New Year, New Recipes

At Christmas this year my family gave me a new cookbook. I have found a love for new recipes and if you can't already tell I have my go to source and sometimes I need something new beyond that. Don't get me wrong, I love the roots of my new-found love for food, but it's important to stretch yourself from time to time.

This new year brings with it renewed hope for better living. For whatever reason it's often easier to begin new life trends with a new year. This year is no different. I want to cook more often, blog more often, and in the mean time find balance and joy in the things I do.

To kick off the new year my love and I tried a new salad dressing recipe. We put it together last night and had our first real taste this afternoon. The cilantro flavor is mild and it seems to have just a little bite, I blame the vinegar and garlic. I like to cook with cilantro but I'm not as big of fan as some people I live with. If you're timid about cilantro this is still worth a try.

This week we are going to pair this dressing/marinade with some fish. I imagine it will work really well together.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette by Our Best Bites
Ingredients

• 1/4 c. fresh lime juice (about 2-3 juicy limes)
• 1/4 c. white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher or sea salt
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 c. canola oil
• 1/2 c. roughly chopped cilantro, stems removed
  

Directions

1. In the jar of your blender, combine lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and sugar. Blend until ingredients are completely combined.
   
2. With the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Add cilantro and blend until the cilantro has broken down but still maintains some of its texture.
   
3. Serve with greens, on any type of Mexican salad, or use as a marinade. *It's best if you can refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
   

Home Savory Home

After many days and nights away from home I get a little cranky and tired and I long for some good home cookin. With time I have come to recognize the things my mind and body need. I have no shame in telling you one of these things is milk. I will go out of my way now to buy milk for those we stay with, namely my papa. It helps me feel like I'm getting some of the nutrition I need. Milk, it does a body good.

After a wonderful holiday I needed a traditional Sunday dinner to start the week/year off right. I chose to make a roast and serve it with potatoes and a green salad. How can you go wrong?! I like to cook my roast in the crockpot because it is easy, the clean up is quick, and the roast doesn't dry out like it can in the oven. Here's an easy way to season it.

Mom's Roast
Ingredients

• A good quality roast. All your meals will turn out better when you choose good meat.
• 8 teaspoon dried onion
• 4 teaspoon beef boullion
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

1. Mix the seasonings together in a small bowl.
2. Sprinkle seasoning over roast in pan.
3. Cook roast.
4. Enjoy!

The leftovers served us well for 2 more meals. You can also use this as onion soup mix by itself or in other recipes.

*Depending on the size of the roast and your personal preferences you can cut the seasoning measurements in half. Make more or less according to your liking.