Moles (Not the kind on your face)

So a sled was indeed procured.  I really was convinced my dad's old Radio Flyer sled was still hanging in my parents' barn, but like many other things I have been searching for lately, it appears that it too fell victim to Yard Sale Purging Syndrome.  Turns out Jeremy's dad's old Flexible Flyer was still hanging around his mom's house.  So the dashing young lad went dashing very carefully to his mom's house to fetch it so we could do some Serious Sunday Sledding.

The trick is, you wait until after dark when everything refreezes and you find a road conveniently located across the street that is covered in one solid, gleaming sheet of ice.  You double up on the rickety sled and shove off until you reach a very unsafe speed.  You ride skillfully on one rail for several seconds before riding very unskillfully on your bare behind on ice covered asphalt for several seconds too long.  And then you do it all over again and take several ibuprofin in the morning.  Shame on you for not acting your age!

Anyway, what was it I said about moles?  That's pronounced mo-lays, mind you!  The delicious Mexican and Central American sauce so full of spice, smoke, and sultry richness it's sure to make you swoon.  I have been eyeing a recipe for Pistachio Mole in the Whole Foods Cookbook for quite some time, but I must admit I am mightily intimidated.  You should check out the list of ingredients on one of these sauces!  Not to mention the fact that there are thousands of variations on the theme since each family in some parts has their own traditional version using different seeds, nuts, or spices.  It was much too large a project to embark upon while in sledding recovery mode, so I headed out into the Great White Winter with my parents and sister to Torero's for some awesome pollo en mole. 

Mom is a sucker for fajitas, Lori got a grilled shrimp salad, and Dad made sure to point out to all of us that he had made the worst choice possible and gotten the worst taco salad ever.

Check out Mom's sassy tortilla chip eating ways.

Has anyone reading this actually made their own mole?  I mean roasted your own chiles, ground your own seeds, the whole enchilada, so to speak?  If you have, please for the love of mole speak up and tell me how you did it, how it turned out, and was it worth it.  As for Torero's, it was very good.  Not as good as the Enchiladas poblanas en mole at La Vaquita on Hillsborough Road, mind you, but good.

Oh yeahhh.