Hey, Alicia here again. Today I'm going to talk about bolones and how you make them.
My husband is from Ecuador and lucky for me the food from Ecuador is really delicious and also luckily, he really enjoys making it for me. Ecuadorian food is full of flavor but not spicy hot.. Anyways, one of my favorite things he makes are these bolones. Basically it's fried plantain smashed and formed into a ball with some other ingredients. It's delicious to eat on its own or we like it with a fried egg on top too.
In Ecuador these are usually eaten for breakfast. And instead of bacon, it's more common to get them with chicharrones. Chicharrones in Ecuador are fried bits of really fatty pork. This is different than in other countries like Mexico or countries in Central America where chicharrones are essentially pork rinds. But we don't have chicharrones here in the USA, so we use bacon. Thick sliced bacon is the best we think because then you can make them into lardons basically and it's similar to chicharrones.
Also the cheese in Ecuador is not exactly the same as queso fresco, but similar enough that it is a good substitute. My husband says that Ecuadorian cheese is fresh like queso fresco, but saltier. For this reason, sometimes "a bit of feta is added to get the required saltiness that they yearn from their homeland." On a scale the saltiness of Ecuadorian cheese is somewhere between queso fresco and feta cheese. Ok on to how to make these delights! Click through the gallery below to see the process.
I'll post the recipe below, but these are really easy to make. Here's some tips:
*Also for baking the bacon, I just did it at 350 F until it looked crispy and smelled delicious. And to keep the bacon from being too greasy, I accordian folded the foil and placed the bacon across the top of that. It allowed the excess grease to go down into the pan and the bacon still got crispy. I did this because the first time I baked bacon it was swimming in grease and it wasn't as enjoyable. (I know that seems impossible). Or, to save time you could purchase the pan like the one below!
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Yessirree! This is our Eagle Scout #3, who just passed his Eagle Board of Review! We are very proud of him. He has put in a lot of work throughout the years since he joined scouting as a Cub Scout. As a Boy Scout, he has completed 28 merit badges and he did a great service project for the Parks Service in Maricopa County, painting and cleaning ramadas, picnic tables and clearing trash and debris. I can't say enough good things about the BSA. They have helped to shape my boys into fine young men, along with our church teachings and fine leaders that have been in their lives. I am one proud mom.
Becoming an Eagle Scout is a major accomplishment. Only 3 or 4% boys who join Scouts achieves this award. It shows that they have learned responsibility, stick-to-itiveness, and many other leadership qualities. You may not realize that being an Eagle Scout is highly valued by businesses and even the government. When Eagle Scouts join the military, they are given one paygrade higher as an enlisted man. That means a little extra money! One of our sons was told when he was hired for a job that being a Eagle Scout is what made him stand out to his employer. Eagle Scouts are also eligible for College and Trade School Scholarships.
Jacob hasn't been awarded his Eagle yet. The box he is holding is just a prop. When he has his Court of Honor, then I will probably brag about him even more, so hold onto your hats.
In the meantime, having another Eagle Scout Son gives us something to celebrate! What is a celebration without a cake? Luckily, I have my new KitchenAid at the ready to whip up The Perfect Chocolate Cake!
When I was in college, my roommate, Dana gave me this recipe. She had gotten it from a co-worker and had fallen in love with it. It is a dense, rich chocolate cake that takes 1 full cup of cocoa to make, and 4 eggs! You can make it as a triple layer cake, but I made mine as a sheet cake.
After you take it out of the pan and cool it, you have to decide if you want chocolate or vanilla frosting. I like both, and I let Jacob decide since the cake is for him. He chose vanilla. You can find my recipe for buttercream frostinghere. But, just plain buttercream was boring. I don't know if you have ever seen what the Eagle patch looks like, but it has a lot of red.
I decided to chop up some chocolate in my chopper, as well as some red M & Ms to decorate the top. I added a few whole M & Ms as well. It came out looking and tasting delicious!
So, the take away from this is, if you have a young boy, get him into Scouting! And, there is always a reason to celebrate life's moments with chocolate cake!
Below you will see the same Tupperware rectangular cake taker that I have been using for over 37 years! You can still get it on Amazon!
This is the time of year when everyone gets into organizing every nook and cranny. More so, I believe than in the Spring. It probably has something to do with packing away Christmas decorations, starting the New Year with a fresh house and New Year resolutions. Back in September I showed you how I used the above pictured baskets to help me organize a very messy cupboard full of craft and sewing supplies. When it comes to organizing on a budget, Dollar Tree is the place to shop.
Look at this plastic, compartmized storage container! So perfect for small craft items or art supplies. At only $1 .00 a piece, you can get one for all of your needs.
These Collapsible Storage boxes look so good slipped into a bookcase to hold little odds and ends of things, or paperbacks. They are 11 x 11 x 8 inches, so they would also look great in a closet holding sweaters or socks or a myriad of other things! They have an attached handle so you can easily grab hold of them and use them almost like a drawer.
I use zippered platic bags so much that I am always running out of them. You can get Glad Bags in all sizes from Dollar Tree. If you order them online, that is 20 boxes for $20! It would take me a while to run out of those!
We have a few left if you would like to purchase them!
Here is the cost sheet:
Orange Sweetness- $3 per bomb, $2 .50 for 2, 3 in a bag for $8. Lavendar Cold & Calming Lush has nothing on us! These are all natural, fizzing bath bombs. If I need to mail them, there will be a shipping charge. email me at 3winksdesign@gmail.com if you want some, or leave a comment.
Well, now I need to get busy and get organizing! Wish me luck.
I have posted a few different types of bread before, here is the Braided Bread recipe, and just last week I did Sprouted Whole Wheat Bread. My friend, Anita, over at Craftastico on Facebook, baked this super simple and quick loaf of bread taught to her by her friend Julie Bangart Newell. I told her how great it looked and she told me that I should make it and write about it on my blog! So, I did and it is just as good as she said. Since I was using our leftover ham bone from Christmas to make Navy Beans and Ham today, I felt like this bread would be the perfect accompaniment for it.
This recipe gave me an excellent reason to use my new Kitchen Aid! I have the tilt-head variety like this one. My daughter has the kind where the bowl lifts. Either one is terrific, it is a matter of personal preference. I also have a Bosch for mixing large quantities of bread, but when the recipe is only for a couple of loaves, the Kitchen Aid is just the ticket!
Here is Julie's simple recipe and a few picture tips. Push the button for the printable recipe and click the pictures for tips:
As you can see, my cookie sheets are becoming very well seasoned. I am thinking of replacing them. These Circulon ones have very good reviews on Amazon. Has anyone had any experience with them? In the meantime, I will still enjoy the fruits of my labors off of my old pans. I hope you try this recipe, it is great bread in about an hour.
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Creators of Hot Cocoa Bombs! (copyrighted)
Author
Helen Reynolds: Mother of six children , grandmother to eleven! I love to cook, craft and create things and I especially love doing that with my family, So, when my lawyer daughter, Lindsey, my artist daughter, Madalynn, and I came up with the idea of Hot Cocoa Bombs, this blog was born. Then, one more daughter, with her technical and science skills, plus creativity has joined in to round us out! Read more about us here! Archives
May 2024
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