A Cinco De Mayo Fiesta

Photo by Katie Guymon

Last Saturday, Matt and I had a small get together of friends to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. I mean, what other day of the year is it acceptable to drown your baked goods in tequila? And eat tacos for lunch and dinner? Well, okay, in my book, these things are okay every day of the year. But, especially on May 5th.

Margarita Cupcakes [recipe courtesy of Brown Eyed Baker]
Let's go ahead and start with dessert first. There are many versions of a margarita cupcake out there on the Interwebs, and while I was tempted to take the easy road and pick a recipe that used a box mix, I went ahead and did everything from scratch. You know, because I really wanted to practice using my piping bag again. And, I'm a masochist. Anyhow, I really enjoyed these cupcakes. They are super light, with just the right amount of lime flavor. I followed every step of the recipe exactly. However, instead of garnishing the cupcakes with lime zest and a slice of lime, I added two drops of green food coloring and one drop of yellow to the frosting.

Guacamole Salad [recipe courtesy of Barefoot Contessa]
My friend Lindsay is a huge Ina Garten fan, just like me. She brought this deconstructed guacamole salad to the party, and I loved it. Then I got really angry I had to share it with everyone else.

Jicama-Orange Salad [recipe courtesy of Epicurious]
Lisa picked this incredibly refreshing salad recipe because sometimes you just wanna eat some jicama, you know? It was the perfect balance to all of the rich guacamole, spicy salsa, and salty tortilla chips that we munched on for eleventeen hours.

Restaurant Style Salsa [recipe courtesy of Pioneer Woman]
I first made this salsa last summer, and Matt complained that it wasn't spicy enough. So, I used two jalapeños instead of one this time and, whoa baby, it was-uh spicy meatball. I can totally take the heat, but if you're not so hip to the fire tongue, watch your peppers.

Beergaritas
I first tried this drink when Matt and I closed on our house last summer. Lindsay and Seth brought over a pitcher to celebrate, and no one told us to sloooooow down. You've been warned.
-frozen limeade concentrate
-your favorite tequila
-2 beers (we use Tecate or Corona)

1. In a pitcher with ice combine, the limeade concentrate, an empty limeade container's worth of tequila, and two beers.

2. Mix well and enjoy!

Skirt Steak Tacos
-2 lbs. skirt steak
-1/2 teaspoon of cumin
-1/2 a white onion, coarsely chopped
-1 lime, juiced
-1 clove of garlic
-1/4 cup of olive oil
-a big pinch of kosher salt

1. In a food processor, combine the cumin, onion, lime juice, garlic, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine.

2. Slowly pour the olive oil into the food processor while it's running to emulsify the marinade.

3. In a plastic bag, pour the marinade over the skirt steak and keep in the fridge overnight.

4. Grill the steak to your preferred level of doneness and let it rest for ten minutes.

5. Cut the steak against the grain and serve in warm tortillas with all the fixins.

Junior Mint Cupcakes

Yesterday, I got a hankerin' for some cupcakes. Once I hit my third trimester, I developed the craziest sweet tooth. (Well, crazy for me considering my entire life, I've been a salt girl.) Good thing these new cravings came after I passed my glucose test with flying colors - no gestational 'betes for me! So, it's really no surprise that took it upon myself to make an inordinate number of cupcakes for Matt and me. The trickiest part of this decision was deciding what to make.

See, tonight (literally, as I type this) we're watching the Golden Globe awards. Matt and I are, unashamedly, huge pop culture nerds. Let's just say we watch a good amount of (only critically acclaimed, we swear!) television, and we love our movies. It's been our tradition for over a decade now to watch the show together. Also, we like the boozed up celebrities.

I wanted to make a theme-y sort of cupcake, and I scoured the Interwebs all day yesterday for something suitable for a red carpet event. I wasn't having any luck until I stopped into Walgreen's last night for mascara and Hot Tamales that I paused to consider the rest of the "movie theater candy." And then, by George, it hit me. Junior Mint cupcakes.

Turns out, there were approximately eighty-two recipes online for such a thing. So, I pulled a few steps from here and there and came up with my own easy recipe. No, they aren't from scratch, but if that's what you're feeling, I'm sure you can figure out a way to make things harder for yourself.

Junior Mint Cupcakes
Cupcakes:
-1 box of Devil's Food cake mix
-3 large eggs
-1 1/3 cups water
-1/2 vegetable oil
-3/4 teaspoon mint extract

Buttercream Frosting:
-1 cup butter, at room temperature
-3 cups powdered sugar
-dash of milk

Decoration:
-green sprinkles
-Junior Mints

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the ingredients for the cupcakes. Place 18 cupcake liners into two cupcake tins and fill each liner two-thirds full.
2. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
3. Let cupcakes cool completely before using a piping bag to frost each cupcake.
4. Sprinkle each cupcake and finish with a Junior Mint.