Duende de Knoxville

I started my first blog a few years ago on a little website known as "MySpace". Maybe you've heard of it? Probably not. It's really obscure. Anyway, as I am closing my account, I have decided to post some retro-ramblings of the knoxvillepixie, AKA me. But first, the backstory:

Growing up in Miami, Florida, I was so accustomed to living side-by-side people of all ethnicities. I was naive. I thought this was the way the world worked. In the county I grew up in, I, as a pale, freckly Caucasian was the minority. So, when I grew up and moved away to college, I was totally culture-shocked. I couldn't believe the ignorant things I heard people say, bumper stickers I read, flags I saw being flown. Such blatant racism and prejudice terrified this little gringa, and frankly, still does. My daughters and I have a last name now that does not hide our families' or my husbands families' heritage (which I couldn't be prouder of by the way). But it is also something that instantly makes us different when we meet someone. It is a conversation starter. Sometimes the conversations are good, sometimes they are not so much conversations, but stereotypical remarks I'd rather not hear. I fear that my girls will not have the opportunities I had growing up to be immersed in and fall in love with multi-culturalism as I did. It is this multi-culturalism that makes me who I am; it is woven into the fabric of my being.

When my girls get older, how will I explain to them the meaning of "Uncle Sam Wants YOU to Speak English!!" when they see it plastered on the back of a truck. How will I teach them that growing up with an appreciation of other people and cultures is a GOOD thing, not a bad one?

That being said, here is an account of a particular experience I had at the DMV while attempting to renew my driver's license. At the time, I was so frustrated by this experience, I felt the need to write about it. Sadly, now as I re-read this post a couple years later, this seems much less important or offensive. I think maybe I've just gotten used to it, or maybe my skin has gotten a little thicker. And frankly, that scares this little gringa even more.

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Que Pasa?

So I went to the dmv yesterday to renew my drivers license. It became a 2+ hour ordeal. I felt like someone in that commercial for restless leg syndrome. So there's all these different numbers, lines, disgruntled workers, and really loud children, one of which sits next to me kicking my chair for 30 minutes...good times. So anyway, when I finally think that I'm getting close to leaving this hellhole, I am informed that due to my last name, I have a block on any identification from the state department. The genius behind the counter proceeds to tell me that this is not because of my particular last name, which is ****** by the way, but that if my name was Smith it would be flagged as well as they are just really common names. Sure lady. I'm sure that if my name was Smith you'd really be concerned about my status as an American citizen. After showing her my passport, proving that I am indeed a US citizen and not a border-jumper, she has to call the state dept to get “clearance”. So while I wait for the genius at the state dept to call the woman at the dmv back, (and wonder why I didn't bring a sombrero and full mariachi band), the teller informs me that I should change my last name in order to prevent this from happening in the future. I don't even bother to respond to this idiotic suggestion. Back into another line after lady verifies my citizenship. Picture taken. Card prints. Big fat face in itty bitty frame, looking like I have five chins, and the fakest smile plastered on my face. As a matter of fact, it is the same expression my husband describes as simply "ass-face". So folks, just wanted to give you the heads up as to where your hard-earned tax dollars are going in this paranoid-post-911 world.

Adios Amigos!

Pastelitos de Guayaba

These cuban pastries with guava and cream cheese are one of my all-time favorite indulgences and so incredibly easy to make! Hubby and I had a cuban feast this past weekend that included mojo-marinated grilled chicken with cilantro, moros y cristianos (AKA black beans and rice), and these delicious pastries. They are as good as any I ever had growing up in Miami and are unbelievably easy to make!

Pastelitos de Guayaba:
1 pkg Puff Pastry
Cream Cheese
Guava Paste
1 egg (to seal pastry and give your pastry a glossy finish)
Confectioner's sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unfold puff pastry and cut into 9 squares. Place about 1tsp guava paste and 1/2 tsp cream cheese in the center of each square. Fold over to form a triangle and dip finger in egg wash to seal the two corners together. Press down two corners with tines of a fork. Place onto ungreased baking sheet. Brush tops of pastries with egg wash using a pastry brush and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and dust with confectioner's sugar.

Blogher@Home 2009

Welcome blogher@home Friends!

We have been busy little bees lately, enjoying the unseasonably cool weather with loads of activity. I've been cooking up a storm and will post some of my favorite new recipes on here shortly. We also have acquired some new fun things I will be telling you all about in a later post. In the meantime, here is a little digital taste of what we've been up to...

Discovered a new park:


Home BBQ's:


More soccer adventures:



Sabrina found a new group of friends at soccer and had her first kiss:


Annabelle finished her 2nd session of swim classes and is now officially an EEL:


Sabrina likes to imitate local dogs barking:

Progress

Another fabulous weekend that makes me dread Monday. On Saturday we took the girls to the neighborhood pool so Annabelle could show off her newfound skillz in the pool. We swam in the BIG-PERSON pool with NO FLOATIE! (although there was a noodle involved) This is major progress people.

Sabrina floated around the pool in her little inflatable thing-a-ma-bob and delighted in it as usual, pausing every little while to eat part of said thing-a-ma or drink some heavily chloronated public pool water (her colon is now clean as a whistle by the way), and genuinely enjoyed her lil' self.

We left the pool to pack on the pounds at one of our favorite weekend spots, "Five Guys Burgers and Fries". Followed by a little bit of window shopping as I attempted to purchase a piece of collegiate memorablia that, GASP!, was not UT related for a friend who is moving away to begin her new life at my alma mater. War eagle, Miss Thang!

On the way home we endured, what has come to be the customary pouting session anytime a departure is emminent from our eldest, which told us naptimes were sure to follow. Naps for Daddy and the girls, while I primmed and primed me-self for an evening out. Several wardrobe changes later I was out the door for a highly enjoysble dinner with a great group of ladies. About half the group continued the festivities in a bar-crawl, while I, sensibly, respectfully, responsibly, and reluctantly dragged my ass home.
Sunday morning, I was very happy not to be nursing a hangover as we enjoyed an awesome family feast and conversation over Annabelle and Daddy's bluberry pancakes. We spent the rest of the morning working on little projects around the house and had a lovely, relaxing, and nausea-free Sunday. Had a lazy evening snuggling under the covers while a torrential downpour hit oustside our window. A perfect ending to a perfectly ordinary day.


On Saturday night after dinner, I got a fortune cookie. In it was supposedly my fortune (in bed), no seriously, mine said, "Maturity means embracing imperfections." Hmm, pretty deep for Mr. P.F. Chang.
Hmm, maturity, that's major progress people...

Tales from a newly sex-less marriage

I spent the afternoon refreshing my haircolor while the kids were sleeping. I had forgotten about it until Hubby asked me if I had recolored my hair and told me that he liked it. Minutes later, while playing around on the floor, Hubby informed me that I looked quite a bit like a character named Flattop, from the Dick Tracy movie. I insisted he google this character on the computer so I could see who he was talking about. And this is what I found:




Nothing like the ones we are closest to in our lives to make us feel AMAZING about ourselves.

He's SO not getting any for awhile.

Lessons learned

We have learned a few new things in these past few days I'd like to share with you:

1. Babies LOVE other babies.

2. Paybacks a bitch. Ironically, Sabrina became distraught when she heard baby Campbell cry. Oh Sabrina you don't like the sound of screaming baby? Really Sabrina, that bothers you? I'm so terribly sorry. Yeah...
3. Bubbles are always a fun way to pass the time.

4. Grass tastes good and its good for you!

5. Outdoor playhouse/swingset combos really rock.


6. Not all instructors/teachers are ladies. Some are men. And some are strapping young lads.

7. Just because food is free, doesn't make it good (girls DETESTED KFC grilled chicken meal). Should've just gone with a bowl of grass...

8. A smile is worth a thousands words (even if she is 13 months old and I'm convinced only has 2 teeth in her head).

9. Old skool jogging stroller hand-me-downs can be fun (albeit hideous) until the inevitable, "Mommy! Sabrina's leg is touching mine!", "Mommy! Sabrina is pulling my hair!" and my personal favorite, "Daddy! Sabrina just poked me in the eye!".



Until next time!

Happy 4th From My Family to Yours!

Ah Beetz'

One of my favorite things to make at home is homemade pizzas. It's a very easy, fun, and a fool-proof lunch or dinner that I find very gratifying to prepare. I have used several different recipes in the past, but I keep coming back to this Wolfgang Puck recipe and it always comes out perfectly. The only adjustment I make is I use 1 & 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour and 1 & 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour to make the recipe a little healthier. It's also a lot of fun to make with kids! Enjoy!

When it comes to my own thin-crust pizzas, I'm a total purist. Fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and maybe a roma tomato or two and those are all the toppings I need. You can make your own pizza sauce, of course, but in a pinch, this Dei Fratelli tomato sauce tastes totally authentic.




Peace out!

Our Week In Pictures

We spent a lot of time just chillin'...



My mother sent us a couple of these cute and very practical long-sleeved bibs, and now I wonder how I lived so long without them...



Annabelle and Sabrina had a playdate at Tatarus...




We spent some time catching up with friends at Dunkin' Donuts. (yea, I'm THAT Mom who feeds her baby doughnuts)...



Annabelle and Daddy enjoyed the fruits of their labor when harvesting the green beans they've been growing in our garden...



I found these adorable canisters on clearance at Target and how could I resist?



Oh, yeah, I also FINALLY received my notorious KFC rainchecks in the mail. Yippee!