Lent

Serenata (Codfish Salad with Root Vegetables)

February 26, 2020

Let me sing to you the song of my people! No? Okay, then, let me just “serenade” you with a dish that seems ancestral. Serenata con Viandas is a dish from Puerto Rico that I grew up eating. Again, my mother didn’t have much time to cook, but when she did it seems like she…

senseandedibility

Jun 1

I think now's a great time to introduce you to me

I think now's a great time to introduce you to me and my family. This is us. This family portrait was taken after my husband returned from his last deployment to Baghdad, Iraq, where he and his company provided medical care and support for US and coalition forces during OIR. He brought back a tank top that was too small for me and a stuffed camel for each of the kids. He also brought back asthma, which he developed from breathing in the dust in Iraq. Our twins are souvenirs from Germany. My daughter has hair that people are always asking to touch. One time I corrected a woman who referred to it as "nappy." She wants to become a geneticist and develop a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. Our son wants to become a mechanical engineer and develop systems to help the military. They're obsessed with Star Wars and Harry Potter. My husband, a 26-year-Army veteran, was born and raised in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. Spanish is his first language, and (I think) he speaks English flawlessly. He, like my Puerto Rican born mother, didn't need a green card to come to this country. They, like all Puerto Ricans, are natural born citizens. My husband is always mistaken for being a Black man. He DOES have African genes, but he's not African-American. That doesn't matter, he still gets called the N-word. In the early 90s he was on a city bus in Frederick, MD, on his way to work when a man told him, "I can't believe they let your kind into the Army." A few months after this picture was taken he was stopped by the police because, "His vehicle matched the description of one involved in a crime." He drives a minivan with a "0.0 marathon runner" sticker and a big blue and red American Heritage Girls sticker on the back. He was driving it in the uniform you see him wearing: the one with his last name on it. I'm half-Black. I'm constantly asked, "What are you?" I mispronounce my VERY Spanish name so it's easier for other people to say. People also ask to touch MY "coily" hair...which is more curly than coily. I've been described as, "The Black and Puerto Rican lady" or, "My fiery Latina friend." I was pushed down a flight of stairs, spat on, and called the N-word when I was in kinderga

senseandedibility

May 28

Peasant food. That's what ratatouille was called

senseandedibility

May 26

Things that shocked me this week: •discovering m

senseandedibility

May 25

Might I be so bold as to pass along a very signifi

Might I be so bold as to pass along a very significant tidbit? Please indulge me as this is my personal opinion. For those of us who have wept at the memorial service of a fallen servicemember, there is nothing "happy" about Memorial Day. For those of us who have been handed a folded flag that draped the coffin of our beloved, hearing that greeting oftentimes makes us cringe. For those of us who walk solemnly to the white marble tombstone of our friends and loved ones, we want to remember their service, lives, and their sacrifices, yes. But "Happy Memorial Day" doesn't quite fit. "Thank you." "We are grateful." "We won't forget." They fit. To the Gold Star Families and those who have said a final farewell to your Servicemember, I thank you. I'm grateful. I'll never forget.

senseandedibility

May 21

Because sometimes the words just won't do it. You

senseandedibility

May 19

My late mother loved this Classic Cheesecake. Bef

senseandedibility

May 14

Yesterday, the weather here in San Antonio, Texas,

senseandedibility

May 12

If these 4 Ingredient Fruit and Yogurt Smoothies a

senseandedibility

May 8

This one's goes out to all the Baby's Daddies, Dad

This one's goes out to all the Baby's Daddies, Daddy Daddies, Daddies: Listen to me. Come this Sunday, we don't want some lame bowl of cereal topped with some whack fruit because you forgot to plan something for Mother's Day. We also don't want to get out of bed to battle some potential exposure to viruses while standing in line to get some mediocre "Brunch". We want YOU to plan ahead, buy the ingredients to make these Flaky Cinnamon Rolls, make them while keeping the kids occupied, do the dishes, and bring them to us in bed. We've given birth to your offspring, after all. Give us a freaking cinnamon roll. Signed, Me and every Mama out here

senseandedibility

May 5

My mother refused to pick out her own avocados. "Y

My mother refused to pick out her own avocados. "You always pick the perfect avocado. Pick mine or If you love me you'll pick mine." My mother was expert level at manipulating my emotions. I still know how to pick the perfect avocado. I also know how to use them. My Chunky Guacamole is BETTER than a certain Mexican burrito-bowl chain because it contains one ingredient that the other one doesn't. An ingredient that's essential to life. Grab the link in my bio and finalize your Cinco de Mayo menu.

senseandedibility

May 4

Do you what Pico de Gallo means? Why do you think

Do you what Pico de Gallo means? Why do you think it's called that? While we ponder this all-important question, let's enjoy a bowl of this salsa fresca. My Pico de Gallo is on the blog ready to make your Quarantino de Mayo celebration a bit more lively. Find the link in my bio.

senseandedibility

May 2

I had to share this Pineapple Jalapeño Margarita

I had to share this Pineapple Jalapeño Margarita recipe as soon as I finished typing it! It's so good, I debated whether or not to name it a "FINEapple" Jalapeño Margarita, but since I'm the only fineapple allowed around here, I kept it simple. Your Cinco de Mayo cocktail menu must include this.