Welcome to my ramblings about central coast summers: foggy mornings, sunny lunches and windy afternoons followed by more fog.  Sometimes we can see the moon and the stars and those nights I bundle up and sit outside to take it in. We also drink hot chocolate in the winter as we tend to have fog then too and rain. If you love the four seasons, this area is not for you we have spring or fall (without the stunning leaves) all year round. Below the recipe variations and history are included. Buen Provecho!
 
 
Mexican Hot Chocolate
  
1 wafer of Mexican chocolate (Abuela, Carlos VI, etc.)
1 cinnamon stick*
1 11 oz. can of evaporated milk**
2 cans of water (about 4 cups)
 
(If you can’t find Mexican chocolate, boil together 3 Tbsp cocoa powder, 6 Tbsp sugar and half the water as a first step making sure it boils and then simmers for 5 minutes to produce a syrup from the sugar chocolate mixture.)
 
In a double boiler or in a saucepan while stirring constantly, heat water with the chocolate and cinnamon until the chocolate melts.  Add the milk and heat to serving temperature.
 
*Can be rinsed and reused. The price of cinnamon has increased and the smoothness this adds cannot be replaced by powdered variety.
 
**To use milk alternatives, omit the water and use only the soy, almond, etc. It will be thinner and not as creamy. Not all non-milk creamers will work, I would add them later, so make it more chocolatey so you can add creamers. A lactose enzyme works too just before drinking it.
 
By melting the chocolate in water the chance of scorching is much less because it doesn’t take long to heat the milk.  This makes a rich chocolate drink.  I sometimes add a little more chocolate. This recipe is a Ramirez Family favorite. It is much richer than the hot chocolate served in Northern California and less rich than many served in Mexico and Spain.  I developed the coco powder version for Girl Scout Camping trips the Mexican Chocolate bars can get pricey for large groups. I was a leader and trainer during college and economy was necessary. Also, I am not tempted to eat the bars as chocolate. Especially Carols VI!
 
Category: International, Childrens Favorites & Young Adult Favorites
Las Abuelitas Recipe Collection

Please, Please,..... Start moving into the community with care!! it isn't over. I can't beleive how time has flown and it has been 2 months since I posted. Without my regular routine and to be honest fear of the unknown. I have gotten a lot of  gardening done, my stress buster. Right now I am up to my ears in Blackberries, Apples, Plums and nurturing a garden that is thriving for the first time in years.....so sorry for not writing more. 

Thanks to the state of California for the restaurant meals program for seniors to assist restaurants in getting back to normal! I promise to be back sooner than later. I owe several individuals recipes!

Gluten Free Piña Colada Upside-Down Cake
Happy Mother’s Day to all nurturing women and men in our lives. This recipe takes me back to childhood and I have had a box of yellow gluten free cake mix in my pantry that just needed to become pineapple upside down cake. My mom, Irene was not a frequent baker, she made her famous Valentines Day cake and Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, my Aunt Irene was. It was always a staple at all potluck throughout my career in aging. Maybe someday I will make this recipe with grilled fresh pineapple which became one of the two ways to eat fresh pineapple. Don’t use fresh pineapple as it can affect the set up of the syrup.  Again, celebrate with this treat today or soon!

Serves 8-16
Ingredients:
Syrup & Topping
¼ cup non-dairy butter-flavored spread, such as Earth Balance (dairy choice: butter)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup (or cook down the pineapple syrup or juice in can until thick)
9 slices pineapple, drained (fresh, or from 16 or 20-oz. can of pineapple in 100% juice, unsweetened.)
9 maraschino cherries, drained
 
Cake Gluten Free NonDairy version:
1 box (15 oz.) Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
1/3 cup coconut oil (or 1/3 cup flavorless vegetable oil, or ½ cup softened butter)
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
 
Cake Elsa’s version of pudding cake:
1 box (15 oz.) Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
1/2 cup creamed butter or oil
8 oz creamed tofu
½ cup orange or pineapple jc or buttermilk
1 Tbs vanilla
3 eggs
Opt. add toasted coconut at serving or add coconut to the batter if not using coconut milk and oil otherwise change name.
 
Directions
Read Directions depending on ingredients used.
 
Preheat oven to 350° F. In 9-inch cake pan, melt ¼ cup non-dairy buttery spread in oven. Stir in brown sugar and corn syrup; spread evenly in pan. Arrange pineapple slices on brown sugar mixture, place cherry in center of each pineapple slice. (To make the design pictured here, cut the pineapple slices into 6-8 arc-shaped pieces each, start with a tight ring of pineapple arcs around a central cherry, and build out with cherries and half-circles from there.)

In a large bowl, first cream coconut oil if it has hardened. Then add rest of cake ingredients, and blend. (If using a liquid oil, omit first mixing and simply blend all ingredients. If using butter, it could use the initial mixing to make sure it’s soft and fluffy.). Beat all ingredients on low speed 30 seconds until combined, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
Scoop batter using a #16 or #24 carefully over pineapple and cherries, trying not to disturb the pattern; the carefully with a metal spatula join batter gaps until it is even and smooth without disturbing the topping below. The cake tends to keep the shape of the uncooked batter when it goes into the oven because of its thickness

Bake 38 to 43 minutes or until surface is golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Immediately run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Place heatproof serving plate upside down onto pan; turn plate and pan over together. Leave pan over cake 5 minutes so brown sugar topping can drizzle over cake. Carefully remove pan; cool 30 minutes.
Notes: from original author: Do not use 8-inch square pan as there will be too much batter and it will not bake all the way through. (A 10-inch round pan also works.) Serve warm or cool. Store covered in refrigerator. Best eaten in 2 days as it will absorb sauce and get soggy over time. 
​
Addendum from Elsa: Use a generous pan no matter which type you use as all my square rectangle and round pans are different thicknesses. Often trying this in different pans until you find the one you like best in your collection for this recipe. If you have too much batter mini cakes or cupcakes made in 4 oz pyrex always let the baker taste it.
Adapted from https://www.hodgsonmill.com/blogs/blog/gluten-free-pina-colada-upside-down-cake by Dr. Elsa Ramirez-Brisson, RDN to celebrate Mother’s Day 2020

This recipe was requested by one of my former interns at La Cocina Bakery.....Here you are and success in baking more memories. The other favorite at the bakery were the oatmeal, cranberry and pecan cookies. This month the Pritkin Newletter recommended  eight foods to beat stress and Oats were on it. Probably not all as cookies but definitely for the once a day sweet these should hit the spot. 

Super Chocolate Chippers
 
HOMEMADE COOKIES ARE BEST .... BUILDING CHILDHOOD MEMORIES AND RELEIVE ADULT STRESS!
 
This recipe is an adaptation from the Urban Legend on the internet about the Nieman Marcus Cookie and a core staple at La Cocina Rusa. What makes it different and so rich are the 3 types of chocolate included:  3 regular Hersey bars or buy milk chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips. I use mini and regular semi-sweet chips, and then alternate between milk chocolate chips or the candy bar, it depends on what I have on hand. It makes for a Wow chocolate flavor.  The nuts can be left out or varied. I use pecans and folks in California take notice as walnuts are more common here.
 
Makes 3 dozen
 
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 ½ cups blended oatmeal*
12 oz. chocolate chips (1 cup each of mini and regular chips)
½ tsp salt
4 oz. grated or chopped Hershey Bar (approximately 3 regular bars)
1 ½ cups chopped nuts (pecans drive folk’s nuts)
1 tsp vanilla extract (I use a TB)
1 cup butter
 
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. (Try 350?)
 
In a blender pulse the oatmeal 1 ¼ cups at a time to make a coarse flour.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars, until creamy; then add eggs one at a time and vanilla.  In another bowl sift together flour, baking soda and salt; then add oatmeal*, nuts and chocolate; and add to the butter mixture, stirring to combine.
 
Form cookies using a commercial portioning scoop, red #24 or a rounded tablespoon. Slightly flatten the balls. Different type pans use different preparation: commercial baking sheet with baking paper or a stone baking sheet. (All of these recommend different treatments for greasing the pan). Bake cookies for 10 -14 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Remove from the oven and cool on the pan until they can be moved to a wire rack.
 
Completely cooled cookies can be frozen or kept for one week in a tightly sealed container.  

This Salad is one of my all time saples and I can't belerive I have not posted it here yet. There is the long version you use dried beand and cook them fresh--my favorite as the bean has a texture to it! As I did this week, pulled my earthquack emergency cans out of the pantry and used goya beans. Not all canned beans are made the same, make sure they are not too soft. In each area different brands will be available. I just find the qualilty steady with these. 

As we are still in Shelter in Place in CA I took a bit of freedom in the veggies inlcuded but I really like the 3-4 colours of sweet peppers in the original recipe. Yesterday I had 2 yellow and 1 green bell pepper so I added a chopped carrot that I microwaved for about 20 seconds to take a bit of the hardness away. This makes any salad a complete meal and by itself it is a great meal or side. I take it to potlucks frequently but also my favorite dish for a week worth of lunches to go. 

​BLACK AND WHITE BEAN SALAD
Serves 12 more or less
 
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups drained black beans (or 1 can)
1 1/2 cups drained white beans (or 1 can)
2-4 chopped green onions
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup diced celery
 
Dressing:
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp Italian Spice Mix
1/4 tsp black pepper
 
 Directions: 
Mix all the ingredients and let them work for a couple of hours in a bowl.
 
Tip-Using dried beans and cooking them separately can save between 100-200 mg of sodium if you use less than 1 tsp salt per pot and added it at the end of cooking for maximum taste. Dried bean measure would be 1 cup each color.
 *Recipe attached with Nutritional Analysis
 
Recipe from Food FUNdamentals and analyzed by Community Nutrition Education Services Inc.
Served at Broomball Day at Hartnell College May 17, 2014. 

New links and a phone in option added. Sorry for the late notice but I have been working on it and now it is set to repeat every month on the Second Monday. Each month for safety there will be a new group sign in link. Also you will be ushered into a waiting room until I bring you in. I want to make this as safe as possible but still post the links on this web site. In the future we may use a registration process but right now as we are getting this launched and growing, I am making it simple for both of us. 

I am being asked what program or topics are we going to do, this is not a class but a group that comes together to talk about wellness. I expect each month the group members will come from various social groups and areas plus often the topic is inspired by what the media is throwing at us and right now I am sure we will spend part of the time tlaking about COVID-19 and Shelter in Place. The important thing is to stay calm, rest, do activities that bring joy, eat your friuits and vegetables,   definitely sleep 8 hours but also do phyiscal activities such as stretching, aerobics (walking, gardening, jump rope, etc) and stay hydrated.

Watch for my Easter Cooking plan or results, not sure how much blogging I will do this weekend because it is my Anniversary!

Buen Provecho!

 Check out my March 23 predication. I actually made it to 16 days plus a vegetable draw full of produce. I did toss one cup of broccoli florets, not smelling great. The butcher had such nice celery and cabbage I picked it up there instead of making another stop later in the week and now we are good until sometime next week. I know many news programs are telling you to come home and wash your vegetables but that shortens their life span. Keep them separate from each other, in the bags you bring them home in. Wash your hands after putting them away, before you prep them, etc. Only cut one item on the cutting board then change boards or wash that one, including the knife. Today I shot photos of my refridgerator. It's interesting how the menu planning and shopping is evolving as we stay home full time. I am definitely clearing the pantry and freezer. This weeks treat will be making our traditional Russian Salmon and Cabbage wrapped in flakey buttery crust for Easter which happens to be our Anniversary. I was all ready to celebrate and guess it is turning out to be a very private event. I will host a toast with family and friends at 3pm.  

What surprises are you discovering in going back to the 1950's when eating at home was the norm vs exception? Jerry and I both selected eating out as what we miss the most and it is not all about the food but the experience. Saving all my gasoline savings for eating out more when this is over....I hope there are places to eat. My heart goes out to all my food safety customers.