Hey, listen everybody (read: Monika), I took your advice and spent last weekend cooking.
You know what?! Therapeutic. I highly recommend it. If you enjoy cooking, that is. And I do.
I love pretending I’m an Iron Chef or a Chopped contestant and churn out dishes after dishes, all within seconds (read: regular earthly cooking time).
Suffice it to say I did good. I fed my family home-cooked meals for the entire weekend. I’m planning to do more cooking marathon this weekend, too. My fridge has been fully stocked.
My only hope is that I can find the time to post and share the recipes with you. But even if I don’t, there will be enough recipes shared around here. Just look below:
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These are some of the links that caught our attention:
Matcha Cakes Baked in Origami Boxes from Ai @ Ai Made It For You
“How adorable are these?! Such nifty idea, too. Here’s my chance to finally use my matcha powder and try out my origami skill!” — Angie
Spelt Focaccia with Rosemary from Jenny @ Dragonfly Home Recipes
“In her focaccia recipe Jenny shows how spelt flour can be a super nutritious and delicious nutty alternative to standard flour. I would happily eat this bread with soup like Jenny but it would also taste great solo with just some olive oil. A great example of comfort food with a healthy twist.” — Laura
Leek Tarte Tatin from Petra @ Food Eat Love
“Leeks are one of the best prebiotic foods – which means they’re good for your gut bacteria. So I was very happy to see Petra using leeks as the hero ingredient in two recipes this week. This tarte tartin combines leek with yummy goats cheese and puff pastry and could easily be adapted to be vegetarian by leaving out the pancetta. A great recipe.” — Laura
Low Cal Strawberry Firni from Sandhya @ Indfused
“As a big fan of Indian savoury cooking this recipe from Sandhya caught my eye. I usually put Indian desserts in the too hard or too naughty basket but this strawberry packed dessert is good for you and easy to make. A winner on both counts!” — Laura
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Now, let’s party! Join Fiesta Friday #162 by adding your link. Don’t forget to link your post to FiestaFriday.net and the co-hosts’ blogs, so we can feature you. Your cohosts this week are Sarah @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed and Liz @ Spades, Spatulas, and Spoons
If you’re new to Fiesta Friday, please read the guidelines.
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Sounds like you had a busy and productive weekend Angie. Thanks for asking me to co host this week’s Fiesta Party. I’m looking forward to checking out everyone’s recipes, just hoping I can make my mind up which ones to choose 🙂 xx
That’s always the most difficult part. Why do you think I request cohosts ? Don’t worry, you’ll be great. Just make sure you have fun!
I hadn’t thought of that, lol. Thanks Angie and I’ve almost got around to everyone, enjoying seeing so many delicious recipes.x
Hmm, what did I do last weekend? Aha! I was invited by a very good friend for a lunch at her home and I spent another day doing some household chores and of course, meal prep! Congrats on the productive weekend, Angie. We miss seeing your recipes. Thanks for the amazing party as always and happy Fiesta Friday!??
I’ll try harder to post recipes, Jhuls! Problem is I have to fight the daughter for the iMac to edit my photos. I just can’t use any other computers since I got used to my 27 inch iMac!
It happens a when you get used to things.? Anyway, we will be here waiting for that time, no pressure.?
Happy Fiesta Friday! Mine is a snowy one!
It’s snow + rain here. Sloppy mess! Wish I can take the day off. Btw, did you say you can cohost end of March? How about March 31, FF165?
Yes, and that works for me.
Great! I’ll make a note. Thanks so much!
Well, last Friday my therapeutic session was whale watching off the cost of Maui. Then eating the freshest Ahi Poke from a food truck while watching the sunset. Saturday we relaxed on the Road to Hana with someone else driving. On Sunday, for our 25th anniversary dinner, I spent more $$$$ on a meal than I have in my life at Mama’s Fish House. It was on the beach and absolutely incredible! By Tuesday I was back to reality cooking dinner for the family. Why do they want to eat everyday?? Maybe this weekend I can do some therapeutic cooking. Next to Hawaii, cooking for joy is my favorite therapeutic activity. Happy FF!
Oh it actually did snow in Hawaii while we were there. 6 inches and a blizzard warning on top of Mauna Kea. Go figure!!
Really?! That’s weird! You mean climate change is real?! ??
It was overcast and drizzly most of the time we were on The Big Island. But that was okay all we did was travel around the Island sightseeing. It was sunny on Maui and at Pearl Harbor.
Oh, Quinn!! Why did you have to mention Mama’s Fish Hose and Ahi Poke?!! I haven’t found any poke bowls that can compare to the ones we had in Hawaii! Even my kids loved them, and we’re not even big raw fish eaters.
Oh my god I have never had fish that fresh. South Maui Fish Co, in Kihei is awesome. 1/2 lb of Ahi with slaw and pasta 16.00 Great value! Our food costs were relatively low. I tried to find out-of-the-way local places to eat. Then there is Mama’s Fish House. This place is on a completely different level when it comes to great restaurants. I have enough material for a five post series on the Ultimate Hawaiian Travel Guide. I wonder if I should call it the The Ultimate Hawaiian Travel Guide for Middle Agers??? :)))))
Lol, as long as you don’t call us senior citizens I’m fine with it ?
I agree, cooking can be good medicine 😉 I love the selections this week! Have a great weekend and Happy Fiesta Friday!
So glad you like the featured recipes, Antonia! Here’s to more cooking! Happy FF and weekend! ?
Just reading these entries is therapy! I made Loretta’s fabulous chicken tikka masala yesterday – first seen on Fiesta Friday, but check out Safari on the Mind if you need a delicious fix – which cured me of whatever I was suffering from. Made enough for 6 but the 4 of us finished it off in one go…
Love chicken tikka masala, almost as much as chicken makhani. I’ll have to check it out. Every now and then I crave Indian food and it’s a trek to go to the nearest restaurant so I really need to start getting comfortable cooking it myself. I think I’m getting there, just not fast enough ?
For me it’s the other way round – I used to cook a lot of Indian food but now we live in a predominantly Asian part of London. So much easier to get the experts to do it…
Great selections everyone!
Thanks, Debbie! Hope you’re having a great weekend! ?
Angie, I love cooking marathons when I am hosting a party or my book club (next week) Now I am going to pretend I am on one of those shows too. My kids and husband tell me I am talking to myself like a mad woman, as i cook, anyway 🙂 So it is not a stretch for me.
A huge thanks to Laura and you for the sweet words on my Strawberry Firni dessert! Reading all the entries is really a treat! How cute are those origami boxes…. I am inspired to try them!
And you should make your family critique and comment like professional judges when you’re done ? Love that strawberry firni, love the name firni! Those origami boxes are absolutely adorable! I need to find me origami paper.
My family would love the role of the critiques 🙂
Thanks so much for the feature! I really appreciate it! We are currently in day 3 of no electricity (due to the weather) so I will miss the fiesta this week!
Oh, no!! I can sympathize, it happened to us a couple of years ago. I lost everything in the fridge and freezer. My lucky neighbor’s insurance reimbursed theirs, not ours ☹️ I hope you’ll get power back on soon, Jenny ? So hard to live without!
Thanks, Angie! Our power is back on and I can get back into the kitchen! Luckily, we just put everything from our refrigerator out onto the back porch and it was cold enough that all the food was saved. The downside of that is that the house got really cold! Now the house is warm, but we have more snow on the ground than we had all of February. Crazy winter!
You can say that again, Jenny. It’s been a crazy winter alright. We’re blanketed in snow less than a week before Spring begins. Glad to hear everything is back to normal as far as electricity is concerned ?
Yay, good for you! I love being in the kitchen for hours, it is totally meditative and so fulfilling 🙂
I wouldn’t mind cooking everyday if I had someone who does the cleaning ? The husband helps but I feel like I’m the only one who can get things really clean. Maybe I should turn a blind eye and not be so OCD! ?
Nah…no one cleans things the way we do!! It’s not OCD, it’s fact!!
Great features this week!! You are my kind of gal 🙂 Cooking and baking is my way of destressing too…sort of meditative and therapeutic!! When I need to calm my mind, you will find me in the kitchen churning out something delicious and aromatic; of course a culinary feast for my family, haha 🙂 Have a great weekend and Happy FF!!
You and I both! I don’t enjoy the cleaning afterward though. And then sometimes after I clean, I don’t want to cook again, lol. It’s a vicious cycle, the cooking and the cleaning ?
I look forward to reading about your cooking weekend. I love making soups and long simmered dishes when the weather is cold and bleak, not so much in the summer. Love the look of the selections this week.
I did make a stew and took lots of pictures. I’m hoping they turn out good so I can post. My kitchen gets so dark in the winter! Thanks for cohosting, Liz! ?
You are welcome Angie. I know, the lighting can be a problem. I look forward to the post.
Hi Angie, so glad to hear the cooking therapy worked! Another activity I find quite therapeutic is decorating, which is in fact what I’ve been doing all day today, which is also why I am so late with linking my recipes.
For me it’s gardening, but it’s much too early and too cold to start right now. It’s back to snowy days for us. They’re predicting a Nor’easter for next week!
I want to say ‘lucky you’ but it’s probably not such good news where you live. It would be amazing here (at least for me).
Good for you managing a cook-a-thon – sadly my husband has been working each weekend for the last month so I’ve been on kid duty 🙁 Sometimes fun, but definitely not relaxing! Maybe I’ll sneak in some fun cooking this weekend.
I remember those days when my husband used to travel for work. I’d be stuck at home with 2 young kids. Meals mostly involved pizza delivery ? I hope you’ll get a break soon. Or maybe put the kids to work. They’d LOVE kneading bread dough! Mine did! ?
Hey Angie – just popping my head in to say hi!! Hope you are doing well!
Hi stranger! ?? So great to see you gracing our fiesta. Life’s been busy but thankfully we’re all doing well, thanks! ?
Glad to hear it! I keep trying to pop in more often, but you know what I’m like!!
I can never cook as fast as they do on Iron Chef or Chopped but I wish I could! Cooking is so relaxing. Brilliant features, I know I am late but am glad I made it! Enjoy the weekend! 🙂 ps it is supposed to read pulled pork ragu, slip of my attention x
And thank you to both you and the lovey Laura for the feature, it really made my day! 🙂 x
My pleasure, Petra!
I only pretend to be an Iron Chef, lol. In actuality, I dilly-dally even when I’m cooking ? Btw, fixed your link ?
hi Angie, Am sure you will be a brilliant Iron chef! What you be your dream ingredient? Brilliant party as always, thank you for hosting us all and have a great Sunday 🙂 x
Probably white truffle since I’ve never had any ?
Hi Angie! Ahhhh thank you so much for featuring my matcha cakes!?
I’m so happy your cooking weekend was so therapeutic! For me it’s baking that calms me and excites me at the same time. I think it’s important we’re aware of what works to calm our nerves and keep that in mind when things get crazy✨
Love those cakes!! I’ll have to find some nice origami paper ? I enjoy both cooking and baking. They both work for me ? The part I don’t enjoy is the cleaning part. Like right now I have to clean the kitchen that I ignored last night. Boohoo… oh well, at least we have food.