Texas to Mexico

2007-04-02T16:19:00.000-07:00

Roof Dogs in Mexico!!

Another case of: "I can't believe I saw that" came right after we moved here & I noticed a dog on a rooftop not far from our house. The dog on the roof seems to be a Mexican version of "home security system" & in some cases a status symbol for the lower economic classes. The dogs bark at anything that seems to be in their territory & keep the other "roof dogs" in their neighborhood on alert as well. Some of the roof dogs are cared for & even have a shelter or dog house to retreat to during bad weather and are fed regularly but more often than not the roof dogs are a mangey & sad lot. One of the local missionaries had a run in with a roof dog when she was walking past a house where a rather clumsy roof dog fell from the roof on top of her!! Seems that even pedestrians can fall victim to the roof dogs!

Sometimes during our weekend travels we come across dogs; like these from one of the rock shops in Mapimi, who are so hungry they woof down any food we have to spare. John & I tend to give them our sandwiches, pretzels, cheese or whatever we have on hand. Some of the pets in the poor areas live in utterly deplorable conditions. These dogs generally are treated as animals with a job to perform or beasts of burden instead of members of the family like Americans tend treat their pets. Working dogs are one thing but starving animals is truly heartbreaking. In a country with such poor people the pets tend to bear the brunt when there is lack of food or money & rarely have the care organizations available to rescue them as in the US. There are a few here but their job is enormous! Below are 3 such organizations.
http://www.zihuatanejo.net/spaz/

http://www.islacozumel.net/services/spca/

http://www.loscabosguide.com/care/index.html

The family pets back in Texas are mucho thankful that they have a roof over their heads instead of being on the roof! Got to love those pets!!(Molly & Jack love their UT doggie sweaters!)

2007-04-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

Can't take the Tex-Mex out of the Texan! Alot of the foods down here seem strangely familiar to most Texans. Occasionally, I try to introduce our Ex Pat friends to something altogether Tex-Mex! This strange sounding appetizer seems to make people question if it is dessert or appetizer...you be the judge!

Jalapeno Fudge~Gringo's Tex-Mex Appetizer!

Ingredients:
1 pound shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound shredded monterrey jack
1/2 cup chopped jalapeno
2 eggs
1 large can evaporated milk
1 cup flour
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. each salt & pepper

Directions:
Mix both cheeses and jalapenos. Press firmly (level) in a 9 x 13 pan. Mix eggs, milk, and flour and pour over the cheese mixture. Bake 40 minutes at 350F until slightly brown. Cool and cut into squares.
This recipe for Jalapeno Fudge serves/makes 16

Diego Rivera's Calla Lily Vendor

2007-03-31T12:42:00.000-07:00

Blogging about Pigeons in Mexico!!

There are large flocks of pigeons everywhere you go in Mexico; there are even songs written & works of art dedicated to them. However, you really don't want them living in the eaves of the house, which seems to be the case next door to us! The eaves of the house were left open to the elements when building was completed in October. There must not have been an American style "final walk through" before the homeowners moved on November 1st because the open eaves would have been a problem for most people buying a new house. Really incredible that this gaping hole escaped notice!! Our cat has been quite watchful in the mornings as there have been pigeons living in the eaves of the house for sometime now. Katerina is quite the sentry watching from an upstairs window & seeing all of the Springtime bird activity! And while she is VERY disappointed that the eaves are no longer going to house her favorite prey I am sure the birds will find a new bird home to relocate somewhere nearby. And, who knows that could be the house next door once again. The big solution for closing up the open eave was to have some guy stand on a ladder & shove a piece of Styrofoam in the eave space! It only took him 5 trips up the ladder to get the Styrofoam cut to the right size... Real high tech solution! I believe even the pigeon can figure this one out!

Pigeons without homes in Mexico run the risk of being dinner, especially in Oaxaca! Tequila & Pigeon??? hmmm...

2007-03-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

Jerry Jeff Walker said it best: "I love that Sangria Wine..." I am sure he should have mentioned how well it goes down on a warm Spring day in Mexico!

Torreon Circle of friends has live auctions from time to time to help raise money for a local orphanage. The Ex Pat women of Torreon either give generously from things they have aquired along the way or donate baked items, etc. I took a Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit pie~yummy...which seemed to be a good choice for auction (I did have to remind people that it was made by a Texan!!!!!) But for anyone who knows me & my love of Fostoria glassware I flipped out when I saw the large stack of Fostoria Americana dishes sitting there ready to be auctioned off! I of course jumped right up & grabbed those plates! My friend Caroline took home a vast amount of hand painted El Palomar Mexican pottery. I did however win one useful auction item: a Spanish couse on CD, certain to have me speaking better in "Ten Minutes"!!! (let us hope) All in all a fun time was had by all & there was even delicious Sangria wine being served! And, even south of the border when you are drinking Sangria what baby boomer isn't thinking Jerry Jeff Walker? While Sangria isn't anything new down here my favorite glassware is. Fostoria is as rare here as Shar-Pei puppies!!!

And of course "Flat Stanley" was there bidding the prices up~all for a good cause though! Last thing I heard, he was leaving with some baked goods & Mexican pottery he purchased:) One more Mexican experience for "Flat Stanley", how does he do it all?

"Yeah I love that Sangria wine

Just like I love old friends of mine

They tell the truth when they're mixed with the wine

That's why I blend in the lemons and limes"
Texas' own: Jerry Jeff Walker

Recipe for Spanish Sangria
1 cup apple juice
1/3 cup Triple Sec
1/4 cup sugar
2 cans of Fresca
3 blood oranges, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 limes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 Peach, cut into cubes
1 Apple, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 bottle red wine (not too expensive or cheap~you be the judge)

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher; stir until sugar dissolves. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Add ice & serve. Yield: 6 servings. YUMMY!

2007-03-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

Shopping in Mercado Juarez with Flat Stanley!

Today on an outing with our Ex Pat friends we took along "Flat Stanley", it is a project for 3rd graders which is part of a National Literacy project many American children take part in. Students send a "Flat Stanley"; based on the book by Jeff Brown, to a friend or relative so they can take photos of where they take "Flat Stanley". There are many celebrities who have participated in the project thus far including Mohammad Ali & Texas'own Willie Nelson. I am sure the vendors at the Mercado Juarez really wondered at the sanity of the American women who were posing & taking photos with cardboard cut out of the little guy! My friend Carolyn was sent the little character by her niece. She scores big points for this one! It was fun & gave us all a reason to act a little crazy too! Gee, imagine that!

During our pre-Easter downtown Torreon blitz we met the most adorable puppy ever. Who knew we could find Shar-Pei puppies in the Mercado in Torreon? When asked if the owner would sell the pup to us, he named a price of $2500 pesos. He did seem pretty attached to her & may have not really taken any amount for her but she was cute, even when she was gnawing on the items he was trying to sell the Gringos who swarmed into his Mercado stand this morning!!

After shopping in Centro Torreon we stopped for lunch at Los Farolitos & of course took the little Flat Stanley along too! My friend Carolyn really should be getting the Aunt of the Year on this one! Surely, there can't be too many 3rd graders in the heartland of American who have an Aunt who will go the distance in Mexico with their school projects!

"Flat Stanley" was shown a good time South of the Border!! Check out the Flat Stanley literacy project: http://www.flatstanleyproject.net/

2007-03-26T22:14:00.000-07:00

It should come as no surprise that in Mexico, a predominantly Roman Catholic country, Easter is the most widely celebrated and important religious holiday of the year. There are pagents & colorful parades & certainly there are foods that are quite specific to the season.
For Easter there are alot of local restaurants serving some of the holiday favorites of Mexican bread pudding: Capirotada, Arroz con Leche & Flan Napolitano. These light desserts are served at the very modest stands in the local Mercado & at the high end dining spots throughout Mexico, the recipes vary according to cost & availablity of ingredients.

Zacatecas Cathedral

Flan Napolitano

1/4 c. Sugar
4 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk~La Lechera, or Eagle Brand
1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
4 oz. cream cheese (small Philadelphia cream cheese packet)

Caramelize & melt sugar in the bottom of flan pan (9 inch cake pan with high sides will be fine also but cover firmly with foil when baking), allow it to darken, set aside. Add all remaining ingredients: eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla & cream cheese, placing into a blender. Blend till this mixture is smooth, about 1 min. Then pour into Flan Pan onto caramelized sugar in bottom of pan. Place lid on flan pan & clamp down. Place flan pan in H2O (about 2-3 inches up the side of the pan in water bath) Bake 1 hr. 15 min. @ 350 or till knife comes out clean & flan is firm. Cool in pan. Can be refrigerated over night for best firmness & flavor. Place in warm water to loosen from pan & turn out onto platter or cake stand. The burnt sugar caramel makes the top of the Flan a nice golden color. This is wonderful alone or topped with fresh fruit.
Salute!

Cristo Roto, Aguascalientes

2007-03-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

Police & the Pollo chicas "touristas"!

Today on the way down Independencia Blvd. with a friend I was pulled over by the Torreon "Policia" for driving through a yellow light. For a fleeting moment I had visions of myself in a local jail or in the very least having some tough cop demand money! (normally I am quite law abiding...but my stomach did a quick flip when I realized he could make big demands or worse!) In Mexico driving through a yellow light can be the same as driving through a red light in the states. The officer in question was on foot & motioned me to pull over & before he approached my car. With as much drama & guile as I could muster; I played the part of the completely uncomprehending tourista! I told him I didn't understand since the light was yellow!!! This caused the very young officer who spoke no English whatsoever to throw his hand to his head, utter the word "Americanos" & search the heavens for God to somehow reach down & help him with the dilemma I posed! He finally implored me to use much caution & let me drive away! I was very lucky indeed to get away without the slightest hint of paying him bribery $$. A ticket here is usually between $20 & $40 but can be a big head ache; having to go to the Federal building for payment of traffic tickets. There are times the Police will actually remove the license plate from the car so the ticket has to be paid quickly. For a "gratis payment" many police officers will let you pay them & drive away without the ticket. While this sort of thing is officially discouraged it is a way of life in Mexico. I felt like my little performance this morning was really quite worthy of an Oscar! I hope I don't have to draw on those talents again any time in the near future though. Shortly after this little episode this morning I found out a friend of mine was stopped yesterday more than likely by the same officer & she too made a plea of tourista ignorance. I am afraid if the guy sees us at one of our weekly Pollo Chicas lunch he may indeed decide the jig is up....really don't want to be singing Jailhouse Rock anytime soon! I guess my angels were watching out for me today!

2007-03-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

Dunas de Bilbao & Celebrating Benito Juarez Day!

While we are surrounded by desert here in Torreon the Dunas of Bilbao are more sand than is normal to this area. Today we visited the Dunes with our friends Rodolfo, Coco & their daughter Natalia. Dunas de Bilbao is impressive with fine desert sand, a product of the erosion of the natural elements by the passage of time, you could almost be in the Sahara Desert. It seems endless at first glance but is really only a few kilometers long & there is not much else in the area surrounding the Dunas. For that reason the area has been chosen by different directors to be used in their movies, most notably Dune. There were people using 4 wheel vehicles on the dunes & boards to sled down the dunes. It was very cool to see the dunes but a bit unsettling to read about desert vipers living in the dunes...once we were back home! We saw some large holes in the dunes that we assumed were from small mammels, I'm not so certain now?? And me in my new sandals.....

Near Matamoros we enjoyed visiting an important historical site in Coahuila, La Cueva del Tabaco (the Tobacco Cave). In 1864 Mexican President, Don Benito Juarez, hid the general archives of the nation in this cave from the French Army. Many people sacrificed their lives & freedom so the documents that are still used for the Mexican constitution could remain safe. Today was Benito Juarez Day, so it seemed like a well timed visit to this important historical site. Although, like many historical sites it is visited by many but kept up by few. The inside of the cave was less exciting & seemed like bats had been the most recent guardians of history!

No trip to a small town is complete without a quick tour through one of the local churches. In Matamoros we visited Iglesia de Sra. del Refugio. The church took 80 years to complete (1920-2000)& the sanctuary was decorated with colorful stained glass windows, beautiful marble flooring. Matamoros & other little burgs we drive through on the way to somewhere else have surprising little jewels in store when we need a break on a long drive. I am almost certain we have driven through other little cultural wide spots in the road.

Our Lady of Refuge, Matomoros, Coahuila

Regardless of why we had our holiday today in Mexico, a great day was had by all!! Sun & Sand in Northern Mexico, who knew?

2007-03-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

A brief visit turns long....Deltza Zeta, Tex-Mex & Family time!

While home for our "quick weekend visit" that turned into quite a long running event because of John's accident, we did get to visit with our girls. John's injury not withstanding, it was nice to see our daughters & have family time. Jacqueline & I attended the Delta Zeta Sorority Mother/Daughter Day luncheon in downtown Austin at Rio Grande. The dining location was very nice & is situated in the old Spaghetti Warehouse which is better known for being the site of the MTV "Austin Real World house". We had the luncheon buffet style & were offered several varieties Tex-Mex items as well as Quesadillas a standard Tex-Mex menu item. In Mexico they do offer Quesadillas on some menus & I have seen the typical Tex-Mex looking variety but they also have more traditional methods of preparing the Tex-Mex fast food version. I have included a more tradtional Quesadilla recipe which at first sight seems more like a Taco than what we know as a Quesadilla!

Delta Zeta Sorority Mother Daughter Day!

While Texas & Mexico are often light years apart, our shared cultures make for some interesting food additions! Which I believe Lauren & Jenn can attest to from their San Antonio visit! *The typical Torreon horse drawn cart on Independencia Blvd.~just another day in Mexico!

Quesadillas de Lomo~Pork Loin Quesadillas

*Dough for Quesadillas
2 1/2 cups of corn tortilla dough, masa
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup shortening
salt
*Quesadilla filling
1/2 pound pork loin
2 chorizo sausages, about 12-16 oz.
1 potatoe
1 large tomato
1 chopped onion, diced
1 chopped clove garlic, minced
10 chopped olives

chopped jalapeño chili pepper, deseeded
vegetable oil

Procedure:
1. Combine the corn dough (masa), flour, baking powder, shortening and salt. Mix well & leave it resting in moisted cloth.

2. Cook the pork loin. When cooled, string in fine strands. Bake in the oven @ 350 for 20 minutes per pound. Rest meat before shredding.
3. Cook chorizo, peel and cut in cubes, set aside.
4. Roast, peel and liquefy tomato adding in the onion and garlic. (blender or molcajete is perfect for this step)
5. Saute the chorizo & the pork loin together. Add the cubed potatoes,tomato, onions, the olives and the jalapeño pepper. *JALAPEÑO is optional. With this traditional Mexican dish spice as usual can be adjusted to taste!

6. With Corn Tortilla dough, hand make tortillas, fill them with the meat preparation, fold them and fry.
7. FOR SERVING: Slice small amount of lettuce and radishes then sprinkle, vinegar, salt and pepper. Place the fried Quesadillas over this light salad. Salt & Pepper to taste! Salute!

2007-02-26T16:52:00.000-08:00

Corn Tortillas are a way of life in Mexico! While recently watching the whole commercial tortilla process I noticed ladies arrive to buy just a few pesos worth of fresh tortillas for the day while others bought prepared masa for making tamales & gorditas. The large scale masa/tortilla operations cut several steps out for a busy housewife or cook in Mexico. There were even Tortilla riots in parts of Mexico recently because the price increase of the tortillas in Mexico...many unhappy people south of the border!! The prices have gone up as much as 5 pesos per kilo here, which is substantial for the working poor. Mexico imports an average of 4.2 million tons of U.S. corn per year~that translates to a whole lot of tortillas!
While the Corn Tortilla & Masa has been a staple in the Mexican diet for centuries & centuries, flour tortillas were brought to Mexico by Spanish Conquistadors. It is a carryover from the Moorish influence in Spain & is very similar to the Pan de Arabie still sold in Markets & groceries across Mexico today.

The whole dried corn is treated with a heat & steam bath so it is soft for the grinding process to make masa.

Tortilla Soup Recipe

Ingredients:
1 medium onion chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. Oil
2 lb Chicken breast with bone & skin
1 14oz. can tomatoes
1 10 1/2 oz. cans water
2 10 3/4 oz. can chicken broth
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2tsp. pepper
8-10 tortillas, cut in 1" squares, fried in skillet with oil (or baked)
1/2 cup grated Monterrey Jack Cheese or Queso Asadero
sliced avocado

Directions:
Saute the first 5 ingredients in a large skillet.
Add remaining ingredients, except tortillas, cheese & avocado, and simmer for 50 minutes. Pull chicken off the bone, remove skin, dice & put back into the soup.
Pour into bowls over tortilla strips and sprinkle with cheese, avocado & extra cilantro. Also delicious with squeeze of lime!

Serves 6-8.

2007-02-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

Good Day, Beautiful People!

In order to instill a bit more than my Tex-Mex version of Espanol my Spanish teacher Lily decided we need a field trip. We visited the Mercado Juarez where I met & spoke to many of the local vendors, learned a few more names of the commonly used Mexican vegetables, herbs & fruits. We also visited a Bakery~Panderia & a well known candy shop. With way more information than my brain could comprehend we then went to meet her family. Lily's Familia owns many chicken rotisserie shops in both Torreon & Gomez Palacio. They speak 100% Spanish which forced me to utilize my Spanish one on one. The Lopez family is wonderful, warm, full of love & life! I was taken behind the scenes where the fresh Red & Green Salsa Jalapeno is made in 25-30 gallon batches. I saw crates of fresh peppers, learned how they make their fresh red & green salsas & even toured the Tortilleria her family runs to provide fresh tortillas & gorditas for their Chicken Businesses. Her father has a fleet of little motorcycles & guys to run deliveries to local customers who want the fresh roasted chickens! I felt very blessed to meet & be a part of this family for a day. *And, incidently the hottest fresh salsa!!!!!

2007-02-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

Millions of Mexican phrases & sayings...
some of the local phrases mean nothing to me when translated word for word, others have romantic endearments...

Del cielo cayó un perico con una flor en el pico,
yo sólo sé que te quiero y a nadie se lo platico....
A parrot fell from the sky with a flower in his peak
I only know that I love you and I will not tell that to anybody....

A Whimsical phrase & Olla Perico por Agua!
Mercado Juarez, Torreon

2007-02-21T15:12:00.000-08:00

Isauro Martinez Theater a cultural Icon in the middle of Mexico!
A worthwhile visit.

The paintings in the theater by Salvador Tarazona took more than 2 years to complete.
The design of the façade & interiors are Art Deco with Spanish, Arab & very stylized designs. Of particular note is a frontal rose window contained inside an immense Moorish arch that surrounds the stage; however, it is Tarazona’s art containing elements from Arabia, Indochina & the Ottoman Empire that draws the eye to the ceiling & stage. The impressive murals Tarazona painted show exotic scenes that could have been taken from the One Thousand and One Nights. The murals are somewhat faded but haven't been retouched even through an extensive remodeling to retain the artistic integrity that Salvador Tarazona intended.

We all had a great time on our tour even when our tour guide told us very unbelievable ghost stories! ...some sort of 3rd row "ghost seat"? My friend Carolyn smiled even when we were taken up into the dizzy uppermost portion of the theater where the cheap seats were! Isauro Martinez Theater is one of the national historic art treasures. It is said to be rated as the 2nd most beautiful theater in Latin America.

Beauty, Wisdom & an evil doer! Always at part of a dramatic setting! These carved columns were part of the interior artworks that took several years to complete when Isauro Martinez built this theater.

Eternal Love as painted by Salvador Tarazona in the Theater Isauro Martinez, Torreon Coahuila.

Also in historic Centro, we toured the "Canal de la Perla" which is an old irrigation channel running underneath the Historical Center of Torreon. The origins of the Perla irrigation channel date from 1890's & actually predate Torreon as a city. The corridor of the old canal which has been preserved is now host to modern day art exhibits.

Quiet subterranean stroll...while the Traffic flies by overhead!! (Probably the most orderly Mexican traffic I have ever seen or photographed!)

2007-02-16T06:56:00.000-08:00

This beautiful Arbol de Vida~Tree of Life was a gift. While the shape of the cross is a bit out of the ordinary for the Tree of Life, it is popular in Southern Mexico & is actually Mayan in origin. I think they are beautiful with each one a little different & themes widely varying. There are even Dia de los Muertos trees I have seen with the macabre little skeletons decorating the entire piece.

The Tree of Life is often compared to the construction of Mayan temples, which was also a vertical structure representing the passage from subterranean to the heavens & afterlife.

~Many years ago, Mexican Godparents would give a candlestick to newly weds as a wedding gift. If the couple didn't receive one they had misfortune in everything they did. Their land, crops & even ability to have children would fail & therefore their marriage would fail. However, if they had a candlestick or Tree of Life, it was said they would live in abundance, have many children & a very happy life together.
So it is that the simple candlestick became a symbol of life, and people began to call the candlestick 'Arbol de la vida,' tree of life, since it offers a miracle of a healthy, rich and happy life. And so the story goes...

The original versions of the Tree of Life consisted of a clay tree with its branches ending in candleholders. On the tree are leaves, molded flowers and round "fruit" balls and often religious figures of some sort. Sometime in the 1940s Diego Rivera showed a Metepec family how to use aniline paints to create a bright polychrome effect. The same polychromics decorate many church interiors throughout Mexico. Rivera promoted production of the ceramic trees in Mexico City & both he & his wife Frida Kahlo collected them. The Tree of Life theme is carried out in several of her paintings but most notably in her "Tree of Life", "Tree of Hope" & "Frame" portrait of herself. It is one of my favorites since it has use of such bold colors & reminds me of a the small tissue paper banners & painted tin decorations used at fiestas in Mexico.

There is a Wonderful book published about these beautiful works of art called:
Ceramic Trees of Life: Popular Art from Mexico by Lenore Hoag Mulryan

Frida Kahlo, "The Frame"

2007-02-15T01:49:00.000-08:00

Fork bending Pot Roast, a Valentines Day surprise.

In an area of Mexico known for the big cattle ranches & well aged beef, I am never sure what cut of meat I am buying. I know a lady here who is the daughter of a butcher from the states & she actually took a chart with the meat cuts illustrated to a butcher here! The Norteños are very proud of the ranches & cattle industry which plays such a large part in the economy here in Northern Mexico. I made a Pot Roast for St. Valentines Day dinner. After cooking it all day I removed it & let it rest on the cutting board then put a fork into is so I could slice the meat. The fork I put into the meat actually bent in half from the toughness of the "roast". I don't buy many roasts here since the cuts are so unusual & different from what we are used to in the states. It does explain the popularity & variety of stewed meat dishes in Mexico. Possibly Tacos, Carne Guisada or Picadillo would have been the route to take with my beef! We have had good luck with steak here but larger cuts can sometimes be a case of mystery meat! Unfortunately for the fork we will never know...considering, it could have been worse! My knife survived the experience.

2007-02-14T08:18:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to tell somebody you love them today! Make each moment count.

Beautiful little girl dipping her "manos" into a fountain in Durango.

2007-02-09T10:37:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it takes a Texan...
I taught a cooking class this week for the Ex Patriot women about how to cook with Nopal. Many of my Midwestern friends had no idea what to do with these little gems we find in the grocery stores & Mercados in Torreon. It is served in many restaraunts throughout Mexico. Texans have had this knowledge for many years even feeding Prickly Pear to cattle when food is scarce. Many a rancher has been thankful for our vast supply of cactus. With a taste like green beans & the benefits of lowering the cholesterol they are a great addition to a meal, Mexican or otherwise!

Cactus with Eggs & Chile Sauce

1 lb. fresh Nopalitos
3 ancho chiles
2 garlic cloves
3 Tbsp veg. oil
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped, tough stems removed
6 eggs, beaten
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cook Nopalitos in saucepan of boiling salted water 5- 8 minutes. Drain & set aside.

Put the ancho chiles in a small saucepan of H2O covering the chilies by 2 inches & bring to a boil. Boil 5 min., then drain & let cool slightly. De seed as much as possible & remove the stems. Transfer to a blender with garlic, blend & puree adding H2O from saucepan to thin.

Heat oil in large skillet over med. heat. Add the onion & saute' until translucent, about 4-5 min. Add the nopalitos & heat through. Add eggs & scramble them into the nopalitos. Add some of the chile puree & cilantro just at the end & serve with remaining chile puree & corn tortillas or flour tortillas.

Ensalada de Nopalitos (Cactus Salad)

I N G R E D I E N T S
3 cups cooked nopales (nopalitos)
3 tablespoons chopped white onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano or Thyme
1/4 c. lime juice or vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil

T O P P I N G
3 tomatoes, sliced
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup crumbled queso fresco or añejo or chihuahua
1/3 cup purple onion rings
3 canned chilies jalapeños pickled sliced in rings
1 avocado, peeled and sliced

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Mix the nopalitos with the next four ingredients and set aside to season for 30 minutes. Stir well and adjust seasoning.
Spread the nopalitos over the platter about 1 1/2 inches deep. Decorate with the tomatoes slices and top with cilantro, cheese, onion rings, chile strips, and slices of avocado (if used). Excellent served as either appetizer or salad. We had it with black beans & thick nacho type chips.

2007-02-07T08:58:00.000-08:00

Great find at the Mercado Juarez!

At the Mercado Juarez there were many molcajetes for sale. There were small & large molcajetes made of terracotta too which I have never seen in the states. These are almost certainly used for soft items like avocados. I found a very sweet little molcajete carved in the shape of a pig. There were several carved into a heart shape. This being a more traditional wedding gift for someone who likes to cook. Here in Mexico the common curing process for the basalt molcajete is to grind rice or dry beans to smooth the surface of the bowl & then wash it & grind up several cloves of garlic & then leave it to dry. When it is washed the final time it is ready to use. The garlic keeps the earthy flavor of the stone from getting into the food.

...and this Little Piggy went wee, wee, wee, all the way home! Silly & yet so appropriate!

2007-02-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

The Deco Entrance to the Mercado Juarez has details in stone of the produce one can hope to find inside!

I visited Mercado Juarez in the downtown historical district today. This Mercado dates back to the turn of the last century & the current structure actually replaced a more grand building that burned to the ground. The Mercado is where Torreon locals can still buy a wide variety of items including herbs, candles & religious items as well as food items like local veggies & fresh fish. We enjoyed looking around and found a few items which were typical Mexico! I loved the great selection of Mexican redware cazos, barros & ollas. And if I had needed a Lucite scorpion tie pin, a breast shaped beer mug or a Tequila cask this was truly the place. Other than that there were the prerequisite tee shirts, shot glasses, candies & dolls. My favorite place was the street next to the Mercado Juarez where all the flower vendors set up shop. The air was filled with the heady scents of roses, carnations & fresh cut greenery. For a few pesos you could have dozens of Pom Poms or Rosas. Very nice!

2007-02-06T18:29:00.000-08:00

After leaving the Mercado we saw a beautiful old Theater building sitting vacant. The exterior is very "Gaudi~esque" but is in need of renovation. I was able to step into the lobby & see the old pale yellow vintage ticket windows, worn tile floors & gentile curving stairways leading up into the old Theater balconies. Torreon is attempting renovation & renewal in the historic center; one can only hope this building will be given new life one day. It makes me sad to see such long forgotten beauty sitting in a state of urban decline for who knows how long. This old Deco era building is seemingly ignored by most of the people who pass by it on their way to wherever in downtown Torreon. I saw a man selling tee shirts in front of the lobby doors & he seemed very unimpressed that anyone would care to look in the lobby much less snap a photo. I don't think he could envision restoring the past. I was just one more person moving past him on a busy Tuesday in Torreon.

2007-02-06T17:33:00.000-08:00

Today while we were in downtown Torreon in the historic center I had an opportunity to see the inside of one of Torreon's best known churches, Templo de Nuestra de Guadalupe. While not breath taking I can see why it listed as a historic sight.

The Templo Nuestra de Guadalupe has a lovely if simple interior painted in a shade of pale turquoise that is prevalant in Virgen de Guadalupe paintings. The alter has a very elegant painting of her with quite abit of gold leafing surrounding the Virgen. The alter itself looks like it is made of mahogany & the sanctuary has chandeliers, beautiful stained glass & marble columns. Outside the church I was able to find a couple of beautiful Milagritos. In Mexico the Milagros are sold outside of the churches & are often times resold over & over since the churches fill up with them & the priests then give them to the poor to resell. One can never really tell how old they are or how long they have been in circulation. I guess this is part of the Milagro or Miracle!

2007-02-05T16:38:00.000-08:00

Not normally a vindictive person~I do have my moments though!

Today was a national holiday in Mexico. Dia de la Constitucion. The celebrating in our neighborhood was going full force last night & we were trying to get to sleep when some loud Mariachis arrived on the scene. We heard trumpets & loud singing until the neighbor's pesos either ran out or the musicians had another engagement to attend. At that point we really thought we would get some sleep but that was prior to the drunken Karaoke music beginning. While Karaoke is very entertaining when you are there to see people make fools of themselves~it is not so entertaining at 2am! And it was certainly bad with the off key screeching voices I heard! It truly wasn't the 3 Tenors of Las Isabeles!
I don't generally resort to violence but believe me I was becoming vengeful & even murderous at 2am. I think an air horn would be a great investment here in Torreon. It would have been awesome to awaken the Karaoke crew this morning at about 6am! I guess we should be thankful since one of my friends here said they were awakened by Mariachis almost every weekend during the summer months!

Mariachi music is charming & even pleasant when it doesn't wake me up late at night!

2007-02-03T13:47:00.000-08:00

Confused & asking WHY in Mexico!

In a country with so much culture & natural beauty I have to constantly ask the proverbial question....WHY???? I have run into many situations that make me scratch my head & wonder what are they thinking~the powers that be in Mexico? One of the busiest intersections in nearby Gomes Palacio has 6 lanes of east/west traffic that converge at the same point & then to make things interesting some civil engineer thought the situation called for a large X intersection to cris-cross that entire intersection with 4 more lanes of traffic. If I make myself clear on this: it is absolutely insane to drive through that intersection on any given Saturday or Sunday. Crazier yet is the fact that people there in the roadway are also begging for money & offering to wash car windows even though there are signs warning against this practice. I have told John that I will never drive through this chaotic intersection!!!
This past week once again I did ask: WHY? Wednesday evening a man came to my door asking if I called for repairs for our television cable; no amount of repairs could make the cable service improved or carry better programing though. I had to bite my tongue & not complain to the gentleman who simply needed directions. Sad but very true is the fact that television in Latin American basically is horrible! I told the technician that I had not called but he certainly must check with the other #39 on Paseo Nogales! In my neighborhood but certainly not restricted to Las Isabeles there is more than one house #39 on my very street! Three hours after I told the man to go to the other #39 Paseo Nogales he returned telling me he was very confused & still had not located the house to which I finally had to tell him~welcome to my world! The whole thing is stranger still if you know our street only has about 12 houses on it! I still have no idea why anyone would put 2 of the same house numbers on the very same street but I try to not let it stress me too much unless we are missing a delivery of some sort.
*One funny note on Mexican television came this week when my cousin asked me if we were able to see the show "Ugly Betty". I had to tell her no, we have the Mexico version called..."Fea"~Spanish for Ugly!!! So, no Ugly Betty here in Torreon, just Fea!!! (Samantha, I am still laughing!) I could never make this stuff up, it would be too hard! Just another "WHY??" in Mexico.

2007-01-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

Sanborns & Salsa

John & I frequently eat lunch on the weekends at Sanborns Restaurant. Most tourists know this eatery since they sell travel insurance at the border & have a very extensive breakfast menu that appeals to many American travelers. Sanborns claim to fame is being the origin of Chicken Enchiladas or Enchiladas Suisas. Sanborns waitresses wear a traditional Southern Mexico attire which makes me think of those little dolls we used to get at shops along the border in Texas. Our favorite Sanborns was in Durango where the location was in an old Spanish Colonial building. Whenever we have lunch there it is served with salsas & a basket of fresh bread, Gamesa crackers & small Mexican style tortilla chips. The salsas are freshly made each day & then served in a small gravy boat. My Spanish tutor, Lily gave me the recipe for her favorite Aguacate Salsa. When we were at the Abastos Mercado last week they sold a vast amount of fresh Avocados in every size you could want! The best Avocados in Mexico are the small bumpy green variety much like our Haas Avocados at home. We take advantage of the wide variety of fresh produce Mexico has to offer, that is... the things we recognize. There are some fruits & veggies that we still wonder about! It seems to be uncharted territory some days!

Salsa de Aguacate

3 Jalapenos (less if you want), blackened or raw, seeded & stems removed
1 -2 Avocados, diced
1 Tomatillo, cut into quarters
Cilantro, loosely chopped

Put all in a blender or molcajete then thin out with small amount Crema, or Sour Cream, salt & pepper to taste.
*Crema~ Crema Pura de Vaca is used in many dishes here. It just thins this recipe out, so it is easier to dip. I buy small glass jars of Lala Crema.
salt & pepper to taste, then garnish with sprigs of Cilantro & serve with chips or Fajitas. Nice to serve this from a traditional Mexican Molcajete.

2007-01-25T11:33:00.000-08:00

Abastos Mercado~New Sights & overwhelmed by Outlandish Pinatas!

Cold Weather, Unusual Sights & Sounds!!!

Outstanding Produce & other things??

We took a trip to the Abastos Mercado this morning bundled up against the cold Torreon weather. It was a total overload for the sensory system! There were vegetables I had no idea existed & produce by the tons! There were rows of fruits, nuts, cheeses, dried beans in hundreds of varieties, spices & purveyors selling everything from peanuts to whole sides of beef! My friend Carolyn purchased a huge bag of Cilantro for a few pennies worth of pesos. I chose some chilis cascabel for a salsa, after a conversation in my halting Spanish about the difference between the multiple dried chilis. We even found a Tortilleria making selling hot tortillas & gorditas. The Mercado Abastos in Torreon is where the people who shop for restaurants get their supplies, as well as the housewives & hired help. It is a very hopping place in the mornings! It takes up 4 square blocks in the west end of Torreon. We saw row after row of trucks pulling up to unload & deliver as well as the dare devil taxicabs flying between the trucks trying to drop off people to shop. If it exists I think it can be found at the Abastos! I found some beautiful produce and several of us split large amounts of certain herbs we purchased. I also found a Cazuela which will be used to eventually cook Carnitas when it is seasoned & ready to cook in. One of the shops sold these ancient traditional Mexican terracotta pots in several sizes & shapes. They were mere pesos a piece. The locals seemed pleased to help us & described ways to use many of the peppers & herbs we saw. We did meet several people who recognizing us as Americans (we were the only non Mexicans there)& tried out their English phrases on us. The funniest part of the morning was when we spotted some wild looking Pinatas with more adult themes! I laughed at the thought of someone breaking a stick over one of them!! They were life size & quite funny! The lady who owned the Pinata shop laughed along with us when she saw us reacting & taking photos! Have to rethink that next Fiesta!

The Cazuela Grande of the Abastos Mercado! Necisito por Carnitas!

2007-01-22T08:34:00.000-08:00

Great Veggies, Fruits & Bacteria~get that stuff washed~pronto!

When a Gringo moves to Mexico the first thing they are warned about is water consumption & food preparation. The culture & cuisine offer many new things but chief complaint above all is how it can totally wreck a non resident's digestive system! The water treatment has been brought more the the world health standards in the last 20 years but is still sorely lacking when compared to water purification else where. We do not drink the water ever!!! End of conversation. All of our water here is purchased, any ice we consume is made from this water. I have learned how to spot the water purification certificate in the restaurants we frequent. Something as innocent as a poorly washed salad here or bad ice can make you want to curl up & die!!! We wash all of our produce in Microdyn Drops, this prevents us from falling ill from bacteria, amoebas, etc. It is a rather big undertaking to come home from the store with the groceries & produce & have to wash everything you buy before putting it away! I can't imagine our life with out these purification drops. The local water supply here also has a high level of Arsenic that comes from the soil here in the desert. If it is not one thing is half a dozen others!! We don't ever skip the all important washing step however & haven't had to pay the price by being hit by the dreaded Montezuma's Revenge! Most people who have ever traveled South of the Border know from whence I speak!! I am also thinking with the recent Spinach & Green Onion drama in the States the disinfectant drops are a good idea! Our useful drops advertise that they are "El Mas Efectivo"~let us certainly hope so.

2007-01-17T21:02:00.000-08:00

Movies in Mexico~ Mucho Gusto~

Jr. Mints & Movie Theaters in Mexico!

Today I went to the Cuatro Caminos Cinepolis movie theater. The whole movie theater experience in Mexico takes watching movies to the next level when watching from one of the VIP rooms here. The Cinepolis theater chain offers VIP seating where you watch a movie in large comfortable chairs & have food & drink brought to you. Incredible really when I think about theaters I have been to where the remnants of drinks & candy make shoes stick to the floor (okay, I know everyone agrees on this issue, totally gross!) In the states the pricey offerings are limited to Nachos, Popcorn & Jr. Mints ~not that I ever have a problem with Jr Mints! Here in the theater they do have the standard offerings including Jr. Mints with a Sanborns label as well as more gourmet items such as croissants, ice cream, crepes, tortes, capuccinos, beer & wine. The theater was quite clean & while the choice of snacks today for the movie goers in our women's group was palomitas *aka: popcorn, it was nice to know if we had wanted something more exciting we could have had it! And I must admit it was kind of cool to enjoy a movie & not sit through 30 minutes of ads. It is a movie experience I hope to see north of the border someday!
The price for this event,including food here in Mexico: less than a single movie ticket back in the states.
And best of all Russel Crowe looks good in yet another movie! We enjoyed seeing him in Un Buen Ano also known as the Good Year! An entertaining flick from a Peter Mayle book!

2007-01-16T15:32:00.000-08:00

Mennonites in Mexico~

I'm surprised to find blond haired, blue eyed people here selling baked goods on the street corners in Torreon shortly after we arrived. Large colonies of Mennonite people live in Northern Mexico. They settled here in the 1920's in barren areas of Northern Mexico at the invitation of the Mexican government. The government then wanted to settle the isolated areas of the Northern Mexican states of Coahuila & Chihuahua. They sold the land to the Mennonites with agreements for tolerance of religous differences as well as exemptions from military service & ability to remain independent & stay outside the mainstream of Mexican society. Part of the agreement stated that if they would produce the bulk of cheeses needed in Northern Mexico they would be free of Mexican taxes for 100 years.(hmmm, cheap land, no taxes, make some cheese...sounds pretty good!) The Mennonites speak a very old dialect of German not spoken in Germany since the 1800's. The men wear overalls with a hat of some sort & the women wear clothing similar to the American Amish. The Mennonite schooling for the young men ends at 13 and at 12 for the girls; from that point on they are considered educated & are expected to contribute to their communities. On many week days the young Mennonites are seen selling their baked goods on Torreon street corners to passing motorists. The elder Mennonites arrive in town & make business arrangements at the local Mercados & to deliver their famous Mennonite Queso. Mennonite Queso when not made by the Mennonites is called Queso Chihuahua. There are times when I think it is very strange to see these people who seem to be out of time & place here in Mexico~ then on the other hand sometimes I hardly notice them. I guess they are just a part of the landscape that has become Mexico for us here in Torreon. Yet it seems strange that these people are such a part of Northern Mexico when they settled here to remain so separate. Somehow I doubt I will ever be a part of the landscape here!

2007-01-11T14:48:00.000-08:00

Warm days & Cold nights here in Coahuila!

With the onset of Winter & weather in the States cooling things off we have had much cooler temperatures here as well. Would would think that "Sunny Mexico" could get so cold? But when the temperatures dip down even into the 40s here the houses tend to become very cold & damp feeling. Torreon is high desert & surrounded by the Sierra Occidential Mountain range. With the thick stone & concrete walls as well as the tile flooring it is hard to keep the houses warm or stay warm. Often times the outside temperatures rise while the houses stay very cold. We deal with it & put a few extra layers on but I tend to make more dishes to kind of warm us up internally too. Mexico has many sopas & regional dishes that likely are adaptations from the European settlers.

Mexican Potato Cheese Soup

1/2 cup chopped onion
7 cloves of garlic
1-2 chopped fresh jalapeño chilies
1-2 chopped tomatoes
Optional: strips of mild green Anaheim-style chilies or bell pepper
Saute the above ingredients in oil or butter until tender. Add:
2 cups of raw potato: sliced, cubed or grated
a pinch of salt
hot water: enough to well cover the ingredients
Simmer until the potatoes are tender.
Add a handful of cubed cheese or half a cup of carne machaca or finely shredded beef jerky. Carne seca is found in many Hispanic foods stores in the U.S.
Optional: when the potatoes are tender, stir in 1/2 cup milk and heat the soup until it almost boils.

2007-01-09T11:45:00.000-08:00

Clean pool once again! Saint Francis can once again hold his head high! 5 days, many chemicals & mucho labor!

We arrived back in Torreon from the holidays in Texas to find that dust storms, rain storms & the molting Pecan tree had really made a mess of the swimming pool. At one point I think St. Francis even looked like he was embarrassed since he stands prominently near the pool. Usually serene & restful, the pool had become a complete bog while we were enjoying our family holiday back home in Texas!

John called in a specialist for the disaster that had been the swimming pool! A pool "Doctor" was strongly recommended & much required. Thankfully Torreon has such a man who was able to rehabilitate our pool! I tried to imagine what the polite & humble Dr.Marco Alfredo Hernandez Vera was thinking as he took a small sample of the dust & trash ridden water from our pool! I was greatly relieved when he said it was entirely possible to get the pool 100% clean! He did however have to call in his team of specialist! What a crew!! They worked for 5 days cleaning, treating & using an alternate "super pump" to remove the dust, leaves, a tree limb & trash that the storms blew into the pool.

There is nothing like the dirt & dust that can accumulate here in the desert! It seems to have no end, like the ocean's waves at the beach! It just keeps on.....Most people from Torreon seem to take the dust in stride but it still suprises most of the Gringos!!

The dirty pool was a very big job waiting for us when we arrived home from our Christmas in Texas. Not to be out done the patio was pretty bad too, photos not available!

2007-01-04T07:02:00.000-08:00

The grocery stores in Mexico are still stocked for what looks like Christmas Fiestas. The real reason for all of the treats & decorations is Three Kings Day, January 6th. The bakeries are doing a brisk business with the colorful Three Kings Bread being served up & the smell of the sweet yeasty confections baking ~ truly wonderful. The Torreon HEB is advertising 1 kilo of Kings Day Bread. That is one giagantic bread! And the best influence I can think this might have over me is a few days more before I have to remove the few Christmas decorations I have out. A win, win!

Rosca is the name given to any ring-shaped bread or cookie. This sweet bread was once used by the priests to evangelize: a small doll, representing the Christ child, is baked right in the bread- "hidden", to symbolize the hiding of the infant from King Herod's troops on the day of Los Santos Inocentes, the Holy Innocents. This bread is traditionally served on the festive Three Kings Day, when the children receive their toys. Whoever gets the slice of rosca with the doll in it has to provide the tamales and atole for the next party, on Candlemas. This is much like the tradition of New Orleans King Cake with the baby inside that is served during Mardi Gras.

Rosca de Reyes
Three Kings Sweet Bread

Ingredients:

For the dough:
8 1/2 cups flour
8 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups butter
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1.6 oz.(2 3/4 cakes) compressed yeast

For the decorative paste:
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 3/4 cups flour
Preparation:

Mix yeast cakes into 1/2 cup warm water (about 85º F.) Mix with all other dough ingredients & beat the batter well until smooth and elastic. On a large baking sheet, shape the dough into a ring, resembling a large wreath. Cover the ring with a clean cloth or tea towel & sit in a warm place for two hours.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350º F. If you'd like to hide the infant (or lima bean is a traditional substitute) in the cake, tuck a miniature plastic doll inside. After the rosca has risen, & before putting it in the oven, prepare the decorative paste by creaming the butter and sugar together, beating in the egg & mixing in the flour. Use this paste to decorate the sweet bread in the form of rays coming out from the center.
Bake until the rosca is golden brown. Decorate with candied fruit; in Mexico, candied cactus, called biznaga, is often used.

2007-01-03T12:57:00.000-08:00

Monclova Coahuila~the way home in the New Year.

Sadly, not enough time to spend with loved ones & friends back in Texas but we were able to have our New Years Day with family & then began the New Year by returning to Mexico. Always searching for the better route, we decided to cross the border at Piedras Negras, Coahuila rather than worry about the heavy New Year's traffic on the bridges at Laredo/Nuevo Laredo. I have been to the border town of Piedras many times in years past to shop but never to venture very far or go by car through the town itself. The border crossing wait was quite brief & traffic was very light when we drove through. The streets to the highway out of town were much easier to navigate than Nuevo Laredo as well. We had an easy drive till we drove much further south & the much predicted storms were gathering behind us & towards Saltillo. At Monclova we had to drive through narrow winding 2 lane mountain roads which made us rethink our choice of highways. As we slowed going through small towns along the way people approached the car selling everything from fresh baked items to shelled pecans. Since were were stuck behind trucks of livestock & poorly loaded bales of hay we didn't save much time & arrived in Torreon around dusk. Somehow the scenery & pretty landscape broke up the long trip. I was sad at one point however to see a whole pickup truck bed of cute dancing baby goats being sold as fresh Cabrito on the hoof! They were so cute sitting there in the truck while a fire was going with 2 recent amigos cooking on the coals! They seemed to be blissfully unaware of their fate! So much for the shorter way home in Mexico. Is there a shorter way home in Mexico, or at least a path of least resistance? Not sure, also drove through Cuatro Cienegas which does bear visiting again when we have more time. http://www.vivanatura.org/Cienegas.html

Piedras Negras Coahuila~Plaza across the International Bridge from Texas

2007-01-03T12:31:00.000-08:00

In Texas & the South in general we eat Black-eyed Peas for good luck in the New Year, Mexico has their own traditions for luck, one of which is eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight for luck in the coming New Year. I will not say this makes sense as I have not tried this custom for good luck! However it does say alot for grape sales in Mexico around the New Year Holiday! This recipe is a good Mexican variation of a Texas favorite.

Mexican Black-eyed Peas
Ingredients
16 oz. dried, black-eyed peas
1 lb. pork sausage*, or chorizo
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-18 oz. can whole tomatoes, undrained
1/2 c. water
2 T. sugar
2 1/2 T. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin seeds
1 tsp. Mexican oregano
2 T. garlic salt
1/4 T. pepper
1/4 c. bell pepper, diced
Directions
Sort and wash peas. Place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water 2 inches above peas. Let soak overnight. Brown sausage in skillet, stirring to crumble. Add onion, bell pepper and cook until tender. Drain peas well and stir into sausage. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, adding water if necessary. When ready to serve garnish or serve with side of jalapeno strips. *be careful not to get a spicy or country sausage so the dish takes on an Italian or country flavor.

2006-12-28T19:24:00.000-08:00

After leaving Knippa there was an opportunity to stay overnight in Gonzales Texas. So, John & I stayed at Belle Oaks Inn. We arrived a day before the Inn owners did & they were trusting enough to leave us a key & our suite unlocked. We let ourselves in & had the place to ourselves for the night. It was peaceful & truly beautiful.

Belle Oaks Inn was built by C.E. Dilworth in 1912. The Louisiana Plantation Style mansion was utilized in the early 1940's as a polio hospital before once again being used for a private residence. Our host Richard gave us a tour of the whole house & told us the many painstaking steps it took to get the Inn to the current state. John & I stayed in the private Carriage house behind the main residence. It was a wonderful stay. Gonzales is a town laid out upon & still maintains the original Mexican survey of 1832. The town was at one time a Mecca for ranchers, cattle barons & bankers. The historic homes still line the old streets & while most things were shut down we did enjoy visiting some of the quaint little shops on & around the courthouse square. And of note is the fact that Gonzale is home to the famous "come & take it" cannon where a small group of early Texas settlers dared the Mexican army...to you guessed it "come & take it!" & one thing led to another otherwise the state of Coahuila where we live would be alot further north!

2006-12-27T21:44:00.000-08:00

Is there ever a case of too much of a good thing? ......Hmmmm!

It all depends on who you ask!

Girls will be girls!

2006-12-27T21:15:00.000-08:00

There is such a thing as too much Christmas! Too much fun & turkey will wear a person down!

While visions of sugar plums danced......

2006-12-27T20:58:00.000-08:00

This was an awesome dish to go with Mimi's cornbread dressing, veggies & meats.

Asparagus Torte

4 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1/2 c. Veg. Oil
1 tsp. Salt
dash Pepper
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Lg. Onion, chopped
1 c. Pioneer Baking Mix
1/2 c. Parmasaen Cheese
3 1/2 c. Fresh Asparagus, chopped

Combine eggs, oregano, oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder & onion in a large bowl. Add baking mix & Parmasaen cheese. Stir till completely mixed. Add Asparagus, stir to coat. Pour into greased 9 X 13 pan. Bake @ 350 40-45 min. till golden brown.

There are those who have an impact on your life & make you laugh when you need to & then arrive at the right moment with the killer Asparagus Torte! Good Job Aunt Carol!

The Awesome Aunt!

2006-12-27T20:40:00.000-08:00

Well, maybe not such a silent night!
Those Harrington, Decker & Kincke Women are always up to something~sometimes overwhelming the men! Lord only knows what the animals are doing?

Family & fun at Mimi's! Animals get into the action too!

Silent Night at Decker Ranch, Knippa Texas
And it ended up being a very silent & beautiful night. Love those Texas sunsets!

2006-12-27T20:20:00.000-08:00

Misty Woods lit up for Christmas!

The University of Texas tree at Misty Woods! Lauren kept the home team represented~Santa should be proud! And the girls in the "hood" shine on!(especially Miss Patti~party Queen of Round Rock!)

Seeing good friends, getting together & having a great Texas get together!

Parties, Fiestas, Home in Oakbluff....ah, Christmas time, to quote Martha Stewart, it's a good thing! Got to love seeing the girls from the neighborhood & dogs in Christmas hats!

2006-12-22T16:42:00.000-08:00

Favorite Armadillo Bazaar find!
What is an Armadillo? How Bazaar!! An awesome time was had by all at the Texas original Armadillo Christmas Bazaar!

Lauren & I love to go to the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar & find unique Chritmas gifts & get into the Christmas Spirit. With the live music, hand made, one of a kind & just plain strange items it is always fun to stroll & browse. We found our favorite vendors (including the "Beetles pottery people")& listened to awesome Texas music. We did however get a kick out of the prices we saw on the handmade Mexican import items. Somehow I think we have got that market cornered! Austin, there is no place like it in the world!

The Austin Music Hall is home to a Holiday Favorite called the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar
So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young~John Lennon

2006-12-20T08:32:00.000-08:00

We had some panic at the border on my part when I realized that I had my passport in another purse at the house in Torreon. After freaking out a bit I called the US Customs agent at the International Bridge where we were crossing & explained my predicament. I was told that a valid form of ID & my birth certificate would be sufficient to get me back home. The Passport is an absolute in airports now but driving or walking across the other forms of ID will be okay till January 2008. Lesson learned! Never leave home in a foreign country without the passport. Saves a great deal of stress as well. I was so blessed thankful when we finally drove across. Of course none of the driving at the border was quick. There was an almost 2 hour wait in the lines at the bridge.

At Nuevo Laredo they were trying to get into the Christmas Spirit.

2006-12-15T23:31:00.000-08:00

Home to Texas for the Holidays!!!! For anyone old enough to remember Crumley's Grocery Store south of Austin on I-35 this is a wonderful artist's rendition of that great Central Texas landmark. Crumley's is long gone but many remember the whimsical collection of stuff outside the store. I bought a box of Mary Doerr's Christmas cards last year at the Armadillo Bazaar & couldn't bear to part with this one. Can't wait to return to Austin landmarks, family & friends for the holidays! Feliz Navidad! There is no place like home for the Holidays! In fact there is no place in the world like it.

2006-12-15T12:58:00.000-08:00

On Calle Revolucion this week I was in a car with several Ex Patriot women when we spotted these little Christmas ornaments that are commonly sold here by the street vendors. I along with a couple of the other women wanted to purchase a few to decorate with & several of us bartered for them. With varying prices among the street vendors I am not so sure the man we were buying from thought that a car full of American & Canadian women were such a good deal for him! These little ornaments are made of foil, paper & tinsel. They are called pinatas since they are the shape of the gift filled Navidad Pinata. When we were at the Mercado Navidad we could smell the various food scents drifting through the market stalls. Truly mouth watering were the Buñuelos that were cooking. Yes, they were cooked in Lard & yes, we left without them but they smelled like heaven after a morning of shopping in the Mercado! The Piloncillo called for in the recipe below is found in Mexican Groceries & is the cone shape of the famous Mexican Sugar Molds now used for candles.

Buñuelos de Navidad -Christmas Sweet Fritters
10 servings
Ingredients
2 cups water
1 lb. flour
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp anisette
9 oz. lard *vegetable shortening is healthy alternative
9 oz. piloncillo -raw sugar

Boil one tablespoon anisette in a cup of water and leave to cool. Mix and sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in the eggs, the yolk and the anisette in water, as required, and knead until the dough stiffens. Form into small balls and roll out on a floured board until very thin. Continue flattening by hand on a napkin and place on a floured table. Heat the lard .Fry one by one in the lard.
Heat the piloncillo in one cup of water with the remaining tablespoon of anisette. This mixture will thicken to a light syrup. remove from heat and strain.
Serve the fritters, broken into pieces, in bowls and pour the syrup over them. *served in Mercado Navidad with sprinkle of cinnamon & sugar only!

2006-12-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

The Devil in the Navidad Mercado!
I visited the open air Navidad Mercado in downtown Torreon today. There were candies, gorditas, tacos, caldos as well as very typical Mexican Christmas items not to be found in stores. I was very intrigued by the many little Devil figures in the stalls selling the Nativity pieces. Here the Devil figure is used in nativities to show the struggle against evil in the world. One Nativity set had a band of angels watching over the manger while the Devil plotted in the background! A central part of Christmas celebration & Posadas is the Nacimiento. It is similar to a snow village but with a religious focal point. Christmas trees are sometimes used but are considered a luxury for most Mexican families. Nacimientos are added to each year with people passing on literally 100's of pieces to the next generation. The Nacimiento pieces are very reasonable & cost very little since the people from every walk of life seem to have one.
The Mexican Nacimiento is built in tiers and landscaped to represent a barn or shelter. The nativities are put out on December 14 & usually left till February 2, the day of Purification which is the final Christmas holiday celebration. There are the standard Biblical figurines which are added to represent the three wise men, shepherds and the Nino Jesus. Since the Nacimientos & Pastorelas (Pastoral Passion plays of good versus evil) were used by the Spanish priests to convert people to Christianity the figures not only have religious symbolism but also have very historical significance & are more Mexican in origin. I saw a virtual zoo of animals in the Mercado as well as a few Juan Diegos, Priests, Nuns, Saints, bridges, water wells, little Puebla houses & everyday tableaus of life in Mexico that could be imported into a Nativity scene. I saw Diablos~Devils with pitchforks, lurking in caves to tempt the wisemen from thier journey, Diablos carrying liquor bottles, carrying bags of money & one playing a fiddle! Some how Charlie Daniels came to mind with his "Devil went down to Georgia" song! Apparently he went to Mexico as well! The little Diablos are ribald little figures meant to illustrate the worthless qualities of evil & sin. So, this is my story of how I bought a Devil for my Nacimiento as well as a Cactus tree which is truly Mexican!
The one I found was made by the Purepecha-Tarascan Indians from southern Mexico.

2006-12-10T22:44:00.000-08:00

The girls were worried that we were not going to decorate for Christmas at all. So this week I have a little Nativity set by a local artist named Claudia Castro made of Gourds & noticed that there are 2 Nino Jesus in the set. As several have noted the little set is muy comica! It does make an interesting addition to a Mexican Christmas. And it is also interesting that the three wisemen & Joseph have very macho little moustaches!

John & I had the pleasure of seeing Santa Claus walking through one of the local shopping malls today. He was the standard issue Santa, red suit & we heard one kid telling him "ho, ho, ho..." But of course this Santa spoke Spanish. I was surprised to learn last week that many kids here still hold largely to the very Catholic belief of gifts being brought by Nino Jesus. I guess like other forms of commercialism from North American I thought this too had really taken over. And while I see Santa evident here on ornaments, in yards, etc. I don't see the long lines of kiddies qued up to sit on Santa's lap or have photos taken with him at the malls here. Our youngest daughter would have been saved alot of stress as a child had she never had to visit Santa of the shopping mall!

2006-12-10T20:03:00.000-08:00

I really don't know if this is considered a holiday dish down here but I have only seen the Pomegranates in December here in the grocery stores. And with all of the steps it is not an everyday dish. I have also noticed ladies buying alot of the same ingredients so I can only surmise that this is a Nochebuena favorite in our area.
Chilies En Nogada
The recipe is said to have been concocted by the grateful people of Puebla, who were giving a banquet in honor of Don Agustin de Iturbide's saint's day, August 28 in 1821. He and his followers had led the final revolt against Spanish domination; as self-proclaimed emperor he had just signed the Treaty of Cordoba. All the dishes at the banquest were concocted of ingredients of the color of the Mexican flag; in this dish were the green chilies, the white sauce, and the red pomegranate seeds. Many favorite dishes here in Mexico have the Bandera national colors.
You must start this dish one day ahead by soaking the walnuts for the nogada sauce overnight. This dish is a bit involved, but the effort is worth it. It really is an extraordinary blend of flavors. But if you get an opportunity to order it in a restaurant without all the prepration by all means taste & enjoy the flavors.

The Picadillo:
2 lbs of ground pork or beef
1/2 onion, sliced
1 Tbsp salt, or to taste
Put meat into the pan with the onion, garlic, and salt and cover with cold water. Bring the meat to a boil, lower the flame and let it simmer until just tender - about 40-45 minutes. Do not over cook. Leave the meat to cool off in the broth.
Strain the meat. Let the broth get completely cold and skim off the fat.
6 Tbsp of oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
The cooked meat (about 3 cups - note if you use more than 3 cups, you will need to increase the amounts of the other ingredients)
A molcajete (mortar and pestle)
8 peppercorns
5 whole cloves
1/2 inch stick cinnamon
3 heaping Tbsp of raisins
2 Tbsp blanched and slivered almonds
1/4 c. chopped dried apricots, chopped
2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes, peeled and seeded
Melt the oil and cook the onion and garlic, without browning, until they are soft.
Add the meat and let it cook until it begins to brown.
Crush the spices roughly in the molcajete and add them, with the rest of the ingredients to the meat mixture. (If you don't have a molcajete, you can use the blunt end of a pestle to crush the spices in a bowl.) Cook the mixture a few moments longer.
Add chopped apricots & raisens to the mixture. Add broth at this point if the meat needs a bit of moisture.

The Chilies:
Put 6 chiles poblanos (and you MUST use this type of chili) straight into a fairly high flame or under a broiler and let the skin blister and burn. Turn the chilies from time to time so they do not get overcooked or burn right through.
Wrap the chiles in a damp cloth or plastic bag and leave them for about 20 minutes. The burned skin will then flake off very easily and the flesh will become a little more cooked in the steam. Make a slit in the side of each chili and carefully remove the seeds and veins. Be careful to leave the top of the chili, the part around the base of the stem, intact. (If the chilies are too hot - picante, let them soak in a mild vinegar and water solution for about 30 minutes.) Rinse the chilies and pat them dry.
Stuff the chilies with the picadillo until they are well filled out. Set them aside on paper towels.

The Nogada (walnut sauce)
The day before:
20 to 25 fresh walnuts, shelled
cold milk
Remove the thin papery skin from the nuts (sometimes this is totally impossible). I used Pecans as they are plentiful here in Northern Mexico. If you use pecans omit all but 1/2Tbsp. sugar.
Completely cover the walnuts or pecans with cold milk and leave them to soak overnight.
On serving day:
The soaked and drained nuts
1/4 lb queso fresco or neufchatel cheese
1 1/2 cups thick sour crema (or creme fraiche)
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
Large pinch of cinnamon
Blend all of the ingredients in a blender until they are smooth.
To Serve
To assemble the dish, cover the chilies in the nogada sauce and sprinkle with fresh parsley leaves and pomegranate seeds.

2006-12-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

In Torreon there are Spanish serenades, candlelight vigils and many Peregrinación (pilgrimages)walking for blocks to the Church of Virgin de Guadalupe, thousands of Latino Catholics kick off the Christmas season by celebrating the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe -- the patron saint of Mexico -- on December 12th each year. Many of the peregrinaciones are made in traditional Indian attire from different regions of Mexico. This is the 475th year of Juan Diego's visitation of Virgin de Guadalupe.
While the tradition of the Virgin of Guadalupe has no direct link to Christmas traditions, her feast day on the 12th is often regarded as the start of the Christmas season, and is followed by almost nightly celebrations called posadas beginning on the 16th and continuing until Christmas Eve. It is a big holiday for Mexicans, even as big as Christmas. In almost every church in Mexico there is a dedication to the Virgin de Guadalupe. I have seen many at the local churches we have visited.

According to Catholic tradition, the Virgin Guadalupe appeared to Indian peasant Juan Diego in 1531 atop a small hill outside what is now Mexico City. The tradition has it that the Virgin was dark-skinned and spoke to Diego in his native Indian language, and appeared many times thereafter. The Church has recognized the apparitions, and Pope John Paul II canonized Juan Diego earlier this year.

2006-12-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Caliente

6 servingsIngredients
6 cups of milk

6 oz sweet chocolate (you can find in Hispanic foods section of store: a yellow small box with round disks of chocolate & a photo of an Abuela on outiside of package)

6 oz semi sweet chocolate

1/2 tsp vanilla

dash of cinnamon

Heat the milk over medium flame. Break the chocolate into pieces. When the milk is hot, dissolve in it the chocolate pieces, moving constantly until everything is dissolved. Increase heat and let the mixture slowly boil. Add the vanilla and the cinnamon. Continue beating until frothy.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

When preparing the hot chocolate with children , they usually sing:
"Chocolate, molinillo estirar, estirar,

que el demonio va a pasar."

2006-12-08T11:43:00.000-08:00

Great recipes, while difficult to get a copy of are not altogether impossible. Well guarded secrets are sometimes the best! That said; Cream of Poblano Soup is very popular this time of year in Mexico. I frequently see women with large families purchasing 10 lb bags of Poblanos for special holiday recipes. This recipe was given to me by a friend who got it from a local restaurant. Wonderful pepper, great soup!

Cream of Poblano Soup

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon butter

3 diced poblano peppers, seeds and membranes removed

2 medium onions, diced

1/2 carrot, diced

4 cups low sodium vegetable stock, or chicken stock

1 large white potato, diced

8 oz. Mexican crema fresca (substitute sour cream, yogurt, or creme fraiche if you prefer)

chopped cilantro for garnish

8 large tortilla chips

1 cup Chihuahua cheese, shredded (or you can use cheddar or monterey jack if you prefer)

In a soup pot or stock pot heat the oil and butter until the butter starts to sizzle.
Add the peppers, onions, and carrot and sautee 5 minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables with the oil and butter.
Add the potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes until potatoes and carrots are soft.
Using an immersion blender, blend soup thoroughly until uniformly smooth.
Serve in oven-proof bowls. Float two tortilla chips on top of each bowl, sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese on top of the bowl and set under a broiler until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

2006-12-06T21:44:00.000-08:00

Much to say about lunch in Mexico

I went to a local restaurant today and found the whole experience funny & terribly Mexican. The place was called Los Farolitos & they had a standard, rather extensive Northern Mexico menu. I should have known something was up when we asked about menu items & our waiter could only recommend we get the tacos. Since our group arrived in stages at the restaurant each of us ordered our beverages separately. But then it became ridiculous as our waiter would return from the bar area after each of our selections & he would say all they had was coke or water! He never said not to order a particular drink he would just calmly take the order then return within moments to tell us they didn't have whatever it was. It reminded me of the old Saturday Night Live sketch with John Belushi & Dan Akroyd at the diner that only served cheeseburgers & Pepsi! Sometimes down here I wait to see if there is a camera rolling somewhere! Also, we were the only ones in the whole restaurant & since the kitchen was open concept style we could see the activities in the grill area. It took forever to bring our tacos out to us & yet they were in a frenzy cooking up a storm like there were hundreds of persons instead of a small group women. All in all a very strange & funny experience. I kept waiting to hear someone yell: "cheeseburger, cheeseburger, Pepsi, Pepsi!" Our Vampiro & Pollo Tacos were quite tasty but then after the wait almost anything would have been delicious. Anticipation & and hunger do merge & dull the senses, I think.
Part of the experience here is not getting what you ask for but seeing what arrives once you make a request. A light hearted approach is an absolute must. Mexico really is a state of mind!

2006-12-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

Nochebuena

While we are missing our Texas traditions there are some wonderful Mexican traditions & foods as well. The Nochebuena is what name is given to both Christmas Eve & the Poinsettia Flower. Here is both a South of the Border recipe John enjoyed at the Cimaco restaurant & a Tex-Mex variety of Salsa made popular by the Houston Jr. League. This version of Cranberry Salsa recipe was given to me by my dear friend Carolyn.

Ensalada de Nochebuena Christmas Eve Salad

A traditional salad eaten during the Christmas season when the pomegranates and other ingredients are available. The bright colors make a brilliant presentation on the holiday table.

6 medium beets, peeled, cooked, and diced (optional, totally optional!)
4 oranges, peeled and sectioned, with membranes removed
4 Red Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1 medium jicama, peeled and cut into match stick strips
1 cup roasted peanuts
4 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup club soda
1 cup fresh pineapple cubes
1 head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced

Pomegranate Dressing Makes 1.5 cups.
Seeds of 1 whole pomegranate, with some seeds reserved for garnish
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup apple juice
Combine all salad ingredients except the lettuce in a large nonreactive bowl and refrigerate for at least two to three hours. While the salad is chilling, make the Pomegranate Dressing. Combine the pomegranate seeds, sour cream, sugar, and apple juice in a blender and puree. Drain the salad and toss with Pomegranate Dressing. Serve on a bed of iceberg lettuce and garnish with reserved pomegranate seeds. Serves eight to 10.

A true holiday favorite at our house (Armadillo Bazaar included)! More Tex-Mex than Mexican.

Cranberry Salsa

1 pkg. fresh cranberries, chopped
1-8 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 fresh jalapeno, finely minced, or more depending on taste!
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
2 T. onion, finely diced
1/4 tsp. salt.

Mix it all together a few hours ahead of serving & chill.

2006-12-02T23:38:00.000-08:00

Dustitude from Mexico!!!! Dust with an attitude

On Thursday in Torreon on the tail end of the Midwestern Cold blast of Arctic air we had a dust storm that blew through the town like something out of the Dust Bowl in the 1920's. It was incredible. Huge brown clouds of dust howled through all day long. I had to place towels under doors and around windows to keep the cold air & dust from blowing in full force. I actually taped the front door shut since very few homes here are built with weather strips at the bottom to the same standard as back in the states. Afterward there was a layer of dust on everything. Friday was a national holiday here in Mexico for the presidential inauguration, of President Calderon. I think most people would have needed the day off to recover from the onslaught of dust the day before but apparently some of the members of the Mexican Congress had more than enough strength to have fist fights just prior to the inauguration! I'm thinking the dust made people a bit too cranky & given them an attitude, certainly not passion or temper~not down here! Gosh, I am thinking our democratic process is such a wonderful thing! Ours may not be perfect but it is certianly the best & I haven't heard of fisticuffs recently. I was given a wonderful photo of the dust by a Tyson friend so have posted it so the picture of Torreon dust will be quite obvious. A picture is worth a thousand words or at least a gasp for fresh air as the case may be.

2006-11-29T19:33:00.000-08:00

Night time driving in Mexico
We crossed the border at Nuevo Laredo and headed towards Torreon at dusk. We vowed not to drive in the dark in Mexico but pushed on to get back to Torreon before Midnight. After seeing things sort of materialize that weren't there in the desert~I think it will be the last time we make that journey at night.

Katerina rode back to Mexico in a much better frame of mind than the rest of the passengers. Could be her soft little accomodations! At the border no one even noticed a cat much less her much sought after paperwork!

Starbucks Coffee

One thing I miss about the good old US of A!!! Whenever we are home I try & get my Starbucks fix! It is easy to obtain since there are now 5 Starbucks in Round Rock Texas. Mexico has Cafe Buzz which in now way compares, blah! I wonder at what point Starbucks will arrive in Mexico. A very good question to ponder with a certain niece who is employed with the java mega chain! I wonder how Starbucks would be pronounced down here in Mexico?

2006-11-29T13:13:00.000-08:00

“How will our children know who they are if they don’t know where they came from?” John Steinbeck

The old stone water trough.

Old Decker Ranch House

Deacon's House~ Decker Ranch, Kyle Texas

Old Kyle Cemetery

While home I had took the opportunity to go to Hayes County & took some photos of places that mean so much to so many in our family & beyond.

The measure of one’s character is not what they get from their ancestors, but what they leave their descendants.

~unknown~

2006-11-29T12:34:00.000-08:00

Molly's November days in her backyard!

The dogs really were driven crazy by the neighborhood squirrels while we were home for our brief holiday. Molly & Jack kept a close eye on the back yard for the daring little rodents. The squirrels made mad dashes from tree to tree with nuts they were gathering. While the dogs never seemed to catch up to one of the lightening fast squirrels, their suicidal runs through the streets of Oak Bluff for nuts occasionally don't quite work out!

Molly & Jack & "nemisis" the crafty Texas Grey Squirrel!

Grey squirrel~

The squirrels always seem to live another day to harrass the dogs!

2006-11-29T11:18:00.000-08:00

Molly was extremely happy Turkey Day arrived. She had seconds of Turkey! In fact I believe the animals all had seconds more than once, hmmm!

Thanksgiving meal was a group effort which was wonderful. Each of the girls made a dish~yes, even Jacqueline! There were some sad faces the next day however when the Aggies surprised the Longhorns on their own turf in Austin. (Lauren, Jacqueline, please wipe those frowns off your faces already!) The Longhorns will be national champs again, just not this year unfortunately.

Thankful for family!

2006-11-20T21:44:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Border Crossing @ Laredo
StreetVendors in Laredo a whole lot for sale!

When we crossed the Border at Laredo it seemed like the entire population of Northern Mexico was either trying to cross one of the 3 International Bridges or selling something at the crossroads to the motorists waiting to drive through the immigration checkpoints. It was rather like a traveling Mercado. Vendors were walking through the crowded streets selling everything from grilled corn & jewelry to Mexican National Flags items & huge Corona beer mugs! An hour & 15 minutes it took to get through the crowded streets of Laredo.

2006-11-17T07:49:00.000-08:00

The Thanksgiving trip!

We hope to beat the crowds & not have a long wait at the border on our return trip for Thanksgiving. We have our papers in order, the papers for our car & the most important~paper work for the cat!

Things have changed in Laredo since "NAFTA", or at least there are more bridges now & the Streets of Laredo are paved! ....Streets of Laredo, part of a ballad I believe. Acually, most of the roads in Mexico feel like this more or less when you are driving on them unless you are on the new super highways. The highway outside our neighborhood at Las Isabeles can really jar the teeth out of my head! The truck traffic is probably the reason for the poor road quality here. The big new toll roads are very nice & as well maintained as those in the states.

Our Goal at the end of the Road!!! Turkey with all the trimmings! Lauren has taken on the job of preparing the stuffing this year!

2006-11-15T12:03:00.000-08:00

Home to Texas for Thanksgiving, a great place to be from~Texas!

Round Rock Texas , Home Sweet Home!

Katerina has been practicing for her trip home to Texas! Actually..... there is no practice for a cat to ride 10+ hours in an auto. There will be kitty tranquilizers on hand if things get too hairy! Of course we are just happy to be coming home to our girls~turkey & family gatherings aside~ we get to see the UT ,A&M game on an American t.v. station & won't have to take our chances with our Latin American cable, as unpredicable as it is!

Allie, Molly & Jack are getting ready for their south of the border "kin" to arrive.

The girls are getting excited about Thanksgiving(photo outside a Walgreens in Bulverde Tx. not withstanding)!

Thanksgiving back home in Texas, what we are thankful for. Amen!

2006-11-13T09:43:00.000-08:00

Great balls of fire,

love those peppers!

Capsicum annuum

Spicy food at every turn here in Mexico

John & I heard someone remark that Mexican men lived on the average of 10 years longer than their north of the border contemporaries, peppers being the reason. Don't know how truthful the statement is but there are alot peppers consumed in Mexico. The size, colors & species are really overwhelming in the grocery stores here. Even by Texas standards there seems to be a truck load of variety here.

This popular bean dish is originally from around Monterrey, Neuvo Leon, one of the first regions to enjoy beer! This recipe is a meal by itself!

Frijoles Borrachos~Drunken Beans

1 lb. Pinto Beans
2 cloves of Garlic, chopped
2 tsp. Salt
1/2 c. Cilantro, chopped
3 slices Bacon
1/2 lb. fine-ground Chorizo (Mexican Sausage)
1/2 c. Water
1 Med. Tomato, sliced
2 Serrano Peppers
1 Chili Ancho~Dried Red Chili found with peppers
2-3 Chili Petines~Dried & threaded onto a toothpick for retrieval later on!
4 oz. flat Beer
In a large pot bring Pinto beans to boil & soak with cover on & fire off for 1 hr. In the same pot bring the beans to boil again & add garlic, salt, cilantro, chilis petine & bacon. Continue to add water when necessary. When done, beans should be soft texture. Separately, brown Chorizo for about 15 min. Boil tomato slices & whole Chili Ancho & Serrano peppers in water for 10 min., then blend until smooth in a blender. Mix with Chorizo into beans & add beer. Simmer another 15-25 min. Serve hot with fresh tortillas.

*Mexican Bean Pot

*Bandera Mexican Bean Pot The bandera style of pottery is quite distinctive, as it is thusly named because of its red, white and green colors - the same colors that comprise Mexico's bandera nacional (national flag). Red is commonly used as the background color, while the green and white are used for the decorative details.

2006-11-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

Now & Then in Ojuela

Ojuela Mine & Puente Colgante, Mapimi Durango

I found this wonderful vintage photo of the Ojuela Mines when they were in full scale operation at the turn of the last century. The mines then supported some 3000 workers who lived at the community of Ojuela and traveled up into the mountains on the narrow gauge railroads that also retrieved the deposits from the mines. After my 4 previous postings about the visit to the mines & our visit to the museum in Mapimi & hearing about the American influence at Ojuela I did alot of on line digging & came up with this & thought it was of note! The bridge was tilted then to allow the carts loaded with the deposits to come across the bridge easily. I also found the New Jersey connection very odd. I can't imagine what engineers from New Jersey must have thought about this untamed area of Mexico then.

2006-11-04T18:32:00.000-08:00

Pancho Villa~not in swimming trunks!

Sleepy little town of Mapimi~1598 A.D.
After our trip to the mine & defying gravity at the Hanging Bridge of Ojuela we visited the sleepy town of Mapimi. The town dates to 1598. We visited the old 1772 church where I was suprised to learn that there was a notice posted about a couple's intentions to be married at the church & it is posted for a period before the wedding. The purpose is so anyone who is going to contest the upcoming union will come forward! This is still very common in small towns in Mexico & dates back to a Papal Cannon of centuries past. How times have changed in the rest of the world. I am assuming the wedding was to take place as announced this evening at 6pm. We did not stay to attend the wedding! Apparently in a small town like Mapimi everyone would be invited to the wedding, even visitors. We also visited a museum celebrating Revolutionary Heros. There we had a guide who showed us photos of the Ojuela Mine when it was still in production as well as a photo Pancho Villa in his swimming trunks! Of course this image was very strange since I heard stories as a child from Great Grandaddy about riding with the Texas Rangers chasing Pancho Villa into Mexico. This stately gentleman in the swim trunks shown with the visiting dignitary somehow didn't look the part!

2006-11-04T17:56:00.000-08:00

Rodolfo, John & Natalia were fine!

Yes, I was scared!!!!
A true Fear Factor!

The Hanging Bridge Freaked me out just a little bit!!!

2006-11-04T17:28:00.000-08:00

Ojuela Mine

The Mining Ghost Town, Memories of bygone era

We finally made it up the mountainside to the see the ruins of the once thriving mining community at the Ojuela Mine. There we saw the old stone ruins, the famous Hanging Bridge of Ojuela. The Puente Colgante Ojuela is very famous & was built by the Roebling Co. of New Jersey, the Brooklyn Bridge creator. The same techniques were employed at Ojuela Mine with certainly different terraine & climate. It is the longest hanging bridge in Latin America. The bridge sways & frankly scared the daylights out of me on some level! But once across there is only one way to return unless you are really crazy & want to use the zip lines that are set up for extreme sports enthusiast over the Ojuela gorge. And all I have to say is no thank you! There were rock & minerals for sale beside the opening to the mine. The sights were impressive & mountain views breath taking. Awesome!!!

2006-11-04T16:43:00.000-08:00

Car trouble on Mountainside at Mapimi, Durango. It is a long way down if one misses a turn in the road!

We began early Saturday morning & traveled to Mapimi to see the Colonial Spanish era town & the famous Hanging Bridge of Ojuela & the abandoned mine. We began our trip early Saturday morning with Rodolfo & Natalia Duran. The road up to the Ojuela Mine is very narrow & winding & is best driven in autos in good condition which ours was. This is kept up very well but is treacherous & narrow as it replaced a narrow gauge railroad that was in the exact same position going up the mountainsides. At the bottom of the mountain there is a man who uses a radio so that the traffic flow is one way all the time. Once the cars are up at the top of the mountain then the vehicles at the top can leave & make the return trip down the mountainside. We were in good condition heading up the mountain when a small red car with 8 adults packed inside passed us & began to chug up the hillside before us. They were going slow & seemed to indicate there was a problem early on. About half the way up the mountainside the red car started smoking & finally died immediately in front of us. Well, this is a problem on a mountainside! Rodolfo spoke politely to the young woman who was young enough not to worry too much about the delimma her auto placed all the other cars in. After some discussion & walking around the young woman poured more liquid under her smoking hood & began to pull over past our car so she could make the trip without slowing any other vehicles down. She & her compatriots climbed in the car & finally made it up the mountainside apparently unworried about later engine trouble. Hmmm! Certainly not the end to her car trouble I am sure.

2006-11-01T15:49:00.000-08:00

El Dia de los Muertos

Today in Torreon I could see people in family groups getting ready for their holiday. There were people at the grocery stores buying the favorite foods of their departed family members. I saw very elaborately dressed groups of Tarahumara Indian women walking together for the celebration. This evening there are children's parties to celebrate the "angelitos" or the little angels who left this world too soon. There are tiny Pan de Muerto sold to celebrate their tiny spirits. The view of death in Mexico with this celebration much different from the macabre view of skeletons & skulls during Halloween in the States.

2006-10-31T16:18:00.000-08:00

Calaveras Azucar & Pan de Muerto

Dia de los Muertos

Day of the Dead as celebrated in Mexico! Remembrance of loved ones & continuance of life.
This weekend I ate pan de muerto at a local eatery. It was served as part of the celebration Dia de los Muertos on November 1st, in the US: All Saints Day or All Souls Day. Relatives who have died are honored with displays of the departed favorite food and drinks, as well as ornamental sugar skulls & photos of the deceased. Flowers, particularly marigold & candles are placed on the graves, are supposed to guide the spirits home to their loved ones.
Other symbols include the elaborately-decorated pan de muerto a coffee cake decorated with meringues made to look like bones, skull-shaped candies and sweets, marzipan death figures and papier maché skeletons, female Catrina skeletons dressed in 19th century clothing and skulls. Here in Mexico they view skull as a symbol of life ~ not death. During this time, homes are often decorated in the same manner as the graves. FYI anyone in Austin Texas can visit Mexic~arte Museum & check out the displays & artwork they have this time of the year. I really think with the inclusion of our Halloween here in the northern part of Mexico they have turned the Halloween/Dia de los Muerte into a 3 day celebration!

2006-10-30T05:50:00.000-08:00

Molcajete~the ancient Mexican Cuisinart!

Recently I was given a Molcajete by my Spanish tutor Lily Lopez. I was very honored to have received this as a gift especially since it was given to her by her mother as a present for me. The basalt Molcajete was very worn & shows much care in the way it has been used for many years. This time honored classic has been used since Aztec times here in Latin America. It is used for centuries to grind, blend. It has been called the Cuisninart of Mexico. In this day & age the many cooks are using the blender to do the work of the Molcajete but it is still the truest & most honored addition to a true Mexican kitchen~or a nice conversation piece.The Molcajete is from the state of Jalisco where the basalt rock is carved into a bowl shape. (found a photo of men carving on web.)
Included below is a recipe I have used when I make Chicken Enchiladas. You don't have to have a Molcajete to make this tasty sauce~please feel free to use your blender. Bon Appetit!

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde

10-12 Tomatillos (green with husks & look like small tomatoes), roasted

1-2 yellow onions

2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 green bell pepper, roasted

3-4 Anaheim or Hatch chilies, roasted

2-3 Jalapeno peppers, roasted

10-12 cloves garlic, roasted

1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 c. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. fresh Mexican oregano, minced

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. sugar

Salt & Pepper to taste

All peppers, onions, tomatillos must be roasted. These can be done on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10-20 min. Turn these veggies so the roast evenly or you can use a stovetop comal to roast & blacken the vegtables. When they are softened & browned/blackened(stove top) Remove from the heat & cool slightly. Use tongs or gloves to de-seed the peppers. Put all the ingredients in a blender, food processor or Molcajete & process to desired texture. Adjust & add the herbs, spices. Let this sit at least 1 hour for flavors to meld together. Enjoy!

The word molcajete (mortar) derives from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs: “molli” (seasoning or sauce) and “caxitl” (bowl).

2006-10-28T07:52:00.000-07:00

Durango, Wild country & wild weather!

Durango~Wild West of Northern Mexico
Bell towers of the Cathedral
Ancient Petroglyphs
Man & his best friend?

Archaeological digs yet to be explored

And Saint Peter looks on...

2006-10-21T21:39:00.000-07:00

Pyramids & Petroglyphs ~

Weekend trip to Durango.
Durango is an old historic northern Mexico town dating back to the 1500's & there are beautiful buildings in the historic center of town including the stately Cathedral~Basilica. They are proud of their "old west spirit there" the side of city buses have ads with men in wild west costumes, caballeros & saloon girls that looked as if they stepped out of the gold rush in San Francisco. John & I saw the sights and walked around a great deal there but were much impressed by the less traveled Archaeological Zona outside Durango a few kilometers in an area known as La Ferreria. There were more ruins than we could possibly see in the time we had to visit & there more still being excavated by local college students. We climbed the Mesoamerican ruins dating from 450 to 550 AD. We saw stone foundations of houses enclosed by stone walls and sites of larger dwellings. We also climbed up to see ruins of the Grand Pyramid at the top of the hill overlooking the whole site there on the Tunal River. The ruin sites seemed to stretch on & the wild terraine brought to mind a John Wayne movie. We had a chance to see Petroglyphs & remains from an early Spanish Colonial settlement on the same site before a storm forced us to leave & head back home. As we drove home after dark on the winding poorly lit roads closer to Torreon we missed our Texas highways & yes, the way TX DOT keeps things in good condition. It is all relative here south of the border.

Cathedral ~ Basilica Durango

2006-10-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

Heck yes, these boots are made for walkin.... in Texas!!

The real Friday night lights!

Family time

Texas Trip! We took a whirlwind trip home to Texas for Parent's Weekend & saw our girls. We also celebrated birthdays & visited San Antonio. It is hard to be so far away but harder still to say goodbye on those brief visits home. When we arrived in Round Rock our first night home I am not sure who was happier: the dogs, the girls or the parents? It all just passed too quickly. However it wouldn't be Texas without a fall football game!

2006-10-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

City Lights

Torreon at Night
Last weekend when we were out in the evening at dusk & as the night closed in around us I thought about the many sights one might see in a 24 hour time period here in Torreon ~ actually any city in Mexico. At night in Torreon there is a whole different feel & look. The beggars have left the street corners for the day, traffic slows & the old men with donkeys pulling heavy loads have gone home for the night. As the lights flicker on people begin to pack the restaurants, bars & clubs; it makes the city look larger & even glamorous. The night seems to somehow wash the city clean & even the pervasive desert dust begins to settle some.

My favorite Poet is Robert Frost who penned perfectly his thoughts on night.

I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain - and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.
I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.
I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet.....

2006-09-24T21:26:00.000-07:00

Herbs in Mexico.

There are herbs that increase love, decrease gas, settle the digestive tract,ward off evil & calm a baby with colic. I don't know that I believe in all of the folklore that goes along with some of the plants. Trips to the nursery find me returning with herbs I plant in pots around the patio. My favorite here is Cilantro. While I don't grow it because it is very cheap in the stores this place is a real herbal melting pot with what is used in la cocina!

Cilantro is plentiful & mere pesos in Mexico so I have been making a family favorite which is a recipe my mother passed on to me. I will continue making all of my salad dressings here. Long gone the days of Wish Bone & Seven Seas Salad dressings. And Ranch dressing, I can't imagine what they would call it here! I miss the days when I could go to an aisle in the grocery store & see rows of different brands & flavors. Here with fewer choices I just have to be more inventive.

Cilantro Dressing
1/3 c. lightly packed cilantro with stems
3Tbsp white wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic
1/2c oil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt,
1/2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp mayonaise
Mix in blender till smoothe...makes 1 cup

2006-09-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

Fuego!

Aida~Opera Monumental!

Saturday night John & I attended a spectacular performance of Aida in Torreon at Estaduio Revolucion. The world premiere was in Monterrey Mexico 2 nights before Torreon's performance. There were 180 Actors, a chorus of 80 & a massive stage with 27 meter screen that had images of Ancient Egypt which seemed to sweep the audience into the production. Set in Ancient Egypt the plot of Aida has all the elements of any great story: Doomed love, War, Betrayal & Jealousy. We were blown away by the Scenery & Fire that is used to punctuate the storyline & could actually feel the heat in our VIP seating. The show is billed as Monumental Opera on Fire! Priceless! People Watching in Torreon on a Saturday night: Magnifico!
for more info on the show: http://www.aida-on-fire.com/index.php?id=7

2006-09-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

John & I are looking forward to seeing a production of Aida here this weekend in Torreon. There will be hundreds of cast members, actual fire on the stage, huge sets. A nice cultural experience I am sure. The production is a traveling group from Germany. It will be unique since John will not be the only blond man in Torreon for the weekend.
Being in Mexico has given me more time for the things I haven't done the last few years, cooking is one. I am posting a recipe that is an adaptation of a recipe that was used by Roxanne Hill to feed hundreds of hungry people last year at Stony Point. I have made a few changes but most of the recipe is the Roxanne original!

Chicken Enchiladas

13 oz. canned Tyson chicken, drained

8 oz. cream cheese

8 oz. sour cream, thinned out with 3 T. milk

2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

10 oz. mexican rotel

15 oz. green chili enchilada sauce, Hatch is prefered

1 small chopped white onion

24 white corn tortillas

Save some of the onions and shredded cheese for topping. Mix the chicken, cheeses, rotel, and onions together. Warm the tortillas in the microwave then stuff and roll. Lay them in a pan, pour the sour cream mixture over the enchiladas, pour over the green chili sauce, then sprinkle on the remaining onions and cheese.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

*thanks again Roxanne! Cooking down here is a challenge when you go to the stores. You begin with the list you want to come home with & end up leaving the stores with what you can find! Adaptation!

2006-09-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

This is a toast to the Mexican Independence Holiday~ just barely survived no thanks to the fireworks & thunder & lightening that seemed to make us feel we were in Baghdad Friday night at 11pm!!!

Okay here is the recipe for

Trudy’s Mexican Martini:

2 shots tequila
1 shot sweet & sour
1 ¾ shot orange juice
1 good squeeze lime juice
green olives

Pour all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well pour in a martini glass with some olives. Garnish with some more olives on a small skewer or toothpick.
*If you want to thank someone please thank Olga Essary!

2006-09-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

Casa de Madero Winery

Wine & History...great combination!

Historic Parras
We visited Parras Coahuila, a beautiful Spanish Colonial town set in the hills between Torreon & Saltillo. Parras is the home to the oldest winery in the Americas the Casa de Madero Winery. The town has an array of churches & colorful homes of which many date to the 1500's. The altitude was high enough and the desert far enough that the air felt very fresh. John & I jumped ship on our winery tour and walked around on our own, no one noticed two less people.

2006-09-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

Not amused!
Do I look amused??
The pecan picker in question!
Trash day in las Isabeles

On our recent trash pick up day I was more than irritated & not very amused by the behavior of the sanitation workers in our little burg. I was upstairs changing clothes & heard the trash truck arrive at our house when I was rather shocked to find the tree shaking outside of the bedroom window. Well, what to my wondering eyes should appear??? A human head! One of the workers felt very agile & certain that he could shimmey up the pecan tree near our room & was up there grabbing pecans~which I might add are still green. He also was looking back at me look at him! Well, I raced downstairs more to retrieve our trash can than to catch the pecan thief but he was already up the neighbors pecan tree staring up at their window? What gives I would like to know? Is he really after pecans or is he a local Peeping Tom? I really have to wonder. Would a 9 iron to the head stop this peeper? Only time will tell. But I have photos this trash day of the same pecan picker at work prior to his repeat tree climb. I have put him on the alert that this Gringo is watching & not amused....

2006-09-10T15:29:00.000-07:00

Flooding on Independencia
A Fog of Dust!

Mexico a place of extremes
Torreon has frequent dust storms which fly in & cover everything with dust. (everything is an understatement) For the moment before the dust hits, the breeeze feels good then one realizes it is nothing but dust blowing & it is a scramble to close doors & windows, etc. The dust at times looks like fog even till it hits your skin & eyes, then there is no mistake! This weekend we dealt with rain. While local street flooding kept us close to home. The rest of the week here is predicted to have 60% chance of rain. More rain here in the desert! Oh boy, the rain seems to bring out the critters here. The only good point to the extremes is: our storms move in & out pretty quickly. Not much slows the pace of life down in Latin America. Traffic has got to keep moving & horns continue to blare!

2006-09-03T17:34:00.000-07:00

Off the Beaten Path

Mountains & Rivers & Dams

Rugged Beauty

John & I visited Presa Fransisco Zarco which is a beautiful mountain area south of Torreon where a dam provides a fresh water source for this area. The lake & Rio Nazas there provides recreation and more importantly fresh water for this area. The mountain terrain is breathtakingly rugged.

2006-09-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

Art & Culture
Downtown Art in Torreon Arocena building
John visits Museo Arocena
Museo Arocena, Bravo!
Cow Parade in Mexico? Cows create interest!
Plaza de Armas

Torreon along with Mexican history are proudly represented in the new Museo Arcena. Paintings both contemporary & classic as well as artifacts from Europe & Mexico were beautifully arranged in the galleries of the new Museum. Four floors of extraordinary objects. Outside we were amused by a Cow Parade much like the same exhibits held in the U.S.A. Appeal of Cows is universal it seems.

2006-08-31T10:30:00.000-07:00

Looking for the Vice President!

Barton Springs

The Maryland nieces visited while we were in Texas. Trying hard to pack everything in we did Barton Springs, Tessoros Trading Co., More Tex-Mex than is possible & of course a great visit to San Antonio to see Mimi & Nana. San Antonio photos seem like Mexico...or is it?? There was even a Vice Presidential sighting @ El Arroyo, he, he! Miss you Katherine & Sarah!

2006-08-31T09:58:00.000-07:00

With friends it is hard to say
goodbye so we just plan the next event..
love my girls!!!
All my friends are royal!!!
Dee & Patti the early years!!!

More on getting together with friends...

2006-08-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Ruins: Ex Convento SanFransico
Beauty & History

Spring in Zacatecas

We were fortunate to
visit Zacatecas over
Spring Break & see the
ex Convento SanFransisco
ruins as well as the
beautiful city with
the ancient spanish aqueducts ,
view from la Buffa & the
Hotel Quinta Real Zacatecas.

2006-08-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Texas Sunset in Knippa

The real reason I am in Torreon:

some call him Senor Kincke I just call him John! And even though we rest our heads in Mexico our thoughts are always in Texas right around sundown! God bless our Texas.

2006-08-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

The Pets

Mexican kitty, Katerina is a Persian cutie. Not to replace Molly dog or Allie cat but a south of the border addition. Molly & Allie are keeping Lauren company in Texas.

2006-08-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

Las Isabeles

Our home in the Las Isabeles neighborhood of Torreon. The homes in Mexico are take advantage of the lot & space available. The location is what is considered the curb in Texas. The walls of the house are very thick concrete with limestone veneer on the streetside. Very cool for the Mexican hot weather. The guard at the front gate usually is accompanied by the neighborhood poodle. Not much vigilance I fear!

2006-08-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

Torreon: Desert & Mountains
The Town of Torreon is home to about 1 million people. They are very proud of El Cristo de las Noas. It is the Christ statue on the hillside at the edge of the mountains above Torreon.

2006-08-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

On the way to Torreon

On the way to Torreon in June we stayed in the Quinta Real Hotel in Monterrey Nuevo Leon. The hotel was fabulous & service was outstanding. The next day we drove through Saltillo on our way home to Torreon.

2006-08-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

Saying Goodbye...
The hardest part of leaving Texas is & will always be leaving our family. They are pieces of the heart you take anywhere you call home. Whether it is Mexico or Texas, a dorm room or an office. These are my baby girls!

2006-08-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

Friends & Goodbyes

My friends back in Texas I miss alot but know that there are South of the Border get away weekends on the horizon! Muwahhhh Love you Chicas!

2006-08-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

Texas to Mexico

A Texan in Mexico the story will unravel with time.
Torreon Coahuila to Round Rock Texas: big changes! Manana is another day here in Mexico.....