The Wild Gems

The Sonoran Sea Resort In Mexico (Fathers Day Weekend)

June 21, 2022June 23, 2022 The Wild GemsLeave a comment

This Fathers Day Weekend we celebrated in one of our favorite places; Puerto Penasco, aka “Rocky Point, Mexico!” Our family absolutely loves it here! For obvious reasons! The food, the locals, the vendors, it’s a vibe for sure. And the water is just perfect! It’s always difficult to leave too.

We usually stay at the RV park (which we love) especially when we get lucky with beach front views. However this time around my husbands god sister suggested we join her and some of her friends at their favorite place to stay; The Sonoran Sea Resort. She made the reservation, we chipped in our part, and check it out! Here’s a few pictures from our trip. A memorable one for sure.

When I asked the girls what their favorite part of the whole trip was, they all replied with “the pool!” Oh wait, the littlest one said first, “the beach.” Lol

As much as I enjoyed the pool, my husband and I love both just sitting in our low beach chairs, admiring the ocean views under our little blue umbrella, and eating goodies from the vendors. My Husband gets this mango drink, and I really enjoy sharing Pina coladas with the girls.

Oh! And eating the best burritos ever! You can usually always find someone in the morning selling them. You also gotta try the empanadas.

I have so much respect for the locals/vendors. They work incredibly hard, sometimes there’s even kids selling stuff. They are the heart and soul and are really what make every trip memorable. Their kindness and gratitude is truly something special.

Thank you Rocky Point!

Balcony View on the 9th floor. Look at that water!

The pool on the right is more of a family pool with a small water slide. The pool on the left had a swim up bar. Played such great music, everyone was singing along!

The little beauties got their hair braided.

A little cloudy this day but still so much fun.

Pina Coladas. So yummy! Virgin of course!

I even got my hair done. Butt I don’t think I’ll do it again! It kinda hurts lol!

Overall, would definitely stay here again and recommend! 🙂

Yellow Chile Poppers With Bacon And Cream Cheese

June 16, 2022June 16, 2022 The Wild Gems1 Comment

Little story behind these. I worked at the bank awhile back (this was maybe almost ten years ago) and we had a pot luck. A guy I worked with at the time, Pablo, brought these in and I thought they were the most delicious thing ever!

Everyone uses jalapeños to make poppers but these were with yellow chilies. They also weren’t fancy like how most wrap the bacon around the pepper. They were simple!

I brought some home to share with my husband and he loved them as well. After we analyzed them we were like, “these are actually really easy to make!” And now we make them all the time for gatherings or cook outs.

Thank you Pablo!

Enjoy!

Servings: 16-20 peppers

Note: you will need a grill and someone who knows how to work the grill.

What You Need:

8 to 10 yellow chiles (each Chile makes two poppers)

8oz of cream cheese

2 cups of shredded cheddar or mixed cheese

1 pack of bacon cooked and cut or broke into 1 inch pieces give or take

Bacon tip: instead of frying, save yourself some time and bake at 400 for 15 to 20 mins and a pan sheet lined with foil. So much better, trust me.

Steps:

1. Cut all the peppers in half removing all seeds. Smooth on cream cheese onto each pepper, add cheese on peppers, then lay a pieces of bacon on each pepper.

2. Grill the peppers on low medium heat for about 15 minutes. When the cheese is melted and the bottoms begin to char they are complete.

These are so good and easy! Enjoy!

The Best Way To “Malt O Meal”

June 15, 2022June 15, 2022 The Wild Gems3 Comments

What You Need:

1 cup of milk

A pinch of salt

3 tablespoons of malt o meal

1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup

Fresh strawberries

Chia seeds (optional)

Steps:

1. In a small pot bring together the milk, malt o meal and salt. Bring to a low medium heat, it will begin to bubble. Continuously stir for 3 to 5 mins.

2. Add the butter, maple syrup, and fresh berries. Enjoy!

My husband loves when I make this for him.

Peppered Sweet Corn

June 13, 2022June 13, 2022 The Wild GemsLeave a comment

What You Need:

2 bags of 12oz frozen corn

1 cup of milk or heavy cream

(I have tried both ways. If I don’t have heavy cream I just use milk. Heavy cream will make it thicker and provide a subtle change in taste)

1 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 cup of sugar

8oz package of cream cheese

1 stick of unsalted butter

Steps:

1. In a medium sauce pan on low medium heat begin to melt the butter with the corn. Then add your heavy cream and cream cheese.

2. Once the cream cheese and butter are completely melted add the sugar, pepper, and salt.

3, Allow to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve warm.

A yummy side for holidays, potlucks, or some delicious ribs.

Enjoy!

A Weekend In Sedona

June 12, 2022June 12, 2022 The Wild GemsLeave a comment

We went for a quick little getaway to celebrate a friends birthday and I already want to go back! The scenery is absolutely gorgeous and the energy is undeniable. I could see a mother and daughters trip here maybe one day.

Here’s just a few pictures.

Was looking at shops while waiting for our pizza

Scenery in the neighborhood. We stayed at a beautiful air bnb.

Got my beautiful sterling silver ring here with turquoise in this cute little shop.

Hiking views. We took some pictures in here.

We did a hike of a total of 3 miles with 4 kids! Go us!

Our view from the main room in the house

From my Instagram story. Felt cute.

Quick Adobo Chicken/Shrimp With 2 Ingredients

June 12, 2022 The Wild GemsLeave a comment

What You Need:

Adobo seasoning

1 can of chipotle’s in adobo sauce (1 can per pound)

1 lb of chopped chicken or shrimp cooked (this would be great for shredded chicken as well)

( a recipe for chopped chicken click here )

Steps:

1. When cooking your chicken or shrimp gently season with the adobo seasoning. set aside. Pour your sauce in the same skillet and gently stir to warm up. Add in your chicken or shrimp and enjoy with a side of rice and beans!

Rice recipe click here

Bean recipe click here

Enjoy!

That’s it! FYI this is a little on the spicy side

Chicken Poblano

June 7, 2022June 7, 2022 The Wild GemsLeave a comment

What You Need:

4 poblano peppers

1 cup of heavy cream

1/4 cup of sour cream

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Salt and pepper for taste

1/4 of an onion chopped

1/2 tablespoon of garlic

1/2 cup of corn

1 lb of cooked chopped chicken recipe (link below)

https://thewildgems.com/perfect-chopped-chicken-on-the-skillet-never-overcook-again/

Steps:

1. On a sheet pan, lay out some foil and place your peppers on it. Set your oven on broil and broil the peppers until they are roasted on both sides. (They are ready when they have a charred look)

2. Once the peppers are done in the broiler place them in a large ziplock bag immediately. Close the bag and allow to steam for 10 mins.

3. While the peppers are steaming cook your chicken and set aside. (The recipe above cooks your chicken in 6 minutes)

4. The peppers should be done now. Peel the skin and remove the seeds. Cut in strips. If some strips are really longer just cut the strip in half.

5. Now we are ready for the sauce. In the same skillet you used the chicken, sauté the onions and garlic with a little bit of butter or oil. Once onions are soft add the heavy cream and sour cream. Mix well. Then mix in the cheese until all combined. Add the poblano strips and corn and allow to simmer for 5 to 8 mins. Seasoning with salt and pepper.

4. Once the sauce is warm and bubbly add in your chicken and serve immediately with a side of rice. The rice mixed with the sauce is so delish.

Note: if you want more sauce just add extra heavy cream, sour cream, and cheese. Simple! And if you don’t want chicken chunks I would suggest shredding the chicken.

Rice recipe (click here)

Enjoy!

Basic Rice Recipe

June 6, 2022March 21, 2023 The Wild Gems4 Comments

Servings: 6 to 8 people

What You Need:

1 1/2 cup of long grain rice (un-rinsed)

2 1/2 cups of water

1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon seasoning or salt

1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

1/4 cup of frozen corn (optional)

2 tablespoons of canola or vegetable oil

Steps:

1. In a medium pot or skillet oil your pan and sauté rice on a medium heat until all the rice is brown and toasted. (Doing this adds flavor to the rice)

2. Add the water, bring the pot to a low, and the butter and seasoning and cover rice with a lid. Set the timer for 15 mins. Checking the rice at least 2 times to give it a mix or fluff. Once the water is fully absorbed remove from the stove, keep lid slightly on, and allow to steam cook for 10 mins.

Note: If you’re going to add corn add it 5 minutes before the timer goes off.

3. Fluff with fork and enjoy. Add additional butter or seasoning if necessary.

Note: if you want to make more rice, you always just double the water to the rice.

This is the seasoning I use for the rice.

Homemade MILD Red Sauce For Enchiladas, Chilaquiles, Or Pozole

May 11, 2022June 23, 2022 The Wild GemsLeave a comment

Makes 2 1/2 cups of sauce

Note: Use this recipe as a guide as well. Feel free to use different peppers or try different seasonings. This is a mild sauce but it’s delicious! If you want to increase the spice add more of the Chile de arbol peppers.

What You Need:

6 Chili Colorado Entero

4 Chile de arbol

1/4 of a yellow onion

4 garlic cloves peeled

2 teaspoons of chicken seasoning

2 tablespoons of canola or vegetable oil

Steps:

1. In a medium pot, add your peppers, onion, and garlic. Cover with water and bring to a low boil. Cover partially with lid and allow to simmer until peppers are completely soft. (About 15 mins)

2. Once veggies are soft, add to a blender with about 1-2 cups of water from which the chiles were boiling.

3. Once completely blended, strain the sauce through a strainer. Discarding the paste.

4. Rinse the pot you used for boiling the peppers and place on stove at a medium low heat. Add the oil, then the sauce, then the seasoning. Allow to simmer for about ten minutes.

That’s it! Seems intimidating, but it’s really not.

Enjoy!

Add more of these for more spice. Be mindful though!

You can boil the garlic with the skin on, just don’t forget to remove it when it’s all down boiling.

A beautiful red. There are other peppers out there though that you can use that will provide a darker red.

Doesn’t have to be a fancy strainer. This is what I used.

Yummy red sauce after simmering on the stove. (The sauce is not done once blended. It needs to be cooked on the stove.)

Tio’s Shrimp Cocktail

May 1, 2022April 17, 2023 The Wild GemsLeave a comment

Servings 10 to 12

What You Need:

4 lbs of shrimp peeled and deveined

2 cucumbers chopped

1 Serrano pepper finely chopped

3 large tomatoes chopped

2 celery sticks (1 chopped)

6-7 limes juiced

1 qt of calamato juice or half of a 2qt bottle

1/2 white onion finely chopped

1/4 of white onion un-chopped

1 teaspoon of pepper

3-4 teaspoons of salt

1 tablespoon of cilantro chopped

Steps:

1. First prep your veggies. Add your chopped pepper, onion, tomato, cucumber, cilantro, and celery in an extra sized large bowl. Cover and set aside in the fridge.

2. Prep your shrimp, removing the skin and devein (optional). Once the shrimp are done (can be like forever. Have someone help you!) place in a kitchen pot. Cover with water, add the 1 celery stick, 1/4 of an onion and bring to a boil, removing the foam. Boil for 1 minute. Reserve a cup of the shrimp water.

3. Remove the veggies from the fridge and add the shrimp once cooled. Then add the lime juice, Clamato, shrimp juice, salt, and mix well. Add additional salt, pepper, extra cilantro and lime juice if needed or until desired taste.

Enjoy!

Serve with tostadas or Tortillas chips. Add in hot sauce and freshly diced avocados!