Dont forget

Dont forget the giveaway! Post your recipe for chicken quarters and a side dish by 10 pm tonight!

Giveaway Peak

Tutorial to follow giveaway.

It's easy and fun! And I always like to make useful things. I have so loved making and giving away the fruits of my talents. So much more than store bought. I have had some time recently to reconnect, learn new skills ( sewing, blogging, making recipes and trying new ones, and experimenting in my garden). There is so much else I want to do... it's all about the journey. I am so grateful to all the women on the internet who have inspired me to be more. And to be more not only for me, but for my son, my family, my friends...and who knows what friends I will make on the internet, and whose lives I might inspire.

Fresh from the garden bliss

A must have in my neighborhood on Memorial day is the chips and salsa. I'm trying to will enough tomatos to turn red so as to make it fresh from the garden.

Here is my VERY simple from the garden, tried and true and beloved Texas salsa recipe...gulf coast style. Use fresh whenever possible.

Melo's Gulf Coast Salsa

two or three tomatos

two fresh jalopenos

a few sprigs of cilantro

LOTS of lime to taste, I use two, sometimes three (this is key)

one onion

one or two ( I usually add just one) clove garlic

I put all my ingrediants in a little cuisine art mini chopper I bought from Walgreens ( too easy!)

Or you can chop everything up very finely for more of a pico

For flair I sometimes add a mango (which I am going to do for this Memorial day weekend.) Just make sure to add enough jalopeno to offset the sweetness of the mang0.

I will post Frank the Tank's margarita recipe this Sunday. It's perfect. As well as his colorado mojito with fresh mint magic. oh I can taste it now!

FYI Frank the Tank is my boyfriend and in his college days he bartended. Trust me this boy knows his way around the tequila. Even if he is a Colorado boy. And a cuban. ( mojito, mojito, mojito)

I also plan to serve up some guacamole, bacon wrapped jalopeno with cream cheese stuffed inside, grilled chicken quarters, chili lime corn on the cobb, and home made ice cream and brownies for desert.

Here is my challenge:

( Melo GIVEAWAY) I need a recipe for the chicken ( I bought four leg quarters "great for the grill") and I also need some kind of potato cheesy side dish that my son will eat. Please leave any suggestions in the comments section. I will be drawing a winner this Sunday! This prize is one of my ultra cute grocery bag dispensers that I sew from my label Choclate Tamales. Lord knows some of ya'll have grocery bags tucked all kinds of places...mmhmmmm. You know who you are.. so help me out and melo out!

Good luck!