All Aboard for Oklahoma!

Recently Wade and I went to Oklahoma to celebrate his mom and dad’s 50th wedding anniversary. As seen in the picture, I was able to ride a horse for the first time. (Wade on the other hand is a seasoned rider.) His parents have a dog (Border Collie) named Bonnie which I played ball with for hours. I got to meet a bunch of his family. We had a fantastic time.

Post by R. Cortes

Fiesta Flash Back! (Chipotle Rice & Guacamole Recipes)

Many of you asked for the recipes for the rice and guacamole at the Cinco de Mayo party. They are Chipotle knock offs from the web. Enjoy.

Chipotle's Basmati Rice

1 t vegetable oil or butter

2 t chopped fresh cilantro

2/3 c white basmati rice

1 c water

1/2 t salt

juice of 1 Lime

Directions

In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil or butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Add rice and lime juice, stir for 1 minute. Add water and salt, bring to a full rolling boil. At boiling, cover, turn down to simmer over low heat until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and mix in chopped cilantro.

Chipotle's Guacamole

1 ripe Hass avocado

2 t fresh lime juice

2 t chopped fresh cilantro

1/8 c finely chopped red onions

1 clove garlic minced

1/2 jalapeno seeded & chopped

pinch of salt

Directions

Peel and remove pit from avocado and mash up with a fork. Add lime juice. Add all other ingredients and blend well. Serve with tortilla chips.

Post by M. Kuka-Marchese

Amy Fletcher's Trip to Scotland

Dear Exceptionally Fine CVPA Staffers,

In March, I took my first trip to Europe…Scotland to be specific. It was an extraordinary adventure from the moment I purchased the plane ticket to the moment I returned. Many of you seemed to feel my excitement, and I sensed a bit of vicarious living through me.

I had thought about taking my laptop with me and blogging my adventure live, but there were baggage size constraints that made finding room for the laptop impossible. I did take my camera and a journal though, but I must confess that after the fourth day of the trip, I didn’t write as much. I was simply too tired. So when I returned, I did my best to write down notes with pictures so that I could remember the stories that I heard. Now, I’m making my first attempt at blogging using my Scotland adventure as a subject. The blog will be in parts so as not to overwhelm me or you. I hope you enjoy it.

One of the coolest things, I think, is the map that I created using google maps, on which I traced the entire route from Edinburgh to the Scottish Highlands, back to Edinburgh. On the map are markers that will highlight the stops, and will soon have a little explanation and a photo, if one is available. The link to the map will appear at various times throughout the blog and hopefully all the markers will be in order of visitation.

Thanks for letting me share.

Click here to access Amy's blog.

Post by A. Fletcher