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Live. Laugh. Love.

Michelle Marie

Taco Tuesday

 I love me some tacos! and I am not talking Taco Bell tacos either, I am talking delicious homemade tacos (insert drool here). I love tacos so much I thought I would give in on Taco Tuesday and made some delicious tacos which were a hit. Best of all they weren't difficult to make and tasted delicious! (I confess I ate three).

 I want you to try these tacos whether its taco Tuesday or taco Wednesday, I promise you will not regret this recipe nor will your dinner guest.

What you will need:

• Skirt steak (I used a pound, good for 10 tacos)
• Cilantro (about a handful should do, but depends on your preference as well)
• 1-2 cloves of garlic (I used 2. Have I mentioned I love garlic?)
• 1 lime
• 3 TBS of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small purple onion, diced (also known as red onion)
• 1 steak tomato, diced
• 1 avocado
• 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper
• A package of corn tortillas 
• A Mixing/marinating bowl
• A Blender (I use my Magic bullet)
• A Frying Pan
• A small pan

What you do:

• First you want to make the marinade by combining the olive oil, salt & pepper, cloves of garlic, half of the cilantro and the juice of half the lime in a blender, I used my magic bullet but you can use a regular blender or food processor as well. Blend until smooth, place meat in a bowl and pour the marinade over the meat. Use your hands to thoroughly coat the meat. Place into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

• After 30 minutes: place the frying pan on the stove over medium-high heat and place the meat directly into the pan (you will hear an amazing sizzle sound). It's not necessary to add more oil since the meat was coated in a marinade with olive oil. Cook the steak until Medium or Medium well (your preference), so about 5-6 minutes on each side.

• Once the meat is cooked place it onto a plate and cut into pieces. Cut diagonally for best size. As you work on cutting the meat begin warming the tortillas in the small pan. I like my tortillas a bit crunchy but not so much that they break, so cook over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side.

• When your tortillas are done and your meat is cut your ready to plate these babies. To build the tacos take one tortilla, add a few pieces of steak (not too much maybe 3-4 small pieces), a slice of avocado, a bit of onions, some tomatoes, a few leaves of cilantro and squeeze a bit of lime juice over the top. Repeat for as many tacos that you wish to devour. Enjoy!

Let me know if you try this recipe and what you think.

Live. Laugh. Love.

Michelle Marie

Best Homemade Guacamole

 In honor of Superbowl Sunday I thought I would share my guacamole recipe. I absolutely love avocados and can literally eat them in probably a hundred different ways. My favorite is sliced up with olive oil, lime juice, and salt & pepper. However, when I want some tortillas chips and don't want a cheese dip or salsa I always turn to my guacamole recipe. I like making my own guacamole because I control what I put in it and how much. If you have guest over its also a great quick dip to make especially for sporting events, such as today. So without further delay I give you my guacamole recipe:

You will need:

• 1 medium size avocado
• 1 small purple onion (I know they are called red onions but I call them purple)
• 1 clove of garlic (or more depending on your love for garlic. I don't recommend using garlic powder or chopped packaged garlic because they never taste like fresh garlic.)
• 1 lime
• Half a handful of cilantro (This can be as much or as little depending on your preference. I just happen to love cilantro.)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• A blender (I used my magic bullet but any blender will do. You could also make it the old fashioned way mashing the avocado with forks for a chunkier dip)

What you do:

• Place the avocado, half the purple onion (or less depends on your preference), garlic, the juice of the lime (I would say add the juice of half the lime first and taste, then add the rest if you would like), cilantro and salt & pepper into the blender and mix. Mix till smooth but thick.
• Serve into a dipping bowl, refrigerate for ten minutes and serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

 What are some of your favorite chips and dip?

Live. Laugh. Love.

Michelle Marie