Baptismal

Saturday evening, after church, we attended a baptismal. It had been a while since I've been to one and I always wonder what is an appropriate gift. But in the end I gave a beautiful cross for the child.

The ceremony was part of the Mass. Afterwards there was a nice dinner (the father of the child is a chef). Since this is an Italian community the meal was Italian --pasta and meatballs with a nice sweet sauce, salad and plenty of garlic bread to go around. As it turns out the gardnfather of the child had a birthday Friday so they surprised him with cake. Wow, two cakes...I was happy!

Baptismals are always a joyous time. It's like a new phase in life ;-)

Where did my nails go?

Lately I have been neglecting my nails. I guess it was before the holidays I had them painted red but since the holidays I just do a quick file and maybe top them off with a clear topcoat.

In looking at a chipped nail or two...I think why can't I just take a few minutes to do them? LOL! There's always something going on at my house and you would think I would stop to at least give myself a pedicure and manicure. My favorite words are "ok, I'll do them on Saturday night or Sunday afternoon"....Last night we went out to dinner. When we came home we watched a few dvd's and played cards. Why didn't I do them then? Sunday is here so I have no excuse!

We shall see ;-)

Tornado

So unexpected but we had a tornado warning this morning. Not one to be totally scared - I waited until it got really bad which it really never did. But, I watched from the windows to see what I should do next. All we got was a dark, green-like sky, rain, some wind (no hail, thank god).

The dogs were scared but most dogs are scared of loud thunder. I always find it hard not to comfort them because that only renforces their fear. Instead, I ignore them. We never had to got to the basement so all is well. ;-)

Saturday

It was nice to have a leisurely Saturday morning breakfast and clean up. The Christmas tree was put away as well as any lingering Christmas decorations. The rest of the day was spent relaxing - more like goofing around on the computer.

Church was @ 5:00 p.m., then we drove into the city for dinner. We ate at a local Italian restaurant "The Villa". I had a glass of red wine, veal parmagiana, plenty of bread and spaghetti was on the side. I like Saturdays like this - a nice evening out with the Hubs!

I'm still having sinus headaches which make me feel grouchy. One of these days I'll put up the humidifier and remember to use the breathe strips when I go to sleep ;-)

Friday, January 4

Friday was a busy, busy day for me. We rented a carpet shampooer. Yes, think of carpeting where dogs can mess up - puke and diarrhea. It happens when you have pets in the house. I'll never forget that day when "Jack" apparently was bitten by something (we still don't know what but the Vet thinks it was a fire ant) and he couldn't help himself - there was no time to run out the door and there he had diarrhea on my carpeting...sigh. You just can't get mad but feel sorry for him.

Then, I took down all the Christmas decorations. It seemed to take all day! By the evening I was sore (standing is not good for my back). I was so busy I didn't get a chance to lie down and take a nap. Usually that's the time I can stretch and feel better.

This & That

This morning was another cold one. I think it was 14 degrees when I walked my dogs. The sun is shining today but it still feels very cold. It hardly warmed up today. No snow in sight though, darn it! ;-)

I spent most of the day posting on iVillage, cleaning up my files and worked on the church bulletin. Yep, I am a church secretary. Tomorrow we will shampoo the carpeting - well, some of it. This weekend we hope to remove all the Christmas decorations. I think it's about time!!

I was named Community Leader of the Month on iVillage which of course is an honor. This is my 4th time.

Welcome 2008!

Today is January 1, 2008 - the first day of the year. This year I hope to workout more, stretch (like I'm supposed to) and take better care of myself - whether it be balancing my life (work & play) or taking time to "smell the roses".

Maybe it's also time for a "makeover" I don't wear a lot of makeup nor am I a "fashionista." So, maybe this year will be different. At any case, I hope the new year will be one that I strive to take stock and better myself.

Today I am resting, catching up on emails and posts, and whatever comes across my plate. Perhaps we'll play cards (Phase 10) and watch movies. There is a Monk marathon on today.

To those who pass by my blog - I wish you a prosperous New Year. Here's to 2008!


Ta-Ta...until later ;-)

Posole

At holiday time people throughout the world honor traditions, and New Mexico is no exception. One tradition many here look forward to on Christmas Eve is a steaming bowl of posole (po-SO-lay), a spicy corn stew that is known as the ceremonial dish for celebrating life's blessings.

New Mexicans have been enjoying posole for centuries. The cuisine here springs from three cultures: Native American, Mexican, and European. The Rio Grande Pueblo Indians, and their ancestors, the “Anasazi,” or "ancient ones,” relied on corn, beans, squash, and chiles for sustenance. These early crops became firmly entrenched in the culture, forming the foundation of New Mexican cuisine even before the Spanish arrived.

Corn has been and is the major food plant of the Native Americans. Red, yellow, and blue corn are cultivated in New Mexico. The corn is ground into meal and flour for use in breads and tortillas, and it is processed into posole corn.

Posole corn is prepared by soaking hard kernels of field corn (traditionally white, although blue is sometimes used now) in powdered lime and water - a method thought to mimic the ancient preservation of corn in limestone caves. After several hours, when the corn kernels have swollen, the liquid is allowed to evaporate and the kernels to dry.

Posole is different from hominy, another kind of processed corn, which tends to be softer and more bland. Compared to hominy, posole’s flavor is intense and earthy, its consistency more robust. Since posole corn can be difficult to find, hominy is often used as a substitute in posole stew.

The variations for posole are many. Some make it with chicken rather than pork; some prefer to use vegetable protein rather than meat. While posole in Southern New Mexico is always made with red chile, it is not uncommon to find Northern New Mexico posole made with green chile.

Ingredients for Posole

2 lb. Pork chops or tenderloin (cut into 1" cubes)
dried long red chile (or you may use frozen or canned chile)
2 T. salt
2 t. Oregano
2 t. garlic powder
4 cans White Hominy
1 t. cumin

Preparation

Place cubed meat in a large kettle with oil and one tablespoon of salt. Cover meat and cook over medium heat. Add all other spices and cook; then add red chile sauce and hominy. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Add the additional salt or more if needed for taste.

To serve, ladle the posole into bowls and serve with flour tortillas.

Happy New Year!

Today is New Year's Eve and I am making the traditional Mexican "posole" which is like a red chile soup. It is always made on New Year's Eve and is supposed to bring luck for the new year. It's make with red chile, white hominy and pork. It's very yummy and pepper hot.

Here's hoping the new year brings much joy, happiness and good health. I'm speaking about my "back" issues. Thanks to all who ventured to my blog and read what I had to say. Hopefully next year I'll be blogging more than I have!

One more thing to buy

As Christmas approaches, I find myself thankful this holiday season isn't stressful for me. Afterall, the reason for the season is the birth of Jesus.

Today I have one last gift to get and then I am done. It's nice to just sit back and look at the Chirstmas tree, the decorations, the presents and everything else that goes with this holiday season. And the weather will be great today...in the 60's.

Now I didn't say anything about what the traffic will be like!! ;-)