Author: Andrea

In Response to Your Inquiries…

…I found a few moments to spare you all from my biking, swimming, cenote snorkelling, AND TACO EATING!  (And yes, Marcia, the food is DELICIOUS!)

We are having a great time!  So far we have seen the beaches of Soliman Point and Soliman Bay; browsed through the pueblo of Tulum; seen the incredible Mayan ruins at Coba (which was a great day, and quite a change as Coba was a quiet little ranch town, and very traditionally Mayan); and then today we swimmed and snorkelled in the Gran Cenote (Freshwater sinkholes…like caves below the ground that are also waterways).

Some highlights would be Coba where we saw Mayan pyramids, and many current area houses constructed of stick walls and palm leave roofs…called palapas.  This seems to be the style of construction here in southern Mexico…very interesting.  Also many ladies are seen in the white cotton and bright flowery dresses…just going about their daily duties –again seems to be part of the culture down here.  (It is quite different here in the Yucatan than in other areas of Mexico.)  We ate lunch at a loncheria (“lunch”-eria!!) and had Mayan chicken tacos.  They were shredded chicken seasoned with red tomato and spices then covered in cheese.  The salsa served was fresh chopped red tomatoes and onion, lime juice, and diced habanero peppers.  Dustin and I both liked the salsa very much!

Then today, we swam for the first time ever in a Cenote.  It was beautiful.  I was a bit leery of snorkeling far back into the cave openings, but once I got my goggles on and saw in the crystal clear water, there were no worries!  God’s Creation is breath-taking above and below ground; in the outside air, and below the water’s surface!  After biking back into town, we ate some lunch at Subway –yes, there is Subway in the Yucatan Peninsula, though no other American fast food here in Tulum pueblo!  And this evening we plan to head out for some great tacos…might venture out for some seafood tacos!

All in all, we are thoroughly enjoying ourselves, and look forward to sharing more as the next few days pass by!  Oh, and I am soooo sorry not to be there for the huge snow blizzard…I guess you cannot have your (canned) cake and eat it too!  Please do a lot of sledding for me, Marcia!

Dustin and I at the Blue Sky Restaurant...even in Mexico, Dustin found a place that serves Brick Oven Pizza!

High Tea

Well now, I simply must inform you that I have recently joined high society here in Brogue.  And yester-evening I had the pleasure of attending a Tea!  Of course, it must be admitted that truly, we here at Mt. Zion Baptist Church are not assuming women who put on airs merely to be thought wealthy or of position.  We are simple ladies who try to follow our Lord and love our families, and being all of that same mind, we enjoy one another’s fellowship along the way.  Now, there are some among our company who delight themselves in the English custom of Tea!  They then, have the utmost kindness to introduce others of us, such as myself, to the practice.  We enjoy tea together once every couple of months or so; and the hostesses, might I share, truly exert themselves to ensure it is a most delightful time for us all.

Yesternight was our first Nutcracker Tea.  It was to be filled with “sugar plum fairies and nutcracker sweets” according to the invitation –which, I might add, was quite a beauty in itself!  And it was a splendid evening, I mean a splendid one!…complete with baked potato soup in bread bowls with all of the condiments, pesto/basil mini sandwiches, mini quiches, and numerous delectable desserts including three varieties of chocolate truffles, raspberry-almond tarts, strawberry shortcakes, and others.  And the fellowship –did I mention the fellowship?  It was just as pleasant if not more so than all of the tasty trifles!

Place setting

My chocolate truffles! RRRich!
Strawberry Shortcakes --a work in progress!
Our two hostesses, at right

Pesto-Basil Mini Sandwiches being made
All of our tea cups and saucers...waiting for use!
The little ladies having a party of their own, cracking the nuts!

All of the dainties!
All of the dainites

Christmas Ponche — A La Americana

Well, while Dustin was studying recipes for Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizza, I had a recipe search of my own.  I love hot drinks, but with a cold and sore throat, I have been trying to avoid milk-based drinks.  After a while, plain black tea or even herbal and flavored teas get old to me.  I had a taste in my mouth for PONCHE NAVIDEÑO, a hot fruit punch served at Christmas in Mexico.

I had looked around for recipes, and all or most called for the traditional ingredients of tecojote (a small fruit similar to crabapple) and cana (small pieces of sugarcane) among other things.  Needless to say, I had neither on hand, nor do they grow in our garden! –Not only would they probably not survive in the south-eastern Pennsylvania climate, but neither do we have a garden or yard outside our house!

I had read in one recipe that if you did not have a specific ingredient, it might be omitted from the recipe.  So I decided to simply try a punch with the fruits I had on hand.  I had about a pint and a half of mango syrup/juice from canned mangoes, a few frozen peach slices, some frozen blueberries, a chopped apple and a chopped pear, juiced one pink grapefruit and two large oranges, made a concentrated quart of cranberry-jamaica tea, and used one cinnamon stick.  I placed all the ingredients into a medium crockpot and turned on high since it was already after dinner, and I wanted to try some before the evening was over.

After about 2-1/2 hours, it was bubbling around the edges, and I decided it was ready.  After a quick taste, I decided to add a little brown sugar, and —Hmmmm!  It was yummy!  Even Dustin really liked it, and he is a bit leary of eating new things!  So instead of trying to search for all of the traditional Mexican ingredients, now I know you can use whatever fruit you have on hand, some cinnamon, and sugar or honey to taste!  (I would definitely advise using some kind of apple(s) for the rich, tart flavor, and a good amount of citrus juice at least, along with whatever other fruits you decide to add; and for myself I decided not to use rasberries or blackberries because of their seedy properties!)  

To serve, you may strain out the fruit pieces or serve them in the glasses as well!

Merry Christmas 2009

All the family together...the main thing!
Linz and her new red blanket!
Welcome to Country-ville, USA, Cha! (We're not making fun, Marcia! Just celebrating Pennsylvania traditions!)
It's snowing! -- Packing bubbles!
The Chief cook!
My first Christmas Ham...deliciosisisisisisimo!
Binzy Bop and J'Bop
Sisters forever! And do we ever love our Dad!
Me and Binz...constructing a Gingerbread House/Birthday Cake!
Happy Birthday, Linz!
Sibling fun!
"Me and my Daddy go together like peanut butter and jelly"...still sayin' it twenty years later!
We're just so photogenic!
Us too!
Stop showing your cards, Binzy Bop!
Is there something fishy going on here?!?

I wish you all the same wonderful Christmas we had.  A good family, and a great God, and a Saviour, Jesus Christ the Lord.  Truly we are rich!

Matthew 1:21

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Do you have this Saviour?  Repent and trust Him today, for only in Him are true riches found.