Spanglish Chick

I’m feeling unusually festive this year.  Maybe it’s the idea of spring and blooming flowers or I just have pollen in my eyes. Whatever it is, I’m just glad it isn’t so freakin’ cold anymore. (I’ve already bought lots of Cadbury Cream Eggs, and I don’t even celebrate Easter.) 

For St. Patrick’s Day, I thought it would be nice to make a traditional Irish dish. Even if you’re not Irish, everyone loves potatoes! It’s a win win situation here. My mom’s potato soup is one of my favorites, so I mentioned to my boyfriend that I wanted to try to make it.  He responded with a brisk, “Okay.”  Turns out, he’d never had potato soup.  How a person makes it to his early 30’s in such a state is beyond me.  No way was I going to let him get through this St. Patrick’s Day without trying the family recipe. 

I had to call my mom to find out how to make it, and it turns out that being the family recipe that it is, it wasn’t precise.  Her instructions went something like, “Pour in some milk, then some flour mixed with water …”  No, really.  The word “some” and the phrase “a little” were used a lot. Thanks mom.

She got the recipe from my great-aunt, who I assume got it from her grandfather, who was an Irish immigrant.  At least, it’s a better story than “she got it from the back of a bag of potatoes.”  I made it last night, and tried my best to get more exact measurements.  Here’s the recipe, but know that when you try it, it might need some tweaking.

• 5 lb. peeled and diced potatoes
• 2 ½ cups of milk
• ¼ cup of flour mixed with about 1 cup of water
• ½ stick of butter
• 8oz. package of cream cheese, softened

In a large pot, boil the potatoes until they’re soft.  (Don’t drain the water.)  Add 2 ½ cups of milk.  Then mix about ¼ cup of flour with about 1 cup of water.  (If the pot looks like it isn’t going to hold much more, you can use the liquid from the soup.  That’s what I had to do.)  Next, throw in a ½ stick of butter.  Dicing it up first will help it to melt more evenly.  Then dice up an 8 oz. package of cream cheese.  As soon as the cream cheese is melted into the soup, you’re done!

Season with salt and pepper to taste, and feel free to spice it up with red pepper, or add chives, bacon bits and cheddar cheese.     

I’m not sure if it’s because it reminds me of my childhood and my great-aunt, but I really love this soup.  It’s better than anything you’ll get in a restaurant. 

If you want to be authentic and have the stomach for it, have your bowl of soup with a pint of Guinness.  It’s the most popular beer in Ireland.  Enjoy! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Spanglish Chick Contributor Karah Leigh will celebrating St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Houston. We’re sure her Irish eyes will be smiling after a few green beers. Known for her on-air talent at Houston’s 94.5 The Buzz, Karah is not only ‘in the know’ about music, she’s in the loop on pop culture and celebrity entertainment. Visit her Houston Examiner page for more juicy celebrity news and updates!

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St. Patrick’s Day is coming up.  The one day of the year when everyone is Irish, and they celebrate by drinking copious amounts of green beer, Guinness, and Irish whiskey (not to be confused with Scottish whiskey). Some people turn into giggly, happy drunks.  Some turn into angry drunks.  And there are always some who turn into hit-on-everything-in-sight drunks.

• Along with doing your hair and nails, and making sure that you’re wearing something green, getting prepared for an onslaught of drunk men coming on to you is standard party prep for St. Patrick’s Day.  I asked a few women to share their stories of getting hit on by drunken men, and they provided some serious gems. Some are funny, some are witty, and some are beyond cringe-worthy. 
• My good friend bumped into a semi-acquaintance at a bar on St. Patrick’s Day a few years ago.  Instead of saying hello, he grabbed her around the waist and kissed her passionately.  I guess it was okay, though.  They got married last Saturday. – Trina
  
• I went to Dublin, Ireland for St. Patty’s Day last year. A group of drunken Irishmen approached my friends and I and started talking to us.  I couldn’t understand what the hell they were saying, so I responded with “Sorry, I speak English.” As I was saying this, I immediately thought, “Oh, my God, they ARE speaking English!  I’m a fool!” It was so embarrassing.  But to be fair, a drunken Irish brogue is extremely hard to follow, especially when you’re also drunk. – Ruth
  
• Two guys were hitting on my best friend and I.  The one talking to my friend said, “I’m in the army, you know.  I’m a Ranger.  I’ve killed four people.”  He misinterpreted her look of amusement/disgust for worry, so he quickly added, “No, no, it’s okay.  I sent cards to the families.”  Meanwhile his friend was looking at me and shaking his head in dismay.  It was glorious. – Catherine
  
• My friends and I were waiting outside of a bar for another friend once, and these almost-Guido type guys came up to us, and I was just not interested or impressed at all.  One guy says, “Hey, we’re from Connecticut, where can we go for a good time?”  My response?  “Back to Connecticut.” – Ellie
  
• I was dancing at a club once and a guy came up to me and said, “Those hips!  You’re killing me, smalls!”  I was amused and baffled by his use of a quote from “The Sandlot” as a pickup line. – Jennifer
  
• This didn’t happen to me, but I was out with some friends in college and one of the guys hit on a girl by asking if he could scratch and sniff her. – Sandra
  
• I went to a club with a friend once, and there was an entire rugby team there. That night, nearly every one of the members of said team drunkenly approached me.  They were practically taking turns, it was so bizarre.  One of the guys would get rejected and another would almost instantly ask me to dance. One tried to put his face between my boobs, and he got punched. I said I had a boyfriend (lie) for the most part, but then the last one was nice enough, and hot, and my friend was with some other guy, so I figured why not.  Fun night. – Susan
  
• I was traveling around Australia with my best friend, and somehow ended up with a broken foot.  One night, we were at a party on a big farm in West Australia with about a hundred people, when this very drunk local guy approached me.  My friends tried to edge him out of the circle, but it wasn’t working.  Then came the line of the evening.  Leaning towards me, his eyes pointing in two different directions, he said, “I like you … because you can’t run away.”  I was about to hit him over the head with my crutch when another local, who was thankfully sober, intervened.  We didn’t see him for the rest of the night – hopefully he was unconscious somewhere and woke up with a raging hangover. – Quinn

Remember as you’re taking your umpteenth shot of tequila (Irish people do drink tequila, right?) that you aren’t the only one who will likely have some strange or awkward encounter with a guy who’s three sheets to the wind before St. Patrick’s Day is over.  So before you turn around and whip your hair in his face as you walk away, thank him for being the unfortunate star in the story that you’ll retell for years to come.  Slainte!

Spanglish Chick Contributor Karah Leigh lives in Houston with her boyfriend and two awesome dogs. Known for her on-air talent at Houston’s 94.5 The Buzz, Karah is not only ‘in the know’ about music, she’s in the loop on pop culture and celebrity entertainment. Visit her Houston Examiner page for more juicy celebrity news and updates!

Popularity: 39% [?]

members of the Houston Roller Derby

With monikers like DD Doomz, Grrrl Friday and Tony Smasheries, the ladies of the Houston Roller Derby, promise to raise Hell this season.  Popularized in the 1970s, Roller Derby made a comeback in the 90s. It then circulated throughout Texas. Since organizing in 2005, the Houston Roller Derby has grown into a league of more than 40 skaters and is a member of The Woman’s Flat Track Derby Association.

Recreation league member DD Doomz says, “You’re learning from the most experienced skaters. Roller Derby is an amazing culture. It’s awesome, comfortable and I like that you can be a strong sexy woman with an edge.”

DD Doomz

Get ready for some blocking, bruises and brazen hot broads. Check out the ladies on Opening Day,  March 20 at 6p.m. at Kick’s located on 611 Sheperd. Don’t be a titty … get out and support your local Derby chicks this season! Take a look at this season’s schedule and learn more about the league at www.houstonrollerderby.com

P.S. Check out Spanglish Chick’s Flickr feed at the bottom of the page. We went out to the Texas Hotrod Hoedown to check out an exhibition game the ladies recently particpated in.

Good Luck this season girls!

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Just over the pond in the UK, online fashion store ASOS, offers its customers a fashionable array of trend setting and fashion forward clothes and accessories. The website has thousands of celeb inspired and unique pieces to choose from. You may just spend your whole day browsing through the pages and runway videos of the chic and reasonably priced designs. ASOS is worth a look. Happy online shopping!

Visit the  ASOS Online Store
(psst! don’t forget to change the currency at the top right so you can see your prices in American dollars.)

Popularity: 35% [?]

A little bit of sun, a creative niche and a vintage style are just a few words that describe Brandi Lisenbe.  This Houston area salon owner is your all around modern woman with an edge, style and essence that is quite reminiscent of some great decades.  She not only creates new hair looks at her Sunchild Salon, she also adds her special touch to vintage pieces she finds while thrifting through the city. Brandi is truly a ’sunchild’ with a bright and wondrous spirit.  She is one of our Lifestyle features:

Name: Brandi Renee Lisenbe

Age: 28

Hometown: Houston, TX

What’s your life motto?
Kill them with kindness and be yourself because we were all made incredibly unique.

What do you do?
I have a Salon called Sunchild. It’s my happy place. I love to create new looks and be creative with hair.

Also, I have a blog that I write with my sister. We talk about do-it-yourself (DIY) projects, how to with hair, thrifting and trends. I also share a display of my collections of random vintage pieces like jewelry, purses, records, books, art, furniture, vintage hair dryers. Sometimes I take the vintage hair dryers apart and rework and modernize them to create something totally different with it. But sometimes they are perfect just the way they are! I can part with some of my finds and make a pretty penny but I usually fall in love and won’t let them go.

Where can people find you and your items?
Brandi and her sister’s blog: www.muchomuchobuenobueno.blogspot.com
Brandi’s Etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/buenobueno
Sunchild Salon website: www.sunchildsalon.com
and Pretty In Pink Boutique in Costa Mesa, Calif.: weareprettyinpink.com

What or who is the inspiration for your work, designs, etc?
Nature, the beach, hair strands in the shower, the people I love, God’s creations, oh and music for sure! I get a ton of my ideas when I’m longboarding at the park or listening to an amazing band.

What would you find Brandi doing on a Friday night?
At a 71’s or Literary greats show, eating at Chuy’s with friends/family, eating frozen yogurt at Swirl, or at home making things and watching movies with my husband Jacob.

With what you know now … what advice would you have given yourself 10 years ago?
Don’t let fear hold you back! And put more in my savings.

Who is your role model, and why?
Jesus Christ. He was perfect and loves everyone … and my parents with all their flaws. They did their best in raising us kids and always told us to find something we loved to do and were passionate about.

What bands are you listening to these days?
Yeah Yeah Yeahs to pump me up! Finnegan songs: myspace.com/iheartfinnegan , Coconut records second album Davy. Can’t go wrong with these.

What makes you smile?
The sun, Jacob, when I brainstorm and get inspired, hugs, coffee, longboarding, love, hot showers, sea salt spray, being home, songs, good hair days …

What’s your favorite word?
Gomocita! Gomoseeeta! When I was a little girl I made it up. I don’t speak Spanish and I felt left out when people around me spoke it so I would just say Gomocita over and over and I thought I was speaking Spanish.

Popularity: 100% [?]