Paradise: Take One.

Last week, Joey and I visited the Grand Palladium Riviera Maya Resort in Akumal, Mexico. And, after several warnings from my ever-cautious parents, I decided not to advertise the whats and wheres of my vacationing adventures on various social media networks until after we had returned... You know, just in case some extremely technologically savvy criminals out there were able to determine that we were out of town, break into our home, and rob us blind. (Note to all technologically savvy criminals: We actually don't really own much that's worth stealing, so all that cyber stalking might have a better pay off elsewhere.)

Now that we have returned to the good ol' US of A ::deep, sad sigh::, its time for a post about our deliciously wonderful trip to Mexico. Planning this trip started over a year ago, when my dad and I had the great idea to organize a huge family trip to a resort in Mexico. We started planning, but as babies were born and moves were made and life happened, fewer and fewer family members could actually go (...Either that, or the rest of the family is trying really hard to avoid me.) So, in the end, the trip ended up being just me, Joey, my mom, and my dad. Which I was actually very excited about, since I don't get to spend nearly enough time with my parents since I made the move to Atlanta.

I wish I had all kinds of adventurous stories to tell you about our time at the resort... but I don't, because we didn't do anything. And every second of this nothing-ness was glorious. We only had very basic decisions to make each day...

Lay by the beach... or by the pool?
Drink a mojito... or a pina colada?
Should we schedule that couples massage for today... or tomorrow?
Walking to the snack shack... yay or nay?
Do I really want to get up to reapply my sunscreen? (Looking back now, as I cope with these wildly attractive patches of peeling skin, the answer should have always been a resounding "yes!")

I also spent some time contemplating the legality of bringing a kitten home from a foreign land. (Decided against it, in case you were wondering.)



And that's about it. And amidst this simplicity, I made an amazing discovery while we were out of the country...

(sun + delicious beverage + Kindle) - (stress x responsibility) = paradise



photos I took during a sunrise walk along the beach



cabana bed at the salt water pool



flora of the Riveiera Maya - oh how I love the textures and patterns of plants!



infinity pool at the spa, by night

To make an already exciting trip even better, Joey and I also celebrated our first anniversary while on vacation. We enjoyed a beautiful anniversary dinner at the resort's Mediterranean restaurant. Our private table was set on a small cabana built in the middle of a koi pond, and the meal was made complete with a serenade from a guitar duo just before dessert arrived. When we returned to our room, the butler staff had arranged our room with flowers, candles, champagne, and chocolate-covered strawberries.

All in all, a great way to celebrate our first year of marriage, and to look forward to many more wonderful years together in the future!

Mangos and Other Miscellany

I've been feeling sentimental today, and I just realized why. Mangos. Or mangoes, if you prefer. (Don't worry, I consulted Google and either spelling is acceptable.) They are on sale at both Publix and Kroger this week, which means two things - they must be in season somewhere, and I stocked up.

Some background information - My dad is from Mexico City. He moved to the U.S. to attend grad school at Penn State, where he met my mom, got married, and settled in to a new life filled with gringos and snow. Oh, and two adorable children, of course. Growing up, this meant many trips to Mexico to visit my dad's family. Being a notoriously picky eater as a child, I spent many of these visits to the motherland sustaining myself on only mangos and a delicious salted beef called cecina. (The story has a happy ending. I later came to my senses and now joyfully indulge in all food. All of it.)

Never heard of cecina? Understandable. It is most likely illegal to sell in the United States since preparing it involves laying the thinly sliced and heavily salted meat out in the sun for hours. If you want to learn more - and who wouldn't - check out the webpage I published about cecina for a project in college. That's right. A webpage about beef. You're welcome.

Anyway, since mangos were pretty much the only thing I would eat, my grandparents were kind enough to prepare them for me often. One of my favorite childhood memories is eating breakfast with my grandfather (who my brother and I called "Guty") in the backyard of their home in Cocoyoc, my bare feet tapping on the red tiles of the patio, sweet mango juice dripping down my arms, while we sat peacefully and listened to the crows of the rooster in a neighboring yard.

I have many wonderful memories of summers spent in Mexico with my family - not all of them involving mangos - but the fact is, after all these years, the taste and smell of a mango takes me right back to those times.

In the spirit of this mango love, I decided to share a recipe we made tonight from the bounty I purchased yesterday.

Mango Glazed Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 4 center cut pork rib chops
• 2 mangos
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoons Cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Cut, then puree mangos
2. Mix mango puree, honey, lime juice, cayenne pepper and salt
3. Pour half of mixture over pork chops and marinate for at least 30 minutes
4. Sear pork chops for 1 minute on each side over high heat
5. Grill at medium high heat for 5 to 7 minutes on each side
6. Top with remaining glaze

Serves 4

In honor of the true randomness of these thoughts tonight, I am linking up with Carissa at Lowercase Letters. Yes, this is my first link up. Yes, I am quite excited about it.

 

Alright y'all... Have a happy Monday. And go eat some mangos.