. . . a service project . . .

because i'm such a giving person, here are two delicious recipes. okay . . . really i just found them on the internet, but i did y'all a favor & tweaked them just a little & now they're very close to the real thing {if i do say so myself, or you can ask my family - whatever}

cafe rio{ish} creamy tomatillo dressing

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup mayonnaise (use real mayo or die!)

1 package buttermilk ranch dressing mix

1/2 bunch cilantro

1-2 cloves garlic (or about 1 teaspoon pre-minced)

juice of one lime

3 jalapenos

4 tomatillos

peel the husk from the tomatillos. {when shopping for these, get some good sized ones, which you'll have a hard time finding at bashas', trust me. go somewhere like food city!} wash & quarter the tomatillos. cut the jalapenos in half lengthwise. {if you can't handle a little heat, go ahead & take out the seeds & veins which is where the spice comes from. i left everything in. yum.} spray a baking sheeet with non-stick cooking spray. place tomatillos & jalapenos on it & bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until veggies are soft & slightly charred. set aside to cool. in a blender, mix buttermilk, mayonnaise, dressing mix, cilantro, garlic, & lime juice. remove most of the seeds & juice from the roasted tomatillo quarters, but add the flesh & skin, along with the jalapenos to the blender & puree. Chill for an hour. {the dressing . . . not you!} tip: if you don't squeeze most of the liquid from the tomatillos, your dressing will be too runny & too many of the crunchy seeds will ruin the texture. a few are fine, but you don't want them all.

cafe rio{ish} rice

4 cups water

2 cups rice (not instant)

4 teaspoons chicken bouillon

4 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/2 onion

1 can green chilis (or equivalent of fresh)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

juice of two limes

finely mince the cilantro, onion & green chilis. bring water to a boil & add all ingredients. simmer covered for 30 minutes. tip: i used my rice cooker. it rocks.

dear cafe rio{ish} people . . . please don't sue me