Tacos are cheap, delicious and satisfying. You can be as boring or as creative as you want to be. Here’s some inspiration.
Chipotle chicken tacos with caramelized onions, queso fresco and cilantro.
Soyrizo, potatoes and mushroom tacos (w/ some guacamole). My fave, though the mushroom in the pic looks kinda weird.
The black beans I made to go along with the chicken tacos. They’re a “riff” on a Rick Bayless’ Cowboy Beans and have soyrizo, fire-roasted tomatoes, onions and garlic.
And dessert. Whipped cream (SO fast in the new Kitchen Aid!), caramel and a banana I grilled in a pan.
Have you ever watched a home design reality show and wished you could be lucky enough to have your room redesigned by experts? Well, we were actually on one and it’s not really as great as it seems. No, you don’t have to pay taxes on your “winnings” (like when people win trips on “Wheel of Fortune” and end up paying $2k in taxes on a trip they didn’t want in the first place). The problem with a stranger surprising you with a new interior design is that you end up with stuff that you’re supposed to love but actually can barely tolerate.
Take this guitar-made-into-a-CD-rack for example. I guess the idea is kind of cool, but is that really what I want for the centerpiece of my living room? Home studio, maybe. Living room? No.
That’s why after trying to convince myself for a year, I’ve finally admitted that I don’t like this monstrosity. And I’m selling it on Craigslist.
Doing it yourself may not always be the most cost effective way to tackle household tasks. An article in the LA Times this week reflects on how taking on a project around the house you don’t have skills for can actually end up costing more money, the exact opposite effect the DIY-er was going for. The projects are likely to end up unfinished, non-functioning, disappointing, or worse, dangerous.
I ought to be placed in DIY jail for how many times I’ve been guilty of diving head-first into sewing patterns, recipes, and other household tasks well beyond my skill level. It’s almost nausea inducing, the amount of time that has been wasted on ingredients, fabric, and other items needed for skill intensive projects that should have stayed out of my reach. Here are three ways to avoid the projects that turn into money (and time and energy) pits:
1. Assess both your skill level and the required skill level. Ready Made’s projects all include a sassy graphic that indicates whether it should be completed by a beginner or an expert.
2. Take a class. If there’s something you wish you knew how to do, but don’t, chances are there are classes for it. Look into the yellow pages, search craft blogs and ask questions on message boards.
3. Hire a professional (or a friend known for her fix-it abilities). They say that time is money. I also say that money is money, and you’ll probably spend less of both getting your garbage disposal fixed by someone with plumbing experience than if you attempt it yourself.
(Photo from coda)