she cries

She Cries
Evana Vleck
Don’t consider me a poet because I spit words in and out of rhyme
And completely out of reason
for no reason
no reason at all it seems.

Just a distant memory of figs falling from the tree outside of our church
My mother eating the sweetness out of flowers as the petals float to the barren dry earth,
beneath her sole as clouds dance by.

She cherishes crooked memories diluted with honey and sticky, sweet. She holds babies in her arms and sings songs of birds, spiders and buntings as they get gently rocked into deep slumber covered in mother’s milk
It’s true.

She cuddles with a soft lamb she calls her child and gently traces her own smile…
And she cries quietly to the moon, buried deep within feathers that smell of Clorox and dust.

Boo is the name of her father and he cascades onto the bed
He points his bony digit towards the earth and leans back to admire the heavens laden with old stucco.

Crowds of laughter and tiny footsteps attend to his tired body and tug at his boots as he becomes a playground covered in dirt from the bottom of our souls.

imaginary

imaginary



I'm in love with your image

and you are certainly aware of this.

There's a voice in my heart that tells my mind it wants you…

everything about you.

My eyes can conjure up emotions that are not there, even when the darkness of the earth’s light is obsolete…completely obsolete, and alone like a fragile north wind wandering the night searching for solace.

It’s lovely in every way, even in those ways that are secretive and boxed-in…
those fearful memories we all hold deep within.

Your image puts my bodily movement in a daunting comatose that can rest silent for days on end. I’m telling you, it’s astonishing.



You exist, but only in certain ways. I can feel you, but your breath…it’s nowhere near my body and your touch…nowhere near my soul. I can imagine you deep inside, but you are nowhere within.



You, as I, are a figment of a sensual vision that invokes a profound dream-state of imaginary love behind closed doors

Where heartache soars

And the lonely, roars

A Robledo tradition

Since I can remember, cheese dip has flowed through my veins. It could be a bad thing, but in my experience it has been nothing but good. Cheese dip, since I was young was the tastiest snack we ate as a meal; along side a plain sandwich or sausage dog. To this day, my family and I crave it like nothing else in this world...it was our favorite food to eat during get togethers or gathered at my grandma's house after church. It's delicious and very popular now to be honest. We would introduce cheese dip as if it were a delicacy - people loved it and would beg us for the recipe...funny thing is that it was just 2 simple store bought ingredients. Funny that velveeta claims it however I feel that Kraft should own it, because it's the only cheese that makes chees dip taste like grandma's house. We make our cheese dip using Kraft American cheese (not singles and not velveeta) and of course rotel brand tomatoes and green chilies.


cheese dip
1 can rotel and green chilies (hot)
16 slices of kraft american cheese
1 bag of frito lay fritos or any type of corn chips

heat rotel in pan, once it begins to boil add slices of american cheese, and turn heat down. mix the rotel and cheese together until melted, and keep on low heat.

serve with your favorite corn chips and sandwich or dog ~ I prefer hoagies using boars head ham and salami with fresh green lettuce.

Rice ala madre

My rice recipe stems from various recipes created by my grandmother, mother, and 2 of my aunts. All are very good cooks and each of their rice dishes stands alone. I don't favor one over another, however I prefer my rice "wet" with the taste of roasted tomato, so I add crushed tomatoes to my rice dish to make it more appealing to my own personal taste buds. Another thing I add to my Mexican rice is something very unique...it's herbs de provence. My herbs de provence include rosemary, oregano, bay leaf and sometimes other herbs if I have on hand. I know this is not typical for a "border" rice dish, however my personal cooking is derived from my roots as well as a personal choice of taste that I have come introduced to on my own through magazines, books and television cooking shows. My desire to experiment in the kitchen has given me this delicious rice recipe that I call my own.

Rice ala madre

1 cup uncooked rice
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 of a large onion thinly sliced
3 cloves of fresh minced garlic
1/4 cup crushed tomatoes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground chili powder
1 tsp herbs de provence
salt/pepper to taste
2 cups water or chicken broth

saute the rice in olive oil until brown
add onion, and garlic until translucent
add crushed tomatoes, spices and water
bring to a boil, cover and turn to low heat for 15 min.

yummy with fresh sliced avocado

Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped Potatoes

8 potatoes, scrubbed and peeled
1 1/4 cups milk
1 stick of butter
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons flour
fresh (or dried) rosemary

slice potatoes into thin circles
layer into the bottom of a baking dish and top with rosemary and butter
continue to layer until all potatoes are in the baking dish then top with milk/flour/salt-pepper mixture.

place in a 350 degree oven for 45 min (covered for half the cooking time and uncovered remainder of cooking time)

I love these potatoes because they remind me of Thanksgiving - they are my favorite side dish that I look forward to. My mother taught me how to prepare and cook these potatoes and I have taken them over. My mother never added rosemary, however I have come to fall in love with the flavor of fresh herbs.