Daily News: A Church Mary Can Love

Nicholas D. Kristof: A Church Mary Can Love 

Cruising the Riviera

I went on a cruise this week to celebrate my grandfather's 80th birthday.  I saw a different side of him--one that's funny, laid back, and warm.

Jacob and I had a chance to stop off at Puerto Vallarta and revisit the exquisite German B&B, Hacienda Alemana, that we had loved so much on our honeymoon last year.  It was a spontaneous and fitting way to celebrate our 1 year anniversary.  We had dinner at the lovely restaurant under wisteria branches and tropical plants. 

We started off with a lentil soup.  Don't let the simplicity of the dish fool you.  This soup was rich and savory with thick bacon bits floating through the briney broth.  Heavenly.

Then there was this salad.  It was fresh, grated, yummy goodness.  After being on a cruise ship for several days, we devoured this deceptively simple salad of grated beets, carrots, turnips, and lightly pickled cucumbers tossed in a lemony vinaigrette.

 And can anyone tell me what this is?  It's a spread that was offered at the beginning with thick multi-grain bread.  This spread layered on top of their whipped scallion butter is to die for.  I almost don't want to know what it is.  I'm sure that the words lard and liver are in there.  This spread was salty, savory, creamy, and peppery.  Just the right mix of meat and fat to make the bread sing in your mouth.

We wolfed down the wienerschnitzel way too fast to take pictures. At the end of the meal, our server gave us complimentary his and her drinks.  A sweet warm shot of tequila for J. and a lovely glass of champagne with a strawberry sliver for me.  The perfect ending to a beautiful meal.

We love the service, food, and ambience at Hacienda Alemana.  If you're planning a trip to Puerto Vallarta, don't miss it!

Taiwanese boy version of Susan Boyle

This is really funny.  Rock it Lin Yu Chun!

Eggs for Easter

Easter eggs with a little help from Martha.  Tools: rubber bands, crayons, contact paper, stencil punchers.

Lamb and friends.  Yum.

On Suffering and Breaking Through

{the skies above rome, italy}

Since my adolescence, I've had a troubled relationship with the nature of suffering, but it was certainly nothing compared with the extreme stint I experienced after graduating from college.