Everything You Need to know to Cook a Delicious Ortega Chicken Meal at Home

I wanted to share and celebrate my love of cooking and baking.

I'm Theresa Roe and I live on the Central Coast of California along with my wonderful husband Jerry of 40+ years. I am the youngest of 5 siblings with 4 older brothers.

I have a business background and studied business administration in college. I have participated in almost every component of financial and real estate transactions, from private real estate investing, flipping houses, home remolding and restoration, banking, escrow and title operations, mortgage counselor, real estate broker and business owner. But my real love is cooking and baking.

My fourth grade year my best friend received an old but really cool free standing oven with a stove on top. It was square and about 10in by 5in white porcelain with electric coils on the stove top with dials. It was electrical and plugged into the wall. Boy did the two of us have fun with that oven/stove combo. My best friend and I would get bologna from the fridge and cut it up and fry it in little tiny pans. I was so envious of that little oven/stove that I remember letting my mom know that year I really would love to have an easy bake oven for Christmas. Of course, my mother’s reply was "that is a waste of money; you do not need an easy bake oven when you have a full size oven in the kitchen to use.” 

The first thing I remember baking in that full size oven was chocolate chip cookies. I would go to the kitchen and get the big gunny sack of whole walnuts that my uncle would bring to us and sit on the floor in the family room watching TV with two bowls in front of me. One was to catch the walnut shells and the other was to put the walnut meats. I would have to guard the walnut meats because my older brothers would try to sneak in and eat my hard work. After about an hour’s work I would have enough walnuts to start making the cookies.

So I have been cooking and baking since I was young. My father died when I was 20 months old and mom remarried when I was in 1st grade and annulled the marriage when I was in 7th grade. She became very depressed and took to her bed. Housekeeping and food prep became another one of my chores.

Also growing up I remember spending hours looking at my grandmother’s old cookbooks that were printed in the 1940's and 50's, trying to find something that I could make with the items we had in the house.

If you ever get a chance to look at an old cookbook from that era it is fascinating. All the sketches show women in dresses and high heels along with some really strange foods that they made for their families. But out of that book I found sugar cookies. And I can still find that recipe today just by opening the book. It falls straight to that page. Needless to say, I am obsessed with cookbooks and have a lawyer’s bookcase in the hall entry that has four shelves packed full of cookbooks.

I have been married for over 40+ years and have done a lot of experimenting during that time. I will not tell you now about the 1985 olive oil breakfast muffin tragedy. I will save that for a later time. 

I had to experiment because growing up everything my mom made had Lipton onion soup mix. Spaghetti sauce consisted of Lipton onion soup mix, hamburger and tomato sauce. Meatloaf - just add an egg to that spaghetti sauce and a crushed up sleeve of saltines. Dip was sour cream and Lipton onion soup mix. Chili beans consisted of water, Lipton onion soup mix, hamburger, chili powder and kidney beans. To this day you will not see Lipton onion soup mix in my house.

Now living on the Central Coast of California we get to enjoy fresh from the field vegetables and fruits. The farmers market is about a mile away from my home. I have fun going to the farmers market and picking out my weekly menu from the produce that is growing at this time of year. Even the broccoli taste sweet. Our farmers market has wonderful organic produce, fruits and eggs. Also with honey, breads, and sometimes candy. I love to add fruits and vegetables to our smoothies and fresh green juice.

I have been frequently asked by family and friends for my recipes along with people I meet at the farmers market or grocery store. I like unusual produce and when people notice them they ask what I am making. That starts up a conversation and they end up asking where to find the recipes I am telling them about so they can try it for themselves.

I love sharing my recipes and helping anyone that asks for help. So I decided this was the best way to share my love of cooking and baking with tips so everyone can enjoy making great tasting and nutritious drinks and foods for themselves and their family-fast and easy with sometimes a prepackaged item to round out the meal.

I love baking, cooking, reading (knowledge is powerful when applied), working with my husband and helping others. 

Enjoy!!