Watermelon Knife...and Awards!

If you've never seen, or used a Watermeon Knife, neither did I, until I won the amazing giveaway from 

Chef Vicki, At Home with Vicki Bensinger.

 She was hosting this amazing giveaway on her blog. The KUHN RIKON Watermelon Knife is made in Switzerland, and its a high quality Japanese carbon steel, with an 11-inch serrated blade. The safety sheath is more desirable to bring along on picnics or camping trips, and for easy storage at home. Thank you Vicki for the fabulous giveaway gift, and thanks to the KUHN RIKON team for such an amazing giveaway gift that I won!

Just look how it glides through with ease...although this watermelon is not as large as the ones I usually buy, but I wanted to make sure that this does not have seeds, and is perfectly ripe, which it was, and oh, so sweet! I'm not quite done demonstrating, because I wanted to do more special cutting with this beautiful Watermelon Knife...love the color of bright red, and green as well...just like the color of the watermelon.

I turned the knife over to the opposite side so you could see the high quality Japanese carbon. Just don't put this knife if the dishwasher, to dull the carbon, or fade the pretty red color...although I did not read it in the instruction, I never put my good knifes in the dishwasher.

Well, I decided to get a little fancy with the cutting. I cut the watermelon in half, then, I cut a small piece off the bottom of one half, to make it stand even. Also, I hollowed out the watermelon and cut the chunks into smaller pieces, and I put them back inside. With the other half of the watermelon, I cut them across into slices, and then into wedges, and linted them back into the watermelon half. Also, I sliced some starfruit...which by the way is not done right, I was supposed to peel them...then slice them.

So, check out the cute picnic table cloth...it was a "thrift find" fabric, brand new, but it appears that it's from the seventies, I made it into a picnic table cloth, so much fun for the little grandchildren.

I also receive a bundle of star fruit, also known as Carambola from my ex-hubby...here's a basket full of starfruit at his house (our house) where my children grew up...he has all kinds of fruit trees, including star fruit, and various herbs, including the Sicilian rosemary.

My two precious grandchildren posing for the watermelon...both 5yrs old, two months apart. First cousins...we've been told that they look like twins! Mattia on the left (son Joe's) Luca (male) on the right (daughter (LORA'S)...they get along so well together, as long as Luca lets Mattia boss him around. She's a little "spit fire" and he is so "laid" back, and "yesses" everything to her. He worships the ground she walks on...seriously! When he gets tired of her bossing him around...that's it...fun and games are over, and she wants to go home...playtime is over!

...and finally the Awards!...Such beautiful "pretty in pink" awards!

 It's been a while, since I received this lovely Pink Lady award from my dear friend Petra,

@Reformkori Konyha from Hungary

She was kind enough to include me in her circle of Hungarian blogger frends and passed on this lovely little award! Thank you Petra...Köszönöm Petra, nagyon hálás vagy a dijért...igyekszem tovább adni!

This second lovely Pink award, I received from Maria, and Xara

@ COOKANDFEED...from Canada, and Greece! I am so honored to receive this equally pretty, and pink award, with a "cherry on the top"...how cute is that?! I will be happy to pay this award forward, as well to 10 bloggers! Thank you Maria, and thank you Xara!

p.s. one more thing...I will pass these two awards on to 10 bloggers each. It will take a little while to link, and notify 20  10 bloggers, but I will do it. I'm one of those bloggers that like to include more people so we can get to know more bloggers, and share the fun!

Hugs,

Elisabeth

...and the awards goes to the following bloggers! Congratulations!

Petra

Kim-Livl Life

Dzoli

scrambledhenfruit

Veronica's Kitchen

Michelle Smith

Quay Po Cooks

Patty-Patty's Food

ping

Sandra

Chicken Enchiladas...and Vegetarian Burritos!

I have not made chicken enchiladas in such a long time that I have almost forgotten about it...not really how to make it, just not thinking about making it. There are so many choices to make for dinner, but I really like to try new and healthy dishes out, instead of the "humdrum" basic things.
Now that I'm feeling a lot better and get the full use of my arm back, I feel so relieved that I can go about my daily routine.
We were worrying about hurricane Irene coming to us in South Florida, but it decided to go towards the East Coast which does not look too good. Reaching all the way up to New York, and Maine.
We are experiencing the heavy winds, and storm, but nothing compared to what tha Bahamas is going through, and now the Carolinas.

Just peeking through my balcony to check the pouring rain on Thursday afternoon, in a matter of minutes you would thing the hurricane was coming through. This poor palm tree lost a few branches from the heavy wind, and for an hour we were getting pummeled with the heavy rainstorm. I was not about to go outside to venture out anywhere! Now it's calm again, but it will start up all over.

If enchiladas is not something you prefer with homemade enchilada sauce, then you might like a burrito filled with refried beans, black beans, chopped tomatoes, pickled jalapeno, fresh corn shaved from the cob, cheddar, and Colby cheese...and don't forget the sour cream. just heat up, and enjoy. Really delicious and filling!

I love Mission Flour Tortillas, especially the large burrito size. I like to use this for my enchiladas.

The Multi Grain tortilla wraps I used for the burritos, which were really very good!

It's so important to make your own enchilada

sauce...there's nothing like homemade!

Just start out sauteing a chopped onion, chopped garlic in 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, add 2 15 ounce of canned tomatoes 1 vegetable bouillon cube melted in 1/2 cup warm water, 1 Tbsp chili powder salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, a few dashes hot sauce, and cumin.
To thicken the sauce mix 1 Tbsp corn starch added
to 1/2 cup cold water. Add that at the end of simmer time which will take no more than 25 minutes. Stir, let it come to a bubble and turn off heat

Note:
You can leave the tomatoes in chunks when you cook them, or put them int the blender

Also, you can use tomato sauce in place of the canned tomatoes

The chicken, is already cooked (leftover store bought rotisserie chicken breast) flaked and heated up in about 1 cup of chicken broth.

With a tong, dip both sides of the tortilla shell in the sauce, transferred from the pot, to a large skillet.

Put about 1 Tbsp. of the shredded chicken on the dipped tortilla shell, a portion of the shredded cheddar, and Colby cheese.

Roll up as best as you can, and place them side

by side.

When they are all rolled up, add some more sauce
on top, bake in a 350 degree F. oven for about 25
minutes,  add the shredded cheese, and bake for an
additional 20 minutes, until cheese melts and gets
nice, and golden.








Roll up enough tortilla shells filled with chicken, and top with shredded cheese.

For the vegetarian burritos, start out by spreading
refried beans, add black beans, tomatoes, corn,
and last, add shredded cheese, roll up, and place in
vegetable sprayed baking pan, top with cheese and
heat up in a 350 degree F. oven till heated through and cheese melts, for about 25 minutes.

Farm Fresh Eggs...or Egg-Land's Best!

If in doubt...as to make a perfect omelet...simple or filled with your favorite vegetable, ham, or bacon, mine is just a simple sliced sweet onion omelet, for 2 servings, with 4 eggs. Farm fresh eggs?...Well, daughter Lora, her friend, Lauren and her 3 girls, and my grandchildren Gabby and Luca went on a real egg farm...or correctly, chicken farm, to get fresh eggs! To be perfectly honest, Egg-Land's Best is fresh farm eggs. There is no doubt in my mind that they are the best, as far as I'm concerned, and that goes for my family. I want nothing, but the best for them!

I sauteed thick sliced sweet onion, which I love so much, in 2 Tbsp olive oil, and just added salt and pepper right into the skillet, over the onions for more intense flavor.

Scramble the 4 eggs lightly, and just pour over the sauteed...actually caramelized onions. Do not stir, just lift the pan from side to side, and jiggle the eggs, so they spread evenly. With a spatula, you can lift the bottom around the edge a little, after a few minutes.

At this point, you can flip it over to the other side, and just fold over, as it's shown in the top photo!

For an additional delicious version omelet...check out my friend Michael's @Me, My Food and I

also linking this to my friend Linda, @Vittles and Commitals

...and also to Akheela, @ Torviewtoronto

I'm also a fan of Egg-Land's Best on Foodbuzz, and have been cooking and baking with it for a few years now. Every time my daughter and I go to Costco, we buy the 18 carton of these beautiful eggs. I prefer the Extra Large eggs, although there's not too much between the two sizes.

These are the farm fresh eggs that my daughter purchased, all different colors...price? Triple the cost for the dozen farm fresh eggs, compared to a dozen Egg-Land's Best! Mind you...I did not eat even one egg...just wanted them to enjoy it, but come to think of it, I did take one or two from Lora, and it's still in the carton.

I would like to thank all of you for your kind and caring comments and mostly for your advice for helping ease the pain.

This happened to me last Tuesday, and it has gotten worst after a few days. Not fun, having a pinched nerve, anywhere on your body. I am so glad to have read about some of your similar problems, and thanking you for sharing your experiences with me. Finally, after my most amazing chiropractor, Dr Keith, who is also a Physical Therapist as well, and travels around the globe treating sport stars! Also, I had a massage on the shoulder which did help, but the most therapy that helped was stripping the knot with a gadget (that was so very painful but really helped)...he even suggested that I get it x-rayed and see and orthopedic doctor, but by Saturday, I was starting to be able to actually lift my arm slowly! Now, it is so much better, and I'm getting the use of my right arm back!

Still have not cooked or baked anything, accept my simple easy omelet, and I thought I would share the photos of the egg farm with you. It was so much fun for the kids, and a nice little morning outing on Saturday!
Have a wonderful week!

xoxo

A "No Name egg farm?"...still don't know what name it went with, I just took a photo of the sign...

ENTER HERE AT YOUR OWN RISK  PLEASE KEEP GATE CLOSED

OK that part we did...12 miles from West Palm Beach, near my old stomping grounds neighborhood from where I moved 3 years ago. This small hidden section, is still part of the old country living, and right around the corner is the highway, if you just peek around the corner from this little ranch you will hear, and see the traffic.

There goes the gang...Lola, with the scarf on the right...her older sister Sydney in front of her, grandson Luca in the turquoise shorts, Whitney, twin sister of Lola, and Gabby in orange baseball cap, leading the way...getting ready for new adventures!

Here they spot a Goat...a Billy Goat?...don't know if she gives milk. I remember when I was a kid growing up, I used to drink fresh goat milk...being allergic to cow's milk! Now, you can buy it at the grocery supermarket, expensive, but well worth it!

Now here's a team of chicken, being led by the rooster...eggs can't be too far away!

No! This turkey is not being fattened up for Thanksgiving! She is a "token" old bird...as you can see the long ripply neck...all saggy and wrinkle. From now on you get the idea when someone refers to a "turkey neck"...you wouldn't want to let yourself go, to have one!

Here's Lucy Goosey...well, not necessary her name, just called her that!...and it's actually a duck!

Taking a peek at the little farm shop...Ahh, "the golden eggs!"...well, not really golden, but they are expensive as gold!

 The owner. at the counter, and a list of the items they sell!

You can buy fresh cream, fresh butter...just don't ask the price!...My daughter bought 1 dozen eggs, 1 pound of butter, and fresh cream...3 items for $50. Cash only! Not too shabby for the owners...with a line of people buying the same. Only open 1 day a week!

The famous chicken coupe!

Here are three friends...having their snacks!

Here are another three friends...since they were babies...BFF's ... Sydney, on the left granddaughter Gabby in the
middle, and Sydney's sister Whitney on the right! They have been loyal friend since they can remember!

Ahh! Where's the chicken that laid this beautiful egg?

Grandson Luca waiting for more chickens to pass through!

Perhaps this is the chicken that laid the "golden egg?"...Sydney, (Gabby's BFF since they were babies) got the chance to hold a chicken...you actually have to catch it, to pick it up!

 Lola, Whitney's twin sister...holding that huge old turkey, probably weighing about the same as she does...brave little girl!