Food & Drinks.

Wow, it's been a whole minute! I've been crazy busy these past two weeks and have had zero time for a post. This weather sure as hell isn't helping because it's one of those days when you just want to stay home in bed all cuddled up with your loved ones watching movies and sipping on hot tea, or wine, or a beer. Did I already mention how much work sucks on these days? Well, everyday when you have a little one in daycare all day.

These past couple of weeks (who am I kidding this is everyday!) I have been busy at work, getting home and whipping up some dinner for Jack and I, and now Elliot, then prepping for the next day. This post, I decided, will be about food and drinks. Who doesn't love food? And good food at that. Simple, quick recipes that just about any busy person can make for dinner or lunch and even to snack on. Honestly, going out to eat for us is getting old, there's not a lot out there and it's just not that good. We get tired of it so we try to go out as little as possible, although I'll admit, that's hard when you're sick (as I've been the last few days) but this is especially the time when I resort to quick and easy meals that won't leave you longing for taste because these dishes have plenty of that. And Drinks? Forget it. I can go on for days about drinks. Don't even get me started.

If you're like me, the last thing you want is a sweet drink on a hot summer day, or cold day, or any day. I would have a beer over any sweet drink. So let's start with a nice, refreshing one. The Michelada. This is typically a Mexican drink, but I think now you can find it just about anywhere. Or at least you can ask for it. Super simple. Take a tall frozen glass (if you choose) and rim it with salt and chili powder (optional). Fill it with ice. Squeeze a lime or two, add a little salt and stir. Get your favorite light beer (Corona, Michelob,etc) pour and stir. The salt, the lime in the beer and the beer. Need I say more?

This dish is fast, delicious and super healthy. I actually cheated and bought a bag of salmon from SAM's. It is blackened salmon. Hey sometimes you just need to save those extra five minutes it would actually take me to marinate the fish to spend with your little one. I'll take them. Jack just threw them in the oven and called it a day. For the salad, it's just baby spinach, carrots and apple. I made a lime dressing with olive oil, salt, pepper and mustard. So yummy. What better way to add a veggie than edamame! They're so delicious and so so good for you. Win.

Next drink is a Tecate. If you've never had one please go to your nearest liquor store and get yourself a six pack. This goes amazingly good with shrimp cocktail or ceviche. My mouth is watering already. Put them in some ice in your cooler and when you open one, squeeze some lime in it and on the lip and sprinkle some salt. Take a sip. Thank me later.

This "fried" eggplant I usually make for breakfast with hummus. This is very typical in the Middle East and one of my favorites. All you do is slice the eggplant (if you like it crispy slice thinly), put some olive oil in a pan and "fry". I put fry in quotations because I merely cover the bottom of the pan and not really fry them, it's more like toasting them, but fried is the way to go in the Middle East (not when you're trying to lose that baby weight). When done, squeeze some lemon, sprinkle some salt if you'd like and take a bite! This can be a side dish with any meal.

Mmm this drink is sooo yummy. Have you ever had a "red beer"? Gosh I hate that name because it doesn't do any justice to this drink. It's clamato (tomato juice with clam juice and other stuff) with beer with some condiments. Rim a tall glass with salt and chili powder, fill with ice, squeeze a couple of limes, add a dash of soy sauce, Tabasco sauce (yeah you read right) salt & pepper. Add clamato, I usually do about two quarters to three quarters of a cup and the rest with a light beer. Garnish with a celery stalk. Take a bite of the celery and a sip of the drink, I can already taste it. I'm not sure that this would be good with a dark beer, if that's your preference, but you could totally try it.

This salad is perfect as a snack or maybe for a little get together in some fancy little spoons or tiny bowls. You know what I'm talking about. Crazy simple. Cut some watermelon, nothing fancy shown here, some mozzarela and basil. I read that for better taste, you roll up the basil leaves and cut into little strings. Stack, make pretty, and add some lime juice, salt and pepper. I will seriously make this for a party. The combination is just perfect. I guess you can say it's a caprese salad with watermelon instead of tomato. Again, you can make this as a salad to go with some chicken or fish. Even some steak, why not.

Last but definitely not least, a simple cold beer. My absolute favorite. We love to buy cool beer glasses that we put in the freezer to enjoy our favorite beer. It just makes the whole drinking experience so much more fun and festive. Someone call AA.

I'll leave you with a pic of my bebe. He was also sick but is doing much better! 

Stay tuned for more recipes and drinks and a day in our lives in pictures! Because they tell more than words can. Have a great week and almost weekend!