sun, snow, and chili

Ah, back in the snowy cold of an Iowa winter. The Boy, his family, and I returned from Mexico last Friday evening. I had a lovely, relaxing week full of food, sun, beach, and tequila. It was beautiful and refreshing for all the senses. We stayed at an amazing timeshare/resort called Fiesta Americana, and I spent my days lounged out on the sand, listening to the rolling surf, and reading trashy magazines and not-so-trashy books. The Boy spent his time exploring rocky crevices and small pools of water at low tide, periodically bringing me bits of the ocean to look at – sea urchins, tiny hermit crabs, rock crabs, etc.

The deliciously hot weather was reflected in the much lighter fare we all elected to eat during mealtimes. There was a lot of seafood, ceviche (I’ll throw up a recipe for that when I’m more inspired), citrus. All in all, my tongue and stomach were extremely happy.

Once we got back to IA, things were immediately different. The temperature dropped about sixty degrees (it’s now sub-zero, actually), and soft, blinding snow blew across the highway the entire way home. The contrast was as stark as the blank, white landscape.

The cold, sparkling glitter of snow and the close warming of a down jacket, inspired me to cook up something that would be rich and warming from the inside all the way out. It might not be as wonderful as a luxurious week of sun-tinged skin and basking in heat, but it’s pretty delicious nonetheless.

blueberries and cream

My extremely lax posting schedule has sort of rendered this particular post out of context. The making of the scones actually occurred… something like a month ago? But I was reminded of these awesome blueberry scones today, since the Boy and I went to Istria and split one of their scones.

My inspiration for the scones actually came about because of Istria in the first place. For a few successive weeks, each time I got some scone variation, I was sorely disappointed. They were dry, had the texture of muffins (if I wanted a muffin, I would have ordered a muffin), or had some other nit-picky little problem (I’ve been reading too much food criticism as of late). In any event, tired of all the sub-par scones from my favorite coffee place, I decided to make my own.

small things

Today I am grateful for

• my first dusting of snow this season
• a warm bed (and a warm Boy) in cold weather
• opera with good, good friends.

I’m taking a page out of the Real Simple issue this month, mostly because I really like the symbolism behind this idea. Basically, they suggest writing down (or just thinking up) a few things that you are grateful for every day. To keep things in perspective. I think that, even if it sounds all hokey and touchy-feeley (feely?), it’ll keep my mind where it needs to be during this Year of Great Uncertainty. Besides, isn’t it always a good thing to reflect on your life and appreciate everything in it that’s good?

So the lighter side first. LotR and I went to the opera tonight! We saw the show Lulu, which is rather contemporary; the completed three-act opera was first performed in 1979, although a two-act version was performed before then (first in Zurich in 1937, according to Wikipedia – I can’t find my program). This was the raciest, most overtly suggestive opera I have ever seen (although admittedly, I’ve only seen three or so operas in my life). Lots of sex and adultery (which means more sex) and death and still more sex. It was awkward and funny and relatively fast-paced. Very entertaining all in all, although I don’t really see how anyone would understand the final scene without the synopsis in the program (Jack the Ripper makes [what I think is] a random appearance). I’m glad that LotR (I’ll figure out a better pseudonym for her at some point) asked me to go; we had a lovely evening together.

Tomorrow, the Boy and I will most likely spend the whole day cooking. I’m planning to make a large batch of scones, and, if I become ambitious, I’ll take pictures and post the process and recipe up here. LotR is also coming over for dinner again (I say again because she and I and the Boy have been doing a weekly Thursday dinner thing) because we have a whole chicken that needs to be eaten sitting in our fridge. It’ll give the Boy a chance to bone up on his poultry skills again. I’ll probably make some stuffing and roasted broccoli to go with.

As for the more serious matters alluded to earlier… The Boy and I are probably going to be moving out of Chicago in December. The “probably” contributed by me because the Boy is most definitely moving out. He got some word from the Peace Corps, and it looks like he will be leaving much sooner than expected. Initially, we had all though that he would be departing in June, but he has an opportunity to start his program in February, so he’s taking that chance. Which is really great, actually, timing-wise, for him. Because then when he comes back (after two years and three months), it’ll be towards the beginning of an application cycle for whatever grad schools he might be interested in.

I’m trying not to think about it too much (two years and three months) because it’ll probably make me needlessly sad. Don’t get me wrong – I think it’s amazing and fabulous that the Boy is doing this. And I’m incredibly envious because I would love to do something like this too (and I’d like to think that I have the same kind of mettle). But… I am admittedly apprehensive (two years and three months), though I’m not thinking about it (coughtwo years and three monthscough).

Who knows how it’ll play out, right? And that’s all I have to say on that for now.

In other news, this totally wrecks my original traveling-through-Asia plans. I’d like to think that I am one of those amazing people who can be dropped off in a country and travel by themselves randomly and without a plan for months and months, but realistically, I’m not. And the idea of wandering around by myself for three or four months in a foreign country sounds terrifying (but exciting), lonely (but interesting), and dangerous (…that one sounds about right). So I don’t know what I’m going to do.

Any suggestions? (About anything? I’m not picky.)

Chao Bella

This past Wednesday (9/10) was the Boy’s and my three-year anniversary (crazy, isn’t it?). To celebrate, we went to Chao Bella, an Italian restaurant that we had gone to once before with some people from school. I thought it was so good that I wanted to return on this special occasion.

Truco 7

Ah, Truco, how I adore thee. The Boy and I visit this restaurant almost daily. I went through a brief phase where I kept saying that we should go to other restaurants, and the Boy would indulge me in this foolish endeavor (it’s how we went to La Oreja). And then I would realize the error of my ways. You just can’t get any better than the cheap, delicious, authentic food of Truco 7.

a generic update – the past week or so

All in all, this past week has been rather uneventful. The Boy and I have simply been going to school and wandering around and souvenir shopping (curious?). We found some pretty neat little items that I think some people *coughcough* will appreciate. But in terms of sightseeing and doing all that good stuff, we’ve been a little lax.