Holy Pepper

While in Cabo, our posse of five rolls into a truly authentic Tortilleria on old San Jose del Cabo. So authentic in fact, our college sophomore level of Spanish doesn't get us past pollo, bisteca, and camaron. The entire place is inhabited by only locals except for us. We love authentic cuisine and sought out a place recommended to us and when we came across this joint, oh, even better. Since we were going to end up with who knows what on plates, I did seek the help of two American ex-pats and we end up ordering some of the best food we ate in Mexico.

All great, right?

With the fifteen plates brought to our tables (those boys were hun-gry) came a bowl of peppers. You don't need to be fluent in la lingua to know peppers are peppers and if they have been soaking in some Mexican au jus, you better proceed with caution. We love the spicy, so no one is afraid to test the waters.

Now, JohnnyMac already had a bit of dispute with a pepper on a previous night, and sweat was almost coming out of his eyeballs. The RevDoc chomped down on the same pepper like he was eating a tootsie pop. Barely raised an eyebrow. So JohnnyMac is all set to test from the bowl of jalapenos, cayennes, serranos, and a few mystery peppers.

He plays pepper roulette and takes a bite. We all do. Its probably a serrano which you may know has significantly more capsaicin than your average jalapeno. So on the "Oooooo that's hot" scale (aka Scoville), Serrano will hurt your feelings if you try to be too sassy. And even if you are the world's best pepper eater, and you love spicy food, and you can eat anything, careful, these peppers are not comparable to what you might purchase at your local Publix grocery.

With a few burning, stinging tongues, we enjoy our meal and as JohnnyMac dips back in the bowl of fire, I remind him that no part of his fingers shall touch our precious child's face, arms, legs, or hands. I say this because our son wants nothing more than to sit on Daddy's lap. JohnnyMac mildly scoffs at me as if I need a reminder he didn't just become a Daddy on the way to the Tortilleria.

We are wrapping up, and JohnnyMac goes to take a restroom break but first hits the wash basin sitting on the side of the restaurant. Ahhh, in Mexico when devouring peppers, wash hands FIRST before going to the lav. So smart, Senor!

JohnnyMac returns and we are all midway through some funny story when he blushes ( I think...I wasn't entirely sure but his face got RED). He then excuses himself. When he returns, he painfully admits that he apparently transferred some of that capsaicin from his hand onto his organ. What? I am sorry, what did you do? You got hot pepper on your business?

Now note, when I told The Bean this story, she asked me if perchance JohnnyMac had been drinking all day and forgot what he was doing? Intoxicated? No. Confused? No.

Thorough with his hand-washing? Another NO.

So we watch as JohnnyMac turns eight shades of I-yi-yi-yi-yi because he has peppered up his peeper. My oh MY, the jokes we launched at him couldn't come fast enough. His poor midsection was contorting like a Mexican version of Cirque du Ole' and once I knew it wouldn't fall off, I could do nothing more than laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh.

Now that, is some holy pepper. Pay heed all who follow in these footsteps. Now, an hour later or so I knew he had fully, ahem, recovered when he turned to me and said, "You have my permission to blog about this."

Oh honey, I had half of it written in my head in the first 10 minutes. This gives "en fuego" a whole new meaning.

The Brits are randy.....

Recently reading John Kessler's food blog, I came across this sassy tidbit from Pophangover.

This week, in the United Kingdom, the ladies (and certainly some gents) are having an early summer pleasure fest like I have not witnessed before.

1000 British women were paneled by Del Monte Superfruit Smoothies as to the celebrity male they would most like to devour.

After trouncing Jude Law and Hugh Grant, the newest 007, Daniel Craig was the selection du jour. A truly blinding testament to his prowess (and the "pash" the UK has for Daniel Craig).

So delicious frozen treats bearing the resemblance to 007's emergence from the ocean in Casino Royale will be available in the UK this week and this week only.

This chiseled torso of a popsicle is available in cranberry, blueberry and pomegranate, and they boast being a mere 100 calories each. That is a lot of 007 for very little caloric splurge.

This is in celebration of National Ice Cream week which started on Monday in the UK. You sassy Brits, who knew?

Airport Contretemps

I like to think I am a savvy traveler. I have done some great traveling here and abroad via planes, trains, and automobiles. I hydrate. I chat with interesting people. I can take my 2 year old on a four hour flight successfully with nothing more than one bag and an iPod full of Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffet, Coldplay and The Eagles (they are a recent addition). Then why do you suppose that our check in to Cabo last week had me sweating bullets? Oh, let me share.

JohnnyMac and I take our son, his golf clubs, and 5 suitcases to the airport. We are early, we are stress free, we are delighted to be going to Cabo. After all, there has been many detours for JohnnyMac as you may recall. This time there are no obstacles.

Until...

Curbside check in can't fully process us because JohnnyMac's passport, while still valid, expires in June. Matters not right? We will be back from Cabo before June. Oh, I am sorry? What did you say? Passports have to be valid for three months after your return? Uh oh. The curbside agent takes us inside to a special lane and we are told that yes, this is the rule. The scowl on JohnnyMac's face is beginning to grow. However, the ticket agent smiles at us, Mexico is an exception. SHAZAM. She prints his boarding pass, our little man's, and when I hand her my passport, JohnnyMac and I smile at each other.

Until she tells me that the name on my passport does not match my ticket. Come again? She shows me the passport, and all I can say is, ohshit. I never changed my passport to my married name. And why did this not occur to me? Because I didn't change my name immediately when we got married years ago. AND because I went to Mexico last year. My accelerated thought process immediately bends and melds to determine what will happen next. I never changed my name on my Delta medallion member account until oh, a few months ago, which means I sidestepped this problem on previous trips. ohshit.

The ticket agent explains to me there is a 150.00 fee to change my name and if she rebooks under another name, it might cancel the reservation. It is looking unpleasant. I literally tell JohnnyMac to go without me. Which he will not do. Which I will really, really wish he had done if I have to get in the car with him when he turns into Grumplesaurus Rex. If we now can't go to Cabo because of me, I will hide for a week.

Eureka! She offers to change the name on the ticket so it matches my passport. AND, she will waive the fee. Beautiful. So I offer her a 20.00 Starbucks card I had in my wallet. We are going to Cabo. Vamanos! My passport won't be an issue once we land because we aren't presenting tickets so nothing will need to match. I do tend to have great luck and I was thrilled we sidestepped a potential issue that could have been a show stopper.

We had a few other mishaps with the airline including them losing my bag, which was fine because I did receive it the next day. However, my bag was sans my Christian Dior sunglasses (*however, note to the thief: if you are going to unzip the glass case, and slide my sunglasses out of their silky protective bag, you don't need to put the opened case BACK in my suitcase. Just take the case too, you J.A. Delta will be enjoying reimbursing me the 204.00 for the sunglasses you stole.)

Oh, and JohnnyMac's luggage was missing for FOUR DAYS but we got that back too. Trying to track down a missing bag in Cabo San Lucas is similar to finding Weapons of Mass Destruction. As in, they are both things that are not going to happen.

So, we are full on enjoying vacation until the morning before our departure, I woke with the slightest bit of angst. What if I could not get back on the plane? I asked JohnnyMac what he thought and because it was prior to 7 am, which is not a pleasant time to talk to JohnnyMac I might remind you, he wasn't as helpful as I dreamed he would be.

It occurred to me to call Delta (since we had called them every day looking for the bag, I felt a kinship.) And when I called, I was told that not only did the ticket agent in Atlanta NOT change the name on the ticket, there was nothing that could be done on this end. I quickly assessed my next move. You don't play heavy in Mexico because it won't work and almost everyone you meet is the sweetest, nicest person on earth. So, I ask her worst case scenario is buying another ticket? (Same day, one way ticket purchase? $1500.00 plus tax).

And she told me the flight was full. The one flight per day flight. Hmmm. I thought of JohnnyMac getting on a plane by himself with our 2 year old. I laughed. But only on the inside because I needed to do serious damage control on the phone. I told her I was traveling with my tiny son and I would basically cry if I couldn't get on the plane. She asked if I had my marriage certificate with me showing my name change. Along with things like a lawnmower, and a live gerbil, my marriage certificate is another thing I NEVER travel with. Thankfully she made some phone calls and it turns out because I already flew half the ticket, they would make an exception. They would make a note in the record and hopefully things would be fine. Hopefully. Hmmmmm. Hopefully is nice. However, based on the shenanigans with the bag, we learned that what someone tells you on the phone doesn't matter to the person you are speaking to live.

So the morning of our flight, I have enough frenetic energy to launch a rocket. I literally crack open a Pacifico at 10 am. I do not drink at 10 am. Its called "Let's have a cocktail" not "Let's have a cocktail at the crack of dawn" but it soothed a nerve or two as I tried practicing taking about 100 deep breaths. I could always buy a ticket but the headache involved, especially on a mistake that could have been avoided, well, missing details is not exactly my style.

We get to the airport, and they processed our documents without a care in the world. LOVE IT! All tucked in the plane, little man listening to Boom Boom Pow, I looked at JohnnyMac and said, "See? I don't even know what you were worried about!" Aye Carumba. But I have already printed off the requisite documents to correct this little error.

It's starting....

About two months ago, during a routine diaper change, my little man grabbed his business and said, "What's that Mommy?"

Because we don't use baby words, I despise the word weiner, and slang terms just aren't appropriate, I told him the straight truth.

"It is your penis." He said ok. And we moved along.

The next morning repeated the same initial scenario. This time he grabbed it, quite enthusiastically I might note, and asked, "What's that?"

I said, "Do you remember what I told you yesterday?"

He said, "Oh. That's my penis!"

Yes, I say.

He seem to think about it a moment or two before exclaiming, "ELEPHANTS EAT PENIS!"

Hmmmm. How to be serious when you want to burst into laughter.

The next week, when he joined me in the bathroom uninvited, he told me "Daddy has a penis."

"He does," I said.

"Where's your penis, Mommy?

"Remember, Mommy does not have a penis, babe."

He seemed to think on this a moment.

This has gone on intermittently but never quite with an audience as last weekend when we were parked in Delta's Crown Room before our flight. I took him into the bathroom with me and in his most lively and jovial voice he asks,

"Are you going peepee Mommy?"

"Yes, honey."

"I don't see your penis."

"I don't have a penis, honey."

"Daddy has a penis!"

"Yes, baby."

"GET A PENIS, MOMMY!" as he delightedly claps and jumps around. "GET A PENIS, GET A PENIS. JUST LIKE ME AND DADDY!"

I can honestly note no such words have ever been spoken to me before. And I of course, could hear the tittering laughter from the stalls around me.

And yes, I might still be fairly new at the parenting, but I know this is just the beginning.

Happy Monday

Before we go any further:

Let's commence this first Monday morning of June with a giant nod of appreciation from me to you.

In 13 weeks, I had the first 1,000 visitors to my site. And I wrote you a little love note about it on May 5. But I feel compelled to write one more note.

Because of you, I had another 1,200 visitors in the past three weeks. Your support is incredible. Thank you hardly seems adequate but I will say it anyway and blow you all a kiss.

And I will continue to be thankful that you, in the midst of days full of your own syllabus of tasks, are still coming to visit.

And don't think I am not brimming with sass and anecdotes after a week of vacation, because I am. This week I will share a tale or two.

My absolute best to you for your interest. Let's have a cocktail to celebrate? Absolutely.

Take A Bite Of: Black Bean Croquettes with fresh salsa

A spicy, healthy croquette...who knew it possible? Another delight recently tried south of the border. I've never had anything like it. I make my own salsa which could not be simpler using 3 Ugly Vine tomatoes, cilantro, salt, and cayenne pepper. If you make your own, use it, but the salsa served with this incredible dish is listed below. Buen Provencho!


Black Bean Croquettes with fresh salsa
Ingredients:

2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup plain dry breadcrumbs, divided
2 cups finely chopped tomatoes
2 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon chili powder, hot if desired, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 avocado, diced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Mash black beans and cumin with a fork in a large bowl until no whole beans remain. Stir in corn and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs.

Combine tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and salt in a medium bowl. Stir 1 cup of the tomato mixture into the black bean mixture.

Mix the remaining 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, oil and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon chili powder in a small bowl until the breadcrumbs are coated with oil.

Divide the bean mixture into 8 scant 1/2-cup balls. Lightly press each bean ball into the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the croquettes until heated through and the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir avocado into the remaining tomato mixture. Serve the salsa with the croquettes.

Beware of El Pollo

While reading news online as I take a breather from the sun and infinity pool here in Cabo, I was just contemplating what could possibly increase my interest in the sport of wrestling. The answer of course is nothing. WWF, WWE, TNA, ECW? More acronyms then your first day of orientation at Microsoft. Wrestling has hoardes of fans, which I gleefully count myself out.

But if I was going to make an exciting change, well that would be a tough task to identify. I mean, you already have the barbaric and fear-inducing names. You have the ruthless (and completely authentic) wrestling holds, attacks, and legal moves. You have the Vegas showgirls carrying large signs indicating which round it is, in the event you are completely incapable of counting any of your primary numbers on your own accord. You also have the radio-station-ready announcer.
I just couldn't pin it down. And then it hit me. You would only need to add some freaky (and freaking ridiculous) costumes and you have the total experience.



The flying fowl? Oh, that is Lucha Vavoom star Lil Chicken as he delivers a flying kick to one of Los Cavaleras' "luchadores," (Mexican wrestlers) during a performance at the Mayan Theater in LA for Cinco de Mayo.

I imagine the only thing hotter than a grown man in bright yellow feathers, bright yellow undies, and a chicken mask would be if that man was your man.

Lucha Vavoom is Mexican wrestling and vintage burlesque inspired from the cine luchadore from Mexican cinema in the 1960s. So you better believe I am on the lookout while we are in the patria. But don't worry, I won't be bringing one of those home with me.

Vamos a la playa!

Live from Cabo....who doesn't love to wake up being greeted by sun, beach, and water? Cabo San Lucas...tu es muy bonita. I will say my mornings start a wee earlier than last time I was here, but I will take it. And JohnnyMac is so glad to be back.

In his single days, JohnnyMac loved himself some frequent trips to Cabo (and Jamaica, St. Thomas, Florida, etc.) JohnnyMac has gotten shanked out of three trip to Cabo in the last four years. Let me explain. He was scheduled to come the year we met and had to cancel last minute because of work (CURSES). The next year, he surprised me with a trip planned over Thanksgiving. And then we got suprised by a tiny thing called procreation, and although I wasn't due until the following February, our baby Doc declared moratorium on traveling out of the country.

So the next year, we planned a trip to take our little man who was born in January, but would not doubt be ready to rock the sandbar at 1o months old. Well, when flight time came near, our little man was sick. We would obviously cancel the trip and tell Hi Pie and the RevDoc who were meeting us there to go on without us. In a moment in incredibly loving love, JohnnyMac said, "You should go meet them. I will stay home with the baby."

Leave my husband home with a 10 month old ? For six days? ABSOLUTELY! I couldn't have packed quicker if I had inhaled eight RedBulls back to back. I kissed him intently and rolled right on down the street to that big old Jet Airliner.

So, while JohnnyMac stayed home, I sunned, went boating, and refreshed myself with Pacificos on the beachwith my little brother. Ahhhh...thats a fair exchange for nine months of hotel hosting a baby, yes?

So this year, we are all set to go. Nothing is stopping us. Tickets in hand...until...what? Can you repeat that? Swine flu? Where did you say? In Mexico? You must be kidding me. Thankfully the potential pandemic has dwindled down but JohnnyMac did declare that if this trip was cancelled, he was officially breaking up with Cabo.

But we are here, and that is a breakup I don't want to witness. You already know how much we love the beach. It serves as instant redemption for JohnnyMac after work, and the sometimes taxing upkeep of patience required with a two year old.

This pic is from our little man's first trip to the beach, and I love it. Because our many subsequent trips, our son seems to have a proclivity towards the beach as well. And his interest is so genuine and earnest. And this in turn is appreciated by us. What did he say this morning? I LOVE CABO MOMMY.

Uncle Hi Pie and the RevDoc are with us and we heard all about how my little brother won a sand castle building contest on one of his work retreats. (Sandcastle building on a work retreat? Sign me up.) And you know the Sand Castle champ rolled out a toolkit like Tim Allen and is set to make his godson the best sandcastle on the beach.

So Viva la Cabo....we missed you and are so glad to be back on your sandy shores.

Have A Sip Of: Sangria

Nothing cools down your Memorial Day Weekend cookout better than a glass of liquid delice'. And because I will be spending today enveloped in tasty Sangria and sandy Mexican beaches, it seems only fitting Sangria is the guest star of Cocktail of the Month.

Make it this morning and your mouth will be ready for a Sangria rinse by this afternoon. You may remember one of my specialities is the Sangria Cha Cha Cha but there are so many sangria recipes. Which one is the best? Today, I am giving you a multiple choice quiz in which all of the answers are correct. Here are several Sangria recipes so you can Cha Cha Cha your own. Feel refreshed already, don't you?


JENNY MAC'S SANGRIA CHA CHA CHA
Ingredients:
1 orange cut into slices
1 lemon
1 c sugar
1 bottle white wine ( I recommend pinot grigio, sav blanc, or viognier)
1 bottle red wine (pinot noirs, sangiovese, or young merlots)
Sliced peaches, apples, strawberries, raspberries
Grand Marnier to taste
Directions:
Combine the orange, lemon, sugar, and wines in a large glass bowl and stir. Cover in fridge for 4 - 8 hours. Add the fruit and spirits and let soak for at least 30 minutes. Serve over ice.


Kim Wray Perdue's Famous White Sangria
Ingredients:
1 bottle dry red or white wine
1.5 cups of Spanish brandy (do not use regular brandy. Or do and it won't be as good.)
Juice from 4 oranges
Juice from 4 lemons
Juice from 4 limes
2 T. cinnamon
1 c. sugar
Directions:
Combine in a 1 gallon beverage container and shake it, shake it, shake it. Add more sugar if you like, and warn people...this one packs a punch.



CHAMPAGNE SANGRIA
Ingredients
1 (750-ml) bottle Prosecco or French Champagne, chilled
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cups Mint Simple Syrup, recipe follows
1 lemon, zested and thinly sliced
1 lime, zested and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
5 fresh mint sprigs
Crushed ice
Directions
In a large pitcher, combine the Prosecco, orange juice, Mint Simple Syrup, lemon zest, and lime zest. Add the sliced strawberries, lemon slices, lime slices, and mint sprigs.
Fill glasses with crushed ice and pour the sangria over the top. Serve immediately.
Mint Simple Syrup:
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and mint over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool for 20 minutes. Strain before using


RED WINE SANGRIA
Ingredients
1 orange, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1 apple, cored and sliced
1 bottle red wine
3 cups white rum
1/2 cup orange flavored liqueur, recommended: Cointreau
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
3 tablespoons sugar
1 quart club soda, to taste
Directions
To a pitcher add orange, lime, apple and cover with red wine, rum, orange liqueur, orange juice, pomegranate juice and stir in sugar. Chill in the refrigerator. When ready to serve top off with club soda, to taste.


SANGRIA PEREA
Ingredients
3 cups ice cubes
1/4 cup lemon slices
1/4 cup lime slices
1/4 cup orange, slices
1/4 cup pineapple chunks
1/4 cup seedless grapes
2 cups red wine
1/2 cup peach brandy
1 cup orange juice
1 cup lemon/lime soda
Directions
In a pitcher, add all the ingredients and stir to combine. Ideally, you want to wait about 1 hour for the fruit and the wine to infuse each other, but you can drink it right away.