Month: June 2023

It’s about time, I think.

It was more than a year ago that I made the last batch of Kombucha. Oh the shame!!

I am going to show you what 1 year of “Mothers” looks like. I think you will be as amazed as I was. Here goes.

Each of the 4 pieces you see in the photo above, the 2 smallest are 1” thick, and the 2 larger pieces are easily 2 1/2” thick.

After making the newest batch of ”buch”, I couldn’t keep all of the mothers alive, having to discard some into the organic bin. I did keep the largest piece, cutting it into 4 chunks, and putting it into the hotel for mothers. (Similar to the Hotel California.)

Here is the final batch of “buch”; alongside is the hotel with the chunks of Mother. The tea in the hotel is fresh from the final batch, and will be changed, or added to with each new batch of Kombucha.

The Mothers are floating in a new bath of strong tea, and sugar. What’s not to enjoy about that?

That’s it until next time. The Kombucha is well liked on NOOM, so much so that homemade Kombucha has only 16 calories for 100ml. Yay!!! It’s because all of the sugar is digested by the mother, giving off its waste as CO2, and the fermenting process is begun.

The rest, as they say, is just amazing flavor. After the second fermentation, that is.

Until next we meet, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

Herbs. I can’t keep them fresh on the counter, or in the fridge, and I can’t grow them very well.

But I’m going to try. Well, the growing of them anyway. Hopefully, with the Lord’s help, I can do it this time.

To get started, I have some small soil disc’s from a starter kit I bought who know when, and I have some seeds. I also have a few grow lights, small ones, not like the big set up I had in the US. These are small, portable, and set to a timer, which comes on at 7am, and off at 7pm.

Right now, I have one grow light shining on what’s left of my Aeonium Kiwi. I have done a bit more research on the Kiwi, and have found that it drops its petals, or whatever they’re called, in the Spring, and Summer, to start its regrowth in late Summer, early Fall. Well Hell. Wish I’d known that before I got all wacko about the leaves all dropping off when they first arrived. Sheesh.

Back to the herbs. I will be planting Albahaca, (Basil), Cilantro, Eneldo, (Dill), Epazote, Oregano, Salvia (Sage), and Tomillo, (Thyme). Those are the herbs I use most in cooking, but never seem to have to hand when I need them.

I buy them fresh, in the grocery store, but rarely have everything I need to use them in dishes. I didn’t list Romero, (Rosemary), because that is really hard to start from seed, so I’m not sure if I’m even going to try it. Would love to have it scenting the living room, but I’m fast becoming a wuss. We’ll see; that, and Lavadura, (Lavender).

Basil, for example. I would love to make a pesto but never have the pine nuts when I need them. I have Parmesano Reggiano, olive oil, salt, and basil, but no nuts. It’s always something.

Epazote. It’s not an herb that most people are familiar with, but in Mexican cuisine it’s quite common. It has an acrid smell, like a horrible lighter fluid, or strange chemical, but delivers an incredible difference to foods cooked with it; especially when used fresh. In black beans, while they’re boiling, a sprig of this gives the beans a wonderful flavor that is definitely missed if not used.

Now, with NOOM, they are teaching me to actually plan ahead, plan the meals I want to make for the next few days, and shop accordingly. It seems like such a simple thing to do, but it has taken me all of these years to be disciplined enough to actually do it.

The seeds are all here, except for the Sage, at the time I’m typing this, but they will be here this weekend. After they are all here, it will be a matter of gumption. Until then

Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

I made the Sopa de Col con Pollo today, (Cabbage with chicken soup).

It is amazingly good. I had to add quite a few things to it for it to have any flavor that we would enjoy, and I wrote down all of the things I added.

Originally, it had only cabbage, obviously, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and tomato sauce. Boring.

I added quite a bit of sautéed mushrooms, spinach, epazote, oregano, marjoram, and fennel, and it has taken it to an entirely different level. Fortunately I made a large batch, so we will be able to eat it for another day, or so. While the newly arrived tomatoes are maturing, we will eat this soup, or at least I will. Then I will freeze some, and make another different soup with some of the tomatoes. I’ll let you know.

I might take a photo of this soup, not sure. I’m not sure it would be that appealing to you folks, but the taste, as I said is fantastic. A great start to cooking delicious, and healthy foods.

Normally, for us, because I have never been a very adventurous cook, we have eaten anything that will fit in a tortilla. Seriously. I can heat up a mean can of soup, but could never get a homemade soup to have any flavor. Now, I’m learning how to do just that; make food that tastes good, and is good for us. Amazing what fresh veg can do for a meal.

My weight is slowly, and surely going down. Each morning I get up, go to the bathroom, then weigh myself; now without trepidation. I actually look forward to it, as every morning, for the past few mornings, it is a welcome sight. The numbers keep going down, down, and down. Yay!

I also have to tell you that I am rarely hungry, and know that I can eat anything I want to at any time. When I have a little hint of hunger after any meal, I can go to the kitchen, and get an apple, or blueberries with yogurt, and not have to have potato chips with dip. Quite freeing I must say. The choices have become endless.

That’s all I have to tell you about my progress. Soon I will tell you about the herb garden I’m going to start. It’s so different planting things here, in containers, without direct sunlight than when we were in Iowa, with an entire backyard full of sun, and space. But I am determined to try. I believe, once they are established, I will take them upstairs, to the rooftop, and check on them every day. Hopefully, Liz, and I will be able to cook with fresh herbs in the not too distant future. Until then

Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

I am making slow, but steady progress.

My clothes are fitting a little less tightly than the past few months, and my back hurts ever so much less, as well. I want to show you some of the soups I am going to be making over the next few months. They are from the Kiwilimón app. I don’t know if you get it in the US, but it’s very popular here.

The other day I spent $50 on Justo, our grocery delivery app, and bought all kinds of veg for the soups I’m making this week, and next. The first 5 are as follows, but not necessarily in this order: Sopa de Nopales con Chile Guajillo, (cactus soup with Guajillo chiles), Sopa Azteca, Sopa de Tortilla, and Sopa de Col con Pollo, (cabbage soup with chicken).

Each of them has ingredients that I can use in 1, or more, of the other soups. Neat, huh? NOOM is teaching me to sit down, and spend what ever time is needed to plan out a menu, for the day, and, if I’m able for the week. I don’t have to stay glued to it, but use it as a guide. They are teaching me why I eat the way I do, and how to change it since it’s obviously not working. They say it nicer than that but that’s the gist of it.

They also have a list of the 3 different food groups that I can choose from, with the % of each group that is ideal for the day’s calorie consumption. I can eat any foods I want, I just have to log them, and see where I have calories left from which to choose. It’s really very simple. No foods are denied, but veg, and fruit are just about free to eat however much you want. The rest, you have to make decisions.

No problem; I can do, and am doing that. It gets easier every day. Once I get my fat arse outside, on the park path, or ride my bike, the weight should come off even easier. For now, I’ll keep eating the rainbow, with amazing fresh fruit, and veg. See you again soon.

Here’s the Justo haul. I’ll explain what you’re seeing. Let’s get started.

In the back left, you’ll recognize green grapes, then a liter of plain sugar free yogurt, with a Chobani sugar free vanilla flavored yogurt on top of it. Continuing to the right, avocado’s, and mango’s, (they’re yellow mango’s).

Back over to the left are, standing up, nopales, (cactus), an unripe papaya, small cactus, blueberries, mushrooms, (the rest of the kilo is in a bag off camera), carrots, and tomatoes. Not too shabby, huh?

All of the greens on the right are, from top to bottom, a stalk of celery, cilantro, epazote, spinach, (there are 6 more bundles of spinach in the white papers), in front of the spinach is a bunch of basil, and a cabbage.

Not in the photo are 4 boneless, skinless frozen chicken breasts that I put in the freezer. Normally I remove skin, and bones myself, but for less than 5¢ each, I let them do the work. 😉

Now, I have to go disinfect all of above before putting them into the fridge. They have to sit in a bowl of water, with the disinfectant, for 15 minutes, each group. Well worth it though, let me tell you. If not, you can expect diarrhea within a day. Here’s what was at the bottom of just 1 bowl after disinfecting. You probably won’t see this in the US. They come already clean.

Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

You know you needed a laugh.

I have, once again, started hanging our laundry on our newly repaired clothes line.

It has been several months since I was able to hang our clothes to dry, and not rely on the dryer so much. The dryer does get rid of the lint, but uses too much gas to heat it. Since we have a nice bit of airflow through the laundry area window, it’s silly not to use it to dry the clothes.

The only trouble with this way of doing things is that the window also lets in the dust from El Popocatépetl, our local volcano, which, at the moment, is very active. The amount of dust that has landed on every horizontal surface here is unprecedented.

Which means, I suppose, that I should dust more often.

Not!

I have taken a vow to allow someone to take up this task for me as whatever penance they feel they need to work off. 😀 Far be it for me to have taken that opportunity away from them. I don’t know who they are but I’m sure it’s someone.

I digress.

I believe I told you that a few weeks ago, I decided to fix the clothes line, after having waited for himself to do it for several months now. I took the rope off, washed, and bleached it, and let it dry. Then, I took down the metal piece that holds the rope, (see the photo below. It used to be hanging on by a thread), scraped off the peeling paint, and plaster, squeezed clear silicone into each of the 3 holes, and put the metal piece, and the 3 screws with the plaster expander things back in the holes. I had squeezed the silicone the entire length of the metal piece, then all around the edges. I don’t think it’s going anywhere anytime soon.

As far as El Popo getting crazy, check it out on YT, I believe. It’s really quite active.

Well, I have 3, or 4 more loads of clothes to wash, and hang, so that will happen over the next few days. Gives me time to take all of the above down, fold them, and possibly put them away. Always a guess.

Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

I really, really, really don’t like that word.

To come up to someone, whose name I presume you know, and call out “Hey”, as a greeting, just about sends me over the very close edge on which I usually preside.

Several of my coworkers used to do that to me, and I would immediately respond with “if you’re talking to me, my name is Diana.” More often than not, they would respond with the fact that they knew that, and then continue on with whatever they were going to say to “Hey”.

I’m not a “hey”, never have been a “hey”, and don’t ever want to be a “hey”. I have an identity, a name; my name. Diana. Use it.

Unfortunately it did get my attention, and that was its purpose, but I disliked it all the same.

If you don’t know my name, then just say “excuse me. Ma’am?” I’ll answer you. I’ll acknowledge you. I’ll talk to you.

Here, in fact, most store employees, cashiers, stockers, baggers, call me Abuelita, which suits me just fine. I’m close to 70, look 75, so the name is appropriate. It brings a smile to my face.

The only problem is that my mind still envisions me at about 55 – 60 ish, when I was not so heavy, or grey haired, or less mobile. Now that I am soon to be 68 years old, am heavier, and have close to white hair, it’s ok to be known to those young people as Abuelita. It is a term of endearment, whereas Abuela is more formal, less loving. I’ll take what I can get.

Which would you rather be, “hey” or Abuelita?

As Abuelita, I’ll see you soon. Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

Post script: in case you haven’t noticed yet, I am posting, and will continue to do so, every 3 mornings, more, or less. It works for me.

I got to drive to the store the other night.

That probably doesn’t mean much to you folks, but down here, I have no drivers license, therefore I shouldn’t drive. Not yet anyway.

It was about 9:40pm, and I was out of milk, eggs, and cottage cheese; all staples for our new way of life.

I got out of our parking area after driving forward, and backward about a half dozen times, all of the time Ivan was laughing at me; chuckling really. Why? Because he knows he has to do it that way as well.

Not to mention that one of the vecinos, neighbors, was giving a party, so all of the parking spaces around us, that are usually vacant, were full. Normally, we can be pull into them when trying to get out; not tonight.

Anyway, I managed to get out of the space, backed up, after another 4, or 5 times, into the neighbors space on the end, and drove up the ramp, and out of the garage. Yay. I haven’t forgotten how to drive, or how to park.

I told Ivan tonight that I wanted to start driving to Costco, or WalMart during the day once in a while. Mind you, driving here is not even like driving in Chicago. It’s worse.

I’m unable to drive around dusk. There’s not enough light for me to see the streets clearly, and not dark enough for the street lights to be on. There are speed bumps, called topes, TO-pess, about every 500 meters. If you don’t see them, you’ll feel them. They are rounded mounds of concrete that span the street from side to side. Some are marked with white, and yellow diagonal stripes, and some are not marked at all.

During the daytime, the shadows from the dashboard cause such a dark glare on the bottom of the windshield, again, making it almost impossible to see the topes that aren’t clearly marked. I have been observing, while Ivan is driving, that if you keep your fourth eye on the people in front of you, you can see when they slow down to go over a bump, so that is what I’ll do too.

Everyone here drives by their own rules. It’s hard to know what anyone is going to do at any moment. If there are 3 lanes of traffic, and the only way you can go is left, or right, frequently all 3 lanes go left!!! What???

In the States, there is more order; one has a certain ability to anticipate what one will do next. Here, just when you think you can safely pass a vehicle they pull out to pass the car in front of them.

NOOM is going well; I CAN DO THIS!!! The plants, the Aeonium, 4 of them left, appear to be surviving, though you wouldn’t know it to look at them. All of the new “petals” underneath, are bright green, and plump.

Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

So good.

With the NOOM program, there’s plenty of food to eat, no food deprivation, just trying to add more “green” foods to our way of life, and more movement.

Since CoVid incarceration began, we have been catatonic in front of our computers. We live vicariously through the programs we watch. In other words, we watch others living their lives because we can’t.

Well, the other day I walked 1 km to the bank, and the mercado in the Plaza, paid for our license plates, the verification of the BMW, (every 6 months), bought some perishables, then walked another km. home.

Let me tell you what; walking works. I even stretched enough while I was hurrying to the bank. I had procrastinated long enough that I had only 11 minutes before closing. DUH!. I could barely bend my ankles as I was walking so fast! My shins were screaming for me to stop, but I couldn’t.

I did stop, once, for about 20 seconds, just to stretch on a curb about 4 blocks from the bank. When I got there, though, no one was at the ATM, so I withdrew the money I needed to pay for the plates, and groceries, and went inside. Only two people at the window, so it was all over in about 5 minutes, with 3 minutes to spare.

But, back to NOOM. It has been up, and down with my weight but they tell me it’s ok, no worries, keep doing the right thing; weigh myself daily, (ugh!), eat more green foods, and move some everyday.

Walking works. Not to mention that I am never hungry. Well, the second day all I could think about was food. So I ate what I wanted.

No persecution from my advisor, only a reminder that the next day was a new day, to start fresh, and work towards doing the program as I was learning it.

Next week I am going to try riding my foldable bike again. Haven’t done that since last year, and, since I drank too much at the time, it was more dangerous than healthy.

Until then, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.