Go Mexican for Cinco de Mayo

For those of you looking to party like it’s 1999 on May 5th, consider hosting a Cinco de Mayo fiesta. The fifth day of the fifth month marks the Mexican army’s victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. In the United States, commemorations of the special occasion are typically marked with large parties that feature plenty of Mexican cuisine. If you can’t make it out to a local fiesta, then have one at home using these red-hot recipes: SPICY BEEF BURRITOS Ingredients: 1 1/4 pound ground beef 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin … Continue reading

Easy and Affordable Mexican Meals

When I think of easy and affordable meals, tacos immediately come to mind. Aside from crispy corn or soft flour tortillas, everything else needed to make the Mexican dish can be found around the house on a daily basis. Also helping to keep down the costs is the main ingredient. Ground beef or turkey and chicken are all relatively cheap meats. The only problem with tacos is that they can get boring if you serve them more than three or four times a month. That’s where the following dishes come in handy. The recipes for Taco Soup, Turkey Tacos and … Continue reading

Affordable Mother’s Day Travel Deals

What’s the one place your mom has always dreamed of visiting? New York, Chicago, Hawaii, California? If you are looking for a way to make this Mother’s Day one your dear ol’ mom won’t soon forget, but the rising cost of everything has you more budget conscious than ever, you’re in luck. Just in time for the big May 11th celebration several lodgings are offering discounts for the special ladies in your life. If your mom has fantasized of relaxing in sunny Arizona or touring awe-inspiring art collections displayed in culturally rich Mexico City then you might consider the following … Continue reading

Celebrating 3, Part 1

Today is my daughter’s third birthday. I cannot believe that time is moving so quickly. Wasn’t it just yesterday that she was a bald, compliant, and confused nine-month-old joining our family? It feels like yesterday. She is one of the great joys in my life. She is bright and funny, silly and naughty. She’s my toddler and I couldn’t love her any more. Her actual birthday this year was on a Tuesday. It was an interesting day that, unfortunately, did not revolve around her. It started off as a pretty normal Tuesday. We got dressed and went to Gymboree Play … Continue reading

Really, Tyra?

I was watching “The Tyra Banks Show” a couple days ago, and the conversation that went on really irked me. The guests of the show were parents who entered their children in beauty pageants, and Tyra was clearly not a supporter of such activity. She kept asking the parents questions like, “Does your child want to be in the pageant, or do YOU want your child to be in the pageant?” She was very much against the idea of a parent making her child do something the child didn’t want to do. I got the impression that to her, being … Continue reading

Mid Week Steak Dinner

Thanks to my generous grandparents (most notably my gourmet cook grandfather) I grew up eating steak every Saturday night. Consequently, I always considered the delicious cut of meat to be a weekend treat. But, these days steak is affordable enough (depending on the cut) and recipes are plentiful enough to create amazingly tasty meaty dishes in the middle of the week. The following steak recipes are simple enough to prepare even on a night when you get home from the office later than expected. The first one, which features beef tenderloin steaks swimming in a creamy mushroom sauce, can be … Continue reading