Isla- Sept 2010- And the rest...

And, this, mi amigo, is where the trip report goes LOCO! I got so incredibly lazy that my journal just went blank. Nothing. Nada. So, we do it with pictures!!!! We moved over to Media Luna and I decided to go for a walk into town to pick up provisions. Okay, to shop and get food. But first I collected some Sea Glass. Carpool at the school! Casa Luz Spa Casa Sirena Street Cool House New Turtle Sculpture A stop at Qubano to visit with Vivian, refresh with some of her delicious watermelon water and get some yummies to take back to Mr. Wonderful New Recycling Bins! Mmmm...A Vivian Salad and Hungarian Potatoes to go, eaten seaside. Lazy afternoon at the pool Okay, this is bizarre - (enlarge pics below by double clicking) This guy and his wife were taking pics of each other on the beach. And he had his swimsuit pulled down under his butt! His entire butt was hanging out! It was so weird. They'd go behind the rocks and take some pics, then back on the beach. All the while his butt hung out. They were at this for about an hour. Truly bizarre!!! Mr. Wonderful All festive for the El Grito (or just for my visit, perhaps!) Festive Decorations in the Zocala Fabulous dinner at Olivia with Steve, Tio Bobby, Brad and Tiffany. I failed to get a pic of Brad. I'll get a good one in a couple of weeks when I'm back, to make up for it!!! The food at Olivia is to die for, the atmosphere is superb. We were seated in one of the Pavillions. I had a hot flash. My dinner companions iced me down and all was well. Good times! My Isla Kitty View from our 'outdoor living room' at Media Luna Breaky Cute kitty sleeps under my lounge chair A morning of Sea Glass hunting Food from Qubano --- OH, BABY!! Cool Airstream at the carnival Me and mi amiga, Miss Luna. Yes, black cats follow me. Coincidence? I think not. Mr. Wonderful. Breathtaking. Spectacular Sunset as seen from our table at Ballyhoo. Breathtaking, too. Betsy, Me and Gail at Ballyhoo This is Gregorio, whom I adore. I apologize for the video being sideways, I've tried every way to fix it. (lesson learned) He sings a beautiful romantic song for us! We found this tiny Siamese kitten the night before we left. I notified Josephina the next day via email and she was able to trap her. She is growing, healthy and happy now living at Josephina's home and is available for adoption! Last Breakfast before boarding the evil ferry home. A & G's is always a great pick. Bacon, eggs, rice and beans for Mr. Wonderful Chicken Chilaquiles with Salsa Verde for me. Absolute heaven! Repairs being done to the walkway at Playa Media Luna add an extra degree of difficulty! Adios, Isla! I love you!!! So that's it, until next time! Thanks for reading! Mmmmwah!

Sh*t My Mom Says

Do you remember all those things your 'Mother always said'? Here are the things I tell my kids: 1) "Life isn't fair. Nobody told you it would be. I was there when you were born and nobody said 'Welcome to the world! It's fair here!'." 2) To my teenage son when he started driving "Rule number one : Remember that all other drivers are crazy and trying to kill you" and 3) "Be home by midnight. The only things open after midnight are Emergency Rooms and legs. You don't need to be in either." 4) "Always be nice to the nerdy-brainy kids. They're usually nice, and you may need to work for them someday." 5) This one is nightly: "Dinner's ready! Get your own drink. I'm a cook, not a cocktail waitress." In summary, be careful, don't get anyone pregnant, be nice, don't whine and don't expect me to serve you. Wow...I'm deep.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

I didn't take a pic of these because I didn't know they'd turn out so good, so I admit that I stole the pic above. Deal with it. These were really, really good and pretty low carb. No, I'm not turning into some Atkins zombie, but I have significantly cut down on bad carbs. Translation: The December Sugar Plum Fairy Fest is over. My pants are thanking me. ASIAN LETTUCE WRAPS (This fed two of us for dinner and I had enough left over for a snack the next day) Head of Boston or Bibb lettuce (leaves carefully separated to keep intact, washed and patted dry) 1 lb lean ground beef 1 bunch of green onions 1 t minced garlic 1 t Ginger (recipe I looked at called for pickled, but I just used powdered) 1 can of water chestnuts 6-8 baby carrots (you can add more if you wanna 'veg it up') 4 T Rice Vinegar Soy Sauce Hoisen Sauce (recipe I looked at called for Hoisen, but I used Sechuan Stir Fry sauce because I had some) Chop green onions, water chestnuts and baby carrots. Dice the carrots small or matchstick size. Set aside. Brown ground beef with garlic and drain. Add the chopped veggies and the rest of the ingredients. Add Soy Sauce and Hoisen/whatever sauce to taste. Continue cooking until onions are partially cooked. Wrap the meat up in the lettuce leaves like a burrito and enjoy!

January....Yuck!

January is my least favorite month. 1) It's cold I am not a 'Winter' person, which is why I live in Texas. I don't like snow unless it melts away quickly and I don't have to drive in it. I have been skiing, but I'd much rather go to the beach and I think that Ice Fishing and things like that are insane. I don't like winter clothes, as too many layers and socks make me claustrophobic. I just want to stay in bed and stay warm. Which bring me to... 2) Sleepy Maybe I'm just worn out from the holidays or maybe I just need to hibernate, but I just want to sleep all the time! This, actually is a bonus because it makes the month go by more quickly and I can't eat while I'm asleep. 3) Hungry Yep, it's time to drop a few pounds. I didn't gain anything over the holidays, which is a blessing, but I didn't lose anything over the summer like I usually do because I was writing a cookbook and those two things just do not go together. So, I am laying in bed curled up with a celery stick and in a foul mood. 4) W2s- I have a LOT of those to get out. I get tired of people calling me about them. Stop the madness or I will beat you senseless with a celery stick. Now, the big question -- since I'm not normally this bitchy and don't really like myself when I am (and don't want to drive away Mr. Wonderful) -- What am I going to do about it???? 1) I am going to come up with some tasty low cal recipes and post them on my blog. 2) I am going to make jewelry and shrines. 3) I am going to look forward to vacation and to Spring. A medically induced coma really sounds like the best plan except I don't have that many vacation days. Any other suggestions are deeply appreciated.