Christmas in Albuquerque

Ian and I had a wonderful time celebrating the holidays in Albuquerque. Ian's parents Amy and Allen welcomed us to town with champagne and home made smoked salmon blinis. So fancy (and delicious)! Ian's brother Andrew and his wife Whitney were in town as well and it was wonderful to spend time with everyone and catch up.

On Christmas Eve we took a family walk to Los Poblanos, a nature preserve in Albuquerque.  The view of the Sandia Mountains was incredible and the sky was unbelievably blue.

 

One of my favorite Christmas time traditions in New Mexico is the lighting of luminarias on Christmas Eve. Whole neighborhoods participate and the effect is so pretty and festive!

 

On Christmas we headed over to the annual white elephant gift exchange at the home of the Boltons, longtime family friends of the Parkmans. Everyone had a great time...

...including the dogs (there were six altogether)...

...and especially the kids!

Hope your holidays were merry and bright!

Green Chile Stew

During our recently trip to Albuquerque we stocked up on green chile to replenish our supply at home.  The day we got back (yesterday) Ian cooked up a big pot of Green Chile Stew and we'll be enjoying it for lunch and dinner for the next few days.

This recipe come from Ian's brother Andrew:
1 pork loin cut into 1/2 inch cubes, lightly dusted with flour
Brown meat in olive oil in a nice big pot
Add a heaping teaspoon of cumin and garlic powder
Add salt, pepper, dash of oregano and a bay leaf
Let the spices cook in the oil for 15 seconds
Add finely chopped onion and sweat for one minute
Add 1/4 cup of flour and mix it all up into a pretty ugly paste and cook off the flour taste for two minutes
Add a 13oz tub of Bueno Hot Green Chile (even better if using the side of the road roasted real deal stuff, but use a little less because it's stronger)
Add two large 1/2 in cubed, peeled potatoes
Thoroughly drain a can of diced tomatoes, add
Add water to cover
Simmer on low for at least one hour
Serve with sour cream and tortillas

Art Everyday

Image courtesy of the artist's website

A few years ago, Ian and I were in Albuquerque visiting his folks. His mom, Amy, who is a docent at the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, took us to see the exhibition Ghost Ranch and the Faraway Nearby.  The exhibition was a solo show of work by the photographer Craig Varjabedian and featured some of the most stunning black and white photography I have ever seen.  Follow this link for more information about Craig's Ghost Ranch photographs.  We're looking forward to being in Albuquerque again in a few days and getting to see the incredible landscape of New Mexico.