Vegetable & Brown Rice Balls

One of the things I like most about cooking is the unexpected. Sometimes you plan on making one thing and end up with something completely different. Hence our vegetable & brown rice balls. We originally planned to make friend rice, but things changed when I couldn't get the consistency of the rice right. I can make a million things, but rice still eludes me.

Realizing fried rice wasn't happening for dinner, I thought we could save this & viola.....Vegetable & Rice Balls . And they just so happen to be delicious and we'll be making them again in the very near future. Hope you enjoy them as well.

Vegetable & Brown Rice Balls

Heat oven to 400 degrees

3 cups of cooked brown rice 
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove of garlic minced
1 small yellow pepper diced
1 large leek chopped
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms diced
1 bay leaf
Salt & Pepper to taste

Prepare rice as usual and set to the side in a large mixing bowl. 

Heat olive oil & garlic in medium pan until garlic is soft. Add pepper, leek, mushrooms and bay leaf, to pan, tossing until all vegetables are coated. Cook on medium heat for 10-12 minutes, until vegetables are cooked, but with a bit of crisp. Remove bay leaf from mixture and discard. 

Combine vegetable mixture with rice, mixing well. Add salt & pepper to taste and form into small fist-size balls.

On a lightly greased baking sheet, place the vegetable & rice balls sprinkling each with salt & pepper. Place into the oven for 20 minutes, checking regularly.

Serve rice balls with your favorite dip or sauce or by themselves. Either way is delicious. 

Add-ins/Substitution - you can add spices, herbs, shredded cheese (parmesan, etc) or whatever else you want to make these treats your very own. ChowDown

Chocolate Bread Pudding with Fresh Orange Zest Whipped Cream......ChowDown

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mother's out there. Recently, while at our country home in Starlight, my mother-in-law Carmen mentioned that she was craving bread pudding. I told her that I never had bread pudding that I would make her some. So in honor of Carmen, I made this special recipe. 

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING INGREDIENTS

2 cups of heavy cream

2 cups half-n-half

16 cups of bread cut into cubes (I chose a mix of sourdough & chocolate babka)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp of cocoa powder

6 eggs blended

1/2 tsp of nutmeg

1 tsp of cinnamon

1 tbsp of vanilla

8 oz. of bittersweet chocolate

1/4 cup of raisins or dried cranberries (if desired)

Heat oven to 325. Grease a 13 x 9 pan, coating all sides.

In a large bowl, mix heavy cream & half-n-half together. In a separate bowl, mix sugars and cocoa powders together. Combine both bowls & whisk until well-blended. 

In a separate bowl, blend eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Once blended, add all ingredients to the liquid/egg mixture. Add chocolate and raisins to the mixture and blend well.

Pour mixture over the bread evenly and let soak for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Bake for 1 hour or until all liquid is absorbed. Let rest for 10 minutes.

FRESH ORANGE ZEST WHIPPED CREAM INGREDIENTS

1 cup of heavy cream

1 tbsp of granulated sugar

1/2 tbsp of vanilla

1 tbsp of orange zest (fresh)

Blend all ingredients in an electric mixing bowl or with a hand-mixer until soft peaks form.

Serve chocolate bread pudding warm with whipped cream topping. Enjoy and ChowDown.

Cod in Coconut Milk & Ginger with Vegetables.....ChowDown

This recipe is very simple to prepare and is bursting with flavors. Feel free to make it your own by adding or substituting vegetables or spices to fit your particular taste.

1 pound fresh cod
2 16 oz cans of coconut milk (I use lite coconut milk)
3 tbsp of fresh chopped ginger
2 large sweet potatoes
1 large head of broccoli 
1 large leek (white parts only)
2 cups of mushrooms
1 medium yellow pepper
1 medium orange pepper
1/4 cup of green curry paste
Salt & Pepper to taste
Olive Oil

In a medium saucepan, boil 2 quarts of water with 1/8 tbsp salt (if desired). Peel sweet potatoes and cut into cube-size pieces. Once water is boiling, add sweet potatoes. Continue to boil until sweet potatoes are done, but firm. Remove from heat and drain.

Chop all vegetables (broccoli, leeks, mushrooms, & peppers) in bite-size pieces. Combine all in large mixing bowl and toss with olive oil and salt & pepper, until lightly covered. Add vegetables to a large heated pan and grill until cooked but still crisp. 

While grilling vegetables, combine coconut milk, ginger & green curry paste in a large pot until slow boil, stirring frequently. Add sweet potatoes and grilled vegetables and keep on very low heat.

Salt & pepper cod generously and place on grill pan. Grill until cod is flaky and light.

Remove vegetable mixture from heat and place into a large serving bowl. Top mixture with cod and add salt & pepper to taste.

Can be served with grain (brown rice, barley, orzo, etc) or eaten alone. Whatever you decide, enjoy and ChowDown.

Serves 4 (with plenty for leftovers)

Father & Son

I know how fortunate I am to have children and I never take it for granted, but some days it really hits me smack in the face that I am a Dad. As I lie here in bed with Cyrus, alternating between reading, talking, snuggling, and being on our computers,  I couldn't be more happy. Our family does plenty of things as a foursome, which we always enjoy, but these one-on-one times are some of my faves.

We are a tightly-knit family and value this bond, but the bond that each of us have with one another is even more special. Cyrus and I have a bond that is deep and multi-layered. We have the most special walks in the country where we go deep. Nothing is off limits. I feel so blessed to have Cyrus in my life and from what he tells me, he feels the same. Love this boy. xx..Dad

Hummus Recipe….ChowDown

Hummus is a healthy alternative to other dips because it provides you with protein and a number of essential vitamin and minerals. While it can be high in fat, it is mostly heart-healthy unsaturated fat. On top of all of that it is very easy to make. 

1 16 oz. can of chickpeas drained (save liquid for reserve)

1/2 cup of tahini

3 tablespoons of olive oil (can use more or less, as desired)

2 heaping tablespoons of minced garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt & pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. 

Add liquid reserve, if needed, for a smoother consistency. 

Add-Ins (if desired) -

Roasted Red Peppers

Pine Nuts

Sundries Tomatoes

Chopped Spinach

ChowDown #twodadstwokidschowdown

Grady Gram

Happy Saturday Everyone! Today I went on a walk with my brother Cyrus, my uncle Emil, and my dad Calvin. It was a nice walk also because it was warm out. I am sore from that walk today, but thank god I got to eat a cookie my dad made today!

Making progress and seeing success

Today was a great day in our family. Grady got her middle school acceptance letter. And she was accepted by her 1st choice. 

This may not mean much to anyone who lives outside of NYC, but as a resident of our great city, the public school middle school process is on par with the college application process. It is long, arduous and full of highs & lows. 

Grady has always been hardworking, determined and goal-orientated, but she's always struggled in school. She had a private tutor since 3rd grade, after-school homework help, test prep and tons of online help and still struggled. No matter how hard she worked, she always fell short on something. It was so frustrating to see your child work so hard and then be disappointed by the results. This is a kid who has NEVER been late for school and only missed 1 day since kindergarten, so it wasn't as if she wasn't turning up and ready to work.

After exhausting every resource possible, we had Grady tested to determine if she had any learning difficulties. The test was administered at the Cornell Child Development Center at New York Presbyterian Hospital. After testing her cognitive and developmental skills, Grady was diagnosed with a learning difference. While some parents may not welcome this news, we were so happy to finally have a name to what she was experiencing and excited by what we could do to help her learn in a way that benefited her most. We proceeded to get Grady an IEP, an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

An IEP defines the individualized objectives of a child who has been found with a disability, as defined by federal regulations. The IEP is intended to help children reach educational goals more easily than they otherwise would. In all cases the IEP must be tailored to the individual student's needs as identified by the IEP evaluation process, and must especially help teachers and related service providers understand the student's disability and how the disability affects the learning process. The IEP describes how the student learns, how the student best demonstrates that learning and what teachers and service providers will do to help the student learn more effectively. Developing an IEP requires assessing students in all areas related to the known disabilities, simultaneously considering ability to access the general curriculum, considering how the disability affects the student’s learning, forming goals and objectives that correspond to the needs of the student, and choosing a placement in the least restrictive environment possible for the student.

In 4th grade, Grady began her IEP, in a general education, mainstream classes with two teachers. One teacher handles the general education while another teacher gives specialized assistance when needed. Otherwise, Grady interacts and participate in the class activities with everyone else. Grady gets extra test time, can have the questions read to her and can test in a separate room, with others who need a more specialized plan. As she was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Grady also began take Concerta, which is a prescription product, approved for the treatment of (ADD) as part of a total treatment program that may include counseling or other therapies. Concerta, coupled with the IEP and the two-teacher classroom, made such a difference in her learning that it was shocking. We always knew that she was smart; we just had to help her find a way to tap into that smartness. 4th grade was a huge success for her. 

She continued her success in 5th grade, working with her strengths and improving on her weaknesses. She participates in group discussions, something she never felt comfortable enough to do, had loads of friends (sometimes too many), and is even a mediator in her school. A mediator is an elected position, in which 5th graders help others in the class navigate their disputes or disagreements. She has made strides to last a lifetime.

I tip my hat off to Grady and wish her continued success, strength in her struggles and much love. May 6th grade continue to nurture her love of learning.

The Cy Report from New York - The Funny One

Hi. My name is Cyrus. I like people named Bob. My grandpa was named Bob. I am 9 (and a half) years old and live in NYC. I am the best kid in the world. I love cereal. I love my sister Grady. I have a corn snake named Bolt who is on Instagram @boltthenycsnake. I like to make people laugh. Here is an old video of me being silly.

Grady Gram- Hobbies

Good Morning Everyone! Here is a list of things I like to do in my free time. 1. Mostly everyday I have play dates with Estelle. We play outside. Outside we play Taps and we play soccer. 2. I like to go to hockey games during winter break with my family. My dads don't go to the hockey games. 3. I like to play soccer with my cousin Sara. 4. I like to play with my friends at recess. We play four square. Four square is a really fun game to play. 5. I like to watch tv and play my iPad even though that's not really a hobby. But to others which can be me to think of it as a hobby.Well, that's it for today!

We're back......and ready to do this

Morning. Wanted to say hi to everyone out there. We have really been away from this for way too long and we're back....and ready to do this. 

When this blog was started in 2009, the idea was to create something that would live forever and take on the voice of the Wilson-Cuevas Family now and in the future. We wanted to start something that our kids, Grady & Cyrus, could be a part of and eventually make it their own. An online legacy of sorts.

The kids are going to begin posting things themselves. It's a free-for-all with those two, so I can't promise what you'll see. I'm excited about whatever they choose to post.

Tim (Papi) is going to start posting things in Spanish, in tribute to his Puerto Rican heritage. Maybe I'll learn a bit of Spanish myself.

Here is a recent picture of our family to see how much we've grown. The kids have grown vertically while we Dads have grown horizontally. 

Looking forward to reconnecting with old friends and making new ones, too.

x.....Calvin