New moms deserve their own special category when it comes to Mother’s Day. I am not saying that since I am in the thick of it with our second baby. I am talking about the first time mothers celebrating their first Mother’s Day ever. That first year with the baby is so exhilarating and overwhelming and every woman going through it needs a little special something. Of course, if you can’t wait for Mother’s Day to come around, all the gifts below would be awesome for any new mother at any time of the year. Here are a few of my picks for new mom gifts this year:

A cool pair of PJ’s…because a new mom immediately throws out all the icky pajamas she wore when she was pregnant. (Sleepy Jones)

This cute Sarahchloe initial necklace is a fun piece of everyday jewelry to celebrate baby. (Sarahchloe)

When my daughter was 3 weeks old my wise Aunt Pam told me, “reading will keep you sane.” A bookstore gift certificate helps a new mom to stock up on 3am reading essentials like escape novels, new cookbooks, and inspiring volumes for the coffee table.

A jar of the best moisturizer ever (!!!) can do wonders for the mind and body. (Kiehl’s)

Pretty notecards for all the baby gift thank you notes (include on the card that you don’t need a thank you note!) (E. Frances Paper)

A snack tote of yummy organic nibbles for midnight grazing. Dean & Deluca)

A cool new lipgloss to throw on will help mom feel like a million bucks when visitors stop by. (Nars)

A gentle moisturizing soap to make those precious few moments alone in the shower as nourishing as possible. (L’Occitane)

A beautiful scarf to freshen up her postpartum wardrobe and help her feel normal again. (JMcLaughlin)

A bag with some comfy flip flops and a massage gift certificate tucked in so she can treat herself when she is ready to venture out without baby. (J.Crew)

I am sure my Mexican cousins are reading this menu and dying of laughter. They still remember the year I was ten and flew down to visit them and refused to eat any Mexican food. I kept asking for grilled cheese and quesadillas everywhere we went. How lame is that?! Now I wish I could travel the whole country of Mexico and try everything under the sun. I LOVE Mexican food. Too bad they all live in the US now, I really missed out. The good news, however, is that my Aunt has shared some of her authentic recipes with me and I plan to include them in the book. You will love them, I promise! But, until then, here are some of my favorite Mexican recipes from the blog.

Drinks:

Watermelon Margaritas

Red Wine Sangria

Sides:

Guacamole (spicy!)

Green Rice

Gazpacho

Main Course:

Roasted Vegetable & Chicken Enchiladas

Homemade Ranchero Sauce

Guacamole Burgers

Tortilla Soup (vegetarian)

Fish Tacos

Dessert:
Tres Leches Cake

or… just drink more Sangria!

In keeping with the fiesta theme this week, today we are talking tacos. I have never made it a secret that tacos are one of my favorite foods. And I am not talking about the ground beef mixing with a package of seasonings – though, those are perfectly delicious – I am talking about the homemade kind with great toppings. Over the weekend while I whipped up some chorizo tacos while we were enjoying our sangria.

When dreaming up the recipe I tried not to over think anything. Instead, I kept it simple with cooked chorizo as the main ingredient. Then, I added it to warm corn tortillas along with lettuce, sour cream, avocado slices, queso fresco, and a dab of peach salsa. There was nothing all that complicated about the preparation which is exactly the point. Tacos are supposed to be simple! In fact, if we choose to have a Cinco de Mayo get together I think I would just serve up the cooked chorizo and all the fixin’s buffet-style and let people assemble their own meals.