ChrisTal Ball for Chris Kids

Saturday night, Smita invited me to the annual ChrisTal Ball, a fundraiser for the non profit  Chris Kids.  I sat at the Delta table with a couple people I knew and met a few new people.  It was a great event put on by Tony Conway, owner of A Legendary Event.    I had heard of the organization before, but really knew nothing about it. 

From their website:  

"Our mission is to heal children, strengthen families, and build community. Our core values are Creativity, Honor, Respect,Integrity and Safety: CHRIS."

They offer so many services to  youth and families.  There were different success stories posted on each table. Stories of how Chris Kids have turned around kids lives that were heading in the wrong direction and of kids who had already past that point. 

A man named Thomas spoke at the dinner last night and his story of how Chris Kids played a part in his life was so touching it brought me to tears.   This organization has made such a difference in so many lives.  I walked away wanting to learn more.  If you are interested check link above.  Its a worthy cause. 

Hola! We're Back From Mexico!

Ernesto and I returned earlier this week from our long Mexico trip.  What a great experience! If it is even possible, I am more in love with Mexico than before.  If you are interested in all the details, I have written quite a bit about the different cities we visited on  VivaCindy. We ate so much and truly enjoyed the food in Mexico and were inspired by so many dishes, and I can't wait to share them with you on Viva la Cocina. I ate several things that I had never tried before too. I thought I would share some photos of the food highlights of our trip first, and I promise to get a recipe up here soon!

(note: some of these pictures are not the best quality, as I only had my small camera, and sometimes low light)

{pulpo, or octopus grilled with a spicy chile sauce}

{fruta, or fruit served with lime, salt and chile powder}

{elote or corn, served with your choice of mayo,cheese, chile powder, lime, salt}

{granada, or pomegranate seeds, served in a cup with chile powder, lime and salt}

{chapulines, or grasshoppers, served dry with lime and hot sauce}

{espiropapas, or spiral chips, served with, you guessed it, hot sauce}

{pozole, or meat stew served with raw cabbage, onion, chiles, radishes, oregano}

{huarache, a foot long tortilla taco that is folded in half to eat}

{churros, Mexican donut being cooked up on the street}

{escamoles, or ant larvae, served in a green sauce, eaten in a tortilla}

{torta ahogada, a sandwich stuffed with carnitas [fried pork] and drowned in a spicy salsa}

{tacos de pastor, pork tacos served with onion, cilantro and lime and a tomatillo salsa}  

{huitlacoche quesedillas, a fungus that grows on corn with cheese in a tortilla}

{chiles en nogada, a chile stuffed with ground beef and dried fruits, covered in a white walnut sauce and topped with pomegranate seeds. Red, white and green, a patriotic Mexican dish}

{La Ideal Panederia, a bread store in Mexico City as big as a Kroger}

I love to visit the fruit and vegetable markets in Mexico, they are a feast for the eyes with so much color. A photographers dream. If only I had had a better camera with me. 

 {limones, limes}

{nopales, cactus}

{chiles, a mountain of serrano peppers}

{chiles secos, bags of dried chiles}

{mole, balls of paste are sold for many different kinds of mole}

{nueces garapinadas, candied walnuts and pecans}

Please stay tuned as I have some great new recipes coming your way.  If you would like to see the non-food side of Mexico please check out VivaCindy

VIVA MEXICO 3 - TEPOTZLAN

I met Aileen about 2 years ago when I was doing a build for Habitat for Humanity in India. She worked with Habitat then and was helping organize the build. We connected I year later when I wrote to her asking about volunteering for Habitat in Costa Rica.
Another year passed, and when she saw on Facebook that Ernesto and I were coming to Mexico, she invited us to her house in Tepotzlan, where she lives with her husband Jay.  I think she was surprised that I actually took her offer.  WARNING: Friends and acquaintances beware, if you invite me somewhere new, I will come.

I am glad for so many reasons that we decided to take Aileen up on her offer. We were there only a couple days, but immediately the 4 of us hit it off. They are such generous and genuinely nice people. I know that we will meet up with them again. (hopefully in South Africa, where they are moving next year)
Tepotzlan is a small town surrounded by soaring jagged cliffs just one hour south of Mexico City. It is one that has kept its true Mexican feel with small cobblestone streets, a bunch of charming hotels and restaurants, a great crafts market. Its has also retains its old traditions, and protests new ones. (no Starbucks here)Tepotzlan is the birthplace of Quetzalcoatl, the serpent god of the Aztecs over 1200 years ago. It is known as pueblo magico (magic town) and is a destination for many creative types coming for the energy.  There is a pyramid Tepoztocal built here on top of a mountain that leaves you wondering ¨How in the hell?¨

It also leaves you out of breath after the steep 30 minute climb to the top.

So worth it! Check out this view overlooking the town. 

Can you see me sitting on the edge up there?? 

I´m not very new-agey, but I definitely felt the energy in this town, a peacefulness that I didn´t want to end.  This also could have been a result of staying with Aileen and Jay in their beautiful home.  Here is the gorgeous couple in their backyard .  

Yes, the jagged cliffs of Tepotzlan are in their backyard, and because it had been raining the last week or so, there was a waterfall running. I wanted to stay there forever! Here are just a few pics so you can see what I mean.  My. Dream. Home.  

The bathrooms were gorgeous as well, so many details.  I love this color blue on the walls.  I also loved this painted aluminum mask...and that is why I copied her and bought the same one. 

The kitchen is a beautiful mix of modern and rustic.  Ernesto made us breakfast.  I asked him if he could get used to cooking in this kitchen.  His answer? Heeeeell Yeah!

 The 2 terraces come with spectacular views. 

OK, Have I sold you on this house yet?  Well, unfortunately it´s not for sale, but we would be interested buyers if the opportunity arises. (hint hint Aileen!) 

Something I love about Mexico is that you never know what you are going to get when you go beyond the tall walls that surround the houses.   The one night we stayed in Tepotzlan, Aileen & Jay took us to a wonderful hotel (where their whole family stayed when they got married a couple years ago)  called  Villa del Tepoz Fuego.  It was rated the no.1 hotel in Tepotzlan and I understood why.  As soon as we walked in I was imagining my  whole family relaxing there.  

The owner, Bruce and his wife´s personal attention gives this hotel a bed B&B feel.  There are only 8 rooms and each one is decorated with a different feel, although distinctly Mexican. 

There is a spa, they do tours and there is a full restaurant with wonderful chefs cooking up a wide range of food.  (my chile relleno was superb. Ernesto had the mole and it was great too!)  I told Bruce I would be sure to pass on Villa del Tepoz Fuego  to all my friends, as many of them are travelers and would appreciate this!  Thanks Bruce! 

** special thanks again to Aileen and Jay for the wonderful couple days.  We really fell in love with Tepoz and could see ourselves living there...really, we just want to be your neighbors! 

VIVA MEXICO 2 - TEOTIHUACAN

Just one hour northeast of Mexico City lies a complex of awesome pyramids that is Mexico's biggest ancient city. Teotihuacan (teh-oh-tee-wah-kahn) is known for it's two vast pyramids Piramide del Sol y Piramide de la Luna (pyramids sun and moon).  Sol is the world's 3rd largest pyramid.  It measures 222m long on each side and is just over 70 m high.  (729 feet long and 230 feet high)

 

We wanted to get there early, #1 to beat the crowds and #2 to beat the heat.  I was happy for the cloudy day.  Climbing to the top, 248 steps (thanks Lonely Planet for the count), in the blazing sun would have been hard. 

Here I am sitting atop the Sol pyramid looking off at the Luna pyramid. Besides the other tourists, it was really quiet up there. 

 

Teotihuacan was built between 150 and 600 AD, the city was made up of residential compounds, some of which had alfresco paintings.  And yes, some are still in tact for viewing.  Amazing! Can you even put my head around AD time period??  and to think there are still paintings?? 

The area where Neto is standing has been restored and looks a little too new, but it was cook to be able to make our the carvings, many of the quetzal bird, a hybrid of the bird and a butterfly and serpents.

The was a garden on the grounds to explore.  Im not sure if it was ancient too, but the plants were big.  Here Im standing by an agave plant, which is used to make tequila.

In Mexico City, the most popular fruit is a tuna (this is my assessment after seeing the amount of vendors selling it on the street) Im not sure what it is called in English, but it's the fruit that grows on a cactus like the one below.  Ernesto loves this fruit, so when we past this monstrous cactus full of the fruit, he picked one for me so I could try it. 

Quite tasty, although I prefer the ready to eat kind served on the street.  When picked straight off the cactus you have to worry about getting stuck with all those little prickly things while trying to get to the fruit inside. 

Teotihuacan has an interesting  museum; small and informative. (just how I like them.  I can't spend hours in a museum)

There was information about the different carved stone heads that you see all over the site. This came in handy because we bought a piece of 3D artwork with about 18 different little carvings (replicas). 

Hmmm, new jewelry ideas?

Also interesting were the skeletons that were found in the ancient city. 

If you get to Mexico City, I highly recommend you take some time to see this! I have been to several Aztec and Mayan ruins and they are just mind boggling. What? How? When?  The museum explained that the largest pyramid, Sol, was built around 100 AD, from tree million tons of stone, without the use of metal tools, animals, or the wheel.  Wow! 

VIVA MEXICO 1 -MEXICO CITY

The first post in my Viva Mexico series is about Mexico City, where we started our tour. I had not visited Mexico City in many many years. (this was Neto's first time) It was even better than I remembered. I was so impressed by...everything.

{art installation in Centro Historico}

Unfortunately our time there was short. We stayed only 5 days 4 nights, not even close to having enough time to uncover this fabulous city. We did the best we could and let me tell you, our feet were sore.

I was able to use my starwoods hotel points and we stayed at the Sheraton Centro Historico in a perfect location across the street from Almeda Park. They upgraded us to a huge suite on the 22nd floor with a spectacular view.

Probably like many other visitors to Mexico City, we started our explorations at the Plaza de la Constitucion, or Zocolo. This is the main square of Mexico City’s historic center. (fun fact: also the second largest public square in the world next to Moscow’s Red Square)

{Catedral Metropolitana en Zocalo}

Like many of the buildings in the historic area, the Catedral Metropolitana is sinking. You can't see in the above picture, but when you are standing in front of the cathedral, you can see the right half has sunk down significantly. (supposedly due to water issues)

Because Mexico's independence day is on September 16, they we decorating the plaza for all the festivities.

Special vendors were set up all month selling flags and other Mexican decor to celebrate.

Mexico City has a population of about 23 million. (not a place for the claustrophobic) We often rode the metro and it was packed like sardines every time.

If you can handle that, try the Mercado de la Merced, the bigges market in Mexico City. It's a never ending maze of clothing, household goods, fruits, veges, spices, food vendors cooking up great food (cheap too!) and my favorite part, neon chicks. what??

Ducks too. 30 pesos each (that's about $2) for this little duckie, look how cute!

It's not my usual mode of transportation on a trip, but we hopped on the TuriBus (you know the red double decker tour buses that every big city has) so we could cover more area.

{El Angel de la Independencia}

{Palacio de Bellas Artes}

A 20 minute metro ride south of the city center is a beautiful suburb called Coyoacán. It is a beautiful neighborhood with narrow tree lined streets.  This caught my eye. The house color, those wood windows, the yellow flowers growing up the tree.  I want a garden so bad!

It is here you will find La Casa Azul [the blue house] where Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lived together. (2 very famous Mexican painters) If you saw the movie Frida (starring Selma Heyek) you will remember this awesome house, painted a very mexican blue color. If you haven't seen it, rent it today, it's a wonderful movie.

{La Casa Azul, Coyoacán}

One thing that we really wanted to check out was the Aztec "floating gardens" of Xochimilco, 40 south of the city center (on metro)

Colorful painted boats cruise along the extended series of canals, which is all that is left of the ancient Lake Xochimilco.  Vendors come around in separate canoes. Mariachis float up to your boat to serenade you (for a tip, claro!) there were boats selling blankets and other souvenirs. This guy has a nursery on his boat.

This lady was selling micheladas and beers. She way overcharged us, but the convenience was undeniable. Note: bring your own beer [and friends] to Xochimilco.

Xochimilco is really a party on water.  It is a great way to spend a day, and athough Neto and I really enjoyed our boat ride, but we decided that it would be better to have a boat full of family and friends with you.  

 What do they eat for breakfast in Mexico? This street vendor was set up a few blocks from our hotel This condiment line up and the smell of beef lured us over. Tacos for breakfast! Sure, what the hell.

Chapultapec Park is a huge park in the middle of the city. (similar to central park in NY) There is a lake where you can rent little paddle boats, the Zoo is there, and there are miles of walking trails with vendors lining the way.  The Turibus dropped us right at the entrance and we spent a few hours there exploring.  Outside the zoo there was this beautiful wall that I had to climb for a photo. 

There is so much to write about Mexico City, and one of my favorite things is the food.  Besides all of the street food, which is where we ate the majority of our meals, there are tons of great restaurants.  

Taqueria los Paises- a streetside restaurant serving delicious tacos.  Made fresh in front of you, the chef flips the meat onto your tortillas and you can stand at one of the few small bar height tables on the sidewalk, or stand on the sidewalk eating with the rest of the crowd sans table. Very busy place. Cheap too. 

El Diez- an Argentine steakhouse with outdoor seating in Condesa.  Good meat and great prices. 

La Botica- a very cute and tiny mezcaleria serving...you guessed it, mezcal. A popular alternative to tequila.  I thought it was similar in taste, but Neto could tell a difference, and prefers it to tequila. It's smoother. It is also made from the agave plant, but a different variety. It was here that we tried champulines (grasshoppers) along with 2 shots of the 50 or so types of mezcal on the menu. They were served like peanuts and tasted like wood.  Also in Condesa neighborhood.

El Regiomontano - Recommended to us by Lonely Planet, this restauant, only a few blocks from our hotel in Centro Historico cooks up kids on a spit.  Haha, baby goat is the specialty, and they are on display in the window of this tiny eatery with card tables and plastic tablecloths. The service was good and the goat delish! Not on a well lit street, take a taxi at night. 

Probably one of the best dinners in Mexico was when we met Barbara and her husband Roberto. We were set up on a "blind date" with them at Villa Maria in Polanco, by Neto's sister Veronica. The decor was cozy and the food delicious. Notice the tamarind margarita as big as my head.  

I ate two things I had never tried before.  Escaroles, which are ant larve and huitlacoche, which is a fungus that grows on corn, they cut it and serve it in quesadillas.  So. Good. 

Barbara ended up giving us the keys to their apartment that night. They were leaving for the weekend and insisted that we stay in there home.  It was nice. We pretended that we lived there and we liked it.  We liked Mexico City. A lot.