Grilled Garden Cheddar Sandveech:
Slice up some cucumber, green bell pepper, onion & cheddar cheese. Butter one side of two slices of bread. Place one slice of bread, butter-side-down on hot pan, layer with cheese first, onion, cucumber, bell pepper, then another thin layer of cheese & top with other slice of bread. Flip when golden (or brown & crispy like I like it) & fry the other side. Slap it on a plate & open it up to spread a nice thick layer of mayo on the veggies… slice & devour!

“If you hate your parents, the man or the establishment, don’t show them up by getting wasted & wrapping your car around a tree. If you really want to rebel against your parents: outearn them, outlive them, & know more than they do.”

- Henry Rollins

I wish someone had told me this when I was a teenager, instead I was smoking cigarettes in the parking lot with all the other “rebels”.  Psh.

Last week I finally received my Horn of the Moon cookbook after what seemed to be an eternity, although it was only a couple days.  All the recipes make me salivate, and its one of the few cookbooks that I can actually see myself fixin up 90% of the dishes!  It even has a meal planning suggestion section in the back of the book, which I LOOOVE.  Um hmm.

So I started with somethin’ easy… Chalupas.  Now, these are super-duper easy if you buy guacamole, salsa & refried beans at the store, but they wont taste as good, and they wont hold as much love.  So I’m gonna share with you the more complex/tasty way…. (a slightly modified version of Horn of the Moon’s)

Make salsa & guacamole first:

SALSA:
(Makes 3 cups)

• 1 28-oz can whole tomatoes in juice (or 6 finely diced medium-sized fresh garden tomatoes)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (or more!)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp olive oil (or sunflower oil)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 onion, very finely chopped
• 1 green pepper, very finely chopped
• 4 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or more)
• 1 jalapeño, minced (or not)
• 1/4 c cilantro, chopped (or more!)

Crush tomatoes & chop finely or run through food processor.  Combine with all the ingredients & chill it, baby!  Tan rrrrrrico!!

GUACAMOLE:
I first made a half batch of this.  DUMB!  Do not make the same mistake as me!  You’ll regret it!!  Makes about 2 cups.

• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1.5 c tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• A dash of cayenne pepper

Peel & pit avocados.  Mash well & add the rest of the ingredients – stir well.

Now… try not to eat all the guacamole before you finish making dinner.

HAVE READY:

1. Home-made Guacamole
2. Home-made Salsa
3. Shredded Lettuce
4. Green & Red Pepper Rings (or not)
5. Onion Rings (or not)
6. Diced Tomatoes
7. Sour Cream
8. Minced Olives (or not)

CHALUPAS:
(makes 4 servings)

• 8 8in. flour tortillas
• Oil for frying tortillas
• 2 cans pinto beans
• 2 TBS olive oil (or sunflower oil)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1.25 c grated cheddar cheese
• 1.25 c grated pepper jack cheese

Fry tortillas individually in a fry pan in enough hot oil to cover the bottom of the pan.  The tortillas should sizzle & bubble up.  When the tortilla has become golden on one size, flip.  Drain & set on paper towels.

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Start making refried beans… heat beans in a small pot on med.  When heated, drain water & add oil.  Turn stove down to low & season beans with garlic, salt, cayenne pepper, & cumin – mash with a potato masher.

Lay out 4 tortillas on 2 cookie sheets, spread beans over them, and sprinkle with cheese.  Stick them in the oven, open-faced, for about 5 minutes or just enough time to melt the cheese.  Spread salsa on top of the beans, 2-4 TBS each. Put the other 4 tortillas on top and put back in the over.. heat through another 2-3 minutes.  When chalupas come out of the oven, top with lettuce, then peppers, onions, tomatoes & big dollops of guacamole & sour cream.  Yummmmmmie!

It’s pouring down rain here, during Hanks normal afternoon dog walk, so I’m stompin’ around in my birthday heels while I can.  I made meatloaf.  Chris thinks I’m a “weirdo” for taking pictures in his studio of my feet next to his art.  Whatever!

Last night was my Best Friend No. Two’s last night in town before moving to Cali Cali, so she invited me over for some scrumptious food and a beading session.  Actually, she didn’t bead, she made zucchini bars while her sister, Bestsy, and I beaded… which is very like her to sacrifice creating fashion jewelry for sweets (the zucchini bars were filled with chocolate and topped with frosting).

I love my necklace!!  Although, I can only wear it while Amélie’s asleep or if I ever go out or else she might pull all the charms off.  It’s also extremely difficult to keep from getting tangled.

Now that I’m a Mama, I know that there isn’t much use in making a birthday wishlist because now I’m the one who fulfills the wishes… but I thought I’d give it a go anyhow.  There is still my mama anyhow, and my dear “husband” who quite possibly could score some unexpected cash just in time!  September the thirteenth I’ll be twenty-three.

1. “Easy Indian Cookbook: The Step-by-Step Guide to Deliciously Easy Indian Food at Home“, please!  Don’t you want me to eat well?  & the book will just be bathroom reading material without the spices: Ajwan Seed, Black Indian Salt, Cardamom, Garam Massala, Methi Leaves, and Mustard Seed.
2. The Applause UAE20 Acoustic-Electric Deluxe Mini Ukulele is my dream uke at the moment, but givin that I don’t actually know how to play the ukulele yet… I would probably do just fine with a uke for half the price.  The thing is is that my mom has two ukuleles that sit in storage and never get played and I’d just LOVE one of those!  Hint. Hint.
3. Now I’ve been wanting the Capezio Theatrical Footlight Heels since I first went Salsa dancing in Bolivia, which was really only a year ago… but I could probably dance salsa for two full days if I had the right shoes.  I know they don’t look much like a Latin dance shoe, but they’re more my style.  And now that I’m taking salsa lessons, I can justify owning them!!
4. Because I am such a good internet shopper, I can buy like 3 outfits, a couple pairs of tights, and a cute bag for under $100 at Forever 21.  Can you imagine how much happiness a Forever 21 Gift Card would bring to a poverty-stricken girl like me?  And all my panties are from there too… except a pair I got from Victoria’s Secret 4 years ago.  I don’t have any F21 panties that are 4 years old, which goes to show that happiness lies in a Victoria’s Secret Gift Card.
5. During my first year of college I bought this beautiful matte black Kona Smoke bike so I wouldn’t have to buy a car.  Then I bought a car 4 months later.  But the point is that I miss that bike, and I can’t ride it with a baby on my hip… and I heard that the iBert Safe-T Front Mounted Child Bicycle Seat is the bomb and I neeeeed ittt!!  And then Amélie will need a sweet chickidee helmet.

These muffins son tan rico. I made half of them without chocolate chips for the Kitty (a.k.a the Papa who doesn’t like too much sweet), and half of them with chocolate for myself. Aside from the fact that I always over-mix my batter because I haven’t learned to accept lumps yet, they turned out better than I’d hoped. I thought I’d share my recipe…

Position rack in center of oven, preheat to 375ºF with pan in the oven. When pan is warm, pull out & grease with butter.

Whisk together thoroughly:

• 1.25 c. white flour
• 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1/4 c. flax seed
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon (I usually replace cinnamon with Pumpkin Spice!)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg (omit if using Pumpkin Spice)

Stir in chocolate chips, amount depending on your sweet tooth.

Whisk in large bowl:

• 1 large egg
• 3/4 c. packed brown sugar
• 2 ripe bananas
• 6 TBS vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla

Add mixtures together until dry ingredients are moist.  The batter should not be smooth.  Divide batter among muffin cups & bake about 18 minutes.  Knock off a few minutes for mini-muffins.

Amélie’s birth certificates came in May.  They were nice and crisp and lovely new, so I filed them in the “To File” box.  Then, just recently I went to file them and realized that her middle name was spelled wrong.  Oh that silly State of Colorado – those dummies made a mistake.

Didn’t think it was much of a problem til I checked up the correction process on the Vital Records site, downloaded the correction form & WHAT WHAT?!  $20 correction fee PLUS I’ve gotta pay for all new copies ($17 for the first, $10 for additional copies)?!  But it was COLORADO’S fault, Vital Records’ fault, not mine!  I even had a copy of her birth certificate form I sent in, showing that I had spelled her middle name correct: S-O-L-E-I-L.

Finally got a hold of the vital records corrections agency & they shuffled through their files and found that my midwife had spelled Amélie’s name wrong on HER form that she sent in.  Vital records told me that I could ask my midwife to pay the correction fee, but that she doesn’t have to – and I wouldn’t ask her anyway, since she gave me a killer poverty-deal on my prenatal care/birth.  And, obviously, I probably wouldn’t ask to have her pay for the extra copies, since buying three was my choice.

IF I would have noticed that error within 30 days of receiving the 3 birth certificates, then I wouldn’t have to pay nada.  But, now I’m going to blame the English language for making “IE” look more correct than “EI”, because I certainly don’t want to take credit for overlooking my daughter’s name on the only important record I’ve been in charge of her whole life.

So, shitty-kitty, now we get to count up $57 out of our change bucket to pay for the correction.  How expensive are those thick pieces of paper with the water stamp?  Seriously?!

Counting Kisses: A Kiss & Read Book
(Hardcover Boardbook, 2003) for babies
Author: Karen Katz

“A tired and crying baby is kissed and fussed over by all the members of her family (including the cat and the dog) until she is comfortable enough to drift off to sleep. Colorful mixed media illustrations accompany the text.”

The Quiet Book
(Hardcover, 2010) Ages 3-5
Author: Deborah Underwood
Illustrated by: Renata Liwska

“Different kinds of quiet are beautifully shared here by all sorts of creatures, including bears, mice, wombats, moose, and rabbits. The quiet that happens right before the birthday candles are blown out, when a wish is being made, is one kind of quiet. Another is the comfortable quiet that best friends have sometimes. The many thoughtful kinds of quiet are accompanied by sweet illustrations.”

Ladybug Girl at the Beach
(Hardcover, 2010) Ages 3-5
Author: Jacky Davis
Illustrated by: David Soman

“Lulu, who likes to wear a ladybug costume, goes to the beach for the first time and makes sand castles, flies kites, and deals with her fear of the ocean.”

Chris’ brother is a tattoo artist, so when he was down (or up here at 7,000 ft.) this week, I finally got my ankle tattoo “finished”.

My last boyfriend, Charlie, and I had a pretty magical mushroom trip when we were 17.  It was just the two of us.  We’d camped beside a stream which fell down a waterfall into a pool below situated at the start of canyon, and we woke up drinking a gallon of grapefruit juice and chomping mushrooms.  The trip turned into a scene that was mixed between Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Natural Born Killers… and it felt as though we were in hell– but a good hell.  There were bugs crawling all over the river rocks, flies crawling over our skin, and birds swooping down on us.  The birds came from a cave near the start of the canyon, but the way they flew out of the cave in swarms made it look like they were bats.  By the time the birds made it to us and began swooping, they seemed to resemble swallows.  Through our teary eyes and the distracting flies buzzing about our heads, we decided that we better not try to solve the mystery of whether the birds were birds or if the bats were bats… so we took a bunch of pictures with a disposable camera.

When we got the film developed a week later, there wasn’t a single bird/bat in the sky, nor any flying out of the cave.  I showed the pictures to my dad and told him about our hallucination.  He said something that confirmed my suspicion, and really changed my outlook on the universe.  He said, “There are things that are in other dimensions we are unable to see in our day-to-day consciousness.  Sounds like the mushrooms opened your mind to another dimension!”

Ever since then I’ve been fascinated with the theories of metaphysics, and my belief system has become completely open-ended.

So… my tattoo represents the unknown, and the things we cannot see.