The ABQ So Far. . .

So, I've been here in Albuquerque since Saturday night.  After a turbulent couple of plane rides (seriously, I had my barf bag ready to go) that included free wine and many a honey-roasted peanut, I finally made it.

 Coming in for landing near the Sandia Mountains.

The only bad thing about arriving in Albuquerque was that I had to bid adieu to my two plane buddies, Vincent the estate lawyer and Steve the science teacher.  If you're in the last group to board the plane and you must sit between two strangers, well, it doesn't get much better than a 61-year old lover of tech gadgets who listens to Slate podcasts and a fellow teacher who bumps around the country in his Volkswagon camper during breaks from school.

From left: Vincent, a very swollen Mandy (I look like a tick!), and Steve.

Since being here I've eaten about seven times as much as a normal human should, but I've somehow avoided becoming too drunk and obnoxious.

This sandwich was much larger and much more delicious than I anticipated.

I drove a brand new car.

Uncle Greg's new ride.

And I learned to make Grandma's Famous Corn Fritters (recipe coming soon). 

I met a woman named Punkin (not the one from Flavor of Love).

And I've had lots of time to relax with my grandparents, and learn more about their lives and to talk and chat and kvetch and laugh.  It's been pretty swell, if I do say so myself.

Oh, and the altitude is killing me a wee bit.  Apparently, because Albuquerque is 6,000 feet above sea level, it's a little tough to breathe for us sea-level dwellers.  So I've been a little tired.  Actually, it could be the altitude, or it could be the fact that I'm basically a sloth.  Shoot.

Oh, also, I packed kind of haphazardly because I might have consumed too much wine on Friday night.  And in my frenzied Saturday morning packing, I forgot to bring my anti-frizz hair stuff.  I figured I'd just buy some at a store once I arrived.  But--BUT!--I don't have to, because Albuquerque has like zero percent humidity.  So I'll basically have soft Pantene-commerical movie star hair for the duration of the visit.  Shoot yeah!

Side note:

I made Grandma and Grandpa take the Myers Brigg personality test.  Grandma is an ESFJ, and Grandpa is an ESTJ.  Basically, they're just one letter away from being the same person!  I am an ENTJ, which means that I'm just one letter away from being him, and it's not all that surprising.  I mean, we even have matching shoes.

Oh, and I'm not sure where to fit this in, but was Granpa a looker or what?  (He's the one in the middle.)

Well, we're off for more sightseeing and eating and shopping.  Hope you're enjoying your Monday!

Peppermint Ice Cream

I love ice cream.

Did you know that? 

I also love peppermint.

I do not love Peppermint Patty from the Charlie Brown cartoons.  She's obnoxious. 

(But I do love Lucy from Charlie Brown, mostly because she and I share a Myers-Briggs personality type, the ENTJ.)

 

But back to the ice cream, and the peppermint.

Now, I'd love to tell you that I followed this recipe exactly, or to accurately inform you of any changes I made to the recipe.

But here's the thing.  It was Saturday night when I made it.  I had been chatting on the phone for hours, and drinking wine way more quickly than I realized.  There was broken glass in the sink (which probably accounts for some of the cuts on my fingers).  RIP, wine glass.

So, anyway, I'm pretty sure that I remember my changes, but I can't make any guarantees.

What I can tell you is that this ice cream is really delicious, and really pretty, and a perfect after-dinner bite.

And if you're a fan of the marriage of peppermint and ice cream, then soldier on and make this stuff already!

Peppermint Ice Cream (adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients

4 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons peppermint extract

1 cup crushed peppermint candy canes

Directions

1.In a heavy saucepan, whisk egg yolks, half-and-half, sugar and salt. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches 160 degrees F and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Place pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Stir in whipping cream and vanilla and peppermint extract. Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

2.Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full. (Refrigerate any remaining mixture until ready to freeze.) Freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Stir in peppermint candy. Allow to ripen in ice cream freezer or firm up in the refrigerator freeze for 2-4 hours before serving.

Now how's that for the Christmas spirit?

I Like Pina Coladas.

But I don't really like getting caught in the rain.  My hair gets all frizzy.

Why is this song so good?

I have a secret desire for Matt and I to join eHarmony just to see if it would match us.  I mean, by every other measure--and by that I mean Cosmopolitan's bedside astrologer and the Myers Briggs personality test--we are a perfect match.  He's the Leo to my Aries; he's the INTP to my ENTJ; he reads the directions of recipes while I chop stuff up; we both change lyrics of pop songs to be about Mitch.  Not to boast, but things on this end are good, content, interesting. 

But I know that Matt and I will never join eHarmony because it's a damned can of worms and we do possess at least a shred of common sense.*  Plus, what if it matched me up with George Clooney and Matt up with Beyonce and then we found ourselves in a pickle? 

Earlier tonight we wrote our own version of the pina colada song, and, not surprisingly, it had way too much to do with Mitch.



*I also won't find out my IQ score because I'm afraid that it won't be high enough to satisfy me.  Instead, it's likely a 75, and I'll have to go to some special school to learn how to re-tread tires.