Cinco de Mayo Delicioso
I’m not of Mexican descent, but I do love me some Mexican food. And with Cinco de Mayo tomorrow, that just gives me another excuse to eat to all the Mexican food and drink all the margaritas I can possibly handle. Say I won’t.
My friends and I are going out to eat at a local Mexican restaurant, Vallarta’s. They serve huge and super strong margaritas – original and strawberry. I think I’ll sample both athank you. And, they have a dish called ‘Molcajete’ – which is presented in a boiling hot stone bowl (almost like lava rock) and filled to the brim with steak, chicken, shrimp, peppers, onions, queso and mole sauce. It’s pretty much awesome. If you’ve seen it on a menu, but have never tried it, I strongly suggest you order it.
But, if you don’t feel like bothering with the festive crowds – which I can’t blame you – then I have some delicious Cinco de Mayo menu ideas for you to try.
ManFriend’s Magnificent ManSalsa
(see recipe below)
Corn Pudding Nacho Bites
(get recipe here)
Zesty Lime Fish Tacos
(get recipe here)
Peach Margarita
(get recipe here)
ManFriend’s Magnificent ManSalsa
INGREDIENTS
4 big tomatoes (known as Ugly Tomatoes)
1 med. onion
3 Jalapeno peppers
3 Serrano peppers
1 Habanero pepper
2 whole avocados
1 can sweet corn, drained
1 cup cilantro (add as much or as little as you like – we LOVE it, so we go overboard)
1 tsp salt & pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Chop first 6 ingredients into big chunks.
- Finely chop cilantro.
- Add all ingredients into 1 bowl.
- Add salt and pepper to taste
Enjoy with scoopable chips. So easy, and soooo delicious.
Hint: I personally like a lot of corn, so you can add 2 cans if you want.
Gift Ideas for Mom
There is a lot going on this week – Cinco de Mayo, Kentucky Derby, Mother’s Day… I’m going to post ideas for each this week, and even though Cinco de Mayo is Thursday, I think it’s important to talk about the most important topic first: Mom.
My mom, or Marm as I call her, is my best friend. I always tell her that when I get married, I want her to be my Matron of Honor. We talk every day, even if we have nothing to talk about. She’s a good resource for advice, but my favorite thing about our relationship is that she asks me for advice, too. She has since I was 12. She makes me feel important, that my ideas are worth listening to. Unfortunately, I live about 5 hours north from her, so I won’t be with her on Sunday, but I’ll do the same thing I have every year since I left for college. I’ll call her at the butt-crack of dawn because I always want to be the first to say, “Thank You.”
If you happen to be a procrastinator and still haven’t gotten your Mom anything, here are some ideas that will make her smile. Because, every great Mom deserves a great present – big or small.
If she loves to read – get her a NOOK Color, $249…
Not only can she read her favorite books, but with the NOOK Color, she can read magazines, the newspaper, and even download apps.
If she loves coffee – get her a Tassimo, $150 (Bed, Bath & Beyond)…
I can personally vouch for this. ManFriend got me this for Christmas and I am officially obsessed. And I wasn’t even a big coffee drinker. Oh but now I am. It makes cappuccinos, lattes, iced coffee, teas, hot chocolate, a whole meal of food. (I made that last part up) Your Mom will love this thing.
If she loves nature – name a star after her, $54-$500…
She always said you were her shining star – why not show her you feel the same? And let’s face it, how many people can say “No really, that star is called ‘The Carolyn'”?
If she’s a foodie – get her an Edible Arrangement, $25-$170…
Because, a bouquet of flowers is great – but a bouquet of chocolate-dipped fruit that looks like flowers is even greater. And, I’m sure she’ll share so you can have some for yourself, too. ;)
These are just some unconventional ideas for Mom on Mother’s Day. You can always opt for flowers, jewelry, dinner – it’s really the thought that counts. Besides, Mom will love whatever you get her. And if she doesn’t, she’s great enough to never let you know…
What are you getting your Mom?
Looks for Less: Clogs
I hope everyone had a great weekend! I was able to find only a few cute items at the garage sale: an antique teacup for a bridal shower, salt and pepper shakers that look like little strawberries, and christmas light-decorated salt and pepper shakers. We in the salted chocolate household love our salt!
Yesterday, ManFriend came down with a bad case of food poisoning. I don’t think he’ll ever be able to eat Chinese food again … which sucks because we both love Chinese food. Anyway, he’s still in pretty bad shape so I’m keeping this post short and sweet while I tend to him. Poor guy.
Below is a post I had been saving for some time – I wanted wait for the perfect time to put it up. With Cinco de Mayo coming up this Thursday, I’m thinking these are the perfect pair of shoes for your Mexican fiesta. They can be dressed up or down, working well with either long pants, a little romper, or even a cute mini dress. Clogs are comfortable and chic – both must-haves for partying into the wee hours of the night. Only problem is, I’m thinking they aren’t the best shoes for the walk of shame the next day … ;)
Jeffery Campbell “Charli C” clog, $124.95
Bronco Vegan Clog (Black) $38 (earth-friendly and wallet-friendly: double whammy!)
(or Brown) $38
Have a great night – here’s hoping a few crackers, applesauce and ginger ale brings ManFriend back to 110%. I’ll let you know tomorrow…
Happy Weekend
This week has been crazy!
Right before we left on our trip, we discovered a leak in the master bedroom window. The water was coming in through the wall and down into the floor. We noticed the laminate was warped, and when we walked over the floor, water seeped through the cracks. It sounded like we were splashing around in puddles … in our bedroom. Oy vey! So, on Monday we ripped up the flooring and baseboard to let it all dry out. It’s apparently been there for a while. All these homeowner mishaps a-happenin’ – happy 2 1/2 month anniversary to us!
Since our room now looks like a construction zone, we’ve been sleeping in the guest bedroom. Poor Moosehead doesn’t know what the heck is going on…
Luckily, salted chocolate’s feature on Freshly Pressed made up for it all and put me in a better mood. I so needed the boost – you have no idea!
To further take my mind off things, I visited a garden shop this week. Flowers always make me feel better, and we would like to start a garden very soon – so I decided it was a good time to start researching. I’m going back this weekend to take another peek…
There’s also a neighborhood garage sale tomorrow – I’m hoping to score a few good (and cheap!) items for the house.
I hope you all have a great weekend – see you back on Monday!
Carefree in Costa Maya
First off, WOW!
My Heavenly Honduras post was featured on today’s Freshly Pressed and I am extremely honored. Little ol’ me and beautiful Honduras – we work well together. Guess this means I’m going to have to visit more often.
Thank you, WordPress – for my 15 minutes of fame!
And now we’re onto the 3rd stop on our cruise – Costa Maya, Mexico. We decided not to book an excursion for this stop – we originally had a deep-sea fishing tour planned, but it was a little on the expensive side, and we couldn’t keep the fish. Plus, I live in Florida, so it’s not like we don’t already do this on a weekly basis.
I’m glad we decided to do our own thing. As soon as we stepped onto the Port, ManFriend and I started off with massages on the beach. Sadly, this is the first massage I have ever had. I know – pretty pathetic. It was nice, and so relaxing. Then, our group of friends rented 2 sand buggies to explore the island. THIS WAS UNFORGETTABLE. You get to see the island not many people venture out to visit – and I am so glad we did.
The island of Costa Maya was fairly untouched, and it appears that only recently did they start building it up. The place is gorgeous. The water had about 5 different shades of blue, the sand was soft and pure, and the people there were extra-friendly.
Costa Maya was easily my favorite stop on our cruise.
We rode around on the sand buggies until there was nowhere else to go – which ended up being the perfect place to stop. There was a tiny tiki bar, some lounge chairs, and the beach. You don’t need anything else…
{The coast of Costa Maya}
{Pool bar at the Port}
{Our sand buggy – THE best way to experience the island}
{All kinds of blue}
{A low-key beach}
{With a low-key bar – and swings for seats! – and delicious, local Pacifico beer!}
{Costa Maya Romantico :)}
salted chocolate | life with a dash of flavor 