I Believe I'm a Mexican Trapped In a White Girl's Body.....

I LOVE Mexican food. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Mexican food....I must have been Mexican in my former life and it's carried over to this one :) Gary's just as bad...we aren't very good influences on one another when it comes to eating better. So anyways, we had breakfast at one of the Mexican restaurants in Ennis yesterday morning and it was delicious. Then I decided to make Mexican food last night for dinner. I made Carne Tostadas and Borracho Beans. The best part of all - I made both in my slow cookers! Now I have something else to add to my repertoire of slow cooker meals.

Cadillac Cowgirl Carne Tostadas

1 2 lb Chuck Tender Roast
1 Yellow Onion, quartered
6 Garlic Cloves
2 Tsp Cumin
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Pepper
2 1/2 Cups Beef Broth
1 Jalapeno (I prick holes in it and float, but don't squeeze it unless you want heat)
Corn Tostadas (Tia Rosa and Mission both make them - they're with the tortillas)
Shredded Lettuce
Chopped Roma Tomatoes (I used 4 medium sized Romas)
16 oz Can Refried Beans
Queso Fresco (With the Mexican Cheeses...usually by the sour cream and cream cheese)
Creama (same as above) or you can use regular sour cream
Diced Avocado

Place the first 8 ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 5 hours or until the roast is tender and can be easily shredded or chopped. Let the roast cool so that it can be easily handled and then chop or shred it into small pieces. Heat the refried beans with a little bit of butter to make them easier to spread on a tostada. Season the beans with salt and pepper. Once they're heated through, spread them on the tostadas. Top each tostada with the shredded lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and roast beef. Sprinkle the tostadas with the Queso Fresco - you can either crumble it by hand or use one of those cool hand held cheese graters. Drizzle the Creama over the top and viola - Carne Tostadas!!

This will make about 6 tostadas. If you want to make more, just increase the amount of beans, tomatoes, lettuce and avocados. A 2 lb roast should make at least 10 tostadas. You can use a larger roast if you want to make these for a large group. You could also do this with chicken as well. I love refried black beans and I think the chicken would be really good with black beans, too.

Cadillac Cowgirl Borracho Beans

1 lb Dried Pinto Beans
6 Roma Tomatoes, Chopped
1 Yellow Onion, Chopped
1 Handful Cilantro, Chopped
6 Pieces Bacon, Chopped and Browned (I compare this to browning chicken. The bacon will continue to cook with the beans.)
Salt, Pepper and Cumin to taste
7 Cups Water
1 Tbsp Bacon Drippings
2 Jalapeno Peppers (prick and float; don't squeeze unless you want extra heat)

In a 6 quart slow cooker, combine all of the ingredients. Cook on high for 6 1/2-7 hours or until the beans are tender. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

I have beans and roast left over from last night. I think I'll make tacos this evening to go with the beans. Have any of you ever had the tacos from Friendly's at the corner of NW Highway and Harry Hines. TO DIE FOR!!! They are soooo good. And for good tamales, go to Luna's on Harry Hines. They always have pork tamales, but will make chicken and cheese/green chile tamales with a few days notice. I'm also a fan of the gordita, but I haven't mastered those yet. Best Carne Guisada - El Taquito on Grand, right off of I30. HEB actually sells Carne Guisada that you can make and it's pretty damn good if I do say so myself. Gary loves it! And the best flautas can be found at Cuquitas - along with the best corn tortillas you will ever eat. They are sooooo gooooood!!!!!!

We had a very good trip to Canton. Gary and I decided to pull up the carpet in the dining room and living room and have it replaced with wood. Once that is done, the only carpet will be in the bedrooms. We already have wood in the kitchen, hall and entry. We also decided to redecorate the kitchen and dining room with Western decor. Our living room and bedroom already have a Texas/Western theme, so we're just going to carry it through the rest of the house. We bought calfskin rugs, pillows and placemats. We also picked up pictures for the walls and a few hanging signs. We really found some good deals. I also cleaned up on Scentsys. One woman out there was practically giving them away. It was a triumphant shopping trip!!

I hope everyone has a great day and a great week. It seems the Passiva Aggressive Fairy has been out sprinkling her fairy dust on people. Really??? I mean, c'mon...if you've got a problem - just come right out and say it instead of making vague remarks for people to interpret. That's my catty observation for the week. I am going to make a strong effort to not be influenced or sucked in by the bullshit of others!!! The Brignons have a big month ahead - Bubba turns 16, trip to the River, wedding anniversary, T & B River trip....and then the big bash in Gruene Labor Day weekend. August and September are full of fun this year!!!

Have a Happy Monday :o)

Kelly