More Santa Fe Trip

At the Santuario in Chimayo. Raisa is holding her bag of healing dirt.



Raisa enjoyed a Virgin Peach Margarita. All in keeping with the religious nature of our trip, you understand. Tee~hee!













Corrine really was there!

Santa Fe Trip

Last week-end, Corrine, Raisa and I took a quick trip to Santa Fe, Chimayo and Taos. We started out the trip at Toast (appropriately on Santa Fe and Bowles in Littleton). I had the Flight of Pancakes: from left to right there was blueberry ginger, strawberries and cream, bananas foster with ice cream and last but not least, chocolate! Who says you can't have dessert at 7am? Every one's breakfast was great. Brian, Scott and Owen joined us.




Raisa enjoyed the Easter display
in a window down the street from La Fonda.

















At the Chocolate Shop.







We also visited The Loretto Chapel which was patterned after St. Chapelle in Paris. When completed in 1878, it was the first Gothic structure west of the Mississippi. It contains the "famous staircase", a spiral winding structure, built without any supports, to the gallery above.
Typically, monks would use ladders to access the choir loft so stairs were not built. When the sisters of Loretto took over the chapel, the nuns preferred not to use ladders. There isn't room to build a traditional stairway. The story goes that the nuns prayed for a solution. One day an unknown carpenter came to the church and built the spiral staircase. It really is beautiful and has 33 steps. Later a railing was added. We also stopped at the Santuario in Chimayo. The tiny church there is where believers claim that the dirt from a hole in the floor of the church has healing powers. People come from all over to take a bit of the dirt and have left many crutches, pictures of loved ones in need, baby shoes, and letters with their personal stories. The stories and evidence of faith moved me to tears. Over 10,000 people are expected to visit this tiny church during the Easter season. We were there with a few other people. It was nice that it wasn't crowded at all.

Making Eclairs

We have so much fun doing this! First we made the pastry cream and let it chill for three hours. While that was in the fridge we made Pate a Choux, otherwise known as Cream Puff Pastry. Corrine piped the dough onto a parchment lined sheet. We baked them, let them cool, cut them open and filled them with the pastry cream. Next, Corrine made a chocolate glaze. She spooned that over the Eclairs and then because you can never have too much of a good thing, we decided to drizzle melted white chocolate over the whole shebang! Mustering all of the self-control possible, we waited to dig in until Brian was home and dinner was over. We rushed through a pretty yummy dinner of tender pot roast and root vegetables, salad and cantaloupe. Finally we got to try our creation. Fabulous! Corrine, Raisa and I are going to Santa Fe for the week-end. If we keep this up, I will need new clothes by Monday. Lord, help me not to enjoy every calorie that crosses my path!




Yes, we write a lot about food. It's one passion along with many others.

Surprise Tea Party

Corrine, Owen and Raisa came up to the house this morning for our monthly baking session. I decided that a tea party was in order. Owen and Raisa loved the tea with lots of milk and cubes of sugar. We had cookies, mini-cinnamon rolls (recipe from my friend, Joy L.) and chocolate Easter eggs. Poor Corrine was so strong and didn't eat any of the sweets since she is getting in shape for a trip to Mexico next week. It was fun watching the kids drink out of proper tea cups. I used the Brambly Hedge set that I inherited from Grandma Carolyn. She would have loved to know that her Great-grandchildren would one day enjoy them. After tea the kids played outside while Corrine and I started the Eclairs.

Happy Birthday Ross

Today we celebrated Ross' 26th birthday. It was a beautiful, warm, clear day with no wind for a change. My Dad came, as well as Corrine, Scott, Owen and Raisa. Ross requested Enchiladas, Corn Casserole, Pico de Gallo with chips, Spanish Rice, Tossed Salad and F.B.I. Cake for dessert. It was a nice afternoon. It would have been even better if we could have celebrated Craig's birthday too. Craig will be 30 on the 15th. We miss Craig, Becky, and Anna. Brian had recorded an episode of Dirty Jobs which showed the host, Mike Rowe, demonstrating a pull wire fuse lighter while working in a salt mine. Of course, Brian makes the pull wire lighter, so he had fun showing the Discovery Channel program to everyone. We have been married 37 years and I never really knew how his product works. Now I know! It's very simple!