Ducle De Leche and Bourbon Sauce and Rum Sauce

I present you three easy sauces or ice cream, or cheesecake, or pineapple upside down cake, or bread pudding, or to dip apples in, or because it's raining outside and you want to eat it on a spoon or because it's Tuesday. 

 

Dulce De Leche: Heat 1 can Dulce De Leche in microwave safe bowl for 30 to 45 seconds.  spread it on the cheesecake, or add a few drops of milk to thin and pour over cake, ice cream, cheesecake, etc.  

 

Authentic Recipe: https://www.piesandtacos.com/how-to-make-dulce-de-leche-without-condensed-milk/

 

Knock off Dulce De Leche:  Remove label from a can of sweetened condensed milk.  place the sealed can in a large pot of water.  Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 3 hours. CHECK YOUR WATER level every 30 minutes or so and make sure the can is ALWAYS covered with water. I've seen people do this in a slow cooker to but I've never tried it that way. There is also an oven method, but I've never tried that either. At the 3 hour point, turn off the heat and go do something for several hours.  you MUST allow the water AND can cool together. Do NOT remove the can until it's completely cooled.  If you can grab it with your bare hand, and it's not still warm, it's done cooling.  If it's even a little bit warm, go away and come back later.

Rum or Bourbon Sauce:

 

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons Bourbon or Dark Rum  

Melt butter, sugar and heavy cream over low heat. Stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. allow to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.  Remove from heat and SLOWLY add the bourbon/rum. Stir completely. Serve warm.  (you can make this without the heavy cream it is just a little runnier).

So many things!

I've done so much in the past year.  Got divorced.  Found a new version of the old me.  Tried new recipes.  Explored new places.  Learned how to fix things, like the bathroom sink handle that wouldn't turn, frame and sheetrock a window, mud and tape a bedroom, convert a sprinkler system to a drip system (thank you You-Tube!), tile a backsplash in my kitchen!  Read new books. 

So many things!

And all of these things are just milling around in my brain. 

So I shall share them.  Because if I had to look them up, someone else probably did too. 

You guys are so lucky to have me! 

Kidding.

Sorta. 

3 Hip Hop Moves For Fitness

Exercise is very important to physical and mental fitness. Second only to your diet, getting proper exercise is essential in your quest for a healthy body. However, there are some people who dread the very idea of going to a gym. A stationary bike is going nowhere in their book and an elliptical is out of the question. These people struggle the most with weight loss and acquiring a fit body. The trick is finding a way to work your body and burn calories, while you are having fun. They have conquered the concept of healthy eating and treats are usually reserved for sugar-free candy which is tasty and easy to have on hand.

The Hip Hop Craze!

Just as they tell you to wear the proper attire to the gym, you should wear the proper attire to Hip Hop dance. This tells your brain you are getting serious and it makes you feel great. You can wear a leotard, or if you are more comfortable, a cool pair of dance pants with a matching top. This tells your mind it is time to play and work-out.

Beyonce’s Bounce and Flick

This is a great warm up step. It is incredibly easy to do. It goes to an eight count. You begin turned to the side. You will bend your knees a little and you are going to wave your arms to the front of you curling all your fingers except the index finger and thumb on each hand.

As the music begins, you will bounce by bending your knees and rocking forward and then backward without moving your feet. You will count each bounce (forward) 1. Backward bounce 2. (forward again) three. On the count of four, you will bring your hands around to the front of you with your index finger and thumb extended (like a gun) and point to the ground. Now repeat the next four bounces. This is your eight count. 4 count bounce - point - 4 count bounce -point. You will notice this is a move Beyonce does quite well.

The Squat And Pop

This is a great exercise step for the legs and the rear.

Stand with your legs and feet pointed slightly out and wide apart. Squat until your knees are bent and your legs partially lowered. Place your hands on your hips. As you move your body down, you will turn your elbows in toward the stomach, pushing your stomach in and rounding the back. As you ride (never straighten the legs) move the elbows in the same movement while pushing the stomach forward. Here’s how.

The Body Roll

This is a simple step that is in most routines. This is a simple body roll. With knees slightly bent and arms in a forward semi-circle in the front of the body, on the count of 5 you will move the stomach in and out quickly, and turn your entire body to the left of where you begin. On count 10, you will continue your body roll until you have made a complete circle with the entire body.

With a little practice, you will master these moves and that will improve your life.

(Guest Post)

This poor blog

Gets no love.  No respect.  I've neglected it for so long. 

However, I did try a new recipe over the weekend, Chicken Tortilla Soup.  It was delicious.  I will post the recipe this week.  Because it was that good.  And because it was that good, I'll make it again. 

So, one way or another, I'm going to get back into blogging. 

See you soon!

Quicky dinner

Let me tell you about one night a few weeks ago.  I was tired and bored and not really feeling like making anything for dinner; and, I didn't have a lot to work with as it were, so I was feeling a big desperate too.

It has been a rough road recovering from the Bar exam, starting a new job, gaining weight, then losing it, etc.

I looked in the pantry and all I could see were bags of rice, some spaghetti sauce, a can of cream of mushroom soup, a few bags of cereal and two bottles of soy sauce.  Yum.

The kids were whining because they're starving (they are ALWAYS starving by the way) and The Man was claiming hunger pains to the Nth degree.

In the freezer I found a pound of frozen shredded cheese, a pound of hamburger and a bag of tater tots.

WALA! An idea struck.

I chopped the only onion I had, sauteed it in a little butter, then added the now defrosted hamburger, seasoned with some garlic salt and pepper, and browned it up like I was making taco meat.

While the burger was browning, I took to the task of spraying a 9x13 cake pan with non stick spray. Then I stood each of those cute little tater tots on end and lined that pan all sorts of orderly.  And pretty.

When the burger was done, I drained the excess grease and added my large can of cream of mushroom soup and a 1/2 cup of milk.  When the soupy burger mixture was hot and steamy, I poured it across the tots and then added a layer of shredded cheese to the top.

I baked it at 400° for about 40 minutes.  When the dinger went off, I proclaimed dinner was served.

The 16 year old wouldn't eat it.  The 18 year old said it was delicious. The Man and I decided it was good enough to fill us up but it wasn't going on the permanent what sounds good for dinner menu.

But, it was quick, easy and didn't take a lot of effort.  I call that a win.

Stress Relief of the quick and dirty kind

Can we talk about relaxing? I don’t mean take the day off work and have a spa day – although I would be all over that opportunity if it came my way.  No, I’m talking about relaxing in a very primal, albeit quicker kind of way for those of us who work full time, raise babies (and by babies I mean, kids, dogs, husbands).  Let’s talk about toys; Toys of the, cough*adult*cough variety.  I like toys. Because sometimes, I girl just needs a couple two, three, 20 minutes to herself for some immediate stress relief. And if that stress relief is waterproof also, BONUS!

Next on the agenda

So, now that I've passed the Bar, I think I'll read a few books.  Write a few reviews.  Try out some new recipes. And maybe have my nephew teach me how to play guitar. Then I would understand when he says things to me like "It would be awesome if you bought me some rotosound strings for my birthday.” And I would not have to look at him with that blank stare and ask what the heck does a rotosound string do?  Oy.