Churros!!

Every afternoon around 2pm, Gianni will look at me with those beautiful brown eyes and will say, "Mommy, Carmen is asleep so can we have our special time together and watch cooking?" Gianni and I watch the food network together almost daily! He knows Giada (his favorite) and can tell me the names of Paula Deen, the Barefoot Contessa, the Neely's, and of course my favorite....Mr. Bobbly Flay! He asked me today..."mommy why does Giada use olive oil in like everything?"

The other day we were watching Paula Deen who was making Sweet Potato Donuts. He quickly turned to me and said, "mommy you need to write this one down!" At the very end of the recipe Paula dropped her donuts into a deep fryer and my son began to cry. I said, "Gianni what's wrong?" Gianni was crying because mommy doesn't have a deep fryer and he really wanted to make the donuts. That is the second recipe that I have said "no" to due to the deep frying. Although we could fry in a pot on the stove...I do not even have an appropriate thermometer.

So, tonight we borrowed a fryer from our friend Adam and did a Giada recipe for Mexican Churros! Funny that the Italian Giada did churros but Gianni was so excited. The recipe for the Cinnamon-Espresso Churros is under my recipe section on the right side of the page if you want to try it. Mommy improvised! As much as I love to cook...I do not have much equipment. I do not have a hands free mixer, my pans are horrible, and my cookie sheets are yucky.

Despite the lack of equipment and sometimes ingredients, Gianni does not care. He just loves to cook with me. If I hold up herbs he can spot cilantro, parsley, chives, basil, and he always says, "mommy....not more garlic!" Maybe one day he will be on the food network! I would love to cook professionally but deep down I know that I really know nothing. There is so much that I need to learn and experience. It would take lots of reading and training, school, and most of all time. Gianni is way ahead of me when I was his age. If it becomes a passion then great but if not....no big deal!


I also want to share some pictures of the 4th of July in Niagara Falls. My Uncle Mike put on the best (illegal) show ever with a cameo appearance from the local sheriff. The kids loved it! It was better than a professional show! It was so nice to not have to wait around, claim a spot, or be in a crowd. Just the other day Gianni said, "when are we going back to uncle mike's house?" He had so much fun.




Our 4th of July began that day with a trip to Fort Niagara which is .5 miles from my parents place. Carmen did miss out on this one, but Gianni loved to see the old soldiers dressed up and acting out the French and Indian Battle. He kept asking me which team we wanted and who I thought would win. I tried to explain that the French were going to lose because that is really what happened. He just wasn't getting it! Then he said some of the most intelligent things followed up with one final question, "mommy, if this is how people used to look, and live, and dress, and we were not here, then who was like the first baby here on Earth?" Ummmm, well..... who asks that at 5?

He really enjoyed walking through the castle and observing where they cooked, ate, and slept. The cannon was the best of course!

Ok, where is Carmen in all of this???Exhausted! She ran and played so hard in NY that she fell asleep on flight number two! Dora headphones on listening to music and all!