Food!

This is how the table is set up with products weekly

As promised, today's posting is all about food!  I've previously mentioned that I've been patiently waiting to hear something regarding a start date for this English teaching job I got back in Feb/March.  I've also mentioned that while waiting lots of other things have been developing around me.  Mostly, domestic type things, as my responsibilities at Mama's house continue to grow.  One such responsibility is cooking.  Yep, I have been using Mama's lessons and experimenting a bit in the kitchen!  Out of that came the creation of  a few healthy empanadillas (chicken and broccoli as well as black bean and beets) which I gifted to a few neighbors ( and also highlighted their creation on this blog).   About a week later, one of my neighbors stopped me to tell me how much her and her family enjoyed the empanadillas.  Then, we started talking about my quest to infuse what Mama has taught me with healthier options.  She mentioned she had quite a few vegetarian recipes she could give me and even went a step further by telling me about a local cooking class that she use to go to.  I was so excited when she told me it was held in a natural food store (I had been looking for one of those as there are no Whole Foods or Fairways out here), and you get to eat what you made after class!  That was pretty much all I had to hear.  I got all the information from her and by Thursday of that week I was attending my first class!

Black bean chili in Tortilla cups - I made this at home - tasted better in class!

Here's the deal, the class is once a week.  Olga is the teacher and she is bilingual (although I'm trying to get her to stop answering me in English).  She's probably in her late 50's/early 60's but looks amazing!  The class is full of women and on average two men.  One though, Don Miguel, is the constant and is so cute (he reminds me of the grandpa version of a guy I use to date)!  Of course because the class its smack in the middle of the week and from 9a to 11a everyone there is of retirement age and very curious as to what I'm doing there.  What else?  OH!  We don't cook.  Olga gives us the recipes and then gives a step by step demonstration.  The class is $4 and we get a minimum of 3 recipes a class.  Yes, that means I get to eat a minimum of 3 things per class.  Sometimes we also get a bonus because one of the students will bring a dish in too.  All recipes are in Spanish and the entire class is in Spanish (unless Olga is talking to me unfortunately).   I have figured out over these past few weeks that I've taken the class that this is a vegan cooking class....meaning nothing that comes from an animal is used (no eggs, cheese, meat, nada).

Flan de Pana thanks to Don Miguel sooo good!

The first day I went to class I was a bit nervous because I wasn't sure what I was stepping into.  I just went.  Once I met Olga my nerves were calmed a bit as she is very nice and welcoming.  She reminded me of home as she seemed to have a NY edge to her.  After about 20 minutes of sitting there, I received a few more warm wordless yet curious smiles from the incoming students (all whom kiss, embrace and chat with one another throughout class).  Then, trouble walked through the door.  

Pasta with Eggplant - tried this one at home yum!

I sensed this woman was trouble when she plopped down next to me and started chit chatting with the woman next to her as if Olga wasn’t even smack in middle of a lesson.  It’s hard to explain, but some people just let off a dark cloud, a tough demeanor and they really don’t have to say much.  It doesn’t help she’s taller than me with her bottom teeth full of braces, clear green eyes and burgundy/light red dyed hair.   Anywhoo, some time past and I continued to pay close attention to the lesson at hand.  After all, I was there for the lesson.  But then, Olga made me the center of attention by announcing that I am here trying to learn Spanish so that is the reason that sometimes she stops to explain things in English and why she keeps asking me if I have any questions.   She meant well, but that is all Ms. Trouble needed to hear.  Immediately, she turns to me and says (in Spanish) “What are you a gringa?”  I respond nervously in Spanish “Yes.”  Then I remember that while in New York gringa often means a Latina who can’t speak Spanish, here in Puerto Rico gringa pretty much means white woman.  So, I quickly add in Spanish “I mean, no, I’m Puerto Rican, I just don’t speak Spanish fluently.” It feels like she’s burning a whole through my cheek with her clear green eyes when I say “My parents didn’t raise me bilingual so I’m here with my grandmother trying to learn.” She continues to stare at me with disappointment in her face as she scoffs and says “That’s horrible.  What a shame.” She turned away from me and to this day hasn’t said a word to me since….unless you count the time she said Spanish words in an overly gringa accent (that was the same day she found out I wasn’t fluent so I couldn’t help but feel that was a stab at me).  

Garbanzo and Cabbage Soup (on the fence about this one)

Pudding Cake with Fresh Strawberry topping (hope to make this soon)

'Ole Clear Eyes sits close or next to me just about every Thursday and always leaves before we eat.  I do feel a certain resentment towards her but every week I try to approach her energy with a calm and positive vibe.  The honest truth is I’m holding a grudge because I think she’s all around unnecessarily rude but I know I have to work that out.  I don’t want to have ill feelings towards someone I don’t even know based on one mini run in.  I also try to remind myself that sooner or later a run in like that was bound to happen.  It is up to me to continue to work on my language so that I can limit how much it actually does happen.

Chicken, Veggie and Sweet Plantain soup I made for Mama when she was sick! This was my 1st soup ever! Delish!

Now, here is why I keep going back!  Take a look at some of the dishes we’ve learned how to make in class.  I am proud to say I have tried three of these recipes already and my favorite so far is the Quinoa Salad!  I’ve made it twice and improved on it the second time and Mama definitely approves!  I have also gotten new ideas for substituting everyday fatty non-nutricious ingredients with better for you just as delicious items.  One example?  I re-worked my mom’s chocolate chip cookie recipe and made coconut chocolate chip cookie bars with whole wheat flour and virtually NO BUTTER/MARGARINE.  Mama and the neighbors absolutely LOVE them!  In other news…the specific contract I was hired to teach English for has since disappeared so it appears I no longer have a job unless they obtain another contract with another company who wants to teach their workers English... I have also been willingly avoiding my scale as I experiment and continue to eat…mmm mmmm mmmm!

Quinoa Salad (in class)

Quinoa Salad (my version)

The Lost Pictures II

So as promised I found more lost pics!  Let's get started!  First up, theater in Puerto Rico!  I love theater and I have been going through Broadway withdrawl out here.  So, one day when Titi Annie and I were headed to the local track to get our run on, we stumbled upon this sign.  I immediately took the number down and was determined to experience any theater I could on this side of the island.  Now, please keep in mind that the side of PR that I live on is not near the main city which is San Juan.  If you live over there there are shows of all sorts coming to town all the time.  Over here, not so much.  The Puerto Rico version of Romeo and Juliet was put on by local teens.  They did everything from the advertising to the props to the lighting.  Their director was very proud of them and I have to say while it was at times moments painful to sit through (picture Juliet and several other cast members with nasally monotone voices reciting Shakespeare in Spanish), it was also pretty entertaining.  You can tell these kids worked hard and it made me miss being both in the audience and behind the curtain.

They kissed passionately ALOT during the show.

Roméo y Julieta

It was so nice to see a theater again!

Ok, next up...Paul Rudd.  I walked into my local grocery store the other day and this was staring me in the face.  Immediately I cracked up.  First, he's being serious.  Second, he's modeling mens eyewear.  Third, it is life size.  Last, it is in a grocery store.  I also immediately thought of my Spike peeps as many of them would have gotten quite a giggle out of this display as well.  Miss you guys!

Mr. Rudd in all his glory

Oh ok!!  So, my Tio Ray came on a surprise visit a few weeks ago.  He arrived at some random hour of the morning and refused to sleep.  Instead, he wanted me to drive him over to some family friends of his. I vaguely remember them from when I was a kid, but they moved to Puerto Rico a long time ago and I haven't seen them in years.  But, much like many families around here, they welcomed me with open arms and treated me like they had just seen me yesterday.  When we arrived, there was an older gentleman working hard painting a car.  My uncle pointed to him and said "That man is 90 years old and he's always moving.  Look at him!"  He is the father of the family friends we were visiting.  Eventually, we made our way over to him and my uncle immediately asked him if he had some drink he was apparently famous for having stashed away in his garage.  Please see the cutest old man ever and his bottle o' fire!  It tasted like really old dark rum with lots of fruit.  I think that's basically what it is.  It was warm and it definitely wasn't quiet as it went down.  I tried it because how could you say no to that face...but I won't rush for seconds, that's for sure!

After the glass o'fire, and showing us two of his wooden fishing boats that he made himself, he walked us over to his mango tree.  Right now is the season for mangos...anywhere you go roads are lined with free delicious mangos that drip from the trees and literally spill into the streets.  He called these banana mangos and proceeded to pull a knife out of his pocket and peel the mango like a banana.  The mango did not taste like a banana but it sure was delicious!  His wife later warned me that combining the glass o'fire and mangos was not a good idea.  So, I handed the rest of my mango over to my Tio in fear of me having to pay a high price on the throne later.

I have found yet another dream home.  The first one I have yet to take any good pictures of but this one I admire twice a week as I head to the track.  It is located in Cabo Rojo and has two huge mango trees.  I love this style of house and shamefully I think it goes back to my days as a 90210 fan!  Yes, I think my dream home is a result of Brandon and Brenda's 90210 home...excuse me as I hang my head in shame.  Seriously, this place is beautiful and while I'm sure it needs work, it seems to have enough space for a beautiful fruit/veggie garden, a basketball hoop and maybe even a swing set!  Ahhh a girl can dream can't she?!

Now we're finally getting up to date.  Here are the two amigas celebrating Mother's Day!  Mother's Day was bitter sweet for me.  I spoke to my mom for over two hours which felt really good.  I really miss her but this experience is also strengthening our relationship.  We are still mother and daughter but also two adult women just talking.  I had a tough time picking out a card for her without feeling that crying lump in my throat.  Then, five minutes after we started our conversation, Mom just sighed and said "I really miss you girl." Of course the lump in my throat came back as I expressed just how much I was avoiding talking to her because I didn't want to cry on her!  But, when I saw Mama get all dressed up in her best pink skirt suit so that I could take her out for lunch, well, I knew this is exactly where I needed to be.  If I weren't here she would have fielded a few phone calls and then the day would have passed like any other.  Instead, she ate lobster soup and posed for me we realized her pink nails perfectly matched her pink outfit.  I gave her a manicure a few days prior (she chose the color) with no idea that it would complete her look come Mother's Day! LOL!

 Next up...something we haven't talked about in awhile...FOOD!

The Lost Pictures

Time to take a trip down memory lane...well a mini trip at least.  So many things happen on a daily basis around here that I figured an update in pictures may be just the thing to get this blog up to date!  Plus, now that we are in the Facebook era where people can get lost in pictures for hours (usually during their work day...shout out to my office folks!), I think it may be quite enjoyable for most.  That being said...enjoy!

Ok so let's start with visitors...first my friend Melissa came to la isla.  Unfortunately there is no picture of her here because we never got to meet up :(  She was on the other side of the island (San Juan area) and it is about 2+ hours from me.  Our schedules never aligned so I am patiently awaiting her return trip!

Ellie

Whale in Rincón

Next, was Ellie.  Ellie has been a faithful blog reader, yard sale customer, commenter and all around cheerleader throughout this 'packin' up' journey.  So, she came into town and hit the road with her honey bunny to find Mish in PR!  She got to meet the infamous Mama and check out a few whales in Rincón with us.  Unfortunately we were so excited and concentrated on getting pics of whales that we didn't bother getting a picture of us together!  She did, however, supply me with a great pic of her during her time here in PR as well as some awesome pics of the whales!

Ponce

Old San Juan

Then, sistah/cuz came for a visit and we started her trip with a bang...hitting Old San Juan then making our way home to the West.  She took hundreds of gorgeous shots with her handy dandy camera and even contemplated staying a bit longer than planned.  She was offered a job with me as an English teacher but decided against it...good thing she did because two months later I still haven't started!  During one of our trips back from training for this "job" we decided to take a detour and stop in Ponce.  There, we found a waiter who looked like a young Benecio Del Toro -- no lie.  Old Mish would have at the very least posed with this hot hot hottie.  New Mish just appreciated the scenery and tried to convince sistah/cuz to explore her inner cougar LOL.  Now that I think of it, I should have at least asked for him to take a pic with her so you all could see just how much he looked like Benecio, it was crazy!!

Pics n driving? Do not try this at home!

Backseat view

Ok what else...oh!  So, one day we went to visit my granduncle (her uncle).  During that visit my granduncle (Tio Munchin) decided that he wanted to take us for a drive.  Then, his sister, my grandaunt (Titi Viña) said she wanted to tag along.  Before we left, I was warned that I should probably drive...so I did.  The adventure that commenced really cannot be put into words.  Tio wanted us to go up into the mountains and swore that a) it was close and a quick drive (we only had a few hours of sun left) and b) doable with my Smurf and completely safe.  Please note the pics of Tio and I picking up and tossing to the side HUGE rocks...yeah that is the road he had me on (which ended in a dead end of really tall grass).  Did I mention I had to reverse my way out of that road...in my very low to the ground NON 4x4 vehicle?!  I was just praying that nothing would end up broken as I had flashbacks of a very interesting New Years Eve (circa 2003?) in Philadelphia (long story short...a quick 11pm drive to a South Jersey liquor store ended with three friends sitting in the parking lot with a broken oil tank and nothing but booze to keep them warm as they awaited rescue before the ball dropped SHOUT OUT TO GRUMP FOR THAT RESCUE).

The infamous Rocky Road

"You will NOT hurt my smurf!"

Anyway, after successfully navigating our way out of that rock riddled road (say that 3 times fast), Tio continued to make me feel like less of a driver...saying that if he were behind the wheel we would be up the mountain and home already.  I begged to differ but I just stayed quiet.  Our final destination was a local waterway where Tio often stands to fish.  It was beautiful except for the excessive litter surrounding the road leading up to the water.  It never ceases to amaze me how litter bugs never think of the long term effects on our environment, our food, and subsequently, our bodies through their lazy actions.

Tio's fishing station

Finally, a few days before sistah/cuz boarded her plane back to the big city, we found a cozy restaurant to enjoy some delicious lobster empanadillas and take in the sunset.  It was relaxing and wonderful.  Sitting together, talking about everything and nothing...whether its over lobster empanadillas or gourmet mac n' cheese or pad thai....Riesling or Sangria...Black Whale fondue or fried ice cream.  It was good to capture that feeling with her once again in PR!

Sunset in Joyuda

So a few weeks after sistah/cuz left I discovered a double oil leak in my lil' Smurf (hmmm maybe thanks to that Rocky Road adventure?!)  Either way, I needed to get it fixed.  Low and behold my other granduncle (Mr. Miyagi) offered to pay for my car repairs in exchange for a weekend of working with him at his sunglass kiosk on the beach.  I was willing to do it for free, but the opportunity to also get my Smurf repaired was a definite bonus.  So, that Thursday night, there I was...behind a table of sunglasses offering a warm smile and a simple "Buenas" as folks strolled by glancing at what we had to offer.  Some ignored me, some returned the smile, and some were scared off.  I enjoyed this experience because  as I toy with the idea of opening my own kiosk on the beach, I was given an opportunity to see just how this beach vendor thing goes.  Things I took away from this experience:
1.get a good, tall chair (you can't stand for 5+ hours straight and expect not to have shooting leg pain and you want to be able to sit and watch everything as customers stroll by)
2. have some healthy snacks/beverages on hand (the beach is full of food...unfortunately its mostly greasy, overpriced appetizers)
3. come with your "patience" hat on...as customers are very indecisive and full of questions
4. Come with an empty bladder and have a bathroom relief person on hand in case you have to make a run for it
5. Make friends with local restaurant owners so that you don't have to go that far (nor pay...yes pay...there is one restaurant that actually has a person at their bathroom entrance asking for a $1 from everyone who tries to use it) to use the bathroom.

Tio & Carmen getting crazy in the kiosk! Don't be alarmed its only coconut water...no really, Tio doesn't drink!

So, in the end, I made quite a few sales, practiced my Spanish, and walked away with a clearer vision of my future kiosk....now I just need an actual stand to call my own! ; )

WHOA!  I just found a whole 'nother load of lost photos!  Stay tuned for more....