Famous Salsa Recipe

My salsa recipe is now my famous salsa recipe.  We competed in a homebrew competition yesterday (and won!), and of course there were food pairings with each beer.  You have to enhance the beer flavors!  The famous salsa was paired with the–now award winning–IPA.  The beer was the real star of the show, but there were tons of requests for the salsa recipe.  Even the old hispanic men were asking for it!  That’s when you know you have a winner!  So here it is again, the famous salsa recipe.

You can also check out The Manhattan Project’s facebook page.  That’s the brewery.  Website and additional marketing coming soon.  We couldn’t go into this with too much arrogance, but now we have bragging rights!

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I have seen some pins claiming to be the world’s best salsa, and I feel it is my duty to set the record straight with the recipe for the real world’s best salsa.  I have been duped by Pinterest recipes before, and it was a sad day in the Sanford kitchen.

What was my first clue that these pins were a lousy imitation?  Cilantro and lime were missing.  Isn’t that a staple, like tomatoes?

This is a basic salsa recipe that will knock your salsa dancing socks off. That was cheesy.

Back to Basics Salsa

• 28 oz can of peeled tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4-6 garlic cloves, chopped
• Juice of 2-3 limes
• Handful of cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 – 1 tsp cumin
• 2-5 peppers, mix of serrano and jalapeno, chopped
• S&P to taste

Throw it all in a blender.  Don’t puree though.  The pulse button is perfect for salsa.  Taste as you pulse so that you can make any necessary adjustments.  I put this salsa on everything.  Eggs, chicken, veggies, you name it.

Need to troubleshoot your salsa?

• Too flat?  Add more lime or cilantro.
• Too watery?  Add a little cumin or garlic.
• Not spicy enough?  Add more pepper.  The level of heat in each pepper is unpredictable.  You might need 3 jalapenos one time and 2 the next.

Enjoy!

One Very Bitter Ghost

Our house is haunted, and it is the husband’s fault.  He pissed off a ghost, and that angry spirit is clearly trying to send us a message.

We had a small kitchen fire a few weeks ago. Like our other two fires, this one was fairly minor.  All humans and pets were safe (except for a fish named Einstein), and we discovered it just before potential massive damage.

Once we got things under control, we resumed our wine drinking and BS’ing in the neighbor’s backyard. That is when someone made a joke about our house being haunted. I mean, what kind of idiots have 3 fires in under 3 years.  Ummm…people who have pissed off a ghost!

So about 5 years ago–long before I ever met him–the husband was doing some work in our crawlspace when he found a cedar box filled with ashes. In his infinite wisdom, he and his buddies weighed the ashes (they were in a bag in the box), and after a little research, they determined it was either a small human or a very, very large dog.  Well what does one do with ashes of something that was clearly cremated?  Why throw it away of course!  Yes folks, he threw away the ashes of someone’s loved one.  In the garbage.

And that is why we now have to get our home blessed before this bitter being burns it down.  All of these almost catastrophes are getting a bit tired.  Any recommendations for someone who talks to dead people?  The husband would like to express his sincerest apologies.

I Want a Motorcycle

I am too old for a quarter-life crisis and too young for a midlife crisis, but I am clearly going through something.  I am about to turn 32, and I want a motorcycle.  I must now mention that I have never driven a motorcycle.  Not once.  I have been on the back of one plenty of times.  I know you are supposed to lean when you turn.  Can’t get much harder than that, can it?

I don’t want a Harley or a crotch rocket.  Those are so not me.  I want a vintage café racer!  The husband and I parked next to one a couple weeks ago, and I immediately knew it had to be mine.  I know the one I get someday will be old and in need of work.  It makes the most financial sense for this probably somewhat fleeting obsession.  I’ve even started prematurely planning the paint, seat, and my helmet.  All the important stuff.  Move over pinterest, mama is looking up biker blogs!

I also have zero desire to every drive it on Dallas highways or any roads where speeds exceed 50 mph.  I am a sissy.  This will strictly be a neighborhood commuter.  Trips to the coffee shop, the gym, and lunch dates.   BTW – I am also scared of riding it in the dark; hence, the lunch dates.  A Vespa (or a fixie) might be more appropriate, but it would be so boring and so very, very predictable.

#OOTD Mockery

I open up instagram each morning and see the usual #ootd posts, and I think, “Oh, that’s cute.”  Believe it or not, it is not in my usual snarky tone.  Okay, maybe there is a very slight tone.  But come on… I can only see so many ways to wear a blazer with skinnys before my eyes start to roll uncontrollably.  And are all of those hashtags really necessary?  You like to wear labels. I get it.

#ootd posts make me remember when I had a cush corporate job and used to wear pretty dresses everyday.  Now getting dressed up means putting on a bra and a clean pair of jeans.  However, heels continue to and always will be a staple in my daily wardrobe.  With or without the bra and clean jeans.

On a whim of mockery, I decided to take my own #ootd photo.  I even took it in the bathroom, so it would feel super authentic.  It is also the only room in our home that that has a full length mirror.

Cardigan: #JCrew c. 2010
T-shirt: #RaRaRiot tee purchased at their show
Jeans: #Target special!
Scarf: #giftfrommom and not a clue where it came from
Heels: #Boutique9
Cocktail ring: #thriftstore
Nail polish: #wildcactus from #birchbox

So there you have it.  That is my daily uniform these days in all of its hashtag glory!  Switch out the band tee for a beer tee or the cardigan for a blazer, and call it a new day.  AND it is unsex!  Steal my look if you are a man or a woman.  I just made myself giggle out loud.

Happy Monday

If this doesn’t make you smile, your Monday is doomed.  Our new fridge is torturing poor Fred.  All that food is so very close, and he can’t have any of it!  I have even found him resting his chin on the door.

A Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia Breakfast Treat!

I have a new favorite breakfast that is healthy and doesn’t have a Mc in front of it!  God, I love the Egg McMuffin.  This one is made from Chia seeds.  I always want to eat chia seeds, but they are kind of gross and slimy.  Especially when they bloat.  And yep, they are the very same seeds from Chia pets.  Ch-ch-ch-chia!

I stumbled across this yogurt type recipe on Pinterest.  Successful recipes on Pinterest…who knew that was even possible?!   I made a few adjustments to the original recipe to tailor it to my own taste.  It also originally called for almond milk, but that is not a staple in our house.  The last time it made an appearance, the husband looked at me like I was trying to poison him.

 

Chia Seed Breakfast Bowl

• 1 mashed banana
• 2 tbsp of Chia seeds
• ½ – ¾  cup of milk
• 1 cap full of vanilla
• Juice of half an orange
• Tiny squirt of honey
• Few dashes of cinnamon

Mash the banana first and then mix in all the other good stuff.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  It will be ready and delicious in the morning.  Sometimes I get a little crazy and add sliced almonds or raisins just before serving.

 

 

 

Inspiration and Coffee

Relaxing morning coffee. Ignore the hair.

I am sitting in a condo in Breckenridge, drinking champagne, and just thinking about how good life is.  Everyone else is asleep, I am exhausted, but I don’t want this evening to end.  I didn’t realize how ready I was for a mini vaca until yesterday.  It is only January 31, but it has already been one of my most challenging but also wonderful years.

One of my closest friends, Michelle, and I both worked most of the day from various coffee shops and then eventually wine bars while the husbands skied.  Of course we did a little shopping during our treks between locals, but we actually spent a good part of the day sitting together, working, and sharing our stories. It was a wonderfully productive day and so relaxing at the same time.   I was able to sit, think, and really enjoy the moment.

Anytime I start to question whether or not I have the guts to continue to work for myself, something seems to happen that makes everything feel perfectly right.  Even if it is only perfectly right for right now.  Now let’s be honest, I typically question it when I want to buy a piece of vintage furniture or a handbag that isn’t quite in the budget for a fiscally responsible woman like myself.  You know, those super superficial moments.  Somehow fate or something like that steps in and tells me I am on the right track.

I met with a new client on Tuesday, and they completely inspired me.  They are a small group and are beyond passionate about their product.  It was so refreshing.  AND, they hired me to brand them and tell their story!  I could not be more excited.  I have had opportunities with some big boys, but these little guys are what really get me going.  I even got a love note (that’s what I call sweet emails) from them today, and it was worth 10x more than any 4 star review I ever got in the corporate world (I was always far too outspoken to get 5 stars).  I don’t have a huge team or big budgets.  This is all me, and that is my inspiration.  Sometimes it scares me to death, but it is worth every single drop in this damn roller coaster ride.

The bubbles came later in the day.

Resolutions

I don’t think I like resolutions.  I rarely make them, and I am pretty sure that if I have made one in the past, it didn’t last more than two weeks.  I am better at giving something up for Lent and I don’t even remember the last time a stepped foot in a church or prayed to sweet baby Jesus.  That being said, I am going to make a resolution this year.

Screw the healthy eating and more exercise crap.  I don’t need another year to tick by to tell me I need to cut back on the mini twix and wine.   I want a resolution that will bring me personal happiness and growth.

I hereby declare my 2013 resolution is to make stuff.  Yep…stuff.  I want to use my hands to paint, draw, and create.  I want to focus on being an artist this year.   Forget the computer and use actual pigment and ink!  I have been dying to hone my watercolor skills, so what is taking me so long?!

I am starting with one project a month.  There might be more, but one sounds about right for now.  What is your resolution?

Peace, love, art, and wine
Misty

 

 

 

Cry Face Competition

I have the most hideous cry face on the planet.  Scratch that.  I have the second most hideous cry face.  I don’t care though.  I am owning it, because I have learned that bad cry faces are good for a giggle.  That being said, this is going to sound like a sad story, but it might actually make you smile.

We recently lost our black lab and beloved family member, Lucy, so there have been a lot of tears in our house.  For some reason, Lucy loved to hangout in the bathroom with me.  She always claimed her spot on the bath mat to watch me get ready or to sneak her snout in the shower.  I had a moment this morning when I prepared to step around her when I got out of the shower and realized that she wasn’t there.  It was one of those breakdowns with giant crocodile tears and pitiful gasps for air.

Now the funny part happens.  As I am crying, I looked up at the mirror and immediately smiled and then had a really good giggle.  My cry face was giving Claire Danes a run for her money!  If you watch Homeland or remember My So Called Life, you are familiar with this face.  It is absolutely awful and painful to look at!  There are even blogs, pinterest boards, and tumblr accounts that exist only to document her cry face.  The fact that my cry face is almost as bad as hers makes me a little proud!  If nothing else, it is a good distraction and mood lifter when I feel the tears coming on.  So next time you feel a big lump in your throat, own it and cry with your bad self knowing that someone else out there looks worse than you.

XOXO,

Misty

Saying Goodbye

This has been the hardest week of my life.  I had to say goodbye to my best friend, Lucy.  She had been battling bone cancer and did an amazing job hiding it.  She finally gave away her secret over the holidays and let us share her pain.

I honestly never thought this day would come. I kept tacking on another year to her life span with every birthday that passed.  I was convinced she would be at least 13.  Not almost 9.  It isn’t fair, but our 9 years together were beyond special.  We went through so much and were always a duo.  There was even a time when I wasn’t known as Misty, but Misty & Lucy!

When I realized that the end was near, I was so scared of making the decision to help her leave.  But in true Lucy fashion, she took control and told me when it was time.  She looked at me Friday morning refusing to break eye contact and even pawed at my tears until I understood.  We then spent the rest of the day and her final night cuddled on her bed.

The last 9 years of my life were better because Lucy was part of it.  She might not be here physically, but she will always be part of me and part of my heart.  I love you, baby girl.