Last year, my grandmother trucked over to my house several nopales. I planted the cactus in my side yard and within weeks the plant had several buds blooming. The one who was thrilled was Adin - how he loves nopales! We will clean the pads of the needles, chop it into slivers, and then fry the bits in oil with garlic and lemon. He'll eat the young pads after cleaning without even cooking them.

Nopales are very commonly used in Mexican cooking - and there is nothing that makes my grandmother smile more, nothing that made my mother happier, than to see Adin eat the nopales with the joy he showed.

So, today, Adin and I were out in the side yard, counting the buds...waiting, waiting...