Tested my skills at a new recipe: Spanish Tortilla (Spanish Omelet)

Patrick and I were to a friend's going away party this fall. He's a guy from Spain, and included in his table of feastly culinery wonders...was this incredible snackable called Spanish Tortilla!! He explained for me how to make this delicious thing...and I experimented with a few other things and had a blast!  The first one came out a bit dry and lacking in flavor, so I tweaked a few things and made the second masterpiece. 

  

When your Italian fiance goes to the grocery store to pick up tomatoes.

I sent my Italian love to the grocery store for the first time tonight, and he called me with questions and issues...the conversation was hilarious!

"Amore, I know we always get the tomatoes from Trader Joe's...which kind do you want from Ralph's because that's where I'm at."

"The tomatoes on the vine are the juciest"

"Okay, so you dont want the Roma tomatoes?"

"No, love, they are beautifully red, but not nearly as juicy."

He laughs. "Amore, you are so passionate...it's so cute."

"Well, it's important to be passionate about tomatoes! Shit, babe, I should have been the Italian in the relationship!"

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"Okay, so I got us some parmesan cheese too. Do we need garlic?"

"Babe, we never need garlic in my house.  It's always plentiful."

"Okay, what brand of paper towels do you like?"

"Brawny"

"Amore, I dont see it. How do you spell it?"

"B-R-A-W-N-Y"

"I still dont see it."

"Wait...we dont need paper towels....do you mean toilet paper?"

"Yes....toilet paper."

Me (laughing) "Charmin.  Spelled C-H-A-R-M-I-N. Or Quilted Northern."

"Okay, amore, they have both of those"

"Buy whichever is cheaper"

"They have the 12 roll = 24 rolls"

"No...those are the double rolls and they dont fit on the toilet paper holder."

"Okay amore. I think we're good. I'm not buying desert."

"Good, sweetie. I don't eat dessert remember?"

"I'm walking past the gelato section now...walking....still walking...."

"You bad boy! The ice cream freezers aren't anywhere near the toilet paper section!"

"Amore, they dont have the chocolate peanut butter flavor!"

"Patrick!"

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"Okay, there's a Baskin Robbins across the street from where you are. They will have the BEST flavors."

The Power of Positive Thinking is not a new concept!

A quick little guide to healing your ailments, be they physical, emotional or spiritual. This little book and the practices of the Self-Realization Fellowship brought to life by Paramahansa Yogananda proves that the power of positive thinking and the law of attraction are not new concepts. 

Helping mama cook

On the dinner menu this PM:

One over-easy egg atop garlic & basil-marinated black beans on a bed of quinoa cooked with garlic and vegetable broth as a substitute for water. 

Our Blessed Happiness Jar

I came home this evening to find that my beloved mala Buddhist prayer bead necklace that has survived many moves all over the US through the years had broken, depositing its bodhi wood beads all over the place. Rather than viewing it as a sad bad omen, I decided to rehome these beads that have travelled with me everywhere along the bottom of my brand new happiness jar that I decided to start for 2015!! 

The concept behind a happiness jar is to place on a small piece of paper, at the end of each day, something from that day that made you happy. And then, as the jar fills with happy thoughts, one day, when perhaps you are not feeling very happy, you can reach in and pull out several happy thoughts to read and recall :) 

I thought this a very nice thing for Patrick and I to participate in together as we plan our future life together as a family. And then one day, our children may participate too!! 

"Darling, I suffer. Please Help Me"

Please watch the following video of an interview given by Oprah with my personal hero, Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist Monk, Teacher, Speaker, Author.  He hit the nail on the head in speaking about the 4th Mantra being the most difficult for us as a human species to practice. This interview brought me to tears multiple times as many things he spoke about really hit home. The following, is the outline of the Mantra's in which Mr. Hanh speaks of.

The Four Mantras:
1. Darling, I am here for you.
2. Darling, I know you are there. And I am so truly happy.
3. Darling, I know that you suffer. That is why I am here for you.
4. Darling, I suffer. I am trying my best to practice. Please help me.

As Thich Nhat Hanh so appropriately states: "How can  you love, if you are not there?"

I have some work to do.

Ginger bells, Ginger bells!!

Trader Joe's just introduced this fantastic new high quality (no surprise there) beverage just in time for the holidays! I, for one, am a HUGE lover of Ginger Ale, but this has more of the same kick that ginger beer (non-alcoholic) has in that it's made from the REAL stuff and not loaded with all that other crap! I found that it makes for a wonderful virgin alternative to mimosa when mixed with a splash of orange juice! This could be a fantastic thing to serve up at your holiday parties and to enjoy especially on Christmas morning! (Or for that hangover on New Years Day ;-)