The Bonilla Family Photo Album

Welcome , welcome! Wow... where have you been for so long? We've just been here... you know, blogging frequently and waiting for you to come visit! It is SO good to see you! Gee, Lui and I thought you'd never come! Please, sit down and make yourself comfortable... can I make you tea? hot chocolate? Would you like to look through our recent family photo album?

Okay, seriously... it's been awhile. I could bore with you with the details, like, I got a promotion at work and have been earning my pay by spending a lot more time there. Or, I could tell you about all the loads of laundry I've been doing and better yet, all the clothes I've hung up that still are waiting in the Ironing Line. I could write about the oil change that the Jeep desparately needed and the time I spent at Big-O reading trashy People Magazine. Or, all the time I've been spending following Michael Jackson's fantastical life on network television, except that it hasn't really taken all that much time afterall, no offense to the Jackson fans in the audience Well, how about the time I've been using for scratching Lui's back at night? Or, the time I've invested in digging my autumn shoes out from under the bed? I guess all added up, it still doesn't equal enough reasons for not updating things here. Guess I'll stop with the excuses and start with the updates... (though I really did get a promotion at work and I really have been scratching Lui's back a lot). I've included some fun pictures to share what we've been up to...

August found us extremely busy with Lui's Kitchen. We had a great time at Harvest Days in Midvale and enjoyed participating with the Provo Farmer's Market a few times before the season ended. It was magical for me to watch Lui totally at home with meeting new people and sharing his salsa with the crowds. He's a natural when it comes to marketing and selling and people really took to him and his salsa. I must admit, I also had a great time wandering the markets and trying a lot of great new foods.

We haven't done much with Lui's Kitchen now that the change of seasons is upon us... it's more difficult to get product out to people without the venue of markets, but we look forward to next summer and participating in more events. We've also looked into the possibility of distributing through local grocery stores, but we'll see. Neither of us are sure we have the time to add something so time-intensive to our schedules... what, with all the ironing I'm doing and all... :)

September was a blur. I turned 34! Luis threw me a suprise party with many of our family and friends and of course, a traditional tamale dinner. The real treat was his mother being in town for the month and the food she prepared for the party (I know, selfish me...). We enjoyed taking her on a date and spending time with her in our home. She is a lovely lady and a beautiful example to me. She also has the most irresistable and contagious laugh, it's wonderful to hear her so happy when she is surrounded by her children and grandchildren. Unfortunately, Lui's dad wasn't able to come for this visit and we missed his presence and fun sense of humor. We hope to see them this Christmas. Lui also started a part-time job with a credit union and full-time freelance work on a computer program
that will be used to teach mathematics on the Navajo reservations.

As is tradition in my birthday month, we also attended the Utah State Fair. This year was kind of different as Jessie (my oldest sister) wasn't able to be here, but Lui stepped up and took me on the Giant Yellow Slide. We also spent some time in the 4-H hog judging contest. Tell you what, it was stinky but infinitely interesting. A nice enough gentleman with a large hat and larger belt buckle explained the hog judging guidelines to us. It was something else! We also waited in the long line for Cajun Fried 'Gator, but upon seeing the micro-sized gator serving and macro-sized price tag, we opted for a gyro instead. Thanks, Lui, for taking me to the fair! Oh, and for carrying my frozen lemonade when my fingers got too cold.

October has found us spending far more time indoors for various reasons. The 8th season of Biggest Loser started (Lui calls it The Fat Loser, not because he is mean but because he can never remember what the show is called) and of course, The Office has started up again. We've also become a little enchanted with The Community and a new form of artistic expression! As many of you know, my husband is ridiculously talented in every way. He's recently set his sites on pumpkin carving and stayed up the other night until 2:00 a.m. working on these:

I must admit, our pumpkins don't quite look like this anymore. They look a little more like Great-great-grandpa without his teeth in and the wrinkled shell to match, but they were great while they lasted. Our ward is having a Halloween party next week, so I think Lui will be hitting the carving table again to prepare our car for the trunk-or-treat.

Over Columbus Day we took a little trip to Sun Valley, Idaho to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday with our family. My dad, my uncle from Colorado, my aunt and her family, my grandpa and sister Adrienne and her family enjoyed a beautiful weekend at Pennay's River Run condos in Ketchum. This is such a gorgeous area at the base of the Sawtooth Mountains, especially in the fall. We love you, Dad! We had a wonderful time being together and cuddling up on the couches around the fireplace at night, talking and laughing and sharing stories. We attended the Sun Valley ward on Sunday and really enjoyed their testimony meeting. It's always a treat to attend church somewhere else on the map...

And now, for one more picture from the Bonilla Family Album. By far this is the most exciting picture we've had taken this fall and the Number 1 Reason Ali has been staying in for the month of October:

Yup, coming from its most nauseated momma and proudest pappa, this is our littlest, sweetest babe. We don't know if we're having a Bonilla-ita or Bonilla-ito at this point, but we've nicknamed it our 'Pinolillo', pronounced Pee-no-lee-yo, which means 'little corn candy'. So far, everything looks great and we anticipate Pinolillo's arrival next May.

I know... right?!!?! Isn't he the cutest little kitty? The sweetest little gummy bear? The tiniest babe with the tiniest legs and arms? Oh, how we love our Pinolillo.

Well, thanks for (finally!) (just kidding) stopping in to visit us and for taking some time to browse our family photo album. I hope to pull myself off the couch a little more frequently in the next trimester to update our blog more often.

In the meantime, honey, do we have more Captain Crunch? And where are those pickles?!!

Thinkin' While Washin'

Yep, been washin' dishes today. Lots uv 'em. I've realized that I'm a bit of a piler when it comes to chores I dislike. For example, ironing. Ironing isn't something that happens weekly at our house. Rather, it happens not quite as frequently as the changing of the seasons. Dishes, if we had more clean options in the cupboard, would probably follow the same schedule. Dishes, I'd say, happen about as often as I sit down to check email (which explains why 1) I haven't responded to the email collecting dust in my inbox and 2) we sometimes eat our cereal with plastic spoons). There are simply some chores I don't like.

Now, vacuuming.. there's a chore I can really wrap my love around. I heart vacuuming. I heart the geometric patterns in the carpet as I finish a room. I heart watching the lint and dirt and sub-atomic carpet bits whooshing up the sucker-shoot. I heart laying on the floor when I'm done, without a care of those sub-atomic bits getting in my hair. Last Christmas, Lui and I pitched our Christmas money together and bought each other one of those robot vacuums. We thought it'd be an incredible time saver. Turns out, we enjoyed watching it work so much that rather than taking 8 minutes to vacuum myself, it was taking 1 hour and 25 minutes to follow the darling thing around! We affectionately called it our 'Pet' and laughed at its antics, like bumping into the plant pot, again...

I'm now back to vacuuming on my own, and I have to say I'm kind of happy about it. I experience great happiness in a clean home. Just not in washing dishes. Or ironing clothes. Or cleaning toilets.

Anyhow, I was thinking while I was washing dishes this afternoon...

There seem to be an alarming number of single, mate-less, shoes lying around in the road. Have you ever noticed this? Especially on the highway. Single, forlorn shoes. If I notice one, I immediately begin the search party for its pair. I've yet to spot a pair. It's only ever been one solitary shoe. It's kind of sad. I've often thought that had I time to write a book, I'd write about my series of postulations concerning the match-less shoes. I doubt anyone would buy the book, but I do think I would enjoy writing it. I've also thought about another topic I'd write about... the relationship between personality type and grocery-store-sample behavior.

I work in the office of a natural foods market, and at the end of our hallway, just bordering the dairy and gluten-free section, stands a daily sample. I've had opportunity to observe countless people and their various sample habits. Sometimes I try to pick out other distinguishing details to help me build a case, such as appearance, mannerisms, clothing, voice, or objects in their carts, hoping to make a connection between personality and habit. I don't know about you, but I think it would make for interesting fodder.

Perhaps another day...

In the meantime, please enjoy this delightful nugget, courtesy of my dearest heart. I've often said that he talks in his sleep. Apparently, he also worries about my whereabouts.

Setting: In the Bonilla's bed, about 4:34 a.m. Ali, sound asleep directly beside Lui, wakes to the following conversation.

Lui: Ali?!! Ali!!! ALI!!!

Ali: Mmmrrrph??

Lui: Ali?

Ali: Yes?
Lui (with much relief and an eyes-closed smile): Oh! I didn't know you were right there!
Ali (with a degree of annoyance): Well, Lui, where else would I be?

Lui: Oh. I don't know.

Ali: Argh.

Lui and Ali Heatin' It Up in Provo!

Do you think Brother Brigham liked salsa? We'll do our best to find the answer this weekend as we're headed to, you guessed it.. Provo! GO COUGARS!

Come say hola! at the Provo Farmer's Market on Center Street this Saturday, the 15th, from 9am to 2pm. We'll be sampling the best salsa in this dispensation (can I say that?) so come by and visit! We'd love to see any and all of you...

Thanks to those who stopped by Harvest Days. How 'bout those fireworks, huh?

What Says Joy Like Midvale Harvest Days?! And a Visit to Lui's Kitchen While You're At It?

Nothing's more fun, really... Well, okay, it's on the Top 10 at least... aw, come on, we're fun to be around! Right?! Uh, guys??!

That's why we'd like to invite you to visit Lui's Kitchen this Saturday at Midvale Harvest Days!

Lui and Ali will be setting up once again as Lui's Kitchen, home of the most authentic-gourmet-fusion-all natural-not your Pace Picante-you've never had salsa like this before-salsa!! We loved seeing so many of you at the June boutique in Sandy and would love to see you again! We've added a few new gigs to the line up, so come prepared to try salsa in a whole new light. Our salsas work amazing in a variety of recipes and we'd be happy to teach you the ways of our mad salsa cooking skills. Well, not all of our ways, lest you run us out of business with your own mad skills...

We'll be sampling and selling the likes of:

• Pico de Lui
  Habanero Red Onion
  Ali's Black Beans and Corn
  Jala-Berry (Strawberry Jalapeno)
  Lime Lui Pink
  Lime Lui Goes Green
  Tomatillo Lui
  Lui Luau (Pineapple with Roasted Habanero)
  Cukes Gone Wild (Cucumber Habanero)
  Fire-Roasted Red (formerly known as When Lui Met Ali)
  and perhaps a little Apricot Mango Action ???

For those who haven't tried or met us yet, we are Ali and Lui... nice to meet you! Lui has worked some crazy salsa voodoo in our kitchen lately, and we've proven that I'm not simply a biased wife. I'm for sure not the only one who thinks this is the most amazing salsa in the world. We've established ourselves in a commercial kitchen in Midvale and will be working our little chili peppers off to get our product into local grocers and markets in the near future. Keep your eyes out for Lui's Kitchen in your neighborhood store!!

In the meantime, you can continue ordering through our website at http://www.luiskitchen.com/index.html or by phone: Lui 801-598-3709 or Ali 801-580-8119.

Midvale Harvest Days will be going on this Saturday in Midvale Park, 455 West 7500 South, starting with the Lions Club breakfast from 7am - 10am, followed by a parade at 10am and booths opening around 11am. For a complete schedule of events (including a free concert with Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband and FIREWORKS!!), please go to:
http://www.midvale.com/img//HD2009_ScheduleOfEvents-draft.pdf

We hope to see you this weekend and please, help us spread the word!!

As always, Lui's Kitchen supports local business and thanks you for doing the same.

Just keepin' the spice alive,
Lui and Ali

Life with Snow White's Brother and Our Trip to Jackson

It is a little known fact that Snow White had a brother. I only know because I married him. I didn't know intially that he was Snow White's brother. Last Friday it was made evident that he has a penchant for small woodland creatures, or that they have a penchant for him. One of which made us about an hour late for a dinner party last weekend.

So, the story goes... we were out in the garage area last Friday afternoon scrubbing refrigerators (acquired via KSL.com for the business -- there's a story that goes with the fridges but I'm too scared to post it lest the gentleman who was also racing to Spring City to purchase said fridges happens to stumble on our site and put faces and names to Lui and me as the scoundrels who got there minutes before he did, whisking the bargains away). Anyway, Lui and I were out scrubbing our newly acquired appliances when from literally out of the blue, a lone sparrow (or finch? or starling?) landed perfectly on Luis's shoulder. Just like that. A flutter and a flap, and we had us a bird. For an hour.

We tried feeding it brown rice and flax seeds, nutritious snack options quickly found in Ali's pantry. And it seemed, momentarily, that it would work as a way to lure the bird from its perch. Well, the bird ate.
But it hopped right back on Lui's shoulder when it finished eating. And then it did this:
The bird took to my shoulder as a temporary resting spot while Luis went inside to change his shirt, but as soon as he came back out the bird returned to his initial post. On other days, days where we did not have places to be and people to see and things to do, this quirky bird would have been perhaps more whimsical than it was. But truth be told, after an hour, it got wierd. That blasted winged creature would not get off Luis! Watching the clock, we knew we were going to be late to our dinner party and neither of us felt that showing up with a stray bird was appropriate, we did what any desperate people would do. We grabbed the bird, gently and humanely 'threw' it up in the air, and made a run for the back door. Twenty minutes later, washed up and ready to go, we opened the back door to leave and sure enough, there was our bird... sitting patiently at our back step, waiting for his pal. We promptly shut the door and opted to exit out the front. And there, my friends, is a glimpse into life with the brother of none other than Snow White.

We had an amazing trip to Jackson Hole for the annual Williams Family Reunion. My dad's side of the family has been making this trip since I was 12, the year my grandma passed away. It was a way to get Grandpa out of the house, away from memories, away from reminders, and to surround him with family around what would have been Grandma Dona's 59th birthday. It stuck as a tradition and the trip is now something we all look forward to months in advance. My sister Adrienne and I start planning 'Jackson Outfits' and 'Jackson Meals' well before it's actually time to. But there was something special about the trip this year... Luis came too!

There was no Jackson trip the year we got married, as most family made the long trip to Utah for the wedding. And last year, Luis had started a job with BMW just two weeks before we were supposed to go. But this year (thank you, This Economy, for providing the unemployment), we were able to go together. I was more than excited to share this long tradition with the love of my life. We drove through Lava Hot Springs and Alpine and thoroughly enjoyed the time in the car together. It felt like a second honeymoon, really. We talked and took pictures and stopped to admire nature (and to answer its call from time to time) and oooh-ed and aaaah-ed at the beauty of the world around us. It was a lovely trip and we were happily joined with the rest of the clan in Teton Village just in time for dinner.

Among the highlights of the week were Lui's debut as a mountain biker (thank you, Dereck and Nick, for making sure he arrived safely each time), spotting lots of wildlife, including bears, elk, coyotes, deer, and moose, Canadian water rugby in beautiful String Lake,
re-designing my sister Jessie's glasses to include a third and all-knowing eye,time with my sweet Pappy and his wonderful wife, Collene, at Jedediah's House of Sourdough (can I get an 'amen'?),

a day trip to Yellowstone (including Old Faithful, all the huckleberry ice cream we could eat, West Thumb paint pots, and the Fire Hole Canyon loop) with my handsome esposo,

and lots and lots of time with my wonderful family. We feel so blessed to love and be loved so much. I don't know many families that could happily, willingly, and peacefully stay in a crowded cabin (22 people and 4 bathrooms, you do the math!) for an entire week together. We had a blast and it was a real treat to finally have Lui there with me. He gets along famously with my family and the kids totally dig him, as do I. Thanks to my grandpa for a wonderful week! I'm already thinking about next year's outfits...

So I'm Not Very Good At...

blogging. Apparently. I've been busy getting us ready to do this:

And to go here:

I'm looking forward to posting about our first 'Lui's Kitchen' event, our second anniversary, Lui's birthday, and our family reunion to Teton National Park!
Blog real soon...
Your host,
Ali

Extra! Extra! Hot Finally Reaches Midvale, Just In Time for Boutique

Tidings, Bonilla-Blog-Watchers! My apologies that this is the first time you've heard from me in, oh, say, a while... We have had our little noses to the grind stone as we've worked tirelessly to launch dearest Lui's salsa business.

So, without delay... (brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, said like a drum roll rather than an expression of cold temperature), we invite you to check us out this weekend!

We will be setting up shop at the 'My Petite Boutique' in Sandy on Saturday, June 27, from 10am - 5 pm, 2105 E. Alta Canyon Drive. We will be making and selling a few Mexican fares but the HIGHLIGHT will be the assortment of gourment salsas and organic corn chips you'll have the benefit of purchasing to take home and hoarde. Yes, Luis's salsas are that good...

For more details about the boutique, please visit ourpetiteboutique.com or give me a call at (801) 580-8119.

Presently, we are running our salsa business out of our home until we can get into a little kitchen or cafe. Luis has a remarkable talent for making salsa that'll knock your socks right off and take your tastebuds with them. No joke. This isn't your run-of-the-mill Pace Picante. Among the variety he makes are Habanero Red Onion, Smoked Chipotle, Fire-Roasted Red, Green Tomatillo, Lime Lui, and many more. We sell our salsa packaged in 8 oz. containers and are very selective about the produce we use. Our limes are freshly squeezed, our garlic finely chopped, our onions perfectly diced, and our chiles hand-selected.

Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity to discover Salt Lake's best kept salsa secret in all his salsa-making kung-fu-peppering skills... my husband!!

If you can't make it to the boutique, please feel free to pay us a visit to our home in Midvale. Salsa Day is every Thursday, where we prepare the freshest, most authentic salsa in the valley. We'll gladly take your order over the phone and have it ready for pick up or you're invited to simply stop in for a free sample of our wares. We're also happy to impart to you our salsa-sock-knocking skills as we teach you a variety of ways to use and cook with your new salsa. Yessirree, chips aren't the only food lucky enough to deliver Lui's salsa to your palate! We are here to open the eyes and mouths of every salsa-lover to a whole new world... indeed, it is our very mission in life. To thrill and delight you with creative and delicious combinations, some straight out of Mexico, some straight out of Lui's brain (to be taken figuratively rather than literally)!

Call with any questions and please check often for updates to our newborn web site, luiskitchen.com, currently under construction.

Thanks for popping in, dear blog-readers, and we hope to see you on Saturday!