Today is my big sister's *50th* birthday and tomorrow she is walking her first-ever half-marathon. Later that night she's having a small gathering to celebrate both achievements and has asked everyone to bring an appetizer/snack, so I'm making mushroom and chard empenadas! Your post about corn ones a few days ago gave me the inspiration.

I'm actually trying to think of what to cook. A friend is hosting a "Bourbon and Bacon" party to celebrate her birthday and her husband's homecoming (soldier - was in Afghanistan). I can't think of a great "bacon" recipe. I'm thinking maybe the bourbon and bacon popcorn recipe I saw on here, but I'd love a suggestion if anyone has a killer recipe/idea.

As ever, I have to work during the day, so it will be leftovers. But I'm excited by the leftovers. I made a Moroccan pastilla, But I'm vegetarian, so I left out the pigeon and substituted zucchini, turnips and carrots. Still had ground almonds, cinnamon and sugar though. Such a strange but appealing mix. I made the warka dough myself, and I'm thrilled about how fun the process was. It's like phyllo dough, but even a little thinner. Something you'd never think you can make in your own kitchen. But you can! So fun! So tasty!

I picked up some spare ribs on awesome sale so I thought I would do those with a Mexican flavor profile in the dry rub and sauce - lots of lime juice and cumin! Also looking to experiment with a no-flour recipe for cheese crackers for dipping into some TJ's reduced guilt kale and spinach dip. Finally, lots of tequila on hand for blended margaritas, and margarita sorbet in the freezer!

@SWINGOUTSCOTT - I've been collecting bacon recipes for a while so here goes! Bacon bourbon chocolate chip cookies would be good for sharing. I've made these for my office before and got raves. Similarly, if dessert is not already being provided, I've been looking at this bourbon bacon pecan pie recipe for a while. Or for something more savory, maybe bourbon braised pulled pork, if that's close enough to bacon? I find you can add bacon to anything if it's already cooked, and bourbon in place of a lot of things like vanilla extract.

lamb shanks probably with beetroot, swiss chard and tomato casserole.... from the farmers market this morning

I'm going to try a Dutch Baby pancake tomorrow for brunch. Maybe roast some grape tomatoes for dinner with pasta. Happy weekend, everyone!

I've been wanting to make that cheesy Tex-Mex rice dish that was posted here a few weeks ago, and Cinco de Mayo is the perfect excuse. I have a giant cauliflower that needs using, too, so I think I'll make a dal and take it to lunch all week with rice or nan.

Our lousy New England weather is making my arthritis kick in. I have so many things I want to do that I think will be forced to bow to the hot water bottle and the sofa...but I made a big batch of roasted cauliflower with a spicy dressing with olives, capers & garlic. Glad I'll have that to snack on!

I'm fighting off a cold, so I think I'm going to have to make my favorite soup, ochazuke. It's a light Japanese rice and salmon soup that I love when I'm sick (or any other time). I may also make some more kaffir lime scallops with brown butter since I still have some kaffir lime leaves leftover. If I start feeling better, I might make some fish tacos for cinqo de mayo...my boyfriend has been craving lamb burgers, so that may happen on Sunday...

Anadama bread, French bread. For Saturday night dinner, spinach and mushroom pizza. I also feel the need for something sweet, so I'm deciding between salted brownies and crepes with macerated blueberries. Hmmm.

@CBiskit, those whiskey chocolate chip cookies are BRILLS!!! My partner is having his poker night tonight and while I was planning on making Smitten Kitchen's brown butter rice krispy treats (and still will), these are just too good to pass up. Thanks for passing it on!!

I got my first CSA box on Thursday, so I've got lots of veg to use. I think I'm going to make fried rice today with leftover brown rice, bok choy and asparagus from the CSA, BBQ pork, and whatever else needs to get used up. Tomorrow will be lasagna with spinach, zucchini, and shrooms. I think the CSA rhubarb will become strawberry-rhubarb freezer jam; I was thinking about pie, but no way do my hips need that.

I'm experimenting with my yogurt maker to make yogurt using non-dairy - so - coconut milk, hazelnut milk, almond milk.

Cinco de Mayo FEAST!

Brining a pork shoulder all day to be shredded, as pork tinga atop tostadas with a citrus cabbage slaw.

Fried avocados served with a cilantro dipping sauce.

Dark and Stormys!

Tonight is cereal for dinner - we've attended two BBQs in 5 hours so we're stuffed! But tomorrow I'm braising a bunch of meats - bits of pork shoulder, venison sausage, beef shanks, and bacon, in tomatoes and wine and garlic for a ragu that should be perfect for the gray week we've been having! Then I'll serve flourless chocolate cake for dessert. A friend is bringing drinks, cheese, and garlic bread. Planning on a feast while watching Sherlock on PBS.

Mexican all the way. Not only is it cinco de Mayo, but cookbooker is having a Mexican Food challenge - how many recipes from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen can you review? If you are one of 3 winners, you even get a cookbook. Last night I made chicken tacos with swiss chard, and tonight its Roasted Poblano Crema with Mexican Greens (soup).

Arroz con Pollo from A Cozy Kitchen blog. Mmmmmmmm.

Last night I made a yummy riff on Heidi Swanson's ginger soba noodles - I used her sauce, minus the tarragon and celery, with sauteed kale and pan-fried tempeh.

Tonight we had an accidental Cinco de Mayo feast (it's really not a thing in Canada, and to me May 5 just signifies my mom's birthday!), but on the way home from a morning bike ride and brunch to celebrate said birthday, my husband and I passed the local butcher shop and were inspired to get some skirt steak and make tacos. With homemade tortillas and two kinds of salsa from scratch - roasted tomato and tomatillo. The leftover salsa and tortillas will probably become enchiladas with mushrooms and peppers tomorrow.

Hi! Today I'll do zucchini filled with chicken , cheese and a bechamel Sauce with Pedro Ximenez wine. Delicious!!!
Http://www.miscaprichosculinarios.blogspot.com

That stuffed zucchini sounds great, Julio!

I'm being a lazy bones today. Getting ready to put a pork tenderloin in the slow cooker for root beer pulled pork. I need to make some banana coffeecake muffins from Hay Day Country Market's cookbook. I've already made a batch of hard boiled eggs for breakfast this week. Also, need to cut up some broccoli and make some dip for snackage this week. Sounds lame (albeit delicious) when compared to everyone else's efforts.