Taliesin & Homecooking on Vacation

Is it humanly possible to go on a 9 day vacation and by the end not feel like you’re permanently full?  Apparently not if you’re me.  Eating out every day, 3 times a day can be hard.  Luckily, I have family that lives/temporarily resides in Arizona so I did get to enjoy a few homecooked meals and when I’m on vacation I crave homecooking.

My dad’s cousin Sheila kindly entertained us one night in her gorgeous house.  Seriously, it’s breathtaking.  I want to get married there.  And every time we go there I’m astounded by how Sheila manages to make her job as hostess look completely effortless. 

And like any good hostess she knew the way to my heart: mini cupcakes and homemade ice cream.  Gush.

Okay, maybe those cupcakes weren’t supplied especially for me.  It was my aunt’s birthday a few days before.  Hi Aunt Connal 🙂

And speaking of my aunt, she and my uncle Mike put on a lovely dinner party for us + my grandpa and it was simply fabulous.

Lots to eat, like homemade hummus, shrimp, peasant stew, salad, risotto.  Just to name a few.

Why don’t I eat risotto more often?  It’s so good.

My uncle informed my sister and I that my aunt is some sort of risotto queen.  You can send those recipes my way.

In between homecooked meals we got to make a trip to Taliesin West.  Are you ignoring what I’m saying right now because you have no idea what Taliesin is?  Yeah, I didn’t know either.  It’s a Frank Lloyd Wright house.  Who’s that?  I’ll admit I didn’t know the answer to that one either. 

Frank Lloyd Wright = famous architect.

Taliesin West = famous house he built in Arizona where 36 architecture students go to school.  I can’t imagine being one of those 36 people who makes it into that program.  Or being one of those 36 people who has to sleep outside in a tent.  I guess Frank was a weird guy.  Brilliant, but weird.

I snapped a few pictures from underneath my umbrella.  It was pouring that day.

This pool was designed as fire prevention.  Wright had a bad history with house fires… 

I think my mom summed it up when she said, “Why is that the house has two movie theaters but the students have to sleep in tents outside?”

I’m currently enjoying some down time in our condo in Santa Fe before we head out for a little chocolate appetizer, then dinner at La Fonda.  I’m not sure last night’s dinner at Maria’s can be beat, though.  Or maybe that’s my margarita talking.

I’m off!