Lomo Saltado

Tuesday was Chito's dad Luis' birthday. Originally, we were going to have Luis come to our house for dinner. Unfortunately he was really busy at work and told us we would have to celebrate another day. I, however, wouldn't have that. Everyone deserves some sort of celebration on their actual birthday day. So Chito began cooking. Together we made Lomo Saltado, a delicious Peruvian dish (Chito's dad is from Peru). After we made all the food, we packed it up and drove to Heber. We set his dad's table and called him over to take a little break from work. Luis was so surprised. The Lomo Saltado tasted amazing and I was very impressed by Chito's skill to just throw it all together-no recipe needed. We then had apple pie a la mode for dessert. It was so great to spend time with Luis on his birthday, but not so great coming back to our house with the very strong smell of garlic....it's been a couple days now and I can still smell it!

What is your favorite birthday dish?

Refocusing

How are everyone's new year resolutions comin? Mine? Not so great...see my original bucket list here: http://thecapunays.blogspot.com/2013/01/bucket-list.html

But, I decided to do a little three month check up, which will hopefully help me refocus!

• GO TO PERU (we had to postpone.... :( but are working on finding another time that will work)
• BRUSH UP ON MY ESPANOL (sometimes Chito will speak Spanish to me and I try to respond...it lasts approximately two minutes before I revert back to English. On the plus side, I learned how to count to 10 in French!)
• BACK UP EVERYTHING ON A HARD DRIVE (haven't started yet...)
• RUN A 5K (i haven't ran in any yet...but I HAVE registered for the Dirty Dash and The Color Run this summer-sad I can't run in my own race, The 5k Foam Fest, but for good reason, I'm in charge of it!)
• READ MORE AND WATCH LESS (i haven't really been reading more, but I have been watching less!)
• LEARN TO DRIVE A MANUAL CAR (forgot I made this a goal honestly, anyone have a manual car they want to lend me?)
• FLOSS (workin on it)
• BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET (getting better, still room for improvement)
• START A NEW HOBBY (tennis! Chito plays for hours everyday and I try to join him when I can)

How are your 2013 resolutions coming along?

Adios Hermana

My family and I took my sister to the airport today for her 18 month mission in Puerto Rico. I'm really missing her right now, but I know she will be an awesome missionary and this will be such an amazing experience for her. She asked me to write a blog for her to keep everyone updated. Hopefully I will be better at posting in it than I am in this one... check it out at christinajanet.blogspot.com to see how little Hermana Cole is doing.

Orange Tea Rolls

In honor of my grandma's birthday today-Happy Birthday Grandma!! I want to share this Orange Tea Roll recipe that we always have at her house for the holidays. They are so yummy!!! It's hard to decide if they are a dinner roll or dessert. This past Christmas I (actually Chito) made these rolls for my company Christmas party and we took step by step pictures. I was so impressed by his baking skills. They are pretty easy to make, just make sure they don't over bake and make a lot-they tend to go fast!

ORANGE TEA ROLLS

Yields 24

About four hours from start to finish

1. Make the dough

Dissolve together in a small bowl:

2 Tablespoons Yeast

1 Cup Water (room temperature)
2 Tablespoons Sugar

Mix in a different bowl:
3/4 Cup Crisco

4 Beaten Eggs (whisk)

1 Teaspoon Salt

4 Tablespoons Sugar

6 Cups Flour

1 Cup Milk (room temperature)

2. Combine both bowls, knead dough, cover and let rise for two hours 

3. Make the filling

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Butter (melted)

4 Tablespoons Orange Zest (about four oranges)

Orange zest

4. After the dough has risen, roll out about 1/4 inch thick

We made two batches

Use flour as needed

5. Spread the filling evenly over the dough

Like you would with sauce on a pizza

6. Roll the dough into a jelly roll

7. Cut into 1 inch slices using thread

We used floss

8. Spray Pam on muffin tins and place sliced dough inside

If they don't fit perfectly inside that's okay, they may be a bit differently shaped

9. Cover dough and let rise in tins for 1 hour

10. Bake in oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes until slightly golden brown-check constantly


Unfortunately I was so excited to eat the Orange Tea Rolls that I forgot to take a picture of the final product. Here is a similar pic I found online.

They are best when eaten warm

I hope you get a chance to try these and love them as much as my grandma and I do!

tortilla.bar

We tried this great new place for dinner last night. It's on State in Orem, UT called the tortilla.bar, so good! The flavors are amazing! It's a little on the pricy side for tacos but worth the good food. Check out their facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/oremtortilla?fref=ts 

The people are so nice and excited you are there. The food has unique flavors and is all organic and locally grown. I love the atmosphere and decor in the place. My favorite part though, was actually being able to watch my tortillas and churros being made.

Chito got the Pork Belly tacos

I got the Hanger tacos-they put green apple slices in the taco-the flavor is divine!

We also shared churros with hot chocolate. I was so excited to eat/drink it I forgot to take a picture.

Next time you are looking for a new fun place to eat go to the tortilla.bar-and invite us because we live approximately one minute away!

The Mister's Gift To Me

Being as it is Throwback Thursday, I'm finally going to post about the most amazing gift Chito gave me on our one year anniversary, October 15th, 2012. To make a long story short, he sent me on a little scavenger hunt around Orem to get me out of the house. When I finally made it back, I was in tears as I found that our apartment had been turned into a home. Our house was no longer an empty room with one couch. Chito made us furniture! For weeks he had been going up to Heber to help his dad finish up some projects for work, little did I know, they were actually working on my gifts! Below are the pieces he made me. Some inspired by pinterest, others created by himself.

Using old pallets his dad had around the shop, Chito created and stained this amazing bench that I love! I just need to find the perfect things to place in it. 

This crate coffee table was inspired by pinterest, but instead of just buying crates like a normal person, he cut and stained scrap wood and made them into crates before making them into a coffee table. He also made a few extra crates that I keep around the house.

     Chito made this shelf/bench too. Originally he intended it to be a bench, but seeing as we had nothing in our dinning room, I flipped it to be a shelf. 

This frame was my idea. I didn't know what to do with all these pictures from our wedding, so one day I just stuck them on the wall. I decided I wanted some planks of wood to make a border around them-so that's what he made!

I love these shelves! It holds our hand towels in the bathroom, and pinecones in the living room. Any other ideas of what I could put in them?  

Chito found this gem at the D.I. It is an old case for Pepsi bottles. It is perfect to hold our spices in.

He also found this lamp at D.I. but had the genius idea of turning it upside down and taking the glass bowls off of it. We then stuck candles where the light bulbs were suppose to hang.  

Chito grew up helping his dad at his artisan cabinetry shop so he has access to all the tools as well as the skill! I'm trying to get him to open his own etsy shop or something, let me know if you want Chito to make you anything! Not to brag, but my husband really is just the greatest :)

The rest of our one year anniversary included: 

 A trip to Park City

Dinner at Chef's Table

Eating our wedding cake!

Bucket List

It's a new year! And I am so pumped to see what 2013 brings. I'm ready for some change and excitement. Of course not too much change-but with the start of a new year, it is the beginning of a new adventure. 
Whenever I go on a trip/start a new adventure, I always make a bucket list of things I want to do while I'm there. So, here is my bucket list for my 2013 adventure!

• GO TO PERU (yes it's official! Chito and I are booked to travel to Peru in March)
• BRUSH UP ON MY ESPANOL (so I'm not such a gringa in Peru)
• BACK UP EVERYTHING ON A HARD DRIVE (this will take all year long)
• WORKOUT AND EAT HEALTHIER (these are on my list every year...)
• RUN A 5K (I figure since I plan 5ks I should probably run in one)
• READ MORE AND WATCH LESS (curse you netflix)
• LEARN TO DRIVE A MANUAL CAR (my forklift training doesn't count)
• FLOSS! (why is this so difficult to remember?)
• BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET (I need to work on this)
• START A NEW HOBBY (time for something new)

What are your resolutions or on your bucket list for 2013?