Acorn Bites

Acorn Bites

Whoa...who am I?! Am I really trying to come back to writing this blog after MORE THAN A WHOLE YEAR!?  First before any food talk, a little bit of insight on my life the last year for my 5 viewers :)

Well, what can I say?  I officially took a hiatus from this food blogging business for the first year of my marriage!  I got married October 26th, 2013 to the love of my life, Faraz! From my last blog (July 30, 2013...again who am?!) I was really stressed the last half of 2013 planning my wedding and moving out of my parent's house.  (Check out my friend's blog, Farhana from Engineered Baker, to see some pics from our wedding!) If you are married you know how it is, you get caught up with being married.  The first year has been quite the adventure with getting used to living with someone, getting a routine going, getting things around the apartment set up, going on trips, having dawaats, etc.  But a year later, I have to say, WE HAVE IT DOWN!  We have an amazing routine and honestly we compliment each other so well.  I cook, he cleans :) I mean, come on, how can it get better than that?!  Anyways before I get on with food talk, here are a couple pics from our beautiful 3 day wedding :D

October 25th, 2013 - Gaye Holud / Mehndi

Faraz and I :)

My bridesmaids!

October 26th, 2013 - The Actual Wedding!

     

Bridesmaid and Groomsmen can't even keep us apart ;)

Fall is definitely my favorite season now!

October 27th, 2013 - Walima / Wedding Reception!

Okay so now that I got my wedding out of the way, on to food talk.  Now that I live on my own and can't rely on my parent's cooking food, I have been cooking a lot, and I mean a lot! You know how they say the first year of marriage you eat out a lot?  Not us, we almost NEVER eat out unless it's a special occasion.  My passion for food has found a new level this last year which is why I haven't really blogged.  I cook so much that it just slips my mind to step a side and take pictures of it all.  But I promise, I will try to get back into blogging.  I have experimented a lot this past year, and I want to share it all with you all!  

So on to today's very easy recipe that requires no baking or cooking! Just a little assembling that is easy enough for kids to do.  I have made this almost every Thanksgiving for the last few years.  It's something my sister and I (and now Faraz) do together :)  Try it out as a cute little nibbler for your Thanksgiving table this year!

Ingredients for Acorn Bite

Ingredients (75-80 acorns):

1 - 12oz bag of Hershey Kisses (any kind works, I used Caramel filled ones for mine)

1 box of Ritz Bits (Peanut Butter tastes best!)

75 - 80 mini chocolate chips (milk chocolate or semi-sweet)

1/4 cup vanilla frosting

Instructions:

1. Unwrap all the Hershey kisses. Place them on a plate.  

2. Frost the bottom of the Hershey kisses, stick one Ritz Bit to the bottom of the Hershey kiss.

3. Frost a little dot on the top of the Ritz Bit, stick one mini chocolate chip to the top of the Ritz Bit.

4. Let dry for at least 30 mins.  Repeat until you run out of all the Hershey Kisses.  

5. Decorate all the acorns on a pretty plate and add them to your Thanksgiving spread! 

6. ENJOY!

 

Chunky Guacamole

Chunky Guacamole

I know, I keep promising that I am going to update my blog more frequently, and then I don't.  So now I am not going to be making any promises.  Once a month? Haha, I can't even use the excuse of being busy.  I am less busy (but more tired) than I was last year when I started this blog.  Oh well, as long as I keep cooking, I guess that is all that matters.  My new goal, twice a month!

Anyways, this is my favorite guacamole recipe! Everyone absolutely loves this whenever I bring this over.  This recipe is intended for about 20ish people, so please make accordingly.  I was requested this recipe so many times, and I am terrible because I am just making the blog for it! Anyways, enjoy!

Ingredients for Guacamole

Ingredients (18-20 servings):6 hass avocados

1 can sweet corn (15.25 oz)

1 can black beans (15 oz)

1 cup onions

1 of a red bell pepper

1/4 cup black olives

2 roma tomatoes

1-2 serrano pepper

1 tbsp garlic

1 /2 cup of cilantro

3-4 small limes

1 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions: 
1. Dice the avocados.f  A trick with avocados  is you want to cut them while they are in their shell and then take them out.  In a medium bowl, place the diced avocados and squeeze 2 of the small limes and mix the avocados up well.  Make sure to keep the avocados in small cubes and not smash them up.  This is why this avocado is consider chunkier than others. 

2. Dice the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, serrano pepper, mince the garlic, and cut up the cilantro. Take each olive and slice them horizontally (Sometimes you can find cans that have olives sliced for you).  

3. Mix all ingredients (Step 1 and 2) together with the corn and black beans and sprinkle salt and pepper on top.  Squeeze the rest of the limes as well on top.  Combine all ingredients and taste to see if more salt, pepper, or lime juice is needed.  
4. ENJOY!

Balsamic Double Tomato Bruschetta

Balsamic Double Tomato Bruschetta

Hi my lovely viewers, if I have any out there that is! Who knows, but I do this blog for myself so it shouldn't matter right?! (Okay it matters a little, but shhhh that is our little secret).  I am going to try real hard again to post a recipe a week, but again no guarantees.  With working full time, it's so tiring to get home and not only cook, but take pictures and blog about it.  BUT I am going to try my hardest to get back into it!

So I have made this recipe a bajillion times and love it every time.  This time however I made it a little bit more healthy? I basically left out the cheese part of it, but don't worry, that version will come soon enough! This one is super quick and the only real time consuming part is the chopping, other than that, you mix everything up and are ready to go! It's super delicious so go ahead, like RIGHT NOW, and give it a try!

Ingredient for Bruschetta

Ingredients (8-10 servings):

• 6 roma tomatoes
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup onions

• 1/3 cup basil

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/8 cup pickled jalapenos (optional)

• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1 loaf of French baguette
• 
  

Instructions:
1. Slice the loaf in 1 inch slices.  If you buy from a bakery (I bought mine from Safeway), they will slice the bread for you at no extra cost.
2. Dice the tomatoes and onions, slice the sun-dried tomatoes, chop the basil, and mince the garlic. (I had some pickled jalapenos that I diced up and tossed in as well, but this is totally optional).

3. Mix the tomatoes, onions, basil, garlic, and jalapenos (optional) together in a bowl.
4. Add in balsamic vineger, olive oil, salt, and pepper into the mixture. Make sure that everything is properly mixed. Taste and add more salt and black pepper to your liking.
5. On a baking sheet, lay out all the pieces of the French baguette and broil on low in the oven for about 2-3 minutes. (Mine are a little darker because I forgot about them and had them in for 5 minutes!)
6. Top each baguette piece with the mixture (step 4) and you are ready to go!
7. ENJOY!

Crab Wontons

Crab Wontons

Who doesn't love wontons?!  I know I love ordering them at restaurants.  I absolutely love the sweet and crunchy flavor of the won tons, and it really is a great appetizer before a meal.  Oh and with the right sweet and sour sauce, it's beyond amazing! I have always wanted to try and make them, but thought that it would be hard to do.  Turns out, it's actually not that bad.  I had a group of people helping me with the folding, which really is the only part that takes a while.  Otherwise, its just mixing everything up and putting them in the wrappers.  I bought my wrappers this time, next time though, I will have to even make that from scratch! Anyways, enjoy these delicious, crunchy, savory bits of delight.  Make sure and make the whole 45 because they go REAL fast!

Ingredients for the Wontons

Ingredients  (makes about 45 small won tons): 

2-3 cups oil for deep frying

6 oz crab meat or imitation crab meat

8 oz package cream cheese (1/3 fat or whipped)

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

5 scallions

3 cloves garlic

1/8 tsp chili powder 

1 egg white

1 (12 oz) package of wonton wrappers

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a medium frying pan to about 375 degrees. To test the temperature drop a very tiny piece of crab meat into the oil and see if it sizzles.  Make sure after it's initially heated, that you turn it down to medium when you actually fry the wontons so not to burn the wontons.
2. Chop the scallions and garlic into very small pieces.
3. Chop the crab meat into tiny squares.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the crab meat, cream cheese, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, scallions, garlic, and chili powder.

5. Take a wonton wrapper, cover all four sides of it with egg white, place about 1 teaspoon of the crab mixture into the middle of the wonton wrapper.

6. Fold all corners up so that they all meet in the middle and pinch all four sides making sure to seal it tightly.

7. Fry in the oil for about 3-4 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown.

8. ENJOY with some sweet and sour sauce!