Happy 24!

Birthdays are so fun. I love the intentional time you get to spend with those around you. This year mine was mid-week so the girls were sweet and planned a day the weekend before doing things I love like painting pottery(!) together. My actual birthday was pretty busy which happens to those of us in the 8-5 club, but some friends came over late that night and we had a little shin-dig to celebrate the big 2-4. My friend Lu (not to be confused with my pup Lou, although she is just as great) took this video and it makes me laugh because Kel had no idea she bought me trick candles. Or maybe she did, I’ll never know.

My favorite thing about birthdays in my community here though is the tradition we started almost 3 years ago that on your birthday everyone takes time to tell you something about you they are thankful for. So often those things are never said out loud and it is just a great opportunity to encourage one another. Sometimes they are pretty light hearted and sometimes, they make you tear up. But not only was I thankful to receive that this week but I am always blessed to share on someone else’s birthday as well. I would encourage you to add this tradition to your own families or communities this year too! It really is great.

This party in a box arrived on my birthday, thanks mom.

Here’s to making year 24 full of joyful things, passionate pursuits and many, many adventures.

meg

Recipes(!) :Tacos Al Pastor

I live with two of my closest friends and once a week we each cook a meal and eat together. This is great because we get to spend time together amidst our busy schedules, eat two meals a week we didn’t have to prepare and get a little creative in the kitchen!

Last year I lived in North Carolina and there was a local Mexican restaurant there that I loved. I went almost every week (sometimes more than once a week) and ordered the same thing every time, Tacos Al Pastor. I am usually the kind of person that is always up for trying new things, but this meal and I were in a committed relationship.

So recently I decided to find a recipe that came close to what I remember since I haven’t been able to find a place around here that makes them quite the same.

Here is what I came up with:

Tacos Al Pastor
Step one: Marinate the chicken (you could use pork too) overnight in sauce made up of the following: 1 small white onion chopped, ½ of a fresh Pineapple, a cup of orange juice, a little white vinegar, ¼ cup of chili powder, a few garlic cloves (to taste) , and a dash of kosher salt, oregano, and cumin. I put in some extra cumin just because I love it. You can also use fresh peppers to give it more of a kick but I used a spoon full of my favorite green chili salsa. Mix all of these ingredients in a blender until smooth. Then pour sauce into a ziploc bag with the chicken and chill overnight.

Step two: The next day grill the chicken outside or cook on the stove top until Its done. I used the stovetop because well, we live in an apartment. As it was cooking I cut up the chicken into little squares which helped with the preparation time. While the chicken sizzling on the stove cut up the other ½ of the pineapple, another white onion and some fresh cilantro. Serve on flour or corn tortillas with chicken, pineapple, onions, cilantro, salsa and some fresh lime juice!

This one is a keeper for sure, it was so good. Enjoy!


meg