Hungry for... Kitty?

There are two very exciting events in our lives that make today's Hungry for Men post possible, both revolving around two very cute cats. First, we are happy to announce that we have a new man in our lives and his name is Hugo.

Paula has been considering a pet for quite some time, and not wanting to take on a dog, she finally decided to adopt a kitten (with a little pushing from Mariana). We headed to our local Humane Society and met Mr. Hugo here who captured our hearts with those cute little paws, that wiggly nose, and his purrrrring cuddles. He is now bounding around both Paula's apartment and Mariana's house, learning to get along with his two canine cousins (Lexi's quite curious while Duke is, well, terrified. What can we say, he's not your typical "hunting" dog).

While Mr. Hugo is nothing short of adorable, he does have some competition for favorite kitty. Even the Scum Devils around here have to admit that the start of Arizona football is incredibly exciting! So to honor the kick-off of our favorite time of year, we give you none other than Wilbur T. Wildcat:

He's furry. He's strong. And he's a Wildcat. What more could you ask for ladies?

Here's to fun with Hugo, a great Cat season, and some tailgating too!

Bon appetit! Buen provecho! Bear Down!

Mariana (and Paula, but she probably won't want to claim this one since I called her a Scum Devil. Lurvey you sissy!)

Spice Up Your Life

As you know, dear readers, food can often be used as a way to impress others, especially if you can whip something up that a lot of other people can't. Now in our family, this recipe is the most basic thing ever. We should be able to make it in our sleep, or with our eyes closed and one hand behind our back. In fact, we're pretty sure our Nana can do it in her sleep with both hands tied behind her. She can also tell you if you're using the correct pan by just the sound it makes when you set it down on the stove, but that's neither here nor there. The point is, that while our Nana might not be incredibly impressed by this specific recipe, others have been. So we are now passing it on to you... take it to a pot luck, offer it up at your house party, or make it for your future in-laws and we guarantee that the eaters will be impressed or your money back!*

*The writers of this blog would like you to note that you didn't actually pay for anything, hereby nullifying this guarantee. Sorry.

Roasted Salsa

Ingredients:

• 3 medium tomatoes
• 1 tomatillo
• 1-2 jalapenos (depending on how spicy you like it)
• 2 medium green chilies
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 slices of onion
• 1 lime
• Handful of cilantro
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

Fire roast the tomatoes, tomatillo, jalapenos, green chilies, garlic, and one slice of onion. You can do this by holding them over the flame of your gas stove, putting them on the grill, or putting them in a cast iron pan on your electric stove.

Once the green chilies are roasted (the skin will start to blacken, crack, and peel) place them in a plastic bag to "sweat". This will allow you to be able to peel them later on.

Put all of the other roasted ingredients in a blender, add salt and pulse, so that everything is blended together but still slightly chunky. Pour into a bowl.

Chop the other slice of onion into larger pieces, and the cilantro. Take the green chilies out of their bag, peel the outer skin and slice open. Scrape out all of the seeds (rinse if you need to), and then chop. Mixed the chopped ingredients in with the blended ones, add a squeeze of lime, taste for salt (adjust if necessary), and you're done! Serve to your delighted guests with chips, or if you've grilled, suggest they top off their meal with it.

And if you really want to make an impression, offer up some music with your salsa. It's sure to stir up some emotions.

Bon appetit! Buen provecho! Yummy!

Mariana and Paula

How To Determine If A Man is Hunger-Worthy

As we continue our Man Hunger adventures with seemingly more men than recipes (we have several stocked up that just need to be written, we swear!), one may begin to wonder if there is a pattern in our men. Do we have a type? Time can only tell if that is the case, but what we do know, is that there are certain qualifications a man must have in order for us to be hungry for them. So in no particular order, here are a few of our requirements.

1. Eyes - If the eyes are the windows into a person's soul, then gorgeous eyes must mean a gorgeous soul, right? And certainly a man with a gorgeous soul is a man we're hungry for!

2. Humor - We've said it once and we'll say it a million times... A man who can make us laugh is incredibly attractive! Plus we feel that laughter provides a strong foundation for a good relationship, which is clearly what we're after with any of these men.

3. Dancing and/or singing abilities - Sexy moves? Sexy voice? HOT.

4. Abs - Let's be honest. Women are shallow too, so the fact that this is on the list should come as no surprise.

5. Sweet disposition - Blame it on the Disney movies we grew up with (Oh, Eric, you sexy prince you), or the endless list of chick flicks we watch, but we cannot help but fall for a man who is a sweetheart. Whether it's the way he pines over the woman he can't have, the way he treats his girl, or just being a good human being, as far as we're concerned, the bad boy isn't always the hottest. (Although sometimes he is).

Now, we're not totally unreasonable when it comes to our men, and would never expect a man we're hungry for to have all of these qualities, but could it be possible for one man to have it all? Ladies and gentlemen (because we know the gents out there love these posts too!), we give you:

Matthew Morrison

We invite you to watch an episode of Glee and you'll quickly find that:

1 - Will Schuester can smize right along with the best of them (even you evil Tyra Banks).
2 - He may not be as funny as Sue Sylvester (although really, who is?), but he can always make us laugh.
3 - Can the man dance and sing? Oh yeah!
4 - See picture above. Abs? CHECK!
5 - If Mr. Schue is not sweet, we don't know who is.

And best of all, he's even a little dorky (which we all know Mariana loves). So could Matthew be the perfect man? We're currently tracking him down so that we can confirm... stay tuned.

Bon Appetit! Buen Provecho! Abs!

Mariana and Paula

Hungry for Men - Special Edition!

So... no excuses. We've been slacking. Between busy schedules, trying to live in separate houses ("I miss you sissy!" That's what we scream at each other over the phone. Or just down the road because we live less than half a block away from each other), and plain old life, we failed to post last week. And yesterday. So to make it up to you, our dedicated and hungry fans, we are making this a very special edition of Hungry for Men Wednesdays. What makes it so special, you ask? Well for one, it's on Thursday. That alone makes it incredible. But if that's not enough for you, we've decided to ask our fans who the hottest male country stars are and why. So here's a smattering... enjoy!

We Think Their Tractors Are Sexy

Dierks Bentley - We'll admit that we cheated on this one a little. The fan who suggested him said she loved him for his curly hair. But when we came across this picture, we couldn't help but swoon! You feel free to come a little closer Dierks!

 

Josh Turner - That deep, manly voice of his has one of our fans absolutely hungry for this country star. And we can't help but agree, especially with that pensive, longing look in those gorgeous eyes. We'd be more happy if you were our man Josh!

Charles Kelley - This man sang his way into a certain fan's heart when she first heard him sing at the CMAs in 2009 with Lady A. There was magical snow swirling, he looked hot in a pea coat, and that voice. Oh that voice. You get drunk, give us a call, and tell us you need us now anytime Charles!

Brad Paisley - Now we admit, Brad wasn't the first man that came to mind when we thought of hot country stars, but there's a reason why he's on this list: his songs. Not "Celebrity" or "I'm Still a Guy," but "She's Everything" and "Then." He knows how to melt a girl's heart, that's for sure! We think you and your wife are adorable, Brad, but we still kind of wish we were your everything!

Tim McGraw - Hotty McHotterson! That's what one fan proclaimed when we asked her who the hottest country star is and she named Tim without hesitation. And can you blame her? We've been swooning over Tim for years as he crooned his way into our hearts. We can only imagine how good you'd feel on our lips Tim!

 

Chuck Wicks - Granted, the fan who suggested him had to Google "hot country stars," but we don't care! Not if it leads to this face. But now that we know about you, all we can think is that you're all we've ever wanted Chuck!

So there you have it! Just a taste of some of the hottest men who can sing! Did we miss someone? Sound off in the comments! You never know, we might end up doing a second edition since this was so much fun.

Bon Appetit! Buen Provecho! Oh. My. Yum!

Mariana and Paula

Peaches

We're not sure where the idea to make peach cobbler came from, considering we've never made one before, but we decided that since we had some fresh peaches, we would make some fresh peach cobbler!! The recipe is pretty quick and easy and oh so yummy!

The making of this recipe had a fun little adventure to it. First, we decided that we would make personal little cobblers in ramekins for us instead of a regular large one. Mariana said she had four at her house so we were all set. We got started on the recipe and since there is only three of us eating this wonderfulness-the sisters and the obliged husband/bro-in-law- we halfed the recipe we found and made a small version... Or so we thought! As Paula sliced the peaches, Mariana began adding in some ingredients. Just to double check, Paula asked if Mariana was halfing the amounts listed so that we weren't making anything too sweet. Unfortunately, she hadn't! After trying to spoon off some of the excess ingredients, unsuccessfully, we rinsed off the peaches and started over! We also found that we didn't have four ramekins so we had switch to using a small glass baking dish.  Like we said, it was an adventure! But in the end, everything was straightened out and a wonderful cobbler was produced!

So if you would like to make this for just 4 people, remember to half the amount of ingredients listed! And if you want cute little personal cobblers, make sure you have enough little dishes to make them in! Otherwise, enjoy the amazing smell that will waft from the oven as you bake this and the celebration your taste-buds will give you for feeding them this heavenly wonder!

 Peach Cobbler

Serves 8

 

Ingredients

Filling

• 8 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Topping

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation: 
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). 

In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. 

While peaches are in oven, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined. You should have a moist but still crumbly mixture. 

Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Mix together the 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle entire cobbler. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes. Once done, take out of oven a let cool for a little bit. Top with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

As always, here is your wonderful music selection to go with this tasty dessert!

Bon appetit! Buen provecho! Yum Yum Yum!


-Mariana and Paula

Welcome to the Black Parade

It's Tuesday. You have the man hunger, but not enough time or energy to cook. So you think about cooking a standard grilled chicken, but it sounds so boring. No worries, it's the Vazquez sisters to the rescue! Try this recipe out to spice up a bland weeknight dinner:

Black Bean Chicken

Serves 3-4

Mariana learned this recipe at some point during college and it's always been a hit. Paula adopted it once she moved out of the house and it's also a favorite of hers. Best part? It's easy and requires very little actual cooking.

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 can of black beans, drained
• 1 small can of chunky salsa (We use Herdez' salsa "casera". We swear our dad buys it for us by the case)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Sour cream

Preparation:

Cut the chicken up into even pieces, about 2 inches big each. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and then sautee in olive oil.

Once the chicken is cooked, but before it starts getting too dry, add in the beans, salsa, and most of the cilantro. Let simmer for a while. If it's too watery leave it uncovered, but if it has a good consistency, cover it. The chicken is cooked, so you can simmer for just a while, but long enough that the chicken soaks up the yummyness.

Serve the chicken with beans, add a dollop of sour cream on top, and sprinkle the cilantro over it. Tadah! One delicious meal without much effort. Can't ask for much more!

We apologize for a lack of picture on this one. It was so delicious we ate it all before we remembered to take one. Oops! But we certainly didn't forget your music!

Bon appetit! Buen provecho! Yummmmm!

Mariana and Paula

Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams

Ah, so I know it took me a week to do it, but I'm finally doing it! I'm posting that yummy recipe that I mentioned last week! I came up with this while my sister was away last week on her honeymoon and I was just cooking for one. This is a pretty quick fix but full of lots of flavor and nutrition! And if you are making it for more, just multiply the amounts as needed!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

• 1 chicken breast, thawed
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 small Roma tomato, diced
• 1 small avocado, sliced
• 4 Romain lettuce leaves
• Hummus of your choice (I used Trader Joe's tomato basil hummus)
• Gorgonzola crumbles (Feta crumbles would also go very well!)
• Seasoning for chicken
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil ("EVOO"-Compliments of everyone's favorite (NOT) Rachel Ray)
• 1/2 tsp Garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp Fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp Dried oregano

Preparation

Begin by cutting the chicken breast into about a half inch sections. Place chicken in a bowl and drizzle the EVOO over the chicken. Sprinkle the garlic salt, ground pepper and oregano and toss to cover the chicken well. Let marinate for about 15 minutes.
Grill chicken over medium heat on a skillet until it is no longer pink in the center. The good thing about slicing the chicken beforehand is that it cooks much quicker now. Be careful not to overcook it though! You want to make sure it is tender and juicy.
 Place the whole Romain leaves on a plate and spread a small amount of hummus on each one, about 1 tbsp. for each leaf. Next, add on a few slices of chicken (Now is a great time to a taste test of the chicken-for quality control purposes, of course!). Last, top each leaf with about a tablespoon of black beans, some of the diced tomato, a sprinkle of cheese crumbles and a few slices of avocado.

Starting with the top left and moving clockwise, you can see the layering of savory ingredients!

And that's it! You are ready to enjoy your delicious meal!

I actually ended up using only about half the chicken breast that I grilled and saved the rest for another quick meal for lunch the next day:
Take a pita, cut it in half and open up each half to create little pita pockets. Fill each half with your left over chicken, some black beans, diced tomatoes, sliced avocado and drizzle on a little dressing of your choice.

Your musical selection for this meal is a wonderful classic performed by an even more wonderful man!

Bon appetit! Buen provecho! Yum yum!

-Paula, the less tan and relaxed sister...

Justin Timberlake Makes Us Hungry

It's that time of the week again dear readers! This Wednesday, we have decided that the time has come to discuss the original man we're hungry for: Justin Timberlake. 

The obsession started in 1998. That's right readers, 13 years ago. Mariana was a 14 year old girl who grew up dancing to New Kids on the Block and was now looking for a new love. Paula was 10, the optimal time to find your first love. That summer, Disney aired a concert special featuring *N Sync and life was never the same. Check out the dance moves (especially at the 45 second mark) and you'll see why. Our VCR never saw so much action!

Today, Justin is a multi-talented man who continues to make our hearts melt. He can croon like no one else, be a serious (or not) actor, and make anyone laugh. Seriously, who doesn't like a good SNL short featuring our main man? Even Justin (Mariana's husband... lucky coincidence that they share the name) will admit that he's someone he wouldn't mind hanging out with. But instead of continuing to ramble on about why we love him so much, we'll just give you this:

Ahem. You're drooling.

Bon Appetit! Buen Provecho! Homana, homana, homana!

Mariana and Paula