I was cooking yesterday and thought to myself how I take my cooking for granted. Cooking comes naturally to me. I come from a large family where all of our gatherings revolve around great food and loud music :) I learned how to cook at an early age by watching my mother and my siblings and then by pitching in. By the time I was seventeen I was cooking entire meals for my friends.
Cooking is something I enjoy and something that I've given little thought about. It comes naturally. I am only conscious of being healthy, but not of technique. That comes easily. It's not until I hear someone say that they can't even boil water that I am blown away. In most Latin household cooking is a must. Una mujer buena cocina - a good woman cooks. Although I am very open minded and consider myself non-judgmental, I must admit that somewhere deep down inside, I turn my nose up on women who don't know how to cook. Sorry, but I guess I am a bit old fashion when it comes to certain roles. To me cooking is a necessity, a way to save money, a way to be able to live on a budget whether you are young and single or have a large family. Cooking is one of the ways that I show my family love. Fresh baked muffins and hot chocolate on a cold morning. Buttermilk pancakes, home style hashbrowns, and fresh fruit when my husband comes in from a 24 hour shift. It gives me so much joy that I can't imagine not being able to express myself with food. My brother-in-law just graduated from Marine Corps bootcamp and my gift to him was a huge homemade meal - everything from spaghetti and meatballs, to fresh baked bread, oatmeal cranberry cookies, and bread pudding with warm toffee sauce. It made my heart swell seeing him and our entire family who was visiting, enjoy a meal that I made from scratch that I labored with love.
Anyway, thinking of cooking made me realize that maybe I should blog about certain dishes that I take for granted. So within the next few days I will try to include some easy recipes that anyone can try and many will enjoy. Buen Provecho!
Showing posts with label Familia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Familia. Show all posts
He's Always Listening
Last winter I was missing my family pretty badly and prayed for more quality time with them. I was really missing the bond and happy times we have always shared together, and that have been few and very long in between within the recent years. God heard and He answered. This summer was filled with lots of busy days, fun days, and family visits. My tank is full and my heart is satisfied, but yearning for more. I am just now getting a breather and able to catch up to my daily life. Normally I would be stressed out that the house is a bit messy and that everything is not in order, but honestly, right now, I don't mind. My heart and my mind are in order and that is all that counts. I will blog about our visits in future postings, but for now I must go because life calls...
Merry Christmas
This year we went to the 7:30 AM Mass. It was beautiful to visit with Jesus before opening gifts and before eating breakfast. My son volunteered to serve, so we had to get there extra early. My husband worked the night before, so he met us at church. Although the Mass was beautiful, I can't believe I am going to say this but, I missed the crazy crowd. It was a bit to calm for me - I know, I must be mad. I guess I am just used to having a livelier Christmas Mass. Don't get me wrong, being with Jesus is always special and I love the celebration of Mass. However, I think I prefer the hustle and bustle of the over crowded Christmas Mass with the choir and all the new faces.
After church we went home. Upon entering the great room I noticed a pink bakery box and a card! My husband is the best. When he came home to shower and change he placed my birthday cake and card on the kitchen island, so that I would see it as soon as I walked in. I read the card, cried, and then peeked at my delicious cake. We then headed to the tree and opened our gifts. It was so awesome to see those happy little faces. They were so grateful and so excited. It was the best. My hubby cooked us a huge breakfast while the kids played with their "toys" and I rested. I am the luckiest woman - he's great. He also made lunch and then everyone sang "Happy Birthday," to me and we had that yummy cake for dessert.
We spent the day just being together and then in the evening we went to a diner to pig out and then to the movies. It was a bit out of the ordinary, but it was great. I usually don't like to leave the house on Christmas and I usually make a huge dinner, but I have to admit that it was VERY nice having such a casual day. My husband really didn't want me on my feet all day slaving and so he insisted that I take it easy - being nine months pregnant, I took him up on that offer and I am glad I did :)
Christmas was a little different this year, but it was perfect and I wouldn't change a thing, not even the quiet early Mass.
Happy Holidays?
Holidays have always been my favorite time of the year. Growing up we always had a party to attend and something fun to do. When we were little the "party" house rotated, but the guests remained the same, except for a few stragglers. It was always la familia. The women cooked up a storm, the men played dominos, and the children eargerly exchanged stories, once caught up and comfortable, crazy playtime began! Eventually everyone would come together to eat, drink, and dance. By the end of the night a bunch of us kids would end up sleeping on top of a mound of coats that were haphazardly thrown on the bed, until the adults finished their festivities.
As we went from children to teens we still enjoyed our time with the family. As a matter of fact, invitations were extended to our friends and those we were dating. As teenagers and young adults, Mami's house was the gathering place where we all enjoyed a good meal, plenty of laughs, hugs, and just a straight out good time. Our gatherings were not for the lightweight, we kept it going until the sun came up or until the neighbors' complained. Those were the good old days, that at the time seemed like they would last forever. Growing up was so far away that no one worried about it.
However, growing up was inevitable and adults we eventually became; life forcing us to drift apart. Unexpected curve balls came our way. Not knowing that jobs and circumstances would force us to live many miles apart we took our times together for granted. In the early days we tried our best to retain our ties, but as the years have gone by, our families have joyously grown, and with each addition, life has made it more difficult for us to be together. At first its very noticeable and then not so much, the hope of next year made it cope-able. However, "next year" sometimes never came. Now the holidays are bitter sweet. We reminisce, sometimes with a smile and a story to pass on to our children. Sometimes silently with a tear that no one will ever see. We are grateful and now create new traditions with our own family, but sadly, those old traditions seem to be fading away.
Today, I am nostalgic. Today I am sad. I miss my parents, my brothers, my sister. I miss asking for "la bendicion." I miss my tios, tias, and cousins. I miss my crazy friends who were extended siblings. I miss our loud parties, our jokes, our laughter. I mourn the children we once were and I miss the little times we have gathered together with our now growing families.
I long to turn back time for just a few hours. I long to smell Mami's coquito, to hear the clanking of dominos being shuffled, to laugh at a joke even if at my expense, to dance until my feet hurt, and to look around the room and see those faces that I desperately miss everyday of my life.
I realistic long to have la familia closer, for my children to have their cousins to laugh and run around the house with, and for my own little family to get a glimpse of what I had growing up.
As we went from children to teens we still enjoyed our time with the family. As a matter of fact, invitations were extended to our friends and those we were dating. As teenagers and young adults, Mami's house was the gathering place where we all enjoyed a good meal, plenty of laughs, hugs, and just a straight out good time. Our gatherings were not for the lightweight, we kept it going until the sun came up or until the neighbors' complained. Those were the good old days, that at the time seemed like they would last forever. Growing up was so far away that no one worried about it.
However, growing up was inevitable and adults we eventually became; life forcing us to drift apart. Unexpected curve balls came our way. Not knowing that jobs and circumstances would force us to live many miles apart we took our times together for granted. In the early days we tried our best to retain our ties, but as the years have gone by, our families have joyously grown, and with each addition, life has made it more difficult for us to be together. At first its very noticeable and then not so much, the hope of next year made it cope-able. However, "next year" sometimes never came. Now the holidays are bitter sweet. We reminisce, sometimes with a smile and a story to pass on to our children. Sometimes silently with a tear that no one will ever see. We are grateful and now create new traditions with our own family, but sadly, those old traditions seem to be fading away.
Today, I am nostalgic. Today I am sad. I miss my parents, my brothers, my sister. I miss asking for "la bendicion." I miss my tios, tias, and cousins. I miss my crazy friends who were extended siblings. I miss our loud parties, our jokes, our laughter. I mourn the children we once were and I miss the little times we have gathered together with our now growing families.
I long to turn back time for just a few hours. I long to smell Mami's coquito, to hear the clanking of dominos being shuffled, to laugh at a joke even if at my expense, to dance until my feet hurt, and to look around the room and see those faces that I desperately miss everyday of my life.
I realistic long to have la familia closer, for my children to have their cousins to laugh and run around the house with, and for my own little family to get a glimpse of what I had growing up.
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