One-Armed Bandit

New and delicious "Russiata"

Many of you may know that I, Kikko, recently underwent surgery to operate on her elbow. I had cubital tunnel surgery, a situation where the ulnar nerve kept moving back-and-forth over my elbow, causing irritation and inflammation. (If you so choose to be educated in this matter, here is a link). Resting would be the most conservative option, not using the arm much and keeping in a straight position, but that's impossible when my livelihood depends on my hands and its functions. The doctor stated that surgery is an option, where they relocate the nerve so that it doesn't move between the elbow and will lessen the inflammation. Being young and impatient and with a hands-on career, I opted for the surgery. Both of my arms are affected by this syndrome, but I only operated on my left elbow, my weaker arm, and to assess whether its worth risking my good hand in the future. Plus, if I had done both at the same time, I would've really looked like Frankenstein (not that I don't already).

Counting down the days!!

I've never been in a cast before. As a child, I grew up with scrapes and bruises, and occasional stitches in the mouth (another story for later), but was blessed to never had broken a bone. I was in a boot for a couple of weeks, but that was removable. This time, I have a splint from my upper arm to my forearm, and dressing holding everything but my shoulder and fingers immobile. Now you have an image of me trying to type this blog post, all awkward and slow. Might as well be typing on a type writer. But, the good news is, my woes will be over after  this Friday when they remove the dressing, and stitches, and start me on therapy. Until then, I am succumbed to one-armed activities. Good thing drinking is one of them!

So to make this week go by quicker, I tried to think of a recipe that was so easy you could make it with one hand. Hopefully, no one will ever have to go through this misery, but if you do, you can have comfort in knowing you can, at least, make one thing while you're cast-ed. And hey, it's gluten-free*!

*If you have severe celiacs disease and/or have spoken to your doctor, opt out Kahlua as it may contain traces of gluten from the wheat based alcohol it uses.




"Russiata"  makes 2 drink

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Rumchata (mix of Rum and Mexican drink Horchata)
1.5 oz Favorite Vanilla Whip Vodka
1.5 oz Kahlua
4 oz Milk
Ice Cubes
Shaker
Cocoa powder for decoration
Cinnamon for decoration
Martini Glasses

MOP
- Pour all the ingredients into the shaker. Shake until the mixture is cold and frothy

- Dust cocoa powder on a plate or sheet tray. Wet the rim of the martini glasses. Dip onto the cocoa powder. Pour your drink into the glass. dust lightly with cinnamon.

-Enjoy!!

When your family goes on vacation without you...

It's a mountain of goods my friends

Anyone's family ever decide to go on a big family trip to somewhere and you weren't a part of the adventure? You either had to stay home because you're sick, or couldn't get away from work, or just didn't have the money. Well, 2 out of the 3 things applied to me, and it just so happened that the first did as well, right at the week they all left. Sigh. The vacation Gods were not in my favor this year.

When my cousin got engaged, we were all so happy for her. When the invitation came for the wedding, we just had one stickler, we lived a 9-hour plane ride to a different continent away from them. The good thing about her early announcement was that we had time to plan our trip. My parents, sisters, their husbands, and myself, all knew we wanted to go to Brazil and visit, it all just had to be cleverly done. All of my family were well on their way to creating their plans. I, on the other hand, got my new position at the Buffalo Diner, and with all the moving I did, my bank wasn't all that happy with me. And it would've been impossible for both Hines and I to go together, and not being able to share with him a great part of my life, Brazil, just didn't feel right. Needless to say, while my parents and sisters and their respective family boarded their Delta flights, I was in Buffalo, WV, baking another Red Velvet Cheesecake.

It may be sad, and the only regret I have is to not have been there for my cousin, but I do know that I'm lucky enough to have a family who brings me the goods. And by goods I mean a mountain of candy and local treats we only get to dream of in America.

I definitely broke into all these candies before they made it to my car. 

 The pictures show a fraction of what my parents brought from Brazil. Imagine a group of 15 people, 3 of which are toddlers, raiding each and every aisle of the supermarket store, grabbing anything and everything imaginable; that's my family, pride and joy. Oh and don't forget the image of luggage packed to the brim, and several questionable looks from the TSA Customs person.

Yesterday, being back to work after visiting my family, I had the pleasure of introducing some of the sweets to my dear co-workers. Majority of the questions and comments I got were, "Is it going to kill me?" and "I can't read it and it scares me". I managed to convince them all that I wasn't trying to kill anyone, and to their pleasant surprise, they liked it. My favorites are the BIS ( you can see it in the right hand corner of the second picture) and the Biscoitos caseiros (which translates to homemade cookies). BIS is like a kitkat that has a thinner layer of chocolate and lots more wafer. Crisp and delicious and comes in a variety of flavors. And for the biscoitos, they are like shortbread cookies with assortments of flavors. My favorite cookies are filled with guava paste and they're AWESOME!

As I was basking in the wonderfulness of Brazilian sweets, my dad showed me a cooking magazine he had picked up for recipes. The magazine was for Caseiro-style cooking and it featured recipes from an elderly lady, who I can only imagine had been making those dishes for ages. My favorite is the one below, called Beliscão "Big Pinch". It is filled with the guava paste that I love and it seems so simple to make. I'll definitely be trying it at the Diner. If anyone has questions on Brazilian sweets, definitely comment, or share some of your favorites.

Beliscão 

Beliscão "Big Pinch"

Example of Goiabada "guava paste". I got me a block and it's delicious!

Ingredients

- 4 ½ cups AP Flour plus extra for dusting 

- 1 teaspoon Salt

- 1 cup sugar

- 200g Cold Butter, cut into small cubes

- 3 Tbsp Creme de leite (Located in the Latin section of your grocery store)

- 250g Guava Paste cut into rectangles  (shown on right) 

- Sugar for dusting

MOP

- Pre-heat oven to 350F.

- In a bowl, mix the Flour, Salt, and Sugar. Add the cold butter and cut into your flour mixture until its a cornmeal consistency. I usually use my hand, but you can use a pastry cutter. Add the crème de leite and mix until a dough starts to form. Wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

-Remove from the refrigerator and, using a rolling pin, flatten the dough until 1/4 inch in thickness. Use a cookie or round biscuit cutter to form circles (Use 2 in-2 1/2 in circles). Place a slice of guava paste into the center of each individual round dough. And as the name will describe, bring to opposite sides of the circle above the guava paste and pinch to secure in place. 

-Put each cookie on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cookie becomes golden brown. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes. 

-Now enjoy your new masterpiece and feel pride in tasting a bit of Brazilian goodness. 

"You've got a friend in me"

Ever since I can remember, I've been lucky to have a certain type of companion by my side. Always playful, always loyal, always loving. Never is there judgement and they are always full of happiness from your mere presence. I am, of course, talking about "Man's best friend": the dog.

At the same time I was born, in Brazil, our neighbor's dog had a litter and they were giving away new puppies. That was the first time Bobby came into our lives. Bobby was a black and white mutt. I never knew what kind of breed he was, but it didn't matter, because he was my friend, my loyal companion. It killed me, that, when I had to leave Brazil and move to USA, we couldn't bring Bobby. Every visit, since then, that we took to Brazil, I looked forward to seeing Bobby, and it seemed like he genuinely looked forward to seeing me. He would wag his tail at the gate, and every morning all I would have to do is call his name and 5 seconds later he would be drumming down the drive way to see me. He was stubborn and didn't like to share, but he loved to explore with me and he loved his human. My last visit to Brazil in 2007, he wasn't there. I hadn't visited in a while, but I just never imagined he wouldn't be there to greet me. Bobby had gotten old and it was time to move on. We had a new pack of dogs there, but I felt empty. I wished I could have said good-bye. Bobby, I love you and miss you each and every day.

Little me, sisters, and Bobby in Brazil. We love you Bobby

In the years I didn't visit Brazil, my parents decided that we could get a puppy in Indiana. It was my mom's idea and she really wanted a miniature dachshund. She searched and came across a lady who bred these specific dogs. One afternoon, my dad, sister and I drove to get the puppy. It was love at first sight. We called her Minnie (yes, just like Minnie Mouse) and we went straight to my mom for her to get a glimpse of our new family member. Minnie tried to escape and run to the road; scared us half to death, but it was all alright. Now, she is the pack leader of the family and we love her for it.

Minnie the Diva :) So tiny but so fearless

About the time my middle sister left for college, my parents and I saw an ad for a free puppy. The article stated a beagle/boxer mix and my parents thought, why not? Minnie was almost 3 years old but we needed a dog with the size of a guard dog. We went to the family and there we met Sophie. Sophie ended up being the size of a boxer, but she has the innocence and playfulness of a beagle. She came into my life during Junior year of high school, and she was my buddy. I watched her grow, and she watched me struggle through the end of schooling. She always knew when to lay by my side or when to demand attention so I could snap out of my moods. I love Sophie. (wish she was more transportable and not so afraid of cars haha)

Gentle and sweet Sophie. She lives to please

 During my senior year of high school, my oldest sister and her husband lived in Indianapolis. One Christmas, her husband surprised her with a little puppy as a gift. Kira, named after the Star Trek character (he's a huge fan), is a Shi-poo, Shitzu and Poodle mix. She was so tiny and such a fur ball when I met her. She can be ditzy, but she is very playful and knows how to be around newborns. (She is a veteran now since my sister has had three kids).

Kira, the quiet and mild tempered. Baby watch dog. 

While I was in Costa Rica on a study abroad trip, I skyped my family to say hello. While video chatting, my mom and sister said, "SURPRISE! we got a new puppy". Daisie was a pet of my mom's co-worker who wasn't able to take good care of the dog. My mom accepted Daisie and she has been with us since. She's a beagle and has all the personalities of one. My parents had a harder time training her as she came to us as an outside dog and already 1 year old, but if there was anyone who could train her, it was them. About the end of this past summer, my parents let me bring Daisie to West Virginia as a test of my doggy owner-ness. Seeming as my apartment is still whole and she looks as lively as ever, its safe to say she is one happy doggy here.

Loyal Daisie. Always lovable, always my baby

My middle sister and her husband had recently purchased a new home in Columbus. They've always had talk about wanting a pet, a Corgi, to be specific. (Super Asian of them haha) One day, I was working at the Diner and I received a text that said, check out my Facebook Status! So I did, and lo and behold, there was a corgi named Luna on there. She was a small furball who constantly chewed and cried, but she is adorable. Every time I come home, she seems to get a little bit longer, just like Minnie. If Minnie is a wiener, Luna is a kielbasa haha.

Luna will grow up to be quite photogenic :)

Last but not least, our partner at the Diner, Denise, recently got a puppy herself. She already has one, Zeke the black Scottish Terrier, and they wanted him to have a sister. They wanted a different breed of dog, and her husband was particular to the bulldog breed. They found a French bulldog breeder in Ohio and, one afternoon, came home with Abigail, or Abby. If anyone has ever watched a compilation of bulldog videos, they know the hilariousness that is their howling or barking; it just doesn't exist. It's a whining noise that they make and now we think she sounds like a pig. I have yet to call this dog Abby. Pig just sounds more fitting. We all have a good laugh about it, and it's fun to empathize with Denise as she trains this new puppy.

Abby the Diner Pig, hear her Squeal!

Zeke, the mighty warriors. Daisie's best friend

I love dogs. There is no question about it. I'm blessed to have parents who like them as well, and for a family and me who aren't allergic to them. They are wonderful companions. At the beginning, training them is never easy. I have yet to experience the full puppy-dome on my own, but Hines and I have been watching lots of "Dog Whisperer" to get us ready. Thank you for letting me share my love for them with you all.

Now I can't let you go without a recipe of some sort. As an ode to puppies everywhere, I have a dog treat recipe that I have made a couple times for my family. They love it, and you know exactly what goes into the treats. They are simple and if you have bone cookie cutters, even BETTER! If you have a favorite treat you make, please share below. Love to try new things with my puppies.

Fun, Healthy Dog Treats

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mashed banana
1 egg
1/3 cup peanut butter 
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2- 1 cup oats (depending on how wet the dough is)

MOP

-Preheat the oven to 350F.

-In a stand mixer bowl, combine all wet ingredients (banana, egg, pb). Add the flour and oats. The dough should feel like an oatmeal raisin cookie or chocolate chip cookie. If it's too wet, add more oats.

-Now the fun part, get your favorite cookie cutter. The size of the cookie depends on what you want to feed your puppies every time. I had a 2" dog bone cookie cutter I used. Cut as many as you can get out of the dough. Place on a sheet pan with parchment paper.

- Bake for 15min. Check to make sure it's dry and cooked all the way through. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes, or until your puppies give you THE LOOK! I can't deny a dog his/her treat!!

-Now let them EAT!