A Snow Day in Houston

Last night, Houston had its first and most likely only snow day of the year.

See the pretty flurries?

The first look at our grill
And then later that night it looked like this.
We didn't think the snow would actually stick, so we didn't bother to cover the plants.

It's okay though because most are winter veg. Oh so cold! I should have been wearing gloves.

Dan and I had a good time making snowballs!
(The last 3 pics were taken with iPhone)

It was fun while it lasted, but I hope it doesn't get that cold again. :) I hate the cold weather!

Garden Update

Here's an update on Chihuahua Berry Farms:

Bell Peppers
Some peppers didn't make it. :(

Ball Carrots
To be such small carrots they carry a lot of carrot flavor.
I'm not a fan. But they are so cute!

Mint
Yum!

Our 1 Lemon
It didn't get a chance to make it to yellow. Dan went to check on it and it fell.

It was still delicious! I hope we get more next year.

Strawberries!

We are officially Chihuahua Berry Farms. :)

So pretty! I can't wait to have a taste.

Box 2: Check out the Fennel!
And look at the huge squash leaves.
Unfortunately, we have yet to get a pumpkin, despite having the blossoms.

Acorn Squash
Yay! We have squash. :)

We lost one. :(
I really hope the one we have left will make it.

Peonies make me smile!

My favorite flower can put a smile on my face. I love my husband!

Life without You

Adam Justin Salinas "Boo Boo"
September 6, 1993-December 1, 1994

Fourteen years ago we said goodbye.
And to this day I still wonder why.
It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.
If only I could spend one more day with you.
To have watched you grow up, oh how I would have loved to see.
In my dreams is where I see you, but in my heart is where you will always be.


I love you Boo Boo.

You are forever in our hearts and I know that one day we will be together again.

Mamma Agata's Hidden Treasure

Here are a few more pictures of our day at Mamma Agata's.

Mamma Agata's house was so beautiful and it has a gorgeous view!

A hand-painted sign near the entrance.

My parents under one of the lemon trees.

The newlyweds!

I can only hope that one day our lemons will be this nice!

We loved their garden!

There were some steep steps to get to the lemon trees and the rest of the garden.
The lemon trees are covered with this black material to protect them from too much sun and from the cold nights.

More garden veg

Even more veg

:sigh: What a gorgeous view.
I could live here...okay maybe not, but I could visit here every year! :)

I forgot the name of what type of gardening is done along the Amalfi Coast.
I'll post it when I get the answer. :)

My parents are so cute!

I don't know why D's shirt looks so weird.
This was right before we left to do our "Day After" pics.

Everyone really enjoyed themselves that day.
We ate yummy food, learned how to make the yummy food and tour the garden where some of the yummy food comes from! :)

Mamma Agata's Cooking Class

I've been meaning to blog about the cooking class in Italy, but I kept putting it off.

Mamma Agata's Hidden Treasure is where we had our wedding and reception. They also have private dinners and cooking classes. We jumped at the opportunity to be part of a cooking class in Italy and from such a great chef! Mamma Agata was the chef for celebrities, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Liz Taylor, Fred Astaire and Humphrey Bogart, just to name a few. It was great learning how to make some of the appetizers and main dishes from our own wedding reception!

Chiara is Mamma Agata's daughter and one of the sweetest persons I've ever met.

Mamma Agata was a beautiful soul...so full of life, love, and laughter. She is so funny. In a weird way she reminded us of my maternal grandma.

My hubster helping with an appetizer.

What a great chef!

Mmmm I forgot what this eggplant appetizer was called, but it was yummy!

Quick snapshot of the newlyweds as I'm about to stuff my face with something delish!

Mamma Agata was a great teacher. Chiara translated for her throughout the day.

My father-in-law, the other chef in the family.

Mamma Agata is preparing the delicious Lemon Chicken that we enjoyed on our wedding day.

Pappardelle Pasta with Sausage and Peppers was the other dish we had on our wedding day.

And oh my God these cherry tomatoes were the absolute best tomatoes we had ever had.
So sweet! We ate them just like candy. :)
You can't get tomatoes like that in the States.

We had a fabulous time! Mamma Agata's cooking class was the highlight of our trip, other than our actual wedding day of course. Mamma Agata, Chiara and their family were so welcoming, laid back and fun to be around.

We left there that day with a lot of great tips and Dan uses one tip when making sauces for pastas. We have some delicious recipes from that day that we hope to make soon, including some delicious fritters!

I can only hope that one day we can go back!