New Ideas Using Tortillas

Did you know that  you could make traditional Greek, Italian, Polynesian and sushi recipes from tortillas?  Some friends and I have been testing recipes from 101 Uses for a Tortilla cookbook and were surprised at how creative this cookbook is.  They have taken very traditional regional foods and adapted them for use with tortillas.  Here are some of the foods.

Greek Spinach and Cheese Triangles (like Spanikopitas)

Tortilla Sushi Rolls

Apple Struedel (like Rugelach)

Some of the other recipes were for Cannelloni, Chocolate Raspberry Burritos (dessert, of course), Snowflakes (using a tortilla like a piece of folded paper and cutting with scissors into a snowflake and glazing with Nutella.  Kids would love doing this!), Hot Fudge Tostada (using the thicker, gordita-style tortilla and pressing them into ramekins, microwaving to get a cup shape bowl to hold ice cream, and Pigs in a Blanket (cutting the tortilla into a square, then wrapping around a hot dog stuffed with cheese and baking it).  It helped me think more creatively about the use of tortillas.  Hope you learned something new like I did!

Here's how the Spinach and Cheese Triangles are made:

1 cup chopped green onion

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 Tablespoons minced garlic

1 bag (16 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained and squeezed dry

2 cups crumbled feta cheese or queso fresco

2 eggs, beaten

6 large, thin flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Saute green onion in 1/4 cup butter for 1 minutes.  Add garlic and saute 2 minutes more.  Add spinach and stir frequently until all moisture evaporates.  Remove from heat.  Stir in cheese and eggs.  It will look like this:

,

Then fold into a triangle, like folding a flag.  Place on baking sheet, seam-side down.  Brush each tortilla with melted butter.  Bake 20 minutes, or until light golden brown.  Makes 18 triangles.

These have a great flavor, a little more substantial than the ones made with Phyllo dough, but less messy as these don't crumble in your hands.  Each one makes a substantial four-bite appetizers.

For more wonderful recipes and ideas click here for Designs by Gollum's Foodie Friday.

A Last Minute Witch Hat to Make

If you are in need of a witch's hat here's how you can make one real quick.  Take 2 sheets of black scrapbook cardstock (12' x 12").  Cut a round circle 12" out of the one.  Then in the center of that round circle cut another one that is 4".  This is your brim.  From the second one cut a triangle from the top edge corner to the middle of the side edge, curving the cut as you go. This will be the pointed part of the hat.  Bring 2 of the straight sides together to form the cone and glue together.  You may have to trim the curved edge to make it fit.  Then attach the cone to the brim by making little cuts all the way around the curved edge so the cone can be attached to the brim and glue the two parts together.  There you have it--a small witch hat.  Embellish with spiders dangling from the tip, and ribbon around the cone.
I used toilet tissue wrapper and cheesecloth.  You can spray the whole thing with Ink Refresher (buy it at the craft store) and kind of crunch the hat in your hand to make it look more like leather when it dries.
There are also sparkly press-on embellishments like ghosts and spider webs.

This makes a good size hat for a table decoration or to put on a small pumpkin or a little trick-or-treater or your cat!

Happy Halloween!

Be sure to sign up for my giveaway here.

A Gathering of Witches

Recently I walked into a room full of witches!!!

There were black hats

And purple hats

Orange hats

 

Blue and green hats

  

Scary hands and silly legs

Hats with spider webs, and some with birds or scarfs or boas

Or scary other things

And some with spiders big and small

A good time was had by all.


And even one that talked.






If you haven't signed up for my GIVEAWAY click here for details.  Only 2 more days left!

Simple Woman's Daybook

OCTOBER 26th

FOR TODAY...October 26th
Outside my window...the sound of sawing across the street that is from my neighbor's remodel that was started this month.  Three months is the contractor's goal.  My guess is 5 months--time will tell.

I am thinking...I am savoring every minute of today because it will be 62 degrees and looks like it will be the LAST day of fall.  The weather forcast is for SNOW tomorrow and Wednesday!

I am thankful for... for my friend's progress.  She is home from the hospital and feeling like her normal self after 3 months of infection and ICU stay.  Love and prayers work miracles!

I am wearing... my dark brown jeans, orange long sleeved T-shirt and brown tweed blazer.

I am remembering...how cute my three little girls were and how wonderful they all have turned out.

I am going...to go shopping with my daughter and granddaughter.  I have a 15% coupon from my favorite store. Yippee!!  And bringing Ella along will be our built-in timer so we don't spend too much or stay too long.

I am reading... 101 Things to do with a Tortilla.  I am teaching this class tomorrow night.


I am hoping... to get my two doors weatherstripped to keep me warm.

On my mind... women and friendships

Noticing that... the mountain is becoming less red and more brown with all the leaves falling.

Pondering these words... "Being a mother at any age is a blessing, but as we age and our children become interesting and productive adults we really begin to savor the joys of the harvest, the fruit of our labors.  How could we have known when they were young and the demands so constant that we would ever have the luxury of simply enjoying their loving companionship?"--Marjorie Pay Hinckley

From the kitchen... Pumpkin Molasses cupcakes made into mini pumpkins from yesterday.

Around the house... a lot of threads and scraps of material in the sewing room from a Christmas project on which I am working.

One of my favorite things- finding new uses for something old and also I love a bargain!  My daughter gave me a cute coin purse with a picture of a woman saying "Frugal is such an ugly word".  I broke out in laughter when I read it.

From my picture journal...

To read more daybook entries click here.

If you haven't signed up for my giveaway click here.  It ends Thursday.  Good luck!

Giveaway and Tablescape Thursday and Foodie Friday

I can't believe I have done 100 posts!  I have learned a lot, been frustrated plenty and wish I knew more, but at any rate I have made three fun things for my first giveaway. (1)A cute paper banner that spells out Happy Birthday with a cute diecut crown separating the two words.

(2)An adorable apron for all the cute cooks out there.  It is colorful and stylish with all its ruffles and different fabrics.

(3)And a cute and colorful banner that spells out Celebrate.  It has a cute little diecut at the end that says "It's a Party" perfect for any occasion or for your craft room or kitchen if you like.

There are three ways to enter:
1.  Leave me a comment.
2.  Become a follower of mine and let me know it. (2 entries)
3.  Blog about my giveaway . (2 entries)
This giveaway is open until October 29 when a random winner will be chosen.  Good luck to all of you!

Now, for my tablescape for this week.  This was at a friends house who does a themed luncheon every month for birthday women who have a birthday that month.

She went all out.  It was spooky and festive with silver chargers and alternating black and green plates.  She saw the plates in California and her husband said she could only buy 3 of them.  To appease him she bought the 3 and then asked her daughter to buy her the rest of the amount she wanted!  The goblets are all green plastic.  I think from Target  The centerpiece was really all over the table with spiderweb fabric and skeletons, and spiders and black candelabra and large witch hat taking center stage.  At each place was individual coffins that she had made for each guest. The directions for the coffins are from Martha a couple of years ago. She served a lovely Chinese Chicken Salad, fresh pears and grapes, hot homemade crescent rolls (recipe below) and warm apple cake with Caramel Sauce.  It was a fun and festive dinner with no work on my part.  Thank goodness for wonderful friends!
Crescent Rolls
2 cups warm water
1 Tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 c. powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup shortenig or butter
6 1/2 to 7 cups flour
Put all in bread mixer and mix for 5-8 minutes.  Let rise for 1 hour.  Divide dough in half.  Roll each section out in a circle and cut with a pizza cutter like a pie into 12 pieces.  Roll up from large to small end.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Brush with butter after baking.  Makes 2 dozen rolls.

I am linking to Tablescape Thursday and Foodie Friday with this post.  Please visit these lovely hostesses Susan at Between Naps on the Porch and Michael at Designs by Gollum for more tablescapes and wonderful recipes.

The Great Pumpkin Hunt

There are so many pumpkins waiting to be chosen.

There are so many it is a hard decision.  Each one has his/her idea of their ideal size and shape desired.

Nick and Hayley look together.  Hayley makes her selection early in the game.

 

Hannah looks at each one carefully.  This is a very important decision, you know!

 Ella just wants her picture taken and enjoys all the pumpkins.

After looking at all the pumpkins Hannah cannot decide and gets some advice where to look from mom.

Time for a little picture taking,

Dad advises Hannah.

Mom and Hannah have their picks!

Nick picks a big one.

Ella picks a big one too.

Oh, oh, Hannah changes her mind and puts hers back!

Waiting, waiting for Hannah to choose another.

 

Meanwhile Ella finds a baby one she falls in love with.

Hannah is still looking.

Finally, she finds the perfect one (again) and adds it to the wagon,

Hayley was ready to go hours ago so she pulls the wagon full of the best pumpkins.

And the winners are.............!!!!