David Lebovitz's Horchata

Source: David Lebovitz

Every once in a while I come across a recipe that's a little out of my comfort zone. Maybe it requires a tool I don't own, or a technique I've never tried, or maybe it just sounds like something a home cook can't make. This horchata recipe is one of those. It doesn't sound too complicated, however it's different than any beverage I've made. But, what kind of life would I be living if I regularly gave in to the naysayer within? As Oscar Wilde said, "To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." So, I fully intend to be a liver, not an exister! I hope you're with me and that you'll make your own horchata! 

Brazilian Limeade

I'm thinking that since I'm part Portuguese, and Brazilians speak Portuguese, that's why this limeade comes out tasting so good when I make it. That's got to be it, right? Hardly. This recipe is way too easy for blood roots or personal technique of any kind to make a smidgeon of a difference.

The recipe really is just right as it is. But if I were to change it up just for the fun of it, I'd add one of the following:

Brownie-Bottom Coconut Chocolate Cream Cake over Dulce de Leche

Anyone ever been over to Willow Bird Baking? That chick can spin sugar into gold, and she's a dang good writer to boot. Julie, someday we'll meet and we'll gab the afternoon away through chocolate-laden teeth.

When I saw her Brownie-Bottom Coconut Chocolate Cream Cake, my eyes got wide and I knew that thing was going to be in my mouth before month's end. I mean, please. Look at it! I'm having a hard time imagining a dessert I'd rather eat..... Nope; can't think of one. At least not one I can make myself. It's dense, it's light, it's fluffy, it's sticky, it's warm, it's cold, it's flaky, it's smooth, and it tastes like coconut chocolate heaven. Just stick some creamy vanilla ice cream on the side and you'll be moaning your way into oblivion. It's un perfecto finale to the Cinco de Mayo Menu.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

Can I just tell you that this past week was the best? The weather was divine, I ate super healthy, so I felt amazing, I stuck to my dinner plans all week, heck, I actually MADE dinner plans for the week, and I started my very first garden ever thanks to our ridiculously generous friends who decided to lower all of their garden beds and GIVE us their excess lumber and soil. Other friends of ours are letting us plant a separate garden at their house 'cause it gets way more light than ours. And SEVEN other friends of ours offered to help us with gardening. That's seven people from seven different families. Who are these people? Too cool. And I trimmed the bushes in our front yard and mulched. And Shawn went and did some service on Saturday morning which gives him automatic sexy points. And we had friends over for dinner last night. Thanks for coming, Rob, Heidi and Craig!

Julie's Chunky Salsa

Guess what! I'm going to be doing a Cafe Rio giveaway for Cinco de Mayo! Yippeeee! More on that in a few weeks.

Back to the Cinco de Mayo Menu! Today we're having something you're going to want to be making all Summer. I'm certainly going to be making it all Summer. I've mentioned my girl Julie before. I love love love the way she cooks. Always fresh, always light, always sooo good. This chunky salsa is one of my favorites that she makes.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Presenting the next installment to the Cinco de Mayo menu!

I had a good laugh recently when I asked one of my best friends if she happened to own a tortilla press that I could borrow. She thought I was kidding and responded, "The day I own a tortilla press is the day I own a wheat grinder.... and grow my own wheat."

Cafe Rio Style Shredded Chicken

How lucky am I that I went to college 2 miles from the original Cafe Rio? How lucky am I that the first Cafe Rio that opened East of Colorado is 30 minutes from our DC home? And now there's one 15 minutes from our DC home? About as lucky as I am to have a mom who gets me Cafe Rio gift cards for Christmas and my birthday.

Here's my very slight adaptation of their shredded chicken recipe. Actually, it's a copycat recipe by Crumbs and Chaos.

Cinco de Mayo Menu!

¡Buenos Dias! ¡Y Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

As I write this post "Oye Como Va" by Santana plays through my headphones. I never get tired of this song.

I've been wanting to host a Cinco de Mayo party for years. There are just so many fun ways to spend a day celebrating Mexican pride. I'm pretty sure I have zero Mexican in me, but I do speak conversational Spanish, I've been to Mexico three times with Family to Family Humanitarian Expeditions, and I like tacos...? Oo! And paletas! Yum! Aaaand, I LOVE Latin dancing! See? Not too bad! I do hate chili powder on my fruit, though. -1 Mexicana point for me there. -10 Janna points for them.