Birthdays in the front range..."a la Cuban"

We -- the Cubans in the Rocky Mountains Front Range-- have had a pretty busy summer celebrating a lot of birthdays, in a row. Literally.

The third week of July, after work, we had an "informal" reunion at a Mexican friend's house: food, endless chatting and cake and candles to celebrate her birthday and her oldest daugther's birthday.

Cuban recently arrived form Arizona were there. Cubans from Loveland joined. Cubans from Greeley were the first ones to arrive at the house.

On July 27th I hit "la tiñosa".
Bunch of people and chamas in my house. Lasagna, tostones and flan for dinner and the traditional cake to blow THE candle. Closing act with una partida de dominó.

(Since we've decided we're all just turning 28 years... we wanted to save a little and use only one candle with the cake. Sorry, old Cubans habits are hard to forget).

Following Friday: MDH birthday. Another huge meal, same bunch of people and chamas and a delicious cake with THE candle. Sweetie going nuts with all the kids running around her. Same closing act with una partida de dominó.

Last weekend, Cuban friend from Loveland's birthday. Her hubby and MDH made una paella marinera. Wow! It was good!. More cake, more candles, more "japi berdei". My pastelitos de guayaba y queso almost didn't make from the oven to the table. Same players, same dominó to close the party.

I owe you some pics. But it's good we're together, in this midwest plains so far from our Miami homeland.

Despite the unconventional ways we have met --but that's a story for another post--, we have managed to stick together pretty frequently, speaking --even thought it sounds like shouting-- Spanish, cooking our traditional food and raising our kids in the love for dominó, the respect to abuela and the "be careful con la chancleta".

I trully believe that, eventually, most of us will make back to Florida. But, in the meantime, we're having a good time with our food, music and traditions, under this freaking hot summer in Colorado, just before the the snow arrives.