Lumpia!! Part 1

Bagged Coleslaw makes lumpia EASY.  Notice the type of lumpia wrappers--they have paper in between each wrapper to make it easy to separate the wrappers.  2 boxes, 2 bags :)

Season and brown the pork til its cooked through entirely.

Put the pork in the bowl with the coleslaw.  The measuring cup at the bottom has soy, port, worcestershire, and seasonings.

Everything mixed together :)

Next up:  Rolling!

Spanish Rice Part 2

This is how much three batches of Spanish Rice makes WITHOUT the cheese.  It was a slight miscalculation on my part :) 

No worries. Adapt and Overcome :) Just scoop the rice into the pans and add the cheese there! :)

Bagged, Tagged, and cooling slightly.  I had these cool for about 20 minutes, but no longer.  Food safety is KEY.

Deliciousness!

A Small Snack

Cooking takes a lot out of you and I was getting HUNGRY! :) My snack:

Coffee and homemade Double Chocolate Pumpkin Bread.  All those bits you see are chocolate chips...NUM!!!

My Coffee Bar has a wide selection.  For my first coffee of the day was Boca Java's Atomic Java with 50% more caffeine....

However, for my next coffee, I chose to mellow out with Community Coffee with Chicory.  Chicory a)is a relaxant  (which we need when we are doing a big project..esp one where our onions have to be thrown out :) )  b)it is good for the digestion/liver (perfect for a cooking day!) c)increases appetite (ok, this is not exactly what I need, but I will be nibbling all day anyway, chicory or not, so I figured it would not hurt :) ).

Spanish Rice Part 1

First we brown the rice in a little (lot) of butter :)  It starts to smell wonderfully nutty! 

These are some of the ingredients for Spanish Rice.  I tripled the recipe.  I am not sure how many 8x8 pans it will make, but we will soon find out! :)

My onions from the freezer :)  An ounce of preparedness is worth a pound of "Hon, I need you to run to the store QUICK!!" :)

I seasoned ground pork (or you can use bacon or sausage) and cooked it.  Then I added back the onions and rice, added all the rest of the ingredients except the cheese.  I then moved that pot to the back burner to simmer while I started browning the next batch of ground pork for the lumpia :)

Our First Snafu....

Of course no plan survives contact with reality :)....All my onions were bad.  Onions are a staple ingredient, so this is problematic.

HOWEVER, I did have some frozen onions that I had sliced and placed into baggies!  So now I have onions and my potential catastrophe is now just a blip on my screen :).

This brings to mind a couple of tips:  things mess up :).  The more you can prepare the less problems can affect you.

Also, we must try to keep a positive attitude, even when things are a mess :)  It makes the day better and is a blessing to everyone around us :).

Prepping the Chef :)

I completely forgot to mention the prep work for ME :).  I am in a very comfortable, light weight dress to keep me cool.  The sleeves are 3/4, as constantly pushing up sleeves is distracting :).  I have big thick socks on to keep my tootsies comfy as I stand all day.  I have one of my pretty brocade aprons on, my makeup on, my hair up and out of my way.  I feel put together, which provides a nice start to the day :).    My prayers are said. My list is made.  Let's actually start cooking! :)

P.S.  I also wanted to mention that it is vital to have a nice, protein breakfast before starting.  We need lots of long-lasting energy today! 

Prep Work

The very first thing to do in the morning is start with a clean sink, an empty dishwasher, and an empty dish rack :)  Cleaning as you go makes life so much happier :)

The stove is shining and pots are out and ready for cooking.  The pie plate will be used for defrosting meat and will stay in the microwave through the day.

 The coffee is ready, the computer is ready for recipes and blogging, the disposable tins are waiting.  I have fresh papertowels, a canister of wipes for quick clean up, hand sanitizer, a nice candle, and the moral support of a little fuzzy friend  (don't worry, I am VERY hygienic and he does not get to help with the cooking :) ).

I also have paper plates for the family to use as I cook, as well as some easy things that they can get to eat so I do not have to break my stride.  There were doughnuts for breakfast, and sandwiches for lunch :)