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Real Solutions for Real Parents by Autumn Rose Reo

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Tortilla Soup

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Had turkey yesterday? Then you probably have leftovers. Here’s what to do with them with this easy Turkey Tortilla Soup. 

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Thanksgiving seemed like it was going to be a bust since I was scheduled to work all day. However, I decided that we’d just do Thanksgiving on another night with just the family. 

 

That meant that I was doing it all by myself. From making the menu, shopping, cooking, decorating and of course, my favorite, cleaning it all up (not), Thanksgiving was going to be a solo performance. 


However, I had no idea how many times my best friend PAM was going to come to my rescue. 

Yep, you probably know her – she’s the reliable, zero-calorie cooking spray that you reach for when you want to make sure your food doesn’t stick to the pan…but that’s not all I learned she can do!&

Thanksgiving, I picked up my can of PAM Cooking Spray at least 10 times. From spraying the pan for the rolls, spraying the turkey to give it a little color, finishing the top of the stuffing before hitting the oven for crisp corners, giving a little mist in the food processor before chopping the pecans for the pie, and coating the skillet for the bacon-bleu cheese brussel sprouts, PAM was there for me to make sure that the meal came out picture perfect and even more important for me, easier to clean up the aftermath. 

I just wished I would have sprayed my floor before my daughter decided she needed to make a pie like mama — all over my kitchen.

But the meal I really look forward to is the after-Thanksgiving leftovers. Using the turkey, several leftovers I found in the fridge, and a can of diced tomatoes and green chiles, I cooked up a Turkey Tortilla Soup that was a great way to reinvent Thanksgiving 2013. And, PAM played a starring role for this meal, too, by creating the finishing touch with homemade tortilla chips to give the soup the perfect crunch in under 3 minutes. 

TurkeyTortillaSoup
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Turkey Tortilla Soup 

  • Author: Autumn Reo of mamachallenge.com
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 7 cups of broth (use chicken broth or broth from the turkey)
  • 3 cups shredded turkey (or use what you have left!)
  • 1 Tbsp cumin
  • 2 Tbsp chopped garlic
  • 1 tsp red pepper
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can of whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes and green chiles like Rotel
  • (Whatever leftovers you have – carrots, onions, etc.)
  • 3–4 flour tortillas
  • PAM Cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Instructions
  2. In a large pot, boil the broth and turkey together with cumin, garlic, red pepper, salt and pepper. Season to taste. After boiling for 7 minutes, add the black beans, corn and Rotel and move to a simmer for 20 minutes or more.
  3. While the soup is cooking, prepare to the making the tortilla chips.  Spray the cooking sheet with PAM.  Then using a knife or cookie cutter, cut the tortillas into several triangles like a pie and lay them out separately on to the pan. Then spray the triangles with PAM. Place the pan in the oven on broil for 2-3 minutes until crispy and golden.

What’s your favorite SMART TIP for using PAM Cooking Spray?

Emeals Meal Planning Makes it Easy to Save Time and Money (Even at the Holidays) {Discount} {Recipe}

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Disclaimer: The post includes affiliate links. The opinions and comments here are all my own. I am acting in accordance with FTC guidelines. 

Unlike most moms I know, I actually LOVE to go to the grocery store. I like to peruse the aisle, dream of what meals to make and just get my hands on fresh vegetables, meats and just enjoy food at its best. Unfortunately, time doesn’t really allow for a two-hour trip for fun and certainly not the full list of necessary family things I have to buy before I enjoy my time. So I end up running in the store with 45 minutes to pick up $200 of groceries just to get home and not have anything to make for dinner. 


And at the holidays? I am that person running in the store at the nth hour throwing things in the cart and returning five more times before I get Thanksgiving on the table. At that point, I’m not so in love with the grocery store and I spent way more than the budget allows.  

 However, I just had found out there’s a better option for all this poor planning AND I can even save money in the long run with emeals. Recommended by budget guru Dave Ramsey, emeals sends you an email once a week a list of groceries and menus to make things easier (and cheaper) for you when you go to the grocery store. Basically, emeals takes all the work out of the work of going to the grocery store and allows me to enjoy it again. 

 Save 30% on all meal plans with code CYBER

 On a special diet or eating plan? No problem. They have choices based on your changing diet. From Paleo, Slow Cooker, or just Clean Eating – emeals has it covered. I appreciate having my time and money back by using emeals for all our meals – breakfast through dinner. And the holidays aren’t an exclusion either! Right now you can get a full holiday plan for free when you sign up with 15% discount to boot when you use this link. 


Can you imagine making Thankgsiving dinner easy and with one trip to the store? Or are you still trying to stay on a healthy plan without sacrificing Thanksgiving tradition? Just check out this recipe for clean eating Toasted Pecan Tart by emeals. (I can smell warm pecan pie baking as I think about it.) 


With all these options, emeals is a great choice for moms and dads looking to save time and money so they can spend it in the places it really counts. Unless you enjoy spending hours couponing and recipe planning, then emeals is definitely worth considering when you are looking to solve one of mama’s biggest challenges. 

Make it the BEST SATURDAY Ever with Superhero Saturday Cartoons {Printables} {Recipe}

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When I was growing up, waking up on Saturday morning was like practice for Christmas. 


 Going to sleep the night before you knew once you saw the crack of dawn the next morning, your favorite cartoons were all waiting for you to tune in to your heart’s delight – or at least until noon when they all called it quits until next weekend. 


Unfortunately, on-demand cartoons have changed that. Now kids are used to having cartoons whenever and wherever they like. While as a parent it makes things convenient, I do feel like something special about my childhood has been robbed from my children.

 However, this last Saturday, we created our own Saturday morning tradition with a “Super-Hero Saturday” watching Vortexx on The CW. 

 Super heroes like Flash, Superman, Spiderman, and The Green Lantern reign supreme when you have a five-year-old, so the Saban Brand’s Vortexx lineup with Justice League Unlimited and The Spectacular Spider-Man made for a perfect backdrop for our fun. But we decided to go to the next level!


 We made an occasion for the whole family! With a Super-hero breakfast party complete with crafts, costumes and a special super-hero themed menu! 

Download this template and many more!

As Justice League came on, my son sported his Batman pajamas while he created a matching mask (template attached) and arm shields (made with toilet paper rolls)! Meanwhile, I made breakfast – a “Green Lantern” cinnamon roll made with green sprinkles and a Flash Juice (see the recipe below.) 

Flash Juice

Ingredients
8 oz. Pomegranate or Cranberry Juice
1 oz. Ginger Ale
Whole Lemon

Instructions
Pour the juice and ginger ale over crushed ice. 
Then slowly remove the lemon peel until a large patch of peel is free from the fruit (at least a 1×1 inch swatch. Using a knife, cut the lemon peel like a lighting bolt and lay flat on top of the drink. 

Just hanging out with him for an hour, watching cartoons and making it an interactive experience was almost as much fun for me as it was for him. And he even thinks I’m a pretty super mama, too. 

Vortexx on The CW airs every Saturday morning from 7:00 a.m. to Noon Current programs on Vortexx include The Adventures of Chuck and Friends, Rescue Heroes, Sonic X, Bolts & Blip, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Justice League Unlimited, Dragon Ball Z Kai, B-Daman Crossfire, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal. Fans of Vortexx on The CW don’t have to wait for Saturday mornings to unleash the fun of Vortexx. MyVortexx.com keeps kids entertained 24/7/365 with fun activities, games and full episodes. Vortexx also has a branded Video on Demand Channel by Kabillion. 
Follow the fun on social media with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 
Make Your Next Saturday Super!





Halloween Celebration Play Date Fun: Boo Bark, Spooky S’mores & Poison Punch {Recipes}

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As part of a sponsored campaign for Collective Bias®, I was inspired to create some fun and quick recipes for a Halloween play date using our favorite Mars candies, 7 UP and Hawaiian Punch. 
As I’ve been sharing on mamachallenge, I simply love Halloween. 

The decor, the fun and the candy make it a perfect opportunity to get together with family friends to catch up before the Christmas holidays. So we invited over a few of the neighbors for a little play date with a spooky celebration theme! 

 
The kids wanted to help with the party preparation fun, so we put on our aprons and began the creation fun! My little mad scientist (my 5 year-old) came up with the idea of Boo Bark; an inspiration from his recipe of Easter Day Bark. Using all his favorite Mars candies like Twix, Snickers, and M&Ms, he whipped together a delicious candy-coated treat, with a little help from mom (melting the chocolate.) 

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Once in the Halloween spirit, he couldn’t stop himself! My little chef, wanted to have one more dessert for his party. Since he loves s’mores, he decided to make a Halloween S’mores using pumpkin marshmallows, Snickers miniatures and cinnamon-flavored graham crackers. I was surprised at how good they were and tasted just like Halloween! 

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To wash it all down, we made up our own brew of “Poison Punch” with Hawaiian Punch, 7 UP and a little dab of sherbet for effect. We also used some other Halloween fun using juice ice cubes and gummi body parts to add a little more fun to the bow. Using a decorative cauldron and a fun little toy we found at the Halloween store, we were able to add a little spooky effect with fog. While you could opt to use dry ice instead of the vaporizer, we were able to find ANY anywhere, so this little device made it easy for us to use and could be used over and over. 

#shop

 

See? Having a little spooky celebration get-together can come together with little work or effort with just a few favorite ingredients! And best of all, after Halloween, what an easy way to use your leftover candy and create a treat perfect for giving in November (just change out your M&Ms for yellow, orange and brown.) 

 
Mars Variety Packs make getting ready for Trick or Treaters easy with Miniatures available in 230 pieces & Fun Size packs in 55 pieces.

 

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Boo Bark

 Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 cups chocolate chips
16-20 Twix miniatures
15 Snickers miniatures, chopped 
20 bags M&Ms, separated into green, orange, brown 

Instructions
Line a cookie sheet with foil. Then spray the foil with cooking spray. 
Lay unwrapped Twix on the bottom of sheet spacing them out around 1-2 inches a part. 
Next either melt chocolate chips in the microwave or over the stove with a double boiler, until the chocolate has melted and pulls away from the pot. 
Pour chocolate over Twix bars on sheet. 
Place M&Ms over the top of chocolate bark. 
Then sprinkle Snickers over the top. 
Place chocolate pan in frigerator or freezer until firm. 
Break apart into pieces. 
Serve immediately or store in fridge until ready to gift. 
 
 
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Poison Punch

 Ingredients
2 quarts Hawaiian Punch
2 cups 7 UP
1 cup sherbet (any flavor)
Gummi body parts

 Instructions
Refrigerate Hawaiian Punch and & 7 UP until ready to serve. 
Add to Hawaiian Punch and gummi body parts to a large bowl. 
Then add sherbet. 
Slowly add 7 UP to the bowl. 
Serve punch in a cauldron or other fun serving container! 

 

#shop
 

 

Celebrate Halloween & Dia de los Muertos with NEW SPOOKtacular Gluten-Free Halloween Desserts Cookbook {Recipe}

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I love Halloween. 

 However, with two little ones in a bilingual school, the shift of candy, horror films and slimy gore has turned into understanding the culture and history of Dia de los Muertos or “Day of the Dead.” 
In Latin America, on Dia de los Muertos, Nov. 1, the lives of the deceased are celebrated with food, drink, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life.  The most familiar symbol of Dia de los Muertos are the calacas and calaveras (skeletons and skulls), that are often seen symbolizing the holiday. 

 Not always able to find ways to help my kids learn about Dia de los Muertos, I was excited to find this recipe in a new organic cookbook SPOOKtacular Gluten-Free Halloween Desserts.  A marriage made in heaven, this cookbook by Kanta and Vitura Barrios, also celebrates both Halloween and Dia de los Muertos through food with an added healthy bonus of gluten-free and dairy-free cooking. 


So I’m sharing the recipe the Barrios family has given my permission to share in hopes you too will appreciate and enjoy just one part of a beautiful, cultural event, Dia de los Muertos. 

MEXICAN CATRINAS & CALAVERAS (PECAN COOKIES)
(4 or 5 Catrinas and 6 Calaveras) 
INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup raw coconut oil or butter, softened
3/4 cup raw sugar (coconut or demerara sugar), pulverized
1 large egg
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 ½ cups quinoa flour (plus extra flour for rolling the dough)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
3/4 cup finely ground pecans (pecan meal)
Skull Template and Catrina Template and a gingerbread lady cookie cutter of a similar size
(for decorating)
2 batches Royal Icing (see page 6)
Food coloring in white, red, orange
Green, yellow, and black edible ink pen
Icing piping bags with #2 and #3 tips, 1 for white and another for the other colors
Edible orange sugar sparkles (plus any other color you like) a steady hand
ROYAL ICING (covers 6 – 8 cookies)
1 large egg white (could be pasteurized)
1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • Using an electric mixer, beat the egg white for a few seconds before adding the sugar and half of the lemon juice.
  • The icing’s consistency should be smooth and heavy cream-like.
  • Add the remaining lemon juice (and more if you feel it’s needed) one drop at a time. You may also add more sugar to suit your liking.
  • Just a few drops of liquid, more or less, will alter the icing’s consistency. 
  • We recommend a thicker icing for outlining the cookie, and thinner icing for filling out the inside.
  • Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  • In a mixing bowl, beat the oil, sugar, egg, and vanilla until the mixture is a creamy consistency.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and ground pecans.
  • Add the dry mixture to the oil mixture and beat well.
  • Transfer the mixture to a board, and knead it just enough to make it a dough. 
  • Sprinkle some flour on the counter, and roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness. If you are making skulls, cut out the shape using the template provided.
  • For the Catrinas, follow the template provided or find a gingerbread lady cookie cutter of a similar size.
  • Place the cookies on the lined baking tray and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. 
  • Let the cookies cool completely before icing and decorating.


 To Decorate

For the Catrinas, divide 1 batch of Royal Icing, and color it white, red, green, yellow, and black. 
You decide how much of each color you want to have. You have a couple of options for decorating this cookie. The first involves using the Catrina stencil and the writing pen. In the final Catrina, the background behind the skeleton will be the cookie itself. 

  • Start by drawing the outline of the Catrina with her skirt, hat, bones, and head straight onto the cookie.
  • Pick a color for the Royal Icing (red, green, or yellow) and use that color icing in a piping bag with a #3 tip to outline the skirt and hat. Once the icing sets, fill in the skirt and hat with the same color. Let the icing set. 
  • Using white icing in the piping bag with a #3 tip, outline the skull, vertebrae, ribs, bone arms, and fingers.
  • Fill the eyes, nose, and mouth with the black icing, using a #2 tip.
  • Finish with design details on the skirt, hat, and earrings using another color or colors and the #2 tip.
If you are looking for further materials and ways to teach your kids about Dia de los Muertos, check out this site at National Geographic! 



Best Pumpkin Recipes on Pinterest Put to the Test on TV

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When someone gives me a challenge, I take it. Head on. This time it’s the best pumpkin recipes on Pinterest. And I accepted gladly.

 


And when it has to do with Pumpkin + Pinterest, we’ll that’s the best kind of challenge, right?

This morning I put together three recipes I found on Pinterest to the test on WFAA’s Good Morning Texas for their Pumpkin-Palooza! Check out what I made and best of all, the recipes are here, too!

 

 

 

Three Ingredient Pumpkin Doughnuts

Inspired from http://sugarinhertea.blogspot.com/2013/09/three-ingredient-pumpkin-dooughnuts.html

 
 
Ingredients
1 box of spice cake mix (just the powder) 
1 15 oz can of pumpkin 
3 tablespoons of water

 Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and spray your doughnut pan. 
Mix the three ingredients in a large bowl, and that’s it!! 
If the mixture seems a little dry, add a bit more water. 
Spoon the mixture into your pan and bake for 13 minutes. 

Optional:
Maple Glaze Recipe:
1 cup powdered sugar 
2 tablespoons maple syrup 
3 tablespoons milk

Pumpkin Pie Fudge with Nutella & Marshmallow Cream Swirl
 

Ingredients
1 bag Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses
1 cup White Chocolate Chips or White Melting Chocolate
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/4 c. Nutella
1/4 c. Marshmallow Cream

 
Instructions
  • Place chocolate in a medium sauce pot, pour sweetened condensed milk over top. Over LOW heat, melt the sweetened condensed milk and chocolate together, stirring constantly until smooth and pulling away from the edges of the pot.
  • Pour into a wax paper lined 8×8 baking dish (I usually lightly grease the wax paper too).
  • Use zip top baggies to pipe the nutella and marshmallow cream over top of the fudge. Swirl in with a knife.
  • Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour to set.
 

Pumpkin Better Than… Cake
 

Ingredients
1 box yellow cake mix
14 oz pumpkin puree (NOT PUMPKIN PIE FILLING)
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
8 oz. tub cool whip
1/2 bag Heath Bits
Caramel Sundae Sauce
 
 
Instructions
  • Mix together the cake mix, the pumpkin puree (DO NOT add the other ingredients on the cake mix box), and the pumpkin pie spice until a batter forms. 
  • Using the 14 oz. can of pumpkin puree will yield a thicker batter. You can add up to 1 cup more pumpkin if you’d like a thinner batter (which will yield a slightly fluffier cake).
  • Pour batter into a well greased 9×9 (9×13 if you added more pumpkin) baking dish. Bake at 350º for 35-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Let cool completely after baking. 
  • Using the bottom of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the top of the cake.
  • Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake, aiming to fill the holes. 
  • Refrigerate for 60 minutes or until the sweetened condensed milk has soaked into the cake.
  • Spread the cool whip over the top of the cake. 
  • Sprinkle on the heath bits, and drizzle caramel over top (just to your liking). 
  • Refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight (best).
Do you love or hate pumpkin?
 
 
 
 

 

Taste a Little Mediterranean Life with Zoë’s Kitchen

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Food Fridays:

I was invited to a special grand opening experience and received a complimentary lunch from Zoë’s Kitchen for the purposes of this review. But I have honestly shared my review with you. Let’s just say their hummus could be eaten daily. 

In the Greek language, “Zoë” means life. Now in Addison, Texas as well as throughout the DFW Metroplex, Zoë’s means natural and homemade Mediterranean-inspired fare that’s perfect for lunch, dinner and your special occasion. Conveniently located at the Belt Line and the Tollway next to the new Whole Foods at Village on the Parkway, you’ll find the welcoming doors to DFW’s newest Zoë’s Kitchen. 



The space is a great refuge whether you’re coming to meet a friend for lunch or just ordering up a meal for the office or the family on the way home from work. Meeting you right at the door you’ll find a large community table ideal for the office to take a break and enjoy a great brainstorming session over a slice of Yaya’s Hand-made Chocolate Cake. The interiors are bright and fun and creative touches that give it a community feel (just check out the artwork from St. Alcuin school.

However, it’s the menu that will keep you coming to take a spot on the large patio space or to do a quick call in for a last-minute meal. As a girl that craves feta, olive and hummus on a pretty frequent basis, it’s wonderful to have options that are delicious, but won’t break the calorie bank. There are many options to choose from including dishes you wouldn’t expect at a fast-casual spot like shrimp kabobs and braised white beans. In a hurry, we ordered up two dishes to try and like many local folks will be doing, for take out. 

Our two best sellers, were delicious and still very warm after we got to our own table. Always a fan of shrimp, it was great to enjoy some fresh veggies and grilled shrimp instead of a hamburger or boring salad. The shrimp was large and not over-cooked and the veggies were the mix of crisp and plump you want in a grilled kabob. And the pilaf, we could have continued to eat for dinner if it had lasted. The orzo pasta had the perfect lemon-hint of flavor with cherry tomatoes and feta cheese. The portions were just the right size; for both eating now and maybe a smaller-sized dinner or for sharing if you just wanted a healthy snack. 

SHRIMP KABOBS
two charbroiled kabobs, zucchini, rice pilaf, cucumber raita, side greek salad

We could have just ordered two of the shrimp kabobs, but we wanted to try something a little different, so we opted for the Steak Stack, considered a big favorite. Packed with steak, onions and feta on sourdough, this was a good alternative for someone looking for something different than a pita wrap or salad. While the flavors were ok, we kept going back to that shrimp kabob plate and the little side of hummus that we ordered on the side. While we didn’t have enough pita to eat up all the hummus, we could eat it later with our own veggies or crackers since you just couldn’t bare to waste it! 

STEAK STACK
sliced steak, portobello, mozzarella, caramelized onions, feta spread, tomato, sourdough, rosemary oil

While I enjoyed our plates, the catering and party meals really caught my eye.  The “Guilt-free Girls Night” would be a super selection for one of those last-minute girl get-togethers as well as the “Game Day Goodies” when you are looking to feed a hungry bunch that may want to scale back on their wings and queso. And considering you can even get “rewards” for ordering their catering deals, it’s enough reason to make Zoë’s Kitchen a favorite on your iPhone. 

I’ll definitely be back for the spinach rollups, chicken kabobs and oh, yes that hummus…and the pilaf…well, I’ll be back for more. 

Zoë’s Kitchen
5100 Belt Line Road 
Suite 1056
Next to Whole Foods
Addison, Texas 
http://www.zoeskitchen.com










Fresh Produce Free? Get Yours to Make This Roasted Parmesan Potatoes & Asparagus {Recipe}

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Disclaimer: I enjoyed complimentary produce from Klondike brands to create delicious recipes for my family. 

The other day I had the biggest craving for asparagus. It’s one of my favorite vegetables and with very little preparation and time, you’ve got a delicious side that they whole family can enjoy. While I can eat it many ways, I wanted to try something new, so I found this great recipe for roasted Klondike Rose potatoes and asparagus. Seemed like the best of two worlds for the ultimate side item for steak, chicken and my favorite pairings, salmon. 

Did I mention this recipe also has parmesan cheese and fresh basil?  
Best of all, right now when you buy one 5 lb. bag of Green Giant Fresh Klondike Rose Potatoes, you get one 8 oz. bag of Green Giant Fresh Asparagus FREE at TARGET

Roasted Parmesan Potatoes and Asparagus
Recipe Provided by Klondike Brands
Recipe Link

Ingredients:
12 oz. Green Giant® Fresh Asparagus, trimmed and chopped
6 Klondike Rose potatoes, chopped
1 Green Giant® Fresh yellow onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup fresh parmesan, grated
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:
In a shallow baking pan, toss together the potatoes, asparagus, onion, basil and oil, spreading evenly. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast in a 450˚ F oven for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Sprinkle with fresh parmesan and roast until cheese is melted and golden, about 3 minutes. Serve.

 Use this locator to find our where you can find Klondike Rose potatoes and get your free 8 oz bag of Green Giant Fresh Asparagus!







It’s Chili Season in Texas – Win a Deluxe Chili-Making Dinner Set {Giveaway}

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Wolf Brand Chili.

 It’s Chili-Making Season! And wants to give you all the tools to make the perfect bowl of chili!

WIN your own Wolf Brand Chili Deluxe Chili-Making Dinner Set – complete with this beautiful Texas bamboo cutting board, a Texas Apron, 4 ceramic oven-ready bowls (see below), Wolf Brand Chili and coasters. 

Here’s how my family likes their chili – including my easy Tex-Mex Chili recipe. But how do you like your chili? Comment here and you could win! 


Wolf Brand Chili is now thicker and heartier than ever, just the way that Texans like it! The new, thicker and heartier recipe can also be found every day on the shelves of your local grocery store.

 This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Wolf Brand Chili.

 For more information, visit http://www.wolfbrandchili.com or https://www.facebook.com/Wolf.Chili.

 Dinner Bell is ringing! 

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Mixin Up Fall Flavors with Milagro Tequila {Recipe}

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There’s a lot more to appreciate about a margarita than whether its frozen or on the rocks. 

However, when you say tequila, most people either think of it as the main player in a margarita or their shot choice when they started a bad night at the bar. However, tequila is a complex and dignified spirit that, like wine, is highly regulated worldwide to ensure the quality of tequila is first-rate. 


I was so excited to be a part of a recent special mixology class at Bolsa Mercardo presented by tequila leader Milagro with brand ambassador Juan Pablo “JP” de Loera, a certifiable tequila expert (with two Tequila degrees from the University of Guadalajara in the Cultural and Technical development of Tequila). 

Providing us tools, fresh ingredients and a lot of guidance, we spent the evening mixing up tequila into delicious, unique cocktails featuring different styles of tequila to celebrate the fall. Paired with some amazing dishes from the beloved Bolsa Mercado, it was definitely a night to remember. 

One of my favorite parts of the evening was learning a little bit more about bitters from this guy (see below.) This wealth-of-knowledge is Ian Reilly, the creator of Dallas-based Temperance Bitters. While you can find him most days as the bar manager at Chino Chinatown, he has now developed a complex line of bitters with wild herbs, roots and barks. The one I had the privilege to taste was actually inspired by an experience he has at Dude, Sweet Chocolate. Mark my words, you’ll hear more from him soon as part of the Dallas culinary scene.

While most people have heard of bitters, they actually don’t have a clue what it is. Considered a “digestif,” bitters was created as a cure-all “medicine” in the early 1800s, however, now these alcoholic concotions are used for cooking and mostly for enhancing cocktails. I have to admit I’m a little more excited to use them now that I know what they are…

Now equipped and a little more educated, I was ready to get to mixing. 

Using fresh ingredients like cranberry juice, star of anise, and my new favorite, pumpkin syrup, we enjoyed cocktails that embodied the flavors of fall. And considering so many upcoming holidays, I know I will using these easy recipes to entertain and enjoy this season. 

 Click here to Dallas Food Nerd to get these featured recipes from Milagro. 


Thanks Milagro a wonderful evening and the perfect start to my favorite season, Autumn!

 Salud!










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