Start of a tough week!

Here is mami playing with her camera and photoshop...I know I must be driving everybody crazy with photos.

How to preserve tomatoes no need of canning. Every time I see tomatoes for a good price I usually buy a couple of pounds and freeze them for future use.

Wash the tomatoes
Boil water and in another container fill it with cold water I usually put ice.
Put the tomatoes in the boiling water for about a minute then take them out and put them in the ice water.
Do this about 3 times then peel the tomatoes and put them in zip lock bags and make sure to take out the air.
I usually put dates on my bags, you could also keep the skin but it gets very hard for when you going to use it.

Chamomile ~ or sheaia like baba calls it he loves this stuff any time we have an upset stomach that is what we drink, and while I was in Egypt the girls and I will have a drink of these every morning.

However I also used it for the hair, nenas when I was growing up Abuela would always boiled the chamomile and put it in a spray bottle and she would always spray my hair before going out, specially if I was going to be in the sun the whole day. It never made my hair blonde, but I always had highlights in my hair I guess it was the chamomile that was till I decided to put a whole bottle of peroxide in my hair and ruin it.




And this is Amira with the rose for this week.....exactly a year today was the last time I spoke to titi Mio like Samia calls her...I still remember her voice that day, she actually sounded much better than before, we all though it was over, she would be getting her surgery and then on her way home to recuperate and come and stay with us. Little did we know!

Today I made sure I bought her a beautiful rose to put next to her picture like I always do. This picture was taken in Hurghada a couple of years back, I only remember how much fun we had together. It was a great trip from the beginning to the end...what can I say everything Amira did was just perfect.
Salam habibi and wahashtiny aktar. !!!!

Enty fein Mistika? ~ Pickle Lemons & Saving lemons

So I love the little key limes the smalls ones they are full of juice, but for some reason they only sell them in bags of almost 20, and although I love lemons almost in everything they still go bad so I finally decided to put them to some use and not throw away all the ones that go bad. I found this way of saving the lemons so we could use them at a future time.

Esprimir (not sure how to say that in English)the lemons
Then put the juice ice cube holders
Put them in the fridge
The next day put them in a bag and every time you need lemon just take one of your cubes out and you have the lemon juice with no preservatives.

I put some bags in top of the ice cube holder so they would not get the smells from the freezer. I being putting a cube of lemon in my water bottle.

ThenI decided to make some Pickle Lemons Egyptian style for this we call our Suzzu, baba and Samia like them I am not too fond of them but I think that after making them I will eat them.

You take the lemons and boil them till they get a yellowish color.
Then take kosher salt and black seeds (these you can get in any international store they also go by the name of Black cumin, Kalonji) and mix that in the glass jar with some water, you can also put some hot pepper but I don't do spices so they are not in my jar.
Put the lemons in the jar and put in your kitchen cabinet for about 10 days.
After the 10 days they are ready to be eaten, you can even use them to cook.


Here is my Milo being a silly girl, she is trying to learn how to flip so every time I turn around I see her nalgas and her face between her legs. Samia I remember you used to love to this when you were about the same age.

Nenas this coming week would be a year Titi Mio left us, truely I have not really want to think about it because I know the only thing I will do is cry, is amazing how eventhough she did not get to visit us here in Baton Rouge there are 100 things that remind me of her. Today while I was taking out an old purse I found a note she once send me...I just can not believe she is not here, Why >>>>>>she was an angel sent from heaven I guess that is why she was only with us for 3 decades, but why take her back.

I miss her she is the sister I never had. I know Allah you took her and gave me 2 beautiful girls but she is the person I always though was going to take care of my children something would happen to us. I know we have Abuela and Zetu but she was young and I know she loved you nenas like you were her own children.

Mio you teach me so many things I will let the nenas know all of the stuff you teach me, all the funny things we did, and all the times we spoke in Yahoo for hours. Mio since you left I never use it anymore, you were the only person I wanted to chat with.

Wahashtiny habibi, enty fein...I can hear you know saying "Ahlan Mistika, Fein habibi????? I being waiting for you here!!! Sorry for all of those times I made you wait and wait for me...if I would had only know I would had make it everyday at 12 o'clock on the dot.

Don't be scared -- She has powers!

I always talk about a cat that we had and I had to give away some months back. That cat was the first pet baba and I had as a couple...well I should clarify I did have Gully my gold fish that baba murder. So I remember like today we drove all the way from Queens to Seaside New Jersey and for those that are familiar with the Tri-state area is a long drive specially on a Sunday afternoon when you have everybody commuting back to the city.

We got our cat with only a few weeks old. The following Monday I call my Mio and ask her what to name her since she absolutely adore cats and she named her "Karamella". I had never owned a cat in my life, while growing up for some reason Abuela always told me they were dirty and I also had an uneasy fear of cats, I always though they were going to jump at my throat.

So that first Monday at home alone with Karamella while baba worked I was thinking the moment this cat pipi's outside the litter box, she is out of the house since I had heard that cat's pipi is the worst, and is full of ammonia almost impossible to get out. So I made a bunch of excuses in my mind in case I had to get rid of her what I will tell baba. Needless to say there was no need for any of those stories I learned cats are the cleanest animals on earth.

In August of 2003 Mio came and stayed with us in New York for 2 moths it was the first time of me meeting her in person, but thanks to messenger I felt like I knew her forever, well she even had a pictures of Karamella. From the moment Mio enter that door Karamella forgot me and Mio was her owner, she was with her day and night. Karamella's menu change from cat food to yogurt, boiled eggs and cheese for those two months she spoil that cat like crazy.

So Karamella became part of the family even after she went back she would ask about her, and I have to admit I did see Karamella a little weird after she left I figure she was missing her. Then we moved to SC there we got Morena, also a puppy so Karamella in a weird way became her mom, she would lick her and play together.

I have to clarify while all of these was going on the moves, the long hours of us at work that cat never had an accident outside her littler box, and she never wanted to go outside, I could leave the door open and she was not interested at all in being outside.

So here we are in Baton Rouge August of 2007 all of a sudden Karamella starts to spray/pipi (don't know really what is the difference between the two) and she starts doing it in the couch..at the beginning I though they were accidents but the situation got worse. I was getting worry for many reasons my mom was coming to visit us, I was pregnant. So I started doing 100 crazy things, I put pepper all over the couch to keep her off, I put packing tape in the couch so when she would jump in the couch her paws would get stuck --- you name it I did it, but it continue.

The day Abuela arrived I told baba if this continues she has to go. The sad news she did not go, Morena die a couple of weeks latter all of a sudden. After Morena's dead the couch was clean, first Morena never slept on it again and secondly Karamella never climb the couch again.

At this time I did not relate the two.

March, April and May of 2008 Karamella starts pipi again in top of controls anywhere she could, I was going crazy cleaning up with a baby in the house and a toddler. Poor baba had to listing to my nagging with a Clorox rag in his hand. While all of these was going on Amira was getting sick and more sick in Egypt -- at all of these I did not relate the two. All of a sudden Karamella stops the pipi, not sure when it was however I do recall that in early June of 2008 I got fed up and I went upstairs and gave her away to the neighbors.

Amira enter the hospital in April. From April to July we though she was in the hospital, however she had passed away on May 9th, Guido and Zetu never had the courage to tell us for many reasons, is hard to understand, but who am I to blame. To this day I cry for her almost everyday so regardless of when we found out the pain would be the same.

After all of these I came to the conclusion that Karamella could sense when somebody was going to die. One more reason I am happy she is gone, I would be scared every time she acted in some weird way. I did some research and also found a story about a cat in a nursing home that could sense when someone was going to past away.

Nenas in no way I am discouraging you to get a cat one day, I just wanted to shared this story with the two of you.

Spring Friends -- Why push alpha color numb????

Today we had lots of fun as well as yesterday is being a busy beginning of the week. Samia and Gamila you guys enjoy going out to see friends and mami too today and yesterday has being Latino fun.

Yesterday we went to see our friend Jazmin most likely by the time I finish writing this she must have a newborn in her arms....I love that feeling and sometimes I get melancholic that maybe Milo was the last time I hold my own newborn...but I am afraid of having more...between my age and my hide and seek pre clampsia I rather not.

I think it would be irresponsible of me as a mom to play hide and seek with my health and the welfare of my nenas. So I guess no more nenes for mami..okey let me get back to my fun.

Today we cooked with my friend and the girls just had plain fun, running brushing their hair, fighting, playing with the flowers etc. Seeing this makes me think why do we push so many things in our children why do we want them to learn the alphabet when they are 2 or the colors or the shapes, why do we push them with the puzzles... I have tried this with Samia going online and cutting them and trying and she has not interest for them...Samia I wonder why! Come on when I was growing up my mom did not sit with me and teach me the alphabet she let me be myself I always ask Abuela what she used to do with us and it was mainly play and play..of course all of these at the age my nenas are now-- she allow me to learn at my own pace...is sad how us as parents push are children so much....we want them to grow up so fast WHY?

Samia you are so excited about your birthday and the party..I being working on some stuff nothing major I am more excited about the cake I am going to make for you -- I know you are going to enjoy seeing all of your little playmates around. Inshallah you have lots and lots of fun

Gamila you have started to talk lots and lots --- you sound something like this

Samiaaaa --- Gaga for Guido -- Dadddddy ------ Baba ---- Mami ---- Abi for Abuela --- you can not say Zetu ---- Coockie -- Ako for eating! You are becoming such a girly girly with those earrings you are driving baba crazy! You also love dancing !!! you have a very nice rhythm

Nenas Guido and Zetu would be going to Mecca soon Inshallah everything goes well, also baba and mami have being a little down lately this next couple of weeks would be a little hard because Mio allot of things happen those two months prior to her saying Salam!!! Is hard specially on baba since he does not talk much about it but I know is in his mind...Nenas she was a great person, full of live, funny, silly, and with lots and lots for the two of you!!! Even though she did not get to see you guys her room was full of you two!

On another note the tulip got a new friend Mini Roses - when I try to get my pink tulips they did not have any more so I opted for the mini roses hopefully the would get pretty.

20,886 miles wrap 2008

So the end of 2008 is here and I wanted to summon it up. It was a year with allot of expected and unexpected things.


At the beginning of the year we were ecstatic baba had finally received his permanent immigration papers so plans to visit Egypt had started, Gamila was still too small so we had decided to postpone till the spring of 2009. Then our Mio felt ill at first we just though it was something she was going to recuperate from, however that would not be the final outcome. While all of these was going on many scenarios cross our mind baba would go alone and visit them and see Mio. However the inexplicable happened and our world was shatter Mio was gone and now we had Zetu, Guido, and Suzzu sad, lost wanting to hold in their arms their son. Plans then change we will be going to Egypt in the Summer. For this to happen many many trips were done to Texas to get baba's military papers organize. Mami and las nenas fixed their passports, and on August of 2008 our journey started.


Prior to leaving we found out baba would be staying in Baton Rouge so we went out and look for a house, this was something that we had being waiting for a while and finally now we were giving the GO, so we did not hesitate and stoke a deal and started building our house.


Egypt was a bitter sweet experience, is hard to explain how in so much sorrow there was a little of joy, but it happen Guido and Zetu were able to hold their grandchildren and their son. I was happy that at least we could bring a little bit of sunshine with the girls. The stay was great we shared with our family and we really got to see how much Amira had lived for las nenas (one day I will go in detail on these).


Like everything in life things come and go we return from Egypt on October the transition went great Thank God! Once again we were back to our daily life with new things to look forward. First we would go to Tio Cesars wedding in South Carolina this trip was a fast and furious, too long of a journey for such a short stay, the wedding was nice and most important we were all together before the holidays.


Once again back home getting ready for the holiday.


Dios, God, Allah I thank you for everything you have giving me this year, I am still trying to over come the why of Mio but I know I can not question you. Thank you for all of the new things I have learn and for allowing me to become a better person everyday that goes by, thank you for my nenas for the health they share, thank you for the husband that I was giving, thank you for my family and friends that surround me.

I can only ask you for health for us and to bring peace and health to so many people out there.

El Nino Dios and Santa have a plan! Ginger Bread Home

So lately I have being debating and truly is only mami the one debating since baba celebrates Christmas because of us, is not something he grew up with. Although I have to admit he is very good with all the festivities and the preparing he is my chef partner to prepare all my Colombian dishes for that day.

So I grew up believing en el Nino Dios. In Colombia there is not such a day as Christmas day that day is to lounge at home recuperating from the night before. I celebrate Christmas Eve marking the birth of Jesus. From the day I can remember we always stayed up till midnight to open all of the presents under the tree that el Nino DIos have brought for us. When we moved to the states I was older and still believe in el Nino Dios but Santa took over El Nino Dios.

The last couple of Christmas Samia has stayed awake with us till midnight....however she was not so aware of what is going on. This year Samia believes in Santa and that he is going to bring her many presents and so forth..so I have being breaking my head deciding how to do this. I have all the presents that Santa has left for us in the the guest bathroom which nobody uses.

So today I decided we were going to make Santa some little gifts and Samia was so much into it she loves to glue so we made a few Christmas ornaments for the tree and we hang them in the tree I told her that Santa is very busy and he has started to drop of gifts and every night he would come and take one of the gifts she did for him and he would start leaving gifts but we she can not open them till El Nino Dios says it is okey.

Here is Samiuta doing her ornaments

Here she is hanging the ornaments she made

I wonder why make up all of these stories, but then I tell myself they are children and are allow to believe and live childhood...

I have also decided that the ornaments that she made as gifts for Santa would be giving to Abuela so she can put in her tree and I know if I give them to Zetu and Guido they would hang them all over the house, like they do with their pictures. Mashallah for such a beautiful family, although I have to admit I being kind of nostalgic lately I miss my Amira. and till this day I just can not believe that she is not around. Que picara es la vida a veces con nosotros nos tira jugadas que nunca nos hubieramos imaginado.
Wahashtiny Habibi!!!\

_______________________________

So Baba came from work to do a much awaited Ginger Bread House. Samia and baba had a blast, she even wanted to take it to her bed for night, night, night.

Doing what Mio knew best GIVING

So last night I could not fall sleep and here I am searching the web and I read like 3 articles all saying how there are not enough toys being donated, or enough food being donated. So how can we help I start thinking. Then I think that maybe donating to an orphanage would be a good idea.

When baba wakes up I tell him and right away his answer was "YES and we are doing it today in Amira's name" When we were in Egypt we heard many stories from the people that would come to the house to say Sorry, how Mio would always be giving toys for the poor children or checking their teeth, donating children tooth brushes, tooth paste etc. Keep on mind many of these items are expensive in Egypt and a family in need can not afford them.

So I call several places and finally I found a shelter for woman and children I spoke to the person in charge and she was so happy and excited she even took the time to tell me every child age and gender, and I could tell by her voice she wanted them today. So on we went to buy the toys and then we come home to wrap them.

Through the whole process Samia help us pick the toys up, she help us wrap the toys. She wanted some for her but mami and baba explained to her that we were helping Santa and we were going to give them to other children. By the end of the process she was saying "All these toys for my new friends" Allhomdulilallah! she understood the best she could.

After everything was finish we drove to the place and left them there so the children can have some toys in Christmas.

Nenas Inshallah we would do this every year however there are a few rules:

-NEW toys NO DOLLAR store toys that would be Haram or unfair.

-NO receipt for the donation (that would be cheating here we are giving and then get something monetary in return NONO remembe we give without expecting anything in return)

-The greeting cards have to say From: AMIRA

Samia I was very proud of you today! Baba was very happy doing all of these however I could tell at times his eyes water and was overwhelmed with emotions. Me what can I say I miss her everyday!