Small Bites … More Adventures in Downsizing

Living large while living small…Downsizing definitely causes one to make some lifestyle changes. Some fight it and become unhappy about it and some embrace it and see it as an opportunity for new adventures and become excited. Choose the latter and get ready for true ‘outside the box’ thinking. Be finished with ‘but we’ve always done it this way’. A favorite Ralph Waldo Emmerson quote of mine says, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us”.

While I am unable to seat twelve people at my table for a more formal dinner, there is a long raised counter that is perfect for setting up a food bar. This is a great solution and beyond, in that it allows for more comfortable and casual interaction among guests. There is enough seating around – just not enough for everyone at the table.

This time I’m going to ask that you think ‘outside the bowl’ with this fun menu. Create a ‘walking taco bar’. Guests build their own tacos in a personal-sized Doritos or Fritos bag served with a colorful plastic fork – for even more fun use a variety of brightly colored forks and matching napkins. These plastics and papers may easily be found at a party store. Little 5-oz. plastic cups of chilled gazpacho make a nice accompaniment – oh yes, and with brightly colored plastic spoons that match the forks and napkins. A cool pitcher of margaritas or limeade goes very well with this spread. Little squares of frozen cheesecake, speared with large toothpicks finish the meal on a sweet note.

WALKING TACOS 

For each guest:

1 snack-size pouch of Doritos tortilla chips (2 1/8 ounce size)

or

1 snack-size pouch of Frito’s corn chips (similar size)

Cut the tops of the chip bags straight across and remove. Crunch the chips just once with your hands.

The chips in the bag become the taco ‘bowl.’ Have guests add items they want to their taco.

Cook the following meats separately with envelopes of taco seasonings and water according to directions on the seasoning packets and add a refrigerated carton of fresh salsa to each meat. 

Pre-cooked shredded chicken

Pre-cooked shredded pork

Browned ground beef

Set out on the bar, along with the meats, the following and any other additions you might want: 

beans – black, pinto or refried

shredded Mexican blend cheese

sour cream

shredded lettuce

diced tomatoes

thin slivers of jalapeno peppers

diced red onion

sliced scallions

diced avocado

lime wedges

cilantro leaves

bottles of hot sauce and taco sauce – mild to hot

GAZPACHO 

Into the bowl of a food processor add the following ingredients and process until finely diced but not liquefied – leaving a little crunchy texture to the soup:

3 cups tomato juice or Bloody Mary Mix – spicy or regular

4 stalks celery, including leaves

1 English cucumber, unpeeled and roughly chopped

1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped

½  to 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place in 5-ounce clear plastic cups (party store) and chill.

For service, set out on a tray or flat basket and put – wait for it – a brightly colored plastic spoon in each one. Garnish each cup of soup with a leaf of cilantro and a celery stick with leaves still attached.

TIP: Where there’s a will there’s a way! Always! 

…and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4