Fish Tacos - not just for Lent!

From the "too-good-not-to-share" category! We adapted this most amazing recipe from allrecipes.com. Since we are too lazy to batter and fry our own fish, we pick up some fillets from the fish place and break them into taco-sized pieces. We also prefer flour tortillas to corn (most of us, anyway.) To save even more time, a bag of slaw mix from the grocery store is ideal for the topping, and is more colorful as well. Word to the wise: a full teaspoon of cayenne makes the sauce very, very spicy! For the more timid, a 1/4 teaspoon is plenty. Here's our amended recipe, with a link to the original below: 

Fish Tacos

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 lime, juiced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

1 teaspoon minced capers

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to taste

Fried Fish

Flour or corn tortillas

½ head of cabbage, chopped, or slaw mix

Chopped cilantro

Pico de Gallo, optional

In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt and mayonnaise. Gradually stir in fresh lime juice until consistency is slightly runny. Season with jalapeno, capers, oregano, cumin, dill, and cayenne.

To serve, place fried fish in a tortilla and top with shredded cabbage and white sauce.

Top with cilantro and pico if desired.

Enjoy, friends!

Original recipe here.

Photo: courtesy allrecipes.com

Random Thoughts

Thoughts in no particular order:

I got a strange and unfamiliar burst of energy, creativity and optimism yesterday. I have been patiently waiting for this since, oh... Christmas or so. Maybe Thanksgiving? I'm jumping on it. No telling why it happened, or when or if it will ever happen again!

It's true what I've heard - in one day, it's not possible to cook from scratch, homeschool and keep the house clean. Two out of three is great. If you do happen to get all three accomplished, please don't tell me about it!

There is nothing better than a sleepy "baby" crawling up in your lap and falling asleep. It hurts my heart to think this might be my last go-round. She is so, so big already.

Yesterday was a good day because we kept the TV off almost all day. Then I assigned some EWTN kids shows and a science show as "school". Ahhh. I am a genius.

I've decided the school/activity/play room is my office. I will be checking in after breakfast and making it my base until before dinner time. If I am busy in there, everyone else wants to be in there too. I am a genius, again.

We made this chicken recipe last night - fast, easy and completely delish. I couldn't use all that butter but it says you can use chicken broth. I didn't have any, so I just made less sauce. Did I say it was wonderful?? I was a rock star (and a genius).

We are getting a nice snow storm today! I'm looking forward to getting the kids outside this afternoon. It might mess up my office hours (see above). Oh well. Snow Day!!!! Jeff got around it nicely last night and will sleep through it all day. Hopefully the roads will be cleaned up some before he has to drive back tonight.

Sweet hubby texted me a link to a Chicago mail-order pierogi store. He has a lot of nerve to send me that in the wee hours when I am starving. Drooling...

Well, that's my Wednesday morning! Hope it's a good day where you are.

Corn Chowder

'Tis the season for soups around here. We pulled out one of our long-standing favorites over the weekend. I am pretty sure the recipe was originally found in a Better Homes & Gardens magazine. We don't change it because it is so good as is - a time-tested comfort food. I promise you will love it!

CORN CHOWDER

6 slices bacon
2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
3 medium red potatoes (or 3 lbs. new potatoes), skins on, cut up
2 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth
2 cups supersweet frozen corn kernels
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 Tablespoons melted butter
3 Tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
Fresh parsley, snipped fine
Fresh chives, optional

In a 4-quart Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp. (Do not burn.) Remove bacon, reserving 1 Tablespoon of drippings in the pan. Crumble bacon and set aside. Add carrots, parsnips and onions to bacon drippings in Dutch oven. Cook on medium heat 8-10 minutes, until vegetables begin to brown.  Add potatoes, chicken broth, garlic salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.

In a small bowl, stir together melted butter and flour. Stir flour mixture, milk and corn into chowder. Cook and stir over medium heat until just beginning to bubble and slightly thickened. (Do not boil.) Remove from heat; stir in parsley. Garnish servings with bacon and snipped chives if desired.

Autumn Doin's

I have been so busy with school, preparing items to sell at my first-ever consignment sale (as a seller) last week, and organizing our many outings when Jeff is home! Thanks to the great kindness of someone special, Jeff and I had a night out over the weekend, where we took in a concert by Straight No Chaser, and ate at the Paula Deen Buffet. This is from a different location, but exactly what it looked like.

There are just no words. On both counts: Heaven! Ya'll just have to do something like that sometime soon. It was truly food for the soul! We had such a lovely, lovely time.

Saturday we tried Round 2 of apple picking - this time at the big commercial orchard quite a bit further north, Joe Huber's Family Farm. After no rain in the forecast for several weeks before or after this day, we managed to get there in the middle of a downpour. Fortunately it cleared up quickly, and we were able to play, picnic and pick apples. Yes, there were plenty and they were beautiful! I was happy to get Fujis, which are our favorite variety. The departing rainstorm left behind this beautiful fall sky, my favorite kind of fall weather.

We spent a long time with the goats - the babies were just too cute. Molly loved them!

Riding out to the orchard!

Reaching...

This time, we got a pile of apples. This just makes me happy!

So worth the wait! When we got home, we made some rockin' Corn Chowder, baked spaghetti squash from the farm market, and the freshest apple pie ever. Very good day. Hope you had a great weekend too!

I'm a Lucky Girl

Here is what my dear sweet hubby made for dinner last night, after working a 12 hour day.

Don't hate me. There is only one enchilada-maker in this house, and it's not me. That's the way he wants it. Once I made enchiladas "casserole style" because I don't see the point of rolling them up. Really. He likes to do it himself now.

I am so glad his mama taught him to cook! And that he enjoys it. I plan to make sure my boys know their way around the kitchen too. I figure maybe that way, their wives will love their mother-in-law too! It's all in the plan.