I love empanadas!

If there is one food I have come to enjoy since moving to Chile, it's empanadas. I love them. I could eat them all day. You find them filled with a variety of meats, veggies and cheeses. They are perfect for eating on the go, and can be made super small or fairly large.
Since it was a lazy Sunday, and we had mushrooms we needed to use, we decided to make some tasty little pockets of love! 

My favorite filling is caramelized onion, mushroom and cheese. We also had some pino left over from another lunch and decided to use that as well. And for dessert we made some slightly larger apple cinnamon hand pies.

The Dough
The dough recipe is a great one from Jamie Oliver. This is an easy recipe that is great for anything that you might want a nice, light yeasty crust for. I am lucky enough to have a bread machine. And because I am totally lazy and hate kneading dough, my husband made the dough in the bread machine on the pasta setting. 

 The Filling
Once the dough is mixed and rising I started making my filling. You really can fill them with whatever you like. Traditionally, pino is the most popular, and my husband's favorite, with tender beef, onions, raisins, a hard boiled egg and an olive. I'm not much of a meat eater, so I chose mushroom, onion and cheese. 

I sliced 2 medium yellow onions and 2 boxes of Crimini mushrooms and sauteed it up in some olive oil.The cheese is up to you. Just make sure it melts nicely. I chose something similar to Jack. This also would be wonderful with some goat cheese. 

 The Assembly
First thing you want to do is set up all your filling in an organized assembly line. 
Then roll out your dough and cut it into rounds. This time we chose to do minis and used a 3 inch biscuit cutter.
Next, place your filing in the center of your round. Be careful not to over fill them. If you try to stuff too much yummy into the round you will tear the dough when you fold it over to seal it. Trust me. I've my fair share of mangled attempts. For the minis, I used a heaping teaspoon of filling.

 Then, fold your round over and crimp the edges so the goodness stays inside.There are many ways to seal the edges. I like to twist the edges like a pie, starting at the outside corners, press the edges firmly and then pleat them in towards the center folding up. Other methods are using a fork to crimp the seams or making them like a ravioli and using a pastry wheel to remove the extra dough. Get creative. This is your chance to make them purdy. Also, if you are having a hard time sealing the empanada, you could try using a little water around the edges before you crimp them closed.

 The Baking
Usually, at this point you would beat an egg with a little water and egg wash the tops. The wash helps them to get nice and golden. But, since we already established that I tend to be lazy, we didn't. I was really hungry, and just couldn't wait.
So, all that's left is to pop them on a floured baking sheet and bake them till they are golden and browned. My oven is really wonky and after almost 6 months I still have a very difficult time baking in it. I had it on MED (~375°F)  for 15 minutes or so. Ovens here don't have temp settings so I have a stand alone thermometer in the oven. Remember that the filling is already cooked. So, all you need to do is cook the dough, and melt your cheese.

NOW, YOU EAT!

It's DONE!

The last four months have been a whirlwind. 

In July I took a 2 week trip to Chile. When the trip was done I came back to the states to say farewell to family and friends. 
I gave away almost everything I owned, packed up the rest and MOVED TO CHILE! 
I got my self settled and just when I get into a groove I do something a little crazy and GET MARRIED!

My husband Guillermo is so caring and wonderful. I truly could not have done any of this without his love and support. I'm so thankful that this entire process has been as simple as it was.

It could have been a nightmare. It could have been, but it wasn't. 

Now that the wedding is over and the holidays are swiftly passing by, I hopefully will have more time.

Time to myself and time for the things I love. Time to BREATHE.

DOWN TO THE WIRE

My trip is getting close. Very close... IT'S A WEEK A WAY!
I've been so busy with work, phone calls, errands and general life stuff, that I have barely had time to
breathe. Let alone pack.

I would normally consider my self an over planner. I'm the kind of person that plans for a weekend away months in advanced, and my bag is packed a week before. But this time around, when it would really do me good to be packed super early, I'm waiting till the last second. 

Because Chile is in the southern hemisphere, it is currently winter there. Which works out beautifully considering it's our summer and I'm trying to take as much down with me this trip as possible. So I'm packing all my winter duds, some books, cosmetics, shoes and anything else I can squeeze into my bags. The more I take now, the less I will need to later.

Why can't my suitcase be a Tardis... bigger on the inside.

All of the logistics are in place. And when the packing is done, I know I'll have time to sit back and just... FREAK OUT! OMG I'M GOING TO CHILE! *Happy Dance*

It's been 6 months since I decided to move to Chile. 6 months of waiting, and to be honest, I'm really over playing the waiting game. It has been so hard to be away from my honey. Learning to be patient was one of the hardest things. And any one who knows me will attest to my not having ANY patience.

I am so excited for this trip and the impending move. I really feel blessed to be able to take this leap and get to know my new city and my new family. 7 DAYS AND COUNTING!

Passport: I DO EXIST!

One of the first things you have to have in order to travel abroad is a passport. How I managed to go this long without having one, I don't know.

You’d think it would be easy to get one. Run into your local post office, pick up an application, fill it out and mail it in with your birth certificate. Right?
Well, apparently not in my case. Here’s what happened.


I picked up two applications. Since you have to fill them out in black ink, and I’m notorious for flubbing up stuff like this, I was smart and got two. Just in case. Good thing, because I needed to use both. I filled out my application perfectly (well... the second one anyways). I read it through three times just to make sure.

 Next, I took my passport photos. I read the “what not to do in your passport photo” section on the state department's website. I did my hair and makeup. You gotta look good. You are stuck with these pictures for ten years. I ordered extras. Just because I knew I would be needing them for other things like my Visas, International Drivers License, and so on.
Then I begged my parents for their ONLY COPY of my birth certificate. Which they reluctantly handed over.
Having all components in a folder and good to go, I went to the post office to process my passport application. I signed, dated, sealed, paid everything I was supposed to. Process time for a passport is 4-6 weeks. All I had to do was wait.

 Four weeks later I received a little package from the state department. I was soooo excited.

 I ran in the house and ripped it open expecting my little blue booklet to be inside. Imagine my confusion when what was in the parcel were tons of paper packets. And a letter.

 When a letter starts “Dear Nina La Fountaine, We regret...” it’s never a good thing.

 Turns out whomever processed my application at the PO didn't do it correctly.This somehow resulted in my identity being questioned. In order to continue the process I needed to provide certain elements of proof to the dept of state.
I was so disappointed. I was heartbroken. I felt defeated and I felt as if I wasn't going to be able to make my trip. Then I was annoyed. Wait a second! I DON'T EXIST?!?!

 I called the dept of state first thing in the morning and was able to speak to someone. They were very helpful and walked me through what I would need to do. Even though I needed 5 specific elements to prove my identity, the agent assigned to my passport case advised me to include other documents as well. Even if these couldn't be used as proof on their own, they might lend support to others that might be questionable.

 So, after everything was pulled together, for a second time, I headed back to the same PO that processed it the first time. I got a different agent this time, and put everything through again.
3 weeks later I received  two parcels from the dept of state.
And they were... MY PASSPORTS!


I officially exist, and apparently they decided I am an American citizen.Thank. Goodness.
I am so relieved that it all got taken care of. I don’t know what I would have done if I wasn’t able to get them.

So. Here are my tips for making the process as smooth as possible. Some of these might seem silly or common sense, but trust me, it helps. Especially if it prevents you from having to go through all the extra paperwork and stress that I did.
  • Take extra Passport applications. If you mess up, you’ll have extras. If you don’t, you can always return the extras when you go to process your application.
  • Apply for both your Passport Booklet and your Passport Card. This may seem redundant or like a waste of money but its worth it. While the Passport book has your Visa pages and acts as Identification it is also mandatory for Visa applications and flying internationally. Your Passport Card serves as ID when you are out of the country and is valid for entry into the US at land and sea crossings. When you're out and about you don't want to take your passport book with you incase you lose it or it gets stolen. However your passport card serves as proper ID. Also, your card and visa book are independent of each other. So, if your book gets stolen or lost it doesn't affect the validity of your card and viceversa.
  • Smile in your photo. They used to be very specific about not smiling. Now, you can smile. So why not? Make sure you're wearing street clothes and that your appearance most closely matches how you look on a daily basis. For example, it won't help to identify you if you normally wear glasses and don't have them on in the photo. Just think of how your mom would describe you, and go from there.
  • Order more than 2 copies of your photo. Just like having extra applications is helpful, having extra photos will be as well. You can use them for other things like your Visa applications, International Drivers License and when you register with the embassy. You never know, you might need to submit an extra photo when you apply for something. Also, it’s nice if all your documents have the same photo.
  • Read through everything VERY thoroughly. Double check everything, then check it again. If you have any questions make sure to ask your processing agent before you sign anything.
  • Apply for your Passports long before you need them. The last thing you want is to need them expedited and then something goes wrong. Planning and being prepared means less stress.

Luckily it all was resolved and my passports are in my hand. Now I can go anywhere!

Do you have a passport? Was your process big an ordeal as mine was? Did your PO suck like mine did or was it all smooth sailing?

100 DAYS

I've always loved traveling. I grew up driving all across the western United States.
Family vacations were us loading up the car and camping in Yosemite, trekking to the Grand Canyon, or taking our 4x4 through Colorado.

There’s something special about exploring a new place and knowing within a  few hours if you feel at home. Knowing that you want to stay there, and if you leave you will come back because a part of your heart will always be there.

In 100 days I’m going to Chile. And I can not wait.

Why Chile? There are several reasons. I’m at a crossroads in my life (as cheesy as it sounds),
and now is the time to make the move. My boyfriend is Chilean and lives in the capital city of Santiago. It’s very difficult being apart (thank goodness for skype) and 5,600 miles away is much too far.

I’m also a California girl at heart. I love the laid back attitude, the weather, the beach, desert, and mountains. California has spreading farmland dotted by larger cities. The only other place with all those attributes is Chile.

So, in July I’m flying down to Santiago to visit. It’ll be my first trip to Chile. Heck, it will also be my first trip outside the US. If I love it, I’m coming back to Cali, packing up and moving down in September.

It will be full of new experiences, whatever happens. New smells, new sights, whole new language, mountain ranges, beaches, even new Starbucks (COFFEEEEEEE!), new everything. A new way to be.

I know it sound crazy, but If i don't go now, I probably never will.

One hundred days isn’t that long. But not soon enough.
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
Blogger Template by Clairvo