Month: February 2025

It’s one of the main appliance trademarks here in Mexico.

Our gas stove is Koblenz, and now we have a new, electric vacuum cleaner by the same Koblenz.

I LOVE IT!!!

Seriously. I have been using my Shark battery operated vacuum cleaner for several years now, as I bought it as a QVC special buy 7, or 8 years ago, while still living in the US, and even had to replace the head about 1 1/2 years ago. As a cordless vacuum cleaner, it’s still top of the line, IMHO. The main shaft of the vacuum articulates in the middle to make the experience much easier on my back, and arms, making it easier to get under beds, couches, etc.

But this new little guy is electric. ELECTRIC. You probably all have an electric vacuum cleaner, but I haven’t had one in years.

I don’t have to worry about only vacuuming for 15 minutes, then having to change the battery. (Speaking of which, I had to get 2 new batteries about the same time as the replacement head for the Shark, however, they are really, really snug going into the battery compartment, and a bit more difficult to remove.)

Now I can vacuum the corners of the ceiling, the corners of the floors, get up all of the volcano powder along the walls where they meet the floors. Our bedroom hasn’t been this clean of volcano dust since we moved in 5 years ago. Amazing.

It weighs in at around 5 lbs., and has a 390cm long cord that retracts into the machine, and the amount of suction is incredible. The front comes off for easy bag less cleaning, and the 2 filters inside that container come out easily, and can be cleaned by knocking the dust out of the inner paper filter, and just removing the debris by hand from the larger orange filter that you can see in the photo.

Anyway, it wasn’t even $90USD, and came the day after I ordered it. The kitchen was the first to give up the yuck hiding from my Shark, and then our bedroom. Makes me in a hurry to get to the rest of the apartment. Too bad there’s still too much crap in the living room to get started there.

Some day.

Until next time, enjoy the renewed best country in the world.

While I was away, towards the end of last year, I’d decided to get going with some different types of food preservation.

Recently, I had purchased 250g of 3 different types of mushrooms, thinking I would make an amazingly flavorful soup.

Didn’t do that.

Didn’t do anything with them for about 1 1/2 weeks. One night, however, I decided to pan fry them, cool them in the fridge overnight, then freeze them. Yes, they were still edible. Barely.

I did all of that, but as I was sitting down to watch another bit of Sorted Food on YT, I thought, why not dehydrate them? I could buy as many different types are we have available here, take a day to dehydrate them, and have them indefinitely.

What a great idea.

That lead me to thinking about dehydrating serrano peppers, bell peppers, (dehydrated red peppers are called paprika when they’re processed ;), or apples, bananas, mango. The list is as long as my arm.

When I get done with all of this, or even en route, I’ll let you know it’s going/gone.

Until then, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, wash, wash, cover, if you think it helps, but protect yourselves as you need.

If you’re one of the few people that don’t know who he is, he is the son of the amazing Reverend Billy Graham, the most charismatic, the most humble evangelical preacher of the word of God that I had the privilege to hear during many of my formative years.

Billy Graham led me to know, and love our savior Jesus Christ.

If you pay any attention to photos of our president, Donald Trump, you will, more often than not, see Franklin Graham somewhere close. He travels with the President almost everywhere he goes. They have been friends for many years and he give spiritual counsel to the President whenever asked.

Could you want more than that?

Until next time, enjoy the peace, and prosperity of the new administration.

Try this one day soon, and let me know what you think. It’s absolutely delicious.

Ingredients

2k pierna de cerdo (pork leg, w/wo bone) 

Manteca de cerdo, (pork fat, or whatever oil you want) as needed

12 oz. bottle of Mexican beer, (I used Bohemia) DONT USE WATER. The alcohol cooks out, and leaves an amazing flavor.

1/2 white onion, sliced (next time I’m going to use a whole onion)

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 handful freshly ground oregano, this is most important

S&P to taste

1. Heat Instant Pot (IP) on Sauté feature, add about 3T. Manteca. 
2. Cut pork into large chunks. Season with S&P. 
3. Add pork to IP, and brown on all sides, doing this in several batches. Set aside. 
4. Meanwhile, slice onion, and mince garlic. Set aside. 
5. When pork is done browning, add more Manteca to IP, and add onions, cooking about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, stir frequently, for about 1 minute. 
6. Return pork to the pot, and add the beer, and oregano. 
7. Change IP settings to slow cook, on low heat, cover, and cook for at least 12 hours. (If you do this at night, it’s ready when you get up. Or, put it on medium heat for 8-10 hours when you leave for work.)
8. Lift the lid, and enjoy. 

We like this with Fritos corn chips, or over a baked potato with sour cream, shredded cheese, and minced cilantro. The “sauce” is rich so be aware of that when you decide how to serve it. 

Until next time, stay happy, and healthy.

Post script: I just made sliced fried potatoes, added some of the leftover pork with the juice, and added some frozen corn. Yum.

R.F.K.Jr! Heck YES!!!!

How amazing is it that the current president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, has set a focus on Robert F.Kennedy Jr. to lead the HHS!?! Thank you Lord.

This is a man who has spent his whole life/career trying to make the people of the US healthier, and more productive members of society.

HE WANTS GOOD SCIENCE, GOOD SAFETY STUDIES ON ALL VACCINES.

According to a recent interview with Laura Ingraham, of the Ingraham Angle on Fox News, RFK said “most vaccines are exempt from pre-licensing safety studies”!!! How can this be? We vaccinate our children from birth but we’re giving them injections of what?

He’s not going to disrupt vaccine administrations, or cut the use of vaccines. He wants to educate the public about the makeup, and manufacturing of the vaccines, and the time schedule for injecting them. (I’ll post 2 photos of the changes in the vaccination schedule at the end of the post.)

He has spent years of his career bringing lawsuits against those companies, and organizations that are harming us by adding food additives to our foods that are unnatural, addictive, unsafe, and potentially dangerous.

During the nomination hearings he was being purported as being a money grabber, as someone who is trying to change things for his monetary gain. He was said to be “antivax”, yet all of his children were vaccinated.

Seriously???

Thankfully, he’s since been confirmed by Congress, and is assuming his role as the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and has sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America.

Thank you Lord.

Our nation, specifically the developing children in our country, will no longer be subjected to additives that cause diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and mental decline.

Have you seen the ingredients on a box of Fruit Loops lately? Or Lucky Charms? Or any cereal manufactured in the US? There are frequently more than 10-15 ingredients, many are harmful chemicals, all designed to addict you to the contents.

Have you seen, or heard, what’s in the same cereals that are exported to European countries? Usually there are only 4-5 ingredients. Why the disparity? Because Europe has declared that the multiple ingredients the US uses are illegal in Europe. They don’t want their children brain dead, incapacitated, unable to think for themselves. They want the best for their children/communities/countries.

Wake up America. You are being drugged into compliance, ill health, an early death.

Appreciate what RFK, Jr. is going to do for the US- bring it back to its former healthy glory.

Until next time, enjoy your health, and the happiness this administration is bringing back to our nation.

Are all telling you the truth about what is going on in our beautiful country.

NOT!!!

If you’re still watching any of those news outlets, looking for honest information, you’re drinking the Kool-Aid that the Rev. Jim Jones prepared, and drank on November 18, 1978, as did his 900 followers, in Jonestown, Guyana all of those years ago. He’s dead. They’re dead. They were led to believe the lies that they were told.

Don’t do the same thing. There are hundreds of free channels, led by competent commentators, on the internet. Find them. Listen to what they have to tell you. They will open your eyes to the TRUTH about what is happening in our government these days.

If you want a few suggestions, I’m happy to provide some. Here they are, in no certain order.

PowerfulJRE, (the Joe Rogan Experience), the Shawn Ryan Show, Sean Hannity, The Five (on Fox News), Fox News, The Ingraham Angle, featuring Laura Ingraham, Dave Rubin of the Rubin Report, Benny Johnson, Bret Weinstein, Eric Weinstein, Candace Owen, Charlie Kirk, Doc Rich, Forbes Breaking News, Freedom Frontline, Glenn Greenwald, Jordan B. Peterson, Lionel Nation, Megyn Kelly, Newsmax, Piers Morgan, Rabbi Pinchas Taylor, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Russell Brand, Sky News Australia, The Dershow with Alan Dershowitz, The Glenn Show with Glenn Beck, The Jimmy Dore Show, Tucker Carlson, Vivek Ramaswamy, Winston Marshall, Yishai Fleisher, to name but a few.

The above are some of the more meaningful channels/people Ivan, and I watch/listen to daily. They are informative, honest, and open about what is happening in the world today. They aren’t paid for their views, they aren’t compensated for their opinions, they are well educated, well informed people that live on our planet, and stand up for the Constitution of the United States of America.

Do you? Do you stand up when the Star Spangled Banner is played, even if it’s on the TV, or your computer? If not, WHY NOT? It’s OUR song, OUR history. It’s who we are as a people, as a nation. It’s commonly referred to as respect.

Until next time, enjoy the peace, and prosperity our nation is coming back to understanding.

I have answered 3 phone calls today, and was even able to return a phone call.

How amazing is that?

For me, very amazing. It’s the first time in all these 5 years that I’ve felt able to have a short conversation with an unknown person on the other end of the phone.

Thank you Lord.

Until next time, stay happier, and healthier than the past 4 years have allowed.

Never ever, have I cracked an egg, and found it black inside.

I almost got sick to my stomach.

I took a photo, showed it to Ivan, tried to post it here, but it no longer exists.

I bought brown eggs from the grocery store, 4 cartons of 18. Several in the second carton were either very dark orange, with the yolks turning brown, or, when cracked into a small bowl, the yolk splattered.

I have taken to cracking the eggs into a small bowl. I spilled a few drops of the black egg into a good egg that I was preparing for our breakfast one morning. I threw them both in the compost, washed the bowl, and tried again.

I can’t tell you what a blow this has been to my trust in the egg wholesalers, so, for the next little while, I’ll be buying our eggs over at the Mercado Taxqueña, where I know they’ll be fresh.

Until next time, stay safe. Wash your hands.

Oh, and a happy Valentine’s Day to any/all of you Hallmark heroes. We chose, 50 years ago, to celebrate our love for each other every day, without silly cards, flowers, or chocolates. Just a thought.

The light is slowly, but surely turning on in my brain.

I have been making some significant, for me anyway, Mexican dishes lately. I’ve twice made menudo, and bacalao, then tamales rojos, and pozole blanco.

What I’ve learned from all of that is that there is a basic formula used throughout the cooking experience that once one understands the complexity of those basics, as with any cuisine, you can repeat it, but change it up a bit so it becomes something else that’s a basic.

For example, the sauce used to make the pork tamales is almost identical to the sauce for menudo. The basic ingredients for the bacalao are almost identical, for the beginnings of the tamales, and the pozole blanco.

When I made the gochujang chicken, and the miso chicken recently, it was whilst making those sauces that I noticed the similarities in the ingredients. Yay for me.

It has taken so much of the worry for me when contemplating making any dish that’s got a bit of difficulty to it. Now that I have recognized the pattern of the dishes, using the same ingredients but in different quantities, etc., things have gotten so much easier for me, and it makes me feel ready to branch out, try more difficult dishes that will test my newly acquired knowledge.

What will I be making next, you ask? How will the next dish turn out?

Stay tuned. There’s more to come.

Until then, stay happy, and healthy.

And the purchasing thereof.

We used to buy our avocados when they were just becoming soft, getting into the dark green/black outer skin color. I cannot eat avocados when they are not almost too ripe for most, as I am somewhat sensitive the fruit at that stage.

Over the years I, I say I but I really mean we, have learned about the above sensitivity from a plethora of experience.

When I first started dating Ivan, in the early ‘70’s, we used to eat warmed flour tortillas with unripe avocado spread on them, just lightly salted, while we were cleaning the kitchen. About 5 minutes into this never-before-known-to-me lusciousness, my lips would begin to swell, my throat, as well, then, if that wasn’t enough, my ears, inside, would start to itch.

I had never had any sensation with which to compare this, so it scared us both. Obviously I stopped eating the lusciousness, though quite begrudgingly, and after 30-45 minutes, the swelling went away. End of story.

Until the next time. Of course it happened again. And again. And then again. I LOVE AVOCADOS.

Over the years, however, I have learned that, if I wait, and eat them when others discard them, when the skin is almost black, they don’t affect me at all. I can eat however much I want.

That said, I have also discovered, over many years of experimentation, of trial, and error, that if I buy them at their most unripe, less molested stage, when they have the brilliant green skin most look for, when they ripen in our home, the beautiful green flesh is just that, beautifully green. Let me show you.

I bought this beauty about 2 weeks before opening it to have it look like it does in the above photo. I buy them rock hard, put them in the hanging vegetable basket in the kitchen for about 3-5 days. Once they start to turn dark, I, very gently, try a bit of pressure to see how soft they are, though nowadays I can tell by the skin, then put them in the fridge on the top shelf.

When I want to open one, have it on a breakfast egg muffin, I take it out of the fridge the night before to let it warm up, open it in the morning, and spread it on the English muffin halves instead of butter. Sublime.

This doesn’t work 100% of the time, but pretty darn close. Closer to 95%. When there is a bit of the darker, less appealing spots, I cut those off, and continue with whatever I’m doing.

Hope this helps you avocado lovers enjoy the most of each of fruit you can.

Until next time, you know the drill. Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash your hands, if you do nothing else.