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Here's another family favorite traditional drink.  

I've always looked forward to this time of the year not only for Christmas but for the food and this comfort drink that I love so much.  At the age of about 12 (I think), I remember watching one of my relatives making this and I just had to know how it was made.  So I watched her and tried to understand the process and ingredients, but of course I didn't write any of it down and forgot.  Recently I asked one of my aunts (my Tia Olga) how to make it because I had been craving it and she gladly told me with detail.  I couldn't go without sharing this with you because it isn't the same as American hot chocolate.  It's thicker, smoother, sweet yet nowhere near the flavor of powdered hot chocolate,  it's a different type of chocolate, and it's filling.  It will surely warm your belly :)  
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These are the times that I wish I had a backyard to grow an avocado tree and have a nice healthy patch of Mint growing next to it.  Mint happens to be one of my favorite tea's, and avocado.....well, I can eat one all by itself with a spoon.  Over the weekend I had a strange yet inspiring urge to combine the two.  Something told me they would make a happy couple.  I was right :)

Here's another experiment that went REALLY well for us.  Hope you like it!
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Hello my fellow foodies.  I've missed sharing with you.  My new business has taken more of my time afterhours than I anticipated.  Although I am happy about its progress and successes, I desperately miss this one and only hobby I have grown so attatched to.  Cooking has become so much more to me than I ever imagined it would.  It has become my escape.

Recently I was shopping at Trader Joes and decided to pick up some salami for the first time there.  Little did I realize that I would also find the best chorizo I have EVER had.  Soy chorizo that is!

The only place I have ever seen soy chorizo is at SaveMart which wasn't too bad.  After having TJ's though.....I ain't ever goin' back.  Big difference!  So much flavor!!  It was pretty close to, in fact, better than the pork and beef chorizo that we used to buy before we found soy.  I'm hooked.  Baited by salami, hooked on TJ's chorizo.  
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Ahh yes...the time has come for the "fin" of my salsa challenge.  Yup!  Summer is here!!  Today is the first day of summer and I must sadly say my salsa challenge has come to an end.  This was such a great experience for me and I must admit that it was difficult keeping up with posting at least one different salsa for each week.  The good thing is now I know what I'm doing when it comes to making homemade salsa.  Although of course now, this means I no longer have an excuse to never make it, but that's okay, I prefer to have freshly made salsa vs. store bought.  It didn't take me long to decide on what would be my final post on this subject either.  I saved the best for last, well more like my all-time favorite (another one of my mommas by the way).  Probably the easiest too! 
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This is one of those "reminds me of Grandpa" recipes because he used to make something very close to this around the holidays and Lent.  His version though (the traditional version) is a bit more complicated and with way more ingredients.  It used to be a family favorite growing up but no one makes it anymore, and to be honest no one can measure up to my grandpas' Bread Pudding which we call Capirotada.  For this particular bread pudding though I went the easy route and used as few ingredients as I could without sacrificing loosing too much of the memory and good flavor.  Turned out to be simple, moist, and quite tasty.  Hope you enjoy!
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Woohoo!  I am so happy to be sharing this with my fellow mild salsa eaters.  If you like salsa on top of steak or chicken tacos but can't bear the heat, you must try this one!  It has the perfect amount of heat with lots of flavor.  For those of us who can never taste flavor because we can't handle the heat, this is for you, especially if you like barbequed chicken.  Who doesn't like barbeque chicken?!  Well, this salsa is the perfect compliment for that.  It is extremely easy to make too! 
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Salzapacho 05/24/2010
 
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Salzapacho is the name I gave this salsa because it sort of is a hybrid between a Salsa and a Gazpacho.  It's light, refreshing, sweet, and possesses a bit of an earthiness from the roasted sweet peppers.  A traditional gazpacho has similar ingredients with the same summery refreshing taste, but also usually includeds cucumber and bread (which has been lightly soaked in a white wine or olive oil).  This was one of my favorites so far because of its dual purpose of being a salsa and a soup at the same time.  It really is good enough to eat alone! 
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Chilaquiles 05/19/2010
 
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Making this breakfast dish makes me want to always have Homemade Enchilada Sauce on hand.  Homemade is always best of course, but if you're a fan of this mexican breakfast a canned sauce will also suffice.
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Not exactly a salsa but I figured if I can use it on nachos, eggs, and tacos as is, why not post it as one.  My mom has been making her Enchilada Sauce for as long as I can remember watching her in the kitchen.  One of my favorite ways in which she uses this sauce is in menudo and pozole, which by the way is the best I have ever had to date.  Whenever anyone has the craving for menudo or pozole in our family we beg, bribe, pout, cry to her even (ok maybe no one cries but some of us do pout) so that she can make it.  It's so good we've even had it in the summer a few times.  God bless her heart. 
I wish I could bottle up some of her secret recipe sauce and send every one of my readers a bottle to enjoy.  Of course I would have to give away her secret ingredients list and well...that's out of the question.  She worked so hard to perfect it.  Just doesn't feel right to just hand it over.  Know what I mean? 
So, here is a super simplified version of how to start making your own Enchilada Sauce.   
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I was brave this time.  Can't believe I actually enjoyed this salsa with the amount of heat it had.  When it comes to salsa I always go for flavor before heat.  In this case I was being adventurous and tried to meet the two somewhere in the middle.  In the end I could have used a little less heat (I know I know, what a disgrace ha?!)  At least I am trying to broaden my spicy taste bud experiences right?  For this salsa I wouldn't say that I hit a home run because we felt that it needed something to bring down the acidity level (I put a little too much lemon juice I think).  Overall there was a good amount of flavor though.

Any takers on testing this one out for me?  Suggestions?      
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