My back and neck are a little better, the kitchen finally got a good clean and I'm back on my feet after a couple of tough weeks with my neck injury flaring up, my back giving up and the anniversary of my friend John's death all within a few days. I am still not driving, but I am able to type for short periods of time without pain, so to throw some much needed cheer in my life, I decided to finish this post, which was on draft for a few weeks.
I love Sundays; they are my favourite day of the week. Ever since we opened our business, we've been working every hour god sends: full-time jobs, plus the shop, the market and for me the blog on top of that, have left us with very little time to just relax. We have squeezed all our relaxation needs to Sundays, which explains why I love them so much.
I love Christmas, it is my favourite time of the year. Growing up our house was filled with the Christmas spirit: colourful decorations everywhere, a big Christmas tree in the hall full of red, green, gold and silver ornaments and multicoloured lights. The whole house lit up and dressed to spread joy and happiness. Nothing said Christmas as much as mam's kitchen though: full of aromas from all the dishes that she would serve up for family and friends.
When we started My Mexican Shop, there were a number of products I wanted desperately to stock, chief in the list was Mexican drinking chocolate. I absolutely adore it, it's so different from drinking chocolate here and believe you me, you have not tasted a good hot chocolate until you have one made with Mexican Hot chocolate!
Until a couple of years ago, I was totally oblivious to the whole Cinco de Mayo festivities. In most parts of Mexico, it is a day like any other, no big deal. Children in Primary Schools mark the day with a ceremony and secondary schools across the country would have a mention of the day or an assembly, but all in all, it was to me a pretty obscure date on our civic calendar. A couple of years ago I started getting 'happy Cinco de Mayo' cards on the post from my American friends, and that got me thinking...
Christmas is my favourite time of the year. It's such a magical, festive time and the other half and I love it! We both grew up in Christmas loving houses, although it is fair to say Mexicans are a bit mad for Christmas.
My father in law often says that the best thing coming out of Mexico is Mexican Flan. After a stern dirty look from me, he clears his throat and adds: "that is, after Lily of course". We joke a lot about it, but deep down, I know it is true: flan is the best Mexican dessert ever! It's quick, pretty and absolutely scrumptious. It can be made in a matter of minutes (truly, I'm not joking), can be served hot or cold and it can be made in advance or right in front of your guests. I made this one for the IFBA Mexican Supper Club Evening and it got a resounding thumbs up from everybody.
The very first thing I ever baked as a child was brownies. Mam had gotten the latest gadget in the kitchen at the time: a microwave oven. I can't remember which brand it was but I do remember it was a huge yoke and it came with a recipe booklet. We were all so excited about the oven (don't laugh, this is probably 1981 and the thing could cook/heat food in minutes!). The booklet had a recipe for brownies and although both, booklet and microwave oven are long gone, the brownie recipe remains my favorite.
We are building a porch and the front wall at home. It has been four weeks of hell: dust, debris, plaster stains, cement powder, dirty builders' boot marks everywhere, the house is cold and dirty and my kitchen completely uninviting! Everything is covered with a fine layer of dust! Living, or attempting to live, while builders are in your house is a nightmare! One thing I can't get over, is the amount of tea breaks our builders take!
