July 2011: Slipping Away to Margaritaville

THIS MONTH: JULY 2011

Week 1: Mango-Peach Margarita

Week 2: Strawberry-Mint & Lime Margarita

Week 3: Cantaloupe Margarita

Week 4: Assorted Salsas and Homemade Guacamole

We thought "Margaritaville" would be the perfect theme for the middle of the summer. The days are long and hot and there is nothing more refreshing than a frosty blended treat. You can  also make these drinks without the alcohol for kids or for those adults who choose not to drink.

If you are going to make them with tequila, we recommend using a Reposado, which is better quality than a Blanco, and has been aged for at least two months to a year. Anejo tequila is aged the longest and is the best quality, but probably not worth the extra money since these drinks are getting blended. 

There are endless combinations! Use the recipes we have provided as a base for your own unique concoctions. Just add your favorite fruit, some ice, tequila, lime juice and a splash of honey or agave nectar, and you there you have it! There is no need for those pre-made mixes which are loaded with sugar and extra calories. These margaritas are healthy, as well as delicious and super simple.

And of course when you have the perfect margarita, you've got to have a tasty snack to go along! At the end of the month, we will be posting recipes for an amazing Homemade Guacamole, Salsa Fresca, a Tropical Fruit Salsa and a Grilled Vegetable Salsa. All of these dips go great with chips (check out our recipe below for making your own baked chips) but they also taste great with grilled fish, chicken or meat! We've got to admit, this post has been our favorite to date because, of course, we had to try all of the margaritas we created. Hopefully it will be one of your favorites as well. Enjoy!

-True & Blue 


BAKED CORN TORTILLA CHIPS

Makes 64 Chips

Ingredients
8 each thin, white corn tortillas

Grapeseed oil (in a spray bottle)

Sea Salt

-Preheat oven to 375F.

- Cut the tortillas into 1/8's to form the chips. Lay the chips out in a single layer on cookie sheets. Lightly spray the chips with grapeseed oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

-Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the chips are lightly golden brown. 

*You can spice these chips up by tossing them with fresh lime zest and chili powder right after they come out of the oven. 

June 2011: Ice Cream Social

THIS MONTH: JUNE 2011

Week 1: Strawberry, Basil-Orange Sorbet

Week 2: Ice Cream Sundae Bar 

Week 3: Gingersnap Cookie and Earl Grey Ice Cream Sandwich

Week 4: Fudge Brownie Cup with Mint-Chip Ice Cream

Nothing says summertime like ice cream! One of my earliest memories of this sweet treat involved making it from scratch as a girl scout. To receive a badge we had to do it by hand, the old fashioned way, without a machine. This method still works today and it is really simple and fun. The best part is that it doesn’t involve much equipment.

The first step is to assemble all the ingredients. You will need:

A big and small plastic zip lock bag

1/4 cup  Sugar

½ cup milk 
¼  tsp vanilla

½ cup heavy whipping cream
½ to ¾ cup of rock salt

2 cups of ice
newspaper

You start out by making a simple ice cream mixture. Add the sugar, milk and whipping cream to the small zip lock bag and seal it, being sure to release all the air.

The next step is where we, girl scouts, would start having fun. Fill the large gallon zip lock bag with the ice and rock salt. You, then, put the small zip lock bag inside of the larger one and seal it up, being sure to release the air from the larger bag.

Next, wrap the bag in several layers of newspaper and begin rolling the bag around on the ground or a large tabletop, until the ice cream forms inside the inner bag. Once the ice cream has formed, you can add in your own flavorings like chocolate chips or chopped nuts.

Although this method of ice cream making is lots of fun for kids, we recommend using an ice cream maker or purchasing a premium brand from the grocery store.

I hope you enjoy this month filled with ice cream as much as I did!

-True

May 2011: Are You Going to Scarborough Fair?

THIS MONTH: MAY 2011

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.
Remember me to one who lives there.
She once was a true love of mine.

PARSLEY, SAGE, ROSEMARY & THYME

Week 1: Goat Cheese Sandwich with Mashed Carrot & Parsley Chimmichurri

Week 2:  Sage & Sweet Potato Hash with Poached Egg & Roasted Garlic Hollandaise

Week 3: Apple & Rosemary Stuffed Pork Loin

Week 4: Garlic, Lemon & Thyme Roasted Chicken

Cooking can, occasionally, be a mindless profession. Try picking, cleaning and chopping ten pounds of parsley and you’ll have some idea of just what I mean. There are times when you have lots of room to let your mind wander, and it’s during these vast stretches of solitude that I sometimes find myself making mental lists.

Today’s mental list is comprised of “Things I would like to accomplish this month, but may not have time to.” Top of the list, all time, number one goal for the month of May is: plant an herb garden.

 My boyfriend, Nathan, and I live in a condo in Carlsbad, California and last summer we had a reasonably respectable planting of potted herbs out on our patio. However, as is our general luck with all things alive, an infectious host of bugs invaded the patio and killed off our small crop. 

Since then, we have resorted to stealing “wild” herbs off the side of the road. Our Easter holiday was marked by doing a “drive by clipping” of a rosemary bush in front of someone’s driveway, which we later used to make a very delicious rosemary crusted ham. My apologies to our unsuspecting neighbors.

While drive by clippings are fun and often elicit the cheap thrill of getting not caught, you have to be careful, because eventually you will get caught and trying to explain to a stranger why you are standing in front of their house with pruning shears and a fistful of herbs can be an awkward experience at best. 

In an effort to avoid such a situation, constructing a patio herb garden will be my project for the next month. I’ll keep you posted on the progress and hopefully, in the end, have something to show for myself. In the mean time, tune in each week to check out a new herb inspired recipe.

-Blue

HERB NAPKIN RINGS

Here’s a great idea for your next party: We bought woven, metal, napkin rings from Cost Plus World Market and tucked sprigs of fresh herbs into each one. Store the rings in your refrigerator until just before the party starts to keep the herbs fresh. The napkin rings look beautiful and add a nice scent to your table all throughout dinner!