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Sick of the cold already?  Me too.  I was actually already sick of the cold a few weeks ago, so when we celebrated my mom’s 30th birthday we thought it would be fun to have fun, light food instead of something heavy that reminded us that winter’s coming fast!

These fish tacos were perfect for that!

There are so many things that you can make to go with these SUPER easy tacos, and they can all be made in advance, which makes actually enjoying yourself that much easier!

For appetizers and as toppings, I made guacamole, salsa and peach pico de gallo – they all use lots of the same ingredients, so it’s easy to make them all at once! For example, all three use onion, so mince up lots of onion all at once, then put it in three separate bowls for mixing later – you can make three dips in the time it would take to make just one!

The guacamole is creamy and tart from the lime juice - I get all the ingredients except the avocados prepped early in the day or the night before and then peel, dice, and stir in the avocados right before serving so it doesn't turn brown.

The salsa can be made up to two days in advance and taste even better because the flavors have plenty of time to meet, talk, date, make out, get married, and have babies. And, you don't have to worry about it when you're ready to serve - it's already made!

Peach pico adds such a fun islandy-feel to this trio of dips - delicious!

To go along with the fish tacos, green rice, curried black beans, and crunchy poppyseed slaw are must-makes.

You can stir the "green" into the rice an hour in advance and just keep it warm - easy and delicious!

Just like the rice, make these ahead and add water a little at a time if they start to get dry - they'll take on the consistency of refried beans, but with a MUCH more interesting flavor.

The slaw adds a nice sweetness to the spice of the green chilis in the fish sauce - a perfect balance.

The great thing about each of these dishes is that they are SO easy, healthy, and flavorful, and everyone can build their tacos exactly the way they like them.  Serve these with shredded cheese, sour cream, and any raw veggies you like.  Add some margaritas and Mexican beer, and you have an easy, affordable fiesta that you’d NEVER find in a restaurant.

Have a great weekend, everyone, and throw a party!