt you!

Mix well!!!!

Meanwhile someone should be washing the husks!!

Now we are ready to begin!

Chose a husk and right in the center add a large spoonful of masa.

This is where the variations come in. Us Ecuadorians like to add .....use guessed it......CHEESE!!!!

The closest kind of cheese to what we would use natively is Queso Freso (love Wiki!!!!). Again no picture I took, but here are a few varieties I found online.

The Ranchero is what I can find locally, but there are many brands.

Now the packaging!!!

You can fold over the middle. You may need another husk to cover the top. It really depends on how big each husk was and how carefully you removed them. Make sure there are no holes or your masa will fall out before it cooks.

Remember those tough husks we were keeping separate??? Get them out and pull strips from the leaves. You can make them about 1/2 inch strips. 

Get the ends together and tie them. Depending on how you tie the humitas you may need 3 strips tied together or just 2. 

Tie each end.........

OR

Fold the ends over and tie each bundle.......

Or recently my mother has seen them served this way......

Same as before with the masa in the husks, but instead of typing them with strips of corn husks....

Aluminum to the rescue. I prefer them being tied but if you plan on freezing them, I find the foil protects them quite well. OH YES!!!! Make a ton and FREEZE them. They make a yummy breakfast!!!! 

Steam for about 45 minutes!!!!

We made about 30 humitas out of 10 ears of corn.......

Well, not counting the ones I ate before we counted them!

Enjoy!!!!

Buen Provecho!!!

Wordless Wednesday

What am I cooking?

Name this animal!!

Being the city girl that I am, I am no use to my children identifying these tracks. We tried a google search but nothing seem to fit. Can you help us???

Shoveling snow ain't easy....

and if you have the wrong equipment, darn near impossible I would say!

That is a pretty narrow garden shovel.

Yes!!! That is a garden rake you see. No! Do not adjust your screens. He is shoveling snow with a garden rake. How you ask???

Like that!

and that!

We like our snow to line up in neat little rows

before we drive over it!

Let's take a look again!!!

Narrow garden shovel

Garden rake!

Who knew????

This is what a snow shovel will do for you!

You can actually see the sidewalk!

This is what a narrow garden shovel and a garden rake will do

NOTHING!!!!!!!

At least they gave up with this one.....

Yes!!! That is a leaf rake you see. No! Don't adjust your screens.

The joys of the internet!!!!

Technology is a wonderful thing!!! I was able to spend Christmas and will be spending New Years with my mother. I have been able to teach her a bit more on how to get around on her computer. She is feeling a bit more confident as is her husband. He was finally able to use IM and speak to his mother and father whom he has not seen in a number of years via web cam.

It was a wonderful gift on Christmas morning. He also met a few neices and nephews whom he has only seen in pictures before. It was wonderful to be a part of that family reunion.

And not to be outdone (wink), my mom had her own reunion with our family in Ecuador (granted it has only been a few months since we last saw them).

psst!! That is not your screen that needs cleaning, but mine!!!

Gotta love technology!!!

House Bound

and no way of getting out!!!

Under those circumstances we did what any normal family would do.......

WE PLAYED ROCK BAND 2!!!!!!

We played Lips!

We got into character with the Transformers!

We played board games!

We surfed the net!!!!

We napped!!!!

And we watched more and more and more snow cover every inch of our neighborhood!

Candy canes and Legos a plenty!!!

We watched a lot of movies!!!

just to name a few....

We even danced when we saw the rain this morning!!!!

We also ate enough to feed a small country for a few years but we won't talk about that.......

How do you spend your time when you are home bound???

As of Sunday 5:30PM

Of course it snowed more since then.....

Send Help Quick!!!

The snow has overtaken us!!!

There use to be 4 rows of blocks here!!!

SNOW!!!

We got snow last night!

And it is still coming down this morning.

My strawberry plants are somewhere in that far corner. Will they survive? The spinach is under there too along with some carrots and onions!!!!

The kids have declared a snow day (even though I haven't). Just you wait until they come back inside!!!

Where is he going????

Last night, as Papa turned down our street to come up our little hill, he saw cars stuck in the middle of the road. I went out to inspect and sure enough a bunch of neighbors were pulled over to the side of the road because they couldn't make it up (at least 8). One was stuck smack dab in the middle. Another family and the Peeps helped them out by pushing them to the side. It was hard work. Luckily Papa's car is all wheel drive and was able to handle the snow/ice mix.

Enjoying the snow! Oh, to be a kid again and not feel the bitter cold and icy wetness......

What use to be the front yard!

The little peeps are out there with friends playing in the snow. I love that I don't have to be out there with them. I can see them right from my window and my warm desk.

So what are you doing today??? We are staying home!

Wordless Wednesday

My two favorite things at the moment.....

Christmas!

I fought it!

I really tried!

But in the end they won!

We got a real tree!

Last Christmas as I vacuumed every day the many, many needles that fall off a real tree every minute of the day, I begged for it to be the last real tree Christmas. I know some of you are gasping and some of you are cheering. I fall into the fake artifical tree camp. It was cute the first year but after that the novelty wore off. The vacuuming, the watering, the disposal..... I had enough.

So we went in search of an artifical tree. WOW! I did not get the memo that artifical trees are way, way, way over priced!!!! And the ones that look real and are pre-lit....well, all I can say is....my children wish to attend college some day. And although I have no intention of paying for any of it, I would like to send them a few pennies now and then so they can eat. Back to the real tree lots we go.......

But Christmas Eve....I am prowling for artifical tree sales!!!!!

Instead we splurged on a few new ornaments. Here is a glimpse.......

The ornament above was actually my sister who got them in Munich.

We also splurged on these LED lights. I will be bargin shopping for more of these as well come Christmas Eve.

And Papa really wanted to show us his favorite ornaments so here he goes........

Happy Holidays to all!!!

The toes belong to.....

this bundle of joy!!!

10 minutes old and already has daddy wrapped around her finger!

And those toes?? I was able to capture them when she was just 2 hours old!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Can you guess how old these toes were at the time the picture was taken?

I will post the answer along with more pictures late Wednesday.

A Miracle

I have been very lucky in my life.

I did not grow up rich but I did have everything my mother could offer me. I did not attend the best schools but I did go to schools that cared. I was not the smartest kid in class but school was generally easy and fun for me. In high school I entered an after school program that really helped guide the direction of my life. I was introduce to a world outside of my community. I was given chances I otherwise would not have had. These opportunities led to other adventures. Those led me to the man I am married to and the father of my peeps. The choices we had to make led to the path we are on now.

I mention all this because until last week I did not realize how lucky I was in the birth I had with my peeps in particular with Oldest Peep, as she started the trend.

I had no choice but to pick the ob/gyn across the street from the hospital who had the best midwife in the region on staff. I did not know this at the time. I basically looked at a list and picked randomly. She was the only woman on the list but I had no idea what a nurse midwife was. When I went in to see her I liked her right away. She was very reassuring and comforting. She patiently answered all my scared, new-mom-to-be questions. I stuck with her. One day she handed me the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and challenged me to read it before my next appointment. I latched on to the idea after the first chapter! Later, she handed me a Dr. Sears book and I was fully attached.

I look back now and am just amazed at how lucky I was to find the right person.

What made me appreciate all this? Over the Thanksgiving Holiday, I was able to attend to my sister in law while she delivered her second baby naturally after having a csection with her first child. It took a lot of work on her part. She was very tense but even more she was dedicated to not enduring the horrors of her first birth. Doctor after doctor told her she could not do it. Friend after friend told her to just schedule the csection. But she would not. She did not!!! She read and she researched. She searched high and low until she found someone who would give it a try with her. She visited every OB/Gyn office in the State(or at least that is how it felt) until she found one person who understood her desire, her need for a vbac. Her determination showed me how strong a woman can be to endure. Her will taught me that the mind is a very powerful thing.

I was very lucky to have birthed my 3 peeps with no intervention, no drugs, no complications. Her experience showed me just how lucky I was and how sad that we are not all that lucky.

Attending to her during labor and the birth was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. I have always been on the other end of the birth process and honestly I think the mind tries to forget all the pain afterwards so you can just focus on the miracle of the baby. Every woman should attend a birth so that you can see exactly the power of our body, the strength of our gender! The miracle is more than the baby. The miracle is in what the body knows to do, what the mind endures, what the soul produces, what our strength performs. The prize for being a woman is that bundle of love we have birthed, that baby that is perfect in every way and that will love us forever.

I am still in awe when I think about it.

PS! My intention is not to make a different choice seem wrong in any way. I am simply amazed at what I experienced. That's all it is folks......

7 year old boy Narration

More swimming!

Oldest peep swam the 500 yard freestyle this past weekend. That is 20 laps of 25 yards. She was very nervous and did not think she would make it all the way to the end. Her coach assured her that she swims way more than that at every practice.

She stayed pretty steady the whole way until the last 25. She realized she still had some power left in her legs and she kicked hard!

She came in 2nd place with a time of 7:01. She is swimming this same event this coming weekend and she hopes to improve that time now that she knows her arms won't fall off.

Recipe Time!

The closest commonly known food to this are arepas....Columbian corn cakes. In Ecuador we call them Tortitas de Maiz. While arepas are made with white corn, tortitas de maiz are made with yellow corn. They are typically served as a breakfast food but my family enjoys them at any time of the day.

For your ingredients you will need some things that are not typically in your pantry (unless you are Latin):

Harina de maiz amarillo precocinada (Fine yellow cornmeal precooked)

 

These are two that I have seen often but there are others. As long as it is a fine precooked cornmeal it should work just fine.

Cheese- the closest I have found to what we need is a Mexican queso fresco. This is just one example.

Sugar - I use Turbinado or Demerara sugar. I suppose regular white sugar will work too. I am not sure how honey or agave would work. if you try those, I'd love to hear about it.

Salt - I use sea salt...any salt will work.

Final ingredient.....WATER....lukewarm water.

Start with a medium sized bowl.

Add about 1 cup of harina de maiz

and about two tablespoons of sugar and a teaspoon of salt. This is really relative to taste. If you have a sweet tooth add a little more. If not such a sweet tooth, add a little less. If you want something more savory, you could leave out the sugar all together. Before the final step you can taste the masa to see if it is balanced correctly.

Mix the dry ingredients together.

Then slowly add about a cup of warm water. I use water as hot as I can stand it without burning myself. It is not necessary but with the cold here it is one way to warm up my hands. Luke warm is perfectly fine.

Mix in the water.

Add a little at a time (1/2 cup at a time) until the masa is completely wet.

It should look like this when it is fully wet. There should be nothing left in the bowl and it should not be sticking to your hands either. Remember little water at a time.

Push it down in the center and add about 1-2 tablespoons more of water. This masa is very forgiving. If you add too much water just add more masa and it will be absorbed easily. If your masa is too dry add a little more water and problem fixed. The reason I add a little more water once the masa is ready is to knead it some more. The turbinado sugar will dissolve once worked a little more.

Now it looks smoother!

If you are like me, you will always forget to prepare the cheese ahead of time. So rinse off your hands and get the cheese out. How much cheese you need will depend on how much harina you use. Start off with a little and cut more as you need. Cut it into smallish cubes like this.

Pinch off a bit of the masa. The size will depend on how big you want them. I like mine about the size of my palm. I have small hands so you play around with what size works for you.

Push in the middle to form a bowl out of your ball.

Fill it with about 3 or 4 pieces of cheese.

Start folding over the sides so that it covers up the cheese cubes.

Use both hands to shape them like small roundish discs.

If you find that you did not pinch off enough masa to cover your cheese.....

Just pinch off a bit more and just cover the hole and then shape the same way as before.

About a cup of harina de maiz will make about 10-12 tortillas. 

And if like me you end up with left over cheese, make more masa!

Or you might be lucky enough to have some little mouths ready to help with your problem!

On to the cooking!

I use a cast iron pan. I use enough oil to cover the bottom and a little more.

Place them all in the pan once the oil is plenty hot over medium heat.

Cover and wait about 4-5 minutes.

If the cheese is coming out of some of them, this is good. That cheese will get crunchy and the kids fight over who gets those.

Flip them over once they are browned on the bottom side.

Watch them because they can burn quickly. (Ask me how I know!)

These were to go, so I put them in a plastic container and gave them to a dear friend. I know he enjoyed them.

And now he and his mom can make their own!

If you have a hard time finding the harina, let me know and I will help you find some.

Wordless Wednesday

Peep what I have been doing lately......

Wordless Wednesday

If only I had had a picnic lunch, a blanket, and a long book.......

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Where was I?

Taking pictures!

The Great Pumpkin Massacre of 2008!

So what ever happened to those pumpkins we were growing? The ones that were not growing at first and then grew quickly, but stayed green forever. Did they ever turn orange???? Well, for the most part they did. And the Peeps enjoyed turning them into Jack-O-Laterns. Take a peek.

Of course, Baby Peep's had to be throwing up!

Middle Peep's had devious eyebrows!

Oldest Peep's had a grin from ear to ear!

We gave the one in the middle to a neighbor that came over to help carve. That was the first pumpkin she had ever carved. We had a blast with her.

These are the three pumpkins we had left, each representative of their unique personalities! Overall, a great experience for the peeps from seed to Jack-O-Latern.