Halloween and the Day of the Dead

Posted in Holidays

day of the dead

Halloween takes place October 31, while in Mexico, Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) is celebrated on November 1 and 2. Halloween has its origins in old Gaelic celebrations regarding the end of summer and the storing of the summer harvest and getting ready for the cold days ahead, while Dia de los Muertos got its start …

Serve Tex Mex Food at Your Halloween Party

Posted in Holidays

day of the dead

America’s current way of celebrating Halloween originates from the ancient Celts and their celebrations of the end of the harvest season. But we also get a lot of our traditions from Mexico: the practice having of decorating with skeletons and/or dressing like one the night before the Day of the Dead, which is November 1, is a big one. Thus, …

When Your Picky Eater Won’t Eat Tex Mex Food

Posted in Family dining

tostadas

All children are picky eaters at one time or another. There’s the 4-year-old who won’t eat the crust of the pizza and only picks at the toppings. There’s the 6-year-old who won’t eat a hot dog, but happily devours the buns. There’s the 7-year-old who will only eat a tuna sandwich whenever you go out to a restaurant. (No tuna …

How to Make the Perfect Salsa

Posted in Mexican Food Recipes

hot sauce

The salsa you use as a garnish or side with your Tex Mex dishes can make or break that dish. Salsa first appeared within the Inca culture and made its way to the Mayans and Aztecs. Spaniards’ first encounters with tomatoes (the main ingredient of salsa) took place after Spain’s conquest of Mexico (1519-1521). They also first came into contact …

Eating Tex Mex Food on the Paleo Diet

Posted in Healthy Eating

fajitas

If you’re adhering to a Paleo diet (one in which followers eat no grain, breads, starchy vegetables and fruits, mostly eating meats, vegetables and some fruit), Tex Mex food will easily accommodate your dietary needs. For example, you can start off your meal with tortilla soup. Tortilla chips, of course, are not allowed on a Paleo diet, but you can …

6 Things You Didn’t Know About Mexican Food

Posted in Food and Fun

peppers

Did you know that tortillas once came in cans? In fact, in the 1980s, most U.S. residents looking for tortillas could only find them in cans. That’s just one thing you probably didn’t know. For five more things you probably didn’t know about Mexican food, read below: Fajitas aren’t a true Mexican food: they were created by Ninfa Rodriquez Laurenzo …

Celebrate Labor Day with Easy Tex Mex Barbecue

Posted in Holidays

dog friendly patio

Labor Day 2014 arrives on September 1. It came about as a federal holiday in 1894 after President Grover Cleveland wasn’t able to break up a railroad strike. It’s observed on the first Monday of every September. During the height of the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s, the average non-farm worker worked 12-hour days and often seven days a …

How to Make the Perfect Fajijta

Posted in Mexican Food Recipes

fajitas

Fajitas probably are the healthiest of Tex-Mex dishes: there are no hard or soft shells (no starch and trans fat) and there is no cheese. (Fat! And calories!). You can use lean beef to stay away from fatty meats. And you can include as many healthy vegetables as your plate will hold. There’s just nothing not to love about a …

Eat Mexican Food and LOSE Weight

Posted in Healthy Eating

avocado

Mexican food has a reputation of adding to weight gain. That reputation is correct, if you pile on the fatty meats, cheeses, sauces, and eat lots of chips and guacamole. But Mexican food can actually help you lose weight. Read below for tips on how to lose weight by eating Mexican food. As hinted at above, watch the amount of …

Mexican Food Ideas for Your 4th of July Party

Posted in Holidays

tequila shot

The fourth of July celebrates the day 56 men – who would have been hung as traitors if the Revolutionary War had ended differently – placed their signatures on the Declaration of Independence. Talk about bravery! In many ways, we have these courageous men to thank for the many freedoms we currently enjoy. Here at Mattito’s we’re all for honoring …