Mango Salsa

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I’ve been invited to a potluck this week-end.

Do you like potlucks?

I have friends who love potlucks and then I have friends who despise potlucks.  They won’t go near them with a 10 foot poll.  Me?…I’m kinda on the fence.  I don’t really have a extreme feeling either way about them.  I can tell you I absolutely love, love, love dessert potlucks!  But then again, who doesn’t?

Anyways, back to the potluck ideas for this weekend…

When I asked the hostess what I should bring she replied “a side”! …a side of what?   Does that mean a side of green beans? or does it mean a side of beef?  I know, I know, it doesn’t mean a side of beef.  But her answer to my question “a side” is just so very vague.

When I’m deciding what to make I’m also thinking of the other invited guests.  Will they like what I bring?  I try to make something that is a bit unusual, not the ordinary potluck dish.

So I put my thinking cap on and came up with what I was going to bring…

Mango Salsa

My Mango Salsa recipe

It’s the perfect side.  It can be eaten as a dip for chips or it can be a topping for hot dogs, hamburgers, steak or chicken.  Or…it can be eaten just as a “side” salad.  It has a fresh sweet and spicy tropical flavor.

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Mango Salsa
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 large ripe but firm mango, peeled and diced
  • ½ red onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, diced
  • ½ a red bell pepper, diced
  • ½ cucumber, diced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and membrane removed, diced
  • ½ cup diced Jicama
  • 1 handful cilantro, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon agave
  • ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Directions
  1. In a large bowl combine all ingredients together, gently toss.
  2. Cover and place in the refrigerator until use.
  3. Can be made up to 6 hours ahead.

Enjoy!

Roast Beef and Avocado Sandwich

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Roast Beef and avocado sandwich

I love bread!

There I said it, now everyone knows, it’s finally out!  I love any and all bread. No longer do I need to hide behind my obsession!  I especially love bread when there are wonderful delectable goodies stuffed inside, I love savory and sweet ingredients.

Remember when my girlies sweet teacher gave them one of her Bacon Avocados for me to try?

Just in case you were wondering,

this is what I did with the other half…

I made a subway sandwich of sorts.  I made a roast beef and avocado sandwich.  A Roast Beef and Avocado sandwich with pepper Jack Cheese and mixed greens with a touch of peach preserves…that is!  Of course all of those delectable ingredients gently tucked inside a  tender french roll.

This is the most scrumptious sandwich ever!  It is one of those sandwiches that you keep thinking about days after you’ve eaten it. The spiciness of the pepper jack cheese along with the sweetness of the peach preserves is a combination made in taste bud heaven.

I purchased the roast beef along with the pepper jack cheese at the deli counter.  I wanted to make sure the beef and cheese were as fresh as possible.

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Roast Beef and Avocado Sandwich
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Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 2 french rolls
  • 8 slices of roast beef
  • 4 slices of pepper jack cheese
  • ½ avocado ~ Bacon Avocado, if you can get your hands on one.
  • 4 tablespoons peach preserves
  • 2 handfuls organic spring mix greens
Directions
  1. Cut each french roll lengthwise.
  2. Spread 2 tablespoons of preserves on the top half of each roll.
  3. Add 4 slices of roast beef to the bottom half of each roll.
  4. Top roast beef with 2 slices of cheese and a handful of the greens.
  5. Cut ½ of the avocado into 6 slices and place 3 slices on top of the greens.

Enjoy!

The Bacon Avocado

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Isn’t it funny how our tastes buds change so dramatically as we get older?

Food you couldn’t stand to eat as a child, you can’t wait to get your hands on now!

The buttery nutty flavored Bacon Avocado

Avocados are like that for me.

My Nonna had 2 huge avocado trees in her yard.  They produced hundreds of avocados each year.  Our family, the neighbors, and any passerby was given a bag full of the delectable fruit from my Nonna’s trees.  I remember the giddiness of my parents every year when the first of the avocados each season, ripened.  My mom would put them in salads and sandwiches and my dad would cut them in half, shake a bit of salt over the top of them, take a spoon and dig right in.  He would say “the beauty of the avocado is it’s built in bowl”!  Back then, I never understood the delight my family had in the weird green fruit.

I guess my mind changed the first time I had guacamole.  Now, I love avocados!  Just like my family I can not get enough of them.

So imagine my delight when my daughters walked in to the house from school holding a perfectly shaped beautiful avocado.  They explained to me they were talking to their teacher and on her desk was a large basket of bacon avocados {yes, I did say bacon avocado’s} to which she explained that she buys the delectable fruit from someone who works at the school.  They are not usually available in stores due to their delicate skin that would be bruised in the process of being shipped.  When my daughters mentioned that I loved avocados to her, she was sweet enough to give them one especially for me to try.  I can’t thank her enough.  It was absolutely delicious!

Bacon Avocado

Have you ever heard of a Bacon Avocado?

The Bacon Avocado has a thin green skin, it is a fruit that is available from late fall into spring.  If you can get your hands on one of these velvety smooth Bacon Avocados you are in for a treat.  I wasn’t expecting the lovely subtle buttery-nutty flavor that the Bacon Avocado possesses.  This one tasting has left me craving more.  I will now be on the look out for these delicate Bacon Avocados.

Some fun avocado facts from California Avocado.

  • Avocados are a fruit, not a vegetable
  • Avocados were once a luxury food reserved for the tables of royalty, but now California Avocados are enjoyed around the world by people from all walks of life
  • The avocado is also called an Alligator Pear because of its pear-like shape and green skin
  • Brazilians add avocados to ice cream
  • Filipinos puree avocados with sugar and milk for a dessert drink
  • California produces about 90 percent of the nation’s avocado crop

I ate half of my Bacon Avocado just like my dad.  Check back in a few days to see how I ate the other half.

French Toast Love

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The spicy scent of cinnamon and sweet vanilla is wafting around your home. Then you get a whiff of the maple syrup that is warming on the stove.  As you get closer to the kitchen you can hear the sizzle of the griddle.

Ahhh… It’s French Toast Love.

Thick, fluffy, rich, triangles of griddle goodness.  This tasty breakfast delight is my favorite current Sunday morning obsession!

French Toast 1

Making this French Toast is so super easy.

  Most of us have all the ingredients right in our fridge and pantry.

This French Toast is triangles of savory and sweet goodness

Lately, I have been buying a thick- cut loaf of bread at the bakery {because, as I said, I’m obsessed} but, it is totally unnecessary.

This easy recipe makes any type of bread super delicious.

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French Toast
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 8 Slices of Bread, your choice
  • 3 Eggs
  • ½ Cup Whole Milk
  • ½ Teaspoon Pure Vanilla
  • ¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon
  • ¼ Cup Melted Butter, plus some for the griddle.
  • Pure Maple Syrup
Directions
  1. Cut bread slices into triangle halves.
  2. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and melted butter in a bowl wide enough to be able to dip the bread completely.
  3. Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat.
  4. Add enough butter to lightly cover the entire skillet.
  5. Heat maple syrup in a pan over low heat.
  6. Dunk triangles of bread into egg mixture, making sure all sides are coated completely.
  7. Place triangles on to the heated griddle or skillet.
  8. Cook triangles until all sides of the bread are golden brown.
  9. Top with warm maple syrup.
  10. Serve immediately.

Savory sweet ffrench toast with warm maple syrup and bananas

What is your favorite fruit with French Toast?

Enjoy!

Shredded Beef Taquitos

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Where does Mexican food rank on your favorite food list?

Shredded beef Taquitos

  On my list, it ranks close to the top.  I love it.  Burritos, taquitos, tacos, chili rellenos, and of course, chips and salsa.

There is nothing better than going to Sunday brunch at a Mexican restaurant with a large group of friends.  The festive music of a mariachi band playing loudly, the brightly colored restaurant decor, waitresses walking by with pitchers full of margaritas, are all apart of the mexican restaurant atmosphere.

If you can’t get away for Sunday brunch, I have the perfect recipe that will taste just like your favorite mexican restaurant.

Shredded Beef Taquitos

I don’t often make mexican food at home, at least not the deep fried type, but these taquitos are so quick and easy, they make a fast delicious meal on those busy nights. If you pair them with a margarita, who needs a mexican restaurant?

And, there are no preservatives, unlike like the taquitos you buy in the frozen food section at your grocery store.

When I was thinking of recipes to make with my shredded beef recipe, I knew these shredded beef taquitos would be a perfect match.  All you need is some of the shredded beef, corn tortillas, a bit of cheese and your favorite garnishes. I like to use sour cream, lettuce, salsa, avocados, for that mexican restaurant experience at home, and don’t forget the margaritas.

Taquitos Shredded Beef and Cheese

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Shredded Beef Taquitos
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • Shredded Beef, 1½ pounds, see recipe above
  • 18 – 20 small corn tortilla
  • Peanut Oil for frying, you can also use vegetable oil
  • Queso Fresco, you can also use shredded Jack cheese
  • Sides
  • Sour Cream
  • Avocados or guacamole
  • salsa
Directions
  1. Pour oil in to large heavy pan {cast iron works well when frying}.
  2. Heat oil over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees.
  3. If shredded beef was in the refrigerator warm through in the oven or microwave. If it was frozen, defrost and then warm through. Set aside.
  4. Dip one tortilla at a time in the hot oil so that the tortilla becomes bendable. Remove from oil and place on paper towel to absorb oil.
  5. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  6. One at a time, fill the tortilla with 2 tablespoons of the warmed shredded beef. Spread the shredded beef across the middle of the tortilla.
  7. Add a small amount of cheese to the top of the shredded beef.
  8. Fold the bottom half of the tortilla over the shredded beef cheese mixture, tucking the end of the tortilla under the shredded beef and pull the tortilla snug, continue rolling the tortilla in the taquito shape.
  9. Place a toothpick to secure the rolled taquito.
  10. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  11. *If you a making them for a later date, at this point you can freeze them.
  12. Working in small batches, fry the taquitos until they are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
  13. Remove from oil and place on a wire rack.
  14. Serve with your favorite mexican sides.

Disfrute {Enjoy}!

Cake Mix Cookies

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Has this ever happened to you?

You pick your child up from school, you ask, “how was your day?”  They respond by telling you they need to bring 5 dozen homemade cookies to school tomorrow, and you haven’t even decided what’s for dinner tonight!

HELP!

Cake Mix Cookies to the rescue!

Cookies Duncan Hines Cake Mix

Normally with a little bit more advanced notice, it would be no problem to have 5 dozen homemade cookies from scratch.  I love making cookies and…eating cookies.  There are just some night’s it is much easier to open a box cake mix add a couple of eggs and some oil and well la, you’ve got cookies.  Very tasty cookies!

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Valentine Cake Mix Cookies
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Ingredients
  • 1 Box White Cake Mix, Duncan Hines
  • 2 Eggs
  • ⅓ Cup Vegetable oil
  • 1 Cup M&M’s
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Using a hand mixer, combine cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil in a large mixing bowl, beat until completely combined.
  3. Add M&M’s and stir by hand so you don’t break the M&M’s.
  4. Place spoonfuls of cookie dough on to a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
  5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Check for doneness. Time might vary depending upon your oven.
  6. Let cook on a wire rack.

Since I made these cookies, I figured out how to get the M&M’s colors not to bleed in to the dough while baking.  For the life of me, I could not figure out how some bakers had such perfect cookies.

Cookies on a cookie sheet

Make sure you check back here, I will soon revel that secret!

And after your child has taken the 5 dozen cookies to school.  No one will know if you hid a few cookies of your own to sit back and relax with a tall glass of milk, knowing…

All is well.

Cookies & Milk

Cookies and Milk.

YUM!

Enjoy!

Shredded Beef

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Do you feel like time is gets away from you?

I make daily to do lists, I always think I can get done everything I need to, but the sad truth is, most days I don’t even get through half the list.

By the end of the day I’m so exhausted the last thing I want to think about is making dinner for my family.

Recently, I was talking {complaining} to my mom about this, and she suggested making a large enough portion of a protein that I could use for 2 or 3 meals to save some time.  I shop at basically 3 stores for food, Trader Joe’s, Costco and Whole Foods.  I do buy most of my meats at Costco which means a whole lotta meat!  My mom said, instead freezing it in portions while it is still raw, cook it all and then freeze it in dinner size portions.  So like a good daughter, I listened to my mom and purchased a large piece of Chuck Pot Roast so I could make Shredded Beef.  It’s easy and there are a ton of recipes to make with this delicious beef {I will be sharing those recipes as I make them}.

Shredded Beef

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Shredded Beef
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 5-LB Chuck Roast
  • 1 Can Campbell’s Beef Consomme
  • 4 Garlic Cloves, sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Spray a roasting pan with cooking spray.
  3. Place Chuck Roast in roasting pan.
  4. Add pepper, italian seasoning, beef consomme, and garlic over roast.
  5. Cover roasting pan with foil.
  6. Place in oven and cook for 1 hour, then lower degrees to 350 and cook for 3 more hours or until beef easily pulls apart with forks.
  7. Shred beef and then place the shredded beef back in to the juices left in to pan.
  8. Store shredded beef with juices in containers in the refrigerator and in the freezer for future use.

I hope this Shredded Beef recipe makes your busy weeks a bit easier.

Shredded Beef

Enjoy!

What’s Everyone Making for Super Bowl?

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Super Bowl Sunday is finally here, and weather you can’t wait for kick-off to cheer on your favorite team, or you are looking forward to friendly rivalries, or you just want to watch the commercials, you are going to need to nourish yourself with some game day fare.

Earlier this week I gave you my choice for a Super Bowl party appetizer, Restaurant Style Salsa.  All you need to do is add all ingredients in to the blender, flip the switch and you’re done!

Restaurant Style Salsa blender

 Let’s see what other bloggers are making for Super Bowl Sunday in my new series, What’s Everyone Making?

Chocolate strawberry footballs

Bacon Wrapped Sausage Jalapeño Poppers

Tex-Mex Appetizer Tart

5 Chili Recipes for Super Bowl Sunday

Chicken Parmesan Sliders

Whether you are a Broncos Fan or a Seahawks Fan, if you choose any of these deliciously tasty tantalizing food your taste-buds will sure be happy.

Restaurant Style Salsa

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If you make this Restaurant Style Salsa for Super Bowl Sunday, you might want to double the batch, because I promise you it won’t last through the first half.

Restaurant Style Salsa

When I was growing up Super Bowl Sunday was a very important day. We were a football family, well my dad and my brother were, mom and I went along for the ride.

  I have since learned to love football. During football season my Friday nights are all taken.  I love when the night air has a bit of chill in it. My husbands high school alma mater has the best football games, the crowd is incredible and filled with many alum who still live in the area.  Our tailgates are like no other.  We happen to be friends with the guru’s of tail gates. They are the best!

Thank you Julie & Andy.

Did I just veer off subject? Ok, back to what I was saying…

I remember my mom in the kitchen cooking for hours making sure there was enough food so everyone was completely stuffed by the time the game was over.  Back then, there was always peppers and sausage on Italian rolls, along with many finger foods which of course included chicken wings.  My mom also served fried ravioli and marinara, I think that is her version of chips and salsa.

This Restaurant Style Salsa is an easy appetizer to make and serve, there are many different versions of this salsa on several blogs and all over Pinterest.

Restaurant Style Salsa Ingredients

Restaurant Style Salsa blender

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Restaurant Style Salsa
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 28 oz can Hunts diced tomatoes
  • 1 can Rotel Original
  • ½ red onion, chopped
  • 1 jalepeno, chopped {remove seeds removed if you want a mild salsa}
  • 1 handful cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • juice from 1 lime
Directions
  1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and combine to your desired consistency.
  2. Enjoy with tortilla chips.

What is your favorite snack for Super Bowl Sunday?

Enjoy!

Fruit Infused Flavored Water

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I really love Soda

No, really, I love soda.  For years now I have been trying to break my soda habit.  I’ll go for weeks, sometimes months at a time with no soda then all of a sudden i’m back to drinking soda everyday.  This time I have a replacement drink to help me.

Insert —> Fruit Infused Flavored Water.

Fruit Infused Flavored Water

 I know, who am I fooling?  Water can not take the place of yummy soda but, I make my Fruit Infused Flavored Water with mineral water to give me that bubbly goodness!  In my efforts to totally eliminate soda from my diet, I am only allowing myself soda on the weekends.  During the week I will be drinking my Fruit Infused Flavored Water.

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Fruit Infused Flavored Water
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 pitcher full of mineral water {or bottler plain water if you don’t like the bubbles}
  • ½ cucumber {thinly sliced}
  • 3 strawberries {thinly sliced}
  • ½ lemon {thinly sliced}
  • ice
Directions
  1. Add all fruit and cucumber slices to the water.
  2. Add ice and stir.
  3. Refrigerate to keep cold.

The longer the fruit sits in the water the more intense the fruit flavor is.  When the water gets low, don’t remove the fruit, just add more water.  As long as the Fruit Infused Flavored Water is kept in the fridge the fruit should stay fresh.  I usually make a new pitcher every other day.  I also like to squeeze some of the juices I’m using right into the water.

These Fruit Infused Flavored Water not only taste great with a subtle fruit flavor they also have a cleansing effect in your body.

The fruit combinations are endless!  I think rosemary or lavender would taste delicious with kiwi.

Flavored Water 2

Here is a few other combinations you might want to give a try.

Blueberries + Lemon

Lime + Cherry

Orange + Cucumber + Mint

Lemon + Cucumber + Rosemary

Let me know what combinations you try.

Enjoy!