Sopaipillas

Recipe adapted from The Homesick Texan (a blogger after my own heart) 

1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tbsp. of butter, melted
1 tbsp. of sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
vegetable oil
sugar
cinnamon
honey

 Combine the yeast and the warm water and let set for five minutes.  In the meantime, combine the salt and flour which I added to my mixer bowl.  Attach the paddle attachment to mixer.

Then add the melted butter

 and then add the sugar.  Combine completely, I used a small whisk

Add the warm milk to the flour with the mixer on low

Knead for a minute or two, until dough is smooth and elastic (shhhh! don't tell my mom [she'll rollover in her grave] nor my tias or comadres that I used a mixer instead of my bare hands like they did - I'll NEVER hear the end of it!!)

Grease a bowl with butter, lard, or even PAM

Place dough in greased bowl

Cover and let rise for an hour or until it doubles in size (start to the oil in the fryer or in a big pot, 3" inches deep)

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down on a floured surface

and get ready to roll to a 1/4" inch rectangle. . . . or as close as you can get to a rectangle....hey, don't laugh at mine!

Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut out triangles

The author of these Sopaipillas did not ask to poke holes but I can hear my mom telling me to.  I think that's the extent of what I did to help my mom when she made Sopaipillas.  So yea, poke holes in each triangle

 

Gently place in hot oil (do not drop or throw in, you'll burn yourself with the very hot oil

 Fry on both sides for at least 1 minute. . .

. . . .or until golden brown

Remove with a metal slotted spoon or anything else you can find, as long as it's metal and it has holes for the oil to drain

Place on paper towels.  At this point you can leave alone or add the sugar and cinnamon while it's still warm.

I personally like mine plain with honey - SO GOOD!!

The cinnamon sugar ones were very popular with family members - they literally disappeared!!

Sopaipillas are similar to Indian Fry Bread or those sugary dough balls you find at Asian buffets.  I grew up eating Sopaipillas as mom often made them and when she did, they disappeared as quick as she could made them.  It's a popular treat found at every Mexican restaurant and Mexican family gathering.  I love my plain and sometimes with honey and always with coffee.  

We had a family gathering yesterday and these were a hit!!  My kids have always loved them, even as adults.

Thanks to Homesick Texan for this recipe.  She's a new favorite of mine!!

Hope you're enjoying your weekend and remember to savor every moment!

Fiesta Linky Party Starts Soon!

Photo courtesy of RanchoGordo.com
 

 So it's almost less than 24 hours before the Fiesta begins.  Are you getting ready?  What have you prepared for and what will you be bringing?  I can't wait to see your entries.  The Fiesta starts on the 29th.  Hope you can make it!  I will attempt to make some homemade, Refried Beans, the way my mom used to make them, they were SOOOO sabrozo (savory and delicious)!!  Gringo Hubby has been bugging me to make them and I have finally given in.

Photo courtesy of Gil's Thrilling and Filling blog

I will also attempt to make some Sopaipillas, similar to Indian Fried Bread or those sugar coated dough balls you find at Asian restaurants BUT BETTER!!

Have a great weekend and remember to savor every moment!

Red Ticket - Admit One

The welcome rug by her front door. ( If you see it sideways, Photobucket will eventually rotate it the correct way).

So our daughter moved out after living with us for about four years.  This is her 2nd time moving out but we believe this time it's for good.  She bought her own place

Since she was in junior high, she has been collecting Frank Sinatra, Rat Pack, and 50's, 60's star pictures and posters and all things retro cinema.  Over 10 years of stuff!!  This is her living room, partly retro, partly Ikea and everything else in between

At one time in her life, she wanted to be a film preservationist.  She fell in love with this faux projector she bought at Kirklands.  It's on her mantel.  The red bucket she couldn't resist the other day when we were shopping at Sam's Club (it came with M&M's and popcorn, how perfect is that?)

She's been waiting for years to put that Rat Pack poster up in the right place.  The red accent wall adds great contrast, don't you think?

Recognize this coffee table??  I featured it last week as a teaser (click here to see).  It's an old, old coffee table that we've had for several decades.  Can't really tell you where and when we got it but Elise took it and painted it all black, then decoupaged the top with her favorite star pictures.  It looks so good in her living room.

I painted this silhouette for her when she was still in college living in her brother's (my son's) apartment while he was away on a tour of duty overseas.  It's Joaquin Phoenix when he played Johnny Cash.  I used graph paper to help draw and paint the picture.  I really like how well black and white and red go together.  As you can see, there are some red paint spots to take care of yet.

She bought these plaques on her last trip to Kirklands that seems to feed her fetish for all thing retro cinema.  A red accent wall isn't for everybody but as my hubby says, "you can do anything you want in your home, paint it whichever color that makes you happy, you're the one living in it so it shouldn't matter what other people think".  He says that often when we watch those home decorating channels and the experts constantly fret about painting with loud colors and how a house won't sell.  My hubby's solution to that is just to repaint it before you put it on the market and yes, you can paint over red.

Some more silhouettes I painted for her of her favorite crooner, Frank Sinatra using the same method with graph paper.

This poster is just sittin on the floor for now until she finds a spot for it.  What a great picture to go with the rest of her collection

Her kitchen is right next to and open to the living room.  She also has the red and black theme going through it . . . .

. . . . as well as the Rat Pack.  This table is on the other side of the kitchen in a nook.  Isn't it cool?

The view from the kitchen.  She's still looking for a rug to put under the coffee table but can't seem to find exactly what she wants yet.

She still has a lot of unpacking and putting things together.  With just a week in the house, she's almost done with the living room and the kitchen.

The picture at the top of this blog is of some PF Changs Chicken and Broccoli from the freezer section at the grocery store.  I came over during my lunch break to cook it.  Gave her a break from her busy day of unpacking and decorating to enjoy a lunch together in her new home. 

Have a blessed week and remember to savor every moment!

Buzzzy az a Bee

I have been SOOOOO busy. . . . 

No time to cook or blog, imagine that?

Our young adult daughter closed on a house last week and immediately started the painting and moving and all.  I got stuck with lining the kitchen shelves with contact paper.  Why do mommies always get stuck with that job??

In my day job, it's been crazy busy getting ready for an alumni event as well as Spring Ball (Football).

  

The picture at the top of this post is of an overhead shot of our daughter's coffee table that she decoupaged with some of her favorite old time star pictures that used to ordain her bedroom wall.  It's also teaser as you'll get to see how she's using it in her new bungalow.  She's all about retro movies and old time stars.  I can't wait to see what she does with it, how about you?

Have a blessed week and don't forget to savor every moment!

Fiesta - Cinco de Mayo Linky Party coming soon

 Attention Bloggy Friends

I'm having a Fiesta - Cinco de Mayo Linky Party and you're invited!

So get all dolled up, wear your salsa dancing shoes and gather up your Abuelas favorite Mexican/TexMex recipes, tablescapes, decorations, crafts, etc.,  Invite all the ladies (comadres) in your family and let's get together and have a good time whipping up some delicious recipes and more!!

There's plenty of time to get ready - the Fiesta won't start until:

April 29th - May 6th

Being of Mexican descent, I could use more ideas and suggestions so I can't wait to see what you have to share! Bienvenidos!!

Click on this link to go to:

Fiesta - Cinco de Mayo Linky Party

Sharing this post with (as many as I can get to come to my Fiesta):

Burst in Your Mouth Baked Tomatoes

4 ripe vine-repined tomatoes

2 tbsps. olive oil, more for drizzling and tossing

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 fresh Parmesan

1 tbsp. finely chopped Parsley

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 shallot, finely chopped

Pinch red pepper flakes

Pre-heat oven to 450F degrees

 Hubby bought these tomatoes all on his own.  I think I'll keep him . . . :)

Cut the tomatoes core to core (don't look at the top ones on the left where I wasn't paying attention) and scoop out the flesh and discard (or save for another recipe).

Combine the olive oil, salt & pepper, panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan, Parsley, garlic, shallot and red pepper flakes

Scoop a spoonful of the panko mixture . . . 

. . . . into each tomato.  Put in pre-heated oven and bake for 20-30 minutes

or bake until golden brown

This recipe couldn't be any easier, quick too.  The Neely's named them "Baked Tomatoes" but I added the "Burst in Your Mouth" just because that's exactly what happens.

 All the delicious flavors from the Parmesan, garlic and olive olive along with the tomatoes, they all explode in your mouth, the panko adds the crunch and it's SOOOO awesomely delicious, wonderful things are happening in your mouth, I just can't have enough!

 We saw the Neely's make these on their show a couple of Saturdays ago, hubby and both agreed they looked good enough to make.  This is our 2nd time having them and this has definitely become a favorite and get this, I've never been a fan of tomatoes!!    Hope you're having a great weekend and remember to savor every moment!

I'm linking up with:

 

Slice of Southern