Agua de Melon y Agua de Sandia

Lucky for me one of the farms near town has started selling melons!  I've never been a big fan of honeydew but I absolutely love cantaloupe.  One of my favorite ways to prepare it is as a drink known as Agua de Melon (melon water).  It's easy to make and so refreshing on these hot summer days.

Agua de Melon

• 1-2 cantaloupe
• 1-2 cups water
• 1 Tbsp sugar

First skin and seed the cantaloupes.  Then cut the melon into one inch cubes.  Put the cubes into a blender along with 1/2 cup water to help the blending process.  Puree the melon and add sugar to taste.  Pour the mixture through a sieve to strain out the pulp.  You may need to use a spoon to stir and press the pulp.  Taste the liquid and add water until you achieve the desired taste.

Agua de Sandia

You can also substitute seedless watermelon to make Agua de Sandia.  Both make wonderful summer drinks that are beautiful in color and taste just as great as they look.

Leftover Carne Asada and Cebollitas

Summer is the season for cook outs and for me that means tons and tons of Carne Asada.  My in-laws usually stick with a simple dusting of garlic salt with parsley flakes and off to the grill it goes.  The occasionally quick soak in Bud Light changes things up a bit.

This last weekend we decided to try making some Cebollitas or grilled green onions.  We just cut them, leaving three or four inches of green, and wrapped them up in foil.  To experiment we added a tablespoon of A1 Steaksauce to a couple of our bundles before we wrapped them up to give them a little added flavor.  You can of substitute another sauce or even add just a bit of salt and pepper. 

The next day I had some leftovers but not enough for another full meal.  I ended up making a creamy and spicy potato soup using the carne asada and cebollitas.  It was kind of hodge-podge cooking but it turned out pretty good for a first try.

Carne Asada Potato Soup

• 2-3 slices of Carne Asada
• 3-4 cebollitas
• 1-3 jalepenos
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken 
• 2 medium to large potatoes
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1 cube chicken bullion  
• 1 Tbsp butter
• Ground black pepper (optional)

Skin and cube the potatoes.  Add the potatoes to a pot and cover with just enough water to cover.  Toss in the chicken bullion cube and bring to a boil then turn the heat down to medium.  While the potatoes cook dice the cebollitas and one jalepeno.  Saute the cebollitas and jalepeno in a seperate pan with the butter.  Slice the remaining jalepenos into quarters and set aside.  Once the potatoes are cooked pour most of the liquid into a container but do not dispose of it.  Add the cebollita and jalepeno mixture and the cream of chicken.  Add the milk and slowly add the chicken broth liquid until you reach your preferred thickness.  Add the remaining jalepenos while the soup heats almost to a boil.  Serve with ground black pepper.

Ca Phe Sua Da (Vietnamese Iced Coffee)

Ca Phe Sua Da

(Vietnamese Iced Coffee)

For the first time in a long while I treated myself to a luxurious Vietnamese Iced Coffee.  I grew up drinking coffee the way my mother liked it, thick and creamy yet incredibly strong.  I've never grown accustomed to Folgers and what not, it's like drinking bitter water!  However, having a one year old doesn't really allow me the time to use the ever time consuming drip method to brew my coffee.  I've found that instant coffee can still give me the decadent results I'm looking for.

My brand of choice is G7 Instant Coffee: Coffee mix 3in1.  The mix includes coffee, non-dairy cream, and sugar.  It's great for both hot and iced coffee.  I prefer really strong coffee and usually use at least two packets depending on the amount of coffee I want.  Instead of adding cream and sugar I use sweetened condensed milk.  It will probably kill me someday but it adds a richness you can't get otherwise.

• 2 packets G7 instant coffee
• 1 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
• 3-4 Tbsp boiling water
• ice cubes 

Open two packets of G7 instant coffee into a glass and add sweetened condensed milk.  Pour enough boiling water over to dissolve coffee.  Add ice cubes and stir.  Add water until you achieve desired consistency.  You can also adjust the amount of sweetened condensed milk to your liking. 

Hungry and Bored

My name is Jennie Nguyen and I'm from the mythical Dodge City. (Yes, it is indeed real and no we do not ride on horses everywhere.) I've created this blog in hopes of exploring and documenting my experiences with delicious food, diy mishaps, and the challenges of parenting no one ever warns you about!