Tuesday, May 29, 2007

My new motto!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lexnger/108839274/
I am going to put this up on the cafe tomorrow as I have new wall
space! Yay! Finally, Bozzo took his sign off! I feel much stronger
already!

Friday, May 25, 2007

Wanna surf?

It is always cool to surf the web with a kid...not sure how they find
these websites but this one is right on! I sure can surf better than I
play:)

http://www.markfennell.com/flash/podsurf/

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Casado del Pequeno Principe

I am so far from home, just like the Little Prince...So, trying to
come up with names for the kids menu, I could not help but name the
casado, a typical Costa Rican meal, after him:
Casado del Pequeno Principe:) So cute!

Little Prince eats black sheep beans, grown-up rice, baobab-flower
salad and fox veggie meat,seitan- something not heard of in Costa
Rica....I suspect it is a popular meal in B612.

Any my favorite line, as well as the whole world probably: it is only
with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is
invisible to the eye... I got some crabs and monkeys to tame here, so
much fun!

I found the whole text online in Turkish,
http://arzudurukan.www9.50megs.com/index.htm

New at Organico!

Kids eat free! I am just trying this out, since business is slow and I
have tons of kids hanging out at the place to play with my Nintendo DS
anyways, so, this might help bring their parents for food...Kids
defined: 0-8....Not sure how this will work, but worth a try and I am
curious how people will try to sneak more free food..."I am here for
free lunch, my inner child is sooo hungry!" :)))

So far, the menu has toast and jam, peanut butter jelly sandwich,
fruit plate, grilled cheese sandwich, Casado de Little Prince, Tomato
Queen Pasta....However, we have to have pancakes on the menu for kids,
no??? So, today we mastered Monkey Pancakes with bananas and
syrup....Inspired by Aidan's love for pancakes...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ozdema2/275601774/in/set-72157594338716137/

He is turning 3 next week and I will not be there for his
birthday...It really sucks...So far I have been with him for all his
birthdays in his life:(((

PS: Thanks Sassy for the awesome recipe, http://www.vegancoach.com

Monday, May 21, 2007

It is raining...all day long...

I had a lousy weekend...My employees are sweet and nice but they are
not vegetarian....not even that, I can not even explain why it is that
important to me that they should not come with ideas like lasagna with
chicken, and no they are not joking...It is hard...I don't have one
single vegetarian friend here, I feel like a total freak and it is not
fun. Well Reina is here...She is vegetarian...Ok, I have one friend, I
feel better already!

It is raining non-stop and people like to eat when its raining
outside, so no complains. We have two new specials on the menu...Ocean
Salad...It is with wakame, daikon radish, shredded beets, marinated
cucumbers in rice vinegar, pickled ginger and brown rice. It has a
soy-sesame seed dressing...Really Yum!

And Save the Fish Ceviche with Palmito, heart of palm...This one is so
good and heart of palm looks like exactly calamaris...Stay away from
the fish, we got it all figured out...

On the ice-cream front, coffee-toffee is a new discovery...I almost
gave up on the vegan coffee ice-cream idea, then Nan suggested adding
almonds and chocolate bits...Voila!

Heading up the hill, who knows who will be up there??? Making a soup
tonight at home. Soup of a thousand comforts...Recipe soon!

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Drooling...

Seeing cute guys in Montezuma is nothing new, this town is blessed
with hot surfers, or hunky travellers..and sometimes it can be
hazardous:) Yesterday, I was almost on the floor when I saw this guy,
really tall, dark hair and a big smile on his face ( I noticed all
these in 5 seconds) and had to turn back to check him out one more
time. In between swallowing my drool and looking around to see if
someone noticed my second gaze, I realized he is someone I
know...Vince Vaughn.....I am crazy for him. There he was, in the
middle of Montezuma...I could not believe it! I know it is silly...I
am sure he is not as funny as he is in the movies but who cares.
Anyway, he went by and since we were closed, he could not come in to
my beautiful cute cafe! Damn!

Heartbroken, I headed home...But the universe gave me another chance
to see him! He was on a quad this time (the little 4 wheelers) and I
was walking up with my ipod on, dancing....(I must have looked really
cool from behind!) and we did have an eye contact! I swear! and then
he got so distracted, he could not get up the hill with the quad...It
was pretty funny, he had to restart the quad and all the charisma
washed away and with that shame he could not dare to ask me
out..That's understandable...So I went home, planted thyme, sugar snap
peas, mint and basil...

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

take that off my face!

I had the most bizarre conversation with Bazo, who told me what the
hell I am thinking that I come here and in four months act like I own
the place (which is a fact not an act), I see him smaller than me
(bullshit) and have guts to ask him to do me a favor.

Favor defined: Remove your sign from my front wall that I pay the rent
for! It took me months to ask him, don't ask me why, I was shy,
stupid, afraid, didn't want to hurt him but at the end of the day, one
thing lead to another and the more quiet I was, the more entitled he
became...

I am shocked but I was warned about him but you know me, I just wish
for the best, hoping everyone is nice....Bullshit! It is a wake up
call for me...So now, lets see what will happen. He was so mad, said
he will take the issue to the landlord and doesn't want me in the
local...I am excited to see how this will play along...Will keep you
posted and I am not afraid.

Just a ps...it is not easy to be a single woman in Costa Rica...Hence
the machete:) http://bakingfairy.blogspot.com/2007/05/i-am-blending-in.html

PSS: I have to write about Nan, tomorrow...She was my neighbor for 5
weeks and I had the best ever time with her. She was an angel, retired
from the military and filled me in on many top secret information that
I can not share with you all:) More stories about Nan...I promise they
are muuuuuch more fun!

Monday, May 14, 2007

I am blending in...

Today I bought my first ever machete! This is the intended use, open a
coconut; however, who knows when a girl would need a sharp knife in
the tropics!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/schmutzie/83132224/

It is 3,000 colones, less than 10 dollars!

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Happy Mother's Day

Mom, grandmo and my sister...They don't look like they miss me, do they???

http://www.flickr.com/photos/guliz83/496069278/in/photostream/

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Obsessed!

I found it!!!! Finally!!!!

https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/tetani/upcycleart/htmls/coinpurse.html

Best Selling Ice-cream and Happy Mothers Day

Banana Peanut butter
Chocolate
Coconut
Mint Chip...

not so good...
Pineapple
Blackberry
Coffee

Lots of requests for vanilla...

Today, was a crappy day, except that we introduced Fantastico
Fajitas....Mom's favorite, just in time for mother's day, I am not
sure if this will qualify as a mothers day gift but mom, I love you
soooooooo much and you are my hero!!!! Thanks to your love for Mexican
food, Organico is turning into a Mexican hotspot...."Margarita on the
rocks" soon! :)

Saturday Fever

"When the heart weeps for what it has lost,
the spirit laughs for what it has found."
-Sufi aphorism-

Dagmar just sent me this... So beautiful, I wanted to share with you
all...I am grateful to everyone around me to make me laugh, jump, cry,
run and stomp on my feet.

By the way, got a beautiful email from Tiana, she is leaving for Tibet
in June and has asked me to have a new special...Black Sheep Dip, with
black beans and papaya! Consider it done! Ok, got to go back and
finish a birthday cake for Leon. Feliz Cumplianos! He is turning
5!!!!!

Friday, May 11, 2007

Days go by...

With new books, new recipes, new friends and lots and lots of
dancing....Not much clients around and I aint gonna sit on my butt!
Since we are closed at nights, Larry is no longer working and I miss
him but I have to admit hanging out at the pool or going to dance
classes and seeing the sunset pink is sooooo nice.

Now, looking for ideas to make some money....Anyone got a good energy
bar recipe?

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Slow days

Its been really slow these days, it is stressing me out...So strange,
all this time I wanted to rest a little and now that I can take time
for myself, I am a little lost in what to do...Of course there are
tons of things to do but you know when you are going going going and
then suddenly stop, I am now thinking, wait a minute...It is kinda too
early to think like this, its been only -6 months! Wow!

I watched Pursuit of Happyness last night. The fact that it takes
place in San Francisco made me homesick, yes I do miss home a lot, but
at the same time, how grateful I am to be away from that rat race.

Living this close to nature and its beauty, the clean air, the blue
ocean, the bright green palm trees, mangoes falling down the trees,
ants going up and down on the little trails, crabs all over Montezuma,
trying to find a safe place to lay eggs, monkeys jumping up and down
on my roof (!), it is really magical here.

I am headed to a hammock, with a new book Tiana gifted me, Cave in the
Snow. Its about a woman who became a Buddhist and lived in a cave.
Interesting....

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Pineapple Upside Down Cake, literally

Purchasing food is hard. Estimating how much produce we would need is
really painful. Some weeks we ran out of lettuce, some weeks we end up
with tons of tomatoes. Of course tomatoes turn into a juicy salsa and
this week we had so many pineapples, they turned into marmalade as
well as a delicious sugar-free pineapple upside down cake!

The recipe for the cake is simple but the secret is super sweet
pineapples. We found a new local farm that have these super delicious,
sweet pineapples and they deliver weekly. Sweet deal!

Quick reminder, highly recommend to taste your batter first and adjust
sweetness with agave, honey or brown sugar if you like!

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together:

2 1/2 wholewheat flour
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts (or other nuts)
3 cups of crushed pineapple
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup oil
1 cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon cinnamon

4-5 slices of pineapple (1/2 inch each), chunky centers removed and
filled with cranberries or blackberries.

Saute these sliced pineapples with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and
place on the bottom of a 9 inch round pan.

Pour the cake mixture on top and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

Turn it upside down once cooled and enjoy!

We made two of these and one of them fell upside down in the vitrina.
It was hilarious. We had to make it a sample and it was gone in 30
minutes. So, the recipe is a keeper!

Friday, May 04, 2007

Pure Joy

One should give up anger, renounce pride,
and overcome all fetters.
Suffering never befalls him
who clings not to mind and body and is detached.

Dhammapada 221

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Discovered! Amaranth

Thanks to Avani, I discovered Amaranth...Bioland has this cereal,
Amaranth con Carob that I started having for breakfast with oats
milk..(blended oats with honey and banana). It is really tasty and
super satisfying. We also put it on the menu today.

"Amaranth (Amaranthus) has a colorful history, is highly nutritious,
and the plant itself is extremely attractive and useful. Amaranth was
a staple in the diets of pre-Columbian Aztecs, who believed it had
supernatural powers and incorporated it into their religious
ceremonies. Before the Spanish conquest in 1519, amaranth was
associated with human sacrifice and the Aztec women made a mixture of
ground amaranth seed, honey or human blood then shaped this mixture
into idols that were eaten ceremoniously. This practice appalled the
conquistadors who reasoned that eliminating the amaranth would also
eliminate the sacrifices. The grain was forbidden by the Spanish, and
consequently fell into obscurity for hundreds of years. If not for the
fact that the cultivation of amaranth continued in a few remote areas
of the Andes and Mexico, it may have become extinct and completely
lost to us.

The name amaranth hails from the Greek for "never-fading flower." The
plant is an annual herb, not a "true" grain and is a relative of
pigweed, a common wild plant also known as lamb's-quarters, as well as
the garden plant we know as Cockscomb. There are approximately 60
species of amaranth and there is no definite distinction between
amaranth grown for the leaf (vegetable), and the seed (grain).

Amaranth can be cooked as a cereal, ground into flour, popped like
popcorn, sprouted, or toasted. The seeds can be cooked with other
whole grains, added to stir-fry or to soups and stews as a nutrient
dense thickening agent.

Amaranth seed is high in protein (15-18%) and contains respectable
amounts of lysine and methionine, two essential amino acids that are
not frequently found in grains. It is high in fiber and contains
calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins A and C.

The fiber content of amaranth is three times that of wheat and its
iron content, five times more than wheat. It contains two times more
calcium than milk. Using amaranth in combination with wheat, corn or
brown rice results in a complete protein as high in food value as
fish, red meat or poultry.

Amaranth also contains tocotrienols (a form of vitamin E) which have
cholesterol-lowering activity in humans. Cooked amaranth is 90%
digestible and because of this ease of digestion, it has traditionally
been given to those recovering from an illness or ending a fasting
period. Amaranth consists of 6-10% oil, which is found mostly within
the germ. The oil is predominantly unsaturated and is high in linoleic
acid, which is important in human nutrition.

The amaranth seeds have a unique quality in that the nutrients are
concentrated in a natural "nutrient ring" that surrounds the center,
which is the starch section. For this reason the nutrients are
protected during processing. The amaranth leaf is nutritious as well
containing higher calcium, iron, and phosphorus levels than spinach."

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Bugday

Thanks to Reina and our quest for finding organic dates and henna, we discovered this site...
 
I have decided to close for dinner during the week because I am exhausted and would like to take time to rest. Though we do have business at night and making money, I really want time for me. Yesterday, I had an amazing massage from a friend of mine, Martim at this beautiful, peaceful and romantic house right by the ocean in Cabuya. Cabuya is 10 minutes away from Montezuma and it was my first time. It is so ridiculous that I haven´t been anywhere in Costa Rica but Montezuma and San Jose. Sooooooo sad! Then, we went to the beach, spent time at the house...Martim and Avani came here to take the 40 day retreat with Tony Samara, www.tonysamara.org  They live together like a big family with 2 other wonderful people and I really miss having people around other than customers. It is nice to eat amaranth cereal for dinner with milk and not to worry about how the plate looks...Then we went to a dance class. It was fantastic. It was a free form, jump and feel and express yourself hippie dancing and I loved it. I am more interested in dancing these days than cooking. Maybe it is sooooo hot, maybe it is time to get out to the world and enjoy simple things...
 
I came back to Montezuma at 8, Armando called me the minute we got to town. I left the front door open. All day long! So, better get some rest and take it all in with a big breath. Life is a big wave....
 
"What draws friends together doesn't conform laws of nature. Form doesn´t know about spiritual closeness. If a grain of barley approaches a grain of wheat, an ant must be carrying it. " Rumi