Refreshing Summer Drink

Agua de pepino con limon

1/2 cucumber, peel half of the peeling
1/2 cup of lime juice, fresh squeezed
2/3 cup of sugar or to taste
2 quarts water
extra unpeeled cucumber slices
ice cubes


Blend cucumber and lime juice with a couple cups of the water in the blender. Then pour lime mixture in a glass pitcher with the rest of the water and sweeten to taste. Float a few cucumber slices in the pitcher and add some ice or chill. Provecho!


We drank an agua like this on our 12th anniversary in Monterrey last week! Delicious!

Nicolas Javier

We had our baby boy!

Born   September 29   at 10:43pm

Weight  8# 4oz    

Length    19 1/4"

Lentils

Good day to all,

   The other day we braved the rainy, soggy, and bumpy Milpillas' road and the occupants of the little lavender house were caught unaware as we skidded to a stop at the end of their slippery driveway. Why not sleep the day away if it is a rainy, dreary day and Mom is house sitting in another village for two weeks? We politely left to visit another sister for a bit to give them time to get ready. When we returned smoke was coming out of the chimney and the lentils were simmering on the little round "chimanea". Soon perfectly cubed potatoes were fried with lard and a few eggs scrambled into it. The big mixing bowl was rinsed out and two kilos of maseca dumped into it and an old lard bucket used for mixing the powdered lime with the spring water. The little dark but strong hands quickly and efficiently mixed up the masa for fresh tortillas. And back to the now simmered lentils:    After they are cooked according to package directions:)

Heat oil or lard in kettle and saute 1/2 chopped onion until slightly browned
Mince 3 garlic cloves
1/2 Tbl fresh ground cumin (This cumin and garlic was ground in a mortar and pestal with about 1/3 cup of water added to make it pourable)

Add garlic, cumin, and cooked lentils to the sauteed onion. Add lentil juice or water to make it a little soupy.

This is sometimes served to us instead of re-fried beans. We think these are delicious and plus in my mind it is healthy!


Wishing you all A Happy New Year,

Tonight we are invited to Las Animas and on Sunday they had claimed they are fixing cabrito (baby goat)for us for the New Year. And dare I hope for bunuelos which is a flour like tortilla fried and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. It is a new year's tradition here! Hey what happened to my resolution to stay away from sugar and it is only the first....

Changes?

We have tickets to fly home on July 16 at 9:10 a.m. So things are getting a little crazy around here!
Half packed suitcases, last time things, cleaning, visiting, sewing, and you can imagine...
It's exciting to go back to Missouri but so hard to leave here. We are leaving our mission house here and the native brethren and fellow missionaries are coming here every week or two until we get back. So a night or two every once in a while is better than sitting empty. But I'm feeling pessimistic or something. As most of you know we lost all our belongings in a fire back in Mo. So now about that pessimistic feeling, what if our "stuff" here would get stolen? I know God will not give us more than we can handle but will you help me pray that everything here will be fine? Or is that selfish?

I have this chokey sensation in my throat when I think of going home. Is it excitement or a little fear? What will people think when Corbin pees outside? Its just what boys do here... After all big grown men out right beside their vehicle very close to the road do it. You just look the other way:) And he talks Spanglish.... He says he'll just stay here with Filimom in Raices. He says I not be sad you leave me con Filimon. Vamos a morales con la moto a ver las vacas. (with Filemon. We are going to Morales with the moto and see the cows)

Megan, 6 years old only remembers Papa's bunk bed and the other Grandpa's sand box. She was 3 when we came.... She has been crying very easily and the other day said she didn't want to go to first grade in Mo.
They don't know what carpet is or padded church benches??

Shakara also says she'll just stay in Raices but with Salomons and their 18 year old Louis says he'd like to go to the states. So his sister Ruth says we can just trade children! Shakara was 5 when we came so I like to think she will remember at least most of the people back home...

I'm looking forward to coffee parties, lots of talking, some sewing, picnics, and just spending some good times with all my friends and family!!!

But, my hubby might work a few days a week and we've been together 24/7 for 2 and 1/2 years. So there will be a few ajustments to put it mildly. He's probably ready for a break but am I? Scary...

So if you think of us sigh a prayer or two if you would. Lots of other missionaries have done this and before we know it we'll be back here in Mexico!

Hand Rolled Flour Tortillas

Have I finally learned to make flour torts like the Mexican ladies? Good question...

It has been a long battle  with lots of weird textured, cloud shaped tortillas

But maybe finally, finally they turned out and I've learned a thing or two

Or have I? Will they always turn out the same?

Oh well, do you all want to struggle along with me?

Here is what I've come up with

500 grams of flour, 1/2 kilo, or approx 4 cups (That is all the same measurement so take yer pick:)

100 grams of Inca (mexican crisco or lard) or 1/2 cup

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder or try less like 1/4 tsp

1 1/2 tsp salt (taste the flour mixture and see if it needs more salt is what they do here, MMmm)

1 1/8 - 1 1/4 cups hot water

First mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Then work in the shortening or lard in with your hands like pie dough. Then this is what the ladies tell me, put your water on the stove to heat and just when it has tiny little bubbles, just before it boils make a little well in the center and add it to your flour mixture. Stir it in with a spoon and as soon as your hands can abide (was going to use the word bear, bare but this Spanish has messed with my English) the heat, knead the dough with your hands. BUT I LEARNED THAT YOU CAN'T ADD WATER IF IT IS TOO DRY. Rather add oil :(  So just mix it in parts and add water to the dry flour mixture rather than the dough part if that makes sense, sence, cents, centz. Did you know English is muy dificil??? Anyhoo knead the dough and if it is at all sticky add a little flour.

Then leave the covered dough to rest for 5-20 minutes and then make little bolitos, about 20 of em! Cover them with a towel.

 Then comes the fun part:

 Rolling them out!

Dip them in a little flour and place the bolito on a wooden cutting board or the counter. And give a roll up then down, then give it a quarter turn and keep rotating and rolling again and again until you have a roundish shape. Some flip them so just figure out what is the best for you.

Then to fry, make sure the griddle is HOT, throw on the tort and just as soon as it moves freely flip it over, then when it has some nice little brown spots on the bottom side, flip it ONE more time and watch it poof up beatifully. Then take it off the comal (griddle) and put it on a servietta or tea towel to cool. Of course one must sample to make sure they are turning out okay!

Okay, so how many of you are hungry for a fresh, hot flour tortilla?

Cactus

This is a nopal cactus and the red fruit is called tuna. To eat the cactus peel the new bright green paddles and  cut off the espinas (stickers) and cut them in tiny squares and cook them with eggs or a salsa. A favorite of Shakara, my 8 year old! And the tunas, after peeling the fleshy fruit is full of seeds but has awesome flavor, sort of like a honeydew melon. Corbin, our youngest, when we pass a cactus full of tunas says, "Si hay tunas". (Yes, there are tunas)  He likes nothing better than stopping and getting some tunas. We have three of these big nopal growing in our yard.

                  

Tacos de bifstek

thin pieces of steak
sliced onion
chopped onion and cilantro mixed together
oil
corn tortillas
jalapenos
limes

This can be made indoors but can be a smokey ordeal. Over an outdoor fire and disc blade or taco pan fry the steaks and move them to a cutting board and chop into fairly small pieces. Here the taqueria uses a big wooden chopping block and a huge knife and they make some noise. Heat a little oil in the same  pan and fry the onion slices until as caramelized as you like. Throw a few jalapenos on to cook beside the onions. Scoop onions to the side and heat the tortillas in the same pan with all that yummy oniony oil. Is oniony a word? Oh well for now it is.

Now to assemble tacos, place hot greasy tortilla in your hand and fill with some chopped beef steak and repeat until you have a giant plate full. An order here is five tacos on small corn tortillas. Serve with grilled onions, cilantro mixture, salsa of choice, and squeeze lime over the top.  MMMmmm

One taco stand here blends up those cooked jalapenos with water and salt. Another one boils the peppers with tomatillos (those green tomatos in papery husks) until they are soft and blends them with a little avocado, cilantro, and salt.