Brittany Rose White: Slope Suds 5 Year Anniversary Party

Brittany Rose White: Slope Suds 5 Year Anniversary Party: "Karla asked me to shoot some pictures for Slope Suds 5th Anniversary and what a blast it was! Good people, good drinks, and good food. Thi..."

Truly Mexican Mironovs

Today I made my first, complete mexican meal from scratch! (I finally made the poached chicken that went with the Holy Mole I spent 4 hours on last week.) Plus mexican rice, black beans and seriously spicy tomatillo salsa. umm... yum!!! 

I was so blessed to share the meal with an amazing friend, Krista, who had made me enchiladas when my arm was in a sling after surgery last year. Why is it so neat to share food and to break bread together? Is it because we like to catch up on old times and long, lost friends? Or is it because we like to do something, create something that both of us can appreciate and savor together? 
Anyway, I like it!

And, as a side note, it's very interesting to see the kinds of creatures your children bring into the house when you're not looking cause...you're cooking! ; ) That's Olesya and Gary the snail, and we did NOT eat him for dinner, because that would be FRENCH and we had MEXICAN!

Krista, thanks for the super date night and for making yummy chocolate, chocolate chip cookies for dessert! Yum!!!

Authentic Mexican cooking from Truly Mexican, (aka FONDA cookbook)

Kings County Fair 2011 - BONUS!

After 14 days of rain we finally had a splash of sunshine, sneaking past the clouds in Brooklyn. Hallelujah! So, where did we go? To Pasha's indoor ice hockey game! Well, there just happened to be a county fair camped out in the parking lot at Aviator Complex.  So, while Pasha played, Olesya and I wandered around the fair, played a $5 fishing game, ate a $4 corn dog, drank a $2 water, and rode a few kiddie rides.

Kings County Fair May 21, 2011

When Pasha was Olesya's age I was at one of my fibromyalgia peaks and an exhausted, stay-at-home mom. I distinctly remember being so relieved when Igor would take him to Coney Island without me, some of the few times I had alone to rest. But, I sorely missed the joy of seeing him skipping around the park and experiencing his first wonder wheel ride. So, having this one-on-one experience with Olesya at the fair was just perfect. We arrived early and even before the gates were opened, so we got to the carousel while the workers were still napping, waiting for the first guests to show. Olesya and I were literally the only two people on the whole carousel! When does that happen in NY?

That's joy, isn't it?

Shortly after, Olesya's little friend Anna and her mom caught up with us for some yummy treats. I loved watching the two almost-3-year-olds joyfully licking and munching their larger-than-life treats. (sans regarder *sigh*)

Anna and Olesya (we call them Dora and Ramona)

Pasha picked up a second game of hockey while we rode the Wiggle Wurm and some rather rickety roller coaster. After the game he and his friend Tebo came along and shared a giant bag of cotton candy before calling it a day. (I should have captured a shot of that jumbo cotton candy bag, which was pretty much as big as Olesya! It took 6 of us to eat it!!)

Pasha and Tebo with hockey helmet hair and cotton candy. 

 

Our little family day was loads of fun, even more so because it was an unexpected bonus. Like a weekend getaway, but without the stress of planning or packing.

Olesya's Cotton Candy Sugar Shock

 

 

I love family time more and more these days. Especially when we allow ourselves to stop and be thankful for the moments we share, to talk about them...and more importantly, to listen...(even when my 9 year old just has to say it 3 different ways)... and when we allow ourselves to reflect on the beauty we can enjoy in the midst of all the mess. The beauty that is family.

16 years and all's well!

Wow! 16 years of marriage bliss! Well... maybe not bliss. More like hit or miss . . .
. . . lol??

I do suppose it is more helpful than not to have a target, a goal of sorts to keep the marriage thriving. If you don't have a goal in sight you'll always be wondering when you're marriage is going to "arrive'. We do have a goal, but it's not lofty, to say the least. I mean, he doesn't expect dinner to be ready by 6pm and I don't expect breakfast in bed.

What we strive for is not really marriage bliss.  I think we're working towards more of a groove, per se. Not a cookie cutter relationship where the husband always does this and the wife always does that. But synchronization. Visualize synchronized swimming. It does make me laugh to think of it sometimes, but I've tried it and it's really, really hard! It takes a lot of deep breaths, counting, strength and endurance to stay in sync. (Wow, I think I've had to count to 10 once or twice in my marriage and I've definitely needed endurance.) It's notsomuch that you're doing exactly the same thing at the same time that puts you in sync. Sometimes you'll notice the swimmers doing different things at different times, but it flows! And it becomes almost musical. Visual harmony.

Well, I wouldn't call our marriage musical or harmonious, but we know we love each other and that helps us stay in sync. I know he likes his coffee black. He knows I like mine fancy. I know he loves/worships hockey. He knows I love/worship God! But I'm flawed. And so is he. So, what do we do with that? Remember those deep breaths? I'm kidding. So, I did get breakfast in bed for mother's day. But I'd never tell you that he put jelly instead of honey on my toast. Or that he used the wrong tray. Cause guess what? My husband gave me breakfast in bed on Mother's Day!

...and I might ask for it again tomorrow.

...ahem, this is how I spent our anniversary today. It's all good. I think we're going for dinner tomorrow, but Olesya and I shared a lovely post-rain walk this afternoon and here's what I captured.

Olesya in her "liggy bug" crocs spotting a flower in bloom

Dora, the dare-devil, going for a ride on the grocery belt

Little miss priss and Dora

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BABE! THANKS FOR HOLDING YOUR BREATH WITH ME!

Holy Mole!!

So, it's official! I've crossed over into a (mild) obsession with FONDA mexican restaurant. I've eaten there twice this week already, once with Olesya and also tonight with a friend that invited me because she had never been. (I have to say I was a bit embarrassed that I was there again as I ate there last week with my Aunt Zita from Ohio.) The waiters must think I have some kind of addiction. Can't really argue, but anyway... I spent the better part of my evening Wednesday making mole from scratch from the Truly Mexican cookbook I bought from FONDA. Of course I selected the most challenging recipe that required no less than 30 ingredients and, oh, roughly 4 hours of my time. But It had mexican chocolate in it!! I could NOT say NO to that, regardless of the challenge!

 Seriously, 30 ingredients!

The recipe called for 4 different kinds of chiles. Guajillo, chilhuacle, mulato and pasilla. I only could not find the chilhuacle negro, which would have made my mole quite a bit darker, pitch black like the one in the previous post, drizzled on top of roasted chicken enchiladas.

 Husbands are great for igniting things! Part of the process of making mole requires that you blacken the chile seeds, ignite them and then burn 2 tortillas which, when combined with several other roasted or fried ingredients, produce a dark, velvety, rich mole.

 

Lighting and burning the tortillas was quite fun, actually.  (I did keep a bowl of cold water nearby)

So 30 ingredients, a kitchen fire and 4 hours later I had a big, pot of velvety mole negro oaxaqueno, or black mole from oaxaca. Bueno! Now on to make the homemade corn tortillas. I think I'll serve this next Monday when my friend Krista visits.  With roasted chicken and guacamole perhaps! Mmm!

Saying of the day: If you can't take the heat don't light the tortillas! I couldn't resist.

dead heading

I walked to work this morning in the pouring rain in my 'rubber wellies'. (I learned that from my Scottish friend. It sounds so much more interesting than 'rubber rain boots'.) But, I had to fire someone today, so it seemed like a longer walk than the usual 3 or so blocks. Letting someone go is never easy and it's never fun. A not-so-nice way to start the day.

Running a business is like gardening. Deadheading. If you leave the dead pansies on the plant it may look fuller and colorful, but it's just a ruse. The dead flowers are sucking the energy and life out of the other lovely ones. So, I guess I was preparing a few weeks ago for this to happen as I was very carefully tending the pansies in front of the salon. It pained me to pinch off the wilted purple heads, but a week later the pansies came back so thick and beautiful.

So, I tended my garden today. And ironically enough when I walked home the rain had stopped and the sun was shining. (But my feet were hot and my legs were sweaty from wearing wellies all day.) 

In my haste to leave I had forgotten my phone at work, so my daughter and I took a walk up to the salon. After a quick little bang trim for Olesya and the promise, a.k.a. bribe, of a $1 toy at Toy Space, we stopped at our favorite mexican restaurant FONDA. In addition to the obligatory guacamole I had the most aMAZing chicken enchilada with black mole sauce! UN BE lievable! Did you know mole is made with about 30 ingredients with one of them being chocolate?? 

Chicken Enchilada with black mole sauce at FONDA

I can't think of a better way to end the day than this. Walking home, Olesya and I watched the sun descending over the park and then we chased each other in the grass. It had been cut a week or so ago, chopped quite roughly, but today it was super green and lush. A foreshadowing perhaps?

The photos are of today's highlights, which also include the purchase of a much anticipated, autographed version of the new cookbook from the chef at FONDA!

Peekin' at the park

True love for TRULY MEXICAN

TRULY MEXICAN, autographed by the chef

TRULY MEXICAN

PS, I had it autographed to 'Karlita', instead of Karla. Sorta like Wellies vs. Rainboots ; )

Blah-ing

I'm probably not the right person to be blogging. For me it should be probably be called blah-ing, because I often find my thoughts (and comments, too) going on and on and trailing off into blah, blah, blah...but nevertheless I am here to put some thoughts on paper, so to speak. Why not? I'll give it a whirl.

So, welcome! I hope you'll enjoy reading and following along with the never normal,  never-the-same-day-twice happenings that you will likely find in my blog.