Mini herb garden

This is the third time this year I've tried to start a little herb garden on our porch.  The first time, I forgot to water the herbs a couple days in a row and they all died.  The next time, I left them outside when there was a frost and they all died AGAIN.  Thankfully, Lowe's never seems to run out of herbs.  So far, my third attempt has been successful....although it really hasn't been long enough for me to claim success yet :)

Anyway, since I know you've all been waiting impatiently for this, I thought i'd introduce you to my herbs.

Ta da!  Sage, basil and rosemary.  Very creative names, I know :)  I use the basil & rosemary plant a lot...the sage I use less often.  When the sage plant dies from inattentive care (as I'm sure it will, eventually), I think i'll replace it with a mint plant.  I'll need a constant supply of mint for all the mojitos I plan to drink this summer :)

Anyway, there you have it!  If you have any advice on how not to kill herbs, I gladly welcome it.

La Luz hike with Julian!

Sorry for the belated post, but here are some shots from our La Luz hike with Julian!

our early rising hiking crew! julian, dave, ray & anu

julian, looking pumped

the hearty crew, refreshed after anu shared her tasty spiced pistachios

hiking the boulder field

the boys are so over this hike

julian, perched precariously on the edge

the final stretch!

its impossible to do this hike too many times.  Each time we hike it, I'm reminded of how beautiful this country is!  Thanks, Julian, for giving us an excuse to go again :)

Lavender Festival!

Every summer, the Village of Los Ranchos (an incorporated village within the ABQ city limits) hosts a Lavender Festival.  I thought it sounded adorable, so I dragged Dave there.  And I'm so glad I did.

There were cute little goats . . .

Tons of lavender products . . .

Delicious raspberry sno-cones . . .

An owl (!!!) . . .

Beautiful artwork . . .

Tasty free samples of lavender-honey goat cheese, lavender sangria, lavender popsicles, etc . . .

And pick your own lavender.

All in all, it was a great success.  Even Dave is glad he went :)

Dave chowing down on freshly baked sausage pizza.

Lavender Festival 2010

just a little preview...we're headed to the ABQ Lavender Festival this weekend!  Apparently, they have pick-your-own lavender fields, vendors selling crafts made from lavender, tasty lavender treats and---the thing i'm most excited about---a pet parade!

Goodbye, Anderson Valley! We'll miss you.

Our favorite Albuquerque winery has officially closed.  The good news is that they are reopening on the West side.  The bad news is that they aren't reopening until Christmas, two months after we leave Albuquerque.

While Anderson Valley certainly isn't the classiest winery in town, it was our favorite.  Everything about it is low-key and relaxing.  Plus, their wines are fun.  The winery was originally started by a famous balloonist named Maxie Anderson.  In honor of the vineyard's ballooning heritage, they offer a "Balloon Blush" wine every year.  They also produce a Red Chile Cabernet which you get to taste with chocolate....mmmmm :)

The winery is completely family-run and they don't sell their wines anywhere except the winery itself.  Which, sadly, means we probably won't get a chance to have their wines again.

We do, however, have an unopened bottle of red chile cabernet which we are saving for our last week in Albuquerque.  Au revoir, Anderson! We'll miss you.

Yummy Salsa

Back in March, Dave & I went to the National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show which is held just outside Albuquerque every year, at the Sandia Resort & Casino.

Basically, you wander through rooms packed with vendors handing out free samples of the fieriest foods you can possibly imagine.  I stayed away from the fiercest options and searched out sauces & salsas that I could eat without crying.  We came away with several excellent finds, but one discovery far outstripped the others.

It's called Cindy's Salsa.  Cindy's Yummy & Healthy Salsa, to be exact.  And its won first place in the New Mexico state fair multiple years in a row.  It's fresh & addictive & has just the right amount of kick.  The problem is that its only sold in Albuquerque.  In fact, even within Albuquerque, its only sold at one particular co-op!

Given its addictive properties, Dave & I needed to find a way to continue supplying ourselves with this amazing salsa after we leave Albuquerque.  The only solution was to learn to make it ourselves.  Thankfully, Cindy publishes her ingredients on her salsa containers.  After a couple tries (the first attempt tasted like ketchup), we figured out how to make an adequate (but, we stress, not equivalent) substitute.

I present to you...Dave & Jane's Yummy & Healthy Salsa.

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs tomatoes (use fresh ones, if they are tasty & available! Otherwise, use a 28-oz can whole plum tomatoes; preferably organic - I swear they taste better)
1 white or red onion
2 jalapenos (leave the rind & seeds in for more heat)
1 large bunch cilantro
2 cloves garlic
2 limes

Directions:
1. If using canned tomatoes, drain them in a colander and rinse them with water to rid them of any metallic flavor.  Process tomatoes lightly in a food processor (it's important to use a food processor, not a blender!).  You want the tomatoes to still be chunky.  Pour the tomatoes into your salsa container.
2. Cut the onion into large chunks.  Toss it into the food processor & process lightly.  Mix the onion in with the tomatoes.
3. Process the jalapenos & garlic cloves together.  Mix in with the tomatoes & onions.
4. Chop the cilantro by hand.  Mix it into the salsa.
5. Finally, squeeze the limes into the salsa.
6. Mix & sprinkle with salt to taste.

The end result should have this kind of consistency (but obviously, not with these ingredients):

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

Birthday ballooning!

In honor of Dave's 29th birthday, we took a hot air balloon ride over the city just as the sun was rising.  Given my fear of heights, I thought I would be terrified.  To my surprise, I wasn't scared at all!

awaiting take-off, coffee in hand

the propane heats the air inside the balloon, causing the balloon to rise

flying over the beautiful Rio Grande

also, i found my future home.  It's a relief to finally have a house picked out :)

landing in a vineyard!

Afterwards, they gave us champagne & balloon flight certificates.  All in all, it was a very exciting morning.  Yay for birthdays!

Green Chile Cheeseburgers

Green chile is the cooking staple of New Mexico.  Locals put it on sandwiches, in their scrambled eggs, make soups out of it, or just eat it plain.

In the fall, when the chiles are harvested, the entire city smells like roasted green chile due to the makeshift stands with enormous roasters that pop up everywhere.

Despite my best efforts, I have fallen in love with green chile and I will miss it when we leave Abq.

In an attempt to bring a little bit of New Mexico back with us to D.C., Dave & I are trying to add as many green chile recipes as we can to our cooking repertoire.  Especially ones that only require canned green chiles, since we're not sure how easy it is to get fresh ones on the east coast.  So far we've only successfully added one recipe---but its a good one :)

Ingredients:
2 (4-oz) cans hot chopped green chiles, juice included
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup chopped white onion
ground beef (don't go any leaner than 80/20 if you can help it...or the end result won't be nearly as tasty :)
cheese (pepper jack & provolone are favorites)
hamburger buns
any additional condiments you like

Directions:
1. Use your hands to mix 1 can of green chiles, garlic, onion & ground beef together (mix just enough to combine them - don't overhandle).  Form into 1-inch thick patties and make a thumb-print indentation on top.  Cook to desired doneness on grill, adding a slice of cheese to the patties a few minutes before they are done.

2. Lightly toast the hamburger buns and spread the remaining green chiles on one side of each bun.

3. Assemble hamburgers, along with whatever condiments you like!  Tomatoes & avocados both go well with this.

4. Enjoy with a nice, cold beer - preferably from New Mexico, but if you don't have access to those, a beer from the real Mexico will do fine :)