Sage's Birthday Dinner

My husband is one of the most steady, sensible and frugal men you would ever meet. Needless to say, birthday presents and celebrations are always a hard one for me on Sage's birthday! This year, I really wanted to do something that would show him how much we loved and appreciated him without overdoing it (he does not like things too over the top!). What could I do?
Finally, I decided to make him a home-cooked meal of his choice (I do this every night so this didn't seem special to me, but it was to him), get him a barbecue (he enjoys bbq'ing, but hasn't wanted to shell out for one since we moved here), and get him tickets to see Steve Martin and his bluegrass band play. I was really apprehensive about all of it because it's so hard to tell what he wants or if he'll be more stressed about me spending the money. I decided to chance it. I invited a few friends over and went for it.
In preparation, the boys and I worked very hard to get the house company-ready and cook Sage's birthday meal. His choice: home made Mexican! Monday evening we prepared fresh, home made salsa and soaked the beans for refried beans. Yesterday morning we got up and started cleaning: first the mountain of dirty dishes left over from the weekend. Next, taking all of my sewing projects back down to my sewing closet, shopping for lunch and presents, sweep/mopping, vacuuming, and a TON of laundry. We also cooked the beans, prepped the guacamole, cut watermelon, and made tortillas.
I couldn't believe it! We actually pulled it off! All of the food was prepared, the house pretty clean and the presents prepared on time! Yahoo! Everyone loved the fresh, homemade food and asked for recipes. Sage was really pleased with his presents and had a great time fellowshipping with friends. Dare I say it??? SUCCESS!!!!
I figured that I'd share some of the recipes here just in case anyone was interested. I am consistently amazed with how easy it is to cook things from scratch. All it takes is the right ingredients and a little planning!

Fresh, Homemade Salsa
8-10 fresh roma tomatoes, diced (can used canned, diced tomatoes as substitute)
1/2 jalapeno seeded, chopped finely (or to your taste)
1 whole globe of garlic peeled and chopped finely
1 med onion, chopped
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped to size of your preference
1 Tbsp. Sea salt

Mix all of the above ingredients together in a container with a lid. Stir. Place in refrigerator overnight for maximum flavor.
BTW, this recipe has a lot of room for manipulation. This is a very basic, mild salsa. There is no heat whatsoever. Add herbs or spices as desired for different flavor. fresh corn, black beans or fruit can be added for a variety. Etc... Play with it!


Homemade Refried Beans

1lb beans (pinto or black beans usually)
2 quarts water

Rinse and sort beans. Place in a large stock pot and cover with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Turn stove off, cover and let set at least 4 hours or overnight. When you're ready to cook the beans pour off fluid, rinse and cover beans with water by abt. 2 inches. Simmer beans covered about 90 minutes adding water as necessary. Cook until beans are soft.

1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 onion, finely chopped
cumin
chili powder
garlic powder
sea salt

Run beans through your blender or food processor adding a little water (either cooking water or fresh water) to give them the right consistency. Meanwhile, saute garlic and onion in a pan with a little bit of olive oil until cooked through. Add beans and spices to pan with onions and garlic and gently "refry" until mix and heated through. Add more spices as desired to taste.

Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas
(all measurements are approximate)
3 cups organic whole wheat flour (white flour works too)
1/4-1/2 cup oil (I use olive oil)
water
pinch of salt

Add flour and saltbto a medium mixing bowl. Add 1/4 c. oil and stir to moisten flour. Add water slowly until dough is workable, but not sticky. (Should be halfway between the consistency of pie dough and biscuit dough) Add more oil, flour or water as needed to adjust until dough reaches desired consistency. Turn out onto floured surface and knead a few times. Pinch off balls of dough and roll out VERY thin or use a tortilla press. (I do not worry about my tortillas being round!) Cook tortillas one at a time in a non-oiled skillet over medium heat on one side until you see bubbles in the top. Turn and cook on other side until cooked through.

None of these recipes actually take a ton of effort or time if you just plan ahead! Hope you use them and enjoy! I would love some feedback on what you liked/didn't like as well as any changes you made!