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The only steak taco recipe you’ll ever need

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Tacos.

You can marinate this in the morning and then grill in the evening when you get home from work and have dinner on the table in 20 minutes. Once you try this it will become a weekly go-to – easy, fast, delicious, cost-effective. This is also a great meal-prep recipe as you can serve it for days over greens, tortillas, or even just plain. It’s great for leftovers.

Ingredients:

1 – 1.5 pound flank steak or arrachera (skirt) steak – thinly sliced

Marinade:

1 lime

1 Tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce – Tapatîo, Cholula, or Valentina (the one we use) – are all good choices

2 Tablespoons olive oil 

1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/4 teaspoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/8 tsp ground cumin 

1/4 teaspoon oregano 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Veggies:

1 onion

2-3 Roma tomatoes

2-3 jalapeños (if you like them)

Directions:

Place steak and all marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag. Squeeze 1 lime over the top. Squish it around. Marinate for 1-14 hours – the longer it sits the more flavor the meat will absorb.

Cut onion on latitude and tomatoes in half lengthwise.

Grill steak and veggies over medium to high heat until desired doneness – because the steak is thin it will grill quickly. I grill mine to medium. Pour leftover marinade still in the bag on the steak while over the flames. Grill jalepeños until the skin starts to bubble and blacken.

Once slightly cooled, skin jalapeños (the skin should slide right off since you roasted them) cut in half and seed. DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES OR WEAR GLOVES (ask me how I know).

Place all steak and veggies on a large cutting board and chop into small taco-sized pieces. Cut steak against the grain of the meat.

Serve over tortillas, greens (if you’re doing keto or cutting carbs), or just eat as is.

Top with cheese, sour cream, salsa, cilantro, avocados etc. if desired.

TACOS!!!!

(Oh, and serve with margaritas – duh.)

Keto friendly – Ultimate twice baked “potato” cauliflower bake

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Some of the hardest times staying on a keto diet are when you crave a carb and just can’t get a certain flavor out of your head. Fabulous twice-baked potatoes are easy to obsess over – but you can let it go with this alternative I created. Even if you’re not doing a keto diet, and are just looking to cut some carbs, try this recipe. It’s easy and delicious. If you’re cooking for a group (or your family) and some people doing keto and others are not, this is also a great option.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower – either 2 – 10-ounce frozen steam bags, or 1 medium fresh head

1/2 cup cream

1 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 Tablespoon butter

8 pieces of bacon – divided

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

6 green onions – chopped

Directions:

With fresh cauliflower, remove all the green stuff, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add cauliflower – cook until very tender (you stab it with a fork and it just slides right off) about 10 or so minutes. With frozen – follow directions on the package.

To mash add cauliflower a few florets at a time to a food processor or blender, adding cream as needed to get a nice smooth consistency. Add 1 cup sour cream. Using the “pulse” option to blen until smooth.

Spoon mixture into a greased (with the butter) 5″ x 9″ baking dish.

Slice 4 pieces of the bacon into squares and place the pieces of the top of the cauliflower mixture. Bake on 350 for 40 minutes or until the bacon on top looks crispy, (baking it with the bacon helps to infuse the flavor.)

While baking, pan fry additional bacon, crumble and reserve. (You’ll note this should still leave you with 3 or 4 pieces leftover in the package – shucks, you’ll just have to eat those.)

Remove dish from oven, sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melty.

Remove from oven. Let cool for 10 minutes. Top with chopped green onion, crumbled bacon and serve (or just eat it in the kitchen over the sink yourself and pretend to everyone else that you forgot to make a side. Been there, no judgment.)

Today is National “You’re an adult and you can buy flowers if you want them” Day

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Today is a holiday I made up – “Buy your own flowers for cheap, because who cares if you have them on the 14th or the 15th?” Day. It’s the one where all the things that weren’t sold yesterday during Valentine’s Day go on super sale. It’s also the day every year where I go and buy myself flowers.

If no one spoiled you yesterday, screw them, you’re an adult, get yourself flowers.

It took my husband several years to actually believe me when I told him NOT to buy me flowers on Valentine’s Day. Once you’re married you realize that even when your husband spends money on gifts for you – he is still spending your money, too. Since I like money and prefer saving it, I learned I can still have a beautiful flower arrangement for much less if I just go ahead and buy myself the flowers I actually want on the 15th instead.

Here are my steps for post-Valentine’s flower buying (especially roses) I promise will give you a stunning bouquet that makes you feel like you spent $100 on yourself for pennies on the dollar (I spent $14 this year.)

Why buy roses now?

Stores order their rose and flower selections for Valentine’s Day months in advance and because they’re an item with such a high markup and margin – they almost always get much more than they anticipate they’ll be able to sell. For an store, they can throw out a large portion of their flower order still make money.

The flowers are already a “sunk cost” for the store, meaning that paid for already if a consumer buys them or not. So for something like roses, which become basically worthless after a few days, they’d rather sell them to you for any money than just trash them for nothing. Any flower sale to them on February 15th or 16th is basically free money to the store. Take advantage of this situation for yourself!

First – Selection

When you’re faced with the next-day dregs flower selection, what you see initially might depress you. They’re selling these flowers for 50% (or more) off for a reason. These deep discounts will be seen most significantly on the excess goods that lose value the fastest – like flowers – which have a shelf life of just a few days. Other people didn’t buy them on Valentine’s proper – but inside these leftovers, there’s likely a beautiful sunshine nugget just waiting for you to pull it out.

Don’t despair – inside even the most beat-up looking flower is a beautiful blossom waiting to emerge. When you’re checking out what they have, ignore the outer petals and look to the center petals. You can only see the top, but do they look like they’re in good shape or are they brown a crumply too? Lean toward flowers that have the more pristine centers, even if they look more beat up at first blush.

Buy a lot. Why not? Most of the bunches I grabbed cost me $2. At that price, even if a few of the blooms have to go straight to compost, you’re still way ahead of the “must have my flowers promptly on Valentine’s Day” zombies.

Second – Pruning

Here’s where the real magic happens. Unwrap your bounty and take stock. Are there any with broken stems? Remove those, cut the stems short and at an angle – put them in shot glasses to just set around.

Cut each stem at an angle – that way there’s more exposed surface area to absorb water so the flowers will last longer. Remember as you’re hacking – you can always make a stem shorter but you can’t add it back if you cut it too short.

Remove leaves – I remove every leaf that will be below the water line or any that are creased or smashed in any way. Flowers, even after they’re cut, have limited energy – just like any plant. You want them to put all their energy into being beautiful. If you leave any parts that are damaged, the plant will use its resources to repair itself first and won’t last as long. I prefer fewer leaves on my stems, but that’s just a matter of taste.

Prune petals – Especially with next-day roses, this is what makes the difference. Roses have outer petals called “guard petals” these are generally the larger ones on the outside that get beat up. Grip the base of any petal that’s showing damage and gently pluck from the bottom. You’ll work in a circular pattern around the flower until every petal that has any sign of damage is removed. For some flowers, it will leave you with a partially-opened blossom, with others it could be a tight bud in the shape of a Hershey’s kiss.

Lastly Arranging

There are several things to remember when you’re putting your flowers into your chosen container. If you choose to add a medium in the bottom it can be helpful to keep them in place – I use those glass gem things. You want to try to shape your flowers almost like a half a sphere, with the taller stems in the middle, and the shorter out toward the edges. Part of this will happen naturally as they’re arranged, but you may have to trim some further. Try to prevent any from sticking out too far or being too short to disrupt the natural flow for the eye.

Also when arranging flowers, remember to leave “negative space” which is just as important as the space filled with the bloom. Giving the eye the ability to rest on each blossom will increase the visual effect. Some people like to add greenery to fill the space to really set them off – I went with a more minimalist look this year because the flowers stood so well themselves.

That’s it! Look at you. You have a bouquet that would have cost a gazillion dollars on Valentine’s Day and you got it for almost nothing. Go you. You don’t need anyone to buy flowers for you, you got your own.

5 Strategies for saying “no” without feeling like a jerk

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One of the biggest challenges we face in our business and personal lives can be mastering the art of saying “no”. This is particularly hard for women, who often struggle, (like I do) with a desire to feel liked and needed. If you’re stressed and stretched too thin – it might be time to say “no” to a few things.

It can be tough, but ultimately it’s the best thing for you, your family, and even the person to whom you’re saying “no”. When you agree to do something you either shouldn’t or don’t want to do, you’re not going to give it your best – and everyone in the situation is worse off. Here are a few real-life scenarios my friends and I have been through

1. Someone wants you to do something for which you would normally charge – for free.

This is always a tricky one. You’re known as a great organizer/writer/social media maven/speaker/photographer/cook and someone calls and asks you to do your magic – for free. Usually, this request is accompanied by a pitch as to how GREAT the exposure will be for you to do this. Exposure doesn’t feed you or put gas in your car. You can’t be your best you if you’re starving.

Here’s the issue – what you do is seen as valuable until you start doing it for free. People value what they pay for. Unfortunately, you’re devaluing yourself and your skills to both you and to others if you just give it away. You’ll do a better job if you have the internal incentive of being paid, and the recipient will appreciate what you bring to the table more. Others won’t value you if you don’t value yourself first.

I’m not saying there aren’t very few exceptions for close friends, people who literally gave birth to you, non-profits you’re passionate about, or the kind of experience you would get printed on a banner to fly above your house – but besides that – you’re good and special – and if they really want you, they’ll figure out how to pay you.

Response: “I really appreciate the opportunity – I usually charge XXXXX for that. Let me know if that works for you.”

This response allows space for them to find the money to pay you. It expresses gratitude, without shutting the door. Maybe they’ll surprise you and come back with an offer.

2. From a girlfriend – “These people I hate asked me to be on their podcast – should I just do it?”

No. Obviously, no. When you lend your time and credibility to someone else’s project, you’re giving them a thing of value. Every event you attend, every interview you give, every time you volunteer, every guest post you write – you’re lending yourself, your name, and the bounty of experience you bring to the table to that other project. Collaboration should be a mutually beneficial exercise – if it’s not – say no.

Response: Thank you so much for thinking of me. Sadly, I am out of bandwidth at this time, I’ll let you know if that changes.

This allows you to recalibrate if the podcast takes off and the cost/benefit analysis of being in a tiny room with people you hate behind microphones changes. However, it still allows you to maintain control of the situation by saying you’ll be the one to reach out if circumstances are different in the future.

3. You’re at work and are asked to add another project when you’re already overloaded.

Ugh, this one is tough. You like being known as the person who gets things done. You’re strong, you’re competent, and you execute. It’s nice to be relied upon. The bad news is that your hair is basically 95% dry shampoo, your dog growled at you because he thought you were a stranger, and your blood caffeine content should have you hospitalized. Just remember that sometimes taking on fewer projects makes you more productive – it’s better for you, and for your place of work.

Response:  Obviously, I really pride myself on putting forth my best effort in everything I do here. If I take on something additional right now, everything I’m working on will suffer. It’s important for me to be able to provide an exceptional work product. 

You start by reminding yourself and your boss that you are competent and capable. Let your good work speak. You’re honest about your bandwidth – if you do more, everything will be done less well – and that’s not who you are. Things around you are done well. Close by reaffirming the point that you want to succeed and by saying “no” to this particular project you’re actually doing a better job. It’s better to be known as the person who creates the best outcomes in what you do than the person who does a lot of things in a half-assed way. Be the person they call when they need a closer. Coffee is for closers. Clearly, you need a lot of coffee.

4. You’re asked to expand the volunteer job to a place where you’re not comforatble.

You’re passionate about this organization because you’re already volunteering – but it’s starting to feel less like a volunteer job and more like a real job for which you are receiving no money. Not optimal. Once it moves into that territory it’s easy to start to become resentful and it’s all a downhill spiral from there. You know it’s time to rein it in, but you like the people, the organization, and feel like you’re making a real impact.

Response: XYZ group is doing such amazing work and I’m honored to be a part of furthering our mission. I deeply enjoy the things we’re doing right now, sadly I feel like adding anything else to my plate will make my work/family/friends/school life suffer. I wish I could do more and will let you know if the other things in my life change to allow me to take on new challenges here. This is such a fulfilling part of my life.

Start off positive and affirming – using inclusive language like “our mission” reminds them you’re invested. Heck, you’re all here for a shared vision. Be honest, they’re asking too much and it’s upsetting your life balance. The best volunteer is one who can come to a mission as a healthy, whole person. Don’t close the door to potentially picking up more later. You might find circumstances in your life change.

5. A friend keeps asking for your help, and it’s not feeling like there’s a lot of reciprocity in the relationship.

Woof. I hate this one. Everyone has that friend. The one who just can’t seem to pull it together. They always need something from you. Often times, these friends also have a strong aura of victimhood around them.

First, ask yourself, is this a pattern, or is this someone with whom you have a healthy give-and-take who is just going through a rough patch? If it’s a pattern it might be time to reevaluate the friendship. Choosing good friends is one of the most important, yet underrateed, life skills for success.

Help out if you can, but not to your own detriment. Follow the oxygen mask rule. The reason airlines make you put on your own oxygen mask when on an airplane before helping anyone else is becuase you can’t help anyone if you’re unconscious

Response: It really means a lot to me that I’m a person you feel like you can contact when you need help. Sadly I am unable to do what you’re what you’re asking in this case, but I’m happy to listen. 

It’s critical to remind the person that it’s meaningful to you that they can come to you to ask for help. Often, it’s very hard for someone to ask, so don’t diminish the request. Keep your boundaries though – you can’t help anyone if you have nothing left to give.

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It’s important to note that in none of these responses did you ever need to lie, nor did you ever have to diminish yourself, or the asker. There are ways to communicate where you can value all parties involved. It just takes practice. Honesty and kindness are not mutually exclusive.

Learning how to say “no” in an artful way is a critical skill that will help you to be your best self. Once you’re operating in a better space – you can be better at all the aspects of life and be better for even the people you turn down. In most cases, if your gut is telling you to say “no” and you say “yes” anyway – you’re doing the person asking a disservice as well.

Also, maybe now you’ll finally have time to wash your hair and walk the dog.

Fabulous Creamy Tomato Soup

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This soup is so fast and easy and worlds better than anything you can get in a can – some days you need the ultimate comfort food. Try this tomato soup and pair it with grilled cheese to warm your belly and your heart. There’s nothing better.

Ingredients –

3 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (buy yourself some nice oil – you’re an adult and you’ve earned it)

1 medium onion – finely chopped

4 cloves garlic – finely chopped or 1/2  tsp garlic powder

1 teaspoon sugar

10 chopped leaves or 2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 28 oz. can tomatoes (you can go with either crushed or diced depending on how chunky you like your soup) or 5 large ripe fresh tomatoes – chopped

1 cup organic chicken stock 

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Salt to taste

Step 1 – Sauté onion and garlic in butter and oil until soft and translucent.

Step 2 – Add sugar, basil (reserve a little for garnish), and pepper, then slowly add tomato, chicken stock, and heavy whipping cream. Simmer, stirring occasionally, on low heat. If you prefer a smoother soup (I like it a little chunky) use an immersion blender to purée mixture.

Step 3 – Drizzle a little cream and dust basil on top. Serve with grilled cheese.

Perfect party – queso blanco skillet

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In a world where people want the healthiest foods, sometimes you just need to embrace a skillet full of cheese and sausage with a side of chips. That’s ok. Own it.

There are two methods of serving this dish that work best – I prefer to make the entire thing in a LARGE cast iron skillet and just set it on a trivet in front of the party. Also, remember that both friends who are drinking beer and children (groups that exhibit similar behavior) will ruin your nice non-stick pans – ask me how I know.

If a skillet isn’t your thing, you can also do the first three steps, (brown the meat and sauté the onion) in a pan, then add those, and all the remaining ingredients, to a crock pot on low to keep warm for the course of a longer party. If you’re taking it to someone’s house, this is the preferred method, as you do not want to use their stove space (it’s only polite). I have never, however, had this queso last long enough to necessitate a crock pot.

Ingredients:

16 ounce package of Jimmy Dean Sausage

1 onion – chopped (LOOK, IT’S A VEGETABLE!)

1 28 ounce can of Ro*tel – well drained (LOOK, MORE VEGETABLES – also, I use the mild version if children will be eating it)

8 ounce cream cheese – cut into cubes

32 ounce Velveeta queso blanco (if not available at your store, normal yellow Velveeta is fine and still very delicious) – cut into cubes

10.5 ounce can of cream of celery condensed soup (I feel the judgement you’re radiating through the computer, but just trust me on this)

Chopped cilantro and green onion to top/garnish

Step 1 – Brown sausage in skillet.

Step 2 – Once browned, drain excess fat and reserve sausage on a plate. I prefer to line the plate with paper towels and then cover with additional paper towels to blot. Drain liquid from skillet but do not fully clean – leave some coating the bottom of the skillet or pan.

Step 3 – Sauté onions to translucent with remaining sausage fat.

Step 4 – Over low heat, add well-drained Ro*tel to warm onions, and cubes of cream cheese until just melty. Then add Velveeta cubes until they soften, and condensed soup. Next, add the reserved sausage. Stir occasionally over low heat.

Step 5 – Top with chopped cilantro and green onion and serve with chips, tortillas – and let’s just be honest with ourselves – probably just some spoons.

That’s it! So easy. Trust me – people will devour this like cheese jackals.

Simple tomato and basil salad

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Perfect for a spring or summer picnic – but also the thing I need sometimes in the dead of winter to remind me that the sun will shine again: check out this easy and fresh tomato and basil salad.

Base:

8 large tomatoes (chopped) – or a lot of smaller ones – whatever works for you

1 bunch basil 20- 30 leaves (chopped)

1/2 onion chopped

Dressing:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/8 cup high-quality extra virgin olive oil (life is too short for bad olive oil – spoil yourself and buy yourself a really nice olive oil – trust me on this)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Pinch of salt to taste – the longer this sits the saltier it becomes so it’s better to undersalt to start and add more if you need it later

That’s it! Toss it all in a bowl. It’s the perfect confluence of fresh flavors.

Grab a nice crusty bread to sop up the dressing after – you’ll be glad you did.

Cold day perfect meal – Italian lamb goulash

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This is the perfect thing for a chilly or snowy day. This fast recipe (for a goulash) will warm up your kitchen and is sure to be devoured by the whole family. If you’re not a lamb person, substitute any other meat.

1 lb ground lamb

3 Tablespoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

2 leeks (chopped)

1 celery stalk (chopped)

1/2 red bell pepper (chopped)

1 large shallot (chopped)

1 small yellow squash (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

2 c dried macaroni

1 can beef broth

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 can crushed tomatoes

5 basil leaves (sliced – chiffoned, but that sounds too fancy)

1 bunch Italian parsley (chopped)

1 Tablespoon dried basil

Dash cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

Add lamb, half the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and paprika to a pot and brown meat until almost all pink is gone. Drain excess fat.

Add leeks, celery, bell pepper, shallot, squash and garlic while continuing to brown meat – stir regularly.

When vegetables start to become soft, add half the beef broth. Cover and let simmer for a few minutes.

While simmering, boil macaroni in another pot until half-way al dente.

Drain macaroni, uncover goulash, add all remaining ingredients and cook for 15 – 20 minutes on low heat.

Add salt to taste.

Do you eat scrambled eggs a lot? Time to up your game.

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If you’re like us, scrambled eggs are a household staple. If you do keto, or just know that loading protein in the mornings is the way to go – scrambled eggs are a must. Also, I am not too proud to admit it, we do breakfast for dinner at least once every couple of weeks. When you get home at the end of a long day, sometimes some scrambled eggs are the thing that just fits the bill.

We’re in the “scrambled eggs multiple times a week” club at our house. We have finally found the secret that works best for us to create the type of eggs that seem like they’re a combo of eggs and clouds. Add it to the list of things you must try at least once. 

Our secret? A copper egg bowl.

As you can tell, based on what the new ones look like – we have gotten our money’s worth out of this one. It’s super easy when you’re cracking your eggs just separate the whites and the yolks beat the whites to a light fluff and then add the yolks back in. Yes, it’s an extra step, but I promise, it’s worth it. There’s even real science behind it.

It’s the perfect thing if you use egg whites in recipes. If you REALLY want to up your scrambled egg game – separate your eggs, beat the whites to soft peaks, then fold your yolks back in. Holy moley.

I get it, do you really need another bowl just for eggs? No. Marie Kondo would probably not endorse this strategy, but if you eat as many eggs as we do (this is in part because we have ducks, chickens, and quail in our yard adding to our addiction) eating egg clouds sparks so much joy. Toss some cheese on top to spark all the joy. Ha.

Easy prep, fork tender, one pot, pot roast

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A pot roast is a perfect thing for a chilly day. It’s one of those meals tastes like you’ve been actively cooking for hours – but in reality, it only takes about 10 minutes of prep and then checking on it only every hour or so. Easy and delicious.

The problem I’ve always had with traditional pot roast recipes is that the veggies end up being over or underdone, as you want to set your cook time for the meat – the star of the show. If you cook all the veggies for as long as your meat, they’re too soft, but if you don’t have at least some in for the whole time you’ll miss the depth of flavor they infuse into your roast.

Welcome to my veggie compromise: my secret is to cook half the veggies the whole time – it flavors the roast and allows you to get that delicious soft and melty veggie base in your liquid, but add in the other half when you have 45 minutes to an hour left of cooking so you get some of the vegetables to serve with more structure. If you decide to add some fancypants purple veggies to the mix make sure to add those in the latter group, the longer you cook, the less vibrant the colors.

The perfect pot roast is within your reach. I prefer chuck, but realize that cuts with less marbling will take more babysitting as they are more prone to dry out.

Ingredients:

Roast (Chuck is best 3 to 4 lbs)

Salt and pepper to rub on

2 fresh springs or 1 tsp. dried rosemary

2 cups beef broth (or bone broth is even better)

1 cup dry white wine

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 garlic cloves (diced)

1 chopped onion

1 chopped shallot

5 chopped carrots (if you want to get fancy – add fun colors)

3 chopped celery stalks

4 russet or 8 baby potatoes – chopped in 1-inch cubes (also this is a great place to add some fancy – those purple potatoes are cool)

Step 1: Heat your dutch oven (this is mine, it’s clay – and I LOVE it) with oil in the bottom. Add half the onions and garlic, sauté until translucent.

Step 2: Brown your seasoned roast. Browning helps to lock in the moisture as well as add flavor.

Step 3: Add roast, liquid and the remaining half onion and chopped shallot. Then add half your celery, carrots and potato (you’ll add the rest in a bit – I like having some veggies that stay crisper – these will be the soft, melty ones). Cook on 350 for an hour and a half.

Step 4: Check on the roast. Add additional liquid if needed. Cook for another hour.

Step 5: Add remaining carrots, potato, and celery. Cook for additional 45 minutes to an hour.