The Sea of Cortez is remote and full of adventure.  We swam with sea lions, sailed through a school of thousands of dolphins, discovered tiny island fishing villages and scaled rocky mountains.  I love the simultaneous feelings of freedom and isolation after a few days on the water.  No cable, cell phone, stores or restaurants.  I missed my kids and remembered my husband.  Hot water and cold beer were the ultimate luxuries.   We ate avocados for breakfast and grilled amazing yellowtail that the fisherman were happy to trade for a few oranges.  It was a perfect week of tuning out and tuning in.  

I can lie on the beach and sip cocktails for exactly three days.  In my humble opinion, this is the only reason to go to Cabo, unless of course, you are looking for trinkets and cheap tequila shots.   I thoroughly enjoy reading, the spa, service and some great margaritas...and then, I can't stand it, not for another minute. 

Luckily, our latest adventure was planned perfectly and we left the confines of luxury just before I turned into a pumpkin.  My physicist who looks like a fireman husband is also a licensed captain, and our ship was waiting.   We provisioned the boat and set sails to discover the sparse beauty of the Sea of Cortez.  I was the one serving the drinks and there was no one to rub my toes, but saying goodbye to civilization felt great.  ....More pictures and stories coming soon!

I made this recipe for nearly a year before I tasted it.  I'm not a meatball kind of girl.  I grew up on tofu and brown rice and though I no longer claim to be a vegetarian, the leap to eating ground meat was a slow progression...or, some would say, transgression.  Either way, these are so yummy I'm having trouble restraining myself from saying something totally inappropriate here.  And they are green in the center, perfect for a very important holiday in our home.

Recipe:

1 bunch of basil, pick and clean the leaves (around 2 packed cups)

4 tablespoons softened butter

1/4 cup olive oil

4 large chopped garlic cloves

2 eggs

2 teaspoons salt

ground pepper, more or less according to taste

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1 lb ground lamb

1 lb ground pork

1 lb ground beef

bread crumbs

Combine the basil, butter, olive oil and garlic in a food processor and mix until creamy.  In a large bowl combine the basil mixture with the remaining indredients.  Mix until everything is integrated evenly through the meat.  Form large and uniformly sized balls and coat lightly in bread crumbs.

Coat a deep cast iron pan with butter and brown the meatballs on each side on medium high heat.  Turn the heat down, cover the meatballs in sauce, cover and simmer for about ten minutes, or until just slightly pink in the center.  Gently turn at least once. 

I have my water boiling and cook my pasta when I start browning the meatballs.  When the pasta is drained put it in a large serving bowl and add one tablespoon of butter to keep it from sticking, cover with sauce and meatballs and serve.  Red pepper flakes on the side for the adults. 

There is nothing more delicious than a baby.  I had the pleasure of photographing my friends beautiful children this week.  The little one reminded me so much of my Ava....she smiled and laughed and knew just how to work the camera.  As a mother, I'm sure I'll always dream of spending just one more day holding my babies....it was not always easy, but what a great and beautiful adventure.