About Me

I have been living in the Southwest for over 15 years now and find I love the food more and more.

I thought I would share some of my favorite recipes, southwestern traditions and collectible knowledge with you.

Southwestern and Mexican Recipes

Southwestern and Mexican foods are the "hottest" thing going these days. Whether you're interested in appetizers and dips such as salsas, guacamole and pico de gallo, main dishes like enchiladas, green chili stew and posole, drinks like...

Everything you wanted to know about chili peppers.

In the past, after harvest in the late summer and early fall large chile peppers were strung to dry so that chile would be available for cooking year round. Today chili pepper ristras are still used for this purpose, but are also often hung in front...

Southwestern USA Traditions (History of Pinatas)

THE HISTORY OF PINATAS Marco Polo discovered the Chinese fashioning figures of cows, oxen or even buffaloes, covering them with colored paper and adorning them with harnesses and trappings to greet the New Year. When they knocked the figure hard with...

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Twas the Night Before Christmas A Visit from St. Nicholas By Clement C. Moore With Pictures by Jessie Willcox Smith Houghton Mifflin Company - Boston Copyright © 1912 by Houghton Mifflin Company (Copyright has expired, this is now public domain.) INTRO...

Retired Trail of Painted Ponies Figurines

This lens has been created to supply the viewer with a list of all of the painted ponies figurines that have been created. It also includes the retirement date of each pony (if applicable) and if available, the number of each retired pony that were p...

High Desert Horse Feathers from The Trail of Painted Ponies

Read the story and see the photos of how and when Horse Feathers, later renamed High Desert Horse Feathers was created at Old Town Emporium in Albuquerque, NM. This wonderful pony, created by artist Kathy Morrow, was a part of the public art project...

Luminarias - A Christmas Tradition

Luminarias (farolitos or lumniaries) have long been a tradition in the American Southwest. Even though the traditional "candle in a paper bag" is being replaced by "electric" luminarias, the tradition continues. The photo at the le...

Information on Individual Painted Ponies

The Beginning The Trial of Painted Ponies began in the summer of 2000. A major sculptor was commissioned to create a life-size horse that was cast in a durable resin blend. A call went out to the artistic community around the Southwest, inviting famou...

Trail of Painted Ponies Collectibles

The Beginning The Trial of Painted Ponies began in the summer of 2000. A major sculptor was commissioned to create a life-size horse that was cast in a durable resin blend. A call went out to the artistic community around the Southwest, inviting famou...

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

This classic letter, and the response to it, answers the age old question asked by children everywhere.     Francis Church - It wasn't until after his death in 1906 that it became publicly known that Francis Church had written the editorial r...

History of Christmas, Santa Claus, Mistletoe and more

Few people know the history of Christmas Celebrations and Traditions. The idea to celebrate Christmas on December 25th dates back to the 4th century. The Catholic Church wanted to eclipse the festivities of a rival pagan religion that threatened Chri...

History of the Christmas Tree

You may not realize this but the history of christmas trees did not begin in America, England or even Germany. In fact America was one of the last continents to catch on to the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree. The history of christmas tree...

A Varied Life

It has been a varied life. I have had careers as a university professor, a mechanical engineer, a small business owner and a web master for various web sites that I own. I have a wonderful, loving and supportive wife and two talented, creative and wel...

IShopSouthwest.com Has Some Of The Best Switch Plates For Your House.: The Best Switchplates Ever

Get rid of those old plastic switch plates!Bring your home into the 21st century. Add some style and glamour.