Mexican Street Corn-Inspired Hominy

 

In southern California, there are street vendors that prepare "Mexican Street Corn" - grilled corn on the cob slathered with mayo and rolled in a crumbly Mexican cheese called Cotija.  I've made this much easier at home by preparing hominy in a similar style, with much less fat. 

Cotija is a cow's milk-cheese that is crumbly in texture and salty in flavor, similar to feta, and it doesn't melt.  I prepared a simple can of white or yellow hominy by draining then adding lemon juice.  When microwaved, the lemon flavor is steamed and infused into the hominy.  I then mixed with Cotija cheese and smoked paprika.  I love the added zing of the lemon and the flavor is exactly like the street corn version. 

The canned food makes for a humble but satisfying lunch or side dish, with only four ingredients.  You can adjust proportions to your personal taste.  This is an easy dish kids can make themselves, as long as they can handle a can opener. 

Mexican Street Corn-Inspired Hominy

1 can Hominy

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice 

1/4 to 1/2 Cup Cotija Cheese 

1/4 Tbsp Smoked Paprika or to taste 

 

Drain the hominy.  Place in microwave safe dish, adding the lemon juice.  Cover dish with plastic wrap leaving one corner ventilated.  Heat in microwave as appropriate - for my wattage, it's about 45 seconds.  Mix in Cotija cheese and paprika, and serve.

Tea Tin Floral Arrangements

 

To encourage myself to stay hydrated while working long hours on my latest show, I ordered several kinds of yummy tea, mostly from Harney and Sons.  The tea tins that I emptied over a few months were so cute, I didn't want to just waste the containers by throwing them away.  Instead I used the tea tins as vases for some silk flower arrangements.  

I got some floral foam, and bought out of season artificial florals from Michaels.  I really enjoyed the chance to be creative putting together the floral arrangements.  I only spent about 20 minutes on each one.  I attached the lid of the tea tin to the side of the arrangement too.  I'd done floral arranging in 4-H when I was young, and entered some arrangements in the county fair, many years ago.  I don't have much counter space in my tiny home, so I don't often have fresh flowers in my apartment.  So I haven't had much need to practice arranging in years.  It was fun to arrange the types of flowers for height and composition in a way that was pleasing to me.  

As I said, I don't have much room for arrangements in my tiny home, so I thought I'd take them to a local senior center to give them away when finished.  But fortuitously, someone on a local facebook group put out a call for flowers after her mom was hospitalized following a car accident.  So I did make someone's day with my flowers!