Mine turned out more of a tie-dyed cupcake rather than a rainbow, but B still loved all of the colors. For more pictures and a step-by-step guide of how to make these, visit SpearmintBaby.com

I have a good friend we'll call C.  She is one of those people who is always there for me.  She helps me out when I need German translated or things explained about the way things work here. She watches B when I need to go somewhere and can't make it back in time to pick her up.  She's always available for a quick chat on the phone to catch up on some gossip or just whatever is going on in our lives.  She's a great friend and I feel so lucky that she lives next door to me.  I haven't known her very long, but it's as if we've known each other forever.  Plus, she loves mexican food almost as much as I do.  

A couple of weeks back, it was her birthday and she always has people come over to celebrate. I said that I would bring over her favorite dish, which is this mexican layered dip. Well, B was sick on that day, then C's kids were sick, then a lot of stuff came up and it took a few weeks before we were able to get together and enjoy this dip. We were finally able to do it, and had a great time catching up and playing with the kids.  It's always a good time when we get together...lots of laughter and fun.  And making this dish reminds of just that, laughter and fun.  The recipe came from one of my aunts.  It was one of those dishes that were almost always present at the family gatherings from my childhood.  It's a dish to be shared with your family and friends while you are gathered around a table and talking, sharing and just generally connecting with people. Isn't it great how food can bring people together?

Mexican Layered Dip

Ingredients:
1 can (435g) refried beans
1/2 - 1 package of taco spice mix (to your taste) or make your own mix
200g cream cheese, softened
180g sour cream
312g jar of salsa
1 large tomato, chopped
1 avocado, cubed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped green onions to taste

Preparation Instructions:
1. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the canned refried beans and the spice mix. This is your first layer. Transfer this to your serving dish.

2. In another medium sized mixing bowl, mix together the sour cream and the cream cheese.  Add this layer to your serving dish.

3. Open the jar of salsa and pour over the cream cheese/sour cream mixture. This is your third layer.

4. Place the chopped tomatoes on top of the salsa.

5. Place the cubed avocado on top of the tomatoes.

6. Spread the shredded cheddar cheese on top of the avocado.

7. Finally toss the green onions over the cheese. And that's it. You can add some more items to your dip if you like. Iceberg lettuce and black olives are a few of the items that I've had this dip with. And as always, enjoy!

I have a friend who is one of those people who are just naturally talented at cooking.  You know the type, they can look at an almost empty fridge and whip up a delicious gourmet meal with no trouble at all. She has made us dishes that My Main Squeeze usually doesn't like, like fish, and he will eat it up and love it. Needless to say, I am envious of this ability.

It's been very warm here and I felt like eating something fresh and cool.  I was thinking about the aforementioned friend and thought I would try to challenge myself and see if I could whip up something with the ingredients in the fridge. I actually came up with something really good! I ended up with a mango salad and used some ingredients that Squeeze normally doesn't like, like cilantro, or coriander as they call it here, bell peppers and fish sauce. He was pretty surprised when he tried it and ended up loving it. So was I!

Before you ask, no, this is not a weird pregnancy craving. It's a real dessert that is popular in the Philippines. At my aunt's house in the Philippines, she has a really large round table with a huge lazy susan in the middle. The table is large enough to fit about 10-16 people, depending on how much you want to squeeze in.  The whole family usually gathers there for dinner and it is usually a pretty lively affair. Everyone sits around the table together and talks about their day. I think the round table is really practical.  Everyone can see and hear everyone else. The lazy susan makes it easy for everyone to reach all the dishes.  Whenever I eat this dessert, it reminds me of sitting at this table and chatting with family.  This dessert also reminds me of vacation, since this is where I would spend some summers.  

Now, most people that I know would scoff and say that this is so fattening.  It probably is, but, despite the fat, which is the good kind of fat, avocado is actually very good for you.  According to the California Avocado Commission, "avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit." So you see, it is good for you.

I love this dessert.  The taste is rich, creamy and refreshing.  And best of all, it's really easy to make.

Have you noticed that a slice of watermelon is in the shape of a smile?  And when you hold it up to your mouth to take a bite, it looks like a giant red and green smile on your face.  It then turns into a sticky giant smile when you bite into it and juice drips down the side of your face, but that is all worth it to have a taste of the sweetness of a watermelon. Doesn't the taste just bring back childhood memories of those long summer days? You know, those days when you could run around outside all day, play with your friends, or swim for hours without a care in the world? Biting into a watermelon evokes happy memories of summer for me, which is probably my favorite season.

After weeks and weeks of gray, rainy weather, it is finally starting to feel a bit like summer around here.  I am so happy to see the sunshine!

When watermelons are available, I like to make a juice out of one for a cool refreshing drink on a hot day.  Or, in my case these past few weeks, on a semi-warm, rainy day to lift my spirits and evoke the feeling of summer, even if for just a few minutes.  I also like to put on a fun summer song or some island-style music and bring on that relaxed feeling the summer season brings. 

I'll admit it, I want to be a domestic goddess.  Wouldn't it be nice if all these great ideas about cooking and home decorating just came to me naturally?  But they don't and I've come to realize that it's a lot of work to be one. Heck, it's sometimes hard just to fit in the time to make spaghetti with sauce out of a jar (or even with ketchup, which is how my daughter likes it). 

I've always been envious and not to mention very impressed when I am invited to people's houses for a meal and it is fabulous.  It's even better when their meal is so simple.  I always wonder why I didn't think of making that.  I guess I didn't really ever have the self-confidence in my cooking skills to just make something off the top of my head.  Growing up, in our house, we never cooked much as a family, nor was cooking seen as something fun to do. It seemed like work.  The only place where it did look like fun was at my aunt's house. She would spend all day cooking for us and even my cousins would help.  I would too sometimes, but I didn't always feel so comfortable doing it.  I wasn't sure if I was doing it right.  Because of that, I mostly helped to set the table.