A paintbrush and bubbles

 Beli was feeling under the weather this weekend. She complained of tummy ache, headache, her nose and mouth hurt as well. Hubby and I split our work day and we managed to keep her at home.  During these times is when the guilt of working full time sets in for both hubby and I. How wonderful it would be to have Grandma near. Soon....very soon.

 

We had a warm day so I urged her to get some sunshine.

 I brought out water and bubbles and the rest was up to her. She grabbed a paintbrush and decided to paint with bubbles. 

In the afternoon we visited the pediatrician. Beli did great until they poked her finger. 

Then she stated that she didn't like doctors anymore. 

My sweet girl. 

All the exams (flu, strep, bacterial ) came back negative.

Not much we can do other than lots of  love and attention.

A visit to West Texas

Last week  my grandpa turned 79 years old. I could not miss the opportunity to visit him.

My Mom traveled via train to Colorado from Iowa then together the three of us flew to Texas.

 By now, Beli is a pro at flying. She sat on her chair, buckled up and began reading the in-flight magazine! 

 Beli was so happy to see her cousin 

 and Abuelito. 

 Las cuatro generaciones~ four generations.

It doesn't matter if it's months or a year, Beli and Great-Grandmother pickup right where they left off. They have so much fun together. It's so good to be around family!

My uncle prepared asado for my grandpa's birthday and my aunt made home-made tortillas. 

Abuelito, joining us for the party!

The weekend went by so quick. In March my Mom is planning another trip to Texas, I'm sure I will tagging along!

This moment~ in January

-captured a beautiful sunrise at 7am.

-admiring the pretty plant picked by Beli on our last grocery shopping trip

-Beli cheered on the Broncos and Tim Tebow, sadly they lost against the New England Patriots

 -enjoyed a slice(s) of my favorite French-Croatian lemon cake

 -prepared chicken and edamame beans for Hubby and Beli

-Christmas tree continues to proudly stand in our living room

-Dora everywhere

 -Beli's creative corner

-An afternoon at the aquarium

~It's already mid-January

can you believe it?

Baked Eggplant with garlic and basil

Many months ago I discovered a new and delicious way to prepare eggplant. It's  in the elegant fan shape, a recipe I found here. (if you scroll to the bottom of the page, you will find the english version) It's easy to prepare and healthy because it's baked not fried!  Before, I was a bit apprehensive about cooking with an eggplant, the only way I knew how to prepare it was fried, and you know how much oil it can soak up!  But this recipe is super easy to make and doesn't require much time, and the aroma of the basil is amazing! 

Fresh basil from my 'garden'

1 eggplant

3 large tomatoes cut in half then sliced thin

300gm of feta crumbled

3 garlic cloves finely chopped

cup of parsley

olive oil

basil (best if fresh but can also use dry)

salt

Wash the eggplant, dry and cut slices as thin as you can but make sure the cut slices are attached to the top,

salt in between slices and let rest for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes drain water (won't be much) then oil all slices and stuff in between slices with all the ingredients as much as you can.

Bake at 350F for about 45-60 minutes (baking time depends on size of eggplant)

are you an eggplant fan?

Cocina Latina~ Latin Cuisine

When my sister and I traveled to New York last month, our friend Nando treated us to a fun group dinner at a Latin restaurant: Yerba Buena. 

Service was beyond attentive and the food was amazing.

 We began with picada (yucca, tostones, chorizo, chicharron and spicy rocoto salsa) and guacamole.

 Ensalada Yerbabuena ( jicama, avocado, tomato, orange, yerbabuena, and citrus vinaigrette)

 For entrees  we all shared: Moqueca, Costilla, Arroz con pollo, and Tacos de pescado.

For dessert we also shared: Churros sprinkled with cinnamon and a chocolate dipping sauce, Flan and pastel Tres Leches.

Would I recommend this place? yes!

Will I go back? yes

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Thanks again Nando for planning the whole trip and introducing us to an amazing group of friends.

and German we wouldn't have captured the weekend without your photography. Gracias!

(Today I went grocery shopping with Beli and I found jicama on sale! I'm thinking of preparing that same salad, although I can't guarantee the presentation will be as nice but I can give it a try.)

The snowflakes

"Beli do you want to go collect rocks and leaves to make a project?" I asked. 

A big enthusiastic yes came from her room.

We had just finished our rest time (a quiet time to recharge our bodies) and all the curtains were closed in our home. I walked to the front door and surprised by the weather I cried, " It's snowing!" (the weather forecast said snow, but all morning the sun was shining!)

Alright, change of plans.

"Beli, do you want to go and catch snowflakes?"

Another big yes came from her room.

Can you see the snowflakes?

and we found some rocks and leaves after all.