Your Inner Shakira

I was meant to be Latin. It was confirmed during my morning drive while I was channeling my inner Shakira. Blake is not a morning person so I was trying to make him smile with my awesome dance moves. (Oh and I may or may not have scared my co-worker as I shimmied into PepsiCo Forum to get my morning coffee.) As you have read on many blog posts, latin flavors make frequent appearances into my cooking, I love a good fiesta and Cinco de Mayo is my favorite holiday. I realize that my skin is as white as snow but my mom was born in Tucson so there must be some genetic material that made me predisposed to spicy deliciousness!

 

We just spent a wonderful evening with our friends Emily and Rick at Continental Divide, my absolute favorite restaurant in Charlottesville. I always leave with a huge smile on my face because I just enjoyed a delicious bean and cheese burrito (packed with black beans, cheese, roasted red peppers, and mushrooms) at a very reasonable price. Blake and I get two entrees and drinks and never spend more than $30. This restaurant is a "locals" Tex-Mex joint that doesn't even have a sign (in fact, their "Get in Here" neon sign wasn't even on tonight..) While it's not true Mexican food (see La Michoacan on High Street for amazing $2 tacos), it always puts me a great mood! In fact, we are taking our friends Sean and Pepin there next weekend for another round and I cannot wait. 

My advice to you today? When you are in a bad mood or ready to recover from a rotten day, listen to a latin beat, treat yourself to some delicious food, and channel your inner Shakira (I know you have rhythm!)