Thursday, May 6, 2010

Cinco de Mayo Redux!

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I decided that, with a holiday as fun as Cinco de Mayo, we should just keep on celebrating here at the Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen. Seis de Mayo? Hmm. Unfortunately, I took French in school, so my Spanish is all dependant on Sesame Street viewing from about 35 years ago. If you missed it, see Jenn’s great post yesterday on the history of Cinco de Mayo.

Our family loves tacos! And with my sneaky recipe below, I’m even able to include black beans in the mix and my kids aren’t even aware they’re there! Black beans are fantastic for you—they lower cholesterol, they’re chock-full of protein and fiber, and are loaded with antioxidants, too.

And…my husband and I love margaritas. :) This one is a little girly-looking for my hubby, but as long as we’re not out in public and it doesn’t have an umbrella stuck in it, he’s happy to indulge!

margarita Pink Lemonade Margarita

2 cups crushed ice

1 cup pink lemonade

¼ cup cranberry juice

¼ cup tequila

½ lime squeezed

Combine and mix in blender or cocktail shaker

Taco Easy Taco Dinner

1.25 pounds ground beef

1 package taco seasoning (the seasoning I bought called for tomato sauce and water, so be sure to follow your seasoning instructions)

8 oz tomato sauce (if called for by seasoning packet)

¼ cup water (if called for by seasoning packet)

8 oz can corn kernels

8 oz can black beans

Flour tortillas

Meat Mixture

Brown ground beef. Skim off fat. Add taco seasoning and mix for 1 minute. Add water, tomato sauce, corn, and beans. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Heat flour tortillas in the microwave.

I bought Archer Farms steam in the bag Spanish Rice as a side dish

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo

And now our contest news...
Congratulations to Stacy from Louisville!
You've won Riley's Williams-Sonoma’s Ultimate
Grilling Rub Collection!!!

Here's your chance to enter Julie's May Contest!

Julie’s first book in the Manor of Murder Mystery series, Grace Under Pressure, debuts June 1st! To help launch the book and to celebrate its release, she's running a very special contest: Pre-order Grace Under Pressure any time before May 31, 2010, and you're eligible to win a $25 gift certificate from Mystery Lovers Bookshop! (and if you've already pre-ordered, you just need to let Julie know!) No receipts required. Just email Julie at JulieHyzy@gmail.com with the date that you pre-ordered and the name of the bookstore you ordered it from, and your name goes in! (Please put "CONTEST" in the subject header. Thanks!)

Here are a few helpful links to get you started: Mystery Lovers Bookshop (free shipping on book orders over $10!) - The Poisoned Pen (my local mystery bookstore) - Barnes & Noble - Amazon.com

8 comments:

  1. What a great combination! I'm in! I love tacos, beans, rice and this margarita looks pretty spectacular! Thanks for the great tips about the health benefits of black beans, too.

    Julie

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  2. Never knew black beans were so good for you. Have to give them a try and this is a quick and easy recipe to start with. Love the margaritas.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

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  3. Okay, now I'm hungry for lunch :) Love the black bean addition - looks like a great topping for nachos, too - and LOL on serving your hub a *pink* margarita *in private*.

    ~Cleo
    Coffeehouse Mystery.com
    Cleo Coyle on Twitter

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  4. Julie and Mason--They *are* really healthy, and who knew? Well, I'd looked into it because I *like* black beans and like seeing what nutritional benefits I'm getting out of my enjoyment of them. :)

    Cleo--Ha! Yes, men are funny about frou-frou drinks. But these are tasty enough to forget about it--unless you put a little umbrella in there, or something. :)

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  5. Riley, I love this. So festive! I'm wishing I could reach into the computer and pull out that Margarita.

    I'm a huge fan of black beans, too. This dish is right up my alley!

    ~ Krista

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  6. Thanks Krista! Oh, if I could hand it to you, I would! :)

    Riley/Elizabeth

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  7. I am embarrassed to admit I've never made tacos ... but now I will!

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