Been Gone Too Long

Too long? Dang right too long! The time is now one month since my last post, and probably my post before that was a month earlier.

Instead of blogging, or using Facebook and Twitter, my time has been spent unplugged. My phone has been on silent or turned off for church, for class, for work. Late nights, early mornings, rushing or taking off my shoes to enjoy the feel of warm carpet.

There have been days where I completely forgot to turn on my computer, respond to emails, open my postal mailbox or check voicemails. On those days, I ask Lesli to do certain things. This is not a perfect system but it keeps me more sane than if I tried to handle every single detail of the day. Not long ago I would have tried doing everything myself, but I learned and re-learned the lesson until it sank in: if mom’s not happy, then nobody’s happy.

I have been mostly smiling – except for the times I giggle like a schoolgirl or get buried in textbooks. I write school assignments in my notebook, then draft blog posts in my head. I have WAY TOO MANY goodies in the house from events I have attended, and scribbles everywhere about how to arrange a giveaway. Or several giveaways. So here I am, starting back at the beginning.

Hi. My name is Ofelia. I started college in the fall of 2010, found love this past summer, then said goodbye to my thirties last month. My days are crazy, and my evenings too. Some days I leave my class notes at home and carry a notebook full of empty pages. Some days I carry too many books because my bag “always feels this heavy” and still manage to forget my calculator at home. Sometimes I carry my bookbag on the weekends because I do not want to go find another bag. I misplaced my lip balm last week so now when my lips feel dry I reach for an almost sheer lipstick.

What do you think? Can you forgive me for being gone so long? Will you be cranky when I disappear again for a while – when exams and papers attack all at once? Do you have any news to share?

Read Full Post »

Say What 4 – Not Quite Bilingual – Wordless Wednesday

This past Saturday, I spent the day with Ruby of Growing Up Blackxican. It was a mommys-only outing, and we giggled about all kinds of things. We walked and talked, spotting people and things that are so very “only in New York”, such as an extravagantly dressed man in the subway (we raised our eyebrows) and a truck full of antiques (we got photos).

What got my biggest laugh was this psychic’s signs – because “reader and advisor” are fancy words even before the font change. So I got this photo for Wordless Wednesday. How many mis-spellings can you find, aside from the one I copied?

Say What 4

Read Full Post »

Monkey bars and beyond

In case you missed it, this morning Lesli and I were on television for Good Morning America’s discussion of teens and contraception. I copied the video to share in a separate post. The website for Good Morning America also has a short summary of what the panels – one all moms, one all teenagers – discussed with Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Here is a quote from me, as shared on their site.

“It would be like ‘Did you brush your teeth before you left the house?’” mom Ofelia Almedina told “GMA.” “Did you brush your teeth before bed, did you take your pill?”

I realize the editing team had a big job to handle, cutting down three or four hours of footage to three or four minutes, so allow me to clarify. In our house, Lesli decided that her method of birth control will be abstinence. She has seen other teens go through the drama and trauma, after having sex outside of marriage. Add this to the teachings of our church, my daily life as a single mother, the film they saw in school where women went through labor and delivery then held their babies, she decided on her own that abstinence is a very good idea.

To those who have met Lesli, this will be no surprise. To others who have not, I can tell you – she has always wanted to go her own way. When she was about two years old, Lesli wanted to cross the street by herself. I told her “no” and kept a grip on her hand. She was so emphatic about wanting to walk alone, she pulled and yanked her hand out of mine. She scraped herself on the curb. I never had to remind her about being careful while crossing the street after that. To this day if we walk together she reaches for my hand. She not only learned the lesson for that day, it stayed with her for life.

Lesli’s favorite story about when she was younger, would probably be the one where she fell off the monkey bars at school. She had been enjoying the sunny days, running and jumping around at recess, , but her hands were starting to get calluses so I asked her to please stay off the monkey bars. Lesli went on the monkey bars anyway, and fell off. When her father and I both got phone calls from school “she fell off the monkey bars” we rushed to school, found her sitting outside the principal’s office, and asked what was wrong. Lesli sat there quietly. The teacher said “she was complaining of shoulder pain, and we rolled up her sleeve, and saw this.” He and I looked at the teacher, looked at each other, and I forget who said “she had that since birth”. The look that the teacher had taken for “need emergency service” was more like “mom told me to stay off the monkey bars”.

So I guess what I should say here is: I know my daughter. I know she is constantly evolving and changing. As a two-year-old she was strong-willed, as a five-year-old she always wanted to face the obstacle, as a teenager I think the word for her behavior is determined. I ask that God gives me patience, wisdom, strength to handle all that we have beyond the horizon.

Read Full Post »

Mi Barrio – Graphic Novel – Lesli’s Review and Giveaway Notice

**Note from Ofelia**

I have been staying up late, waking up early, and disconnecting from social media, to study for final exams. This is Lesli’s review.

I think Mi Barrio is a great graphic novel. Many people only hear of successful people that didn’t struggle to succeed in life. Renteria’s story shows that people from El Barrio can be as successful as the ones you might expect to get far without working very hard.

The quote on the cover made me interested to read it.

Don’t let where you come from dictate who you are, but let it be part of who you become.

I agree 100% with this quote. Half of people who grow up in a Barrio expect to stay there, their whole lives. The other half of the people know there is something better, beyond the barrio where they are growing up.

The part that I would least like to have happen, would be the part where Robert had to pick up his father’s things and a woman came up to him wearing only a robe. I would probably freak out at that situation. I would feel bad for my dad, thinking that was a normal way to live.

One of my favorite parts of the book was when Robert surprised his mom with a new car on Christmas. I can just imagine this moment in real life. Delivering such a gift to his mother, has to be the most amazing feeling in the world.

Robert Renteria will be stopping by today to respond to comments. Anyone leaving a comment will be entered to win a free copy of the book. Final winner must be resident of the continental U.S. Good luck!

FTC Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher as part of a Condor Book Tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Read Full Post »

Sancocho 7 carnes- Sabroso Saturday

My mom is here today – she cooked rice and beans for us, which we ate with a roasted chicken from the deli section. We finished our meal a short while ago and then I remembered Sabroso Saturday. I need a recipe! She recited this from memory, making it seem easy and routine. Of course there are no measurements. This is a non-recipe, handed down from one generation to the next, because it’s so simple. It’s all about what looks good or smells good when you get to the store.

You should know, to my mom cooking is natural like breathing. For years she kicked us out of the kitchen, while she prepared a full meal for a crowd, every single day. Mami thinks nothing of making a sancocho. It’s much easier for her than making meat and potatoes, or any other food that needs a side dish. Sancocho is comfort food, one pot, one bowl. Most times, anyway.

Sancocho

This photo shows the last time Mami made a sancocho for the whole family. It was a spring day where the weather started out nice but hinted at rain.

We went out in the rain for groceries with my sister and Lesli -  after we were already on the road, the rain turned to a storm. It got so bad, the store even lost a window! Employees were running around with cardboard and planks to seal up, while we hunted for the best of everything. All of us came back home soaking wet and then the fun really started.

We had bought so much of everything, that the meats and vegetables overflowed from one pot, so Mami had to get another.

Sancocho de 7 carnes

(Stew made with 7 meats)

Ingredients

• Meat: beef, chicken, pork, guinea fowl, goat, rabbit, smoked ham (leave out any you don’t like or have)
• Vegetables: Celery, corn, green guineos, malanga, plantains, potatoes, squash, yautia, yuca (skip the sweet potatoes or anything that would go in a salad – we’re going for firm starchy vegetables)*
• Seasonings, herbs, spices: adobo, basil, bouillon cube, garlic, onion, oregano, salt, pepper
• Cilantro

Steps
Add seasonings to meats and put them in a large pot with room in it.
Cover with water, bring to a boil.
When the meat is starting to get tender (before it’s falling off the bone), lower heat to simmer and add vegetables.
When vegetables are soft and starting to crumble, the broth will start to thicken.
Add cilantro, keep on simmer for 10 to 15 minutes then turn off flame.

My favorite way to eat sancocho is over white rice, with chunks of avocado and hot sauce. We have no photos of that, because once we smell the food, everybody comes over to sneak a bowl.

*You can find lots of these in the frozen section, and sometimes even a blend of “sancocho” vegetables, but Mami says it’s better to buy them fresh. Whatever looks good, or smells good, or makes you smile when you see it in the store, that’s what you put in the sancocho.

I wrote this post as part of the Sabroso Saturday blog hop originated by MsLatina. She writes a post each week at her site – then other bloggers add links to their recipes. I would suggest grabbing note cards, stocking up on ink for your printer, because you will want to try more than one of these recipes!

Read Full Post »

Huevos Divorciados – Sabroso Saturday

A few weeks ago I was at my friend Lety’s house. Lety is a book lover, food lover, businesswoman, mom, wife. To put it simply, a woman I admire. Did you catch that bit about book lover? The vocabulary word would be bibliophile, which I really really like to say. Lety has business books, science fiction, romance, art, biographies and my favorite: food books. Not just recipe books, but books that involve food. Sitting in Lety’s house always feels like home. Very safe and comfortable. I grab something off the shelf, ask questions, we start talking about anything or everything..

This last time at Lety’s house I spotted her book Tacos by Mark Miller. This book tells you everything about tacos. How to make them, where to to buy special ingredients, which ingredients to use when, how to fill tacos, what to serve with  tacos. As I flipped through the pages, the photos made me drool. There is even a seafood section!

The recipe that made me laugh was “huevos divorciados”, divorced eggs. In the book, they are served on separate tortillas instead of being separated by a wall of tortilla chips. But I hope you get the idea.

This is Mark Miller’s recipe, the photo below came from Wikipedia.

Huevos Divorciados

Makes 8 tacos, Serves 4 – Heat level 5 (on scale of 1 to 10)
Prep time 20 minutes

• 1 1/4 cups Green Chile Sauce (recipe in book)
• 1 1/4 cups Red Chile Sauce (recipe in book)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 large eggs
• 8 (5 1/2 inch) soft yellow corn tortillas (recipe in book) for serving
• Garnish: crumbled cooked bacon

Heat the red and green chile sauces in separate saucepans, and keep warm.

Preheat a large, heavy nonstick skillet to medium-low. Melt the butter, then add the eggs and fry sunny side up.

This is a knife and fork taco. For each serving, lay 2 warmed tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a plate. Top each tortilla with a fried egg. Spoon some of the red chile sauce around one egg, some green chile sauce around the other.

*NOTE* In my house, the sauces would probably come from jars. Then we would add extra spices or chiles, and use premade tortillas to make the eggs the star of the dish. Since I like my eggs pampered, coddled, over medium, any way that leaves the yolk soft enough to dip, I might occasionally do this presentation below with tortilla chips. I hope to soon make my own tortillas, maybe adding flecks of fresh chiles in the masa.

Huevos Divorciados - photo from Wikipedia

This post is part of the Sabroso Saturday blog hop originated by MsLatina. You will find links to recipes from bunches of bloggers recipes at her site – grab a napkin now, because when you start reading all the recipes you might end up licking the monitor!

DISCLOSURE: The link for the Tacos book goes to Amazon. If you buy through that link, I get a percentage of the sale.

Read Full Post »

Surprise 1 – Wordfilled Wednesday

Yesterday (Tuesday) morning, I left home in New Jersey for a television show, to be broadcast live from New York. I thought everything was all under control, until my bus was delayed by construction on the highway. I made it to the studio, met up with Annie of mamaskeeper and tried to stay calm as the staff let people into the studio. After all, the line was moving. The line moved, until the moment that we were next. Then we were told that they were at capacity.

Just as I was about to take Annie out for an apology drink, a lady in pink appeared. Rhonda used to be a member of the staff for the show that had filled up. She offered us tickets with immediate entry to the Nate Berkus Show. You know, the very nice decorator who tried managing three kids and a minivan on Oprah. The guy who went all out for a 70s retro episode on design disasters (check out the sideburns). Annie and I were thrilled at the chance to actually watch a show taping. We followed Rhonda for a couple of blocks to Nate’s studio, where I convinced her to pose for a quick photo.

Annie and I went into the building, and spent some time in the  audience waiting room. When we finally got into the recording studio, we watched Nate and the staff record an episode full of room makeovers. I won’t give away too much, except that there were two daughters who had Nate surprise their mom with a little something extra, besides the room makeover.

I can tell you Dena Blizzard is really one funny mother. She kept us entertained and energized. She had the audience competing against each other – no tug-of-war, because somebody might have stepped on their pants. Before recording the last segment of the day, Dena called for a count on how many audience members had grabbed bananas for a snack later. That’s how I got my sticker. After the recording was done, Dena even posed for a photo with me.

On the way home, the construction crew was still going and I may have spotted some unusual things that can be future “WW – Wordless Wednesday” items – definitely more surprises to come.

PS: In case you’re wondering, Nate was a perfect gentleman. He thanked the audience for spending such a beautiful day, locked indoors with him. I subscribed to the show’s newsletter, so I can be on alert for “our” episode – sometime before Memorial Day. You might want to set your DVR for the next few weeks

 

Nate

Read Full Post »

Caldo Verde – Sabroso Saturday

This past Saturday Lesli and I went to our church’s annual mother/daughter dinner. The room was decorated in a garden theme, with creeping vines on the walls. The tables were set with pretty floral plates, and the napkins had butterflies and flowers on them. Each table had a basket full of bread, with oil for dipping. The teen boys were assigned the task: make sure the moms and daughters had food and drinks. Brother Angel (yes that’s really his name) checked to make sure all the ladies – young and not-so-young, were happy with their meals. Our first dish was caldo verde. It was delicious, and felt just right for these past few weeks – a big bowl of soup would comfort me when the weatherman starts to call for snow in April.

Caldo Verde - originally from Serious Eats.

I did a search for caldo verde. After comparing a few different photos, this recipe for Azorean Kale, Sausage and Bean Soup looks most like what we enjoyed. Caroline Russock shared this originally at Serious Eats. Read her post here.

This soup looks yummy, with tons of vegetables.  I will be making it soon, and serving it with warm crusty garlic bread (we mash the garlic with olive oil and add a few secret spices). NOTE: I cut and pasted Russock’s recipe exactly. There are certain steps where I plan to make changes, such as using canned kidney beans instead of soaking dried beans overnight. Also, since the recipe calls for garlic cloves, I plan to mash a bunch of garlic in my pilón (mortar and pestle) – some for the bread, some for the soup, some for future use, then mashing the beans in step  4. I’m not afraid of some bean skins.

Azorean Kale, Sausage and Bean Soup

serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups dried red kidney beans, picked over, rinsed, and soaked overnight in water to cover by 3 inches
2 tablespoons olive oil, or more if needed
12 ounces chouriço, linguiça, or dry-cured smoked Spanish chorizo, cut into 1/4-inch coins
2 large yellow onions, chopped
1 Turkish bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups homemade beef stock, or low-sodium store bought broth
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 pound collard greens or kale, thick center stems and fibrous veins removed, roughly chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Drain the beans, dump them into a medium saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are tender but still hold their shape, about 45 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers. Toss in the chouriço and cook until browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Fish out the slices with a slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat from the pot, or if the pot is dry, drizzle in more oil so you have 3 tablespoons. Add the onions and bay leaf and cook, stirring often, until the onions are deeply golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary to prevent the onions from burning.
3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the beef stock and 5 cups of water, add the potatoes, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are just tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. While the soup is simmering, spoon a third of the beans and a bit of the soup broth into a food processor. Pulse to make a loose paste, then, if desired, pass the paste through a sieve. Straining the paste gives the dish extra body without errant bean skins floating in your soup. It’s entirely optional but, I think, preferable.
5. When the potatoes are cooked, stir in the collards, chouriço, bean paste, and beans. Turn off the heat and let the soup sit for 10 minutes to marry the flavors.
6. Remove the bay leaf, season the soup with salt and pepper to taste, and ladle into warm bowls.

This post is part of the Sabroso Saturday blog hop originated by MsLatina. Check in at her site for recipes from other bloggers across the country, and from all corners of the internet. There’s no telling what everyone will be cooking!

DISCLOSURE: I was not paid to post about this event. There is an Amazon link with my Associates code, so if you buy the product I will get a percentage of that.

Read Full Post »

Daisy Martinez’s Banana and Dulce de Leche Strudel – Sabroso Saturday

By now you may have read my posts, or Rachel’s, about our visit to Daisy Martinez’s home. I am so glad that Rachel shared the recipes for Old-School Stuffed Mussels and Mushroom-Plantain-Stuffed Chicken Breast with Mango-Bacon Gravy, and Fenneled-Up Brussels Sprouts. These recipes were simple to make, and delicious to eat. Daisy really breaks down the steps to make things easy. I enjoyed everything we tried. I have to admit, just like at most meals, probably my favorite part of the meal was dessert, the Banana and Dulce de Leche Strudel. This strudel was intimidating at first, with the phyllo dough so delicate that it seemed magical. Don’t be scared though, because the dough is not expensive.

The collage is created from photos taken by Joseph of the Everyday People Project, Mimi (one of the other bloggers), and Carolina, Daisy’s assistant. If you look carefully, you see in the bottom left what looks suspiciously like a family. It was an experience I won’t soon forget

Banana and Dulce de Leche Strudel

Makes 12 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

6 ripe bananas
Juice of 1 lemon
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
16 sheets of phyllo dough
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup finely crumbled dry-textured almond cookies (such as Stella d’Oro), amaretti cookies or anise toast

1. Slice the bananas lengthwise into quarters, then cut them crosswise into half-inch (or so) pieces. Toss them in a bowl with the lemon juice and set aside.
2. Using the sugar and 1/4 cup water, make a caramel (like in the beginning of Daisy’s Guava Flan recipe). As soon as the caramel is done, remove the pan from the heat and (carefully!) pour the cream into the pan. It will bubble up, then die down. As soon as it is safe, whisk the caramel until smooth and creamy. Return the skillet to low heat and whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk in the cinnamon and set aside to cool briefly.
3. Add the caramel and pecans to the bananas, stir well but gently and set aside. Heat the oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Lay the phyllo sheets out on the work surface and cover them with a damp (clean) kitchen towel. Remove 2 sheets from under the towel, set them on a dry clean towel and brush the top sheet with butter. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the crumbled cookies over the butter. Repeat 3 more times to make 4 layers of phyllo, butter and cookies. Spoon half of the banana mixture over the center of the phyllo, leaving at least 1 inch on both of the short ends and about 2 inches along the long ends. Using the towel, fold the long sides of the phyllo over the filling, then pinch the ends together to seal. Tuck the ends under the log. Flip finished log onto prepared baking sheet. Brush top with melted butter.
5. Repeat process to make second strudel log.
6. Bake until golden and crispy on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

At Daisy’s house we had extra caramel, which was served over the strudel. When we sat to eat, there was maybe a minute of talking while everyone admired the beautiful food. As soon as we took our first bites, there was silence. The crystal chandelier glittered, the wind blew trees up against the house, and inside the only noise was forks against dishes.

Strudel

You can find more of Daisy’s recipes at her site, her blog, and of course in her books.

I want to leave you with two quotes from Daisy:

• “contrary to what your mom said growing up, it’s okay to play with your food.” But more importantly
• “never let anybody tell you what you can or can’t do – grab on to that dream and ride it till the wheels fall off”.

So if you want to make a feast, get in the kitchen, roll up your sleeves and give it your all!

Remember, every Saturday is Sabroso Saturday – check MsLatina’s website for recipes from bloggers all around the world, and all corners of the internet.

Read Full Post »

Cooking is Love – When I Grew Up

I have to confess something. You may be shocked. Growing up at my mami’s house, I didn’t cook  at all until about age 15. My mom wanted her three daughters to focus on school and make good grades. She never explained, but I understand now. Mami wanted us to get out of the neighborhood where we were being raised. You’re thinking .. yeah, so .. what parent doesn’t want their child to have a better life? Raise your hand if you came down for school one day and saw blood smeared on the wall of the ground-floor hallway of your building. Thought so.

When my mother finally let me into the kitchen it was because she had a job outside the home. By then I was  about 15, old enough to understand that feeding a family is an act of love, sacrifice and giving. So when mami said to me and my sister (about 2 years younger) “ustedes van a hacer habichuelas y carne, cuando yo llegue hago el arroz y la comida está completa” (you two will make beans and meat, when I get home I’ll make the rice and it’s a full meal) I took this as a serious responsibility. On holidays like Nochebuena, when mami let me take over the kitchen two or three days early to season a pernil (pork roast), I raided the refrigerator and every cabinet. Ajicitos, paprika, achiote, oregano,  garlic, onions, I used everything. Recipes were not part of the ritual. The menu was guided by what was available, and mami was glad to sample whatever I created.

It seems like not much time passed while I learned to make a few things in my mami‘s kitchen. I moved out and never thought about the joy of cooking until I had my own daughter. Cooking for myself seemed like a chore. When Lesli saw her father cook and take over the kitchen with a flurry of pots, pans, sauces, spoons and secret ingredients, she was intrigued. When it became just us girls, we bonded over stories, flavors and smells of food. That was when the kitchen became the heart of our home.

I won’t pretend it was always fun in my kitchen. But there was hope. Some days food got burned, overly seasoned, or I was too stressed to think “what to cook” and wanted to make sandwiches. On those days, I watched food shows on television. When I didn’t have pay TV, cooking shows on PBS gave me inspiration. Then came the Food Network, and the Cooking Channel with 24 hours of food shows available. The chefs, gadgets, techniques .. don’t even get me started on the competition shows. I could eat ham and cheese with mustard on white bread, but taste grilled chicken marinated in balsamic vinegar and sun-dried tomatoes. It didn’t matter if I had balsamic vinegar or sun-dried tomatoes on hand. The extreme close-ups, vivid descriptions, and enthusiasm of the chef or host always took me past imagination, even triggering that special spot by your ear that jumps when you eat mustard on a hot dog.

Fast-forward to 2009. I accepted reality. My books include a cookbook collection, ranging from exotic to simple with a couple of collectibles that found their way to me. Lesli is curious about how to combine different foods, flavors, textures. She is unafraid to try things that sound weird. She throws bijol into white rice, or adds a special ingredient to sweets. When I suggest exploring a new restaurant or new neighborhood, Lesli gets her comfortable shoes. We split dishes and order things that aren’t on the menu. And I, the girl who wasn’t allowed in the kitchen while mami cooked for the family .. I’m sharing recipes and stories every week.

While typing this post, I realized that in Spanish the words for “recipe” and “prescription” are exactly the same – RECETA. Makes sense, when you consider that too much of this or not enough of that, and you don’t get the intended result.

Every morning I wake up knowing that my life is amazing. And every night I thank God for giving me the energy to participate in the day’s events. On February 19 I’m getting the chance to do something I never dreamed possible. Look for “cooking is love, part 2″ on February 26.

Read Full Post »