here's the thing about nachos.

I've come to the realization that they are one of my favorite foods in the entire world, and it doesn't matter if they're doused in electric-velveeta-colored, shelf-stable cheese at some sort of sporting event, or if they're some Michelin-starred restaurant's take on them...I LOVE THEM. Clearly, however, the best ones are the ones we make at home. Good nachos, my friends, involve three things: toppings that you love; no skimping on said toppings; and deep, careful layering that creates even topping distribution, while leaving no chip un-topped. Oh yeah, and YOU HAVE TO BAKE THEM IN THE OVEN, because the microwave will make them soggy, people. In our case, this past week, there were two layers of chopped green onions, homemade refried beans, Mike's Tapatio-and-garlic-marinated chopped chicken (cripes, is it tasty!), homemade enchilada sauce, chopped green chile (sadly, from a can), and handfuls of a cheddar/fontina cheese blend. I ate until I hurt, and then, because there were some left and nachos don't reheat so well, I ATE SOME MORE. My favorite things, indeed.

Hey, gang, sorry for being gone for so long. Lately there's been lots of weirdness and stress and shuffling our lives around a bit, but we're back now, and I think things have finally started to settle down. Also, I'm getting a little tired of starting my blog posts with apologies and excuses, so I figured I'd start this one with a brief treatise on one of my favorite things, rather than the usual apologetic blather. (Imagine that here, if you need a fix.) But on to bigger and better things! Or at least, some summing-up from the stuff that's happened since last we talked.

Let's see...in December, thanks to our friend Roshan, we dined at a delightful little Indian/Sri Lankan restaurant and had the most amazing meal, since he knew the owner. (Who asked if it was all right to just bring out dishes for us...we've learned that you always say yes to this offer.) Purely for the purpose of having some sort of record of this feast, here's what we ate, in order of appearance on our table:

• Pappadam and roti with garlic;
• Samosas, Sri Lankan egg rolls, pakora, and battered shrimp, with curry, some sort of red/sweet, and yogurt sauces;
• Carrot (with lime and coriander, YUM!!) and cabbage salads;
• Yellow dal, a lamb dish, two chicken dishes (one was a spicy yellow coconut curry, and was my favorite of the night); a beef dish; rice with peas; sauteed greens; mixed veggies; and spicy shrimp;
• Sorbet for dessert.

Regrettably, I do not remember the details of this meal as well as I might have, had I written this down in December...suffice it to say, it was a meal of epic proportions, and there was not a single thing I didn't like. Or eat way too much of. And the tragedy of it all was that the owner wanted more free time, and shut the restaurant down three weeks later. SIGH. Lucky him, I guess, for having too much business. And lucky us that he now runs a booth at the specialty foods market in the Hauptbahnhof every Tuesday (in my opinion, the only place to find lunch on a Tuesday...!). (But the specific delights of that glorious place are for another post, I suppose, since I have so much catching up to do, here.)

In late December we took a quick trip over to Freiburg, Germany, for a genuine Christmas market, since the ones in Zürich are a little small and sad, although fun to visit for the raclette/fondue/glühwein angle, I suppose. And the decorations.

The Swiss do loooooove their Christmas decorations, which tend to brighten up the winter gloom, at least for a few weeks.

Heh heh...this cow ("Heidi," apparently) resides over one of the smellier fondue restaurants in old-town Zürich, and does not normally wear moving angel wings or a halo. I love how serious and dignified the cow's face is, despite the Christmas market folderol in the square below.

Market in Freiburg, complete with tiny ferris wheel for the kiddies.

They packed a lot of booths into a small amount of space...here's one with the Bavarian cookies that you see at every German market, everywhere.

So very festive, despite the cold, blowing rain. Ahh, central Europe in the winter time...

It's not a travel post without a manhole cover. Here's one of Freiburg's.

Next up was our annual trip back to Denver and Los Alamos for Christmas, and as always, it was awesome: we ate way, way too much Mexican food; I got to sing with my (ridiculously talented) Mom and sisters on Christmas Eve; and we had a fantastic time seeing our families and friends. 

They'll probably hate me for posting these photos, but I don't care. Here's our giant Christmas dinner in Los Alamos, with Mike's dad and stepmom, my brother-in-law Scott and sister Joy, my dad and mom, and sister Grace... 

...brother-in-law Scott (yes, my younger twin sisters both married guys named Scot, HAH!), and Mike. So much food...such a nice evening.

We rang in the New Year with a barbecue at our friends Martin's and Susanne's house (they have an amazing rooftop terrace, complete with actual grass yard, and do not mess around with the smoking and grilling of various meats), then a trip down to the bridge at Bellevue to catch the 20-minute-long fireworks display over the lake. Super crowded, but TOTALLY WORTH IT: it's fun to be in the middle of a crowd that big when the show starts and everyone turns into excited children, chanting "More, more!" Despite the cold, it was a great time, and an awesome spectacle. (Not my video, and ignore the goofy music, but here's a portion of what we saw.*)

In February, it was an unexpected (and quick) trip back to the U.S. for Mike's grandpa's funeral, which was hard, but gave us the opportunity to hear more stories about Grandpa (there's really no question where Mike gets his mischievous streak from--it's an obvious family trait) and to visit with our families just a little more. Oh yeah, and to sneak in a quick weekend in Napa, because Mike was already in San Francisco for work and decided it would be "easier" if I just joined him there, before heading down to NM. (Um, right.) I will say that the 60-plus-degree temperatures and brilliant sunshine were a welcome respite from the weather here...

Did I mention that it snowed a lot here this winter? 'Cause it did. A lot. (And was followed by one of the coldest, grayest, latest springs on record. Guess who's getting a UV lamp next year...?)

...and then there was Napa, where we got to see Dave and Jen and eat a little good food. In particular, the stand-out meals were at a taqueria in Napa (alas, I cannot remember the name! but oh, the super nachos...), and dinner at our hotel, Madrona Manor, was delicious, although poor Dave was under the weather, and so Jen, Mike, and I had to indulge ourselves without him. (I had a couple of tasty fish dishes, but my favorite part was the onion velouté with a soft egg, vinegar, and parmesan...MMMM.)

March brought yet more depressing weather, an apartment search (oh, how we adore thee, Hammerstrasse, but thy price is too high!), kitteh crises, and a trip to Luxembourg and Trier (Germany) for Easter weekend...and because I can, and will, go on and on about all of that, and I'm waiting on a meat delivery (yes, for reals), I will do my best to keep this here post on the shorter side. In just a minute, here, anyway.

What we're watching: 'Safety Not Guaranteed' - a quirky little movie about a (supposed) time traveler and the journalists who investigate him...a little dirty language, but a surprisingly sweet story. Watch it if you're in the mood for something different. 'The Guard,' in which an Irish policeman and an FBI agent team up to stop drug smugglers...lots of cursing and a fair amount of violence, but also a funny and sorta feel-good buddy movie. In a twisted way. 'Cedar Rapids,' in which Andy-from-'The Office' (ok, Ed Helms, but he'll always be Andy) is an insurance salesman who meets the real world while attending his first  conference. With John C. Reilly as the filthy, but ultimately lovable, troublemaker, and some truly hilarious/uncomfortable moments...a reasonably good movie which was undersold when it came out. 'Argo' - yeah, it got the Oscar for a reason. Maybe a bit skewed towards the American-as-hero version of the story, but what a story, and really, really well told.

What I'm reading: boy oh boy, so much. Celebrity sTalker, by Suzy Soro, about the author's encounters with various celebrities. Mostly hilarious and/or appalling. In the same vein (self-deprecating autobiography, I suppose), Bright Lights, Big Ass; Such a Pretty Fat; Bitter is the New Black; and Pretty in Plaid, all four by Jen Lancaster, of whom I am now (obviously) a huge fan. She is hilarious, bitter, condescending, and foul-mouthed, all by turn, but dearly loves her husband and her job and her pets and is a fantastic, fast, addictive read. Good stuff. Took a brief break from the humor authors to read Dorothy Parker: What Fresh Hell is This?, by Marion Meade, about the life and times of the title character (who was a short story and poem writer, theater critic, and founding member of the Algonquin Round Table in early 20th-century New York City). Very, very interesting stuff. Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched, by Amy Sutherland, about her (and the students') experiences at the Exotic Animal Training and Management program of Moorpark Community College in California. Super fascinating look at how professional animal trainers are, themselves, trained. And finally, a radical departure to Monster Hunter International, by Larry Correia (which came highly recommended by my friend Emily, and rightly so). Sometimes, you just need good, silly fiction, and this crazy-violent series about an organization of international monster hunters (working in tandem--and secret, of course--with the US government) fits the bill. Uh, and now I think we're mostly caught up.

Stay tuned...more posts pending! (And if you buy that, I've got some property in Arizona I'd like to talk to you about...)

Thanks for sticking with me, dear readers. Talk to you soon.




*Smiley faces and cubes? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This stuff is pure, out-and-out magic. So great.