Azoresgal~Life on an Island

I am up early today, well early considering the fact, the kids and I no longer have to wake up to an alarm clock. The house is nice and quiet the kiddos are still sleeping. Only noise outside my window is the roosters, and birds . My mind has been racing, with so many thoughts, in a couple days we fly out for the summer. I can't help but think how this feels like it all has come full circle.  While I grew up, I can remember the excitement of our trips, to come visit my, grandparents, here on the island. My grandfather, always said, he was up at the crack of dawn, waitng for us to arrive. He was excited, how could he not be, he was waiting for his daughter, his son in law, and his grandchildren.  He would go to all lengths to make sure everything was perfect for us, even the careful raising of the Azorean flag, out on the front porch. These memories have stayed with me forever. Arriving at their home very early in the morning, meeting our aunts and uncles. Meeting the c...

I love iced coffee in the summer, this recipe is soooo good. On the island we don't have any fancy schmancy coffee places. So instead I make my own frappuccino's. This makes quite alot, a whole pitcher, so you have more than enough to share. The best thing is to brew your coffee the day before, so it is really cold. You must brew double-strength coffee. For example, my coffee machine brews 4 tablespoons of ground coffee, for a full pot . To make the frappuccino's I brew 8 tablespoons of ground coffee. This is so when you add the milk and ice, it will still taste like coffee, give it a try when you can. brew double the amount of ground coffee , you use to make a full pot of coffee I used this caramel sauce Frappuccino 3/4 cup double-strength coffee (chilled) 3 tablespoons sugar 1 cup cold milk (I use skim) 2 cups ice (about 8 large ice cubes) caramel topping (optional) whip cream (optional) Into ...

So glad my babies are home now. They were ready, and I was ready for school to be done with. This summer will be different from our other summer's. We are going on an adventure....we are going to visit my family.......in CANADA !! I have not been back in 9 years ( I have been busy, raising a family) my visit is long overdue, and we are all excited ! I am especially excited for my children,  my parents and my siblings. I think it will be a time for making bonds and memories. The countdown has begun, we depart friday. I will still post on the blog, as best as I can, when I can...........now if you will excuse me friends, I have some packing to do :) xoxo,Diana

Please don't hate me,  we picked a ton of strawberries from our garden today, here is yet another strawberry recipe. Sorry ;) 15-20 strawberries, chilled 1 package mascarpone cheese 2 Tablespoon confectioners/icing sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Wash and dry strawberries. Remove leaves and use a small knife to make an X-shaped cut across the bottom of each berry. Using your thumb carefully pull appart tips to create space for filling.  In a bowl, wisk together mascarpone cheese, sugar and vanilla until fully blended together. Scoop contents into a ziplock bag and snip off a small corner to make a disposable pastry bag. Gently squeeze the stuffing into each strawberry . If you wish top with a sprinkle of chocolate shavings, even just garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon for color. These are addicting, please don't say I didn't warn you ;) Enjoy,xo Diana

This pizza was amazing, my family loved it. Even my kids, I don´t think they noticed the green peppers.  I used this pizza dough . The chicken I bought at the deli already cooked, and just diced up the meat. The onions and green peppers, I diced and sautéd in some olive oil, and added some brown sugar (1 tablespoon) for a little sweetness. When making pizza, one of the most important things, is a very hot oven. Pre-heat before, you start making your pizza. Have a great weekend everyone, Diana

In summer, the song sings itself. -- William Carlos Williams xo,Diana

This is the pizza dough, I use at our house. I also use it to make garlic sticks, stromboli, calazone. Whole wheat flour can be used in place of  two cups of the white flour. punch down, and use to make all sorts of goodies                                                                                                                                                                 Pizza Dough 3 cups flour 2 tablespoons sugar 1 packet yeast 1 tsp salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup very warm wa...

These are what I decided to make for thank-you gifts, for my two younger children's teachers, bus drivers and lunch ladies. I hope they like them. sorry this is the only picture, the  camera batteries were low got some batteries, I think these look lovely Chocolate Rum Balls 2 packages maria tea biscuits 1 can condensed milk 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 1 cup coconut 100 ml. rum or baileys or frangelico etc. ( or 1/2 cup orange juice) for rolling in : coconut, sprinkles, ground almonds, cocoa powder etc. Place biscuits in food processor and crush until biscuits resemble the texture of bread crumbs In a large bowl combine crushed biscuits, and all remaining ingredients, mix well. ( place in fridge to chill dough ) Roll a tablespoon of mixture into a small ball using wet hands, then roll in topping of choice to coat. Transfer to plate and continue with the remaining mixture. Store in fridge or freezer. Enjoy, xo Diana

Rainy days, sometimes are the best for baking. Today I made some peanut butter cookies. They are easy to make, the hardest part really is WAITING, chilling the dough for about an hour or so. Because they are made with butter, if we were to bake them right away, the dough would spread out quickly, resulting in a crispy flat cookie. Chilling the dough, the butter will not melt as quickly, and the cookies are soft, and not so flat. Give them a try if you get a chance. Peanut Butter Cookies  1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter 1/2 cup butter 1 egg 1-1/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt Mix together, sugars, peanut butter, butter and egg. Add in flour,baking soda, and salt. Mix well Chill dough for at least an hour. Roll teaspoons of dough, into balls, place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Flatten with a fork, and make a criss.cross shape on top. Bake @ 180º/350 for about 10 minutes. Makes about 35 cookies....

Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby. ~Langston Hughes

These are a great little after school snack, well now that school is almost over, they will be an all day snack. They are also great for birthday parties, and picnics. They are easy to prepare,  require only basic ingredients, and a little bit of time in the kitchen. if you were not to add the hotdogs, it would be regular cornbread muffins great with soup or beans Corn Dog Muffins 1 cup flour 1 cup cornmeal 3 tablespoons of sugar 1 tablespoon of baking powder 1/2 teaspoon of salt 2 eggs 1/4 cooking oil 6 hotdogs Pre-heat oven to 180º/350 In a bowl, mix sugar,salt, flour, cornmeal and baking powder. Add in eggs, oil and milk, mix Add in sliced hotdogs, and combine together. Fill paper lined or greased, muffin tin 2/3 full. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, or until done. Enjoy, xo, Diana