Sane Cooking ~ Fresh Ceviche

As I've told you, my husband loves to go fishing.  With his extra-curricular activity that has him taking to the sea, I get a lot of fresh fish in this house.  One of our favorite recipes to make with the fish my husband catches is ceviche.  


Ceviche is a dish native to Central and South America.  It is typically made from fresh fish marinated in citrus juices.  The acid from the lemon or lime actually "cooks" the fish, so it's not like eating sushi. 

When you have fresh fish, this recipe is VERY simple to make!  The amount of the ingredients differs depending on how much ceviche you are making.


Fresh Ceviche

Ingredients:

Fresh fish fillets cut in 1/2 inch pieces (we used Mahi Mahi straight from the Bahamas)
1/2 Vidalia onion (diced)
4 stalks of celery (diced)
1/2 red, green, yellow or orange pepper (diced)
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice  (about 6-8)
Tabasco
salt & pepper to taste

Other possible ingredients:

Avacado
Cilantro
Red Onion
Tomato

Preparation:

Add fish, onion, celery, peppers, and Tabasco to a non-reactive bowl (glass or ceramic).  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover with the lime juice.  

The lime does the "cooking."

Let sit covered in the refrigerator for an hour, then stir, making sure more of the fish gets exposed to the acidic lime juice.  Let sit for several hours, giving time for the flavors to blend.

During the marinating process, the fish will change from pinkish grey and translucent, to whiter in color and opaque.  

Serve with tortilla chips or just eat from the bowl!







Alexis

My Time Suck....

I know this happens to everyone, but I get so frustrated with myself when I'm online and trying to work.  My time gets sucked away from me because I just can't keep my attention on what I'm supposed to be doing!


This was my time sucking pattern today:

I always start my online work with checking my emails to see if there is anything that's important that I need to address right away.  I received my daily email post update from my friend Leticia Barr of Tech Savvy Mama.  I clicked on her link to read about her latest adventure at Universal Studios and the new Minion Mayhem ride.  As I completed writing my comment on her post, I decided to look around her site.  I clicked on her "About" page and read about her many accolades.  At the bottom she described that she is the co-founder of Straight-Up Crafty.  So, of course, I clicked on the link.  

What's the first thing I see?  A purse of course (a market tote to be exact).  So I read the post.  I left a comment and then proceeded to click on the link for the Etsy shop IndependentReign that sells the purse. There I found MANY things that I have to buy myself.  While on Etsy, I decided to see what was new in the jewelery world.  That led me to jewelery storage & organization.

Then I thought, "I can make that...there must be directions on Pinterest."  Yup.  I did.  I went to Pinterest and of course spent a good 3 hours there just pinning away.  

That's when I looked at the clock on my computer and realized that it was 5pm and I hadn't even started dinner yet. 



 
Alexis

My Man and The Sea

Since my husband is the Exhausted Dad, one of the ways he likes to relax is by deep sea fishing with his friends. When we first started dating, he would go every weekend.  Lately, it hasn't been as frequent as it once was, but he still goes every chance he gets.

His family tells stories of fishing when he was little.  The best story is when he wouldn't let go of a fish he caught.  He took a nap with it still in his arms!  That's love.  

These deep sea fishing trips usually take him around Miami, The Keys, and the Bahamas.  Different times of the year yield different types of fish.  

His most recent trip was to catch fresh yellowfin tuna and dolphin (not "Flipper," the Mahi Mahi kind).  YUMMY!!  There is no shortage of fresh fish around here.  We are really spoiled.  (So spoiled that there are times when I'm actually tired of eating fish!)

My favorite...Tuna Sashimi fresh from the ocean!

Over the next few weeks, I will be featuring different fresh fish dishes that we like to make for my Sane Cooking segments.  I'm open to any and all suggestions for recipes.  Love to keep it fresh!






Alexis

Essie Nail Polish ~ Summer Collection

I love to indulge in "me time."  Who doesn't?  I deserve it.  I work.  I have kids, a husband, and a house to take care of.  So my one regular indulgence that I partake in is getting my nails done.  

I am apparently addicted to pink nail polishes.  I swear I must own like 15 different shades of pink.  They range from light to hot to deep.  

I usually have my nails painted in a light pink, like Essie's Ballet Slippers.  I save the "fun" pinks for my toes.  For some reason, bright colors on my hands make me nervous and I tend to put them in my mouth (former nail biter...I admit it).  

Recently, I purchased Essie's Summer Collection.  It's a box of four mini nail polishes from a collection.  Mini is the perfect size in case you get aren't sure if you like a color.  

The colors for this summer have really cute names, as all Essie's nail polishes do.  Each of these new summer colors have a slight shimmer to them.  There's Sunday Funday.  This tangerine coral crush polish helps me to veer from my normal pink.  Naughty Nautical is a marine blue-green color.  Full Steam Ahead is a medium toned lilac shade.  And then there's The More The Merrier; it's a lime green color...so fun!

These colors are so bright and cheery...they totally fit my mood this summer.  (Fun and carefree!)  My plan is to pick a different one of these polishes each time I get my mani & pedi.   

I started with The More the Merrier.  COMPLETELY out of my comfort zone!!  I'm loving it though and definitely adding new colors to my repertoire! 

Are you a nail polish dare devil or do you stick to the same shade every time?  What's your favorite Essie color? 




Alexis

Sane Cooking ~ Pasta Fagioli

My Nanny was the greatest woman that I have ever known.  She was so direct and not withholding of any of her thoughts or opinions.  (I wish I were more like that.)

Even though she didn't think so, she was a great cook as well.  She liked to make what she called, "peasant food."  Italian dishes that don't cost a lot of money, but can fill you up and feed a lot of people.  One of my favorite dishes is pasta fagioli, which is essentially pasta with beans.  


This is one of those dishes that I like to make when I'm pressed for time or ideas.  Let's be honest, when it's 6 o'clock and I haven't even started thinking of what to make for dinner.  I keep the ingredients on hand for such cases.


Pasta Fagioli 
(a la Nanny)
 
Ingredients:

1 can cannolini beans (drained) 
1/2 can diced cut tomatoes
1/2 lb small pasta (I like Ditalini)
1-2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
2 TBL olive oil

Preparations:

Boil pasta according to the directions on the box.  Save some of the pasta water after straining.

Sauté garlic in olive oil.  Be careful not to let the garlic brown.  

Add the tomatoes and cook a few minutes in pan.  Then add the drained cannelini beans.  Cook for a few minutes longer to allow the beans to retain the flavor of the tomatoes and garlic.

Combine all ingredients in serving dish.  Top with some of the remaining pasta water.  

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.  

Buon Apetito!




Alexis

Toni Braxton Performing Live in Miami

"Then I shall never breathe again.  Breathe again, breathe again...." This is the song that came right to the front of my mind when I heard about Toni Braxton coming in concert.  Then I started walking around the house trying to mimic her signature deep tones.  Needless to say I was getting weird looks from my husband and kids. (Maybe I don't sound like I think I do in my head...hmmmm....)

Toni Braxton first came on the R&B scence in 1992 with her "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" single on the Boomerang soundtrack. (That movie is still one of my all time favs..."I gotta mushroom shirt, a mushroom belt....")

Not only do I admire Toni Braxton for her natural musical talents, but also because of her ability to handle her singing, acting, and reality TV career, all while being a mother of two boys (I can relate).  One of her sons has been diagnosed with Autism.  It can't be easy, but Toni sure does make it look that way!  Three cheers to another exhausted mom!

Well, Ms. Braxton will be showcasing her new songs as well as the older tunes that we all know and can sing along with...it will be amazing!  Who's going?

 

To purchase tickets visit: http://bit.ly/13DrU59 or call: 1 (800)745-3000

Tickets are also available for purchase at Wal-Mart stores and at select Simon Mall locations.

Alexis