The Farm Shop and Kei and Molly

For the past several years when I go to Albuquerque I like to take a slow drive down Rio Grande Blvd (25 miles is the max speed limit). When I was a kid we drove down this street all the time where you can get views of the old ranch houses and horses, there use to be buffalo. I remember going to the buffalo house when I was in pre-school. During the Fall the trees down this boulevard are the golden color cottonwoods I love so much. My favorite farm is the old Simms Farm which is where the The Farm Shop is. It's in the original Creamland Dairies building and is part of the property connected to the Los Poblanos Inn, which has a rich history found here.

My mom visits here yearly for the Lavender festival, they have rows and rows of lovely lavender. It's an organic run farm and supplies the ingredients for the amazing dishes that are served up at the Los Poblanos Inn. The Farm Shop sells lavender spa products, artisan foods, gourmet kitchen and gardening tools and locally made gifts from all over New Mexico.

Lemon lavender gelato, refreshing and tasty. Thankfully no too much lavender, but just enough for the essence of the taste. I've had llavender panna cota which tasted like creamed perfumed soap, not ideal, this was the opposite.

Every corner is artfully directed and begging to be bought.

Lately I'm obsessed with the tea towels from Kei and Molly, here's their story. Next time I visit I want to look them up and see if I can meet these amazing women in person, I love everything they make. Their towels are beautiful and hang in the light filled windows of the Farm Shop. Check out their Etsy store

Mom has bought me two so far, and our last purchase was a typical mom daughter conversation.

Me: I like the turquoise one, but it has a cross in it, so maybe not

Mom: It's pretty, but how about the ones with the coyote

Me: Nah, I like the satelite dishes

Mom: Why?

Me: It's kinda cool, and sci-fi, and New Mexico

Mom: I don't get it

Me: It's ok, I like it

Mom: But why would you want that in your kitchen?

Me: Why wouldn't I, look at the conversation we're having about it

Mom: Your funny, you like weird things

Me: Mom don't you remember when I was a kid, if you don't like it, buy it, I'll LOVE it, that hasn't changed.

Mom: I guess, ok I'll get you that one.

Me: Thanks Mom.

So now I have two the orange citrus slices next to the indigo blue satellite dishes.

Lovely right.

Driveway up to the Inn and Farm. It's breathtaking in the winter and fall its AMAZING with the golden leaves on the trees.

I never get tired of this view when you walk to the Farm Shop, especially as you wonder around with chickens and peacocks, both white and the typically amazing blue and green.

White peacock.

Driveway out...just as lovely.

The Farm Shop

4803 RIO GRANDE BLVD NW

OPEN DAILY 9:00A – 5:00

505.938.2192

Balloon Fiesta - Albuquerque

When I was a little girl living in Albuquerque I use to go to the balloon fiesta with my grandmother.
We would park on the side of the road and run in the dirt to meet the balloonist. Grandma had an autograph book she kept for years. After the balloons took off we would jump in her car and chase them to wherever they would land, which would be in the mesas, driving down dirt roads.

Grandma told me a story once of her running in the mesas to meet the balloonist and tripping over s lava rock, there are lots out there.
As she fell to her knees the balloonist looked down and grandma looked up and said, "will you marry me?" He laughed heartily. Gotta love a granny with a sense of humor.

I came back a few other times when I lived in California. Still there was dirt, and you could still park on the side if the road. However, there aren't as many mesas open with the building boom that happened here in the 90's.

Then back again a few years later and there was a balloon park with a museum. Now 40 years later, no dirt just beautiful grass and balloons of every size and shape. Finally SB gets to see it first hand.

We got up at 430am, drank coffee and made it down to the field before 530. They have it very organized and there were about 15 balloons already blowing up.
Since it was dark still they glowed in the early morning dark blue sky. I had never seen this part up close.
It was exciting. If you followed my tweets that morning you probably saw many of the pictures below, which included a Darth Vadar balloon with Storm Trooper crew, and yes I was humming the dark side theme of Star Wars.

I will have more to share from our real digital camera, SB got some awesome shots. He got really close, he was determined to get in the belly of the balloons, so much that they had to tell him to back away.

On the road again

It's that time of year where we hit the road to New Mexico. Here are a few images from our twelve hour journey.

Box of Chocolate

"Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what your gonna get" that's about the only line I remember from that movie. But I'd have to agree unless of course you slice the chocolate in half or ask the owner what's in every one, which I did when we visited Todos Santos.

This place was nestled away in a little courtyard off the main street from the Plaza in Sante Fe. Todos Santos (All Saints) has this kind of day of the dead theme.

Many of the gift boxes are Saints, Mary being one of the bigger ones. I'm not into this, but chocolate I am all over.

Every one of these was so beautifully made and the flavors were exotic and surprising.

I wanted to buy some gifts for my co-workers so I bought a few boxes of chocolate and had them wrapped in nice little boxes. They were so pretty we didn't want to eat them....but we did.

The store is tiny and dark but lots of vibrant colored decorations.

I love that each type of chocolate is in a pretty colored candy holder tuttu.

With all the beautiful chocolates in the display cases, it was hard to choose which one I wanted to eat right away. I finally choose the dark chocolate with candied orange peel and pistachios. It was worth every bite. It's a hard to place to find but worth the search. The courtyard was lovely in winter as Sante Fe had snow on the ground and evergreen garlands over all the wood beams throughout the plaza area. I'm sure this courtyard will be hopping in the summer as there was a restaurant with an outdoor patio. Make sure you seek out this chocolate treasure.

Todos Santos
Sena Plaza Courtyard
125 East Palce #31
Sante Fe, NM 87501

The Range Cafe

Everytime I go to Albuquerque this place is a must visit. It's in the town of Bernalillo (pronounced Burn-a-leo). It's a great cafe that has been cloned through out the city of Albuquerque, but the original is the best. The food is good, nice American fare with a touch of New Mexico.

Often when you order your food here, burritos, tacos, burgers and eggs the question always comes, red or green? Chili that is. New Mexico chili is fantastic. I usually go for the green its roasted just right with a smokey flavor, really it goes with just about everything.

The coffee is perfect her, just black, no need for sugar or cream and I love both. SB and I always take home a bag of beans of the Range and Blue Lightening blend of coffee, to have at home. I have to say though my favorite part of this place is the ambience, it's eclectic and warm.

It's in a building with an old soda fountain. Art on all the walls (much of which was donated by local artists), colorful chairs, plates and fanciful decor.
It always makes me happy when I go here.