So you’ve heard that I crave Thai food in the warmer months.  Well, I crave Mexican food even more, and here’s the proof…

Yesterday we got out for lunch at Taqueria del Sol with but one goal in mind: Drink margaritas on the patio in the beautiful spring-like weather!

Well, it ended up only getting to around 62 degrees out when we left for lunch, so instead of sitting outside with a pitcher of margaritas for a few hours like we intended, we decided to grab a quick bite and just one drink then walk around Decatur for a while before stopping in somewhere else.

We always start with the chips and guac at Taqueria del Sol, it’s the perfect consistency and always full of ripe chunky avocado and juicy tomatoes. The house margaritas are never too sour and are always deceptively strong!

Jeff got his usual beef enchilada with red sauce, he usually gets two but he got some tacos to share with me instead.

Two fish tacos are my usual. They are lightly fried, never greasy, and come with more super-hot jalapenos than most people can handle and a cooling lime cilantro aioli. My lips are always swollen and burning when I eat these!

Jeff got another fish taco and one of their featured “special” tacos, the Al Pastor. It tasted like vinegary pulled pork barbecue topped with a limey tomatillo salsa.

After that we did some window shopping and walking and inevitably ended up at Leon’s. I love that their bar is open to the sunny patio, it’s flooded with natural light and cool breezes. I got a Mikkeller Limoncello beer which was very herbal and zesty, it had that oily feel in the mouth that a citrusy beer gives but without feeling like you’ve bitten off a mouthful of chapstick. Very refreshing, I would order this again for sure.

And today, we essentially repeated yesterday’s margarita celebration, but with more vigor!

Jeff’s youngest brother Bryan and his girlfriend Caitlin met us for lunch at Raging Burrito. They have the largest outdoor patio in all of Decatur—perfect margarita conditions!

We got a pitcher of texas style margaritas which have a higher grade tequila plus orange juice to split between Jeff and I. Bryan was being a gentleman and not drinking since Caitlin had to drive.

So for the second day in a row we chomped down on delicious Mexican food for lunch. I had two veggie-stuffed tacos with rice and beans and Jeff got a monster quesadilla…really, that’s what it’s called.

So, yeah…I just had heavy Mexican food and margaritas for two days in a row now and I feel great about it! It’s not like I’m gonna eat this way all spring and summer or anything.

I think it’s very healthy to allow myself to indulge in this new pleasure of seasonal food and fresh drinks in the sunshine while it’s still comfortable enough outside to do it. Once true summer rolls around I’ll be too sweaty and sluggish to eat such heavy food in the oppressive direct sunlight and chug a pitcher of alcohol in a daze as the sun further bakes my hot brain.

See? It’s all about balance. I haven’t had a tomato in all of winter because I know that they are just not worth it while they’re out of season, watered-down and expensive in spite of it. And a margarita and quesadilla will be just as unappealing in hot-as-h311 august as it was in the freezing cold of december.

This pleasure has its place, and I’m getting my full joy of it now while it’s still enjoyable.

Are there any favorite foods that you only enjoy at special times?

February 27, 2011 Alayna Discussion 6 comments

I am so bad about remembering to take photos of the prep work that goes into making a dish.  You’ll just have to trust me when I say that it wouldn’t have been that interesting anyway.  This recipe is so easy that I don’t even really consider it cooking, it’s more of…assembly.

What would have proceded these finished dishes full of ready-for-baking enchiladas was really just a bowl full of mashed beans, a stack of tortillas, and a jar of pickled jalapenos.

Assemble, pour on enchilada sauce, sprinkle on cheese, and bake til bubbly.  It really is that simple.

Our cat Liam is an infamous cheese-nabber, so I was surprised to see him begin to lick his lips even before the cheese made an appearance!…

Check out the lip smackin' going on here!

I left a few of them cheese-less for myself…

Got a little cheese under my nail though, better take care of that…

And here’s the finished product…enough enchiladas to feed us for weeks.  I made so many so that Jeff could take some to work for lunches and so that I could freeze a few portions for some future night when I just couldn’t stand the thought of cooking something.

This is Jeffs’ cheesy plate, with avocado and extra sour cream, cuz he could seriously eat the stuff straight out of the tub.

And this is Lucas when the realization hits him that he’s not getting any…

Mr. Pissy-Pants

After dinner we were both in the mood for an adult beverage, so we cracked open a beer to share…

Hitachino Nest Nipponia

We both really enjoy Hitachinos’ line of beers.  This one, Nipponia, was extremely flavorful for being so light in color- really reminded me of an Octoberfest style, which is exactly what I’m in the mood for these days.

So how does beer fit into a healthy lifestyle, you ask?  Well, for one thing, we don’t drink every day.  We also don’t overindulge like we used to years ago.  Also, I feel like sometimes the guilt produced by consuming “less healthful” things can be more destructive than the food itself.

Jeff and I get a lot of pleasure out of patroning bars, learning about beer, sampling beer, and collecting bottles for special occasions-very much in the same way that many people do with wine.  We don’t just guzzle beer to get a buzz, we want to savor and enjoy each glass and learn something about the brewery or style in the process.

I’ve read before that one theory for why many of the French are able to consume a high fat diet and remain at a normal body weight is partly due to the fact that they simply don’t feel guilty about the pleasurable foods they consume.  I’m sure there are many other factors, but it is well established that stress can contribute to weight gain.

So, I do consume a mostly healthy diet, but when I do eat or drink something that isn’t as healthful, I try to allow myself to truly enjoy that rare pleasure.  I don’t want to ruin the joy of sipping on a dark, sticky, Belgian beer with anxiety and guilt.

I also don’t want to just put off the guilt until later- by restricting my diet the next day.  If these indulgences really are consumed only rarely, then there is no reason to have to make up for them later-and that can be a dangerous habit to get into anyway.

Are there any “less healthful” foods that you just can’t live without? How do you deal with any negative feelings you may have when you consume these foods, or are you able to just let it go?

September 14, 2010 Alayna Discussion, Recipes Comments Off on Black Bean Enchiladas