The Obandos: October 2011

Sunday, October 23, 2011

We're expecting!!!

That’s right, Baby Obando is due on April 28th, 2012:) We are thrilled and looking forward to the many joys of parenthood. I am very thankful that I didn’t experience many of the typical pregnancy symptoms during the first trimester so I have really been able to enjoy the miracle of pregnancy. I had my first ultrasound last week at 12 weeks and got a little emotional when I saw Baby moving around and waving hello. We’re looking forward to finding out if Baby will be an Obandito or Obandita (little boy or little girl) so we can start working on our next home renovation project...the nursery!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Soup season is here!!!

Labels: Recipes

There are only 2 seasons in Miami, the hot one and the not-so-hot one. We do have a few weeks the locals refer to as “winter” when you might actually need a coat or scarf but colorful leafs and snowflakes just don’t happen here. Therefore, I find it absolutely necessary to indulge in seasonal cooking! The beginning of the season is always the most exciting because I dig out recipes that I haven’t made for 8 months and it’s like having them for the first time but w/out the worry that I might mess it up:) So...soup season is back and I LOVE soup! I have 5 awesome soup recipes and I would be in heaven if Roger let me name a day for each one and we could eat soup every day for 4 months...but the boy likes his meat and potatoes so we compromise and eat soup once or twice a week during the "not-so-hot" season.

Grandma’s Cheese Soup is probably our favorite soup and could be a year-round meal in places where the humidity is less than 100%.

Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes - peeled and shredded
2 medium carrots - peeled and shredded
2 stalks of celery - finely chopped
1 medium onion - peeled and finely chopped
(I use a mini chopper for all these veggies and it is very fast and sufficient for shredding/chopping)
2 cups of water
1 can of chicken broth
1 cup of milk
1 lb of American cheese cut into 1” cubes (I use Velveeta)

1-2-3 Easy:
(1) Bring water to boil. Add chopped up veggies and cook for about 10 minutes or until largest pieces are soft.

(2) Add milk and chicken broth and bring to a low boil.

(3) Add cheese while stirring. Stir until all the cheese is melted.

(4) Serve and enjoy!!!

In the words of Nelson Mandela...

"Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?" Actually who are you not to be? You are a child of God; your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."