Mole, mole, mole!

I have been told that I make some pretty incredible guacamole. I worked at a mexican restaurant for a while and had to make guac everyday. I wanted to share this deliciousness with the world:

3 avocados
1/2 an orange
2 limes
1 serrano pepper
1 bunch of cilantro
3 large garlic cloves
2 roma tomatoes
cracked black pepper
nickel to quarter size amount of kosher salt

Step 1: cut and scoop the avocados (save the seeds)

Step 2: cut the orange and lime in quarters and squeeze over the avocado

Step 3: cut the serrano pepper and garlic together (mince very very small) add to the avo

Step 4: cut the cilantro (mince very small) add to the avo

Step 5: chop the roma tomatoes and add to avo (chop small and squeeze a little bit to get out the excess moisture)

Step 6: add the pepper (I do about five rotations on the pepper mill)

Step 7: add the kosher salt (I put about a nickel to quarter size amount in the middle of my palm)

Step 8: mix all the ingredients (make as chunky or smooth as possible)

Step 9: add the seeds to the guac so that is stays nice and green

Take your delicious guac and your chips and Enjoy!

Valentine's Day

Husby is not really a valentine's day kind of guy. He hates buying gifts in the first place and this feeling is multiplied ten fold when forced by some "hallmark" holiday. Although I totally understand his sentiment, I still want a valentine's day celebration. I am an American woman who still thinks (or maybe has been programed to believe) that valentine's day is special. So this year I thought I would be proactive and get things started between the husby and I. I proposed that we both create a date, something we want to do or have an interest in. I wanted to have an opportunity to do something different with husby. The rules: plan an activity and a meal and it cannot be on valentine's day.

My date:

Incahoots at 6:30 where we could learn a line dance or two and then dinner at a little mom-and-pop hibachi grill.

We got to Incahoots and the lesson had already started. We were learning the two step (which I was hoping would happen). So we jumped on the dance floor and learned how to two step. It was slightly confusing at first, but we definitely got the hand of it. Husby seemed to enjoy and was definitely taking is seriously, which I appreciated. I have been wanting to go and dance for quite a while now, but I was worried husby wouldn't really like it. I was wrong!

After the two step, we learned a line dance, which was challenging. Husby was having a hard time with it and realized that he just needed more time. It was so fun watching him do the dance and just being together doing something different then the usual.

We left Incahoots and headed to a hibachi grill that my friend C has been raving about. It is just like Benihana, but a little cheaper and not so crowded. We split a meal there and enjoyed it.

We sat across from a couple we didn't know. As we looked over our menus we hear the dude ask for three meals and three sushi rolls. Now granted I have never been to this restaurant, but I felt like that was going to be a extensive amount of food. So the rolls came and he was eating and all was good, but then the food starts being prepared. His plate was piled so high with food and he looked so disgusted and confused about why there was so much. I then realized that he was high as a kite and those meals probably looked very appealing at the beginning of the night. That was so a good time watching his expressions as the food just kept on a'coming.

Greatest part of the night: when husby started looking up places we could take line dancing classes together so that we could really learn the dances. The classes don't start until late spring, but I am really looking forward to it.

Husby's date was a week later and it was a day-date. We headed down to Coronado Island. Coronado is a little out of our range for eating; we don't like to drive all that far. So we arrived a Miguel's Cocina and enjoyed a quick lunch. I got the enchilada suizas and the mango mojito, which was awesome. 

After lunch we headed to the Reuben H. Fleet center to watch an imax movie about rescued baby elephants and orangutans. My husby knows me so well. Of course being the nerdy, animal-loving person that I am, I loved the movie and was crying half the time. 

All and all, valentines was fantastic. My only regret was not taking any pictures, but that is something I am working on.

She's Crafty! #2

The project of the week was a reusable grocery bag with flair! It turned our really well. The first step was to pick the fabrics (which I still maintain is the hardest step). I used an upholstery fabric for the majority of the outside base with a few accent fabrics: strips and polka dots. I made the bag a little bigger than the pattern asked for because I wanted to make sure it was very usable.

Step 1: Pick your fabric.
Step 2: Cut the base (19in x 36in)
Step 3: (optional) cut strips of accent fabric 19in x whatever width you want them. I went with 2 1/2 in strips.
Step 4: (If you choose accent strips) Cut the bottom 8 inches off the base
Step 5: (If you choose accent strips) Sew the accent strip each side of the bottom (right sides together) and sew the top of the base onto the strips+bottom
Step 6: Sew the right sides of the base together, turn right side out and press
Step 7: Add up the base (18 in) plus the width of the strip (the measurements before sewing).
Step 8: Cut your lining fabric 19 in x whatever you added up.
Step 9: Sew your lining right sides together
Step 10: With the lining, fold the top edge down 1/4 in and press then fold down another 3/4 in and press.
Step 11: Slip the base into the fold of the lining. Pin
Step 12: Sew the edge of the lining to secure the base and lining. Then sew the top edge of the lining. (Make sure to keep good tension on these two or you get bunching.)
Step 13: Cut your 2 strips for your handles 3 in x 24 in
Step 14: Fold in each side of the handles a 1/2 in and press
Step 15: Cut 2 pieces of batting 2 x 23
Step 16: Place the batting into the folds of the handles. (Pressing again makes it easier)
Step 17: Fold the handles together and sew down the edge. Then use a large zigzag stitch and sew down the middle of each handle.
Step 18: Measure 5 in into each side of the bag and pin the end of the handles inside the bag. (you want about 2 in into the bag)
Step 19: Sew the handles onto the bag (I sewed around each edge and then down both diagonals)
Step 20: Enjoy your super cute bag

You can adjust the size of the bag to pretty much anything that will be convenient. The handles and fold measurements will stay the same; all that will be adjusted will be the base and lining sizes. It really depends on your use for it. Good luck and have fun!

She's Crafty! #1

I love to craft and create. My sister-in-law B was a real motivator this week and got me back into the swing of things. I am going to make "She's Crafty" a frequent flier here on "what a life!?!?" and for today I am going to show off my new camera strap cover. You see B, GG, and I all have the exact same DSLR and B came up with the idea of making a camera strap cover; it can help us distinguish between our cameras and more importantly its super cute. She found a pattern and shared it with GG and myself. Sunday, B and I went to the fabric store to pick out fabric for her first quilt and it is pretty much impossible to go there and not buy a little something for myself. I found the cutest stripe and polka dot fabric.

I love these fabrics. I want to go and buy several yards so that when our first little one comes and I can use it to make a quilt because it is so fabulous. Until then, the camera strap cover will have to suffice. I loved every minute of making it. So much so, that I called my mom and modified the pattern to work with her camera strap.







Next up...more baby quilts and a reusable bag made from upholstery fabric. Very excited to see how they turn out.