MI COCINA JAROCHA: MEXICAN STREET STYLE HOT DOGS RECIPE.

A few weeks back I was craving some serious Mexican street food.  When it comes to Mexican food, I don't have to try hard to talk my family into it.  They love Mexican food... particularly the food I grew up with, which you can't really find in the US. 

When I think about these hot dogs, I'm reminded of my young and single nights spent at the crowded Malecon in Veracruz City.  I went there often with my friends.  The weather was extremely warm, the sound and breeze from the ocean waves across the huge boulevard made the perfect night out.

El Malecon is a tourist attraction in Veracruz City and there are plenty of restaurants, as well as food street vendors for you to satisfy your hunger.  There is always live music playing in the background and plenty of people from other countries enjoying the laid-back atmosphere.  The State of Veracruz is well known for the amazing food so I really hope you will give these babies a try. ;)

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE RECIPE.

Just hit the print button at the bottom of the page and you are good to go!

You will need a grill.  Any kind will do, just make sure to follow the instructions on how to cook the bacon if you are using a gas/charcoal outdoor grill.  I used my handy-dandy indoor Cuisinart grill shown below. 

Start by cooking the bacon on the grill, oven or stove top.  
(I like to use thick apple wood bacon.)

Once its done,  place it on a plate lined up with a paper towel to get rid of the excess fat. 

Grill the hot dogs.

While that's going... get your toppings ready by giving the bacon a rough chop, dice the onion, tomatoes, jalapenos and get your cheese ready.

Like I mentioned in the recipe. The street vendors steam their hot dog buns so that's what I did.

Slice your avocado right before assembling the hot dogs, to avoid a yucky dark avocado mess.

My little man passed out in his highchair while I was working on this recipe.  It was heaven. Usually Kay and I are chasing him around the house or he is pissed off because I'm not giving him attention. =-)

Enough of all that cuteness and back to the recipe.
Time to put together the hot dogs.
Add Mayo to the steamed buns and place a hot dog in it. duh! ;-)

Add some bacon

Onions

Tomatoes

Jalapeños

Avocado slices

Zigzag some ketchup across the whole thing...

Do the same with the mustard

And last... add some of the Queso Oaxaca or string cheese.

Queso Oaxaca (Oaxaca cheese.) is really just the fresh Mexican version of string cheese in the US.  They taste very similar.  I have tried Queso Oaxaca in the US and it doesn't taste as yummy and fresh as the Queso Oaxaca in Veracruz.  Either way, these hot dogs taste pretty darn close to the real thing.

ENJOY!!

Leave me a comment if you make them and let me know what you think! =-)

SUMMER LIST ACTIVITY IDEAS.

The kids will be officially out of school tomorrow.  I am extremely excited about the start of our Summer list activities.

I thought I would share with you a few of our favorite activities from last year's list.  I strongly recommend doing a "Summer List" with your kids or grand-kids. It's good fun for everyone. 

I won't be listing each and every single activity we did. Just the ones we thought were the most fun.

1.- CAMP IN THE LIVING ROOM.

This was definitely one of the activities we enjoyed the most.  Ashton was too little to get excited about it but Kay sure enjoyed it.

We used plain white sheets and rope to built our "tent" and hung twinkle lights around it.  It took less than 5 minutes to put it together.  We made brownies and played games.  It was definitely a fun night.

2.- MAKE S'MORES.

What's Summer without S'mores?  

We had to make it an activity of its own. To be honest we always have s'more nights, so this is something we did more than once.  It's simple but the kids really seem to enjoy it.

3.- GO OUT FOR SHAKES AND DONUTS.

This was the very first thing we got to do.  We went to a park, sat down while we talked and ate our treats.  The weather didn't seem to cooperate much last year.  If it wasn't windy, it was breezy and cool.   Either way, it was a fun night. 

4.- Picnic up in the mountains.

We love to go to the mountains every year.  There is a waterfall spot we like to go to.  They have a little picnic area and from there you can walk the trail and get to the waterfall.   We love it up there.  It always feels breezy and the sound of the water running through the river is very relaxing.

We also did our bubbles that day.  Keith and Kay had some bubble fun while Ashton and I watched the fun.  He was only a few months old and too little to get into doing anything.  This year should be really fun as he is definitely into fun and mischief now. :)

5.- 4th of July Soccer Game.

We started this tradition a couple of years ago.  Every year there is a 4th of July game with fireworks.  The after game show is pretty awesome to be a part of.   Definitely something we want to keep doing with our kids.

If you don't have something similar in your area, there are always fireworks shows that you can take your kids to.   Go online and search for fireworks shows in your area,  I'm sure you can find some good ones for free or a good price.

6.- Make an Art Canvas.

This is something I really wanted to make with my kids.  I figured not only would we have fun doing it, but it would be something to hang up on our wall to remind us of such a fun memory.

7.-  TRIP TO THE FARMER'S MARKET.

Last but not least... is something that we found extremely fun to do.

We went to an outdoor farmer's market.  The day was beautiful and there was so much to look at.  Tons of food, crafts and handmade stuff. 

It's definitely something we will be doing again this year.  We bought fresh artisan bread, Macarons, flavored honey, apricots and some kettle corn.  

I love to expose my kids to new and fun adventures.  Even if they are just local new stuff that we get to try. 

We have not done our 2014 Summer List yet, but we will be doing it in the next couple of days.  We'll see what new things will go on it.

I hope this helps you with ideas for your own Summer List.   If you are planning on doing one, please leave me a comment below and let me know what's on your list. 

I will create a Summer List label so you can check out pictures of all the other activities we did last year. 

~

Thanks for visiting!!

TORTELLINI KABOBS RECIPE

Memorial Day is almost here.  The School year is almost over.  Which means... The kids will be home and the Summer fun will begin. (Insert happy face here) 

I'm really excited about our Summer List.  Last year we completed most of the activities on our list and it was a blast! 

I can't wait to start a new list.   If you are not doing a Summer List, you need to.  It's so fun and something the whole family can enjoy.   I will add a label to my Summer List posts from last year so you can get an idea of what it is.

I hope you are ready for the Summer madness ;)  Here is a quick easy recipe to help make your life a little easier with your Memorial Day get together. 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

Cheese Tri-color Tortellini

Grape tomatoes

Fresh Mozzarella balls marinaded in oil and herbs.

Wood Skewers

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fresh chopped parsley (optional)

Note: Buy as much or little ingredients as you need for your party.

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.

Layout all ingredients on the counter for easy assembly.

>

 I like to start with the tortellini, then the mozzarella cheese and last the tomato.  I do this twice, for a total of 6 pieces per kabob.

I like to stack them all Pyramid style. 

 Season with salt and pepper.

Drizzle some of the mozzarella balls marinade on top of the kabobs.

(If all you can find is mozzarella balls in water then you can make your own marinade by mixing 1/2 cup of olive oil with 5 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste.)

 You may use fresh parsley for garnish.  I'm not a fan, so I stick to the marinaded parsley from the cheese. ☺

That's it!

 Sometimes I question recipes that seem too easy to be any good.  These are surprisingly yummy.

Enjoy your Memorial Day!!!

~

Thanks for visiting!