MexiCajun Fajita Nachos

If you haven’t guessed by now, Spicehubby and I love Mexican food! So many times when we’re in a pinch for time and starving, we’ll go to a favorite local Mexican restaurant to grab something quick. It’s fast, very inexpensive and always really good. But…… nothing beats a home-cooked meal, right? (I guess that depends on who you’re asking! ha!)
These fajita nachos are my answer to the restaurant option. (I think mine are better b/c the chicken is never really seasoned to my liking in the restaurant version)
This meal is a great week night dinner solution. Quick, easy and delicious pretty much sums it up. Fix it for dinner or serve it as a party appetizer. Either way, you’ll spend very little time in the kitchen (even less if you opt to grill the chicken outside!).

Mad Tea Party

Welcome to a Mad Tea Party! Organized by aFancifulTwist and hosted here by myself. ☺ This is just one stop on a day-long feast of blogging delights! Go to aFancifulTwist for a full list of all participants and visit all the parties. They are sure to inspire a little magic, whimsy and imagination in your soul! ☺

Candied Peppers

Just before Christmas last year I made the most delicious discovery: candied jalapenos. MMMM! I have used them in so many ways, but I believe my favorite has been serving them on top of hot-from-the-oven brie. The sweet and spicy blends perfectly with the warm creaminess of the brie….. O, so good! Now that I’m beginning to harvest peppers from my own garden, I started thinking of ways to preserve what I don’t use fresh. (There are only so many bottles of pepper sauce I can give away!) So here I am experimenting with candied peppers. To my surprise, the process couldn’t be easier or quicker! The trick has been infusing the syrup with a little extra flavor. The choice of spices to add is completely based on personal preference, but what I found is that a little spice makes a world of difference! The batch I made here is with sweet banana peppers straight from my garden. I will definitely try this with my hot serrano peppers once those are ready for harvest.

Fresh Peach Smoothie

Happy Summer Solstice!

As I’ve mentioned before, it’s been summer here pretty much since April; but today is the official first day of summer.
In order to celebrate, I took a few of the fresh peaches I bought at Saturday’s farmers’ market and puréed them for a refreshing smoothie. Add to that a little fresh mint from my very own garden, and Voíla!

Happy Summer, Y’all!

The Beauty of Nature

After bragging not long ago that I haven’t had any problems in the garden, I had my share of tests this past week. The brown spots I had worried over ended up being sun-scorching, so I’ve had to stop watering from top down in the mornings. In our extreme heat and dry weather, any moisture on the leaves and fruit causes sun damage during the day. Mostly my watering chores are undertaken in the late evenings now to avoid this.

Then the other morning I found this little guy munching away on a few of my tomato leaves

Quite Possibly the Perfect Bloody Mary

So, I got to thinking… No, don’t worry! About Bloody Marys. I love a good, spicy, flavorful Bloody Mary; but it’s nearly impossible to find a mix that is all of those things without having to add a few extra ingredients. After some early experiments, I already discovered that my seasoning blend (MexiCajun) is a fantastic compliment to this famous drink. So I started thinking that maybe I could come up with my own recipe and stop wasting good money on bad mixes.
Now for some reason I woke up yesterday morning with a hankering for a Bloody Mary–and NO, it wasn’t because I drank too much at Girls’ Game Night! ☺ Unfortunately, I had to wait until Happy Hour to start my testing and tasting. But it was well worth the wait!
I tried a few basic recipes, just replacing certain ingredients with different versions; but wasn’t quite satisfied. They always turn out too sweet or too thin or not savory. So, I kept experimenting.
Here’s what I learned:

Girls’ Game Night

At June 15, 2011
By Spiceblogger
In Appetizers, Chicken, Entertaining, Party Ideas, Recipes
0

A few girlfriends and I have started getting together once a month for a light-hearted, mildly competitive game night. The focus isn’t on the activity–which game, what rules or who wins–but on friendship, cocktails, food and gossip. ☺ We all thought that creating a monthly game night would give us a reason to set a standing date with each other so time wouldn’t keep slipping by without us all getting together to laugh, eat and catch up.
This month was my turn to play hostess, a role I very much enjoy.

Summer Inspiration

Aaahh Summer! Technically it isn’t officially summer for another week, but where I live it’s been summer since April. It’s been hot and dry, and the humidity is really starting to make life a tad…. uncomfortable. ☺ BUT, what that also means is that summer vegetables are growing and coming in everywhere you turn. And, as we all know, nothing beats home-grown veggies!

There is a sweet, rich, flavorful taste of tomatoes that comes from a local garden that just can not be found in store-bought varieties. Oh how I live for the days when I can

Patios, Pergolas & Paint, Oh My!

It’s been a hectic time around my house lately. Outdoor projects, excruciatingly high temps and various demands of work and home have meant little time in the kitchen for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve continued to eat! But much of it has been on the go; and the times I have cooked, it has been less than blog-worthy. ☺
There’s been maintenance of the vegetable garden–which I am happy to say is doing well. Aside from some brown spotting on my tomato leaves (which I have almost assuredly diagnosed as sun scorching), I have had no problems; and all the fruit looks amazingly healthy!

Almond Joy Ice Cream

For months I’ve put my workout regimen on hold because of various distractions and excuses. “It’s too dark and cold in the mornings.” “I have too much to do in the evenings.” “It’s too hot and humid.” etc…etc…. But finally yesterday I put my Vibram Five Fingers on and hit the road. The humidity is ridiculously high right now (welcome back Louisiana summer! :-/), but unless I get out there and start acclimating myself to it, the summer will be long and miserable!
So Spicehubby and I decided it was do or die time. Well, maybe not that dramatic! LOL We managed to walk a mile and then run a mile. Not medal-worthy, it’s true; but at least it’s a start. ☺