What nots and a recipe

Here we are Sunday again. It is cold over here. It dipped down to 36 degrees last night and windy. That wind sure was biting. Somedays I think I am ready for our hot temps and other days I dont think I am.

The work week wasnt bad at all. The kid that they hired got fired on Monday. He was very irresponsible. I liked him but he sure needed alot of growing up to do. In a way it felt like we were babysitting. After he left, things seemed to go smooth and we just went along. We had had some real nice spring days before we got slammed with thunderstorms. The storms were only here fer one day to make it a mess n all.

I didnt make it to my country place this weekend. I had other obligations so last night and today I just piddled with some more DC applications.

I hadda go to the grocery store this morning and I always have to go through the magazine section. I have a friend who loves Suduku but no matter how many times she has tried to explain it to me today I decided to learn on my own how to play. I bought a Suduku lil book and a Variety game/puzzle book. I love brain teasers so this should keep me busy fer a looooong time. So far I am liking Suduku but my favorite are the Fill-ins..the ones that are numbers. Am I gettin old?

Since I have been inside all day long, I decided to cook something today. I didnt really know what I wanted so when I was at the grocery store the chicken thighs were on sale and I brought some with me. I decided to make a mexican dish called Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice). My Gramma made it the best and I learned from her how to make it. I remember when I was learning how to cook mexican rice I wasted alot of it because she would tell me not to stir it to just leave it alone and the first thing i did when she turned her back to walk away was stir it. I felt like it needed it then it ended up like mush. She would tell me "I told you not to stir it." I swore she had eyes in the back of her head. I miss her so much. So today I was thinking of her and this was one of her favorite meals and so I made some and thought I would share the recipe for those of you who have never made it before.

First you get everything you're gonna use ready on the counter.

As follows:
-1cup to 1 1/4 cup med-long grain rice
-1/2 to one cup onion diced of yer choice..i use yellow
-1/2 cup of diced green pepper
-1 tsp. of minced/pasty cumin and garlic
-about 6oz or 8oz tomato sauce
-1 tbsp Knorrs Caldo de Pollo -bouillon powder
-6 chicken thighs boiled and deboned
or one half boiled chicken deboned
-1/4 cup of oil or lard
-have broth of boiled chicken within reach
-a fresh pot of pinto beans

*Before I begin, I would like to note that I grind my garlic and cumin with a molcajete' that was passed down to me was my great great Grampa's. If you dont have one thats ok you can use powdered cumin and garlic or cut slit yer garlic down the middle to allow juices to release.*

*click pics to enlarge image

First yer gonna put yer oil or lard in a deep pot and heat it on about medium heat but dont scorch it. When it is hot put in yer rice and onion. It will fizzle and you have to stir it because we wanna brown it. Sometimes it takes a while to brown but once it begins to brown it should go quick. Stir it. It should start looking like this:
When most of it is browned turn on yer vent cuz next we're gonna shock it with some chicken broth. Ladle about 4 ladle fulls of broth in the rice..its gonna fizzle, freak out, hiss, bubble, etc. You want enough broth in it that its gonna drown the rice about 1 1/2 inch. Then put yer tomato sauce, green pepper in. Stir it to mix evenly. Put in yer cumin and garlic, stir. Put in some Knorrs bouillon to yer taste. It is salty so easy does it. Stir. Put in yer chicken, stir. Add more broth to drown chicken. Should look like this:
Put it on a med-high heat and let it kinna boil up fer about 3 minutes then turn the heat down to about less than medium heat. Cover. Do not stir anymore. Keep an eye on it cause now the broth will start to evaporate and ya gotta keep puttin' some more in like a ladle or two at a time. With a thin utensil you can gently divide thru the rice and chicken to make sure its not burning at the bottom but dont stir. This is ready when rice is ready. I like to keep my rice wet/soupy. Some people like it a lil drier but when its wet its tastier to me. When done it should look something like this:

This is how I eat mine..pinto beans, a tortilla, a lil hot sauce on top, and a cold Chelada.
This is a very hardy and tasty dish and cheap too. The more you make it the more you will find what you like more or less of something. Tooooo much garlic or cumin can kill this dish. You can add more as its cooking and taste juice till just right.

Enjoy and let me know if you have any questions.

Ok, back to my Suduku puzzle now.

Until next time, see you on the backroads.