Agua Fresca

Everyone say it aloud... Agua Fresca. Ahhhg-wah Fray-ska. It is refreshing just to say it. Mmmm. Doesn't it make you want to say it over and over out loud? Do it. Right now. I'm waiting... (I don't care if people can hear you. It will be refreshing for them also!). Good job with that.

I always forget how much I like Agua Fresca and speaking Spanish until I do, and then I wonder why I don't just get my act together and remember to practice those very rusty skills while drinking something refreshing and culturally appropriate for the learning process.

Anyway... Agua fresca isn't about speaking Spanish tonight - it's about how I was drinking Mexican tonight. No, not Corona. Get your mind off the alcohol for just a hot minute people. Agua fresca is refreshing fruit water. Whatever fruit you want, maybe some sugar - less if the fruit is riper, maybe some lime if you want to give your fruit of choice a kick. Put some water in the blender with the fruit. Is it chunky/pulpy? Does that bug you? You could pour it through a sieve. Then drink it really, really extra cold - sometimes with crushed ice because crushed ice makes everything just a little better. Yum. That's the least detailed recipe ever. I blame my Grandmother for this. She taught me to cook more than anyone and her directions involved handfuls and pinches and tasting and smelling. She was quite good at this system, but when someone asked me to call her for a recipe it wasn't always the most productive conversation. I'm serious about Agua Fresca though, that's all you need to know. And this is not a cooking blog. So don't ask me for a more detailed recipe. I just want to brag that I made canteloupe agua fresca tonight. I had it with lime and smiling. (And fajitas!) We toasted with it. Fun-ness.

I love to cook - especially for other people. I just find it pathetic to cook for one person most of the time. So, I don't always do it - or I eat the same thing repeatedly. So, from time to time I get my act together and invite over some friends, because I like them and I like to cook for them. I love that I have a tiny kitchen all my own (and my roommates', but you know, details - they're rarely home...). And I live in a place where I have friends nearby are almost always up for an adventure or a chill evening or whatever nonsense we come up with for the night.

Also, in some cases, I cook because I have purchased a new food processor/blender combo that is named Ninja. How can you put off using an appliance called Ninja? It seems dangerous to mess with Ninja. It will chop you up. Literally. You will try to clean it between uses and then, although you've only cut your thumb the tiniest bit, you will bleed for a very long time. You will feel like you should sit down. You will be sad that you are delaying the finishing of cooking and getting to drink the agua fresca. You will think in your head how people will be there any minute and dinner will not be ready. Still, sometimes you have to just sit there and bleed for a while. You may NOT by any means go back to cooking while bleeding. Criminal Act of Grossness.

 In other news, if you get too excited about the ease of pushing the Ninja button you may have very creamy guacamole when you really meant to have slightly chunky guacamole. Oh well. (You win creamy guac. Blended yourself right into my heart, ok? I think I might have you for breakfast... Once upon a time, I didn't think I liked guacamole and my roommate told me she wanted to have guacamole's baby. I'm beginning to understand her point.). It's ok. Don't give up. Love the Ninja. Bond with the Ninja. Let it help you make salsa and pineapple mango popsicles. Let it dice the onions for you. Don't cry. You barely even have to touch them at all. It's ok.

Then, sit around and eat all your Ninja-ed food with some of your favorite people and be grateful for your life ok? It will make for a really good evening especially if you have a popsicle on the couch with the girls and talk about Mother Goose on the Loose and the Story Line. It will be great - even if your popsicle breaks in half and you have to stick it back on the stick all ghetto fabulous. It tastes better that way. Try it.

Try it all. I dare you. You'll like it. (Ok, maybe don't try the bleeding...)

Hope everyone's Friday night was as refreshing as mine.

Good night! Sueno con los angelitos.