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.

Pumpkin Bars

Matt and I had a little housewarming gathering yesterday, our first time entertaining in the new digs. How I managed to forget what a tremendous about of work throwing a par-tay is escapes me, but I was reminded today while scrubbing smashed chocolate chips off my kitchen floor. Oh well, it was worth it to see so many friendly faces all in the same place. That rhymes. Sort of.

Plus, it was a good excuse to celebrate my favorite season - and month - in true autumnal style: pumpkins, mums, fire pits, the works. 

I made Paula Deen's pumpkin bars as a dessert, and they were a hit. The recipe is easy, and the cake itself is not too sweet. The cream cheese frosting gives it the sweetness it needs. I say YUM. Heck, I'll say it again. YUM. 

Pumpkin Bars [recipe from Paula Deen]
Pumpkin Bars:
-4 eggs
-1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
-1 cup vegetable oil
-15-ounce can pumpkin
-2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:
-8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
-1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
-2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth.

3. Spread the batter into a greased 13 x 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

4. To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

A Super Bowl Party

So, it's the Monday after the Super Bowl, and despite the fact that I'm feeling quite disgusting after eating my weight in food yesterday, I'm here to share a few recipes from the little get together Matt and I hosted.

Our friends and I had engaged in general merrymaking, and for us, that included (but was not limited to): pulling up pictures of Fergie as proof of the unfortunate time she wet her pants onstage, whimpering over the cuteness of puppies, and drinking beer. Good times had by all.

These are the adorable cookies that Alice brought over the day before the game. They are from Clayton's Bakery and Deli in Saint Louis, the place Alice swears is the best for frosted cookies. Good to know. (Although, I have ordered cookies through the same gal who did my wedding cupcakes, and they were pretty spectacular. Just had to give a shout out).

Antipasto Pasta Salad [recipe courtesy of Cuisine at Home]

I had my eye on this recipe from the Cuisine at Home magazine ever since I saw it at the beginning of football season last fall. It contains approximately one million ingredients, and all of them are individually fantastic. But, put 'em all together, and that's when the magic really happens.
Vinaigrette:
-1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained
-2 teaspoons anchovy paste
-2 teaspoons minced garlic
-1/4 cup red wine vinaigrette
-1 teaspoon dried oregano
-6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
-salt and black pepper to taste

Salad:
-8 ounces dry tri-color rotini pasta
-2 cups seeded and half-moon sliced cucumbers
-1 cup diced smoked mozzarella
-1 cup diced Italian salami
-1 cup thinly sliced red onion
-3/4 cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives
-1/2 cup pepperoncini, rinsed and stemmed
-1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers
-1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, quartered
-2 tablespoons capers, drained

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, according to package directions. Drain pasta, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
2. Purée capers, anchovy paste, and garlic for the vinaigrette in a food processor. Add vinegar and oregano; pulse to combine. Slowly drizzle in oil, and bled until emulsified. Season vinaigrette with salt and black pepper.
3. Mix together cooked pasta, cucumbers, tomatoes, mozzarella, salami, onion, olives, pepperoncini, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, and capers for the salad in a large bowl. Toss the salad with vinaigrette to coat.
4. Refrigerate salad overnight.

Italian Beef
The hardest part of this recipe is the required shredding of the meat after all the cooking is done. All you need is a fork, some elbow grease, and some patience. The easiest part of this recipe is the joyful eating of the meat after the shredding is done.

-4 lbs. boneless sirloin
-1 package of dry Italian dressing mix
-1 package of au jus gravy mix
-5-6 pepperoncini and juice
-6-8 fresh garlic cloves
-hoagie rolls

1. Place all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 4-5 hours. (I usually cut in the meat in half after four hours to check on doneness).
2. Shred, baby, shred.

Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip
Holy Lord, this dip is my Kryptonite. Courtney brought it over yesterday, but I think my recipe is exactly the same as hers. Luckily, most people serve it with celery sticks, so it's, at least, got something healthy going for it.

-8 ounces Frank's Red Hot buffalo wing sauce
-12 ounces cream cheese, softened
-8 ounces Marie's Blue Cheese salad dressing
-2-4 cups cooked chicken (can use Tyson's precooked grill strips and chop into smaller pieces)
-2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Mix first four ingredients, spread into a baking dish, and top with cheddar.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.
3. Serve with tortilla chips and celery.