Fried Plantains

I really love fried plantains. This was my second time making them. I haven't quite perfected them, but these were much better than my first try. I like fried plantains to be very soft and sweet so I let mine go black! It took a few weeks.
I think plantains are hard to peel, especially when they're not ripe like this one. Peeling them like bananas doesn't work. I cut a slit all the way down the side and took off the peel in portions.

Then I sliced it diagonally. And fried the pieces in some oil.

I was surprised that the plantain got softer as it cooked. I think fried plantains are best when they're crispy around the edges and really soft in the middle. I haven't mastered this yet, but these were still really delicious. Next time I think I'll make more than one.

Here is what I ate for dinner tonight. No plantains but still good!My salad had fresh lettuce (from the farmer's market!), cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, mint, light tofu (just as good as regular, I thought), hoisin sauce, and ground peanuts. I'm definitely making this again! I ground the peanuts with the immersion blender which was probably not a good idea.... but it was fun! ha!

Afternoon Park Time

Raf likes to play soccer in the park. He hurt his knee last Fall but he's getting better and better. Now he can kick!I like to go with him, even on cold days. I read books and watch him play.It's fun. :)

Hudson Train Ride

Mr. Cruz's job is at the Metronorth Railroad, which is really cool. He works all over Westchester County and sometimes way down deep in Grand Central Station. He took Rafael and me on a train ride along the Hudson River from Dobbs Ferry to Harlem - 125th Street when we visited him a few weeks ago.
The Hudson River is really wide. I didn't get a good photo, but there are giant cliffs on the New Jersey side. It goes from natural and green to industrial and city-ish.I love going to New York City. I get excited every time. I also love Rafael and Mr. Cruz:So sweet! It was a fun mini trip!

Oops

The other day I made Mark Bittman's Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding. As you can see, I had a little mishap while I was putting it in the fridge....

HA! I'm not really sure how this happened. Anyway, I recommend the pudding, it's really delicious.... just don't add any tomatoes!

JP Licks!

After we went to the Arnold Arboretum, Raf and I were hungry so we went to JP Licks! There are a few JP Licks around the city like in Coolidge Corner, Newbury St, and Davis Square, but the original is in Jamaica Plain! (of course....)There was a long line, but I didn't mind because I needed lots of time to decide. There are so many good options!I got Oreo Cake Batter and Strawberry Shortcake with chocolate sprinkles. I forgot to take a picture before I started eating, but here is my ice cream:
I was super good! I especially like the Oreo Cake Batter, I eat that every time I go there. The Strawberry Shortcake was really good too! Raf had a stawberry shake, but he helped me a little with mine. We also saw this cutie: Aw look at those legs and that tongue!

Arnold Arboretum

Rafael and I went to the Arnold Arboretum last weekend. It was really cool and beautiful. We liked the view of the city:Parts of the Arboretum are forest, and other parts are like a park. It was unlike any place I've been. I really loved all of the trees. It was so peaceful.
I couldn't believe we were in Boston! (Notice the big black dog... there were wild animals! jk)There were a few surprises, like seeing Flash!We only saw one super hero, but we certainly saw a lot of people! Little did we know, it was the Lilac Festival! (I just noticed the girl in this photo has a cool t-shirt: Pho Life!)Yikes bikes! Lucky for me, lots of people = lots of dogs! I was on golden retriever and golden doodle overload.This is Wally. He let me pat him. He was so calm. Cute!Of course, since this is Boston and he was wearing a Red Sox bandana, I quickly figured out his namesake.... Wally the Green Monster!
This is one of the cutest photos I've seen:HAHAHAHA! We had a great day at the Arboretum! I want to go back on a less busy day and spend a relaxing afternoon there. :)

Happy Mother's Day :)

Mother's Day makes me think of pretty flowers. Here is me carrying home some flowers for Mom last weekend: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOMMY!!!!!! Here are some other flowers at the church in Copley Square (the one across Boylston St from the library) that made me think of Mom::) Raf said "blue hyacinth," which Mom taught him.

Also, Happy Mother's Day to Susie! I hope you're enjoying your day with beautiful Emily... ...and that you're both this happy!(Don't you love her ears in this photo?)

*Update* Here's another nice and cute part of Mother's Day:

Big Papi with a pink breast cancer bat tonight!So sweet. :)

Beach Dog Paparazzi

The beach was great for dog paparazzi! It was April and the beach wasn't officially open yet, so lots of cuties were allowed to be there. Raf and Mom liked this leggy trio:

This smiling cutie walked all over our blanket and tried to eat our sandwiches! We liked him anyway. He was really soft! Then these two friends showed up and provided hours of entertainment for me: They met another golden retriever. They liked each other.Then they went for a swim. And had a shake:Golden retrievers are great at fetching, but they really don't want to give the ball back sometimes. They are so tricky. The shorty dog waited patiently.Then they ran around really fast a lot more. I wish dogs could always go to the beach. They love it! These two played a lot of ball too. Look at the legs! So happy. :)

Red Quinoa

A few weeks ago I made red quinoa using the Red Rice recipes from my Frida's Fiestas book. I think the picture in the book is really cool. I still haven't tried the white rice recipe.
I started by making a puree of the tomato, onion, and garlic. This puree wasn't as weird as the poblano puree, but it was still a little odd. It smelled delicious.Next I sauteed the quinoa in a dry pot for a few minutes. Quinoa looks much different before and after it's cooked. I added the puree and cooked everything for a few minutes.
Next I added chicken broth, celery, and lime juice and let it cook for 20 minutes.

Here is the finished red quinoa:I forgot to take a picture of it on my plate. I think I was hungry. :) I really liked how the red quinoa came out but I think the recipe might be better with rice. Maybe I'll try that next time!

Beach Time!

We went to the beach last weekend because it was HOT! It was lots of fun. I want to go back a lot of times.Raf, Nathan, and Sarah played bocce. I followed them around and took pictures. Lots of dog paparazzi photos are coming later! An ocean breeze came along and it wasn't that hot anymore. Mom got really cold and made us put a lot of layers on her. She thought that was really funny:
I thought it was funny too. I LOVE the beach!!!!!