Blog - Sweet Life

Pineapple-Lime Tequila Cooler

Pineapple-Lime Tequila Cooler Spring is here! I can’t tell you how excited this Texan is spruce up her backyard, dust off the outdoor furniture and entertain outside again. Nothing beats a day of feasting on great food with family and friends outside. And of course we need a festive Spring cooler to sip on as we chat the day away. This Pineapple-Lime Tequila Cooler has Spring written all over it. Refreshing, colorful, sweet and brimming with tequila –really what else does one need? Cocktail Tip: Slice your limes paper thin using a mandolin or super sharp knife. Use… Read More

Creamy Coconut Tart

Creamy Coconut Tart We recently celebrated my older sister’s birthday with a small family gathering at her home. My mom and younger sister were in charge of the food, which was amazing. And little ole me was in charge of presenting the birthday girl with a sweet birthday treat. My sis loves key lime tarts, bars and cheesecake and I almost went that route, but I thought I’d mix it up this year. I mean it was the big one, the lordy, lordy look who’s forty celebration so I knew I had to bang out something spectacular. At first… Read More

Texas Sheet Cake

Texas Sheet Cake Texas sized goodness this chocolaty Texas Sheet Cake has got to be one of my family’s favorite recipes. This is my little sister’s go to birthday cake for her daughters, those little gals have great taste. I mean can you blame them? A supersized sheet cake topped with chocolate frosting and pecans, hellooo taste buds. This recipe from Cooking Light is pretty, fairly close to the version we make at home or you could say our version has never quite made it officially paper. We never stop to measure ingredients and toss in chocolate as we go… Read More

Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas with Ranchero Sauce

Another winner from Cooking Light these black bean and cheese enchiladas with ranchero sauce were a big hit for Sunday Dinner. Black beans in a saucy ranchero sauce baked until bubbly and topped with cheese and sour cream, yum. I served them with a side of kid pleasing cheesy rice and extra salsa on the side for the adults. Make the ranchero sauce a few days in advance and cut this recipe prep in half.

Orange Passionfruit Bundt Cake

I have been having a ball playing with passion fruit in my kitchen. Widely popular in Latin kitchen this tiny fruit is refreshingly tart and becomes even sweeter when fully ripe. I’ve made sweet syrup for a passion fruit cooler, used it in my morning smoothie and in this tantalizing Bundt cake. It seems lately I’m also obsessed with making Bundt cakes. I mean seriously, what could be more comforting than a slice of Bundt cake with a piping hot cup of coffee, delish. Make sure you head over to Imperial Sugar where you can find this recipe for Passion fruit… Read More

Mexican Fettucine Cabonara

Life has been extra busy these last few months, so I find myself pulling back from recipes that require time that at the moment I don’t have. Having a pantry stocked with a few essential ingredients make all the difference when deciding what to make for dinner. I always have pasta and a few jars of Ragú in my pantry as did my mom when we were little. A big bowl of spaghetti was one of our favorite meals one days she came home from work too tired to even consider cooking. All thru college and into my married life… Read More

Roasted Poblano Quesadillas

Roasted Poblano Quesadilla Quesadillas are the ideal late night snack. Quickly pulled together quesadillas are the perfect vessel to use up any leftovers lingering in your fridge. A roasted chicken from the last night’s dinner or leftover fajitas can be diced and added to quesadillas. My mami likes to make an extra large batch of papitas fritas (breakfast potatoes) on Sunday morning and use the leftovers to make a potato, onion and cheese quesadillas for lunch on Monday. Smart lady! I enjoy loads and loads of roasted poblano strips in my midnight quesadillas with thick slices of onion and… Read More

Brown Rice Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

Brown Rice Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing I prefer to keep my weekday lunches light. I enjoy simple, easy to make lunches that come together in a snap, using what I have on hand or have cooked over the weekends. This brown rice salad with cilantro lime dressing is hands down one of my favorite lunches. On the weekends my husband takes charge of the grill and I focus on the sides. With our large family sure to pop in for dinner I always make double or even triple of everything. Using my rice maker I can quickly cook up… Read More