Meatless Monday & Snowy Tuesday

When Taco Tuesday is blurred by the weather in Texas, hang on...it's going to a bumpy ride!


















My Meatless Monday endeavors since the New Year have been making me put more thought into the post weekend meals. We typically get more indulgent on the weekend. Thinking about more positive choices since the New Year have been a goal of mine for our household. This past week was a busy week as we knew on Monday evening that we could receive several inches of snowfall in Central Texas. Seriously, folks Texas does get snowfall now & again. I have friends who are shocked each time they hear we had snow in Texas! A state of this size has alot to offer weather wise & as the old saying goes: "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute & it will change". This Meatless Monday I was busy planning a meal while; figuring out which plants I needed to drag into the house from the garden or were worth salvaging after our previous freezes this Winter.

When the weather folks talk about the three P's.....plants, pets & pipes you had better buckle down & prepare for a real cold snap! I've recently heard family stories of storms in the Hill Country in the 1930's which caused my Grandfather, Aunts & Uncles to haul all the baby livestock into the old Ranch house in Hayes County & bottle feed dozens of goats & sheep in front of the fireplaces for days while the storms raged & the countryside froze. It is a fact in the Lone Star state it can & will drop as much as 50 degrees within hours when a Texas Blue Northern front blasts down through the plains. By Tuesday morning the Austin area had sleet & snow flurries. I saw larger snowflakes than I even remember from living in Alaska as a child. Across Texas weather forecasters & bloggers were in a frenzy as the road crews covered the bridges & overpasses with sand. School age kids were excited to be released early from school & our local golf courses turned ski slopes for an afternoon. We may not see snow often here in Texas but when we do it is a sight to behold & everyone enjoys the excitement.
Of course I digress from the Meatless Monday since Snowy Tuesday temporarily replaced Taco Tuesday at our home!(sheesh!!!)Weather truly was the big event of the week. But quite possibly the best meal of the week was the meatless meal which always gives us a little bounce to our step & manages to make us feel a bit more virtuous for a few days. Taco Tuesday? Well let me just say this Tuesday I thought a pot of soup was good for the soul. Next Tuesday we will tackle the tacos again!


For a little history about Meatless Monday, long before the modern food movement made it cool & hip....Please, people! We reinvent the wheel over & over again. Everything is a cycle, the longer I live the more I realize what is "in" one moment, will be back again if you wait long enough. Thank goodness, this movement is back again~

Two of my top 10 favorite ingredients, how can any meal be bad with Artichokes & Mushrooms?



















Artichoke & Mushroom Stuffed Eggplant
1 1 1/4 lb Eggplant
2 tsp. Olive Oil
1 cup Onions, chopped
1 cup Mushrooms, chopped
1 cup frozen Artichoke hearts, thawed & chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp salt & pepper
1/4 cup Vegetable stock *more may be added if needed
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

Cut Eggplant in half, lengthwise, carefully scoop pulp out leaving 1/4 inch shell on the outside. I use a melon scoop to help with scooping process. Chop pulp into 1/4 inch pieces. Preheat oven to 350*.
Heat oil in a large non stick skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant pulp, onions, mushrooms, artichoke hearts & garlic. Add spices, soy sauce & stock. Cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently until vegetables are tender. During this process if more liquid is needed add more vegetable stock to keep the eggplant mixture moist. Remove from heat & stir in rice & half of the cheese.
Lightly oil a shallow baking dish. Spoon cooked mixture into eggplant shells. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the tops. Pour 1/4 inch liquid either stock or water into the bottom of the dish so the eggplant shells will steam tender. Cook uncovered 30 minutes.

Sopa de Tortilla~perfect for a rainy day or any day?

When the rains keep falling we make soup in Mexico.
Mexico has many traditional sopas, guiso & caldos but our all time favorite is Tortilla soup. I love soup when cooler temperatures hit but in Mexico that's not always the case. When our recent flooding & rains continued I used it as an excuse for cooking up a pot of Sopa. Lord knows, at the end of a day of rain & navigating flooded roadways it really hits the spot.


When it rains in Mexico it pours. Last week's downpours did bring cooler temperatures but the roads in Santiago were difficult at best to navigate for several days. Our entrance to our Colonia was completely flooded out & of the 2 alternate routes only 1 was was open. The flood control arms we are used to seeing in the states are non existent here. My driver had to be enlightened on the amount of water it takes to move a car off of a flooded spillway. He seemed prepared to fearlessly head into the high water at one point. I told him in the Texas public service announcement format: "Turn around, don't drown", "Two feet of water can lift approx. 3000 lbs"!!! Under no circumstances would I sit in the back seat quietly with flood waters hitting the underside of the Audi! (Fearless Latin driving has no place on a flooded roadway.) After arriving back at our house I knew it was soup weather if not temperatures in Mexico.
















































Sopa de Tortilla
12 small corn tortillas, cut into strips
6 cups Chicken stock
2 large chicken breasts with skin & bones
3 chiles pasilla, lightly fried & crumbled*(see below!)
6 Tbsp. Grated Queso Chihuahua or Monterrey Jack
3 large tomatoes, broiled (can substitute 13 oz can, drained)
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2/3 cups chopped carrots
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
Cilantro
Avocado, diced onion for garnish

Cook chicken breasts in stock, pull off meat,skin & chop & reserve stock leaving 6 cups of original stock along with the meat. Set this mixture aside.
In a large dutch oven heat 6 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil. Fry tortilla strips till crisp & drain on paper towels. There should be a remaining 2-3 Tbsp. oil. Use a blender to blend tomatoes, onion & garlic to rough puree. Cook this mixture 5 min. in oil, Add Cumin, black pepper, carrots, 3 Tbsp. Cilantro, add in the Chicken stock & chicken. Simmer soup 15 min.
Serve Soup with garnish of tortilla strips, avocado, onion, cilantro & cheese.
*Frying the dried chiles pasilla for the first time was a dangerous undertaking, I didn't realize they tend to explode, make certain to fry the peppers at low to med. heat & very quickly. These peppers add a wonderful flavor, don't omit them altogether. Enjoy!

Rains finally & Recycling here in the Colonia!

Several stormy days have left normally crazy driving a little wilder than normal here South of the Border!



The drought may have decreased in the Monterrey area this week after the 10+ inches of rainfall. *The drought has been so severe in Northern Mexico as to force the shy Mexican Black Bear from the mountains into residential areas of Monterrey. Since Friday we have had almost nonstop rain. Some local totals are more but here in Santiago it has been a welcome relief with the rainfall adding much needed water back into the springs & rivers.






















Finally, there will be curbside recycling in our Colonia! Not a new concept back in the states by any means. On our first day of "Reciclaje" I didn't see anyone else with glass, plastics & paper at the curbside but I'm trying to lead the example. (With so much recycled this week our trash output is very small.) There seem to be more pressing issues Mexico has to deal with but with flash floods & rains washing toxins & garbage into local streams, rivers & eventually into the Gulf of Mexico... it's a matter long overdue!

* More on the Black Bear story: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23845731-5005961,00.html

Just for fun, staying cool in this heat!

In the course of the last several weeks we have had furnace like heat here in Mexico. The Celsius degrees seem a little better or easier to look at, than the Fahrenheit which seem to melt even the strongest of temperaments. I can certainly take more heat than bitter cold but a week ago when it was 1O9*, I seriously envied the friends who get sad about long cold winters...
The Mosaic is just for kicks but thought it was an entertaining, clean, non habit forming activity! Enjoy~

What would your answers or Photos be for the Questions?





















The Questions~

1. What is my first name blog wise or in the real world?
2. What is my favorite food?
3. What high school did I attend?
4. What is my favorite color?
5. Who is my celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What do I want to be when I grow up?
10. What do I love most in life?
11. One Word to describe me.
12. My on line, blog or site name.

1. Texas
2. Mexican cuisine, go figure!
3. H.M. King High, Kingsville Texas, that is Henrietta King herself in that vintage Portrait, of the King Ranch dynasty fame.
4. Blue
5. I have not really had one since forever.... I might be dating myself with the Monkeys, David Cassidy & the likes...I was never really into that stuff too much anyway.
6. Sangria made the Mexican way
7. Somewhere I have not been, always dreamed about & is on my Bucket List!
8. Sacher Torte from Vienna at the Sacher Hotel.
9. A quiet Rancher woman with a few head of cattle & some fuzzy donkeys...yes donkeys. Being in Mexico has given me great adoration for these gentle, hardworking little creatures. *or I could do with a few Beach Cows & Donkeys! Only time will tell, I guess!
10. not what but who...my family, can not imagine life without them.
11. Peaceful
12. Dee, I am a Texan living in Mexico, somewhere South of the Border...

Weekend Storms, No Internet ~ Staying Busy South of the Border

We had wild weekend weather here which threw things off line & sent things helter skelter at our house for a few days. The long awaited rain finally arrived at the end of a week of heat. The combination of heat & rain storms from the north combined to make a wild night of weather. We had a direct hit of lightening to the house which blew out our Internet as well as phone. We had no water till mid day Saturday. The comforts we take for granted seem very important when we don't have them. During the heaviest of rain we hung close to the house, read, cooked, slept... (*avoided the crazy rain soaked drivers!!) & only ventured out Sunday afternoon to see an exhibit at the Marco, Museum of Modern Art. We viewed works by Diego Rivera, Maria Izquierdo, Frida Kahlo & others. There was also a concert at the Marco for Dia del Nino. Being performed was the well known Prokofiev's Peter & the Wolf. All in all a very nice diversion from the rainy stormy weekend. It goes without saying that I was thrilled when the Telmex guys replaced our fried Internet router this morning. With a phone & online capabilities we are connected to the rest of the world once again!!!

Rain, Fog & more rain...



















Brunch with a French twist~
We had eggs baked in ramekins, a recipe from James Peterson's Glorious French Food.
A nice change from the norm.
Eggs are baked @ 375, in well buttered ramekins with 1-2 Tbsp. Creme drizzled over as well as the addition of 1 Tbsp. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated. Bake for 10-`12 minutes, testing for firmness before serving.



Dia del Nino is a holiday which recognizes the children as a part of Mexican society, the holiday endorses well being, happiness & has been a national holiday since 1925.

Yes, Virginia...there is Cold Weather in Mexico at Chrismas!

We are in Torreon for a few days & I am bundling up to keep warm. I am putting on layers of extra clothing. I met Carolyn in the hotel lobby yesterday here at the Marriott Hotel amid the loudly playing Chrismas tunes & holiday decor. Music: too loud, Decorations: nice but quite different from home. While I was waiting for her I was blasted by cold air each time the door opened into the Lobby. I didn't bring nearly enough warm clothing for our little road trip to Torreon. I am feeling the "South of the Border Chill". The cold takes a while to get down here but it has cooled down considerably. Not chill by Alaska or Chicago standards but cold for my thinning blood....Brrrrr!!! (It was in the 30's yesterday morning, go ahead laugh but I am chilled to the bone here) Last night I actually ordered warm milk for a night cap~I am always willing to try something new when I am chilled to the bone & not at home:)

Summer Storm & Late Summer Veggies

Late summer storms here seem to be the most unpredictable. The locals say it almost always rains on or near September 16th, the Mexican Independence Day. Calabacitas is one of those dishes which is both comfort food & a way to use summer veggies. Got Squash?? Make Calabacitas!!


Calabacitas-Mexican Squash

3-4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups diced yellow summer squash
2 1/2 cups diced zucchini
2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green chile, roasted, with skin removed, use Poblano or something hotter if you like. Hatch chilies are very good!
1/2 cup firmly packed coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup cream, light sour cream or grated Jack cheese (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cherry tomato halves, for garnish

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil in a large skillet and saute the onion for about 4 min. over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute 2 min. longer.
2. Add the squash and zucchini and saute 5 min. longer, until softened. Add the remaining 1 - 2 Tbsp. of oil with the corn, green onions, & chiles and saute 1-2 min. longer.
4. Stir in cilantro, & cream (if desired) and heat through, about 5 min.
5. Season with salt & top with cherry tomato halves. Serve hot or warm.
Yield: 8-10 servings. *I almost always use frozen corn to cook with here since the corn we find in the stores & markets is a starchy field corn variety.

San Antonio~rain & more rain! Soggy visit in Texas.

Ultra Soggy day in San Antonio.
Tropical Storm Erin was no lady when it drove north into Texas yesterday from the Gulf of Mexico. We traveled to San Antonio for a quick visit with my Mom & Nana. Soaking, blinding, driving, flooding rains just about swamped the Western half of Bexar County by early afternoon. My mother took about 5 hours to arrive back at her home in Uvalde County. We were fine driving back to Austin once we were north of New Braunfels. Crazy, crazy weather; it is feast or famine with the moisture in this state. Texas can be in a hard drought cycle & be hit by the 100 year flood at any given time or so it would seem this year! As evidence we watched people being plucked from cars & trees on CNN last night. Poor San Antonians, what a day!




















Before we could leave town completely....
*As we were driving in heavy rain on loop 410 I heard the warning bell for the gas tank sound so I searched for a gas station that wasn't near a flooded exit ramp. Mind you, by this time we were listening to local radio & knew this flooding was a dangerous situation & we needed to be alert & have a full tank of gas. Finally we spotted one, thank goodness for Chevron! When I was trying to get gas & having trouble.... the station attendant told me that the satellite was out because of the storm system. Hmmm, I wasn't aware that that was an issue with service stations now~but I guess it is. (guess I have been in Mexico too long! Technology is passing me up) I had to get cash to pay for my gas while the electricity was still on so I could get the heck out of Dodge!

On a Clear Day{:~)

On a clear day in Mexico it feels like I can see all the way into Texas...not an easy task! We have had so many rainy, foggy days here in Nuevo Leon this summer I am thankful for sunny days. It can make me feel like I am living in a vacation land South of the Border somewhere. It also makes up for those days when we were socked in with fog so heavy it felt like we are cut off & at the edge of the universe down here; albeit a Spanish speaking universe! On a day as clear as today I can relax & sit with my feet up for a bit & even ignore the Thermal inversion drifting in from Monterrey. Not too bad today...I can almost hear Jimmy Buffet music playing~





















Total repose & relaxation, somewhere in Mexico~

Margarita on the Rocks, the balcony or by the pool!

• 4 steps in making a Margarita on the rocks: 1. Gather everything you need. 2. Prepare your glass by rimming with kosher salt then filling with ice. 3. Pour 2 ounces Tequila (Reposado 1800, Don Julio or down here I like Don Ramon Tequila~ are all good) into a shaker tin half filled with ice, then 1 ounce triple sec/orange liqueur, and 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice. If you want it a tiny sweeter to balance the sour then just add a spoon of sugar or simple syrup. If you are making it with Sweet-n-Sour then use a couple of ounces in place of simple syrup. 4. Shake and strain into the glass. Garnish with a lime.

Salute! Mi Amigos

Blame it on the rain!

We traveled back to Torreon this past week. You can say alot of things about the Coahuila region of Mexico however "wow, you should have seen the rain" is generally not what people say! For the second time in a month we were inundated by rain in Coahuila. We experienced heavy rain on our last day in Torreon & then traveling through Saltillo once again we were astounded by the rain & even hail!! We drove through a large dust storm in the desert near Parras & later in our journey we had to pull over to the roadside in the mountains outside Saltillo to wait out the storm. The Cuota Road we traveled had been heavy with 18 Wheelers & cars but it cleared pretty quickly once the storms hit. We were amazed as we waited during the storm to see one lone, crazy driver with Mexican plates fly past us traveling about 120km in the driving rain & hail to some unknown destination! There is one in every crowd...Or could be the heavy rains make people a little crazy? Hmm, what am I thinking? This is Mexico!!



Mexican Monsoons?? Not sure but I am thinking this is more than the average 16 inches of yearly rainfall!

Traveling to the Desert~dodging the rainstorms!

Somehow I was reminded of the old 70's America song lyrics: I've been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain.... Got to love those lyrics when they have clarity about 30 years later!! We weren't on horse back, but when we were out of the rain in the desert of Coahuila it did truly feel good!


We traveled back to Torreon this week & felt like we were surely in the midst of hurricane season right in the middle of the desert! We first encountered hours of rain & even hail on our way through Saltillo which pushed our trip to Torreon to a 6 hour trip. In Saltillo the waters on Blvd. Venustiano Carranza were rushing like a river as we tried to get gas & a quick lunch. That alone should indicate how crazy the weather was. During our second day in Torreon we experienced storms which dumped such huge amounts of rainfall; the water was washing under the wall our hotel & into the lobby!! Drainage in Mexico is not the strong suit of urban planning, especially in the arid, desert climates! Even Katerina's vet experienced some flooding at his clinic where she was lodging during our trip to town. The crazy & immense rain in a short time caused street flooding, quite a site for dry town in the desert. We practically swam to dinner that evening at Rincon de Befe but by the next day hardly a sign of rain showed other than the muddy areas in front of buildings & on the streets. We actually went about our business the next day as if the storms never happened...Just another day in Mexico!

Foggy Day in Las Misiones~

Monterrey has an elevation of 1740 feet above sea level. We are somewhat higher here in Santiago, N.L. What is a huge change for us here is rainfall there is an average 23 inches of rainfall per year 16 of which falls between June & October. We have had heavy rain & thunderstorms the last few days. A vast difference from the deserts of Coahuila!





The Fog

Fog creeps in & covers the land
you can not see trees, hills
or the mountainsides
only unassuming, grey, sticky fog.












A good Salad to lift those Foggy Day Blues. 24 Hours changes alot of things including weather!!! Making this salad south of the border I have to be on the watch for cans of Water Chestnuts~a difficult to find ingredient in Mexico! This Salad has many names but I think of Texas when I make this, every Grandma has a variation of the recipe. A big salad for a Big State!!!

TEXAS 24 HOUR LAYER SALAD
Iceberg lettuce, 1/2 head approx.
1 can of sliced water chestnuts
1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped (or radishes, sliced)
1/2 c. celery, chopped
1/2 c. sweet red Spanish onion, chopped
1 pkg. frozen green peas
1 1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. sugar
4 oz. Cheddar cheese, grated
8 slices bacon
1 carton of cherry tomatoes halved
Line large glass bowl with bite-size pieces of lettuce. Over this, sprinkle the waterchestnuts and red pepper (if red pepper is not available, use radishes). Then add a layer of celery and Spanish onion. Next, add thawed frozen peas, then cheddar cheese. Add sugar to mayonnaise and spread over the top. Refrigerate overnight. Then top the salad with crisp fried bacon, crumbled & cherry tomatoes just before serving.