Cinco de Mayo

Means.... Margaritas!

I'm hoping that my plan for a little family party tonight will work out.

Al Pastor Tacos, frijoles, cilantro rice, salsa, guacamole, and my famous
Margarita Cupcakes and
Watermelon Margaritas.

Check out the fiesta I threw my hubby HERE for a little more inspiration.

How ever you do up today... or any day... have a MARVELOUS time doing it!

HAPPY CINCO de MAYO, friends!

FOOD: Pumpkin Oaties

Autumn is one of my favorite seasons of the year.... well, to be honest... the start to any season is pretty much my favorite season of the year. But, autumn holds a special place in my heart thanks to all the warmth and coziness which is conveyed in the scents and food of the season.

So, what better way to get into the autumn spirit but with baking some Pumpkin Oaties!

This was our first PUMPKIN recipe of the season and I wanted to share it with you.

First off though, I was so excited about eating baking these.... that I only took one pic.

Here it is... in all it's Instagram glory:

Now back to the recipe.

I LOVE my cookbooks.
In fact, hubby frequently gifts them to me for special and "just because" events.
He knows my heart well.

And one of my favorite cookbooks is The New American Heart Association Cookbook 8th Edition. And that is where I received the inspiration [and recipe] for these pumpkin oaties. I just altered the recipe in several different areas and they still turned out great!

PUMPKIN OATIES
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
        *Note: Altered from the TNAHAC's recipe of 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour.
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
       *Note: Altered from the TNAHAC's recipe of 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour.
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp Feather Weight baking powder [sodium free]
       *Note: If not sodium free, use same amount baking powder.
2 tsp Ener G baking soda [sodium free]
       *Note: If not sodium free, use ONLY 1 tsp baking soda.
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
       *Note: Altered from the TNAHAC's recipe of 1/4 cup canola or corn oil.
1 large egg
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 c uncooked quick-cooking oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Put the brown sugar, oil, and egg in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth.

Stir in the oatmeal. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, about one-third at a time, gently blending until no flour is visible.

Using a small 1 Tbsp spring-loaded ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop the dough by tablespoonfuls on to a lightly sprayed baking sheet. Dampen the heel of your hand and lightly press each cookie to flatten slightly. The cookies don't spread as they bake.

Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, or until the cookies appear dry. Transfer the cookies from the baking sheets to cooling racks and let cool.

I was able to make 30 cookies with my altered version of the recipe.

Nutritional value per cookie according to "MyFitnessPal":
Calories 59 | Fat 0.2g | Sodium 54 mg | Potassium 74 mg | Carbs 13 g | Fiber 1 g |
Sugars 7 g | Protein 1 g | Vitamin A 33% | Calcium 8%

Such a yummy special Fall treat!
Happy Fall Y'all!

PARTIES: A Fiesta

I'm finally posting about my hubby's Latin Themed Birthday Party... and today just so happens to be MY birthday... I see cake again in my near future.

Anyway.

Kiddo and I had a fun time planning a small and quaint bday party for our favorite man.

We had the Latin music playing in the background both during the preparations and the party.

What a FUN time!

Once I found these free printables from The 36th Avenue... that pretty much set the stage for our color scheme and decor ideas. It can sometimes be a challenge coming up with a theme for an adult birthday party, but this was a simple and easy theme.

image from The 36th Avenue

This was also a FANTASTIC opportunity to utilize my fabric from Guatemala. 

It's so vibrant and fun and a perfect complement to the party theme.

I created some simple signs for the beverage and food stations.

Candles lined countertops to evoke an inviting atmosphere. They were perfect as the party transitioned from late evening into the dark of night.

I really scored at Target when I found this wrapping paper. Same color-scheme with the Fiesta Feel all over it!
Hip-hip-hooray!

We, of course, included tissue decorations that hung from the ceiling in red, teal, and yellow.
Such fun colors.

We had some gluten-free guests at the party, so we made sure our entire menu was acceptable for their restrictions, yet yummy for all our guests. We also included a gluten-free option for dessert.

The dinner menu consisted of the following:

Sweet Barbacoa Pulled Pork

Salsa Verde Chicken

Corn Tostadas

Frijoles [Guatemalan-Style Black Beans]

Guatemalan Tomato Salsa [My Tia's Recipe]

Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Lime

Guacamole and Blue Corn Chips

Cotija Cheese and Cilantro for Tostada Toppings 

Home-made Sangria

Cerveza

Fruit-Infused Water

It was a pleasant time.... dinner was truly an affair to remember.
The fiesta was a success!
Quaint, but fun.

Now, off to another celebration...

Feliz Cumpleanos to all those August Birthdays!

Linked up at Thrifty Decor Chick.

RECIPE: Watermelon Margaritas

I have a friend named Margarita.

I do.

But, I have never really liked margaritas. The drink.... not the friend.

I really like Margarita. The friend... not the drink.

Confused yet?

Anyway.... I really like THIS margarita. Both the friend... and the drink.

For the rest of this post, I will just stick with telling you about this drink... the Watermelon Margarita.

You're welcome.

Watermelon Margarita

3 1/2 cups of seeded and cubed watermelon

1/2 cup tequila

2 Tablespoons of cane sugar [or regular sugar]

3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 Tablespoon of Orange Liqueur 

Combine all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. 

Pour the drink into glasses with crushed ice and garnish as desired.

Enjoy!

 

This is quite the refreshing drink. Just enough sweetness and very very smooth.

Perfecto on a hot summer day!

I also made a mocktail version a Watermelon Mocktail for my kiddo. 

I left out all the alcohol [of course] and replaced with sprite zero and some orange juice. He seemed to enjoy it.

Now... I think I am going to go have a margarita with my friend Margarita.

Cheers!

Linked up at Thrifty Decor Chick.

REFLECTING: Easter Dinner

As I sit here exhausted from the festivities of the past two days, I am reflecting on what a beautiful, glorious, and fun Easter we had yesterday.

I had worked all day on Saturday preparing, baking, cooking, and cleaning. But, it wasn't work really. Do you ever just get into a zone and love all of the activity that you are doing in said zone? That's how I was on Saturday. I had "alone time" all day since the boys were away. I had quiet all day since said boys were away..... ahhhhhh.... it was nice. Me, quiet, and my zone... heavenly!

Then Sunday came, Easter Sunday.

Bright and early before it was light, I awoke and started preparations for a wonderful day. Early church service with the family and then the rest of the day was filled with fellowship and eating.... heavenly!

I made everything on the planned menu I share in this post. And the outcome was extraordinary! I followed all the recipes I linked to and it was.... well.... heavenly!

Good food, good fun, good fellowship and a GREAT EASTER!
I hope you had a lovely weekend....now it's back to the week ahead!

FOOD: Reese's Pieces Cookies

As promised from this post about our 80's themed birthday party...

The Reese's Pieces Cookie Recipe!

Quick.  Simple.  SCRUMPTIOUS!

INGREDIENTS

1 Package of Super Moist Milk Chocolate Cake Mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup of Canola Oil [or 1/3 cup applesauce]

1 bag Reese's Pieces

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine cake mix, eggs and oil in mixing bowl. Beat well.

3. Gently stir in Reese's Pieces.

4. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet in round balls.

5. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes [or until done].

6. Let cool and ENJOY!

These cookies taste SO good!

And... they are so simple to make... plus, they freeze well.

Perfection!

PARTIES: 80's Theme

Like... TOTALLY AWESOME!

We celebrated kiddo's b-day with an 80's themed party this year.

80's attire was encouraged!

Kiddo was sporting a vintage Atari Pac-Man shirt circa 1982.... pretty cool. 

Every year we chose our theme by kiddo's strong interests [of the moment]. This year was no different. 

He also likes to participate in the decision making and production of all the party decor.

For every holiday, birthday, or special occasion we decorate our front door. 

This is where kiddo participated and created all the pixel images of the ghost and Pac-Man.

  

Upon entering our home, our guests were greeted by a vintage E.T. Lite Brite, vintage Pac-Man Clock and some pretty radical buttons.

Awww.... boomboxes and cassette tapes.

Did you ever record songs off the radio on one of these things?

We wanted to anchor our decorating scheme with color. So, we chose the colors from a classic 80's puzzle -- The Rubik's Cube: orange, blue, red, yellow, green and white.

We also put emphasis on the 80's items that kiddo is specifically interested in: Pac-Man and the Rubik's Cube. And of course, the 80's pop music was playing during the entire party.

Before the cake, ice cream and presents.... we participated in our annual BOYS vs. GIRLS Scavenger Hunt. 

This year.... it was 80's themed. 

Each team was to complete a side of a "Rubik's Cube" in their team's color. Boys were blue and girls were yellow. Each clue provided an image from an 80's movie, TV Show, or song. 

Our guests had to guess how that corresponded to a location that was associated with the Birthday Boy. At that location they would find their puzzle piece. 

After 8 pieces were collected, the 9th location led them back to the birthday venue. 

The team that arrived first --- won. 

And.... the boys won... again. 

The current score is 2 wins for the boys and 1 for the girls. 

GIRLS -- We always have next year!

I made the cupcake toppers from an image located on the web.

The Reese's Pieces Cookies were delish! 

Here is the recipe.

Very very simple recipe, too. I'll share it later in the week.

What do you top a Pac-Man Birthday Cake with????

Ghosts.... of course!

Pac-Man wedges to place in your beverage of choice!

I utilized the same Rubik's Cube image to make the water bottle labels.

Each of our little guest left with a party favor Pac-Man cube filled with a vintage 80's Garfield mug, a mini Rubik's cube and popular 80's candy.

We had such a fun time!

Like... TOTALLY AWESOME!

Linked up at Thrifty Decor Chick and Tip Junky.