I am contemplating buying my first glue gun. I have never been really big into crafts. Oh, I have all the different things I bought to try new crafty projects such as knitting, scrap booking and jewelry making. But, I never actually purchased a glue gun. To me that was for the people who wore the aprons and had jars of paint brushes in their specially designed crafting room. I never took that leap.

But, my daughter wants to be Frieda Kahlo for Halloween. I need to make a head band with faux flowers on it. After much thought I think it is time to purchase a glue gun. I am just wondering how long it will be before I remove the bed from the guest room downstairs and add a series of shelving units and coordinating boxes.

So, since I spent so much time thinking about Halloween costumes I…

You know something is really good when your children are quiet while eating AND then ask for you to make it again as soon as possible! How could something like this not be good – mashed potatoes, sour cream, cheese, bacon? All the horribly good things to eat!

Verdict:

I will make extra mashed potatoes just to have this again! Seriously, cook extra mashed potatoes for your next meal and save the leftovers to make this dish. If you like cheese, bacon, sour cream, and mashed potatoes? This is a delicious dish AND you can use leftover mashed potatoes to make it (or as I say cook once eat twice!).

I served this with Chicken Fried Steak and Green Beans for dinner. Yes, a total comfort meal!

You know something is really good when your children are quiet while eating AND then ask for you to make it again as soon as possible! How could something like this not be good – mashed potatoes, sour cream, cheese, bacon? All the horribly good things to eat!

Verdict:

I will make extra mashed potatoes just to have this again! Seriously, cook extra mashed potatoes for your next meal and save the leftovers to make this dish. If you like cheese, bacon, sour cream, and mashed potatoes? This is a delicious dish AND you can use leftover mashed potatoes to make it (or as I say cook once eat twice!).

I served this with Chicken Fried Steak and Green Beans for dinner. Yes, a total comfort meal!

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Equal Measures: Jicama Tortillas! Jicama is another word for Mexican turnip or potato. Interesting, isn’t it? The flavor is sweet and starchy when eaten raw with a sprinkling of sea salt. Being Paleo-friendly, the jicama is popular as a low-carb, low-sugar nutritious snack. It may be available in your local supermarket’s produce department as a precut veggie that resembles French fries. In that case, simply squeeze a lime wedge over it before sprinkling with sea salt and chili powder. I understand it’s also available in “tortilla” packets. I wanted to make my own tortillas, so the large bulb was an easy choice. Peel, slice, and steam. There you have it; a miniature tortilla similar to a street taco in size. Add precooked shredded turkey, cheddar cheese, and a prepackaged salad kit. It’s a meal-in-a-snap, perfect for weeknights.

JICAMA TORTILLAS

Ingredients:

1 large jicama, peeled and…

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Enjoyable Eats: Red Onion Mexican Street Tacos! As promised, today’s feature recipe takes us down the road to Jalisco-style tacos. Forget about the “loaded” tortilla shells you may be familiar with, or even default to when making Mexican food at home. This handheld taco steps “outside the box”. The ingredients are fewer, yet focus on freshness. For those who appreciate it, cilantro is a star attraction. Roasted meat, shredded into small pieces, and chopped red onions with a squeeze of lime wedge create a flavor explosion that, honestly, will pull you back enough to slow down and savor every bite. Perhaps you may even chew your food 20 or 30 times before swallowing to appreciate this virtual trip to a seldom-traveled Mexican village.

RED ONION MEXICAN STREET TACOS

Ingredients:

24-count street-size corn tortillas

1 pound seasoned shredded turkey or pork carnitas

1 red onion, chopped

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Enjoyable Eats: Red Onion Mexican Street Tacos! As promised, today’s feature recipe takes us down the road to Jalisco-style tacos. Forget about the “loaded” tortilla shells you may be familiar with, or even default to when making Mexican food at home. This handheld taco steps “outside the box”. The ingredients are fewer, yet focus on freshness. For those who appreciate it, cilantro is a star attraction. Roasted meat, shredded into small pieces, and chopped red onions with a squeeze of lime wedge create a flavor explosion that, honestly, will pull you back enough to slow down and savor every bite. Perhaps you may even chew your food 20 or 30 times before swallowing to appreciate this virtual trip to a seldom-traveled Mexican village.

RED ONION MEXICAN STREET TACOS

Ingredients:

24-count street-size corn tortillas

1 pound seasoned shredded turkey or pork carnitas

1 red onion, chopped

This August I went to Palma, Mallorca for holiday – one of the reasons – nice beaches in the vicinity of the city, another reason – to practice my Spanish and tour the largest city. I was pleased to discover that Palma is a vibrant city with interesting history and culture. Mallorca is the largest island in the Balearic archipelago and has a history dating to 2800 BC – it was once Roman and the Moorish settlement, and then an independent kingdom before being incorporated into Spain in the fourteen century. Below are some of my cultural highlights from the trip (apart from the vintage travel posters below, all photos in this post are mine). 

This November I visited Edinburgh, Scotland, enjoying the medieval city centre in particular and exploring the city’s history and literary tradition. Below are my highlights from this fantastic trip (all photos are mine).

I. Edinburgh Castle

Situated on the Castle Rock, Edinburgh Castle “has been the centre of Scottish life for more than 900 years, serving as a royal palace, arsenal, gun foundry, state prison and infantry barracks”. Now, it hosts a number of museums, showcasing Scotland’s rich, complicated and dramatic history. I thought the experience of Edinburgh Castle was just amazing, and it is worth its entry price. There is much to explore inside, from the Royal Palace (where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James VI), the magnificent Great Hall and the museum that preserves the crown jewels to the National War Museum, Museum of the Royal Scots and the new barracks.

Thank you, for your Attitude of Gratitude:

Circumstances may not seem supportive unless you choose to see their value.

Affirmation: All is not always as it seems!

I love you, Annette Rochelle Aben