Spanish Rice

1 15 oz can of chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
2 chicken buillon cubes
1 1/4 cups rice
1 Tbs Butter
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp cumin

In medium sauce pan combine ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and cover for 20 minutes. Or you can just put all the ingredients in a rice maker stir it up good and set it. When rice is done add 1 cup mild cheddar cheese and serve. Yum!!

Glass Block Jello

So this jello recipe is SO much easier than the traditional rainbow jello that you layer each color. Plus you get an entire OOH and AWW from people when you bring your "kid friendly" jello salad. I did red here for valentines and the kiddos lalaLOVED it. (as my sister would say).

4 3-oz. packages assorted Jello (i used all red here for valentines, but the rainbow looks cool too.)
2 packets unflavored gelatin (knox brand is the one I found, it's in a orange and white box)
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Spray 4 small food storage containers (like Tupperware) with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Bring 5+ cups of water to a boil. Combine 1 c. boiling water with 1 package of Jello, stirring until dissolved. Place the dissolved Jello in one of the prepared containers. Repeat with the remaining packages of Jello. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferable overnight.

When the Jello has set, bring another 1 1/2 c. of water to a boil. While the water is heating, sprinkle 2 packets of unflavored gelatin over 1/2 c. of cold water. Allow to stand for about 4 minutes. When the water is boiling, pour 1 1/2 c. boiling water over the dissolved gelatin and stir to combine. Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix well. Allow to come to room temperature.

Lightly spray a 9x13" pan with non-stick cooking spray. Carefully cut the colored Jello into cubes and gently toss to combine in the 9x13" pan. Pour the cooled (it needs to be cooled, otherwise it will dissolve the cubed jello) milk mixture over the colored Jello and, if necessary, rearrange some of the colored Jello to make sure it is evenly distributed and not sticking out of the white mixture too far.

Place the 9x13" pan in the refrigerator and chill overnight. Cut into squares, rectangles, or various shapes with cookie cutters and serve.

Café Rio Lime Rice

2 Tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves minced garlic
6 2/3 cup water
8 tsp chicken bullion (7 cubes)
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp lime juice
½ tsp salt
3 cups long grain rice

Sauté butter, onion, and garlic. Boil everything else except rice in a large pot.
Add onion and garlic—then add rice. Cover and simmer. Makes 6 cups.

I like to use my rice cooker with this recipe. All I do is turn on the cooker and wait until it gets warm enough to saute' butter onion and garlic. Then I add everything else and set it to which ever rice I use- brown or white- it taste great with both. Enjoy.