Last August, my son and his new bride made a last-minute decision to move to Manila to teach at Faith Academy. This is the same school where he and his sister graduated. I have had the unexpected blessing of getting to know his new wife better and of making sure that he gets all his favorite foods….at least once!

Let’s just say that my kitchen has seen more action over the last few months than it’s seen in a couple of years. One of my kids’ favorite meals has always been grilled cheese and tomato soup.

They like it because it’s yummy. I like it because it’s so easy to make. And, the Instapot makes it even faster and easier than ever before! Honestly, I don’t know what I did before I had one of these things.

I like to put a little spin on my tomato soup by including red pepper and cream cheese. So, today I am sharing my recipe for Tomato Red Pepper Cheese Soup.

Since I’m not a big fan of recipe posts that are literally filled with every explanation other than the recipe itself, I’m going to get right to the recipe for those of you who are ready to get your soup on!

This recipe is perfect when the weather is “less than perfect” outside.

Speaking of less than perfect, we’re experiencing the ash fall from the Taal volcanic explosion. Taal is actually a volcano within a lake within a volcano within a lake. It also happens to be a popular tourist destination; located about 45 miles away from the city.

We spent a few days there with our daughter when she was visiting for the Christmas holiday. You can see the dome of the volcano in the distance.

Since yesterday, Taal has been spewing ashes and debris into the atmosphere and thousands of Filipinos have been evacuated.

The volcano is still unstable and earthquakes have been reported in many of the surrounding communities.

² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.^[a]

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.

Psalms 46: 2-4

Please pray for the Philippines in this time of uncertainty for many.

~ Shellie

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It’s been a while since I have posted a food recipe and I thought that the weekend would be just the time to remedy my absence from the food scene;) My family is crazy about Mexican-inspired food. In fact, we typically eat at least one meal a week that has a Latin flare.

We are drawn to the spiciness and zest of Mexican recipes. I think all those years living in Thailand and Laos

conditioned us for eating chilies and spicier foods. Enchiladas are one of our favorite meals because they come in one-dish and don’t require the construction and components that tacos and fajitas do.

Although we do enjoy the spice, I have found that using straight enchilada sauce from the can is often too overpowering. Today, I am sharing my creamy enchilada verde recipe.

This is a winner with all ages and it reheats very well too.

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There is just something appealing about pocket dinners. I guess it has something to do with eating with your hands that makes the meal seem more fun. Another thing I love about them is how easy the leftovers can be incorporated into work or school lunches for later in the week. Here is an easy recipe that can be whipped up quickly for your next dinner.

These are yummy for all ages.  Enjoy!

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A few weeks ago, we performed several of our family Easter traditions, except for the egg hunt since we don’t have any youngsters around these days. But we did gather with friends for dinner and no Easter dinner is complete at our house without deviled eggs. They are essential! This is one of my signature recipes that only comes out on a few special occasions throughout the year.

The funny thing about this recipe is that my daughter loves the inside, but my son only eats the outside. So, she spoons out her part and gives him the rest. It was a little melancholy for me to have him away at college this year, but we still thought about him the whole day; especially when the deviled eggs came out.

Have you ever wondered why they call them deviled eggs? Where better to go for the answer than deviledeggs.com for the answer.

But what does the term “deviled” actually mean? The word “deviled” first appeared in print in 1786 and was used to describe highly seasoned fried or boiled dishes. By the 1800’s, the term “deviled” evolved and was often used as a culinary term to describe fiery hot spiced dishes or condiments. The use of the word was presumably adopted due to the symbolism of the devil and the excessive heat of, well, you know where. In the 19th century, the word deviled continued to be used to describe hot seasonings, more specifically cayenne or mustard, and again brought with it the connotation of that “hot spot down under”—something hot and spicy.

In modern language, however, the word deviled has a borader meaning and is typically defined as a food that is dark, rich, chocolate, spicily piquant or stimulating item and contains heavy seasoning. The term is deviled is used to describe eggs, crab, cakes, and many other dishes.

www.deviledeggs.com

I thought this would be a great time of year to share this recipe because deviled eggs make a great complement to Spring and Summer cookouts. You will notice that my recipe is seriously be-deviled, which really makes for an excellent bite of goodness.

All of the ingredients blend so nicely together to make what my family would attest is the best deviled egg recipe. Give it a try and let me know if we’re right!

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There is just something about the comfort of a gooey casserole that we all love. It’s even better when you find a casserole that combines some very nutritional elements into an appealing “comfort food.” This Spinach Pasta Yum Bake Recipe does just that!

This casserole is great because it combines the yummy elements of cream, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses with vitamin-rich spinach and tomato sauce.

It’s also extremely easy to fix.

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What do I have for lunch? If you work outside the home, you find yourself asking that very question every single week day. Although it’s much easier to go out everyday for lunch, this strategy presents some serious pitfalls. How about chicken salad for your next brown-bag lunch?

For one, it’s really expensive to eat out everyday. Time.com Business ran an interesting article a few years back. I knew eating out was expensive, but I don’t think I realized just how how large the annual expenditure can be.

In her book What Are You Doing for Lunch, author Mona Meighan tries to talk sense into the lunch-out crowd, playing up not only the high cost of eating out but the poor nutrition as well. She says brown bagging can cut your weekly lunch cost by 80% and makes it easy to stay away from things like pizza and cheeseburgers.

Meighan is by no means the first to calculate the costs of eating lunch out. A [Canadian survey] found that 60% eat lunch out at least once a week and spend $7 to $13 each time. But many of those eat out at least three times a week, and at the $10 midpoint spend $1,500 a year. Those who eat out every workday spend $2,500 a year.

Time.com

No doubt a lot of us could think of some excellent ways to use that money. Just think of the vacation you could have with an extra $2500! But, a healthy lunch takes preparation. Often, we don’t feel very motivated to put a great deal of thought into our lunch when we are rushing to get ready for work in the morning.

real problem with dining out everyday is the added calories in restaurant meals.
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Another real problem with dining out everyday is the added calories in restaurant meals. It’s one thing to eat out once or twice a week for entertainment. Yet, it’s a whole new story when you are talking about eating out every day of the week. Unlike meals prepared at home, you can’t always know the contents of a restaurant meal. Public Health Nutrition ran a survey to determine how eating out affects overall calorie intake.

Researchers analyzed data from over 12,000 people aged 20 to 64 who were asked about their eating habits on two separate days. The data was collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Around 30% of the study participants ate at a fast food establishment on both days. On day one, 28% of participants ate at a full-service restaurant; 20% ate at a restaurant on day two. The rest of the participants ate at home.

People who ate at a fast food or full-service restaurants consumed an extra 200 calories per day on average than people who ate at home, the study authors say. These extra calories made up about 10% of their total daily intake.

Source: CNN.com

Chicken Salad For Your Next Brown-Bag Lunch

So, there we have two very good reasons to consider brown-bagging your lunch on most work days. However, what about the monotony of eating the same thing everyday? Yes, this can be a problem. It is always preferable to pack a lunch that you actually enjoy.

What’s more, you need to make sure that the lunch you pack actually has enough umph to get you through the day. I have looked at some co-workers’ lunches before and thought, their salad wouldn’t be enough to get me through the next hour, let alone the rest of the work day.

How about chicken salad for your next brown-bag lunch? Here is one of my favorite lunch recipes. It’s packed with flavor, instead of fat and calories. Also, I recommend that you eat it with a slice of cheddar cheese. Although the cheese has a high fat content, it also has a good dose of protein, which will help satisfy your hunger longer. Moreover, you can afford the extra fat and calories if you pass on the chips and candy bar as side dishes.

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My tastes are highly influenced by the Cuban heritage of Tampa Bay. If you are ever in the Tampa area, I would like to recommend a couple of my favorite restaurants that are must-trys. Then, I will share one of my favorite Cuban recipes to make at home…Black Beans With Chicken And Yellow Rice.

The first is La Teresita located at 3246 Columbus Drive in the heart of Tampa. This place is the real deal; right down to the smartly-dressed, Cuban waiters who would love nothing better than for you to order in Spanish. It is also very reasonably priced. Their Puerco Asado (roast pork) is especially good.

 http://www.lateresitarestaurant.com/en/index.php

In addition to traditional Cuban entrees, Tampa Bay folk are extremely proud of the Cuban sandwich, which is served on a delectable form of bread that can not even be purchased north of Tampa. Cuban bread is typically baked in yard-long loaves that are surprisingly pliable. It is not abnormal for the bag boy to fold up your bread to stuff into a bag at the grocery store. Now, if it’s a Cuban sandwich you want, there is one place that is the undisputed king of the Cuban sandwich: Brocato’s. This place has been serving up sandwiches since 1948. While they have probably expanded a number of times since opening, expect a crowded room of slightly confused customers to await you. Somehow, you always get your order, but the place is an experience in itself. However, the lines of locals who flow through this shop to pick up daily lunch orders attests to the popularity of this Tampa institution.

http://brocatossandwich.com/

Yes, we love all forms of Cuban food. But, what if you don’t have access to a Cuban restaurant in your neighborhood? Here is one of our favorite Cuban-inspired family meals. Typically, chicken and yellow rice is not served with a side of salsa, but we think that homemade salsa really takes this recipe over the top.

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Today, I am sharing one of my most popular recipes. I can’t tell you how many bowls of it have been gobbled up by people from all over the world and they all love it, without exception. You can’t go wrong with this one! My family eats it several times a month as a complement to some of our favorite family recipes…zesty homemade easy salsa.

I have been asked for the recipe many times, but it is one of those dishes that I usually just throw together without any thought about the proportions. But yesterday, I actually took time to note all the ingredients and measurements to share with you.

Many of us struggle to eat healthy because we can’t seem to find recipes that are nutritious and delicious. In reality, it’s not that light food options are hard to come by; after all “diet” food is big business! Undoubtedly, the products are out there; however, I have found many prepackaged options to be less than enticing. In fact, I would say some more closely resemble flavored styrofoam. I guess it’s more an issue of finding food that actually appeals to your taste; without all the extra fat and calories.

This salsa is light and packed with flavor. Our family loves it with tortilla chips or my black beans with chicken and yellow rice. Enjoy!

Zesty Homemade Easy Salsa Recipe

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic

5 plum tomatoes (quartered)

1 small onion (quartered)

bunch of cilantro (leaves only, add amount according to taste)

1 can of diced tomatoes

1/4 t. cumin

1 t. olive oil

1 T. salt

1 t. black pepper

2 t. hot sauce

1 t. green Tobasco sauce

1 t. lemon juice

You have most of the ingredients on hand.

Instructions:

Put the garlic and onion in a food processor. Chop finely and empty into a bowl. Add plum tomatoes to the food processor and chop finely; add cilantro and blend. Add tomatoes and cilantro mixture to the bowl. Pour a can of diced tomatoes directly into the bowl and add the remaining dry ingredients.

Hot sauce and salt content can be adjusted according to taste.

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