2009 - Life Bites

Of weeds and Michael Jackson

After five months of having family over, my husband and I are finally alone with our newborn daughter. You'd think I'd be exclusively preoccupied with her care, but instead, I find myself worrying about other rather mundane things, namely: Michael Jackson: Why? Why? Why did he have to die so young without getting a chance to come back and offer more of his music, maybe heal his tormented soul a bit? I find myself so saddened by Michael's death it feels as though I lost a loved one... and I was never really that big a fan. Not that you…

Fish with ginger and soy sauce

My mother in law has been making Chinese soy sauce fish for us using different fish and I just love it every single time. I couldn't believe it was so simple to make. See easy print recipe below the pictures. Tip: do not use defrosted fish for this dish, as it may not hold together while being fried/simmered. Chinese Soy Sauce Fish 2 fresh (gutted, scaled and dried whole fish, cut in half. We have used trout and red snapper very successfully. Any big fish will do, i.e. halibut or sea bass. A 1 lb. fish serves two. If…

Of cold dinners: A mother’s work never ends

When my mother flew from the Caribbean to care for me after labor, she would not stop giving me advice. She made a point to pass on what my grandmother taught her: "a mother's work never ends, she eats when she's no longer hungry, she sleeps when she's no longer sleepy... a mother's life is one of patience and sacrifice." I heard as I rolled my eyes during my first week of recovery, refusing to let go of my life as I knew it and crying in the shower in confusion and fear at the daunting task before me. Why…

Yoga for pregnancy

I have practiced yoga every week now for close to five years and my routine is very much a part of my life. Once expecting, I got some yoga for pregnancy DVD's, and I believe practicing them have made a big difference in the way my pregnancy has progressed. Yoga is a great mom-to-be exercise because it can be gentle enough for someone who has less energy or vigorous enough to give you a full body workout, not to mention a peaceful mind. A challenge for me was finding good yoga pants for pregnant women at a good price, but…

Moro de guandules (pigeon pea rice)

This moro de guandules (pigeon pea rice) recipe is for the traditional stove top Dominican moro. I also have a rice-cooker version of this recipe. Easy print recipe below. Definition of moro in Dominican cooking: any combination of rice and legumes cooked in the same dish. Popular types of moro are black bean moro, pigeon pea moro and red bean moro. Pigeon peas are one of my favorite legumes and since they are not as widely produced as other types of beans, it is always a treat to have them. In the U.S., I have only been able to get…