I made some homemade enchiladas for a good friend of mine who had twins a few weeks back.

I wanted to try a new recipe so I scoured the internet until I found a few things that looked good and tried. The enchiladas were a little sweet for what I was used to but this sauce that I made for them is super easy and super delicious. When I buy enchilada sauce in a can I always feel like it is lacking in flavor so I was super happy when this recipe turned out to be great.

It would be a great addition to my old go-to enchilada recipe. They are already sooooo yummy and a great freezer meal if you’re looking to plan ahead or want to whip something up on the fly during the week.

This sauce has a nice smoky flavor from the fire roasted tomatoes and the different spices really make for a rich, deep flavor. I think when I make this again I’ll saute some onions and garlic to blend in with the tomatoes, but otherwise I was happy with the sauce.

Sometimes it’s the little things about a homemade dish that really deepen the flavor. Buying a can is easy but it never tastes quite as good.

I never really liked Mexican food until I was in college and even then I only liked chimichangas. Like, I remember going to a restaurant with Mikey’s family and they made me a special chimichanga because they weren’t on the menu. Now the literal last thing I would ever order is a chimichanga and I could eat Mexican food for every meal. Although enchiladas are also not my first choice I do love them when I have them. The smoky, spicy flavor that is cooked into the tortilla really can’t be beat (recipe coming soon I promise!!).

I don’t know what it’s like by you…but the weather has turned here and it’s cold! I am going to make some soup tonight but these warming enchiladas would also make a great warm meal on a day like today!

I hope you’re having a great week. I PROMISE to share this tasty enchilada recipe with you ASAP!

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Sometimes we eat healthy things at our house.

On the weekends we eat like absolute fat kids. But then Monday rolls around and the detox must begin again before the next weekends retox. It’s a vicious cycle.

This is the best salad I’ve made this summer.

Not only did it look pretty, it tasted amazing. Sweet and salty with a hint of funk from the blue cheese…it’s everything you could ever want in a salad!

I could eat salad for every single meal of my life but living with a man can make that difficult. They require things like meat, red sauce and starches (at least the man I live with does).

Mikey does love to eat healthy and we try to stick to lean meats/proteins and tons of veggies and fruits during the week (which leads to binging on pizza and Chinese foods on the weekends).

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I am a huge fan of slaw in the summer.

We eat sooooo much salad in the summer time that it is nice to switch it up sometimes with a refreshing slaw. This is a delicious slaw that strays from your typical cabbage salads. The addition of sweet summer corn and smooth avocado is absolutely delicious! Top it off with some grilled chicken or fish and I promise you will have a satisfying summer meal.

I remember the first time I tried coleslaw. I didn’t eat vegetables as a kid, especially cabbage. That was something bunny rabbits were supposed to eat and the only cabbage I liked had to do with my Cabbage Patch Kids. I had two, BTW. A baby and a kid. They were awesome up until the hair started to fall our of one of their heads and she formed a huge bald spot. She then became the outcast of my baby dolls and was the kid that always got picked on/was sick in the hospital…I had a big imagination…I was a weirdo.

So anyway, the first time I tried coleslaw…

Like I’ve mentioned before, I had an older cousin who I was obsessed with and we had all ordered KFC at their house. I hated KFC (I’d never even tried it but decided, like most things, that I wouldn’t eat it).

She convinced me to try the coleslaw because it was her favorite and low and behold, it became my favorite too! I’m not sure if I actually did or just lied because I wanted to like what she liked, but I remember from that day on I love coleslaw. At buffets I would add slaw to my plate of only cottage cheese!

Even though KFC fills their slaw with sugar and mayo it’s pretty darn good. I’m a sucker for a creamy slaw. As much as I wish I preferred vinegar based slaw’s (I”m working on it) I always end up pulling in the direction of the less-healthy version.

This slaw, HOWEVER, is a healthy version! I used yogurt instead of mayo so we are all GTG on this healthy, delicious summer slaw!

I hope your summer is going super well! I can’t believe it’s already the middle of July! Tomorrow (15th) is my birthday which in my head always marks the middle of the summer. It makes me super happy because, well, it’s my birthday…but sad because summer is going by SO FAST!

I’m soooo excited to head up to northern WI for one of my very best friend’s weddings this weekend! I can’t wait to see how stunning she will be and then dance my face off!

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This is my favorite homemade dressing. My Mom made it for years and I finally got the recipe from her. Every time I bring a friend dinner I include a salad with a Mason jar of this dressing. It is always a favorite and goes well on top of any salad. I love it most on a bed of Romain with toasted pecans, Swiss cheese, apple slices and Craisins. But I switched it up and tried it on our new favorite play on a Cobb salad.

I don’t make this dressing a ton because it does have quite a bit of sugar in it. We usually stick to olive oil and some type of vinegar. But when Mikey and I were first married I made this salad on the regular (probably part of the reason why we gained our version of the freshman 15 our first year of marriage. It was more like the newlywed 20).

It is a delicious dressing that makes any salad exciting. It is a super simple and great vinaigrette to throw together quickly or to give as a gift with a meal.

I didn’t eat salad as a child and I’m pretty positive this dressing was the first time I ever ate salad and liked it. I drowned my Romain in it and voila’ vegetables disappeared from my plate. It’s like pouring chocolate sauce on your vegetables…but still, the green in the veggies cancel out the sugar…right?

I am so glad that the 4th of July is this weekend. It is making this week crawl by, but I’m pumped for some relaxing fun in the sun with friends. Let the crazy-busy whirlwind of July commence. I’m looking forward to the chaos that is descending because it is filled with exciting things like weddings and babies and family/friend celebrations.

Mikey and I received some tragic news about one of his family members and at the wake last night I was blindsided by the realization that we can not predict the future, let alone the next minute of our lives. My mind has been reeling about how we need to love hard and let those whom we love know it as often as possible. Nothing is promised to us and we have to cherish every moment we are blessed with on this earth.  We have so much to be grateful for and sometimes it takes someones tragedy to open our eyes to the reality around us. Call someone you haven’t’ talked to in a while and tell them you love them. Hug someone a little tighter and kiss a little longer. Life is beautiful, don’t take advantage of any moment you’re blessed with!

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I don’t typically love refried beans. They are usually the one (and only) thing left on my plate after a Mexican feast. However, that has all changed. I couldn’t stop eating these refried black beans. It could be the fact that they are loaded with onion, garlic and a ton of spices. Or the fact that they were topped with queso fresco and fresh cilantro…

Whatever it was, I’ll never buy a can of refried beans again. This was such a quick and easy recipe and the results were amazing.

I ended up adding more cumin to mine (I’m a cumin addict) and the flavor and texture turned out great!

I was never a bean person until after college. I was the kid who ate around the beans in my chili. I recall asking my Mom to omit the beans from her chili at one time…she didn’t do it. Probably because then it wouldn’t be chili it would just be ground beef soup. Less appetizing I guess.

It’s amazing how things have changed! I now love beans and all legumes and always have a couple cans of garbanzo beans, Cannellini and black beans in my pantry.

These beans are a fun addition to any fiesta you throw. We served them with tacos, rice and all the fixin’s. The leftover beans were actually better and I would recommend that, if you can, make these a day in advance and then reheat them in the oven until they are warmed through. Then top them with cheese and cilantro. The flavors meld together over time and they get even better!

We received 5 inches of snow yesterday and I refuse to think about it. Instead, I’m going to think about warm weather while I make some spicy Mexican food, pour a margarita and wait for spring to arrive for good!

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