His Will Be Done!

I recently stood in front of my church congregation and testified. I did it because God moved me to do it. I honestly felt like He wanted me to share my story of loss, struggle and how my family and I were able to overcome it all with God. Losing out daughter has to be the hardest moment we have ever had to endure. But with His grace, we have been able to move ahead and find a purpose for it all.
So in preparation for my testimony, I wrote a nice little speech and thought that by reading it off the paper and sharing what I thought were important facts and tidbits, His will would be done. Boy, did He have other plans! I got up in front of my congregation and didn't look at that pre-written speech once. Yet, the words seemed to just flow naturally out of me. After it was done, I had inspired others with my testimony, and it was then that I realized that His will had been done, according to His plan and not mine.
And now after all of it, I know He is not done with me. He has bigger plans for me than I can even imagine. He wants me to lead a sermon one day. I don't know how I will be able to do it, but He will make sure it's done His way. After all, I am just the messenger sharing His message.
God bless you all. Happy October!

Amazing Chicken Fricasse Recipe "A lo Cubano"

Hey everybody! I hope everyone is feeling blessed. Today I cooked an amazing chicken fricasse and wanted to share this yummy culinary achievement with you.

Ingredients:
4 lbs chicken breast skinless/boneless cut in pieces
6 garlic cloves mashed
1/2 cup sour orange juice
1 medium onion finely diced
1 medium green pepper finely diced
1 small can tomato sauce
salt & pepper to taste
1 small can Petit Pois (green peas)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sofrito Goya
1/4 cup green olives filled with pimentos, sliced
1 lb potatoes, peeled & quartered
4 bay leaves

1. Marinade chicken pieces in garlic cloves, citrus juice, onions and peppers for at least 1 hour.
2. Heat oil and brown chicken in large saucepan.
3. Add onions, peppers and citrus from marinade.
4. Add tomato sauce, sofrito, raisins, olives, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
5. Add water to cover chicken and simmer on low medium heat for about 15 minutes.
6. Add potato pieces and peas for the last 15-20 minutes.

Serve over white fluffy rice. Serves 4-6.
Enjoy!

Cuban Turkey Picadillo Goodness!

Hey everybody! Sorry it's been awhile since I last posted. But do I have a recipe for you. I bought some ground turkey on special at Winn Dixie so I decided to try and make some good ol' Cuban picadillo using the ground turkey instead of beef. I looked up some recipes online and the most adaptable one I found was from Martha Stewart. I know what you are thinking, I used the recipe of a "gringa" to make a cuban dish, not smart. But here's what I did.....I omitted some of her ingredients and replaced them with some of my own. I even got creative with one of them and I have to admit, I didn't think it would come out good......well, color me surprised. It came out delicious. My son ate his entire plate in under 2 minutes, literally! So instead of being all selfish and keeping it to myself, I decided to post my recipe here and allow you all to try it.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium onion finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 green bell pepper finely diced
2 pounds of ground turkey
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground oregano
5 dried bay leaves
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cinammon
2 small cans of tomato sauce
4 tablespoons of sofrito (goya cuban seasoning)
3/4 cup of raisins
1 cup of sliced potatoes
1 cup of green olives

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, cook 2-3 minutes.
2. Add green pepper and sofrito and cook until the onions are soft and translucent.
3. Raise heat to med-high and add turkey. Break meat down.
4. Add cumin, oregano, bay leaves, chili powder, and cinammon. Stir.
5. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Continue to cook meat until opaque, about 7 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to med-low. Add tomato sauce, potatoes, raisins, and olives. Simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.

Serve with rice, black beans, and sweet plantains for an authentic Cuban taste! Enjoy! Serves 4-6 people.