"The beauty of a living thing is not the atoms that go into it, but the way atoms are put together. The cosmos is also within us. We're made of star stuff; we are a way for the cosmos to know itself." - Carl Sagan
When I went to Ireland I picked up a cute little book called Irish Teatime Recipes. I haven't made anything out of it until now. Glancing at the recipes in the book I was a little intimidated by the fact the measurements were in ounces, and they would call for items I was not familiar with. Thanks to the internet I found that getting conversions is a cinch, and I can Google the unfamiliar ingredients. I made this spice cake, which turned out to be like a fruit cake that isn't very fruity. I reduced the amount of sultanas (one of those unfamiliar items I was talking about...they are pretty much golden raisins) by a 1/4 cup. I enjoyed the cake, but Ryan, being an avid fruit cake hater, wasn't fond of it. So, if fruit cake is only kind of your thing, but would like a more simple option, this works well. By the way, I've converted the measurements here so you don't have to. The booklet states that this moist bread improves with keeping and was originally stored wrapped in a cloth. 1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 tsp mixed spice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or cinnamon
Grated rind of half a lemon
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup sultanas
1/8 cup chopped mix peel
1/2 cup golden syrup
1/4 cup butter
1 egg, beaten
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
Set oven to 350. Sift together into a bowl the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices, then stir in the lemon rind, sugar, sultanas, and peel. Warm the syrup and butter together in a pan, then stir into the mixture with the beaten egg and milk, combining thoroughly. Turn into a greased and bse-lined 2 lb loaf tin, smooth over the top and bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the temp to 325 and bake for a further 40 to 45 minutes, covering the top with foil if it appears to be browning to quickly. Test with a warm skewer at the end of baking time; the skewer will come out clean when th eteabread iscooked. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Serve sliced with butter.
By the way...I realized as I was typing out this recipe that I forgot to add the 1 teaspoon mixed spice. No wonder why it didn't taste as spiced as I expected! Oops!
The sugar cookies and frosting I make are the standard Betty Crocker recipe, which I have found to be the best! Granted most people have a Betty Crocker cookbook of some sort, but I'll include the recipe here for convenience.
Cookie dough:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Mix sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract, and egg in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Heat oven to 375. Grease cookie sheet lightly with shortening.
Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with 2 to 2 1/2 inch cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheet. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup stick margarine or butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Mix powdered sugar and margarine in medium bowl. Stir in vanilla and milk.
Beat until smooth and spreadable. Color as desired and frost cookies when cool.
These cookies are a lot like ginger snaps, but soft & chewy...and of course very yummy! This recipe was given to us by Ryan's Grandma.
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
3/4 tsp ginger
Mix shortening, sugar, egg, and molasses together thoroghly. Sift remaingin ingredients together and stir in. Form dough into balls the size of walnuts and then roll the balls in sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 12 minutes (Max!!)
This past Sunday was spent making lots and lots of holiday cookies. It is one of my favorite traditions from this time of year. I remember fondly the times when I would scoot up to the table to watch my mom put together the cookie batter, and begging her for a spoonful. I am sure there would have always been more cookies to give to the neighbors if my sister Andrea and I would have kept our little hands from sneaking a piece of dough here and there.
One of our favorite cookies to make are what we call Spritzers. We enjoyed picking out which type of cookie pattern to put in the press, if we could agree on who's turn it was to do so. They are a shortbread type cookie, with a bit of a more smooth texture. There is a good variety of ways to decorate them, with sprinkles, food colored dough, candied fruits...anything you can think of. These cookies are pictured above in the bottom left.
The following recipe came from my mom:
1/2 cup soft butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 egg yolk
1 1/3 cup flour, sifted
Food coloring - optional
Mix butter & sugar until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and blend. Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour. Put dough in cookie press, decorate cook for approx 8 minutes at 350 until barely golden at edges. Cool & enjoy!
So now I have another family recipe, this one coming from my Dad's mom. It is a delicious, sweeter alternative to traditional chili. For a healthier, lower fat version use Turkey sausage and put in 1-2 teaspoons of rubbed sage. The recipe also calls for using dry beans. For the meal I made recently I used a 3 cup can of kidney beans and 1 cup dried pinto beans. This recipe is versatile and you can use whatever beans suit you. The standard recipe uses only the pinto beans, but I like a mix.
1 lb dry pinto beans 6 cups water and additional water
2 tbs oil
1 package Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage
1 cup chopped onions
2 medium or 3 small tart apples (Granny Smith work best)
2 tsp garlic
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1tsp chili powder
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cans (8oz) tomato sauce
8 oz water
Soak 1 pound of dry pinto beans over night in 6 cups of water (don't forget to rinse), or do a quick soak by rinsing the beans, bringing the water and beans to a boil, covering and setting aside for an hour.
After soaking drain the water, replenish the water and add 2 tbsp of oil. Cook on medium/high and simmer until beans soften a little, about 30 minutes to an hour.
Brown sausage and break into bite size pieces. Core apples and chop, leaving the skin. Transfer beans to a crock pot or large pan. Drain sausage and add to beans. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer 2-4 hours, or all day in a crock pot.
This is something that actually tastes even better after a day or two. So leftovers are always good.
For a vegetarian option, I think that using spices in sausage along with tvp or other soy 'meat' should cover it. I haven't tried it, but I will eventually. The spices include basil, parsley, garlic, salt, thyme, ginger, red pepper flakes, black pepper, nutmeg, sage, and paprika.
Ok, so this is a 'family recipe' from my mom's side...I could be in trouble for sharing our secret, but since mostly family and friends read this I'm going to take my chances ;) . This is definitely one of our favorites. It is pretty much a quiche, but my Grandpa Brochard didn't want to seem to "femme" so he would say it was a pie.
Ingredients:
3 to 4 cups of sliced zucchini, 1/4" thick or less
1 cup chopped onions
6 tblsp of margarine (or butter or olive oil)
1/2 cup fresh parsley or 2 tbs of parsley flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 eggs
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 package of Pillsbury crescent dough (8 pk)
In a large saucepan melt margarine. Saute zucchini, onions, parsley, salt, peper, basil, oregano, and garlic in margarine until zucchini is soft and opaque (not clear). Drain off most of liquid leaving just a little. Ina seperate bowl slightly beat 2 eggs, add mozzarella and mix. Pour into saucepan with zucchini mixture. Line 8' x8' square Pyrex dish or metal pan with crescent dough by placing 2 rectangeles in the bottom, and slicing 2 rectangles in half the long way to line th esides. Pour in zucchini mixture and bake for 20 minutes covered in a 375 degree oven. Remove foil, if crescent dough is golden brown it is done, if not place in oven another few minutes.
Last weekend we took a trip to St. Augustine, the oldest city in the US. It is only an hour and a half drive from us. We took our friend Dave who was visiting from Utah. Zelda had a blast running around the old Spanish fort and we had a fun day which included a visit to the local winery, a walk down St. George's Street(a walking street with lots of shops and curiosities), a craft fair, an old drug store with medicines from the 1800's (Anyone heard of sugar of lead?), an old cemetery and a drink at an old 18th century style tavern. Zelda tried peanuts for the first time and loved them.
Right now, Zelda is sitting with me while I check a few emails. She is sitting up on the computer desk, which is rather large. She has been giving me a lot of hugs, and being silly and putting her face up to mine. She just said "Mommy!" and gave me a hug. A few minutes before she was behind me on the chair, her arms around my neck and bouncing, then she said "aww" and patted me. It is so sweet! :D
Better post this before she pushes a button that does something weird to the computer... ;)
This is my absolute favorite thing at Red Rock brew pub in Salt Lake. I love it so much I decided to figure a way to make it at home. Their pizza's are wood fired, and I don't have the ability to do that, so I just buy Mama Mia's pizza crust at the store. I am fond of the whole wheat crust, which is a great flavor and thin but not flimsy. So, after you've got your crust, place a good layer of your favorite pesto sauce on it. I learned the hard way that if you make your own, use fresh basil, not dried. To save time I like Classico's pesto the best. If you choose to use theirs, drain off the excess oil that resides at the top of the jar. I use about 3/4 a jar for a whole pizza. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese, then some smoked gouda cheese. In the pizza pictured I used sliced smoked gouda that I tore off into pieces. If you want some extra garlic flavor, sprinkle with garlic powder or place bits of roasted garlic on the pizza. Bake as directed for the crust, or at least until your crust is cooked.
When it is ready to eat I usually like to sprinkle some crushed red pepper on my slices as it goes very well with the strong flavors of pesto, smoked gouda cheese, and garlic.
Zelda has been forming a lot of little sentences lately. Ryan told me that the other day she was sitting on our office chair, and he was going to sit down in it, when she told him "Don't sit". She likes to talk a lot about Poo Bear, Piglet, and Tigger (poobeah, pigget, tiggah), oh, and "eeoh". She has been introduced to the disney princesses the daughter of our friend Ashley. She calles them "Pinness". She likes SpongeBob Squarepants, who she calls 'bobbob'.
Yesterday while playing she put Pooh in the play crib, telling him "Nigh nigh, poobeah".
Last Saturday she went to Ashley's daughter's 4th birthday party. It was at a local park by the Indian River. She took me to the swings which she loved, chased a squirrel, and when it went up the tree she tried climbing the tree to follow it, an impossible feat as there were no nearby branches (thank goodness), and that got her a little frustrated. She spent a lot of time playing on the playground, which although it said it was for ages 2+, there were several spots that were just too unsafe for her, so she definitely had me running around to be there when she attempted one of those parts. She loved the big slide, which she went on all by herself, a first, since she asks for help on the big slide at home. At one point there were two little twin girls, a few months younger than her, and she sat on the slide and looked at one of the girls who was standing nearby, talked baby talk and was all smiles as she showed her how to slide. It was so cute.
She also showed me what trouble she will be when she gets older. She kept on hugging a little boy who was between 2 and 3, and at one point they kept on falling over when she was hugging him. I walked up to them to make sure they were ok, and she got up, hugged him, then tried to kiss him...he was trying to politely pull away and this is why they were falling over! She is already boy crazy at 1.
Last night she stayed up late with us since we had friends over and were playing video games. Zelda had a blast watching and pretending to play. She eventually got very tired, grabbed her mickey mouse, then grabbed my hand to lead her to bed. Normally she insists that Daddy put her to bed, but she was on a mission and couldn't wait for him. I told her to tell Daddy goodnight, and rather than go find him, she just said while in her room "Nigh Nigh Daddy", then held her arms up to go into bed. I asked for a kiss, she took out her passy and gave me one, then said "hug", leaning in for a hug (this is a normal night routine). I laid her down, then she said "Poohbeah, tigga?" And I told her that I would go get them. They were still in the play crib, but she had moved the crib from her playroom to outside her room. As I was getting them she said, as if she just remembered, "Eeoh!", and I got him too. I then hid them behind my back, came to her and said, "Ok, here's Tigger!" and tossed him in. She smiled then said "Poohbeah?", then I said "Here is Eeyore!", tossed him in, and again she smiled then asked "Poohbeah?", to which I replied " And Pooh bear!" and gave him to her. She laughed, which is what she always does when she is happy that we understand what she is asking for. Then she looked up at me and said "pioh" a few times, taking me a minute to realize she was asking for a pillow. I told her I would go get her one, since she normally doesn't use one I went to the playroom and grabbed her the Piglet pillow. She was happy when I brought it back. She then asked for something I didn't understand, and was a little upset I didn't understand, then she pointed up and I realized it was the light. I turned the light off and told her goodnight, she responded "nigh nigh", and then went to sleep.
While putting together the last meal, I also started preparing the following black bean dish. It takes a few hours to get prepared, then it is best left in your fridge for 3 days. After all of the flavors have melted together, this makes an absolutely delicious meal that can last you a while.
Take 1 and 2/3 cups of dried black beans, wash well. Soak overnight in a covered pot with 4 1/2 cups water (or if you are pressed for time, heat them in a pot to boiling, cover & remove from heat, letting sit for an hour)
After this transfer to a large dutch oven or sauce pan, cook over medium heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until tender.
In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil, then saute 2 minced onions and 5 cloves of minced garlic.
Add to beans along with 1/8 lb roast pork, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp granulated sugar, 2 tblsp chopped cilantro or culantro, and 1 tsp salt or to taste. Cook 1o to 15 minutes longer, adding more water if the mixture becomes too thick. Be careful not to split the skins from the beans.
Cool to room temperature and store in the fridge for 2-3 days. I actually did 4, and they were great. A mild but flavorful dish. The recipe has you add chopped white onions on the top of your dish, but I preferred not to have too many onions. We added some crushed red pepper to the top since we like our food spicy. Cuban food carries on the spanish influence of not being spicy, but it is full of flavor.
For a side dish I fried up some sweet plantains. They are such a yummy side dish, and a relative to the banana. Make sure the plantain is very ripe, otherwise it will be hard and similar in flavor to a cucumber if it is green. Peel the plantain, cut diagonally, then fry in oil in a skillet, browning the sides. Restaraunts I go to tend to heavily fry these, but I prefer to lightly fry them just to where they are golden brown. While frying you can add sugar to the sides, or after frying sprinkle with salt and lime juice. I prefer the sugar, but I'm sure it is just as good the other way.
Kenna loved both the beans and plantains, calling them "nanas" and "chips". Always good to get her approval!
One of the great things about living in Florida is the access to Cuban cuisine. I experienced the best I've had yet while on vacation with my Mom, Ry, & Kenna in Miami a few months ago.
We were recommended a little place quite nearby our oceanfront hotel. We weren't in touristy South Beach, so everyone at this restaurant was a local except us. The food was absolutely divine. My mom ordered snapper in a red sauce (which after looking through recipes I believe it was a paprika sauce), I had Cuban fried chicken, an amazing dish of well seasoned thin chicken layered with ham, cheese, and a tomato based sauce, and Ryan ordered what I have here: Cuban steak.
Needless to say that memorable restaurant visit inspired me to go to the library and pick up some Cuban cookbooks. I have many recipes now, and just started my effort at them in the past week.
My first try is this thin beef steak, marinated with onions, garlic, cumin, and sour orange juice (think sour like a lime), grilled, then seasoned with a bit more lime. Way good! The following recipe is from the book Cuba Cocina by Joyce Lafray, as with all of the Cuban recipes for the week to follow.
Cuban Steak 4-6 servings
8 (1/4 inch thick) slices top round or top butt steak, butterflied
3 tablespoons olive oil or salted butter
1 onion thinly sliced
1 lime cut into 8 thin wedges
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Marinade:
8 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 cup sour orange juice ( or 1/2 cup orange juice and 1/4 cup lime juice)
1 large onion, diced
Using a metal meat mallet, pound steaks on both sides to tenderize. Mix together marinade ingredients well and pour over steaks in a large glass bowl. Put in refrigerator, turning often as to get the juices evenly distributed.
Heat olive oil in large heavy skillet. Place onions, steaks, and just enough marinade in the pan to make a sauce. Cook until done, and until onions have wilted. Place steaks on a plate and pour the sauce over them. Garnish with parsley & lime wedges, squeezing the lime juice on the steak when ready to eat.
For the side dishes I had baked Yuca and yellow rice. The yellow rice I simply bought in the Hispanic isle at the grocery store. Yuca is a root, and may or may not be available in your area. If you can get it and want to give it a try, was the root off well, coat with vegetable oil, then bake in an oven at 375 for at least 45 minutes or longer. Yuca will be soft when done.
I accidentally did not cook mine long enough, and the parts that were still hard were quite bitter.
Everything else turned out well enough and quite yummy. Kenna adored the rice, asking for 2nds.
Today Zelda gave me a kiss, then she pressed her nose to mine, so I gave her an 'eskimo' kiss. After that she banged her forehead against mine, putting her right eye as close to my right eye, and said "Eye!", then she moved her head to the side of mine, lightly touching, and said "hair"...after this she moved her right ear to my right ear, saying "ear". Guess she thought all parts of the head should have their own kiss ;)
Typically Zelda likes to say goodnight to certain things before she goes to bed. This usually consists of "nigh nigh Mickey" & "nigh nigh Kitty". This started several months ago, when after putting pictures of Mickey in her room, I suggested she say goodnight to him before putting her in her crib (got her in a better mindset for going to bed).
Anyway, last night she came into the living room, waving to her sippy cup, saying "Nigh nigh Nilk" , her way of saying "goodnight, Milk".
Pasta is a frequent meal at our house. Its cheap, good, and easy to make a variety of it. This dish was originally made for us by Ryan's brother Rodney while he was visiting us last year. He cooked up some smoked sausage and diced green peppers, added the sauce, then cooked bowtie pasta. He let it all simmer for about 10 minutes. I loved it! I have made it quite often ever since.
This time I added mandarin oranges to the mix, a recommendation from Rodney. I didn't have bowtie pasta, but any will do, and spaghetti was what I had on hand. This is my favorite twist on pasta sauce.
PS...a few days ago my friend Jen, a vegetarian, came over and made a sauce using zuchini, yellow squash, and green bell peppers. This was great as well!
This past Sunday our neighbors came over and we introduced them to the lovely drink now pretty well known: a Mojito. While enjoying the refreshing drinks I entertained them with the following instructional video featuring my family. If you have seen this, then here is another chance to enjoy, and if you haven't seen it, then I hope you have fun. It really does teach you how to make a delicious Mojito, but it also shows what a day in the life is like back home @ my parents' place in Utah.
So, I love a good, refreshing iced tea. Arizona's brands are delicious, except I really do not care for the high fructose corn syrup that they put in them. So because of that and the fact that making your own tea is significantly more affordable, I decided to come up with a way to make my own.
I simply brewed some green tea, and figured about 1/4 of local honey (here it is orange blossom, naturally) added to it would do it right, and it did. So there you go...make your own "Arizona" green tea with honey (I guess you could add ginseng if you want, but that stuff makes me twitch!) and enjoy the remaining days of summer, which for us in Florida is about another 2 months. ;)
Ok, so, a staple most everyone loves is also one of my favorite quick fix meals: grilled cheese. There are two 'trick's I recommend to everyone that will get you the best results.
1) Use olive oil - I heat my pan slightly, drop a bit of olive oil, just enough to dip one side of each slice of bread into it, lightly covering the side you'll be cooking. This makes the bread crispy and flavored nicely. It cooks faster than butter or margarine, and is much better for you.
2) Use multiple flavors of cheese, and have fun with it! Its best to use cheese that melts quickly if you can, because the bread will cook pretty fast at medium heat. If however your cheese isn't melted all the way, pop the sandwich in the microwave after it has been grilled...just long enough to melt the cheese but not to make the bread soft.
The sandwhich I made had a shredded italian mix, a small amount of smoked gouda, and some horseradish cheddar. The horseraddish gave it a great kick...I love some heat, and this gives just the right amount where you still get to enjoy the food.
I love making curries. They are easy and amazingly delicious. While I primarily will make Indian curry, Thai makes a nice alternative for 'curry night'. Many people think of the simple cumin curry when they hear the word "curry", but in all actuality a curry is a type of dish with food in a sauce, kind of like a thick stew, typically served over rice. There are many curry recipes. Curries from India typically are tomato based, heavily seasoned, usually with cumin, are served with Basmati rice, while curries from Thailand are coconut based, seasoning includes lemongrass and ginger, and served over sticky rice. There is an Indian curry that bridges with Thai, a coconut curry called Korma, which is one of my favorites. I will post that someday soon for sure.
Today I worked on a Thai Red Curry. I had two different sources for flavoring the coconut milk, one being the standard red curry paste that you can find at your grocery store, and the other being a packet of dried herbs I got in St Augustine at Old Spice Traders. You can get the seasoning packet online, along with the special rice I used, a green bamboo flavored sticky rice.
Thai Red Curry typically has potatoes, various colored red bell pepper slices, choice of meat or tofu. I didn't have anything on hand but tofu and chick peas, which I consider my "curry staple" since that mix goes great in every curry I have tried. I also added green peas to the red curry, which added a little more flavor and was quite yummy.
To make the curry with the dried herbs I used 2 tsp of the powder, 1 tsp olive oil, stirred to a paste, then added half a can of coconut milk (the other half was used for the store bought paste). I simmered this for an hour to get the flavors to mix together. Then I added my 'curry staple' of tofu, chick peas, and green peas, simmering for 20 minutes, then served over the sticky rice.
The image above is of the curry I made with the standard paste, the one to the right with my spice packet. Both were great, but the one made with the spice packet seemed to have a little more kick, which Ryan and I prefer.
Zelda is sleeping in way late this morning, so I am going to take advantage of this and catch up on my blog. She is so cute, she stayed up watching the third Star Trek movie with us, eventually falling asleep toward the end although she tried to fight it. (I know, I'm actually watching Star Trek now…Shauna, I know you are proud ;) ) The cat also decided to sleep next to her…see how sweet:
Ok, so anyway, I've been wanting to write about my last little trip. My mom flew out on June 12 so she could watch Zelda while Ry & I went to a few shows in Miami. It was great to see my mom, she is looking good, and I know the trip was good for her. The drive wasn't too bad…about 3 hours. Our hotel was on the beach in North Miami Beach, right between the TrumpTowers. No…it wasn't as posh as Trump, but the beach was so nice I could have stayed in a shack and have been just as happy. The weather was gorgeous, little rain in the afternoon that kept any insane heat at bay. The ocean water was a stunning turquoise, like the Keys, but unlike the Keys there were beaches to hang out on. Zelda was still a bit intimidated by the water, but she loved to try out every seat in every cabana, and wash the sand off her feet using the little sprayers.
She and my mom had a great time while Ry & I were at our shows. The resort we were at was very family oriented, so they always had something going on. There was almost always live music, which Zelda adored. She would go right up to the band to be able to dance. My mom even got hit on by a Cuban guy asking her to dance, too. Wish I was there!
Speaking of the Cubans…going to Miami was the first time I took a trip in Florida when I actually felt like a tourist, as in I didn't feel like I was in Florida. Very few people spoke English as their primary language. I really enjoyed the rich cultural difference. It was refreshing. We found an awesome Cuban restaurant nearby the hotel, one frequented by locals, and it was amazing.
So our first night Ry & I headed out to see The Cure in Sunrise/Ft Lauderdale. I was so blown away from their performance. Having recently come from Duran Duran, a band of about the same age, I was expecting a similar show…enjoyable, fun, but good enough to see once and be happy with it. I didn't expect to have the band full of energy that reminded me of seeing Placebo back in the day. They filled the whole arena with it. Robert Smith's voice was as clear and beautiful as can be. The music spoke with its own aura. Their opening act, 65daysofstatic, was quite impressive as well. After this show I definitely plan on going to see The Cure as often as possible. I'm so glad I actually had a chance to catch them this time around.
A camera phone pic of The Cure from our first seats...we eventually moved lower because the people around us were lame and sat down through the entire show
The next day we drove down to SouthBeach and I was immersed in memories from Grand Theft Auto 3: ViceCity. I'm glad I wasn't driving, as I had impulses to ram into lights, buildings, and honk @ the hoes. ;) I love that game, heh heh! We stopped off at Escondido which was an area that was highly Spanish influenced, even more than the rest of the town. It was gorgeous, but not wanting to spend money we left after walking around a bit, heading back to enjoy our resort. Later that evening Ryan and I took the bus back down to SouthBeach, enjoying the variety of architecture and different neighborhoods.
We then got to enjoy a wonderful show from Eddie Izzard, who was brilliant as ever, and who made a sure point in a tactful way that red-neck ignorant Americans need help ;) ha ha…even though that was just a little snippet, the rest of his act delved into daisy eating dinosaurs, the insanity of Moses and that his followers believed in a guy who talked to a burning bush, followed him from a desert to another desert, staying for decades…to the ridiculous fashion of the length of words in latin....believe me he made it work. A definite must see, I will so go to him again if the chance arrives.
Walking around South Beach @ night, we almost got hit several times, it was crazy, as was our bus ride back to the hotel which took half as long as the bus ride previously, since they were going twice the speed limit and had run some red lights. I felt like I was getting my just rewards for running people down and stealing buses in Grand Theft Auto. Karma! ;) We enjoyed the beach @ night, then the next morning the water was as still as a lake, which made for a wonderful end to a great little vacation.
My mom stayed a few more days, and it was not long enough…never is. Zelda had a wonderful time and easily recognizes who Grandma is now. Hopefully we'll all get to visit again soon….I'm trying to make a way to come out to SaltLake again this year.
I've been craving going back to Miami since leaving. I just really enjoy going places that are exiting and tropical at the same time. Every time I see the sign on I95 showing how many miles to Miami, I think how awesome it would be to get some girls together and stay a weekend in South Beach. I'm going to start saving up for that very idea, and any of you ladies reading this that want to join in, you should! It would be a blast!
Ok, now that I've gotten that down, I'm going to go wake Zelda up before she sleeps through half the day. What a cutie.
Zelda is now taking a nap, prior to which we were dancing and singing Karaoke Goldfrapp & Muse. Zelda loved it so much that she was giving me kisses and hugs during the songs. She is so awesome.
LOST season finale was amazing...ran through all emotions, completed some circles and opened more doors...love that show!
Not surprised Hilary is going to conceed, but I am surprised I feel a bit bummed about that. Perhaps I cared more about it than I thought, perhaps its just pms.
I'm so getting into plants...my backyard is going to be an awesome oasis. So far I have some hibiscus, birds of paradise, butterfly bush, avocados, queen palms, and other goodies. I'm expecting even more plants in a few weeks...my back yard was naked when we moved in so we couldn't have enough.
I almost called this little entry 'musings', but I'm not that silly
So I was just sitting here catching up on things on the computer when I hear something I think is a car going down the road. I try to ignore it, it didn't stop, only to get louder to the point I could feel it. Then it dawned on me "Oh, crap, the launch!", and simultaneously with the thought I rushed out to the back yard to catch the last half of the Shuttle Discovery going into space. Seeing and feeling it happen is such a beautiful rush of exhilaration. Even after the view of the shuttle was long gone, leaving its large trail and glowing booster rockets gliding back down to earth, you still continue to hear and feel the power it makes. I just love it and can't get enough of it. Definitely one of the great highlights from the move we made almost 4 years ago.
Well...I am now 28, and no longer a Duran Duran virgin. I stretched the birthday celebration over the past couple of days which has been fun. First on the 18th we dropped Zelda off with Julie, Helge, & their daughter so that Ryan and I could go head off to see Duran Duran for their Red Carpet Massacre tour. It was so awesome to finally see them! Our seats were pretty good, a little over on the side, but that is ok. The opener, Your Vegas, was actually good, but of course the highlight was finally seeing Duran Duran on stage. Simon's voice is just as good on any record. They performed a few songs from the new album, with Timberlake's influence really showing through. Naturally they played songs spanning their career. I was thrilled to hear View to a Kill and Come Undone. Halfway through the set the band lined up in a quartet of sorts and did a 20+ minute medley of songs played in a minor key, which included The Normal's Warm Leatherette...it was definitely the highlight of the show. Anyway, here is the setlist:
THE VALLEY
RCM
NITE RUNNER
HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF
PLANET EARTH
FALLING DOWN
COME UNDONE
SKINDIVERS
THE REFLEX
SAVE A PRAYER
A VIEW TO A KILL
ELECTROSET;
LAST CHANCE/ALL SHE WANTS/LEATHERETTE
I DON'T WANT/SKIN TRADE/TEMPTED
NOTORIOUS
GIRLS ON FILM
ORDINARY WORLD
SUNRISE
WILD BOYZ
RIO
After having a fab time with Duran Duran, we headed back to get Zelda, and hung out with a tired Julie & Helge for a little bit. Next on Monday we went out for the traditional birthday dinner along with Eliza. We went to my fav, Wolfgang Pucks. It was so yummy! When we got home we danced the night away, previewing our convertable dance club before the grand opening next month. Kenna even stayed up past midnight dancing away. It was a blast.
Yesterday I woke up to the phone ringing, but didn't get to it due to my wanting to sleep in. An hour later I got up and it was a message from my Dad singing me Happy Birthday. I called him back and spoke with him and my Mom. It is hard being away from family on my birthday...birthdays are important with us. I realized this is the first one without any of my immediate family here. I've been spoiled the last few years; in 2005 my sister flew out here, in 2006 I got to meet all of them in Vegas, and last year my parents arrived early for a planned trip to surprise me. I love my family and miss them, but it was still great to be able to talk with them. How I wish I could be with all of my good friends and family now!
Later I met up with Jen @ a PostSecret exhibit in Melbourne. It was very interesting and spanned all sorts of human emotions and frailties. Most all were touching in many ways...some quite sad and desperate, and some funny. If you aren't familiar with it, go to postsecret.com. Zelda & I headed out to a few stores and I got her a little milkshake..she had such fun making a mess! Speaking of her and making a mess, when we indulged in my birthday cake Zelda's face was completely covered with chocolate. It was so cute. Anyway, Jen came back over later yesterday evening, and we played Worm's Armageddon for the XBox and watched some Flight of the Conchords...both of which were hilarious.
Well, thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes, gifts, friendship and love. I've now got 2 more years in my 20's...so I'm going to make them rock! So far I'm off to a great start.
It has been over a week into 2008. I have great anticipation for things to come this year. I can feel change and movement in the air like electricity. Things feel positive for me. I love it.
This year has many plans for progression. I have quite a few goals, more attainable than those past. I feel and hope that this year we will finally get our own house. The market has stabilized, our car will be paid off, I will be getting a part time job, so it is all falling into place.
A few of my favorite bands are touring this year and putting out new music. I am also discovering new music all the time. It has been what feels like such a long time since I've last been to a live show and I am craving it. Hopefully I'll be able to see quite a few this year.
I've also declared 2008 the year of good health. I've been taking weekly allergy shots in hopes that by summer time I will be able to eat raw fruits and vegetables without an allergic reaction. They are 80% effective, and I pray that I am in that 80%. It has been an entire lifetime of not being able to enjoy nature's harvest, and that time needs to change. With that I'll be able to eat better, and along with my new weight machine I'll be one hot mama! ;)
I love being a mom. It is hard for me to imagine my life was ever without Zelda. It is like she has always been around. She is such a light. I am blessed to have the ability to be able to stay home with her and give her the care she needs and deserves. I love watching her discover things and enjoy things in a way only a small child can. It is refreshing. In the past couple of months she has learned to walk and say a few words, learned the magic of doors, began feeding herself, and continues to add more dance moves to her routine. She is currently feeding herself a banana, which she hoards into her mouth as though she could never get enough.
Well, she is now done with that banana, so I best go tend to her. I will save my thoughts for another time.
This blog is a way for me to share with whomever reads whatever it is I'm thinking of at the moment. Life, profound and mundane. Nothing specific. Could be family, spirituality, something I'm working on, stories, poems, experiences, fangirling, thoughts on this or that...I think you get the idea. Consider it a part of a long discussion we are having. Please join along.
1 1/4 cup flour
