How are you keeping cool these days? I am all about keeping hydrated, and I drink a ton of  H2o. I ready recently that adding cucumber to your water will help with the summer puffiness that the heat brings on. I add a few slices to my water, then I added some peach slices and ice and I was good to go. I guess you know what I’ll keep on hand all summer. Drink it and enjoy!

Ingredients:

• water
• cucumber slices
• peach slices

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a cup with some ice, and a straw if your feeling fancy.
2. Drink!

I’m known for making a good fruit punch, and with March Madness officially here, I made this thirst quenching beverage for all to enjoy. Get the recipe over at Babble, I posted it there and bought all the ingredients at Target. Click here for the recipe!

I have been enjoying breakfast more and more lately.  I use to only eat breakfast on the weekends.  Then I realized that wasn’t very good for my metabolism. Since I don’t always want eggs I had to start thinking of an alternative… plus the whole cholesterol thing is something to consider. Geez, I never thought those words would come out of my mouth. I am trying to eat breakfast every day and eat as soon as I wake up.  That’s sometimes a task.  When time is limited, I turn to my smoothie action.  Throw your ingredients in a blender and presto, you got breakfast in a cup.

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I made agua de tamarindo today and thought why not post it on my blog? I never post my delicious aguas, then as I was about to put it here, I realized I should put in on Babble’s The Family Kitchen, cuz they don’t have an agua de tamarindo there either. Oh what the heck, I’ll post it in both places, but find the recipe on Babble, by clicking here! Enjoy!

I started making this simple salsa many moons ago, as a fast tasty sauce for my tacos. Just a handful of ingredients and a few minutes and you have the ultimate salsa. I love the simplicity of the chile de arbol and tomato combination that this salsita brings to my burritos, eggs, steak, or popcorn…. It makes any meal perfectly spiced. Click here to watch a quick how to make this yummers salsa video.

Ingredients for Chile de Arbol Salsa:

• 4 – cups of water
• 1 – tablespoon salt
• 3 – tomatoes
• 16 – chiles de arbol (stems removed)
• 5 – garlic cloves
• a pinch of oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a pot over a medium high flame add water and salt and bring to a boil.
2. Once water is boiling add tomatoes and chile de arbol, and boil for 30 minutes.
3. Remove pot from flame and add tomatoes and chile de arbol to a blender. Use one cup of water that you boiled the chiles in and add to the blender as well.
4. Add garlic, oregano, salt and pepper to blender, and blend on high till smooth.
5. Pour into a bowl and enjoy on tacos or anything that tickles your fancy.

I’ve found myself across the border town of Mexicali many times in the last 10 years visiting family and friends. There are hundreds of things that I love and celebrate about Mexico especially the food and drink. I relish all the authentic flavors and preparations of some of my favorite dishes when in the Capital of Baja California. Doesn’t matter if it’s winter spring summer or fall, I run around trying to eat all the specialties of Mexicali. Now if you have ever visited in the summer months then you know that it is hot enough to fry an egg on the hood of your car and that the heat is relentless. People stay indoors all day blasting the ac and the second night falls the city comes alive. A summer night in Mexicali wouldn’t be complete without a Chabela. The refreshing drink is the perfect antidote to the scorching heat. It sets the atmosphere and you hope there will be a light breeze accompanying the Chabela adding some relief.  My primo Amp-Dog introduced me to this recipe and it will always remind me of the flavors of an electric evening in Mexico.

Ingredients for Chabela Summer Masterpiece: 

Chalice Glass

5 Ice cubes

Summertime goes hand in hand with Sangria.  They meet up year after year like best friends on holiday.  A crony of mine told me Beringer White Zinfandel on ice was his favorite way to enjoy a summer night.  I invited him over for my Cherry Social, and wanted to make sure he really enjoyed his White Zinfandel that evening, so decided to take it up a notch and make it into a Sangria.  I might as well have served him liquid gold…. He loved it.  Everyone else at the gathering loved the Sangria as well.  The cherries sweet-tart flavor and the White Zinfandel blend together perfectly, and the candied sweetness of watermelon pushes this Sangria to a new height.  Enjoy it this evening for a taste of summer on holiday.

Ingredients for Cherry Watermelon Sangria:

3 – cups of chopped watermelon

2 – cups Whole Foods Market cherries (pitted and sliced in half)

2 – liters of lemon lime soda

4.5 – liters of Beringer White Zinfandel

In a large jug add watermelon and cherries.

Then pour in lemon lime soda.  Top with White Zinfandel.  Mix well.

Pour over ice and enjoy

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Whole Foods Market. However all opinions and recipes are my own. I genuinely love Whole Foods Market. 🙂