I'm late chiming in here, but must say I agree with all the other comments. Love the container and the centerpiece you made, and your dishes, napkin rings, placemats, etc. all look so festive. Love the dish propped behind the tray in your outside picture too. Most of all, I have to say that you've been holding out on us with your painting talents! I love the sunflower glasses you painted! They look great. And you did soooo many of them! Wow! I have to say that the sunsets in the desert are gorgeous. I've been lucky enough to get to enjoy a few of them during our travels. So glad you don't take them for granted and still pause to enjoy them--nature's beauty. Luvs

My favorite Mexican food is from the Yucatan. Here is my favorite recipe; the achiote paste is what gives it the Yucatecan flavor and there is no substitute for that: Yucatecan Style Chicken Enchiladas Ingredients: 1 pound cooked (preferably poached) chicken or turkey meat, chopped 2 tbsp chicken fat (or combination of chicken fat, butter, olive oil) 1/4 cup flour 1/2 onion, finely chopped 2-3 serrano peppers, minced (some seeds removed) 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes 2 tbsp cumin 2 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp vegetable soup base 1 tsp chicken soup base 2 tbsp achiote paste (ground annatto seeds) 2 tbsp Ancho chili powder 1 cup chicken stock, as needed (can substitute chili sauce* for the chili powder + stock) 12-15 corn tortillas (optional) grated cheese (Monterey Jack, Swiss, or Jarlsberg) Directions: Chop the meat, if you have not done so, and set aside. Melt the fat (or butter and oil) in a large saucepan, and add the flour to make a roux. When the roux is a pale brown, add the minced onion and cook a bit more so that the onion will become soft and the roux turns a light brown. Then add the peppers and stir to combine. Add the canned tomatoes, including all the liquid, and blend. Add the cumin, chili powder, oregano, soup bases (in place of salt), achiote paste, and chili powder. Stir until blended. Reduce the heat and add sufficient chicken stock or water to make a thick sauce. Using a stick blender, pur�e until fairly smooth, or at least until tomato pieces are fully incorporated; you may have some onion pieces that do not get pur�ed, but this is okay. Remove about 1/3 of the sauce to reserve and add the chopped chicken or turkey meat to the rest of the sauce. Spoon about 2 to 3 tbsp of the reserved sauce into a 6-inch x 10 inch (or similar size) baking dish, and spread fairly evenly, along the bottom and sides. Heat the tortillas on a covered plate in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time, turning them and restacking them so that the center ones are top and bottom. Once they are soft, spoon a bit of chicken filling into a single tortilla, roll it into shape, and place it in the baking dish. You can stack them tightly or else make two loose layers. If you make two layers, put a bit of reserved sauce in between the layers. At the end, add all remaining sauce to the top and spread evenly. Add grated cheese, if desired. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350� for 15-20 minutes, or until they are hot. *If using canned chili sauce, buy La Victoria brand, or any brand that is made without tomatoes. You can make chili sauce by simmering Ancho, Pasilla, and Guajillo dried chilies in water with a bit of garlic, but this must be strained before using. Lars

First day without a kitchen sink, and so Kevin and I decided to go out - he had lost his appetite when he saw the kitchen and did not want to have dirty dishes to deal with. I told him we could hose them off in the yard and store them in the DW until we get the kitchen connected. So we decided to eat in the neighborhood and first went to a pizza restaurant that I had been to many many years ago, but it looked like a real dive, and so went to a Mexican restaurant across the street that is attached to a Days Inn Motel. It's one of the very few Mexican restaurants in our neighborhood, and I had totally forgotten that it was Cinco de Mayo!l Anyway, I ordered a #8, which was supposed to be a chile relleno with a tamale, but I got a beef taco instead of the chile relleno, but Kevin had ordered chile relleno and gave part of his to me. Food wasn't great, but it was okay and reminded me of why we eat at home. There is a good Mexican restaurant in Mar Vista, but it is about 15 minutes away and it would have been crowded yesterday. Your meal looks really beautiful and makes me wish I could cook at home - and it's only been one day! I sometimes grow Poblano chilies, but I do not have any in my yard right now. They are easy to find in the market, however. I do have Habaneros and Serranos, however. Lars

My SIL had Cinco de Mayo dinner for about 12 last night + one three year old who was very social and fun - daughter of a younger couple they had just met who had moved into the neighborhood. Stick on moustaches and straw sombreros. A warm bean dip, pico de gallo, salsa, chips. She served her mock chicken enchilada casserole (that I find acceptable but not wonderful). Carne asada (Costco's pre-marinated) with a make your own fajita bar, rice, refried beans. A blackberry dessert (mine), margaritas. I really enjoy Hispanic foods, this was not the best. But lots of fun, lots of laughing so all in all a good evening.