Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip | Dip con Alcachofas y Espinaca Caliente

This is not a cooking blog, but I always get requests for this recipe so I decided to post it here so I can just share the link next time.

This is my go to recipe for potlocks or parties - people LOVE it.  I made a double recipe for a party we went to yesterday and it was GONE in just a few minutes!

credit 

Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip

This is my adapted version of this recipe.

1 (8oz) block of cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup mantequilla (or sour cream, if you don't live in Honduras)
1 cup of shredded Italian blend cheese
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
salt and pepper
1 (14 oz) can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1-2 cups of fresh, chopped spinach (I tend to put at least 2 cups, sometimes more!)
1/2 cup of Italian blend shredded cheese for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, mantequilla, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper.  When thoroughly mixed, add in the artichoke hearts and spinach.

Transfer the mixture to a glass baking dish, and sprinkle with the 1/2 cup of additional cheese.  Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

TIPS:
-This recipes doubles or triples well.  I almost always make it doubled in a 9x13 dish, because we even like it heated up the next day. :)
-I'ved tried this with jalapeños in it, and also with shredded chicken.  It tastes awesome with both.

Ahora, en español para mis amigas que no hablan ingles, o para uds. que quieren pasar la receta a su trabajadora. ;)

Dip de Alcachofas y Espinaca Caliente

1 (8oz) bloque de queso crema, temperatura ambiente
1/4 taza mantequilla
1 taza queso italiano, rayado
2 dientes de ajo, picados
sal y pimienta
1 (14 oz) lata de corazones de alcachofas, colados y picados
1 o 2 tazas espinaca, picada
1/2 taza queso italiano, rayado para poner encima

Encender horno a 350 F.  En un plato hondo, mezclar queso crema, mantequilla, queso, ajo, sal y pimienta.  Agregue la espinaca y alcachofas.

Trasladar la mezcla a un Pyrex, y poner la 1/2 taza de queso encima.  Hornear 25 minutos, o hasta que este dorado.

TIPS:
-Puede hacer la receta doble o triple.  Yo casi siempre la hago doble en un pyrex de 9x13.
-He hecho esta receta con jalapeños y tambien con pedacitos de pollo.  Es muy rico con los dos! :)

8 things you should be thankful for if you live in the US of A

1. Clean running water
I hope you know that most of the earth's population doesn't have access to clean drinking water.  It doesn't really register until you realize that the water in your toilet is cleaner than the water that comes from my faucet.

2. Water (in general)
We have running water, and I'd venture to say that most of the people in metropolitan areas in Honduras have plumbing/running water in their homes.  (I can't say the same for rural Honduras...one maid I had told me they still didn't have plumbing/electricity in the village where she's from...) But it's not always reliable.  In Tegucigalpa (the capital of Honduras) water is a luxury!  Where we used to live the water came on maybe 3 days per week during rainy season, and once every TEN DAYS during dry season.  In order to have water 24 hours a day, people that can afford it have cisterns/storage tanks for water.  When the city water comes on, it fills the cistern/tanks so you have a back up for whenever the water goes off.  (And oh, the glorious sound of the water filling the cistern...I swear every time I heard it I heard angels singing...) If you have one of those, you also have to have an electric water pump to pump the water into the house.  No electricity?...no water. 

3.  Reliable utilities
Speaking of no electricity...  In the 2 cities where I've lived in Honduras, electricity in my houses have gone out a few times a month for a few hours each time (with the exception of when the last president was ousted from office in 2009 and it was off for DAYS).  No biggie compared to other places in Honduras where it goes out for hours every single day.  Also?  It's super expensive. 

4. Central heating/AC
This isn't for the reason you think it is!  It's nice to have a climate controlled environment to live in, but I miss having a CENTRAL system for air filtration!  You won't believe how fast the dusts collects in my house without filtering the air!

5.  Security/safety
Are you aware that I live in the "most dangerous" city in the world?  (Read about it here.) Highest homicide rate per 100,000 inhabitants.  Higher than Juarez, Mexico people.  Honestly, I feel like I'm not at risk for homicide though...those are almost always targeted killings of people involved in 1. Politics, 2. Narcotrafficking, or 3. Journalism (and publishing true stories that no one wants known!).  We're not involved in any of those things.  Kidnapping, armed robbery, carjacking, being mugged, however...those are all real threats and I am scared and constantly aware of my surroundings every time I leave my house. 

6. Police
The police in the US are your friends (most of them, at least).  They want to help and protect their citizens.  Here?  Corrupt doesn't even begin to describe it.  The corruption within the police department goes so deep and wide that I don't know if it can ever be fixed without firing every.single.person and starting over again.  (For examples and stories read La Gringa's article here.  Make sure you read the related articles listed at the end.)

7. Reliable emergency services
I never realized how amazing 911 is.  You call, and someone answers!  And then?  They send police!  And they arrive in minutes!  What a novelty.  Many years ago when Jose was in high school someone tried to break into their house.  They called 911 (199 in Honduras) and miraculously someone answered!  (Every time I've called....maybe 5 times...no one EVER answered.)  But, they said they couldn't send anyone because they didn't have a car and if Jose and his family could send someone to pick them up.  Not kidding.  I couldn't make up these stories if I wanted to.

8.  Drywall
This one may seem silly to you.  But?  It's not easy drilling holes in concrete.  All of our interior/exterior walls are made of concrete.  Hanging pictures takes me FOREVER (probably because I'm a wimp and our drill kinda sucks).  But?  At least we have walls (and they are concrete, not adobe) and at least we have a drill.

I could go on and on and on....stable government, hospitals, medical care, plumbers that aren't all total idiots......Just remember....

"The things you take for granted, someone else is praying for..."

The Library and the Museum Witch

Today's story starts a couple of weeks ago when I read that there is a library (a REAL library!) in San Pedro Sula, with a section full of children's books in English.  It's part of the Centro Cultural Sampedrano, located in el centro.

So, this morning Nicholas and I headed thataway... We found it easily, found parking right in front!, and didn't get mugged on the way in...so I was already feeling confident as we walked through the front door.  The guard was very friendly.  Another small success!  He pointed us in the direction of the library, and when I turned around and saw it my heart skipped a beat.  A giant library (and by giant I mean a big room of books) behind a wall of glass with the words BIBLIOTECA printed above.  And I could just see it....Nicholas and I reading books on the floor, and oh, what's this?  Another mom and toddler also there reading books!  And, oh, you don't have any friends either?  Let's be best friends and have play dates and, OH, our husbands can be best friends too!
And then I heard records screeching and my dreams were crushed when the guard said, "Wait!  I don't think you can go in there with a baby!"

-"What do you mean?  He's seriously not allowed in?"
-"Well, you can go in and ask, but I don't think they'll accept you with a baby."

So in we went.  In the corner I spotted a shelf of children's books - in English! - PETER FREAKING RABBIT.  And then the librarian (who was not very librarian-like and much more witch-like) glared at my unwelcome toddler. 

-I whispered, "someone told me you have children's books here in English."
-"Yes, we do, but he can't come in.  Only children 6 and older are allowed,"  cackled the library witch.
-"Not ever?  You don't have story time or anything?"  And the library witch just shook her head.

And before I started crying, I turned around and walked out.  Tears were streaming down my face before I made it to the car.  I put Nicholas in his car seat and got in my own seat and cried and cried as I stared out the front window.  I was angry that I'd gotten my hopes up so much over a library, and angry that everyone in the building had looked at me so strangely entering a library with a toddler, and sad that whoever makes the library rules was so ignorant!  And sad, of course, that I don't know a single soul in this whole city!

I felt sorry for myself for a few minutes, wiped my face, and headed out of el centro.  We made our way out of the city towards a children's museum I had noticed a few days earlier.  We parked and walked towards the building.  The employees outside the "ticket office" glared at us and made us feel just as unwelcome as the library-witch.  We went in anyway. 

-"Good morning, I came to see what you have at the museum!" I said cheerfully.
-"We have a something-room and a something-exhibit and a something something something.  The entrance is so many lempiras.  But you can't come in.  We only accept groups of 10 people or more."

And I thought, "What is this?  An attempt to make me feel even worse that I know NO ONE here?!" 

-"Well, that's ok.  Do you have any workshops or classes that I could enroll my son in?"  "No," said the museum witch. 

And so I left.

And I got in the car and cried and cried again.  I drove home and called my husband and cried and cried some more.  Then I called my mom, crying, and she said, "well, I understand why you're upset.  But you know what?  Take charge of this, Hannah.  Start a group of moms.  Go out and find friends - just MAKE IT HAPPEN! Open your own darn library!" 

And that was all it took to empower me.  No more crying and feeling sorry for myself...I'm starting a group for expat/Honduran mommies in San Pedro Sula that want to make friends.  How will I find members if I don't know anyone?  I'm not sure yet.  hahaha  If you are my friend on Facebook, look for it soon. 

Oh, and no witches allowed.

Our first adventure

The other day Nicholas and I headed out in search of Cortitelas (fabric store).  Cortitelas has a nice website, and even offers a map to their 2 locations in San Pedro Sula.  We decided on the location that wasn't in el centro to make things easier.  I studied the maps and thought I had it figured it out, and off we went (with our iPhone of course - we would need that website and Google Maps!)


I bet you can guess that we got lost.  Really lost.  We drove around the entire downtown for 2 hours. 

(On the bright side, while we were "exploring" I found a Keymart and a Super Xtra (think Big Lots-type stores) as well as a ton of junk stores - all of which I pinned on my Google Maps for later.)

We drove and drove and drove.  At some point Nicholas fell asleep and then I didn't feel as rushed.  I started to just enjoy the adventure, and stopped paying attention to the street signs as much.  As I approached one stop light, I suddenly realized I needed to turn left, but because of the flow of traffic it seemed like it might be an illegal turn.  The light was about to turn red so I took advantage of the stop in traffic and went ahead and turned left anyway (I mean, that's what all the other Hondurans do, right?).  Immediately there was a motorcycle with 2 cops behind me honking for me to pull over.  GREAT, I thought.  I stopped right in the middle of the street and rolled down my window.

Officer 1, in Spanish: Do you know that turn you just made was illegal?
Me:  Yo no hablo español. (with the gringo accent way up!)
Officer 1: No habla español?
Me, in English:  What?
(Officer 1 looks at Officer 2 and smirks)
Officer 1, in very broken English:  Where are you from?
Me, in English:  OH you speak English!  I'm from Kentucky!  Can you help me find Cortitelas???
Officer 2, in Spanish: Do you have the papers for the vehicle??
Me, in English:  What??  My license?  Here's my license.
Officer 2, in Spanish to Officer 1: Just let her go, man.  She doesn't understand.
Officer 1: Looks at my license and says "cheque, que le vaya muy bien." (Ok, have a nice day!)

(I'm telling you, this works every time.  I will never speak Spanish to another police officer again!)

Afterwards I felt kind of guilty for lying - I really did break the law this time and they were just doing their jobs, but....you never know when it could turn into a bribing situation (or something more dangerous!).  Also, I bumped into 2 cars on 2 different occasions and sped away (I was scared of having to get out of the car downtown!) so I guess I'm also guilty of hit and run.

After breaking the law 3 times (that I know of) I decided it was a sign to give up and go home.

The next day, we headed out to try again, and look what we found on the FIRST TRY...

Repollo

The other day I *very randomly* decided I was going to make a pickled cabbage salad (the kind that goes on top of pupusas or Honduran enchiladas).  In Honduras we just call this repollo (cabbage). 

I couldn't find a decent recipe online, and no one posted any helpful replies to my request on Facebook, so I decided to wing it. (Warning...I'm just guessing on the amounts here, I didn't really measure when I made it)

1/2 small cabbage
1/2 large carrot
1/4 onion
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup cold water
2 teaspoons dried oregano
sprinkle of chili powder
salt and pepper


I don't have a food processor, so I cut the small head of cabbage into quarters, and then sliced it thin on my mandoline slicer.  I did the same with a white onion, then I shredded half of a large carrot.


I mixed it all in a bowl, and then added the other ingredients.

I put it in a plastic dish and left it in the fridge overnight.  We had it last night with homemade chicken enchiladas (not to be confused with Mexican enchiladas - these are more like tostadas).

My husband was hesitant to try it (I'm a good cook when I follow recipes, but not very good at making things up haha) but LOVED it and even asked for tacos with it for dinner tonight.  I call that SUCCESS!

It might not seem like a big deal, but I felt like I really accomplished something big with this recipe.  Maybe I'm even feeling brave enough to attempt homemade tortillas next....

From the last 2 weeks...

 helping mom pack

 adios casa 13!

 welcome to san pedro sula!

 the new home sweet home

 in the neighborhood park

 scorpions in sps are bigger :-/  oh joy

 109 freakin degree heat index. yuck

 i'm feelin ya brotha - it's the heat!

What I've learned so far...
-Google Maps, while often very helpful in navigating the city, is NOT a totally reliable means of finding places. Don't trust the Google location of the Copantl hotel, Emporio, or basically anywhere else downtown.
-It's. SO. Hot.  The A/C is a necessity 24 hours a day, and I am DREADING getting the electric bill.
-The heat has one advantage - who needs a dryer when your clothes dry on the line before the other load finishes washing?!

BiG news!

(no, I'm not pregnant)

We are moving north to San Pedro Sula at the end of this month! 

Jose's company has asked us to relocate.  And while it's not the move I was hoping for (I was hoping for something a little more north, like the US!) we are still excited about this new adventure!

San Pedro Sula (SPS) is the industrial capital of Honduras, so it is a little more developed and MUCH more organized as a city.  It's only a 1-3 hour drive from ALL the good stuff - Copan Ruinas, the north coast, and Tegucigalpa.  And it's cheaper to fly in and out of there than it is in Tegus.  The part I am dreading is the HEAT.  Temps average in the 80's and 90's pretty much all year, but it's the humidity that's the killer.  Pretty much round the clock it feels like you could cut the air with a knife.  Thank goodness for A/C!

I won't be working (at least initially) so hopefully I'll have more time to get back to writing.  AND I'm sure there will be plenty of new adventures to write about - living and starting over again in a new city!!

Stay tuned!

Thank you

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. - Meister Eckhart

Yesterday at the supermarket, the woman in line ahead of me had a few meager items in her basket - mostly what you would see in a "canasta básica" - rice, beans, spaghetti, tomato paste, plus a few other "luxuries" like milk, some pastries, and a big bouncy ball for her 3 or 4 year old son that was with her. From her tired eyes and rough hands, I knew she was a hard working woman - probably someone's maid. I watched as she stared at the monitor, blinking and swallowing as each item was scanned and the total at the bottom of the screen increased.

I glanced into my own shopping cart, filled to the brim with supplies for my husband's birthday party, our Christmas dinner and breakfast - thousands of lempiras worth of food.

And I couldn't help tearing up when I heard her say to the cashier, "Please, don't let it go over 400 lempiras ($20) because my gift card is only for L 300 ($15), and I only have L 100 ($5) more to pay."

I watched the monitor as well, silently praying that the total wouldn't go over.

As I crossed my fingers behind my back, tears started streaming down my face. And it wasn't out of pity. It was because it wasn't that long ago that I was in the same exact position as she was now. I was pregnant and unemployed, and we could barely make ends meet with Jose's salary. Only by the grace of God did I get enough invitation jobs to make my car payment each month. Everything that we got for Nicholas was loaned or donated by friends and family - even my maternity clothes were borrowed. And so our grocery budget was laughable - it was easily enough for one person to spend on dinner out at a chain restaurant. I spent hours meticulously planning a menu each week from the sale ads at La Colonia in order to spend only what was necessary. And I remember on many, many occasions, watching that monitor in the check out line just as carefully as she was doing now, crossing my fingers, and blushing as I told the cashier I had decided I "didn't need" the last few things.

With each beep of the scanner the total increased closer to L 400, and finally she selected a few items to leave out. She decided to sacrifice the pastries, the milk, and the tomato paste in order to afford the ball for her son, who was jumping up and down with excitement when she handed it to him.

I wiped my cheeks and told her, "Please, take it all. I'll pay the extra." She looked in my eyes - I think seeing the reason for my tears - took my hand in both of hers, and said "Thank you, young lady, thank you."

if you still believe in the easter bunny, you probably shouldn't read this

My older cousin is probably the one that broke the news to me. I probably tried to act cool - like I already knew. I don't really remember the exact details about finding out. And I don't clearly remember telling my mother about my new found knowledge. But I do clearly remember the devastation on her face when I told her I knew that she was the Easter bunny.

Most parents stop playing those parts when their children "grow out" of it. But I have a special kind of mother, the best kind, who up until this year, still labeled gifts from Santa, and still surprised me with treats "that the Easter bunny left at her house." I remember one Easter when I was dating my husband, the Easter bunny even left a basket for him at their house.

This past Christmas, she broke the news to my brother and me... Santa doesn't visit you anymore when you have your own children. My brother (whose wife was expecting) and I understood. But deep down, I think we were both a little sad. "No more Santa? Just because we have babies? No fair!"

Tonight, I prepared Nicholas' first Easter basket. As I contemplated where to leave it (his room? the stairs? the kitchen counter? Where does the Easter bunny leave these things?!), it suddenly dawned on me why Santa doesn't come anymore...it's because I am Santa. Duh...how could I not realize this before? Now, I am the Easter bunny. I'm Santa. I'm the Tooth Fairy.

I don't feel old enough for this. But here I am...wife, mother, Easter bunny.

I hope I can fill her shoes.

rule #1

The first rule of driving in Honduras...




there are no rules!

Make your own lanes (as seen above), drive on the sidewalks, drive over medians, drive in reverse down ramps, ....I'm telling you people I've seen it all. If you can drive in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, you can drive ANYWHERE!

dear soptravi,

Since you regraded the road I take to work, I really like you...







Pave it, and we could be talking love...

I got pulled over today...

The officer approached my car and said, "Su licencia y revisión, por favor." (License and registration, please.)

I said, "What? Yo no hablo espanol," with the gringo accent turned way up.

"SU LICENCIA! LICENCIA!!!" he said like he was talking to a deaf person.

"Ohhh, my license?!?" I asked in English, playing dumb.

"Yes," he replied in English. For a moment I panicked and thought OMG he speaks English...this isn't going to work!

But then he said, "y la revisión??"

"My what?! I'm sorry, yo no hablo español!" I said, still playing stupid.

"La revisión del vehiculo. DEL VEHICULO!" he said slowly.

"Ohhh...this??" I asked, pulling out my registration.

"Yes," he replied in English.

He walked to the back of the car to consult the other officer. They both laughed. He came back, handed me my license, and sent me off with a smirk and a "que le vaya muy bien."

"Grassy-ass," I answered with a grin, and drove away WITHOUT a ticket or having to pay a bribe.

So for future reference...learn from my past mistakes and current success:

Being mean, being nice, and crying do not get one out of a ticket in Honduras.

Pretending to not speak Spanish...now, that does the trick!

finally

I picked up my carné de residente (ID) today!! I'm an official Honduran resident! Wahoooo!

i knew this would happen

What did I tell you? I knew I wouldn't keep that resolution. But a girl's gotta try, right?

I've got lots to say...just no time! HELLO, I have a new baby. Everyday is a new adventure. But there's not a lot time when you have one of those. AND, I feel like I would bore you all to death with only baby news.

So how's this?

I spent way too much of my baby-is-sleeping-so-you-can-get-stuff-done time looking at the urban outiftters website tonight. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of almost everything. I love eccentric things. I mean, just look at that scarf strips shag rug! No one in Honduras has one of those. And those Alice drawings! So unique!

But, oh my, would you look at this headboard??

I saw it and fell. in. love. My heart said YES. My wallet LAUGHED. And my brain said HEY maybe YOU can make that!

What do you think? Should I give it a try????

And, of course, the obligatory cute photo...

silly goose

A few weeks ago Nicholas spit up all over himself (the story of his life). I said, "Don't do that, you silly goose! Now we have to change your clothes AGAIN!"

My husband asked, "Why do you always call him that? Silly goose? That makes no sense."

"It just means he's being silly."

"But why goose? That makes no sense."

Hmmmm. Good point.

So off to Google I went. It took a little while, but I found the answer.

According to Brewer's Dictionary of Fiction and Fable, calling someone a goose/geese means that they are foolish or ignorant due to the "alleged stupidity of this bird."

And now you know the rest of the story.

And now I REALLY want this book.

Your obligatory cute photo of the day...

our trip back to los EEUU!

I really thought traveling with a baby would be more difficult. Nicholas was SO wonderful on all 4 flights...even the flight attendants commented on how well he behaved! :)

We really enjoyed our time back in Kentucky. My family was thrilled to finally see Nicholas in person (vs Skype!). Everyone thoroughly spoiled him. :)

And as much as I like it in Honduras these days, it is so nice to visit the states where the streets are straight, quiet, and SAFE! When we were landing in Atlanta, I told Jose... "It's funny...I know it's not like we live in the jungle or anything, but I really feel like we're coming into civilization for the first time in a year!" The first day we were out and about, we stopped at a major intersection in my town. I rolled down the window and said, "Listen Jose...it's so quiet!" We were surrounded by about 30 cars, and there was complete silence. No children begging at the windows, no one selling cell phone chargers, no one yelling the newspaper headlines, and NO HONKING HORNS! So strange after a year in Tegucigalpa, ha!

While we were there we shopped and shopped and shopped....and then shopped some more. The first thing I wanted to do when we got there was go to Walmart! We spent hours there, just walking up and down the aisles. I kept saying, "oh my gosh look at how many types of ___ they have!" Or "oh my gosh look how much/little those ____ cost!!!" Funny, because I hated that place when I lived there. Now I wish I could pack up Walmart, Target, TJ Maxx, and Hobby Lobby (really, I could keep going...) and bring them back to Honduras with me!

We also had a list of places we wanted to eat while we were there. Arby's, Starbucks, Olive Garden, Mariah's, Rafferty's, DQ, White Castle, PANERA!....we probably spent the majority of our budget just on food! But SO worth it. Yum!

And while it was good to be "home" for 10 days and visit family/friends that I haven't seen in a long time, it actually felt good to come back to Honduras. I never thought I would say that! But this is home (for now) and I think I sort of missed the crazy chaos of the streets, I definitely missed my maid and nanny, and absolutely missed my dear friends. :)

And ps, Nicholas grew into a new size while we were there! Already in size 6 months!

Christmas crafting

I got all crafty yesterday and made up some sticker tags and stuck them on cellophane bags. Then today I baked SIX DOZEN cookies. Oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, and peanut butter. Yummm. A friend and I stuffed them in baggies, and I handed them out today to the pediatrician, ob/gyn, neighbors, in-laws, etc. I'm really proud of them. Aren't they cute?? :)






tenga una dulce navidad = have a sweet christmas

my first resolution

Good grief I can't believe I haven't posted anything since October. I'm sorry my dears (if there are even any of you still reading!!). I think you have to forgive me though, since I've been a little busy with a new baby and a new job and whatnot.

Anyway, to the point...I want you to know that this year I am making my first New Year's resolution ever. Can you believe I have never made a New Year's resolution? It is probably my subconscious just preventing me from making a promise to do something it knows I can't follow through on. I'm really good at coming up with ideas, but not so good at following through...

*drum roll*

This year, I promise I am going to write a blog post at least once a week!

I hope I stick with this because I really miss writing, and I hope you miss reading!! :)



Now, for what you all actually came for...




I know, right?! :) :) :)

surprise, surprise

Attention:

...we are not seeing anyone today, because there is a lot of dust...

My husband went to the RNP (Registro Nacional de las Personas) yesterday to apply for Nicholas' birth certificate. They were closed. Because of dust. Yes, dust. AND they misspelled the word "demaSiado" (too much/a lot) on that sign. Spell check, anyone?

He went again this morning, and they were open (hooray!) but the wait was over 5 hours (boo!). It took Jose over 6 months to get a new ID last year because every time he went they were out of plastic (for printing the cards). Next time he gets away from work to go, they'll probably say no hay sistema (the system is down). Or they'll be on strike. Or they'll be out of paper....

Maybe Nicholas will never have a birth certificate (and therefore never a US passport!!!)....

Baby Nicholas is here!

September 10 @ 8:26 am via c-section

8 lbs 2 oz

50.5 cms (19.9 in)