Mango Lime Agua Fresca

Last week when we got back from our annual Semana Santa camping trip, we came home with a ton of food because we ended up cutting our trip short by a whole day and a half. We brought home enough food that I didn't have to do my grocery shopping until the end of the week. Among the food we brought home that needed to be used up ASAP, were some very ripe mangos. Like too ripe to enjoy with salt, lime, and chile powder. So, we decided to make mango agua fresca.

It was a Sunday, so Hubby had time to lend me a hand in the kitchen. He peeled and cut the mangos, then pureed them in the blender with some water. All I had to do was add the sugar. But...when it came time to taste the agua fresca, I realized that one of the mangos was on the verge of spoiling. The good thing is that none of the mangos had actually spoiled. That would have been disastrous. To lighten that overly ripe mango taste, which can taste a little medicinal, I added a little fresh lime juice. (Lime juice is a great way to lighten strong flavors be it in an agua fresca or soup.) This resulted in a delicious and refreshing agua fresca, perfect for these it's-so-hot-it-feels-like-summer kind of days. My hubby loved this Mango Lime Agua Fresca so much he asked me to make it again for him this weekend, but with mangos that weren't so ripe.

Menu Plan Monday #2

We had a ton of food leftover from our annual Semana Santa (Holy Week) camping trip, so this week was all about using up that food before doing our regular grocery shopping. We had so much food leftover, we didn't have to do any shopping, with the exception of milk, until Friday. Here is what we ate this week...

She Made/Ella Hace: Margaritas de Cerveza (Beer Margarita)

This month for She Made/Ella Hace, my foodie BFF girlichef and I are whipping up cocktails with limón. Oddly enough, we both chose to make margaritas. That just goes to show that it's true what they say about great minds thinking alike. Girlichef used lemons to make her Raspberry Lemonade Margaritas, and I used limes to make my Margaritas de Cerveza.

I made these Beer Margaritas during our recent camping trip. We had limes, we had beer, and we had lots of tequila. So a margarita de cerveza seemed like the obvious cocktail to make. While I was mixing up this margarita, everyone was looking at me like I was out of my mind, because most of the time we either drink tequila or we drink beer, but they'd never mixed the two together. But they quickly learned what they had been missing out on. Tequila and beer pair together nicely, but it's the lime juice that really makes this margarita spectacular.

Margaritas de Cerveza sound pretty fancy, but you wouldn't believe how incredibly easy they are to make. A little tequila, some fresh lime juice, and an icy cold Mexican beer. That's it. If you like your margaritas on the sweet side, you can always add a splash of simple syrup, but I actually preferred these unsweetened. The choice is up to you. Just be prepared, because as delicious as these Beer Margaritas are, they pack quite a punch.

Wordless Wednesday: Camping Food

Last week we went on our annual Semana Santa (Holy Week) camping trip at el rancho with Hubby's siblings and their families. Three days of food, fun, and family. It was a blast! And did I mention the food? Here are a few photos of some of the delicious food we ate on our camping trip...

Tamales de Rajas y Requeson (Roasted Poblano Tamales) #SundaySupper

This week's #SundaySupper is Stuffed, Rolled, and Wrapped, hosted by kimchi MOM. Here in Mexico we have plenty of stuffed, rolled, and wrapped foods to choose from like tacos, gorditas, burritos, and enchiladas. The possibilities are endless. But honestly there was really only one thing I had in mind for this week's #SundaySupper theme...tamales! Tamales de Rajas con Requeson to be exact. Rajas are roasted poblano pepper strips, and requeson is like a Mexican ricotta cheese. Together they are a match made in heaven.

I know that the idea of making tamales from scratch can seem intimidating. If that's been the case for you, then this is the tamal recipe for you. Seriously, I don't think recipes for tamales can get any easier. (For easy to follow step-by-step instructions with photos on how to make tamales, see my recipe for Shredded Pork Tamales.) 

Tamales de Rajas con Requeson are a delicious meatless alternative for Lent.

Chipotle Ham, Cheese & Broccoli Biscuit Empanadas #WeekdaySupper

Even after having lived in Mexico for 13 years, every once in a while Hubby and I still get cravings for foods we ate when we lived in the US. Whenever that happens, I head into the kitchen and whip up a homemade version made from scratch that not only satisfies our craving, but also tastes a million times better than the original food we were craving. That is how today's recipe came to be. Hubby was craving Hot Pockets, which for those of you unfamiliar with them are savory turnovers sold in the frozen food section of the grocery store.

I first made these shortly after we moved to Mexico. I remember the first time I made them, I used my regular pie dough recipe for the crust. They were okay, but I wanted something flakier like a biscuit. After a couple of tries, I finally got it right. This biscuit empanada dough is buttery, tender and flaky. I make my biscuit dough from scratch, but for a quick and easy weeknight supper you could use refrigerated biscuit dough. (Oh how I miss the "pop" of those tubes.)

Menu Plan Monday #1

Once a week I sit down with my Hubby and kiddies, and sometimes even my suegro (father-in-law) to plan our menu for the coming week. (Read more about How I Plan My Weekly Menu here.) Those 10 to 15 minutes we take planning our menu each week make my life as a wife & mom so much easier. Not only does it save us money, because we only buy what we're going to need for the week, but it also saves me time since I already have what I need on hand and I don't have to spend any time at all wondering about what I'm going to make. Since menu planning is something I already do on a weekly basis, I thought it would be a great idea to share those menu plans here on the blog in hopes that it'll offer you some inspiration in planning your own weekly menu.

Secret Recipe Club: Manchego Cheese Straws

Last month I participated in my first ever Secret Recipe Club and absolutely loved it. (My kiddies are still talking about how much they loved that Peanut Butter Fun Snack Cake.) For those of you unfamiliar with the Secret Recipe Club it's like a virtual recipe swap with another blogger, except I'm assigned a different blog each month, and the participants have no idea who is cooking something from their blog until reveal day. 

This month the blog I was assigned was Searching for Dessert, which is written by a former pastry chef. There are so many tempting, mouth-watering sweet treats to choose from, like Inside Out Cinnamon Rolls, Orange Creamsicle Rolls, and Banana Brownies w/ Peanut Butter Drizzle. But ultimately I went with a savory appetizer. Ashley's 6th grade graduation plans are underway and I'm trying out and looking for appetizer recipes to serve at the party.

These Manchego Cheese Straws were a huge hit. And you wouldn't believe how easy they are to make. I made some again today for our Sunday lunch with my in-laws and they disappeared within minutes. So clearly we have a keeper on our hands.

Wordless Wednesday: Peanut Butter & Jelly Day!

No recipe today, just sharing a photo to wish you all a happy Peanut Butter & Jelly Day! (I ♥ food holidays!)

We love to eat PB&J on Galletas Marias. It's one of my kiddies' favorite afterschool snacks. What's your favorite way to enjoy peanut butter & jelly? And what's your favorite flavor jelly to pair with peanut butter?

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