Carnitas Pizza
What is it with kids dumping every single damn toy out of every bin every single day? I was drowning in barbies, stepping on legos (if you haven’t had the pleasure of stepping on a lego yet, oh just you wait! Your time is coming), being run over by Thomas and the gang of Cars Land and cursing every Disney Princess to have lived.
I took the proactive by the book Mommy approach and created a reward chart for each of my little rugrats.
Raspberry and Goat Cheese Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette
My hubby is awesome. Sometimes, he really plans out thoughtful and fun presents for me. My absolute favorite musical instrument is the cello. I love the deep, passionate, resonating sound it makes. When we got married, I walked down the aisle to Jeux D’eau which is a song from the Cirque de Soleil show, “O.” About thirty seconds in, a cello starts and it’s one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard.
Back when we still lived in Sherman Oaks, he rented a cello for me and got me private cello lessons. I LOVED IT! It was so much fun to learn – it was a LOT of work. I never realized how difficult it was. The funny part is, I guessed what he had planned for me. I wrote it down, brought it with us and showed it to him when we pulled up at my first cello lesson. He was gobbsmacked. Totally speechless. Honestly could not believe that I had guessed it.
Chipotle Cornish Game Hen Chicken Tacos
Wednesday is our busiest day here at the household. Pixie has school and Buggies and I go to a Mommy and Me class. But today, being February 1st, also means that enrollment for the next school year has begun. Here in California, our school systems have decided to align the age/start date for school with the rest of the country (it’s about time!). But rather than change that date from December 1st to September 1st in one fellow swoop, they have decided to pull the band-aid off one arm hair at a time. Starting the 2012-2013 school year, the new cut-off for starting Kindergarten is age 5 by November 1st. My sweet little Pixie turns 5 on November 2nd. Awesome. The district then announced that they would have a “transitional kindergarten” just for the little monkeys who fall between November 2nd and December 1st. I’m sure you see where I’m going with this….
Spicy Dr. Pepper Pork Tacos
Obviously I was having a rough week last week. Buggies had pushed me over the edge of sanity and right into the Grand Canyon. Come to find out, poor little miss needed some antibiotics and is doing much, MUCH better. I, of course, feel like “parent of the year” for allowing myself to get so frustrated with her. So, after hugging and kissing her a million times, we packed up our trailer and headed to the beach to do some beach camping. Thanks to global warming, Los Angeles has been 75 degrees for the last week. So, an impromptu camping trip sounded like a great idea. And it was! Three families, six kids and the beach? How could we go wrong! We sat by the campfire, had s’mores and the kids played and played and played. They came home covered in splinters, dirty as could be and totally exhausted. Which means it was a damn good trip.
Chicken Chutney Tacos
I’m living with a terrorist.
She’s about 3 feet tall, has blonde pigtails and responds to the A.K.A. of “Buggies.”
Toddlers are like little terrorists or drug addicts. Happy one second, hysterical and jones-ing for “insert-anything-from-Goldfish-to-favorite-blankies-here” the next; ready to blow the roof off my house if I don’t allow her to have a “nack” an hour before dinner.
Kitchen Sink Crock-pot Soup
WARNING: The above picture was taken on the hubby’s iPhone. My camera was indisposed taking pictures of the newest little angel, Sweet Baby Jane, which let’s be honest – is MUCH more important than taking pictures of my soup. Proceed….
Last year we got home from a trip to warm and sunny Cabo San Lucas, only to be welcomed by pouring rain, cold wind and an even colder house. We landed at LAX and the girls and I were still wearing our swimsuits and shorts when Mother Nature turned reality back on with a giant slap to our goose-bumped keesters. We were cold and grumpy and ticked off that we weren’t on the beach anymore. Of course, after being gone for a week, our fridge consisted of a jar of pickles, some sticks of butter and coffee creamer. Unless you’re pregnant – that ain’t dinner. So, I rummaged through our pantry for a bit….
Thai Red Curry Chicken
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In 2003, on a beautiful afternoon in the middle of California’s Indian Summer, I married my hubby. We said our vows in blistering heat with sweat dripping down to you know where and we sealed our commitment with a kiss.
And then we partied.
We danced and drank mojitos and visited with (almost!) every single one of the 200 guests. We fed each other cake and I was a good sport when he dolloped some on my nose. We watched a dear friend of ours (who is now an ocular plastic surgeon) try to smoke a cognac dipped cigar while four inch flames leapt from it as two other friends (mere feet away) tried to relay a sincere message to us on our wedding video.
It. Was. Perfect.
Thai Lettuce Wraps
I honestly think I could be vegetarian. All day long, I pretty much eat vegetarian. That is, until dinner when Ryan gets home and spoils everything. I can already see his hubby’s note on this one.
Him: “Well, if you didn’t cook ridiculously amazing things every night I wouldn’t weigh one hundred and ……”
Me: “Well honey, if you weren’t such a protein junkie we could eat simpler, less savory and delicious items. This blog is all your fault. So there.”
Breakdown of my meals everyday:
Grandma Josie’s Chile (Salsa)
Ofrasina (Josie) Avila-Preciado was born in 1930 in Michoacan, Mexico. She was one of fourteen children. As a baby, she was smuggled into the United States under her aunt’s dress. She put her roots down here in California, got married, and started a family of her own. Her son Steve is my best friend Jessica’s father. Grandma Josie was one of the most selfless ladies to have ever lived. She loved her children and worked everyday to provide everything for them. One of those things she provided, was of course food. And Josie loved to cook. She would cook all day for her family and passed many of her recipes on to them.
She had a heart of gold and if she liked you, you were blessed. If she didn’t like you, well let’s just say I’d advise you change your name and move to Canada. Grandma Josie passed away in 2002 but her life continues to always be celebrated. The stories about Josie still make her family laugh, cry and relive her life all over again. It is my great honor to post the recipe (with her family’s blessing of course) for Josie’s amazing “salsa.” Please make this as soon as you possibly can. It has become a favorite in my family as well but it will always carry Josie’s name on it.
Hubby’s Note: My wife has been known to put this salsa out when I have the guys over to watch a game or for poker night. Any one of my friends that has had it once, will inivitably ask for it the next time they are over. It’s so fresh tasting. It’s the perfect mix of spicy and sweet and fresh. The only thing that improves it is a dollop of Guac on the chip right along side it. Thankfully, I’m always asked to be the taste tester while it’s being made. Does it need more of this? Of that? No honey, it needs more tortilla chips in my hands to eat it with.
Lovely Lady Cilantro Corn
I’m guessing I have your attention. In 2005, I was going in for my 6th round of Iodine Radiation treatment. I swear this story is good. Not depressing. But I will tell you this. I had 100% Follicular Thyroid Cancer at the age of 4. I spent 2 years in the hospital and I was diagnosed cancer free just before my 6th birthday. (Yay!) I went on to regular schooling, made friends, graduated high school, graduated UCLA, met my husband and then….In 2003, a week before my wedding I got THE news…the cancer was back. I went through a round of Iodine treatment in March of 2004 and then again in December of 2005. I’ll have you know that I have now been cancer free for the 2nd time for 5 years (holllllla!!!!!!)