Lance and Marcela - 8 years

Lance and Marcela Wed

March 16, 2002

     March 16, 2002 was a beautiful day for a wedding in Tecoman, Colima, Mexico. The day passed quickly as the bride prepared for the wedding event at 8 p.m. in a local Catholic church. Lance had last minute items to take care of, but was relaxed and ready for what was in store.
     The Sacrament of Matrimony was beautifully performed. The traditional Mexican wedding ceremony included the bride’s mother, Carmen, presenting Lance and Marcela with gold coins representing the hope that there would be prosperity in their lives. David and Karen draped a portion of Marcela’s veil over Lance’s shoulders and then looped the white lasso around them, lacing them together. The veil signified Marcela’s commitment to Lance’s welfare and the lasso represented Lance’s devotion to keeping their relationship strong.
     The choir from the University of Colima was present to sing several traditional wedding songs including “Ave Maria”.
     An abundance of Star Gazer Lillies, white roses and other white flowers lined the aisles as well as the front of the church.
     After the ceremony approximately 400 guests made their way to the reception which was held out of doors. The green lawn and tall coconut trees were lit with small lights and candles and decorated with flowers.
     As the couple made their entrance and greeted their guests, they then danced their first dance as man and wife… the song from “Pearl Harbor”. The music was provided throughout the evening and morning hours by “Eclipse” of Guadalajara.
     Lance and Marcela’s guests were served dinner with many toasts given for the happy couple. At 3:00 a.m. breakfast was served.
     It was 7:00 a.m. before Lance and Marcela left with the last of the family and guests.

Gifts

     It is the Mexican tradition that allows the bride and groom to open their many gifts the day after the wedding ceremony. At 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 17, the couple arrived at the bride’s mother’s home. With the Cardenas and Peterson families present, Lance and Marcela were presented with their wedding gifts. It was a full afternoon of many surprises!

I wrote this a week after our son, Lance, married Marcela. Eight years have produced a beautiful marriage and two wonderful children. Happy Anniversary, Lance and Marcela!

Syrian Rice - my version

I started off with fresh orange juice from my "organic" tree

in my backyard. (See previous posting.)

Put a big pot of rice on to cook, using chicken broth

that is low-sodium and MSG-free

I chopped dried apricots and prunes and then sauteed

them along with slivered almonds in butter... just until heated through.

I then added some apricot preserves and the orange juice.

Next, I added chopped, cooked chicken breasts and shrimp,

stirring until heated through thoroughly.

This makes one of my family's favorite meals... Syrian Rice...

but it's done with my own little twists that probably

make it a little un-Syrian. Oh well...

The original recipe did come from my mother

who did live in Syria. Does that count??

"Organic" Grapefruit

"Organic" Grapefruit

The aroma of citrus blossoms is almost everywhere in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. A couple of weeks ago the scent was barely in the air and we were all trying our best to breathe in as much as we could. This week the scent nearly knocks a person over. Not to complain. Oh, no. It is such a welcome sign of Spring. The above picture shows a lonely grapefruit left on one of our trees in the backyard that escaped my husband's eager clutch. Be sure to notice the white, delicate blossoms which are the source for the sweet smell.

We call these our "organics"... our grapefruit, oranges and limes. Bless their hearts. They have actually survived being forgotten... that is forgotten to be sprayed. Somehow they plod along though and usually we have great fruit to enjoy if the birds leave them alone. It's just one of the perks of living in deep South Texas... fresh vegetables, fruits, great weather and friendly people. Who could ever, ever ask for more?

As I type this it is 81 degrees with a gentle breeze. It's a Sunday which soothes the soul.

Wildflowers at the Ranch

Wildflowers at the Ranch

We had a little R&R at the Ranch this past weekend. The weather was very pleasant and I don't think got up past 73 degrees. There will a little mist in the mornings which kept things cool as well. Due to some extra rain this year, our wildflowers should be flourishing with gusto. Definitely a plus for the some of the rainy, rather gloomy days we have had. This ranch is located in deep south Texas.

Looking forward to a good week!

Carmen in her handmade baptismal bonnet

Carmen

Our granddaughter is now six years old, but I was looking through old pictures and found this picture of Carmen when she was baptised in Mexico. She wore a beautiful dress with a bonnet that her maternal grandmother had made for her. It is not quite the typical bonnet worn by babies in the U.S., however, Carmen looked adorable. This is a favorite picture of mine.

Happy Birthday, to the man in the kilt!

My father, Calvin C. Boykin, Jr.

March 1, 1924 - October 23, 2008

This photograph was taken in Scotland during WW II. My dad loved this picture, but was always embarrassed that he didn't have the right shoes... his military boots were all that he had. He loved, loved, loved bagpipe music, so when he passed away I made sure that we had a "bagpiper" at the funeral.

Here is my dad's traditional birthday cake recipe below. It is delicious and so moist.

Daddy’s Chocolate Potato Cake

2 c. sugar
1 c. shortening
4 eggs
2 c. flour
4 Tbsp. cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2/3 c. milk
1 tsp. each ground cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg
1 c. hot mashed potatoes (not instant)
1 c. pecans, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream 2 c. sugar with 1 c. shortening. Add 4 egg yolks and cream well. Sift together: flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add alternately the milk to creamed mixture along with hot mashed potatoes. Fold in 4 stiffly beaten egg whites, pecans, and vanilla. Grease 3 round cake tins and line with wax paper. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Icing:
1 box powdered sugar
½ c. butter
1 egg yolk
3 Tbsp. cocoa
5 Tbsp. hot coffee

Beat sugar, butter, egg yolk and cocoa together and then add hot coffee.

P.S. -- My father grew up in West Texas, so even he called his father "Daddy" until the day he died. Me too! What do you call your father?

Update: Today as I prepared this cake I was just about to slip this into my nice and hot 350 degree oven when the power went out. Yikes!! I waited and waited... no power. I ended up calling a friend and I rushed my cake over to her house where she had her oven ready for me to slide in the cake. And by the way... I used an oblong Corningware casserole dish. Thank goodness I wasn't juggling three round cake tins. I am preparing this for a gathering of some of our church members at a friend's home on Monday night. Hopefully I will remember to take a picture of this cake ... and hopefully it will be suitable for posting. (I just keep wondering if those whipped egg whites were ruined by the delay in baking...) Wish me luck!