mango salsa... and taco night

taco night is epic at our house. I am known for my obsession with condiments, so we always have about 8 different types of sauces or dips whenever we do mexican food.

Here is an easy, and all-time favorite at our house.

mango salsa

taco night!

guacamole

cilantro lime sauce

yum.

Mango Salsa
2 ripe mangos, peeled and chopped
1 avocado, pitted and chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely

Throw all the ingredients together in a bowl, and stir well. Serve right away or let the salsa sit for a couple hours so flavors blend.

toasted coconut cake

toasted coconut cake with homemade vanilla cream icing

birthdays are the best.
especially 30th birthdays for my sister in law. Over the holidays, we got to throw Danielle a surprise 30th birthday party. It was a great night... My oldest brother played bartender, my sister was the DJ, and by the end of the night, my entire family busted out into a dance party in the middle of the living room. It was grand.
We had a huge assortment of appetizers and snacks, and did a toasted coconut cake with homemade vanilla cream icing. So good.

yum. let's eat cake.

toasted coconut cake:
box of duncan hines vanilla cake mix.
1 cup toasted coconut
Follow the directions on the back of the box and mix in toasted coconut. Pour batter into 3 greased round cake pans. Bake until set in middle. Remove cakes from oven and let them cool completely. Meanwhile, make the icing.

homemade vanilla cream icing
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk
6 Tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups toasted coconut
Cook flour and milk in a saucepan until so thick that you can't stir it. Let it cool.
Cream butter and sugar in a mixer until smooth. Add milk mixture and vanilla and beat for about 8 minutes, or until very thick and creamy.

Place 1/3 of icing on 1st layer of cake. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of toasted coconut. Repeat layers, adding the extra coconut to the top of cake. Top with sliced strawberries.

{almost} the best thing i ever ate

a london fishcake... so amazing.

I was in London during the month of December. London gets a bad reputation for their food... but I have to say I was remarkably impressed with their cuisine. I practically ate my weight in clotted cream and scones, inhaled ridiculous amounts of shepherds pie, and fell in love with their assortments of chocolates and treats.


On a lovely Saturday afternoon, I went to a darling french cafe with a friend Toby. While there, I ate one of the most delicious things ever... It was called a Fish Cake, and was drizzled with Hollandaise sauce and on top a bed of baby spinach. It was all topped with a poached egg. They cake was crab, salmon, and all other kinds of phenomenal. I don't think I am going to attempt to recreate this masterpiece. Un-believable.