Hola! I'm gearing up for a Mexican-themed Cocktail Jewelry Party this evening, starring Suz's Silpada bling and lots of my spicy treats. Yay for parties! Yay for a reason to invite the girls over! I'm making carnitas to eat rolled in soft corn tortillas and garnished with chopped radishes, pickled onions, and a drizzle of crema. A spicy, creamy shrimp salad. A pinto bean salad with peppers and tomatoes. Bowls of guaaahcamole and salsa with tortilla chips and roasted vegetables for dipping. And a very easy and fun-to-make tres leches cake. After washing it all down with cold beer, snappy wines, and hot coffee, we should be properly fortified for chatting and jewel-browsing, I think. As if I need fortification for jewel-shopping, ha. (Mary P. or Kathie R., if you read this, you are invited, my dears, but Park Nicollet will no longer let my emails through - I've tried several times. So frustrating! I'm junk to Park Nicollet now, I guess. Junk! Sheesh.)

Well, back-to-school continues to chug along pretty smoothly. Although I am most certainly not a morning person, being up-and-at-em by 6:30 a.m. does have its benefits. (I used to voluntarily get up at 5:30 a.m. every day to walk before work with my former neighbor Beth - I'm too old for such craziness now.) I am walked, showered, and a good way into my daily chores and desk work by 9:00 a.m. Just like the good ol' days at Park Nicollet - you know, when they used to accept my emails... As a result, I'm checking several items off the ever-nightmare checklist I keep on my desk. Like clean my nightmare desk. Done! Sooooo done! Yeah!

So, back to the party, depending on how I think the food tastes at the party, I'll post recipes, so stay tuned...