Fat Sunday Sneak Peek #SundaySupper

I've never been to a Mardi Gras celebration, but that's all about to change because this Sunday my #SundaySupper friends and I are bringing the festivities to you with a Fat Sunday party.

Mardi Gras is the annual celebration of Carnival with festivities in major cities around the world like Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Mazatlán (here in Mexico), and New Orleans (US). The festivities conclude on Fat Tuesday, which is our last day to binge on rich, decadent foods (and beverages) before the Lenten season starts on Ash Wednesday.

Masa Harina Cornbread

This recipe/post might look a little familiar to you. It was originally posted with my recipe for Cocido Rojo (Mexican Beef Soup) back in the early days of this blog. I love cornbread (I make it at least twice a month) and have such great memories associated with it that I felt it deserved to have it's very own post. I hope you don't mind. 

My first and fondest memory of cornbread dates back many years ago when I was about 7 or 8 years old, when my dad and I lived with my great-grandmother Pearl in Amarillo, Texas. I don't remember much about my great-grandmother, but what I do remember is that she loved to watch her stories (The Young & The Restless) and that she was an amazing cook. She made absolutely everything completely from scratch. The two foods that stick out most in my mind are her Peach Cobbler (a recipe I'm still trying to duplicate) and her buttery melt-in-your-mouth cornbread. I remember that she always used to bake cornbread on the same day she'd cook a pot of pinto beans. For dinner she'd serve a slice of buttered cornbread in a bowl, then she'd ladle some of her freshly cooked pinto beans and broth over the cornbread. Such a simple meal, but it was one of my favorite meals EVER! 

Cake Slice Bakers: Lime Velvet Squares

I know it's been a couple of months since I last baked with my friends from The Cake Slice Bakers, let's just say work & life took precedence, but the important thing is that I'm back this month with our latest cake. And oh what a delicious cake it was!

This month's cake selection from the Great Cakes cookbook by Carole Walter was Lemon Velvet Squares, but since lemons aren't easy to come by in my small town, I turned these into Lime Velvet Squares. I really don't know what kind of cake I was expecting, but the end result was way better than I could have hoped for. It was velvety smooth, buttery, and mildly citrusy without being too tart. Within minutes of removing this cake from the oven, it completely disappeared. I take that as a very good sign and will be adding this cake to our regular dessert rotation.

This would be great spring/summer dessert served with whipped cream and sliced strawberries.

Leslie's Best Chili w/ Beans #SundaySupper #ChiliCookOff

Grab a spoon and bring your appetite, because this week we're having a Chili Cook-Off #SundaySupper style!

Growing up chili was something we always got from a can. As unappetizing and unappealing as that sounds to me now, back then I considered it a treat. I loved that canned chili. It wasn't until years later after Hubby and I got married that I tried my hand at making my own chili from scratch, in hopes of changing my Hubby's mind about chili. Thankfully it was just the canned stuff that Hubby had a problem with, and once I had my first taste of real homemade chili I never went back to the canned stuff.

The Great Grapefruit Margarita #NationalMargaritaDay

Happy National Margarita Day!

My good friend Heather (aka girlichef) is hosting a virtual margarita party and has invited a few of her food blogging friends, myself included. It's a virtual potluck with lots of tequila, lime juice and salt. Of course there are plenty of cocktails, but we also have some tasty margarita-inspired goodies like cupcakes, donuts, tacos, and chicken wings. Swoon! 

My contribution to this Margarita-palooza is my recipe for Grapefruit Margaritas sweetened with a Brown Sugar Simple Syrup.

I LOVE grapefruit juice, and have one with my breakfast almost every morning. My hubby on the other hand does not care for grapefruit juice at all. Or so he thought. After mixing him up one of these grapefruit margaritas one evening with some leftover grapefruit juice I had, Hubby quickly changed his tune. Now whenever I make (or buy) grapefruit juice Hubby always asks that I make extra for him, although I'm pretty sure he just wants to make sure there's enough juice leftover to make a margarita at the end of the day. And I can't say that I blame him. These margaritas are tart and sweet and absolutely delicious.

Mexican Chocolate Arroz con Leche (Rice Pudding) {She Made/Ella Hace}

This month for She Made/Ella Hace, girlichef & I decided to feature a special ingredient that is synonymous with Valentine's Day...Chocolate! We didn't specify any particular kind of chocolate, so we could've used dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate. The possibilities were endless. But we both ended up using the same kind of chocolate, one that we both hold near and dear to our hearts...Mexican Chocolate! (Proving once again that great minds think alike.) 

The first chocolate dessert that came to mind when thinking of what to make was Mexican Chocolate Arroz con Leche (Rice Pudding), because it's one of those simple desserts I that my Hubby and kiddies LOVE. I make classic Arroz con Leche 3 or 4 times a month, and the kiddies all insist that I make this yummy chocolatey version at least one of those times.

There are so many things I love about this Mexican Chocolate Arroz con Leche. It's super easy to make and it doesn't require a lot of ingredients. I LOVE the flavor combination of chocolate and cinnamon! But what I love most about this chocolate rice pudding is that it reminds me of my abuelito (grandpa), who used to make for me when I was a kid. And now that I'm all grown-up I get to share it with my kiddies and share stories with them about their bisabuelo (great-grandfather).

Huevos Ahogados (Eggs in Tomato Salsa w/ Roasted Poblano Strips) #WeekdaySupper

I've said it time and again, eggs aren't just for breakfast. They are my favorite ingredient to turn to on those days when I've been too busy to cook or when the cupboards are getting a little bare. With just a few ingredients that I always keep on hand, even when the budget is tighter than usual, I can cook up a delicious meal that can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Literally translated Huevos Ahogados means drowned eggs, but this is really poached eggs in a tomato salsa with roasted poblano pepper strips. While that long title does sound pretty fancy, I prefer the name Huevos Ahogados.

For a complete meal serve Huevos Ahogados with avocado slices, cooked nopales (cactus paddles), and warm corn tortillas.

Spinach-Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers #SundaySupper

Are you ready for some football?! Even if you're not big on football, you're going to love this week's #SundaySupper theme which is all about delectable Super Eats for the Big Game later today.

My favorite foods to serve at our annual Super Sunday party are Nachos, Spicy Hot Wings, Pizza, Homemade Onion Dip, Micheladas and Jalapeño Poppers. Mmmm, Jalapeño Poppers! I LOVE me some stuffed jalapeños! I love them stuffed with cheese, or chorizo, or spinach. The latter are my current faves because of my recent obsession with spinach. Just by making a slight change to my Espinacas con Crema (Creamed Spinach) recipe, I had the perfect stuffing that plays so well with the spicy sweetness of the jalapeños. And did I mention that there's bacon in the stuffing?

Even if you're not having a football party this weekend, these Spinach-Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers make for a delicious appetizer for any occasion.