Dinner Group Success! and Day 7: Someone who has made your life worth living for.

Dear Mom:
Don't worry about my studying. I have been a good girl, I just cook on my free time. I even have studied for the GRE every night for weeks!
Love, Emily

I have a confession: I don't think I've ever had a fish taco, until tonight!
I've had a freezer full of halibut from this summer and I figured I ought to start using it sometime... so today for my dinner group I made fish tacos mmmmm:

Cilantro-Lime Fish Tacos:

Make the following marinade and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes, I let it soak for 45-ish which was great:
1/2 c Lime Juice
1/2 c EVOO
3/4 c Minced Cilantro
1 tsp cumin
8 cloves of garlic, minced
4 lbs halibut

Heat 2 Tbsp EVOO over medium high till it's shimmering. Cook fish without disturbing it for 3 minutes. Flip and cook on second side for 2-3 more minutes till it flakes.

Remove to plate, season with salt and let rest for a few minutes. Shred into bite-sized peices with 2 forks.

Assemble on flour tortillas with cilantro cream, tomatoes, chopped green onions and shredded red cabbage.
Look how good this looks with all the colors!

For cilantro cream sauce:
Juice of 3 limes (about 6 Tbsp)
1/2 cup minced cilantro
18 oz greek yogurt or sour cream
4 cloves of garlic minced
pepper to taste

Then...
Cilantro Lime Rice (are you sensing a pattern? Luckily everyone in my dinner group likes the combo)
2 cups of rice- cooked by directions with 1 tsp salt.
While rice is cooking mix in a blender or food processor:
4 Tbsp Water
1 C cilantro
4 Tbsp Lime Juice
2 Tbsp EVOO
2 Cloves garlic
When Rice is done mix the cilantro lime mixture into it it and fluff with a fork.

MMMmmmm Then! (I know, there's more?)

Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

1 1/2 sticks butter at room temp

3/4 C Sugar

1/1/2 C Flour

3/4 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp Poppy Seeds

3 eggs

1/4 c milk

2 lemon zested

1 C blueberries

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

                                 

Preheat oven to 350* 

Grease loaf plan. Beat sugar and butter till ligth and fluffy (3 min). Mix flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds in a bowl. Mix eggs, milk, lemon zest and vanilla in a third bowl. Add all ingredients a little bit at a time in the to mixer till just mixed. Fold in the blueberries. 

Bake till toothpick comes out clean and the loaf is golden brown. Poke holes on the top and pour glaze over it. Cool completely. 

Glaze:

1/3 c sugar

1/3 c lemon juice

mix sugar and lemon juice in sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat till sugar disolves. Pour over hot cake. 

And Finally...Day 7: Someone who has made your life worth living for.

Meet my mom! (she's the one on the right, in case you were wondering)

Seriously. My mom is awesome, you should know her. 

Not only is she funny, and real and sometimes brutally honest, but she manages to do those things at the right times! 

She's the only I can call when I'm upset because I woke up sick (again) she helps me occupy my walks to class, she keeps up with church and the kids at home and abroad (ok, she just has 4 kids in 3 states who aren't at home). If I ever need her, she manages to be there. She's the best. The very very best. 

On the mission we used to tie our straw covers in knots then pull on the ends really fast. If the knot came undone the person you were thinking of was thinking about you. I always chose my mom, and more often than not, she was thinking about me, too! 

Now I promise I'm done for the day with the blogging...