Holidays with specialty food themes are fun to celebrate! And this particular one is a favorite of mine. Mexican or Tex-Mex type food is part our weekly menu rotations; but it’s fun to also mix it up a bit and do a few different things to make May 5th a particularly tasty day.

Let’s start with a refreshing drink, shall we? Margaritas are the quintessential mixed drink for this holiday and this post from Masters in Marketing (of all places) with 12 different margarita variations will surely have something for everyone on this list! The Blackberry Mint margarita sounds especially tasty to me!

Now for an appetizer. Chips and salsa are great but how about some fresh made guacamole! Rachel has a Blissdom inspired recipe and Jo-Lynn’s is simple yet classic.

For the main course, I think this family enchilada recipe that’s been preserved and handed down through the generations sounds particularly yummy. Of course, you’ll have to figure out how to spice it up yourself because according to Manda, that’s a closely guarded family secret!

Or how about some Ceviche Tostadas? That looks like a simple but tasty recipe that adds a seafood flair to your dinner! (Stephanie also includes a Sangria recipe in that post…another great Cinco de Mayo drink!)

I found a delicious side dish quite unexpectedly the other day. My son and I were at Publix, picking up a few items and they had samples of their featured Apron’s meal available. It was a chicken fajita with Mexican Grilled Corn. Both were delicious but it was the corn that had me grabbing the recipe card so that I could make it myself!

And for dessert, more margaritas? Well, no, but margarita cupcakes would hit the spot! What surprised me the most about this recipe is that Liz says she bakes them in margarita glasses!

Are you planning a themed dinner for tomorrow night? Link your recipe posts in the comments so we can drool some more!

photo from Microsoft ClipArt Online

Fat Tuesday, the day of indulgence before the fasting of Lent, is always all about the food! Bloggers, even those who are are not necessarily food bloggers, love to talk about food! And as usual, we’ve found some really amazing recipes and ideas from our members who are celebrating Mardi Gras.

First of all, if you’re unfamiliar with Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras, how it came to be and what it’s traditions are, What’s That Smell has a great post highlighting the fun facts of Mardi Gras.

The quintessential dessert for Mardi Gras is King Cake and Super Glue Mom has an awesome recipe!

Today is also known as Shrove Tuesday which supports a tradition of having pancakes. Life As Mom enlightens us on all things pancake!

If sandwiches are more your style, Party Bluprints gives us the low down on making your own Muffuletta, a traditional New Orleans sandwich.

Home-Ec 101 has a to-die-for Shrimp Étouffée recipe!

And if you’re feeling festive, The Answer is Chocolate has some free printables to help with the party atmosphere!

Happy Mardi Gras or as they say, Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Even if you don’t love football, chances are you’ll find yourself hosting or attending a Super Bowl gathering this Sunday night. It seems the Super Bowl has become much less about the game and much more about getting together with good friends and sharing good food! And of course, those “oh so clever” commercials.

We wanted to find some super yummy recipes to share, that you could easily add to your pre-game preparations. Turns out, we didn’t have to look very far. Our very own, Amber (O2O VP), has a super easy and fabulously yummy 7-layer dip on her game day menu!

Amber’s 7 Layer Dip

• 1 can/8oz refriend beans (black or pinto)
• 1 c. sour cream
• 1 c. homemade guacamole
• 1 c. shredded cheese (cheddar/jack mix)
• 1/2 c. tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 c. green onions, chopped
• 1 sm can/4 oz. black olives sliced.

On a large plate, spread out refried beans evenly using spoon. Then spread out guacamole on top of beans, then sour cream on top of guacamole. Cover sour cream layer with cheese. Then sprinkle tomatoes, green onions and olives. Serve immediately or chilled with your favorite tortilla chips. I like to serve mine with Tostitos with a hint of lime.

And as they say, “we get by with a little help from our friends”! A quick shout-out to the Internet and some of our members were happy to link us to their favorite Super Bowl recipes.

This Ultimate Cheesy Bread Bowl from Sami Cone sounds absolutely divine!

If you like to live life on the spicy side, try this Buffalo Chicken Dip from Susie QT Pies.

Tonya Staab will be serving these Sliders which are so versatile and look quite scrumptious!

And of course you need something sweet to soothe your palette after cheese & hot stuff & bacon-y goodness! Melissa suggests these Cherry Cordial Cupcakes. They look like an unassuming cupcake but they have a berry nice surprise inside!

Most people will serve soft drinks and that quintessential football beverage, beer, at their gatherings. Beer is cool, but what really fluffs my pom-poms is a good cocktail. That’s why I was super excited to see this article about a Super Bowl cocktail showdown! I’d love to give the ‘Steel Helmet’ a try and that has nothing to do with whom I’ll be rooting for in the big game!

What are your plans for Super Bowl Sunday? Are you hosting a party? Attending a party? Rooting for the Packers? Rooting for the Steelers? Whatever your plans, we hope you have a fun (and responsible) time and that maybe we’ve given you a few ideas for your party menu!

Earlier this fall a group of mom bloggers visited 2 family owned California Dairies in Modesto, California as guests of the California Milk Advisory Board.  They learned about nutrition in milk, the health and safety of the herds, life on a dairy farm and what cheeses are best paired with what wines (my personal fave!).

Everyone had a ball and came back with some practical knowledge that they shared on Blissfully Domestic.

From blogger Amy Oztan of Selfish Mom:

http://blissfullydomestic.com/2010/california-dairy-farm-tour

“I was impressed with the care the cows received at both farms.  They’re regularly tended to by veterinarians and every effort is made to ensure that they are as comfortable as working animals can be.  We saw firsthand how multiple generations of dairy families work the farms and contribute.  I loved watching the toddlers watching the cows – what an amazing thing to grow up with!”

Tonya Staab of  Create, Celebrate, Explore

http://blissfullydomestic.com/2010/holiday-entertaining-cheese-platters

photo courtesy Tonya Staab

“There seemed to be a general consensus with the group that the most creamy, mouth watering cheese tasted was won hands down by the Gioia Burratta.  It was drizzled with California extra virgin olive oil, and topped with fleur de sel (sea salt) and cracked pepper.  We also added a little smoked salt over the top.  The flavor and texture was absolutely amazing.”

Christine Mathias of Blissfully Domestic:

http://blissfullydomestic.com/2010/happy-california-cows

Great care and thought is given to the food the cows are given.  The farms have personal and ongoing relationships with veterinarians and nutritionists to ensure the cows receive a perfectly balanced diet; this diet changes as the cows needs changes depending upon their age and other life stages.

The cows physical comfort is always taken into consideration…an uncomfortable cow is a stressed cow, and that will affect milk production and quality.

Cows are NOT given antibiotics prophylactically.  When a cow is ill and antibiotics are necessary for its health, it is removed from the general herd and taken to a different location for the duration of its treatment.  Not until the antibiotics are out of its system and the cow is healthy again is it allowed to return to milking status.

And Ellen Durrer, who owns the family farm, Durrer Dairy Farm.

http://blissfullydomestic.com/2010/life-on-a-dairy-farm

“From our dining room window, we have a great view of our dairy farm, which has been owned and operated by my husband’s family for 3 generations. My father is a 4^thgeneration California dairy farmer, who lives and works on the same farm that he was raised on as a child and where my parents raised me and my siblings. We are Real California dairy families, representing 99% of California dairy farms that are family owned and operated and just like ours, many of these operations have been passed down through the generations.”

We also have an active forum conversation about cooking with milk. Sign up and join the conversation Also keep an eye on your inbox for information on a new Wine and Cheese app, which you’ll likely hear about this week!  Stay tuned!

We bake a lot of cookies this time of year. With two teen daughters who both love to be in the kitchen, the holidays mean yummy treats and a lot of chocolate!

Have you seen the virtual cookie exchanges online?  Bloggers are full of fun ideas and I’ve gotten some great cookie ideas from these ladies and hoping for more to come!

Domestic by Design hosted a virtual cookie exchange this week and will be showing us ways to make the holidays healthier.

So this year, since there’s been many a transition, a very busy December ahead of us (two weddings, among Christmas parties here and there), I thought it would be so much fun to team up with other women in the blogging community to host an online Christmas cookie exchange.

But not just any Christmas cookie exchange.  Many of you are eagerly seeking to transition to a healthier lifestyle, so I thought it might serve you to show you that you can make your desserts healthy–and enjoy eating them, too! I am so excited to be joined by other real food bloggers–many women who I’ve learned from over the past few years.  What a treat!

I for one can use all the help I can get in the “healthy holiday” area!

Some others we like (and you definitely want to check them out for more cookie ideas than you have time to bake!)

One 2 Try

Mommys Memorandum

I’m off to bake!  Happy Holidays!