Mi Nidito.....My Little Nest

One of neatest places in Tucson to eat in is an area called South Tucson. There one discovers the best Mexican cuisine in town. You name the dish from Chimichangsa to Topopos to Enchiladas to Burros and how could I forget Chile Relleno,they are all delicious

There are two excellent restaurants in this area. One is Guillermo's, established in 1948, but the most famous one is Mi Nidito, which stands for "My little nest" in Spanish. Mi Nidito has been serving Tucson since 1952. It was then that a couple made a decision that is still impacting their family three generations later. The decision was between opening a Mexican food restaurant or a tortilla factory, but you already know the answer.

Crowds form early at Mi Nidito, and there is up to an hour and a half wait by 6:00 in the evening. Did I mention that the Margaritas are worth waiting for?

The Correct Way to Peel a Banana?

There is a strong possibility that most of us have been opening our bananas from the wrong end. If we take a good look at our primate friends, we might marvel at their efficiency and shake our heads at the frustrating way we open bananas, by bending, biting, and even digging a finger or thumb into the stem end and many times ending up with a mushy mess. All in all, it is really easier to open a banana from the end-end or upside down end than the stem end. By taking this new approach one eliminates the squashing that usually occurs, and there are fewer strings, and you even have a handle (stem) to hold your banana. Just remember, no matter what your approach, health wise we all benefit by eating at least one banana every day. Good for fiber, potassium and a great way for preventing constipation.

Melissa's Famous Salsa

Prior to leaving Minnesota, my sister prepared a kind of salsa that I had never tried before. To say the least, this salsa was absolutely fantastic. Eaten with chips or scoopers, this recipe will be a hit at any party.

Be prepared, however, because preparation for this wonderful dish is labor intensive. To start with one must take one pound of frozen corn kernels, first thaw, then toss while adding 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once this is done, the kernels are spread on a cookie sheet and roasted for 18-20 minutes in a 450 degree oven (425 degree if convection). Then let cool.

Now mix the dressing:

1 half tablespoon of salt
3/4 teaspoon of ground cumin
6 tablespoons lime juice-fresh or bottled
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons vinegar

Now prepare the Salsa:

Add toasted corn to a large bowl
1 cup chopped ciantro
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3 good size roma tomatoes diced
2 jalapeno peppers-seeded and diced
1 red pepper diced
2 teaspooons minced garlic
2 15 oz cans black beans-rinsed and drained
2 avocados diced

After chopping and dicing the above ingredients,then toss together as dressing is added. Then serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Old Man River with City of St. Paul in Background

The weather continues to be cloudy and rather dreary today. The sun is not to be seen nor is there a speck of blue sky. Today, was a great day to walk down along the river across from the city of St. Paul. The location of my photo shoot was Harriet Island. In one of the photos, the Johnathan Paddleford is moored along side the island. In another photo, one can see the skyline of St. Paul and the signature building with the large number ONE, which at one time was the First National Bank of St. Paul. There is also a photo of the XCEL Center, where the National Republican Convention was held a year ago last fall.

Tropics in Minnesota!

Today, was a moderately cold, cloudy but dreary day in Minnesota, with a cover of snow everywhere. What better day, I thought to view and enjoy beautiful blooming flowers. Little did I know of the disappointment that was around the corner when I was told that I was a week early to see the flower blooms. All I could think was,"Shucks" and "Now What?"

Not to be discouraged, most of my time was given over viewing an exotic tropical rainforest display. There I learned so much. Did you know that rainforests now only cover 6% of the earth's surface, and yet contain more than half of the world's plant and animal species and also produce 40% of the earth's oxygen? That last fact really caught my attention. GULP!!!! Moreover, I also realized that many of these tropical plants are sources for fuel, oils, medicine, rope and even waxes.

In the photos, I have tried to capture some of these plants and their flowers. The one plant that is entirely bare is a Mediterranean fig tree. I learned that this particular tree will only produce new fruit from new annual growth, and that is why the tree is pruned back to the bark. This type of pruning is called pollarding, at least that's what the sign said!

All in all, it turned out to be a great day. I especially liked the photo of the children watching all the goldfish!

My Dad's Courts!

While I didn't play tennis today, I did have the opportunity to visit the courts that were dedicated by the city in my Dad's memory for his many years of service. For over 50 years, "Charlie" volunteered his time and was always available to others, especially the children. For what seemed like decades, Dad served on the Cities Recreation Board. With his foresight, many wonderful recreational activities were developed and and finally realized, and now to this day enjoyed by both young and old.

His courts lie in a beautiful section of the community in a local park called Marthaler. My Dad's courts are surrounded by three benches bearing his name and are set against a tranquil pond and hills in the background. While my Dad would never have sought this recognition, he would have been touched I'm sure and very appreciative....and would say, "Well done!" and "Stay in the Game and Enjoy". Thanks Dad.

Indoor Tennis under a Bubble!

Today, was a day for tennis in Minnesota, but indoors under a bubble roof, with a temperature in the low 60's. The facility that I played at was the Fred Wells Tennis and Education Center, which is very near the convergence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers, the Minneapolis/St.Paul International Airport and the Mall of America.

The Fred Wells Center is a public facility and is devoted to the mission of empowering kids to be successful on and off the court through both tennis and education. Through the Junior Tennis Program, kids from 5-18 are provided tennis lessons, clinics, tournaments, match play and team play competition. During the summer months, children also have access to programs that focus on life skills and academic achievement. All of this is done at affordable rates, and scholarships are provided as needed.

In the photos above you'll see my good friend Jim and former doubles partner standing by the Northern Tennis Hall of Fame. While Jim has not yet been inducted, he would certainly receive my vote, after being both a state high school champion as well as a collegiate conference champion in his university days. The other guys, also geezers like me, were my playing buddies yesterday. In the picture there is from left to right Jim, Bill and Jerry. After our match, we enjoyed some great conversation and Jerry tutored us all on how to find the best seats for matches, especially at big events!!

Minnesota Vikings are Victorious!

Arrived back in Minnesota this past Thursday, just in time to have pizza in the evening with my brother, sister and her husband. Today, we all took in the game between the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys and were so excited to see them win big 34-3. Now, we need to see what happens in New Orleans next week.

While on my way over to see the game, I took some time to take some photos of a couple of famous St. Paul landmarks, including the State Capital, the St. Paul Cathedral and even the famous Mickey's Diner, which is a historical landmark and has been in many movies, including the recent Prarie Home Companion with Meryl Streep. A photo is also included of our pizza get together at our local Carbone's.

Super Bowl Success is just ahead for the Minnesota Vikings!

Tomorrow, I'm making my way to Minnesota to see my Vikings play. In thinking about my flight, I couldn't help but thinking about the beautiful Blue Morpho Butterfly of Costa Rica. If you are planning a trip, and perhaps I should, don't miss an ecology trip to the rain forest of this region, because that is where this beautiful creature can be observed. The Blue Morpho is one of the largest butterflies in the world and measures five to eight inches in wingspan and has a iridescent sparkle to behold in flight, which flashes like beautiful blue gems against the shadows of the canopy.

Now, a word about my Minnesota Vikings. While everyone knows about Brett Favre's recent adoption, not so well known, at least outside of Minnesota, is Ragnar, the Minnesota Vikings Mascot, for he is the only "human" mascot in professional sports.

Ragnar's real name is Joseph Juranitch and he has been the Minnesota Mascot since 1994. During that time, Ragnar been entertaining the crowds, young and old. He has never missed a Vikings game and is always the first to arrive on the field, riding a loud motorcycle, causing the fans to rise to a feverish pitch! When not at games, he is very involved in the community, especially kids with special needs, and goes out of his way to uplift them at any chance he gets. Another interesting fact about Ragnar is that he set the world record in 1982 for shaving a beard with an axe in the record time(8 minutes and 43 seconds)and it still stands today. Maybe, I'll break it someday! Just kidding!!!

Go Vikings!!!!!

Harvesting Prickley Pear Cactus Tunas!

Prickly pear cactus has been a staple of the Mexican and Central American diet for thousands of years. In parts of the US, it has been gaining popularity as an exotic gourmet and healthy addition to one's diet.

The Prickly Pear has two distinct edible sections: the pad of the cactus(nopal)which can be treated like a vegetable and the pear(tuna) which can be treated like a fruit. In the pictures above, you can see a closeup of a cactus pad along with flowering of cactus plant in the Spring of the year. Also shown is the harvesting of the "Tuna" fruit in August.

While I haven't tried the cactus pad, it has been great fun making jellies and syrup from the boiling and distilling of the "tuna fruit". The jellies are great in the morning on toast and the syrup can be used in a variety of ways, such as on pancakes, over ice cream or making a great prickly pear martini. Uhmm..so good!

Swail Repair!

Today, I was presented with the challenge of repairing one of the swails that are arranged on all four corners of my home. By definition a swail is man made, in my case made of rocks, that provides a slope managing structure to carry rain water away from the house during the summer monsoon season. Above are some pictures of my swail, the area that needed to repair, plus some back yard photos.

Remembering Mom!

My mom would have been 98 today. Mom was born Haldis Morken on January 3rd, 1912 in Bergen, Norway and was the first child of my grandfather Hans Michael Morken and my grandmother, Ragnfreid Emilie Hagelien. In one photo, mom is celebrating her birthday and in the other, she and her baby brother, Harold, are celebrating Sttende Mai, which is Norwegian Independence Day on May 17th. Mom's love, her words of encouragement and her aspirations and hopes for my success meant so much. As my mom would say so many times, "This is a very special day and it is love that brought us all together." How right she was!

Jumping Cholla Cactus-Real or Fiction?

Jumping Cholla- host Kim Stone

The Cholla Cacti is known as the "Jumping Cactus." It is notorious for very loose joint attachments, because the joints attach to hapless by-passers with the slightest brush.(see specimen with spoon) Cholla's vary in color and you can find over 20 differt species here in the Southwest. The most silvery are known as the "Teddy Bear Cholla." and it is said to "jump" on you if you get close to it. As Kim Stone points out in his video, it really doesn't jump, but it very easily attaches to you if you lightly brush against it.

In the six years that I have lived here in Tucson,I usually find myself getting stuck whenever I get too close. When this happens, the thorns swell in your skin and they become difficult to remove.

The cactus wren, which is called "the smartest bird in America" makes her nest in this cactus and is very safe from all predators. For the rest of us, it is just best to stay away!

To see the video on the "Jumping Cactus", just double click below the picture where Kim Stone's name is given.