Feliz Ano Novo

As another year falls behind I am feeling exhilarated! I am no where near where I thought I would be a year ago, and I can only speculate where I will be at the end of this year. For me that is as close to perfect as I can get. Feliz Ano Novo the title of this entry is Portuguese and roughly translates to Happy New Year. I am thinking that when this year comes to an end I will be learning a new language and on my way in Brazil where Feliz Ano Novo will be the slogan of the country I travel in.

We are still on track towards Mexico! I find it amazing how many times people have asked me. "So when are you guys going to get started?" Our trip isn't a one shot there and back vacation. This is our life. Traveling, figuring out where we will be next, finding temporary work, making wonderful new friends, we are gone, we cannot go back to where we started. We no longer have a house in New Orleans. Our presence is where we are at the moment, be it Connecticut, or a roadside gas station. Come along for the trip.

Our stay in Connecticut is almost over. My only regret is that my camera wasn't close at hand. The array of pictures would have included the foods we cooked, a sunny winter day in New York City, and a trip to the woods out behind the house. The most important meal we are missing photos of are from that of last night. In one and a half days the family transformed our home into the grounds of a new years eve celebration.

Our New Years eve menu was drafted from timeless favorites and flavors that would culminate this season. Jen and I had learned about mulled wine in New Orleans when the days were short and the cold winds blew in from the north. Experience has shown that a smooth full bodied red wine is better than a cheap Merlot or Cabernet, we used a Spanish Tempranillo. To mull the wine, heat it to around 160 degrees, zest an orange, then cut it up and throw it in along with some lemon juice. Add cranberries dried or fresh as well as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, ginger, and a pinch of sugar or honey to create the perfect hot drink. We also served our friends and their families hot apple cider and chilly champagne punch. The punch was simply the cheapest champagne, a splash of pomegranate juice, fresh pomegranate seeds, and a little orange juice. The flavors were lite and fresh. A full spread of food including turkey, baby quiches, fresh french bread, cupcakes, a baked brie and many more tasty treats helped us all get through the night.

So here we are moving along again, forward, towards another day on the open road, alongside a hot campfire, an outdoor kitchen, and a little motorcycle maintenance.

-Benjamin