Rio Vista: Week One

Thank you to the six stunning students signed up for the Fall 2012 session at Rio Vista Recreation Center! I am excited to have three returning dancers as well as some new faces. Interested students are still welcome to join us in week two; we have nine open spaces.

This session is all about fun and high energy! Daler Mendhi’s Tunak Tunak Tun is a Punjabi pop sensation that gained a following in the United States through its inclusion in the video game World of Warcraft. The length of the song – five minutes - does make it rather daunting to dance to, especially at the high velocity tempo.

Belly dance takes many forms as it crosses many borders, within the lines of India it is more about the shoulders than the shimmies. Hops and shoulder drops are prominent with accents through wrist and head movements. A blending of sharp and fluid combinations make dances from India fun and energetic.

I wrote the choreography for Tunak Tunak Tun to test my skills as a dancer. It was my first choreography and still one of my favorites. It does have a few glitches, or unique qualities. Foremost, the steps are left, rather than right dominant. It is written as a troupe dance, to include groups of three to five.

I am very excited to be teaching this dance once again and thrilled to have some great students! Thank you so much! See you soon!

While you wait for class:

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Nomday Crock Pot Pot Pie

Crockpot Pot Pie

This is in no way a traditional pot pie, save for the filling and the awesome taste, but it is easy and will make everyone super happy.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 6 – 8 hours

Servings: 14 +/-

Approximate Cost: $15.00

2 lbs Chicken tenderloins

1 lbs baby carrots

8 small red potatoes

2 medium green peppers

8 oz baby bella mushrooms

14 oz chicken broth

¼ cup flour

2 tblsp butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except flour and butter in crock pot. Allow chicken and veggies to cook for at least six hours. Add butter and allow to melt. Add flour a little at a time, stirring until sauce thickens. Let cook another hour. Enjoy over biscuits!

Breadz: Basic

I do not care that it is still 115 degrees outside here in Arizona, I need to make bread! It only has to bake for about an hour anyway, so as long it is done in the later hours of the day, or early AM, it is all good. I started out with something simple since it has been a while since making bread from scratch.

Prep Time: 3 hours

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Approximate Cost: Please, bread is pennies!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup warm water

1 package active dry yeast

1 tsp salt

1-1/2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp vegetable shortening

1/2 cup milk

3 cups all-purpose flour (approximately)

Preparation:

Stir yeast in warm water until all the little grains dissolve.

Add salt, sugar, shortening, and milk to bowl. Stir.

Begin adding flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough chases the spoon around the bowl.

You may not need all the flour called for in the recipe, or you may need more; amounts vary depending on many factors, including weather. (Thank you monsoon Arizona)

Turn dough out onto floured board and knead, adding small spoonfuls of flour until the dough is soft and smooth, not sticky. Good Gods was it sticky at the onset. It looked like my fingers were melting into the dough.

Put dough in buttered bowl, turn dough over so that the top of dough is greased. Cover and let rise in warm spot for one hour.

Punch the dough! Turn out onto floured board and knead the crap out of it! This is the fun part of bread. All frustrations of the day pounded out in the kneading process.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Form dough into loaf and set in buttered bread pan. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes.

Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Turn out bread and let cool on a rack or clean dishtowel.

Eat Breadz!

Nomday: Easy Mac and Cheese

Yes, another cheap and lazy week of fooding. It is a short week because we are heading up to northern Arizona for some much needed escape from the heat and the city. 

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Approximate Cost: $10

16 ounces of Rotelle (or any other fun shape noodle)

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar

3 cans broccoli cheese soup

2 tablespoons butter

Pepper to taste

Boil noodles until slightly softened. Mix all ingredients in crockpot, stir until blended. Add noodles and stir until noodles are coated. Cover and cook on low for 45 minutes. The heat of the noodles should help with melting the cheese. Feel free to add steamed broccoli on the side but I do not recommend cooking it with the noodles, it sort of turns grey and turns to mush.

*Stay Tuned* Bread Day *Coming Soon*

Nomday: Another Easy Meatloaf Recipe!

I know, more meatloaf, but there is a reason for it. Summer in Arizona is a confusing time in terms of eating. When we are working outside we want something cold; when we indoors we are freezing! If you work in an office a nice reheated slice of meatloaf can be just the thing to get through the A/C induced hypothermia. If you would rather something cold for lunch, thin sliced meatloaf sandwich with a bit of tomato and spinach leaves is great! So, you see, the meatloaf is truly the perfect food!

Basic Meatloaf

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Approximate Cost: $15.00

3 pounds ground beef

1 14 ounce can sliced mushrooms

2/3 bag of shredded cheddar cheese

1 packet onion soup mix

Catsup to taste

Mix all ingredients, except catsup, in large bowl or directly in crockpot. Press into loaf leaving space along the walls of the crockpot. Drizzle catsup over top of loaf. Cook on low heat for eight hours.

Golabkis! (Cabbage Rolls)

Golabkis! These little rolls of goodness were the icon of my youth in a Polish family. I never made them on my own because, well, watching my mom and grand-mom struggle with wilted cabbage leaves just did not induce a deep desire to give it a go. Well, as it turns out, I should have shown them all. I am pretty sure I can attribute my mad golabki rolling skills to making far too many tedious Asian foods, but so be it. That is just how I roll. 

If you do give this recipe a try and find rolling slimy cabbage leaves not to be among your skill sets, there is a means to cheat. Layering the cabbage and meat mixture with tomato sauce into a crockpot serves the same flavor, without the presentation.

Cabbage Rolls

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 9 hours

3 lbs. ground beef

2 cups cooked rice

1 large head of cabbage

1 can condensed tomato sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Scald cabbage just enough to separate leaves. Remove leaves from head of cabbage gently, trying to keep whole. Set leaves on paper towels to cool. Prepare meat in a large bowl; add rice, salt and pepper; mix well. Place about 1/4 cup meat mixture in center of each leaf; fold in sides and roll ends over meat. Place in Crock Pot. Pour tomato sauce over cabbage rolls. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.

Nomday Max's Tacos

So, JD is off on the adventure of a lifetime to Upstate New York for a year! Thirteen and leaving the nest already. But, he did want one last Arizona specialty meal before jaunting off.

Tacos (Max Style)

2 tblsp Cumin

3 cloves garlic, crushed

½ cup water

2 lbs ground turkey or beef

Sour cream

Salsa

Lettuce

Tomato

Shredded cheese

Soft tortillas

Mix cumin and garlic in water while meat browns in skillet. Add season mixture to meat and simmer until cooked. Create your amazing taco!