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.

Our Zoo

When we arrived we became the owners of a big fat cat "Don Gato" and a very annoying dog "Oso".

Then we bought a momma burro and her burrito, "Arnulfo". A few months later we sold the momma and kept the furry wee one.

Next we got a parakeet and were told it was a male, hence he was named Hector :) But alas "he" is hollowing out the log of quiote to make a nest. So last week while we were at Esperanza's house we  walked to her cousin's house and picked out a mate. The cousin also says that the female's dig out the nest and yes the cere (nose) of the male is blue and Hector's is not blue. So shall we rename her "Hectoria"? And yes we did buy a male. So only time will tell!

The end of April we bought a little white puppy for Corbin. Every little boy needs a puppy:) The momma dog is a long haired poodle with short legs and the daddy is a Chihuahuan. So its a tiny little thing and looks rather like a rat if you ask me. She was named "Mariposa" (butterfly) by the children. Mariposa was only six weeks old when we got her.

About a month ago Jose and Nicolasa gave us five fluffy baby chicks. So the children's playhouse has new occupants.

And now just yesterday, the children come running up with a big black bunny in a netted bag, grinning from ear to ear. "Look what Manuelito gave to us" they hollered. He is Corbin's little neighbor friend. They informed us that they just let the bunny run loose in their backyard and thats what we need to do.  No thanks I value my flowers and garden more than letting little bunny have his freedom. So Daddy spent the day building a bunny hutch :)

Today a little gray and white kitty was hauled home from Manuelito's house but thankfully soon returned safely to his own little house.

I think for now our zoo is large enough what do you think?

While on the subject of animals, last night all five of us were out on a bike ride, and Oso of course was running along and picking fights with every single dog around. One block from our house we pulled to the side of the road to let the chivas (goats) pass by. AND Oso got into a rip roarin fight with the four gaurd dogs for the chivas. You can imagine the yelling and throwing of rocks that went on. In the end Oso limped home and we still are not sure if there is an eye missing under the swelling. UUggg. I hope he learned his lesson to leave big dogs alone. Back at the house a trembly little Corbin voice said "Daddy feel my heart.
I so scaawwd.) It really was pounding! An evening we'll never forget.

Favorite Hobbies

Lately I'm into making water kefir, a probiotic drink, which my children LOVE! Our company in March brought me the kefir grains and I've been making it ever since. Here and here are two links that I have used.

Beet Kvass is another thing that I have tried. Like this one or or this.

Also a little moto pulls up to my gate and drops off bottles of raw milk straight from the cow ;) So we've been eating homemade yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, butter, ricotta cheese and whatever else I can think of to make with it. The leche costs 50 pesos versus 70 pesos for boughten milk for 5 liters. A peso is around  12 cents US dollars.

And about my knitting, crocheting, embroidery is another post all together....

But this all has to be done right away in the morning or sorta late at night inbetween church services, dentist appointments, visiting and who knows what else. But I love stuff like this so I WILL find time for it if I can.

What do you all have going for hobbies?

Picadillo y Sopa

Tacos de Picadillo

Fry 2 pounds of hamburger and add 3 tomatoes into the same pot before the meat is completely fried. When the tomatoes are sort of soft and the skin is starting to come off, remove tomatoes and place in the blender. Add 1/2 of an onion and a couple garlic cloves, some salt, and 1-2 cups of water and blend until smooth. Poor the salsa over the fried hamburger. Cut potatoes into TINY cubes and fry them in some oil for a few minutes and then add them to the meat and salsa mixture. Cook until the potatoes are done.

For the tortillas, heat them on a griddle until hot then fold them in half and fry them like crunchy taco shells. Use a couple inches of oil and try to hold it open until it doesn't stick together. Today when Gloria made this she would start one tortilla shell until it held its shape and add in another one until she had three of four in the pan and then the she would flip them and take out the first ones and always kept three or four frying at a time.

The salsa that Gloria served on the side was a couple of tomatoes and quite a few serrano peppers (8-9) and boil that in water until they are soft and then blend in the blender with salt to taste. Leave just a little chunky if possible. It is SPICY  but sooo good!

To serve everyone stuffs their own shell with the picadillo (meat mixture) and shredded lettuce, lime if desired, and the salsa. She also fried some tortillas just a little bit in oil so they were still soft.

We also had:

Sopa

Fry a thin broken spaghetti  or any other small pasta shape in oil until fairly browned. Then add plenty of water, consomate (tomato flavored chicken boullion cubes) and then taste the broth and either add more consomate of salt to taste. Cook until the pasta is done. The sopa here is quite soupy and normally served in bowls. One of my chillens favorite foods!

Coconuts

Guess what I did last night?

Bought a coconut....     And........

Poked an ice pick into two of the soft indented spots on the top, dumped the water into a measuring cup and  then between my metal meat tenderizer and a big knife I wacked around on it until it broke into a few big pieces. Then the hardest part was getting the coconut out of the shell, not hard but a little time consuming. Next I peeled off the little paper skin with a knife but a peeler also works great. Toss the coconut pieces into the blender with about 3- 3 1/2 cups of water including the coconut water. (Some say if it is bitter do not use it, Mine tasted fine) Then blend for several minutes and strain through strainer lined with cheesecloth. Then the coconut pulp I spread out on a cookie sheet and baked in a low oven until dry like an hour or so. I let it sit in the warm oven overnight then this morning I blended that dry coconut into coconut flour in my blender!

Yay, coconut flour!

Then with my coconut milk I made this delicious coffee creamer:

primal-coconut-coffee-creamer/

More things I did with the milk is after the coconut milk was in the refrigerator it had seperated so I took of that coconut cream and whipped it with a few drops of stevia and vanilla!

Like this:

Coconut-Whipped-Cream

And I made a green smoothie with nopal cactus, celery, parsley, mango, apple, spinach, and
COCONUT MILK......

We had porridge for breakfast and on mine I put xylitol and the last of the coconut milk

MMmmm

Does that inspire anyone to attack a coconut??

It also works with shredded unsweetened coconut like this but that would be too easy for me!!

Here are a couple links:

how-to-make-your-own-coconut-milk

coconut-milk-from-shredded-coconut-video

All that and the coconut only cost 13 pesos or $1

Spanish Game

This is a game that the girls have learned here in Mexico
Everyone forms a ring and one person is chosen to be
the wolf. He stands aside while the others go around
and sing this little rhyme.

Jugaremos en el bosque mientras que el lobo no está y si
 el lobo aparece a todos nos comerá.
¿Lobo lobito estás ahí?

(We will play in the forest while the wolf isn't here and if
the wolf appears he will eat us all.
Wolf, little wolf are you there?)

And the wolf answers

Me estoy bañando
(I'm bathing)

And again the children go around and sing this:


Jugaremos en el bosque mientras que el lobo no está y si
 el lobo aparece a todos nos comerá.
¿Lobo lobito estás ahí?

Again the wolf answers

Me estoy comiendo
(I'm eating)
 or
Me estoy buscando las llaves
(I'm looking for my keys)

The wolf can answer what ever he wants

And when the wolf says

Voy en el camino or
(I'm on my way)
Salgo para comerlos a todos
(I'm coming to eat all of you)

All the children run and the wolf catches one person
and now the one caught will be the new wolf!

And you start all over again.

Menu for Annual Meeting 2013

22nd Friday    Roast Beef injected with Tony's marinade and
                       seasoned with Tony's Creole seasoning
                       twice baked potato casserole
                       steamed mixed vegetables
                       bread, butter, and fresh strawberry freezer jam
                       peanut butter frozen dessert with chocolate shell topping
                       tea

Sat brkfst        Monkey Bread made with Angel biscuit dough
                       scrambled eggs with sausage
                       banana milk shake

Sat lunch         Marinated grilled chicken
                       Grilled Salchicha  (red Mexican hot dog)
                       corn tortillas
                       chunky salsa
                       pasta salad
                       finger jello cut outs
                       brownies
                       coke and pepsi

Sat supper       Pizza, meat lovers, Hawaiian, sausage
                        Ceaser salad
                        leftover pasta salad
                        scrunch bars
                        tang, pop

Sun brkfst        Cherry cream cheese rolls
                        fruit, mango, banana, apple
                        yogurt

Sun lunch          Annual meeting in Raices
                         Mexican rice
                         Beans
                         Barbaqoua  or a Spicy Roast Beef
                         pop

Sun supper        Chili Soup
                         cinnamon rolls
                         tang, water

Mon brkfst        Biscuits, corn bread,
                         Sausage Gravy
                         juice

Mon  lunch        Steak and chicken fajitas
                         flour tortillas
                         salsas (yes 3 kinds;)
                         CREAMY avocado (all for u wanderer)
                         cheese
                         sour cream
                         rice
                         pinto beans
                         cookies, gingersnap, choc reeses, choc chip,
                         oatmeal with butterscotch and vanilla chips,
                         AND toffee studded snickerdoodles
                         glass bottles of pop

Mon supper      tacos and hamburgers at the local taco stand!

                       

Enchiladas Suizas

Swiss Enchiladas

10-12 (1 1/4 #) tomatillos

3 serrano chili peppers

a large handful cilantro

small slice or two of onion

1 small garlic clove

1 1/2 - 2 cups crema Nortena (or media crema)

or use some type of cream

Boil the tomatillos and serrano chili peppers in water until soft.

 Blend tomatillos, serrano chili peppers, garlic, onion, cilantro,

and salt to taste in blender. Pour salsa into a saucepan and bring

it to a boil. Add the cream and stir well. Add chicken broth for 

some flavor and more salt if needed. 

Cook 1 chicken with garlic, onion, and salt until tender. Cool and 

shred.

Saute 1 small onion in oil until it browns quite a bit. Add more oil

 if needed and saute the shredded chicken a little bit. Add 1/4-1/3

cup of the green salsa or just enough to give it some moisture. 

Heat oil in a frying pan and pass the corn tortilla through the hot oil

a few seconds and place on a napkin covered plate. In a 13 x 9 pan

pour a little salsa in the bottom. Put a couple Tbl  of chicken mixture

on  tortilla and roll up. Put into prepared 13 x 9. When full pour on 

more salsa. Top with lots of white cheese. We use manchego or 

chihuahua cheese here. 

Bake at 350 until cheese is melted and enchiladas are hot and bubbly

When I made this I served it with rice, refried beans, and a lettuce salad

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Today I needed to make 100+ tortillas so I was not about
 to roll them out by hand like the native ladies here have taught me.
So I called Verle Yost's wife, Christine since she's an expert at 
making flour tortillas.

Here is what she gave me...

12 cups flour
1 Tablespoon salt
1 1/2 cups oil
4 cups very hot water

If you have a mixer throw it all together and mix away for a few minutes.
If not obviously mix it by hand ;) The dough will be very nice and soft.
Put the dough into a plastic bag and let it set for 20 minutes or so. Then 
make little balls of dough and cover them with a towel while you start 
pressing them with an electric press. On a hot griddle place the tortilla
and flip in just a few seconds then two more times, they will poof beautifully
on that last side. Lay them out on a cloth to cool, then stack em, and 
freeze em to eat at a later date. Make sure you sample a fresh, hot one! 

One recipe makes around 4 dozen or more

Later I'll post the recipe for hand rolled torts

Bolillos

• Mexican hoagie bun
• 
  
•    1 tablespoon lard or shortening
•    1 1/2 teaspoons salt
•   1/4 cup cold water
•   1 package active dry yeast
•    1 teaspoon cornstarch
•   1 1/3 cups water
•    3 1/4-4 cups flour
•    1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

1. 1. Sprinkle yeast over the warm water in a large mixing bowl; stir and let stand 5 minutes.
   2. When the yeast is working a bit stir the honey, lard and salt into the yeast mixture.
   3. Add 2 1/2 cups flour.
   4. Mix at low speed and then beat at medium speed until the dough is very elastic, about 5 minutes.
   5. Gradually stir in as much of the remaining flour as needed to make a soft dough.
   6. Knead on floured surface until dough is smooth in texture and very elastic, 15-20 minutes (use a dough hook on your mixer and knead for about 10-15 minutes).
   7. Place dough in a greased bowl, turn the dough so all surfaces have a sheen of oil.
   8. Cover and let rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour (I turn on the light in the oven and place the dough in there to rise, do NOT heat the oven!).
   9. Punch the dough down and knead briefly on a floured surface.
   10. Divide dough into 10 pieces and roll into balls.
   11. Work with the palms of your hands and start at the center of each ball to roll out into ovals.
   12. Each piece should be about 5 1/2" long and 2" in the middle, tapering to each end.
   13. Place rolls on a greased baking sheet, cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 25 minutes.
   14. Meanwhile heat oven to 375F degrees.
   15. Mix cornstarch and cold water, heat stirring constantly to boiling, boil until thickened and clear about 2 minutes.
   16. Brush each roll with the cornstarch mixture.
   17. Slash each roll down the middle stopping about 1/2" from each end and cutting about 1/2" deep.
   18. Bake until the rolls are brown and sound hollow when tapped, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from baking sheets and cool on racks.
   19. Serve warm & fresh from the oven.

Down in Mexico

We changed the words to "Down in Mexico its Sunny" 

So maybe you would like a little laugh....

It's not professional or any thing just thrown  

 together with the whole family's help. 

Here goes;

Down in Mexico it's funny

Days are full of church & running

People in the chilly weather

Bundle up and shiver (or freeze) together.

Shakara in her little school house

reads her little story well

She can not wait for recess

when rings the welcomed bell.

Megan and Corbin in the house

playing with their new legos

Getting in another squabble

much to Mother's great despair.

Allen busy with the washing

scrubbing out the dirty stains

Then off to feed the burra

and her fuzzy little one.

Anna in her bright blue kitchen

cooking and cleaning all the day

Ready to serve cup of coffee

or a taco if she may.

Rosi out with the wheelbarrow

haulin another load of dirt

to make a little flower bed 

or playing with the lil squirts.  

Bay Leaf Tea and Other Foods

   Today I made tea from fresh bay leaves and surprisingly it was delicious! Throw a few branches full of fresh bay leaves straight off the mountain into a relatively large pot of water and bring to a boil. (I set it on top of my wood stove in the house). Let it simmer for a few minutes and sweeten to your liking! 

 Our fellow missionaries made the two hour trek to our house so the men could go cut wood out at Angel's place in La Loba. It froze here yesterday morning so it is cold enough to light the stove everyday therefore we are in dire need of more wood. The sad thing is the cold killed my precious white calla lily. We ladies just drank tea, took care of kiddos, and talked. 

   For lunch I made  8 layer bean dip from the ingredients that some kind visitors had left us. Did you know you can't buy good tortilla chips or green chilies in Mexico? I used to think that was Mexican food....

Also on my junk food menu today was the second pan of irresistible golden graham squares or better named S'mores. Also made from ingredients from the good old USA! Or like they say here "El otro lado" or The other side! 

P.S. I failed to mention that I'm a foodie or is it foody? Anyhow I like food....

Caldo de Tlalpeño

2-3 lbs chicken pieces

3-4 carrots, cut up

2-3 cloves garlic

Place in a pot and add lots of water and salt and cook until the chicken is tender. Remove chicken and shred, set aside in a bowl. In a sauté pan sauté a chopped onion in oil until it browns then add a chopped tomato or two and sauté a little and then add onion and tomato to the chicken broth.

Mexican Rice

Cubed avocado

Cubed white cheese (panela or sierra)

A can of chipotle peppers blended in the blender with the juice of one orange

Cut up limes

Corn tortillas

In a bowl prepare as follows: Mexican rice, avocado, cheese, shredded chicken, and then ladle on plenty of chicken broth. Place on table and each person can add the chipotle and squeeze on limes to taste. Eat with fresh hot tortillas!!! MMMmmmm!!!! My latest favorite………….

Chey's cough syrup

1/2 cup flax seed
1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 quart water

Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Do not boil. Strain
to remove seeds.

Add:

1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup water

Keeps 1 week in refrigerator.
1 Tablespoon 4 x daily

Herbal Tea for Cough

7 bougainvillea flowers
a small bunch of dried mullein flowers
a 1 1/2 square inch of fresh aloe vera
a few leaves of eucalyptus
1 quart of water

Bring water to a boil and add all the herbs.
Simmer for a few minutes, and turn off the heat.
Allow to steep for 10-15 minutes. Strain out the
 herbs. Sweeten with honey and let your children
drink it as often as they will! I made this without
 the eucalyptus and added peppermint instead.

This recipe along with the herbs came from
 Hermana Antonia from Milpillas. She gathered
 them all from the mountains behind her little 
casita.