Weekend negotiations. I love them so much more than I like the ones that happen at the office. I don’t know what happened to me this week, but I didn’t do any chores around the house, laundry is piled high and there are at least five coffee cups in the sink and the mail is still piled not even opened.

For me that means that today is the day I’ve got to start digging out of this mess. And what’s so hard about it, is that the temperatures are mild outside, the wind is strong and it’s just too perfect to be bogged down with housework. Hence, the negotiations started.

“Just get the kitchen finished, get a load of laundry in the machine and tidy the living room.”  I told  myself that if I got those things done, I could do a bit more tomorrow and be fine. My motivation was the new bottle of Cheri’s Prickly Pear Syrup in the fridge.

I don’t know what made me think about prickly pears, but I found myself searching Phoenix for the past month trying to find either a prickly pear petal (tuna) or prickly pear syrup. I searched at the local grocery store, the organic store and finally found the syrup at a high end grocery store. If you’re flying thought Tuscon or Phoenix Arizona you can find prickly pear syrup at the gift shops in the airport. It’s worth grabbing a bottle.

Cheri’s Prickly Pear Syrup was just under $8 for 12 oz. I have plans to see how many different ways I can use this ingredient. Todays agenda was to reward myself for getting the housework done with a Prickly Pear Margarita. I love margaritas and have had several experiments over the years. You can review previous posts here, here, and here.

The recipe I found on the Cheri’s website was straight forward and easy. That bright pink color is amazing! The margarita has a punch, but it drinks light because there’s no simple syrup in the recipe.

PRICKLY PEAR MARGARITAS
Cafe Terra Cotta Restaurant
3 oz. Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila
2 oz. Triple Sec
4 oz. Lime Juice
1 oz. Orange Juice
2 oz. Cheri’s Prickly Pear Syrup
On rocks: Mix ingredients, pour over ice into 4 glasses.
Makes 4 servings.

The theme around my office is that 2008 is going to be 200GR8 and I like the sound of that! I know to start the year off I need a green recalibration. So, where I was a true shade of green through the fall, I turned kinda mint green through the holiday.

The busy hustle of the end of year has me walking around the house looking at all the things I let go and trying to see what else I can do to really make it 200GR8!

1. Unplug the counter top appliances. I’m not using the mixer daily as I was through December and there’s no reason to have the old reliable mixer plugged in.

2. Recycled paper towels and toilet paper. It’s a bit more expensive, but in the grand scheme of things, I think I can work it into my budget.

3. Taking my lunch to work. This will save a trip out during the day and it taste so much better than anything I can get around my office. One tip that’s making this easy? Soup. I’ve made a big batch of soup of Taco Soup on Sunday and been chowing on that all week.

4. Pay attention to what you’re putting into your recycle bin. If it’s still dirty, then it can’t go. That means cardboard pizza boxes! and it’s helpful to rinse out and drain your cans.

Taco Soup
Prep Time 10 minutes/ Cook Time 30 minutes

1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans (with jalapeños optional)
1 can corn
1 can Rotel (you pick the flavor)
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 cans water
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet Ranch dressing
1 lb ground meat (lean beef or turkey)
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced

In a soup pot pour in all canned ingredients (don’t drain them) and put in the taco and Ranch seasoning packets.

In a skillet, brown the meat with the onion and peppers. Drain off any additional grease and mix into the soup pot.

Heat through. Soup’s flavors will mix more throughout the week.

African Kelli sent an invitation out this week for a $1 art class at the Mesa Arts Center. The workshop’s focus is on Latino culture and secondly this one showcased Frida Kahlo.

For me Frida’s work has always been so personal. I have art books with her collections showcased in them and I don’t put any of her replicas on my walls. For me, it seems too public for art work that feels so intimate.

But, there are so many things influenced by Frida and this workshop was a perfect way to have some fun with her image and learn new stamping techniques. Denise of HandsonPaper.com ran an informative workshop and we had a lot of fun with her.

I can’t wait to send these cards out to some girlfriends.  I can’t believe I made 5 different cards for only a DOLLA (holla).

I believe there will be a few more workshops running throughout the Spring. Let me know if you’re in the Phoenix area and would like to attend. I promise to dress appropriatly. Kinda…

I’ve always been enchanted with Mexico. It’s the colors, the sounds, the people and of course the food! My dad calls it my ’spice.’

After college I moved to San Antonio, TX and it was there that I was able to explore and learn more about this amazing culture. There were Mariachi festivals, luminarias, tamales and tequila, and so many other influences.

Living in Arizona now, there are still a lot of opportunities to explore the culture. Now that the weather is cold, wet and windy (60 degrees!) one treat that I look forward to is Aztec Hot Chocolate.

Recipes can get as simple or as complicated as you want. Some ingredients I’ve seen included in this drink are honey, cloves, cinnamon, chili powder and anise. As simple as it is, here’s what hit’s the spot for me.

Aztec Hot Chocolate

Equipment

Hot chocolate Frother 

Ingredients

Quality Hot Chocolate

1/2 Cinnamon stick

1/2 dash of Chili Powder

Make hot chocolate according to the directions on your container. Add cinnamon stick and a dash of Chili Powder.

Note: I use McCormicks grocery store Chili Powder for this drink. I find that when I use some other Chili Powders they can be too smoky or too spicy depending on the brand.

I’ve said it before. I don’t like breakfast all that much, but I somehow am incapable of skipping a meal. I’m always shocked when I hear someone say, “I was too busy and I forgot/didn’t have time for lunch.”

Or my favorite skipping a meal excuse, “Oh, I had some almonds and some trail mix.” Really, and you counted that as a meal?

How does that happen? Doesn’t your tummy start to growl? At some point, do you get little hunger pangs and STOP what you’re doing to EAT?

These Chorizo Black Bean Pepper Jack Cheese Empanadas were good enough to have for breakfast and I packed two for lunch.

 Chorizo Black Bean Pepper Jack Cheese Empanadas

12 oz chorizo, cooked and drained

8 oz Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded

15 oz can spicy black beans, with juice

1 small yellow onion, diced, grilled

2 boxes ready made pie crust

1 egg, mixed

1 5′ bowl

Saute the chorizo and place on a plate with a paper towel to drain. Reserve 1 T of the chorizo oil and grill yellow onion in the same pan. About 8 minutes. Add the black beans, cook another 8 minutes or until the juice in the beans starts to thicken.

Allow the meat and the bean mixture to cool and shred in the cheese. Mix well.

Use a 5′ diameter bowl for a guide and cut out circles in the pie crust. Place about 1/4 cup mixture in each crust, use a fork to pinch the edges and brush with an egg. You should get about 12 empanadas.

Place on a prepared baking sheet and bake in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Miami Style Hamburger

Makes 6 hamburgers
Prep: 10 minutes Cool: 25 minutes Cook: 10 minutes

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 lime (zest and juice)
1 T paprika
2 oz. chopped green chilis
salt and pepper
Cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients in large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the refridgerator for 25 minutes. Make hambuter patties about the size of the palm of your hand. Pan fry or grill about 5 minutes on each side for a well done burger. Top with Cheddar cheese.

 I double dutied Napa Cabbage Slaw and topped the hamburger with it.

I love magazines. I’ve been trying really hard to cut back since I’m doing this whole live consciencly thing with recycling and reducing the resources I use. I went and took myself off the junk mailing lists and I have stopped a lot of subscriptions.

BUT I HAVE MY WEAKNESSES!

Southern Living and Real Simple. I justify that I buy them because I read them cover to cover, several times and I keep them for a few months, so I can reference back to neat projects and recipies.

In the 2007 recipe edition of Southern Living, I’ve found several tasty treats. The Chorizo Black Bean Quesadilla is one of them.

The *big* secret here is the cilantro pesto.

Chorizo, Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

4 chorizo sausage links

1 can drained black beans

1/2 cup frozen whole kernal corn

1/2 t ground cumin

1/3 cup cilantro pesto

6 flour tortillas

8 oz shredded cheese

• Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat 5 minutes or until browned. Add black beans, corn and cumin and cook stirring occasionally. 3 to 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
• Spread cilantro pesto evenly on each tortilla; sprinkle with cheese. Sppon chorizo mixture on half of each tortilla and whip skillet clean.
• Cook, tortillas side down in lightly greased skillet over  medium high heat 1 minute or until lightly browned. Fold tortilla in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Cilantro Pesto

3 bunches fresh cilantro, stems removed

1 1/2 T fresh lime juice

2 T olive oil

1/2 t salt

2 T water

• Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Store in refrigerator up to one week.

Rick Bayless Margarita- The tequilla really sings in this lime margarita.

Orange Margarita- Drink this one by the pool.