My fav salad

Ensalada de camarones...I'm sensing a theme here. I LOVE shrimp. So after the rice meal, the next day I made this to go as a side dish for my meal. I MISS YOU MARIA!

Look I'm still using my tostonera but the hinges broke off from pressing so hard. lol.


1st fry (after soaking in the salted water of course):


Ready for some smashing:


my lil cup ready to take a 2nd dip:


This is the trick for crispness:


2nd fry (so healthy isn't it?):


All done, waiting to be filled with the yummy goodness:


And the finished product:


Ingredients:

Plantains
Shrimp
Olives
Olive oil
Roasted red pepper
Onion
Cilantro

Pretty simple. Doesn't necessarily need to be put onto the plantains, it can stand alone as a side dish with any meal, but this is the way Maria and I like it. Man I LOVE food...what shall I make for dinner tonight?...hmmm.........

On another note...it's 70 degrees here today...WHAT'S UP WITH THAT? I am not feeling this weather, I'm in Hawaii wearing jackets and using blankets for the baby. I hate rainy season! I'm very ready for the blazing sun to hit.

See ya tomorrow.

For my friend

I miss you Maria, every time I cook something that we made together I get all nostalgic. Cooking is no fun without you! I miss standing around peeling or chopping and laughing, oh how I miss laughing with u, over stupid things too. lol. In honor of you I made arroz con camarones YUM!!!!!!!!!!!! (Rice with shrimp). You'd be proud...it tasted fine, but I overcompensated with the water, so um, that's y it's so shiny. lol. Estupida!!!

Le falta mucho amiga/hermana mia!!

P.S. Do not adjust your screen the rice is supposed to be yellow. lol. Um look at that lone shrimp trying escape his destiny...*Insert evil laugh here*

Ordinary day

My house smells like laundry. I LOVE IT. I washed my shower curtains so as soon as I walk into my batch room all I smell is laundry YUM!

That lil tid bit of info has nothing to do with anything, it's just yet another trivial thing that makes me happy. A clean smelling, thoroughly cleaned house!!

Got some great shots again...Both taken by my husband but he doesn't have a blog. lol. I did the post processing (Editing) but he took the shots.

And look I added another child to the mix:
Lovin the DOF in this one!


See?:
He's such a bad boy. I LOVE it.

New toy

One of the lenses I got in the mail was the 15mm fish eye, and OH HOW I LOVE THIS LENS! It is so much fun, it matches my personality so well. I am going to have so much fun with this one!!!

Mrs. fish eye: (Dang if I thought my eyes were big b4, now I'm convinced!!)


Mr. fish eye:


Finally a lens to match my personality!!

He's my biggest supporter (Next to God)

My husband is so good to me. I have this stupid complex that I need to get help for, I always think I am undeserving of good things, or people in my life and sometimes even the blessings God gives to me, talk about ungrateful eh? I am trying to stop, and I'm thinking of getting some help in this area. I don't go as far as sabotaging the good in my life, but I go along daily with the mind set of "It's here for now, but it'll so go for whatever reason, because all things do" I'm not some "whoa is me" type of person seeking attention from others or affirmation. I know what my deal is, now I need to go fix it. I bring all of this up because of my husband, he is so good to me, that I sometimes feel like pinching myself so I can wake up. I'm not used to it, and I don't think I ever will be (Unless I seek the aforementioned help), but when he does things for me I feel like he's going to take it back, not because he does this, but for whatever stupid unresolved issues I have. I tell him often that I love him, but I don't think I let him know how appreciative I am for him loving me the way he does, despite my many flaws; mental and otherwise, for taking care of me and our children, for being such a big supporter of anything I do (From radio DJ, to product sales, to acting, to daycare etc. lol), Yeah I'm one of those wishy washy types who can't settle on anything because NOTHING appeals to me...I'm what you call (Or what I like to call) artistic, and us artsy fartsy type of people always have issues settling with one thing because none of what we choose to "try" allows us to express ourselves.

I love you Mario so very much and I know how much you love me (Y u love me remains to be seen) lol. But you do and for that I am grateful, especially to my father God for bringing us together and into this life we share together! Mahal Kita, Te amo con toda mi corazón y alma!

Oh look, it's Elias again

Still playing with the new lens, waiting for the others to come in on Tuesday CHRISTMAS IN MARCH!!!!

Love how sharp this lens is just look at his eyes (Despite the hair in them):


Such a boy, I took him for a walk yesterday (which he absolutely LOVES) and he found some rocks and just sat down to play with them. I love this stage, the girls were, well, GIRLY so they didn't do things like this, this is new for me, and I love seeing his face light up when he finds something in the grass or on the ground:




Exploring (I'm quite fond of this shot):


I always have his hair in a ponytail because I refuse to cut his curls, so when I took out the rubber band it was CRAZY (And he is SO NOT allowed to be at my desk!):


I love the way the sun comes in through my side window:


My husband took this one, I LOVE IT, but he gave me permission to process it and post it, hence my watermark on it:


This was taken with the kit lens, a few days ago, nothing special, except the 2 men in my life rough housing. I love hearing him squeal and laugh when his papi hangs him upside down!!:


I'm off to go eat...YUM, then back to taking pictures of my kids...I need some of my girls.

12:15am

It's the next day so I'm posting again. I need to put my OCD in check. It bothers me to post more than once a day, I've done it, but I feel bad once I do it. LOL.

These r some pix that were waiting to be posted, but were put on the back burner for the surgery or whatever reason...so...

We went driving the other day and I've noticed these lights b4, but never got around to taking the pix...I wonder how old they r:


Got a great shot of a building here on island...cute how they actually call some of them sky scrapers:


At a light and saw this, thank goodness I had my camera, and the light was long:


I never realized how small the rebel was until I got the new cam, and seeing it in Mario's hands is even more convincing:


My fav, he got me some new lighting, for portraits and we tested them out; ME LIKE!!!!:


That's all folks.

NEW LENS

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!!! B4 I continue with the hospital pix, I wanted to interrupt and post about some new equipment, YAYNESS!

My fist ever L series, (The Cadillac of lenses)


I promise I do have 2 other children, but they r always outside with their friends when I'm in the mood to take photo's...I'll get them though...


Look at how CLEAR these r...AHHHHHHHHHHH!



And because I'm not a fan of flowers, I thought I'd take a pic of one of those plants that have those stickers, u know the ones that stick to the bottom of your pants or to your dogs hair? Yeah that one:


OK back to your regularly scheduled programing...

Long day...

...so long that I have to divide this into 2 post's, one today and the other tomorrow. As some of you may remember Mario was hurt last month and so yesterday he had his 5th knee surgery...and being the person/photographer I am, I had to document this joyous (NOT) occasion. So join me if u will...

We got there around ten a.m. and played the waiting game:




Then after an hour and ½ they finally tell us about this area (THANK GOD!)


And Elias was happy! Actually so was I for that matter:








Finally we got the word it was time for him to change and get ready for his surgery:





Tadaaaaa

He had to shave his leg for the surgery...actually he didn't have to, they were going to do it, but he wasn't feelin the idea of a man shaving his legs while he was "hanging" out in JUST a gown, so he went ahead and did it himself. lol. My metro sexual.


And off to surgery he went...


So I'm looking at all my pictures and this might be a 3 day post. Whew. I'll end it here so as not to bore you and make this post WAY long and take up the entire page...more tomorrow.

2 post's today; CAUSE I CAN!

I love my lil angel, I have so many names for him, this pic evokes the word angel. But aren't they all when they're sleeping? This one cracks me up as if he were talking to someone who bored him to sleep...phone by his ear. Reminds me of the times Mario was gone and we'd fall asleep with the phone to our ears. Makes me think of the fact that he will one day find someone he wants to talk to that long and whose voice he wouldn't mind falling asleep to on the phone. Pending my approval of course. Til then He's MINE!
My handsome face boy...Thank you Lord for my lil surprise blessing!

I'm a people watcher

Back in my club days my husband and I would sit at the back of the club and just people watch with the usual comments "WHAT IS SHE WEARING?" and "OMG HE'S WITH HER?" lol. Or I'd just stare and wonder what they were really doing, or thinking, Now I like to people watch paparazzi style.

Here we have an older woman walking into a grocery store to pick up some things...maybe she is having a dinner, or ran out of a few things, or maybe her cat's diet changed and she needs a new brand of food, who knows?

Here r two more older women chit chattin it up in front of the grocery store...maybe they ran into each other after months of not seeing each other, maybe they just met and really hit it off?


Ah, the happy couple...out for a stroll? Just got engaged? Walking her to her car? New relationship?


OH BOY, the dreaded Jehovah's Witnesses...not dreaded for what they believe, to each his own, but dreaded because they don't care if you have a "DO NOT RING THE DOORBELL" sign taped over the button, they ring it anyway. They r relentless.


Guy at the bus stop...out of school? Going to night classes? Studying for the next test?

This woman...buying flowers to bring to her mother, or grandmother? Buying them for herself because no one else will? About to visit a grave? Daughter's graduation?


This one I'm not too sure about...seeing as there is no beach for blocks and miles from where we were...but this is a common occurrence here in Hawaii...

SEE?


Then we have this biker...looks healthy enough...smart too, with traffic being the way it is here...but as soon as I snapped this shot, he stopped and lit a cigarette...How's that for irony?

Lastly...we have this woman on a roll...she was walking rather briskly...late for an appointment? And with who? Doctor? Husband? Late to get home and start on dinner? Running from something? Or someone?


I like people watching I think I will turn this into a series, and I might even get bold enough to walk up to them and ask them to pose for me...Hmmmmmmm, we shall see...stay tuned.