Strawberry-Basil Sangria

Photo by Katie Guymon

On March 13, 2012, I entered the wonderful world of motherhood, a realm in which baby boogers are extracted from baby noses with pinky nails and the color and consistency of poo is closely examined and sometimes even celebrated. It has been one heck of a ride so far, that's for sure. The lowest lows have involved torturous sleep deprivation, and the highest highs involve smiles, coos, and lots and lots of cuddle time. I know that I'm lucky to have my sweet gal Aves.

Last weekend, I was honored with my first Mother's Day, and really, it was perfect in every way.

On Friday night, Matt stayed home with the babe so I could hit up one of my favorite wine bars, Sasha's, with six of my girlfriends. The patio was open, and it was a gorgeous spring evening in Saint Louis.

On Saturday night, we hosted our parents for a Mother's Day Eve dinner. Matt grilled steaks and romaine lettuce, and I was thankful to spend some leisure time in the kitchen, making layered Greek dip, my version of Mexican street corn, and rhubarb cobbler. And oh yeah, this sangria.

Strawberry-Basil Sangria [adapted from Treehugger.com] 
I cut down on the sugar and the grape juice to make this sangria slightly less sweet, but feel free to up the ante if you like your adult beverages that way. My favorite part of this concoction is the basil. If you score the leaves, you can most definitely taste the flavor in the drink.

-1 pint of strawberries, thinly sliced
-1 apple, finely diced
-10-12 whole basil leaves, scored with a fork to release flavor
-1/2 cup white grape juice
-3/4 cup sugar 
-1 cup club soda
-1 bottle of Chardonnay (I used tree-free Yellow Tail)

1. Place the strawberries, apple, and basil in a pitcher. Cover with the sugar let it stand for ten minutes.

2. Add the remaining liquids and stir well. Serve cold.

After Aves went to bed, we all continued to sit outside with our wine and music. Given the recent pace of our lives, it felt so good to just...sit. I swear, parenthood is a race to see how fast you can do everything! Can you shave your legs in thirty seconds? Can you pee before she cries? Can you grocery shop before she wakes up? I sometimes feel like I'm on a game show. But, last Saturday night was the perfect chance to catch waaaay up with Matt, and we got a little mushy gushy about our girl.

Becoming a parent is a whirlwind ride, and you have no other option but to hop on and hold on tight. There are very few chances, at least early on, to step back and process your new life. The best part of my Mother's Day was the opportunity to reflect on just how in love I am...in the wee hours of the morning...sharing a beer with my husband.

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.

Spicy Citrus Mozzarella Bites

Photo by Katie Guymon

Last week, I tried out my first two recipes from my new cookbook purchase, Claire Robinson's 5 Ingredient Fix. My girlfriends got together for - what else? wine - and so, I made a couple of cocktail-y type snacks. Both were easy, both were tasty.

Up first...

Spicy Citrus Mozzarella Bites
These, to me, are better the longer they marinate. They definitely have a unique flavor!

-8 ounces of fresh cherry-size (ciliegine) mozzarella balls, drained
-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
-zest of one 1 lemon
-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
-1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
-sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and serve immediately or chill in refrigerator until ready to eat.