Craft Madness and some yum...

Molly and I were super productive during our crafting sessions this weekend.I am not sure why we did not take any pictures of our fellow crafters...I will be sure to next time!

These are Thanksgiving wreaths that we made for her teachers and a few friends...

 Molly colored the stamped images for her teachers' wreaths...she did such a great job!

 These are the make-and-takes Molly and I made...

We really did have a great time!  The ladies that run the crop are so nice, the people that come to crop are as well...everyone is friendly, willing to share ideas and supplies, and there to have a good time.

Yesterday I made my version of birrea and simple spanish rice.  Both of them turned out really good, not as good as my mother-in-law makes, but good enough for being healthier versions of hers.

Birrea...what's in it...

• Super lean stew beef
• 2 Cans of Chicken Broth
• 1 Container of my mother-in-law's homemade chile sauce...I will post the recipe next time she comes.
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

Birrea...how to cook it...

• In a large stock pot, heat oil
• Trim all visible fat from beef...I use scissors to make it easier
• Salt & Pepper each piece
• Brown beef on all sides in olive oil
• If there is still a lot of oil in the pan...you can discard it, but keep the browned bits from the bottom of the pan
• Add chicken broth
• Add chile sauce
• Bring to a boil...then let simmer for a few hours
• Mix a tablespoon or two of cornstarch with about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid
• Add mixture to the pot and stir
• Bring back to a boil...then let simmer for a few more hours
• Once the meat is tender...shred with a fork and put back in pot...stir into sauce...done

Rice...what's in it...

• Jasmine rice & Water...equal parts
• Roma tomatoes
• Jarred garlic
• Chicken bullion powder

Rice...how to cook it...

** I have never been good at cooking rice, instant or regular, until I bought a rice cooker...I love it!!! **

• Pre-cook rice in rice cooker...I used 1 1/2 cups of rice & 1 1/2 cups of water
• In blender...add tomatoes (I used 5), garlic (1 1/2 tsps), and chicken bullion powder (1 tbs)
• Blend until smooth consistency
• Heat a frying pan with sides high enough to stir...medium~high
• Add tomato mixture
• Add rice
• Stir until all of the tomato sauce is absorbed into the rice...done.

We ate ours with corn tortillas...so good!