our "siete" de mayo fiesta

it's a not-so-secret fact that hub's favorite all-time food is, well, anything Mexican. since we deserted him for play practice on his birthday (last of the thirties!), we decided to have a little "siete de mayo" celebration in his honor, and do some SERIOUS Mexican cooking. we made the most amazing version of "amazing southwest cilantro lime mango grilled chicken sandwiches" from allrecipes.com (wow, that title rivals one i'd write in length!) with flax tortillas from realsustenance.com, instead of french bread.  

since my man is the true guacamole chef, i was nervous to go on my own, but this guac recipe from allrecipes.com is divine!  (i can't be held responsible for actually measuring these ingredients, and i ALWAYS add extra lime and cilantro.)  

till this point, i was doing great, but i lost my senses completely when we began to fry up the sopapillas; i had a bite or two more than my fair share, i'm not gonna lie.  

and while we're being real, i also thoroughly enjoyed the coconut margarita with which i bribed my honey to grill the steak for his meal.  :)

what're you waiting for?  it doesn't have to be anything-de-mayo... get cooking!  :)

baked oatmeal, sweet memories, and allrecipes.com

this month, allrecipes.com has asked me to share a memory that ties me to my favorite recipe site. the timing is fitting, since this has been a busy week that resulted in ZERO cooking for me. because my kiddos were in the school play and theatre-major mom came out this week, we spent every waking moment at the school prepping costumes, sets, and character development. we are in the midst of turning our whole house upside-down to make better use of space, so literally every room in the house holds mis-matched furniture and paint rollers wrapped in plastic (i HATE to re-wash paint rollers!). 

 our kids have been amazing at building beds, organizing closets, and painting walls to make home -well, "homey-er" for everyone. then at the culmination of an exhausting week, we were blessed to have grandparents (three sets!) visit to watch the play. poor hubs was left to manage the chaos as best possible with the three non-acting siblings. when everyone arrived for the play, i found myself lamenting that i couldn't host everyone properly. i wanted to have visitors for a home-cooked meal. i wanted to have matching sets of towels, freshly laundered and waiting for refreshment and relaxing. i wished i had hot coffee and warm treats, with candles lit and baseboards dusted. i realize that "in the chaos" was where i needed to be this week, using a long-lost love/gift in theatre, and i have let myself off the guilt-hook. however, i am reminded that for me, food has always had a special place in my hospitality, and i want to get back to those roots. 

 as i thought back to some of our sweetest memories, i immediately wished for a bowl of baked oatmeal, one of the first recipes i discovered on allrecipes.com, and one i've shared over and over with friends and family who've visited and relaxed over a hot serving doused with cream and accompanied by fresh fruit and hot tea or coffee. baked oatmeal to me is comfort with a bit of extra "fancy" thrown in; it says "welcome," and "i cared enough to bake for you." it says "good morning," and "have a great day!" it's a recipe i've pulled out that i can sort of prepare ahead and always feel like i'm taking good care of our guests. i'm looking for a flashback to that old-fashioned homey comfort, so i think as we settle back into real-life this week (is there such a thing? :)) i may make a batch of baked oatmeal.

irish cabbage (allrecipes dot com UK!)

i'm a little late posting, but we made this dish in honor of our irish (we have a few!) roots during march.

it's part of our awesome journey with allrecipes.com, and we were invited to visit the UK allrecipes site (yep, there is one!).  although the cabbage and bacon are a good mix, the nutmeg (oh, how i love nutmeg, especially fresh grated, as here!)... seemed to somehow bring out a metallic taste with the vinegar and cabbage combination.  next time, i'll either leave out the nutmeg (gasp!) or try braising this baby down into caramelly-cabbage-deliciousness.  hhmmm... maybe it needs to be irish month again!

(in case you'd like to make this dish, head on over to the UK allrecipes.com for irish cabbage!)

these people...

are my life.  they make every day worth getting up for, and getting back on my knees for.  :)

i {heart} blue cheese. (and a bit of my food philosophy)

with all my talk of the Paleo lifestyle, i may have been remiss in saying that i am not permanently (at this point) removing non-Paleo-friendly foods completely from our menu.  i have not given up dairy, and i do allow myself "cheat" days.  at this part of my journey, i still think it's important to allow for this (keep ya posted if it changes); i don't want anything to become my "god" when it comes do diet.  i do, however, still have a desire to move toward "cleaner" eating, and incorporate principles that honor my body as it was created... and encourage our friends and family to do the same!
sooooo, that being said, here's the ahh-mazing appetizer i made for our Easter dinner with friends!

this is the oh-so-delicious blue cheese with capers and red onion from my beloved allrecipes.com.  modeled by my beautiful friend brenda.  don't you love her nail polish?  :)  i had every intention of making grain-free crackers for those (me!) who wanted them, but alas, it didn't happen.  i tried this with the veggies i had out, but ended up having the crackers.  next time, i will make my own.  trust me - make this. now. it takes about thirty seconds and it is all that.  i promise.  (and if you've got more time than i did? make these!)

thai-indian fusion chicken soup {paleo soup recipe}

we all battled a nasty cold a few weeks back and i was craving something warming with lots of healing ginger, garlic, and onions.  this concoction grew out of a love for the spices and after i posted a teaser to my facebook page, i was obliged to share the recipe!  enjoy.  :)

Thai-Indian Fusion Chicken Soup

Angela Sackett - March 2012

Ingredients:

3- 4 chicken breasts, cubed

4 stalks celery

Large onion

Three large carrots

Three garlic cloves

One inch ginger, grated

1 carton cherry tomatoes

1 Tbsp olive or coconut oil

Tsp garam masala

Tsp cumin

Tsp coriander

Seasoning blend

Tbsp chili garlic sauce

1 can light coconut milk

32 oz chicken broth

1/4 cup lime juice

2 Tbsp dried coconut

1 lime, quartered

Directions:

Sautee chicken in oil, seasoning to taste.  When cooked through, set aside.  Chop celery, carrots, and onion, and add to pan once chicken has been removed.  Sautee until onion and celery begin to turn translucent, adding garlic and ginger after 3-4 minutes.  Stir in garam masala, cumin, coriander, and seasoning blend and add cherry tomatoes, using the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to "pop" approximately half of the tomatoes; add the chicken back in.  Stir in chili sauce, coconut milk, broth, and lime juice.  Simmer 10-15 minutes and serve in bowls sprinkled with coconut.  Serve with lime quarters so juice can be added to taste.

(Disclaimer: I'm attempting to use my iPhone more for photos, but i won't lie, i'm not the best iPhone shooter.  add to that, this isn't the prettiest dish, and the photos don't sell it.  but trust me on this: if you make it, you'll love it.  it's rich and spicy, hearty and delicious.  leave me a comment and tell me you agree!  :)  )

you know you want some!

enjoy!

Good Morning, Sunshine! {Paleo Breakfast Recipe}

adopting a healthier eating pattern has had the added gift of learning to appreciate what food really tastes like.  i'm prayerfully listening to my body, teaching it again what is truly good, and letting it tell me what, of that, it wants and needs.  (do I sound like a nut?)  one of my favorite breakfasts was inspired by a gorgeous blog post on Left on Amelia. she calls it "the bowl of yum."  i've adapted it to whatever's in the pantry and seeming "yum" to me of a morning.  this morning it was almond butter, bananas, my beloved Chia seeds, raw, unsweetened coconut,  chopped frozen cherries (give them a whizz in your mini food processor or chop with a knife or chopper) and a drizzle of coconut milk.  and hello, happy.

 

for more info on the ingredients i used and why (besides that they taste awesome), leave a comment below and i'll create a post!