Thursday 9-27-13

Thanks to Hannah on the Farm for a lovely lunch... Okra and peppers from the garden... And naan... YUM...

Smile

Off to the farm today for the second step of the new adventure…driving the golden Jewel…and wearing a BIG SMILE. :-D

Sweet Leaf Tea Grannyism # 4…”Smile – It Makes People Wonder What You’re Up To”…supposing if you are following this Rockin’ Gypsy blog…you know what’s up!! Still a little of this and a little of that….

Green thumbs, rubber boots, fresh out-of-the garden carrots, sharing the fun with family and friends…What more could you want??…

“If you smile when you are alone, then you really mean it.” – Andy Rooney

Maranatha All Natural Sunflower Seed Butter is a PARTY in the mouth…and brings on a SMILE with every bite…isn’t it odd how something as simple as that can MAKE YOUR DAY!!??.... 

McDougall's Farm Stand Salsa

2 cups frozen corn
½ med red onion, diced
2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
1 ½ pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 jalapeno, sliced
¼ bunch fresh cilantro leaves chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1 lime, juiced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, tossing to coat.  Put the salsa in a sealable glass bowl.
6 servings
Comments: If you don’t just want to eat it with a fork (which is quite tasty), you can bake some chips in advance.

Corn tortilla chips: Cut tortillas into 8ths, lay out on a cookie sheet, sprinkle salt on the tops, and bake at 300°F for 30-45 minutes. Baking time is quite variable depending on the type of tortilla. Check them often. Lower temps and longer times seem to make for a lighter crunch while higher temps and shorter times make a harder chip.

Flour tortilla chips: Cut tortillas into 16th or strips, lay out on a cookie sheet, sprinkle salt on the tops, and back at 300°F for 20-30 minutes.

Friday 9-21-12...

...Khanni ...I hope you are digging on some dirt...

Friday 9-21-12....

...for your sympathetic ears, kind words, and many Cupboard meals...Thank you Karen ....

Joy

BACK IN THE USA!….Reverse culture shock….finding joy in familiar surroundings…family…friends…. :-D

A “Big Sis”… makes for a joyous life!!

A lovely “Simple Truths” short…Finding Joy…..

Eric Church's Springsteen



Easy Marinara Sauce
2 white onions
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 lb fresh button mushrooms
2 zucchini squash, sliced
2-28 oz can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
2-14 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 small package fresh basil, coarsely chopped or 1 T. dried basil
½ t crushed red pepper flakes
½ t salt

24 oz quinoa spaghetti, cooked

Steam-fry the onion and garlic in ¼ cup water until soft.  Deglaze the pan with 2 T. white vinegar.
Add mushrooms  & squash and sauté lightly for 1 min.
Add tomatoes and heat through.  Right before serving, add basil.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4

Friday 9-21-12...

Drs J&C...I hope you will consider the Camino trek sometime from Astorga to Santiago...I'd certainly trek with you !! And you can stay in two bedroom pensions instead of albergues...or even hotels ... There's a Way for everyone!!!

Friday 9-21-12...

3 undies, bralettes and bandanas--essentials...2 polyester t shirts, toe socks and capris--essentials...

Friday 9-21-12...

2 cami's...Didn't need them on this trip ...at this time of year....PJ's--not necessary for me...I'd for sure bring the storm socks next time... Just in case!!

Friday 9-21-12....

THANK YOU BONITA and FAMILY for the loan of ALL of the gear for this trip!!...saved me a bundle...and all so practical!!

Friday 9-21-12...

I forgot to mention... There was also a young man peregrino in a wheelchair with his friend... They made it!!

Friday 9-21-12...

I'm missing being with my peeps yesterday and today ...they were a constant every day/evening...they will all be arriving tomorrow!!...we heard the peregrino couple who were coming on horseback would be arriving today... So I hung out by the cathedral for awhile just in case the timing would be right...taking group or individual photos for peregrinos as they arrived... A girl shared her chocolate croissants with me... Definitely not as good quality as the French!!...I searched out my bus stop for in the morning...not far away...

Didn't get Margarite's email... Dommage... Nor Danai's...

Friday 9-21-12...

My two favorite Latinas de HV... You would be the muy bonitas here like the beautiful Spanish lady in the black skirt !!

Friday 9-21-12...

In celebration of the autumnal equinox...live Celtic/Spanish music and the preparation of Queimada....let's add this to the full moon party fun ...

Friday 9-21-12...

Bonita had a bottle of wine one night at an Albergue but didn't have a cup....and since necessity is the mother of invention...she cut off the bottom of a small water bottle ... And voila!! A cup !! I kept it and it then came in very handy as a holder for foraged moras...before, I just put the moras in a zip lock in my bag... Which meant they were usually squashed by the time I had enough to eat for breakfast!!

Friday 9-21-12...

Jean...thank you for the "el Camino" book... Inspirational...

Friday 9-21-12...

C, A, J, A, L...and little brother ... Wishing you ALL were here!!

Friday 9-21-12...

...for Mellymar and my Indiana family....

Friday 9-21-12...

...for Red... Can we make a hammock set-up like this at the farm??

Friday 9-21-12...

...my Bonita!!...a real trooper with a broken ankle just 6 months ago!! You go girl!!!

Friday 9-21-12....

...for Breda and Aine...wonderful times with our Irish Sisters....can hardly wait to visit you both!!

Friday 9-21-12...

...in case you haven't figured it out... I'm enjoying a slide show of my photos today and shooting off some memories to you as I remember something!!...I realize I had wonderful times each morning with the sunrises...even though we are walking west and the sunrise was always behind us...somehow I never was able to either see a sunset or was able to still be awake for a sunset!!! ...ah...youth...to be able to stay up late and party... Get up before dawn... And still walk 20+km per day, day after day!! :-D

Friday 9-21-12...

Lovely little bedroom under the eaves in the La Laguna Albergue...a very restful afternoon there in the country...

Friday 9-21-12....

...and more cows!! This little berg of La Laguna only had an Albergue/bar/cafe and a herd of cows!! We watched the little mémé with her stick herd them from one pasture to another throughout the late afternoon ....

Friday 9-21-12...

Once we were in cow country... We heard LOTS of cow bells. Bonita even bought a small one for her pack... I was always able to find her if I lost her in a crowd!!

Friday 9-21-12....

...did I already send this?? Oh well... She just wanted to be a planter ...just like my old blue Lumina!! I like the idea of using odd thing in the garden for vegetables and flowers to trellis up on...

Friday 9-21-12....

...for Bonita's Spanish B%#!! boots...they just want to be planters!!...for some hen and chickens!!

Friday 9-21-12....

...for Babette and Angela...great times in Aix-en-Provence....Gartenzwerg... Und Sperrmüll....

Friday 9-21-12....

...a daily airing....

Friday 9-21-12...

We stayed in all sorts of albergues... But never had a bed out on the terrazza....

Friday 9-21-12....

...for Chelle and Jasien....

Friday 9-21-12...

...for my daisy camp Texlake girl....

Friday 9-21-12...??

Val & JH... I hope you will consider el Camino....

Friday 9-21-12....??

Over a hill and here was a little "town/stop"... With a population of ONE, the man who owned this refuge ... And he had Ave Maria serenading the peregrinos....

Friday 9-21-12...???

...lovely ...

Friday 9-21-12...???

...for my Costa Rican mission compadres... I remember the creeping clouds there, too...

Friday 9-21-12...??

...always some little thing along the Way to make you smile...and to take your mind off your weary feet!!...my OK- Les...we will have an adventure together in our near future...

Friday 9-21-12...??

...for my chip away chip away frister ...

Friday 9-21-12...??

...for Les and Luc...my two sweet Denton fristers.....thank you for helping me to see light at the end of the tunnel with the wonderful social outings these past 9 months....

Friday 9-21-12 ...??

...for the farm....

Friday 9-21-12...??

...a better one for Tess...

Friday 9-21-12...??

...for CEJ and RS....please try biking the Camino ....

Friday 9-21-12...???

...my el Camino name changed to Amiga....so...Amiga and Bonita....near the castle of the knights Templar...in some city along the Way!!

Friday 9-21-12 ...???

...for ma grande....

Friday 9-21-12 (4)

...for my "big sis"...wish you were enjoying an helado with me at the Cafe Casino last night....

Friday 9-21-12 (3)

...for my beautiful crone sister with the lioness mane...looking forward to the many full-moon dances around the fire that are in our future....

Today I'm spending some time curled up on the sofa under my blankie...enjoying the adventures of Jamie and Claire...

Friday 9-21-12 (2)

Buen Camino Bonita ....off on the train to la Coruna... Then plane to London...then plane to DFW...Hasta mañana ....

Friday 9-21-12 (1)

...for the eldest...

Thursday 9-20-12...??

Shared pimientos de padron, croquettes and scrambled eggs with langoustinos and smoked salmon... And GREAT bread...a lovely lunch upon arriving...

Thursday 9-20-12 (4)

The bathroom in our hostel (called Roots & Boots!!) has a hippy gypsy smell...not patchouli but something else that smells good....

Thursday 9-20-12 (3)

Made it to the cathedral ...very opulent ...saw Anna, Maria and Reme...

Thursday 9-20-12 (2)

Bonita and the tortilla bonita for breakfast...waiting for the bus to Santiago...it would take two more days to walk... And Bonita leaves in the morning...so we bus today.

Thursday 9-20-12 (1)

...for ma grande...I look forward to stained glass classes....

Wednesday 9-18-12 (17)

...et pour moi... Dos guapos gypsys ....we've el camino'd with for days ....

Wednesday 9-19-12 (16)

... For my baby sister ... We should have two horses on the farm...for pleasure....and a little work !!

Wednesday 9-19-12 (15)

...for my sweet Girl Scout moms and daughters...Los guapos--Spanish boy scouts!!!

Wednesday 9-19-12 (14)

...for my first little sister........

Wednesday 9-19-12 (13)

...for my baby brother ... Can hardly wait to enjoy more of your beets and squash relish this year!! Thank you for gardening...and sharing.....!!

Wednesday 9-19-12 (12)

I like to look at cows...talk to cows...and even sketch cows....Especially black and white ones ....

Personally, I'm not a proponent for raising cows...goats...chickens....

Now sheep are OK for fiber production... So I guess they will be the working pets we will have on the farm...