Mexican and Mexican recipes for your Cinco de Mayo party or family dinner.

Even those that don’t have a drop of Mexican blood in their body love to partake of Mexican food and drinks each year on Cinco de Mayo, the fifth of May. The day commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over France atthe Battle of Peubla in 1862. In the United States, it’s a day a celebration of a rich heritage of culture and food.
All of these recipes are Mexican inspired – healthy, somewhat Americanized, versions of Mexican dishes.


Appetizers


Fresh Salsa – A basic salsa recipe using all the traditional ingredients –fresh tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, onion and cilantro. You’ll want double this one because it will go fast.


Asparagus Guacamole – Definitely not a traditional guacamole, but asparagus is in season right now, andit makes a delicious substitute. It’s also lower in fat that guacamole made with avocado.


Stuffed Jalepeno Chiles – These stuffed peppers are baked, not fried, so they are lower in fat, but still satisfying.


Main courses


Slow Cooker Shredded Beef for Tacos – The perfect choice if you can’t dedicate several hours to cooking up a Mexican feast. Let your slow cookerdo the hours worth of work. All you have to do is shred the beef when it’sdone cooking and add the toppings.


Grilled King Salmon with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce – Salmon is not whatyou would normally think of when you think Mexican, but this Mexican inspired dish uses a traditional sauce that complements the salmon or other varieties of fish very well.


Fish with Ancho Chile Paste and Cream – Another fish dish with a Mexican-style sauce that uses halibut, fancy rockfish, white seabass, or salmon.


Celebratory drinks


Ave Maria – Tomato and lime juices, vodka, chili paste, Tobasco, and a pickled jalapeno pepper. Quite the spicy Mexican drink!


Casa Noble Organic Margarita – Casa Noble’s organic tequila makes this anearth-friendly version of the popular drink used to celebrate Cinqo de Mayo.

http://www.mnn.com/food/recipes/blogs/healthy-recipes-to-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo

Easter Sunday Dessert Recipe: Pineapple Upside Down Cake With a Twist

Here's a great recipe (courtesy ofRachael Ray) for Pineapple Upside Down Cake that skips thewhite sugar and uses just brownas well as applesauce in lieu of extra butter. These steps help to retain the sweetness but cut some of the calories. Additionally, corn meal is thrown in for a nice crunch. As an added bonus, just one skillet is used in the entire cooking process. Less dishes to wash! (I can hear my ladies cheering as they read that line.) This recipe is also great as a snack or to add to a brunch menu.
Ingredients:
*.3 tbsp melted butter
*.1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp brown sugar
*.1/2 fresh pineapple (peeled, quartered, cored and cut into 1/4" slices)
*.3/4 cup flour
*.3/4 cup cornmeal
*.1 1/2 tsp baking powder
*.1/4 tsp salt
*.2/3 cup applesauce
*.2 eggs
Instructions:
*. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
*. In an oven proof skillet heat 1tbsp butter and 3 tbsp brown sugar until melted.
*.Add pineapple and cook until tender (approximately 7 minutes).
*. Arrange the pineapple in the pan so almost all of the bottom of the pan is covered.
*.In a bowl mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and 1/4 cup brown sugar.
*. In another bowl mix applesauce and 2 tbsp butter.
*.Beat in eggs.
*.Combine both bowls and stir until just mixed.
*.Spread the batter over the pineapples in the skillet.
*.Bake for 20 minutes.
*.Cool slightly, loosen cake from the pan and place on a platter, pineapple side up.

Via http://arcadia.patch.com/articles/easter-sunday-dessert-recipe-pineapple-upside-down-cake-with-a-twist

8 iphone, itune, android apps for Easter

From Easter baking ideas to a children’s version of the Easter story to following the Easter Bunny as he travels the globe, your iPhone or Android phone will get you hopping toward a happier holiday with these apps.

ClickySticky Easter Eggs (99 cents on iTunes)Your kids will have fun decorating eggs, filling Easter baskets and building Easter bunnies without the mess with this sticker app.

Natural Colors for Easter Eggs (99 cents on iTunes)This app teaches you how to dye Easter eggs with commonly found natural ingredients, like onion skins. You also can’t go wrong with Egg Dyeing 101 from Martha Stewart Living ($0.99, iTunes)

Pat the Bunny ($2.99 on iTunes)Expanding Easter to include all things bunny, the e-book version of "Pat the Bunny" is loads of fun. It has 14 interactive scenes, every page can be used as a coloring book and your child can use the device’s front-facing camera to see himself in the book.

3D Easter Bunny Tracker (99 cents on iTunes)Track the Easter Bunny as he hops around the world delivering eggs to children. You can zoom in on any location on the 3-D globe.

Easter Egg Hunt LWP (Free on Android Market)There are a lot of Easter egg apps, but I enjoy this live wallpaper version for Android devices. It gives you phone an Easter theme and a game in one.

Easter Recipes & Meals ($1.41 on Android Market)Looking for a new twist on a traditional Easter dish? You’ll find more than 75 recipes for everything from side dishes to lamb to desserts. Chocolate-covered pecan Easter eggs anyone?

Bible Comic Book — Passion of Jesus Christ ($1.99 on iTunes)Aimed at kids 7 to 13, this comic book of the Passion of Jesus Christ covers the major parts of the Easter story from the Last Supper, to Jesus' death and resurrection and his journey on the road to Emmaus. For Android users, the StoryChimes Story of Easter (99 cents on Android Market) is a good choice.

Holiday Postcard (Free on iTunes)A step up from the usual greeting card apps, Holiday Postcard lets you send Easter and spring greetings via email on a simulated postcard with an address label and postage. For Android users, check out Build-a-Card: Easter Edition (99 cents on Amazon.com).

Caveman Bob

	Caveman Bob Released: October 2010 Platforms: iPhone Android (coming soon) Gameplay: Single Player Watch the Trailer Join on Facebook Contact Us

300.000 years before the Nuclear Dawn... Bob was hungry. Interwave's first foray into casual gaming pits players against the most primal of desires, as they help navigate Bob through four unique, distinct, hand-painted landscapes.

Bob runs, jumps, slides, stumbles, and rages through the levels, which feature endless playability, challenging 'Cave Trek' and hunger survival modes, scoreboards and OpenFeint integration to show off your achievements and best runs.

Stay tuned for more information and previews, and keep your thumbs well trained - the fastest, fiercest tapfest of all ages is about to start.

Main Features:

• Two game modes: unlock levels in ‘Cave Trek’, and then race them individually, staving off starvation and scoring the most insane jump combos.


• Four unique levels, with hand-crafted backgrounds and animations


• Procedurally generated levels: no two games will ever be the same


• Levels change and evolve, becoming harder as gameplay progresses


• Simple, one-tap controls for endless, reflex-based action


• Day/Night cycles for exhilarating night time runs!


• OpenFeint integration for leaderboards and achievements

Media

     

Via

• http://digitallife.today.com/_news/2011/04/21/6505325-8-great-apps-for-easter


• http://www.interwavestudios.com/projects/casual/bob

Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe: The best St. Patrick's Day meals

This St. Patrick's Day, celebrate with a traditional meal that's easy to prepare even if you don't necessarily have the Luck of the Irish.

Here's a recipe for corned beef and cabbage straight from celebrity chef Alton Brown. It's a long process, but it comes out perfect in the end. We suggest drinking green beer while you wait. For ten days. We also suggest not following our suggestions, because we might be drunk right now. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Ingredients

* 2 to 2 1/2 pound Corned-Beef Brisket*, recipe follows

* 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

* 1 teaspoon ground allspice

* 2 bay leaves

* 2 teaspoons kosher salt

* 1/2 pound diced carrots, approximately 4 small

* 1/2 pound diced onions, approximately 2 small

* 1 pound potatoes, peeled and chopped, approximately 3 medium

* 1/4 pound diced celery, approximately 2 stalks

* 1 small head cabbage, chopped, approximately 2 pounds

Directions

*Cook's note: Brisket should be prepared through the brining stage, but not cooked.

Place the corned beef, pepper, allspice, bay leaves and salt into a large 8-quart pot along with 3-quarts of water. Cover and set over high heat. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat to low and cook, at a low simmer for 2 1/2 hours.

After 2 1/2 hours add the carrots, onions, potatoes and celery. Return to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, add the cabbage and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes and cabbage are tender. Remove the bay leaves and serve immediately.

Corned Beef:

* 2 quarts water

* 1 cup kosher salt

* 1/2 cup brown sugar

* 2 tablespoons saltpeter

* 1 cinnamon stick, broken into several pieces

* 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

* 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

* 8 whole cloves

* 8 whole allspice berries

* 12 whole juniper berries

* 2 bay leaves, crumbled

* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

* 2 pounds ice

* 1 (4 to 5 pound) beef brisket, trimmed

* 1 small onion, quartered

* 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped

* 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

Place the water into a large 6 to 8 quart stockpot along with salt, sugar, saltpeter, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves and ginger. Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the ice. Stir until the ice has melted. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45 degrees F. Once it has cooled, place the brisket in a 2-gallon zip top bag and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container, cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and stir the brine.

After 10 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool water. Place the brisket into a pot just large enough to hold the meat, add the onion, carrot and celery and cover with water by 1-inch. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and gently simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Remove from the pot and thinly slice across the grain.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: approximately 3 hours

Inactive Prep Time: 10 days


Via Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe: The best St. Patrick's Day meals from Alton Brown and the Food Network - From Inside the Box - Zap2it

St. Patrick's Day Recipe: Cider Corned Beef and Cabbage - Naugatuck, CT Patch

Many generations ago (in the 1800's) my Sioux great-great-great Grandmother met and married an Irishman who had hidden in an export ship to escape religious persecution in Dublin, Ireland. He and his bride raised a large family and combined their cooking knowledge and talents to the delight of their family and neighbors.

Years later, when members of this same family married partners of German descent, the recipes changed somewhat, but only for the better! Here is an offering straight from my family to yours:

The perfect Irish pair-up: Cider Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients:

4 lb. corned beef brisket (do not rinse)

4 large carrots cut into large chunks

8 small onions, chopped into chunks

1 teaspoon powdered English mustard

2 teaspoons of Allspice

1 large sprig of fresh thyme and several parsley stalks tied together

1 large cabbage

1 quart of apple cider

3 large tart apples, cored and sliced into 12 pieces

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 1/2 Tablespoons of flour
1/2 cup of cold water

16 sm. potatoes, boiled in their skins until tender (not falling apart)

1 stick of butter, melted slowly with 1 Tablspoon of dried parsley

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Put the corned beef into a large pot with the carrots, onions, mustard powder, Allspice and herbs.

2. Cover with apple cider; bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.  Skim fat from top as it rises.

3. Discard the outer leaves of the cabbage and cut into quarters or eighths. Put back in the pot and cook for another hour or two, until the meat and veggies are tender. Add the apple chunks in the last hour. Remove the tied herbs and discard. 

Remove the meat and vegetables to a warm platter, covered, to keep warm.

4. Mix the flour and cold water well. Slowly pour the flour/water mixture into the cider pan juices and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring with a gravy whisk, until thickened.

5. Serve the corned beef cut into slices and surrounded by the carrots and onions, boiled potatoes with parsley-butter, and the corned beef cider gravy on the side.

Adding an Irish Soda Bread to this dinner will give you the perfect St. Patrick's Day Feast!

St. Patrick's Day Recipe: Cider Corned Beef and Cabbage - Naugatuck, CT Patch

Oprah's Recipe for the Moscow Mule Drink

While Oprah Winfrey was camping with Gayle in Yosemite National Park she made Moscow Mule cocktails for all of her camping neighbors. If you'd like to try to make a Russian Moscow Mule cocktail at home, here is the recipe that has been posted on the Oprah.com website.

Moscow Mule Ingredients

• 1 Ounce of Vodka
• 1 tsp. of Sugar Syrup
• Fresh Lime Juice
• 1/2 Cup of Ginger Beer
• 1 Sprig of Fresh Mint
• 1 Lime Slice

Directions: Pour vodka over ice, add sugar syrup and fresh lime juice. Add ginger beer and stir. Garnish drink with a mint sprig and lime slice. Note: Oprah makes her Moscow Mule cocktails in copper mugs, but a regular cup will do.

The following video clip demonstrates how to make a great Moscow Mule drink (Email subscribers click here to watch the video).