A bit like a slow cooker recipe without the slow cooker, these carne asada street tacos cook low and slow in a dutch oven until they are absolutely irresistible!
I'm a fan of cookbooks, pretty much any food from or inspired by Latin America, and meals that are made for bringing people together.
I think that last one should be a gimme. I love having people in my home where we all work together to bring a meal together. It's not just one person doing the cooking, but everyone pitching in (while probably talking over each other), drinking inexcusable amounts of coffee, and laughing about our day.
This is what I want my kitchen to always be like - whether I've got company over or if I'm just serving my family. The coffee will be there always, because, hey, with four kids, coffee is a way of life! But my point is, I want to be the same person at home with my family as I am when my house is completely full. I don't like the idea of having to be "on" or "off" - it's messy and and feels unnatural! Being a good host or hostess requires a certain amount of preparation and poise, of course - that's not really what I'm talking about. I'm talking about working toward an environment and attitude that is naturally hospitable all the time. 
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Even though it's technically a holiday today, the day has not been relaxing...yet! I'm still hoping that it will get there. However, though not completely relaxing, it has been very productive - multiple doctor's appointments, school, and grocery pickup, to name a few...which is why I am just now having a chance to pop on here!
This "project" has been on my to-do list for quite awhile. A year, maybe even two. I wouldn't say we knew exactly what we wanted to do with the "sitting room", as we've come to call it, when we first moved in, but it didn't take too long. The room was too small to be a classic "family room", so we knew we weren't going to be putting a TV in it, or anything like that. It also really only has one wall - there are two big cased openings that lead to the formal dining room and the hallway, with a third wall taken up by a very large (nearly floor to ceiling) window that looks out on the front deck and the street. It gets a ton of natural light, and is the first room you see when you walk into the house. We knew we wanted it to be welcoming and relaxing. Here's what it looked like when we bought it (from the public listing): 
The candles are lit on the kitchen counter and Frank Sinatra is crooning over the sound system while I stand at the stove with a wine glass in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other, checking the roast that's simmering in my dutch oven.
All in all, I have to say the transition to back to real life (for those of you who are new here at Catz, Josh just went back to work from paternity leave) wasn't as difficult as I had imagined. I got dinner on the table most nights (WIN) and didn't go crazy!
I hope you all had a wonderful Merry Christmas, and that this 2018 New Year would be filled with laughter and great memories.
When Chels asked me to try this recipe out, it was an easy decision. I love waffles. I love gingerbread. I love the spices in gingerbread. I love the fact that gingerbread isn't sweet, but rather spice-forward. All of which is to say...I said yes.
