When life refuses you limes, what do you do? You use limeade of course...Simply Limeade, that is. I'm the first to admit, I usually detest semi-homemade recipes. Most of them require using processed products and eliminating naturally delectable ingredients. And frankly, I don't really like taking the easy way out....in the kitchen, at least. This semi-homemade thing just isn't cool in my (culinary) book. There I said it. Okay, so now onto my first shameful, yet very successful semi-homemade recipe.

Oh yes...it's finally here. The dog days of summer have been long, hot, and sticky. Yet, when the first week of July rolls around, it all seems so worth it. Let the 4th of July celebrations begin! The glorious fumes of charcoal burning, the delightfully obnoxious sound of fireworks booming, and the laughter from friends and family all fill the warm summer air. For a cuisine connoisseur, the food takes the spotlight. I dream of burgers, brats, and beer during those first few days of July. With celebration invitations coming my way left and right, I also think about what concoctions I'll whip up as my party contributions.

It’s extremely rare that I order a chicken dish at a restaurant. You see, I’m always disappointed when I opt for the all-too common and generally unexciting bird. After just a few measly bites I catch myself mumbling, “Ehh, I could’ve made this at home.” Then I feel regretful and let me tell you, nothing is worse for a foodie than “menu regret.” For me, chicken=menu regret. Yet, let me be clear. I’m not a chicken hater. I just think it’s very easy to work with so why spend 18 bucks for a plate of it?

    Guilty as charged. I've been a total slacker in the recipe department recently. You see...the truth is, I've been eating Paleo 5-6 days a week for quite some time now. If you're unfamiliar with this "life-style" you must know that it bans all starch carbohydrates and grains as well as dairy, beans, and peanuts. Lucky for me, I've got a serious love affair with vegetables. Zucchini and spaghetti squash are now my "pastas" while cauliflower and parsnips are now my "mashed potatoes." Okay, you're not impressed. You do recall, however, that I only "follow the rules" on most days, right? Yep, you know what that means: cheat days! However, even with my infrequent rebellious days of dining, I've still been hesitant to create new recipes as I spend all week long dreaming about the food at my favorite restaurants. Cooking insanely healthy dinners five days straight makes me absolutely ravenous for my most-loved Mexican eateries, burger joints, and Italian cafes. But, it was time. I couldn't bear to neglect my recipe readers any longer. With Cinco De Mayo quickly approaching, I felt compelled to prepare one of my spicy and saucy specialties.

0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false    I love eggs.  C’mon, if you read my blog even sporadically, you already know that!  As I’ve said many times before, I take them anyway they’re handed to me- fried, poached, scrambled...you name it.  Yet, boiling them to a dense, pale yellow center is without question, my least preferred way to “take them.”  Growing up, I often requested my mom prepare me a perfectly timed soft-boiled egg. If my soft-boiled egg was one minute overcooked, I threw a fit.  Yeah, I was that girl.  At age 8, I was awfully particular about eggs.  Go figure.

0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false     There is something to be said about hot gooey cheese oozing from the center of some succulent meat.  It kind of makes me giddy…yes, giddy.  I am not ashamed.  As badly as I have yearned for a “Jucy Lucy” recently (a luscious…and very gluttonous cheese-stuffed burger), devouring one of these fat-laden beauties right before bikini season would be an awful decision.  Yet, with the intense Jucy Lucy cravings and a recent and random obsession with Kalamata olives, I began brainstorming.  I had just bought a package of Whole Wheat Israeli couscous that I had been pretty stoked to use too.   I could see clearly now…no obstacles were in my way.   My kitchen would be anxiously awaiting a Mediterranean (cheese stuffed) Meatball creation that my beau would later deem “incredible”- his favorite adjective when his taste buds are pleased. 

0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false            If you’re anything like yours truly, you enjoy burning, puffy lips and a runny nose as you eat.  Okay, chances are, you are nothing like me; for I am a certified weirdo with my passion for insanely spicy foods.  A heat seeker to the point of chaos, I love nothing more than to indulge in hot sauces and spices galore. With my mouth and stomach of steel, I never regret my scorching and oh so satisfying food decisions.  In fact, I tend to toot my own horn for superb genetics that have allowed me to devour a mound of food that would make most cringe and wave a white flag after one bite.  Along with Thai food, where I always order my noodles and Curry dishes “Thai Hot,” I am also a serious sucker for Creole cuisine.  Between my brother’s world famous black roux Gumbo and my delectable and simple Shrimp Creole, I’ve been very fortunate to get my N’awlins food fix on the regular after having not visited the Crescent City in almost 10 years (that little fact is unacceptable and must change soon). 

My mom was a foodie long before loving food was “cool”.  A South Tampa native, she grew up with her very own mother’s southern kitchen fixins’ and her grandmother’s authentic Spanish specialties.  She adapted many of these family recipes into her very own kitchen, where she’d show my brother and me the ropes around the stovetop.  Never into baking, her signature dishes were drool-worthy dinners.  When complimented on her scrumptious culinary combos, she would laugh and shake her head, not knowing why on earth anyone would praise her for a skill she deemed mediocre.  Although I did not inherit her modesty, I certainly inherited her trim waistline, allowing my love for food to flourish over the years.   I’m going to let you in on some of her tried and true recipes, her simple supper secrets and her all-time favorite things to eat.