Growing up Cuban meant we didn't eat many salads. And by "many," I mean, "none." For the most part, the only time green things appeared on our plates were the tiny, diced pieces of bell pepper in our sofrito. (For the uninformed, sofrito is at the beginning of most Cuban dishes. Sauteed onion, garlic, and green bell pepper ...
Lifestyle
Posts about everything going on in my life. Enjoy!
Mrs. Darby Goes to Washington.
Today is the celebration of my 57th year on this earth. I'm in Washington DC, at the White House. I'm holding a reminder that it's only "90 Miles to Cuba." I think that IS important right now. Happy Birthday to me. ...
The Circle of Life
Some (very simplified, don't judge me) Cuban History for today: In 1902, a bloody war had been fought between Cuba and Spain for Cuba's independence. The Cuban's won. It was quite a crushing defeat for the Spanish. They never quite recovered from it. The president of the United States at that time was Theodore Roosevelt who had ...
On the stage of the Hollywood Bowl (Pinch me.)
I'm going to write about the Hollywood Bowl today. Just as a warning - this post may get all emotional and gushy (<--is that a word?) because I LOVE the Hollywood Bowl. I love it so much I want to marry it. There's going to be gushing. And photos. And videos. And more gushing. Yes. It's uber-nerd heaven. The Bowl is just so ...
What Mom Taught Me
In case you missed last year's surprise Mother's Day post, here is the link. Also: Mom. You really should change your password once in awhile...- - - Mami taught me how to have great adventures. We have driven to Vegas together more times than I can count.Today, I love driving and am always ready to take a road trip. We saw the ...
Where in the world is Marta today?
I realize I haven't been posting as often as I like and I apologize, but that doesn't mean I'm not around. In fact, I seem to be all over the web today. I'm guest posting in a couple of places: I have an essay about Mother's Day over at the Tiki Tiki. I tell you a lot about Luza. It's titled "My Mother. My ...
KIA “Fun and Forty” Challenge – Miami to Key West – Part 1
[Disclaimer: I'm going to be posting about my trip to Miami and Key West in installments because there's just too much to tell, and because the awesome can't be contained in just one post. Also, please excuse the blurry photos that may or may not have been taken from the passenger side of a fast-moving car.] Last week I had the pleasure of taking ...
3:05 Cafecito break in the 305 (area code)
I just got back from a fabulous trip to South Florida (more about this later). One of the biggest draws for me when I am visiting Miami (Area Code 305), besides visiting family and enjoying the mostly perfect beach weather is, of course, the Cuban food. Bistec de palomilla, moros y cristianos, maduros (you could die from such beauty):I had this ...
Calling All Uber-nerds! Marvel’s The Avengers (A very cool giveaway)
If you remember from this post a few weeks ago, you know that we are all suffering uber-nerdy anticipation for the release of The Avengers (the movie) in theaters on May 4th. Read the comments on that post and you'll see reader Lourdes M's genius suggestion of watching all the Marvel super hero movies beforehand. We have been doing ...
“What About Prom?”
I have homeschooled my kids for over ten years now. I am still constantly surprised that one of the greatest concerns (right after the ignorant "socialization" question) is "What about prom?" I sigh a little bit and carefully explain how we do high school: He actually attends a high school that offers Independent Study. His ...









