tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68798742203135057062024-03-04T23:34:51.695-05:00Subject to ReVision(kind of like life)
by Anne Marie WhelanAnne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-39200981138861826022015-02-22T13:45:00.001-05:002015-03-08T19:43:36.301-04:00Puerto RicoA trip to Puerto Rico is an adventure different for everyone. Though many love the beaches, we could still find almost empty beaches. We found many such beaches three years ago in <a href="http://wildwestend.blogspot.com/2012/02/vieques.html" target="_blank">Vieques</a>, but didn't necessarily expect it on the big island. But Playa Punta Santiago was only a few minutes walk from our place.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qCOkpElFoNqiqIkiq0s26HFXO4AETgxUSdu8QTvbY_WT0DTT2lOnjRlWH1eUNDFcqVpzf_gbP96Yx5I4gM102XQ9XMzEKXmyxOG4nEQxt4P-mbGn8aTS5q71ZLyHRhutUE0rHCSm94Ck/s1600/PuntaSantiagoBeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 3em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qCOkpElFoNqiqIkiq0s26HFXO4AETgxUSdu8QTvbY_WT0DTT2lOnjRlWH1eUNDFcqVpzf_gbP96Yx5I4gM102XQ9XMzEKXmyxOG4nEQxt4P-mbGn8aTS5q71ZLyHRhutUE0rHCSm94Ck/s1600/PuntaSantiagoBeach.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvlZO5vuAyY8_r9UtgEiDCQqQXZWrJh6HfRRpDD6EF59SCICli-ZSq7sJamBJ1XUNZ2xFbtH3S8QnoVxMdohyphenhyphenGW8iLqK6XGx8V_sypEGROCXA0pwdeQQ0_-W7B42v1rtjw-dv32lxl1Wx/s1600/PuntaSantiagoSeaSky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 3em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvlZO5vuAyY8_r9UtgEiDCQqQXZWrJh6HfRRpDD6EF59SCICli-ZSq7sJamBJ1XUNZ2xFbtH3S8QnoVxMdohyphenhyphenGW8iLqK6XGx8V_sypEGROCXA0pwdeQQ0_-W7B42v1rtjw-dv32lxl1Wx/s1600/PuntaSantiagoSeaSky.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 3em; text-align: center;">Caribbean from Playa Punta Santiago.</td>
<td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 3em; text-align: center;">Playa Punta Santiago looking south.
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We rented the 2nd floor of a house in Punta Santiago, a little seaside town in Humacao with Highway 3 running through it. It had a down-to-earth funky charm that made me feel like it was the real Puerto Rico. The house is on a small lot full of fruit trees, so from the veranda with the branches in your face, you can watch the birds and iguanas and the glistening leaves from a hammock if you please; only the noise of the highway, the live music from El <span class="entity-link">Limón</span> across the street, or the preacher from the other side of the street where a Pentecostal church which just set up before we came. For two nights he preached and cajoled the souls of the assembled, as well as the entire neighborhood, as his magnified voice boomed hoarsely. The bar and the preacher seemed to take turns. Two nights of loud music interspersed with preaching, and then the third night, an ambulance came sirens and lights a blazing. For an hour it stopped at the church, motor running and lights turning. The next night all was quiet and we could do without the earplugs and listen to the coqui song lull us to sleep, with occasional blasts of music from a car with open windows dashing down the highway.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJlz1qiMJcKArfv4rXImEQ1U8siOyNnjiVtLbZaGJb9asWfbL9z-6sKDFk1flv6PMYjmOU8IDNO8svqsbG_VSeQJEeuu_oSX6SMUAsaXGfSHTlatAnYOIhS8K-c0J9dMmbO4_LwAj8dif/s1600/CayoSantiago.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJlz1qiMJcKArfv4rXImEQ1U8siOyNnjiVtLbZaGJb9asWfbL9z-6sKDFk1flv6PMYjmOU8IDNO8svqsbG_VSeQJEeuu_oSX6SMUAsaXGfSHTlatAnYOIhS8K-c0J9dMmbO4_LwAj8dif/s1600/CayoSantiago.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Cayo Santiago (<i>aka </i>Monkey Island) seen from Playa Punta Santiago.<br />
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We had heard from some online reviews that the southern approach to El Yunque National Rainforest was the best way to avoid the crowds and have a more intimate nature experience. Driving north on 191, we eventually reached a gate and could drive no further. A few cars were parked along the road. There was one little trail and we took it a short way along a stream and at the end was a family group reveling in the water and lounging on the rocks. A friendly woman named Raquel chatted with us and proudly shared some rambutan which her brother grew at his farm in San Lorenzo. It is a most delicious tropical fruit with a red hairy looking skin. She tipped us off about the thermal springs in Coamo. The only other trail was to walk along the road at the other side of the gate where no cars were allowed.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfW9l80sEaJgO8zZ-TExIgnKeUhJS-pJGtzXwuJgtzRQ9gemjO9L6YzdCLplwpyc0PX3-z5HDvRjIux4r6GvbXi9j4j7AJ6oWKlvgy1I8JQZw8Azce-BC5GuX1URW0Pqb5SBe4fFsrwBG/s1600/rockStream2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfW9l80sEaJgO8zZ-TExIgnKeUhJS-pJGtzXwuJgtzRQ9gemjO9L6YzdCLplwpyc0PX3-z5HDvRjIux4r6GvbXi9j4j7AJ6oWKlvgy1I8JQZw8Azce-BC5GuX1URW0Pqb5SBe4fFsrwBG/s1600/rockStream2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">South side of El Yunque.<br />
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The next day we got a bit lost on the way to Coamo, since we started to think we didn't have enough time, and should just go to Punta Tuna instead. That's how we accidentally found ourselves up climbing a twisty mountain road up and up and round and about. Amazing views but no place to pull off. Eventually we just took a chance and stopped for this:<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5s2_VeLTBWUb1oOguIAvhR-idAV10a-Zf0M-24n8vSSj25ryoMvU4e_Kl4mTfvK_m5ojm7ZnM2XBL7Dimmu_tm9QKe1pli5IivifHUx3aqhx2_XHGRrY38Ac4rKhgh4aZ-oc2c4SWOe1Y/s1600/viewmountainstosea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5s2_VeLTBWUb1oOguIAvhR-idAV10a-Zf0M-24n8vSSj25ryoMvU4e_Kl4mTfvK_m5ojm7ZnM2XBL7Dimmu_tm9QKe1pli5IivifHUx3aqhx2_XHGRrY38Ac4rKhgh4aZ-oc2c4SWOe1Y/s1600/viewmountainstosea.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">View from El Pica towards the south.<br />
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The pull off the highway 52 on the way to Coamo, had the statue of Jibaro Puertoriquenno, a tribute to the hard-working people of this land.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJCTtURsLlxWXfN2BOTqEZdCIle-Sjg9X_tIHEwVIVReAmRa_cAgGZ9I3niWjML3ucp2rHkIp6cHwL69MXLhlcw6SOj3dad0FrXeE49Cp1TsbY4A73kHVE6U-lR6fea0mEpL0bbyBEqi_/s1600/JibaroPuertoriquenno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJCTtURsLlxWXfN2BOTqEZdCIle-Sjg9X_tIHEwVIVReAmRa_cAgGZ9I3niWjML3ucp2rHkIp6cHwL69MXLhlcw6SOj3dad0FrXeE49Cp1TsbY4A73kHVE6U-lR6fea0mEpL0bbyBEqi_/s1600/JibaroPuertoriquenno.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Monumento al Jíbaro Puertorriqueño</td></tr>
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Eventually we did find Punta Tuna and the old colonial-style lighthouse:<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl40F1B-ms6MMmd4KJwjjBxrcIZqGkfXcMlYyONgENxHl60el2sz15EyumVWe3ZjIM4TzvPC4oj3s7uV0UbAOStlSSwszS1A6cu_IyqwsEKE1sY9NEeYkuasVVuC3YJ20mDtdk3Z0-7ccV/s1600/PuntaTunaLighthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 3em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl40F1B-ms6MMmd4KJwjjBxrcIZqGkfXcMlYyONgENxHl60el2sz15EyumVWe3ZjIM4TzvPC4oj3s7uV0UbAOStlSSwszS1A6cu_IyqwsEKE1sY9NEeYkuasVVuC3YJ20mDtdk3Z0-7ccV/s1600/PuntaTunaLighthouse.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuxbVWz5ZeOi1Ic4NAt83z8UBIrZUkPPAy1-ddzfFY5HHK-i4XlqsZHULJE_eIqDTMPPk2OEY6K9pKCU5V0xnU_BcPTzD28wJ3TN0eteokFpg7oOOuH6nhqR2Av15hphlyO1Ek8REsEww/s1600/PuntaTunaBeach2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuxbVWz5ZeOi1Ic4NAt83z8UBIrZUkPPAy1-ddzfFY5HHK-i4XlqsZHULJE_eIqDTMPPk2OEY6K9pKCU5V0xnU_BcPTzD28wJ3TN0eteokFpg7oOOuH6nhqR2Av15hphlyO1Ek8REsEww/s1600/PuntaTunaBeach2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Faro Punta Tuna.<br />
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<td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Steve on Punta Tuna.</td></tr>
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We could see the top of El Yunque from our veranda. There was almost always a cloud on it, even when the rest of the sky was cloudless:<br />
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It made us hungry to see it up closer. We decided to brave the crowds of the north approach. Coming from Ithaca, we love rain, but it's especially delightful in the rain forest when you think really it's not going to rain, but on the trail back a light rain starts which you can only hear, as its force is blunted by the canopy of leaves. But after a while the shower falls through, and all the colors brighten as they glisten.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6879874220313505706" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lqM9W4uTacsbpTBUwC5611GxCtE9x4-Ltb7NHZcAt3Hgz1HKiJz3u4n4bI_YCvtyouNhCOUuEbrAPoee2RBlSS7J-OF-RR8VdXcdwSjWeM2mdPc5lRPUxhbRCUt6sZQZGem_3Yg6vZkM/s1600/stream2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 3em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lqM9W4uTacsbpTBUwC5611GxCtE9x4-Ltb7NHZcAt3Hgz1HKiJz3u4n4bI_YCvtyouNhCOUuEbrAPoee2RBlSS7J-OF-RR8VdXcdwSjWeM2mdPc5lRPUxhbRCUt6sZQZGem_3Yg6vZkM/s1600/stream2.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia10JqVglcyNeyCDW7AQS1GgsFgxUZQzI6uVpwENvWnNzK4CIW0APyWOYxbmVfYYGOd0wMWWFzulRErfrfYffBDSwje90Ol2mYKlQfkG7Iq-u7qoTpKU91qXaawub4t0RXG1lKBrQqvQvp/s1600/roots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="jungle root" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia10JqVglcyNeyCDW7AQS1GgsFgxUZQzI6uVpwENvWnNzK4CIW0APyWOYxbmVfYYGOd0wMWWFzulRErfrfYffBDSwje90Ol2mYKlQfkG7Iq-u7qoTpKU91qXaawub4t0RXG1lKBrQqvQvp/s1600/roots.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFaIXKDuTGyTEFwGI3_r502-MkZDbgXFlu5DnFtWS5kAmzm1DxkONyQO70O_oCK-MOMW00-fErCHuhX4ODTtwKVxTYO2CXQviFW2kJekbuhsn1rzEDQMDeAgrmzIjebyOMR8T_Syy_L0vq/s1600/jungleLight2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFaIXKDuTGyTEFwGI3_r502-MkZDbgXFlu5DnFtWS5kAmzm1DxkONyQO70O_oCK-MOMW00-fErCHuhX4ODTtwKVxTYO2CXQviFW2kJekbuhsn1rzEDQMDeAgrmzIjebyOMR8T_Syy_L0vq/s1600/jungleLight2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEpYDe9WFLuFnhJZC_XsIm4HrkidUr9FVaLZIX9EBsucUojbhWuz0v1_66HQSRkE2EiSLBO_6ATVfaB3aR_-q5oNPnIMgO08nTM2Clar_3rucu17WTMV4MgX6ajhtDLQJBKyZHgcTyOP9/s1600/FlowersCloudForest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEpYDe9WFLuFnhJZC_XsIm4HrkidUr9FVaLZIX9EBsucUojbhWuz0v1_66HQSRkE2EiSLBO_6ATVfaB3aR_-q5oNPnIMgO08nTM2Clar_3rucu17WTMV4MgX6ajhtDLQJBKyZHgcTyOP9/s1600/FlowersCloudForest.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6879874220313505706" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQEods9AIx2Zrxd0rDy4wOu4CbD1Vl1QkyuzHcd6_nDVeq7OJYnQaM0jZQDfDOio3KoI0PGVOfZI6aqnpJ1ypShqaWmj5w64T8oFD0pbItGe04pdxEVqTGO6utao4IweG4MItH8c1F25u/s1600/path.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="jungle path" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQEods9AIx2Zrxd0rDy4wOu4CbD1Vl1QkyuzHcd6_nDVeq7OJYnQaM0jZQDfDOio3KoI0PGVOfZI6aqnpJ1ypShqaWmj5w64T8oFD0pbItGe04pdxEVqTGO6utao4IweG4MItH8c1F25u/s1600/path.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCQPqWnQl3NRy0xHTbkQ9DQ-HDVsTVj2TV_qkmg13mHFXKofohcaSuMx_tZiJXKIdOIjjILHGu6ahCjDKgQQ_bJeBIMvVfe3_1rLoNuHL-yqdcF3JdswYuryln6NEde41DSVpvkg9-nRA/s1600/Yokahu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCQPqWnQl3NRy0xHTbkQ9DQ-HDVsTVj2TV_qkmg13mHFXKofohcaSuMx_tZiJXKIdOIjjILHGu6ahCjDKgQQ_bJeBIMvVfe3_1rLoNuHL-yqdcF3JdswYuryln6NEde41DSVpvkg9-nRA/s1600/Yokahu.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Path through the jungle</td>
<td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: center;">Yokahú Tower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
From Yokahú Tower, there was a great view of the northeastern coast:<br />
<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8CsqEE-cima-y5Ypd-Hw-ptp6XBjm22q7hJt98tgvtP567rgYu6Obc9pRlL6PIKXC0vLJBUKtLnjEJnk3eLCGbQt6NzsJybMz1GAF26imS6hkADDc9DchPP6ULd8A57fDWf-HtVJRM0K/s1600/Luquillo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8CsqEE-cima-y5Ypd-Hw-ptp6XBjm22q7hJt98tgvtP567rgYu6Obc9pRlL6PIKXC0vLJBUKtLnjEJnk3eLCGbQt6NzsJybMz1GAF26imS6hkADDc9DchPP6ULd8A57fDWf-HtVJRM0K/s1600/Luquillo.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggana8wyCU1FtrGMwWjfc8YAQ5XwunjXR8ET4wmpA9oaTdakI6KlnKQpqSrbnRFJZU3-ZyjUA3yztYB3xV7opirG55rtnQOVoKCJyRgpWvxndbEl1esrqmiGs19BH6odsywFguwkqGVqqX/s1600/Luquillo5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggana8wyCU1FtrGMwWjfc8YAQ5XwunjXR8ET4wmpA9oaTdakI6KlnKQpqSrbnRFJZU3-ZyjUA3yztYB3xV7opirG55rtnQOVoKCJyRgpWvxndbEl1esrqmiGs19BH6odsywFguwkqGVqqX/s1600/Luquillo5.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a>
</td></tr>
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<br />
Back on the beach in Humacao, where Great Egrets are common, and there is a good view of the windmill farm in Naguabo.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKH5usB1lqHrDq22E5GzfNtn6QufSJHYHjxberINCyPsQO3gGDfnZgtqDTzXWoc52NjtRPmQaW1HGkRpgrgf4K_XS5lbO1Z_cM612Sff6y9K4SEcGcTe7Yj2hu7USNeTxKikNoNNFcCQR1/s1600/Egret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKH5usB1lqHrDq22E5GzfNtn6QufSJHYHjxberINCyPsQO3gGDfnZgtqDTzXWoc52NjtRPmQaW1HGkRpgrgf4K_XS5lbO1Z_cM612Sff6y9K4SEcGcTe7Yj2hu7USNeTxKikNoNNFcCQR1/s1600/Egret.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFuuwnBM1vaX3qBSnxuZbTNtV4HviW5TEYnDzSQhQgIhcaspFxBkwWqE-vA-6aYt0QkPuf-9MIqmu_gDf1j1HD48kMYTE-XkiBsrBbZO1eTBGTjZwsVY4mh87-i7GZtZQPpKaiwY9vk_3/s1600/EgretinFlight2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFuuwnBM1vaX3qBSnxuZbTNtV4HviW5TEYnDzSQhQgIhcaspFxBkwWqE-vA-6aYt0QkPuf-9MIqmu_gDf1j1HD48kMYTE-XkiBsrBbZO1eTBGTjZwsVY4mh87-i7GZtZQPpKaiwY9vk_3/s1600/EgretinFlight2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTctmdH89a_vtz3zxWk8LYjxgQHmLKM44R6W7zv6R1zwr4wo1tDcFdszjriScD8aMESJCYlX9IH1CjymdxttfnYDN3q6ToJzy4LGKY-DTAHNF5V6IYAoS87KDbfoDY5SxLYySBSJvwO9sS/s1600/EgretinFlight3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTctmdH89a_vtz3zxWk8LYjxgQHmLKM44R6W7zv6R1zwr4wo1tDcFdszjriScD8aMESJCYlX9IH1CjymdxttfnYDN3q6ToJzy4LGKY-DTAHNF5V6IYAoS87KDbfoDY5SxLYySBSJvwO9sS/s1600/EgretinFlight3.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jpR6bkaZg_-HqTKn9EIiZbm69xo14kBmw8FegDxgPt6JnhGFa_AhHkytUysjCYKvg3hKHSZ6r8QFX8yQ981V3ZTfTlCsx8_CdXyLQ7BJMq4P45I2cS64zFnD9dMJJBiAKWcOqv9utfcn/s1600/EgretinWindmills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jpR6bkaZg_-HqTKn9EIiZbm69xo14kBmw8FegDxgPt6JnhGFa_AhHkytUysjCYKvg3hKHSZ6r8QFX8yQ981V3ZTfTlCsx8_CdXyLQ7BJMq4P45I2cS64zFnD9dMJJBiAKWcOqv9utfcn/s1600/EgretinWindmills.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzOxhyphenhyphenJOONYJL590rHF9AXmY9nrh2LShAH13sQAlgEKqmma0hV9Z60VNjgmiuh-iALpW7aWdMoqUILjBadUL0QFm41FLLrK4qZTO80ZOKJuIRjVt8XK41HgLDE09SOunKd4pLB0TwHRcN/s1600/PuntaDeLimaWindFarm3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzOxhyphenhyphenJOONYJL590rHF9AXmY9nrh2LShAH13sQAlgEKqmma0hV9Z60VNjgmiuh-iALpW7aWdMoqUILjBadUL0QFm41FLLrK4qZTO80ZOKJuIRjVt8XK41HgLDE09SOunKd4pLB0TwHRcN/s1600/PuntaDeLimaWindFarm3.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Punta de Lima Wind Farm in Naguabo, as seen from Playa Punta Santiago.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0Puerto Rico18.220833 -66.59014916.2903545 -69.171936 20.1513115 -64.008361999999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-13468018595230561522013-05-27T21:14:00.001-04:002015-02-16T14:08:19.285-05:00onedayinithaca<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here's my contribution to this:</div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<a href="http://onedayinithaca.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="logo for web" src="http://onedayinithaca.com/letterhead%20edited%20for%20web2.gif" height="198" width="437" /></a><br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
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_______________________________________________________________________________</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I missed participating in the first Great Ithaca Write-In –
that was two months after my daughter was born; and this baby did not <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>want to be put down despite it being one of
the hottest summer on record.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now she’s
25 and living in Brooklyn and I have a little more time.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still live in the
same house that she grew up in on West Court Street in the West End of
Ithaca.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s now nestled in the middle
of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the highway median between north and
south Route 13, but back then Route 13 was not a divided highway and trees
still lined the sidewalk on Fulton Street, which is now Route 13 South, but was
then a quiet side street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the late
80’s the divisive debate over what to do to untangle the Octopus broiled over. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It eventually ended with the compromise of the
one-way pair for Route 13 and two new bridges over the flood control channel. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully there is not an overpass roaring
over the Cayuga Inlet as some had proposed, along with a four-lane highway on
West Hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day we returned from
vacation and all the trees on Fulton Street and the last block of West Court
Street were gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We endured several
years of construction noise and dust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The pounding to tear up the street caused fractures in the foundation of
my house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately insurance covered
the damage and the new sewer lines prevented future flooding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The neighborhood has slowly been healing as
the new trees grow, but it’s still a neighborhood scattered with blight –
vacant and run-down properties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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It may not be obvious to the thousands of drivers going
through the neighborhood, but there is a lot of green space here on the median.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I bought this property with my
ex-husband in 1986, I was drawn to the deep sunny yard and envisioned an urban
paradise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Four old peach trees graced
the property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three survived for a few
more years providing us with the most delicious peaches I’ve ever tasted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were planted by a previous owner, Cesar
Capucci.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An acquaintance, who was a
friend of his daughter Ann Marie, remembers seeing him plant some sticks in the
ground when she was a child, and she was doubtful when he said they were going
to grow into peach trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also had
chickens to the chagrin of his neighbor Frank Gatch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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When Mr. Gatch died in 2001, after living there for over 50
years and raising three kids, one of whom, Ed Gatch, was Ithaca’s postmaster at
the time, we negotiated with the family to buy his house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had shared a driveway and chats about our
gardens over the fence for 15 years, and my partner Steve had his eye on the
garage which would make an excellent workshop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Previously he was toiling away on his sculptures in our five-foot
basement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We appreciate that the Gatch family
worked with us to buy the house, even though a neighborhood developer was
bidding on the property as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
developer has been buying up properties on the block for years and then they
often go vacant, or are rented out but not kept in repair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems to be a long-term plan to eventually
knock down houses and put up apartments.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today we are continuing some of the old traditions of the
Italians and other working families who lived here in the past – gardening,
canning, and raising chickens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soil and drainage
are excellent as we stand upon an ancient marsh that was filled early last
century; and the long growing season is the envy of friends who garden in the
surrounding hills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In mid-May we’re
already eating abundant greens from the garden – the dandelions and garlic
mustard weeds that others disdain; kale, radicchio, and spinach which we had
covered with leaves to survive the winter; broccoli raab and wild arugula which
re-seeded itself, as well as the thinnings from the lettuces, spinach and
arugula I sowed in early April.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hope
that in the future there is always some green space in the middle of this block
in the wild West End.</div>
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<br /></div>
Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-86144482832311990132012-06-03T19:24:00.001-04:002012-06-03T19:26:33.879-04:00A love of books grows in Bolivia<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It's been a few years since I wrote occasionally for the
Ithaca Times. Recently I had a chance to interview some inspiring women
and wrote a couple articles for the Tompkins County Weekly. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDzMQ3W4hqqOVI02WWHfPDOyw7siJvDD_vEuwEjuLspFy2zz3PsEwvF3RM9sclKYbhURxZN4QjF3EkFm2LW6zZHx36YAKOcPF0HVjKimiZ2aV6i8SvIX-S23WIuWpKOjqGnznAaMfRG13X/s1600/Bolivian+photos+1401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDzMQ3W4hqqOVI02WWHfPDOyw7siJvDD_vEuwEjuLspFy2zz3PsEwvF3RM9sclKYbhURxZN4QjF3EkFm2LW6zZHx36YAKOcPF0HVjKimiZ2aV6i8SvIX-S23WIuWpKOjqGnznAaMfRG13X/s320/Bolivian+photos+1401.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At first, as Chris Pothier was planning a follow-up trip to
Bolivia, she thought she had hit on an ideal way to improve her Spanish. On
previous visits she had been reading Spanish books to the children and saw how
insatiable they were for books, so she borrowed books to read to them. As might
be expected of someone who was director of the Loaves and Fishes food program
for 24 years (she retired in 2010), Pothier noticed the expansive needs of the
people around her in Bolivia. She had also been volunteering at an orphanage in
Cochabamba, where there were no books available.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
See full story at: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.tompkinshosting.com/tompkinsweekly/TompkinsWeekly120423.pdf#page=8">www.tompkinshosting.com/tompkinsweekly/TompkinsWeekly120423.pdf#page=8</a></div>Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-67910065207887068732012-06-03T19:13:00.000-04:002012-06-03T19:21:46.664-04:00Local doctor focuses on women’s health issue in Ghana<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDI3lIe1OFlZym_dOIvYegAmfmTor1pjEkrQk_Pq-QwEuiaaMZxUvX8Nq9nb-6bgqfPq1jpcaJBO3NXoiOQfaE9kA5mgv2KNZK6oxciCCzJAY8_7SUfiD-kWa4nWxfDVKWXGVNzUgR6ao/s1600/IMG_0734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDI3lIe1OFlZym_dOIvYegAmfmTor1pjEkrQk_Pq-QwEuiaaMZxUvX8Nq9nb-6bgqfPq1jpcaJBO3NXoiOQfaE9kA5mgv2KNZK6oxciCCzJAY8_7SUfiD-kWa4nWxfDVKWXGVNzUgR6ao/s320/IMG_0734.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After 20 years serving as obstetrician and gynecologist to hundreds of Ithaca
women, Dr. Catherine Husa decided to pursue international medical volunteer
work. She visited medical facilities in countries such as Sri Lanka, Burundi,
Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ghana. For several years she worked with
Doctors Without Borders.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
See full story at: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.tompkinshosting.com/tompkinsweekly/TompkinsWeekly120521.pdf#page=5">www.tompkinshosting.com/tompkinsweekly/TompkinsWeekly120521.pdf#page=5</a></div>Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-83029168209359077102012-02-19T18:41:00.000-05:002015-03-08T19:48:31.817-04:00ViequesA trip to Vieques is an adventure different for everyone. We were looking for an uncrowded tropical vacation where we didn't need a passport or a car. Vieques didn't disappoint.<br />
<br />
[Neither did another vacation three years later on the east coast of <a href="http://wildwestend.blogspot.com/2015/02/puerto-rico.html" target="_blank">Puerto Rico</a>! From the beach, you could see Vieques.]<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6879874220313505706" name="wws"></a>where we stayed</b> - Esperanza is a fishing village on the Caribbean side of the island, which has gradually been transforming into a tourist town. It's the second biggest town on the island, next to Isabel. Yes, it caters to tourists, but it's more low-key than any other tourist town I've seen. It was surprisingly mellow during the last week of January 2012. I hear it's crowded over the holidays, and it's apparently erratic over the rest of the winter season.
We found Casa Almendro, our home-away-from-home on <a href="http://www.vrbo.com/290536" target="_blank">VRBO.com</a>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2L3mqUslZcSWmTMe00fcsmDpCWJo7kkQjhDLhL4lkY22ChP9pEgjFuz40r9It9b9uaX4vyOTVSzVRjL3C0G1m7j4M0dildwF22RuXQ7zigy3umbN4GJPDBO83nOEMnFewV6EaQi20bZl5/s1600/casaAlmendro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2L3mqUslZcSWmTMe00fcsmDpCWJo7kkQjhDLhL4lkY22ChP9pEgjFuz40r9It9b9uaX4vyOTVSzVRjL3C0G1m7j4M0dildwF22RuXQ7zigy3umbN4GJPDBO83nOEMnFewV6EaQi20bZl5/s200/casaAlmendro.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Casa Almendro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
From our terrace we could see sunrise and sunset, and the waters and sky of the Caribbean which lapped the shore just a block away on the Malecon.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
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<tr><td height="137"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-16OGjYVrxsRZNTUrmxlHvESPXY66GUkigVkTBDTgYDfbZeIpz9if0PmWMYq58jVJB5LDxJW89D0LKBeY7v9tWj0joDKzzHz7bNq-_7Hq-V11nxWVgcDlXkDn8hi8SPuFVVT_giaaTX-T/s1600/dusk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-16OGjYVrxsRZNTUrmxlHvESPXY66GUkigVkTBDTgYDfbZeIpz9if0PmWMYq58jVJB5LDxJW89D0LKBeY7v9tWj0joDKzzHz7bNq-_7Hq-V11nxWVgcDlXkDn8hi8SPuFVVT_giaaTX-T/s200/dusk.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlT6Pw5_LJVeI_HEfYDysmHXYz1ymzfYLMMC_omL7huU2OntcKydMBlzaS8gBe5MyC9-JnO3mnyJdVjPMOxgILmYVc46Sv9-fTeN4MBn5-XXwa8cyrgppSxY6ywFW23w4j278yrPuVqssu/s1600/dusk2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlT6Pw5_LJVeI_HEfYDysmHXYz1ymzfYLMMC_omL7huU2OntcKydMBlzaS8gBe5MyC9-JnO3mnyJdVjPMOxgILmYVc46Sv9-fTeN4MBn5-XXwa8cyrgppSxY6ywFW23w4j278yrPuVqssu/s200/dusk2.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjLknOcNoRRAEY7njye7WJmNhe9lgo0LTtfFL223gTkOW1XcCgxPUKy1ypeaC9zYY40D_Tz9sBhXtKb3VaNAgF5qV1E7ZsMHco2Vo8YoeOlGoWhyphenhyphenkMo5oL4uQFe0J0E2bsNGVVKxr3CV2/s1600/sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjLknOcNoRRAEY7njye7WJmNhe9lgo0LTtfFL223gTkOW1XcCgxPUKy1ypeaC9zYY40D_Tz9sBhXtKb3VaNAgF5qV1E7ZsMHco2Vo8YoeOlGoWhyphenhyphenkMo5oL4uQFe0J0E2bsNGVVKxr3CV2/s200/sunset.jpg" height="133" width="200" />
</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Turned out our landlord and lady were from our
own state of New York, where they do landscape design in the summer and spend
the winters in paradise, i.e. Vieques.
They live on the ground level of the house, and release the prime real
estate – the second floor with the view – to the renters. Anthony is a Master Gardener, and Eileen an
artist and landscape designer, and they grow a wonderful tropical garden in the
alleyway alongside and another pocket garden back of the house. Delicious
bananas from the trees were a bonus treat every day. Eileen and Carlos did the painting above right.
It depicts the original house. Carlos built on the second floor, which
took three years. He is now working on the roof to make it a sitting
and barbecue area.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
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<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuZmjeY22fb9OMXwP02ntXPAfT9DfnIxYOb8h0QFb2C3p9EKaDgDs6pdKVYKNXYGsLiam6KSYe08qFMCVAa8Ni7uNaAumRGzITy8OQGcxO6NjRQCGsroqu9NEr7TK3MDwiCVVlp9AZH1a/s1600/casaAlmendroSteps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuZmjeY22fb9OMXwP02ntXPAfT9DfnIxYOb8h0QFb2C3p9EKaDgDs6pdKVYKNXYGsLiam6KSYe08qFMCVAa8Ni7uNaAumRGzITy8OQGcxO6NjRQCGsroqu9NEr7TK3MDwiCVVlp9AZH1a/s200/casaAlmendroSteps.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiX6OG-9WNCe8-rGnTFbpTHlgZOft7aIYNvOnBXD44-RWJ_B0unyTHI2pHkSKfKeu7Kn96GYkSYMuE8bx3eG2FjGDHQtN6qs390Bess5pzDfB_Gy-DOvPpPW32IoGD2PCCTykLjwBJmW7S/s1600/carlos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiX6OG-9WNCe8-rGnTFbpTHlgZOft7aIYNvOnBXD44-RWJ_B0unyTHI2pHkSKfKeu7Kn96GYkSYMuE8bx3eG2FjGDHQtN6qs390Bess5pzDfB_Gy-DOvPpPW32IoGD2PCCTykLjwBJmW7S/s200/carlos.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9mg5a9BveGc0h9wX35z9O8OzH8BJHnrtWpsNJZY40tzqKetcsZuwOe1gNT_IO9Ca-DvDHmaXn6S4FcQs9F1URte7WoRMJ78KUiiV9cMPjLVFG5FmOeXojQ7OAwsdleGC3q961mucYcZd/s1600/redplant_3030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9mg5a9BveGc0h9wX35z9O8OzH8BJHnrtWpsNJZY40tzqKetcsZuwOe1gNT_IO9Ca-DvDHmaXn6S4FcQs9F1URte7WoRMJ78KUiiV9cMPjLVFG5FmOeXojQ7OAwsdleGC3q961mucYcZd/s200/redplant_3030.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkiNmJSTZkVe68raNQTN5Gk73qQNsNM9Ykj5j_VeNVFWSRNzxnqaX0H2GbF4u35gJRhQFCblV8RNIGOLD2z-M_XZJA8IgW60kqxivzF5Jzj9Qmj0W2dS52gqiRWVCztkvN0qtDbM7h9Ui/s1600/garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkiNmJSTZkVe68raNQTN5Gk73qQNsNM9Ykj5j_VeNVFWSRNzxnqaX0H2GbF4u35gJRhQFCblV8RNIGOLD2z-M_XZJA8IgW60kqxivzF5Jzj9Qmj0W2dS52gqiRWVCztkvN0qtDbM7h9Ui/s200/garden.jpg" height="134" width="200" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG73UYBMt29NbPioDaskbhuostZ1NltpgdW5yGNQW9wro96sjZsTuSfNYtS6KN0HlDhDaoRp8Su-xmhtaCOJYUc1OIJnqjyiyA32_ZxderhM6tgHUJFGsJF0HZDHoFotd1_-UOqoQy8F3a/s1600/garden2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG73UYBMt29NbPioDaskbhuostZ1NltpgdW5yGNQW9wro96sjZsTuSfNYtS6KN0HlDhDaoRp8Su-xmhtaCOJYUc1OIJnqjyiyA32_ZxderhM6tgHUJFGsJF0HZDHoFotd1_-UOqoQy8F3a/s200/garden2.jpg" height="134" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBCbyZz9AP-w4xH1G1Vk8bIRtVsCfH-8TGLyzDgnQULEqhPlPbQsw9GiBOajuuFxNp1uluIzLl0DyG1sFCJTSoGLHWB5wj8bUpkrdbKmkxT0I4aZ-qL66WhtE9dSCs6Wt-ruMQcxaES0j/s1600/Heliconiahumilis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 3em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBCbyZz9AP-w4xH1G1Vk8bIRtVsCfH-8TGLyzDgnQULEqhPlPbQsw9GiBOajuuFxNp1uluIzLl0DyG1sFCJTSoGLHWB5wj8bUpkrdbKmkxT0I4aZ-qL66WhtE9dSCs6Wt-ruMQcxaES0j/s200/Heliconiahumilis.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKbARxQRUC_Svw_7nP8_-aZGkXwHppTLWeTwCzM-QoTlZxcToy0q7MU1BCOSKxN19mYq7tGcbbsJxL71YjQhkjb6eiG94zKeTL_Fk15dJwyCWidVMZD0ThfAV0EUgDucZCyMqURLQMYOq/s1600/redorchid3143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 3em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKbARxQRUC_Svw_7nP8_-aZGkXwHppTLWeTwCzM-QoTlZxcToy0q7MU1BCOSKxN19mYq7tGcbbsJxL71YjQhkjb6eiG94zKeTL_Fk15dJwyCWidVMZD0ThfAV0EUgDucZCyMqURLQMYOq/s200/redorchid3143.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cz0-IStHeu4IAOJISKBe5OJLPkS-JJQ47PmUOoeJCFiKU7c4amdF-03Mx98Lx7Tem26BmwT3yTpmbaVEII9X1U0WQLyzw5yGLd5JOWi1u2ukIRVTUyP5ZVRwVjDhFgdeZb15xkmdFKKN/s1600/Heliconiapsittacorum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 3em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cz0-IStHeu4IAOJISKBe5OJLPkS-JJQ47PmUOoeJCFiKU7c4amdF-03Mx98Lx7Tem26BmwT3yTpmbaVEII9X1U0WQLyzw5yGLd5JOWi1u2ukIRVTUyP5ZVRwVjDhFgdeZb15xkmdFKKN/s200/Heliconiapsittacorum.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
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<td class="tr-caption" style="margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 3em; text-align: center;">Lobster's claw - <i>Heliconia humilis</i></td>
<td class="tr-caption" style="margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 3em; text-align: center;">Orchid - <i>Epidendrum</i></td>
<td class="tr-caption" style="margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 3em; text-align: center;">Parrot's beak - <i>Heliconia psittacorum</i></td>
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<b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6879874220313505706" name="wwd"></a>what we did</b>
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Without a car, we checked out just about every other mode of transportation – walking, biking, horse-back riding, kayaking. <br />
Our first day we just walked around and scoped out our new environment. Down to the Malecon
- the little strip is the walkway along Esperanza Beach. They redid that walkway for $950,000 according to the sign. Vendors line the walk on the weekends. Steve bought maracas made from a gourd. Workers were continuing improvements, planting shrubs in the planters and working on a plaque while we were there. and on the other side are restaurants and various shops, and a little blue house. <br />
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<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimigMdv1PXkt1yMaI5M0bL28glKSSxEt5zp145uy5TzthUqytqYYoEv-gp8QxaMxfLsSLpB24-vcHMKEt8bL1Sv_yDHH9fwNnEcoDIrLG3FFQ9yqSDAGoWpXB8cWFCuMIGNtW7OYbB-a4L/s1600/Malecon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimigMdv1PXkt1yMaI5M0bL28glKSSxEt5zp145uy5TzthUqytqYYoEv-gp8QxaMxfLsSLpB24-vcHMKEt8bL1Sv_yDHH9fwNnEcoDIrLG3FFQ9yqSDAGoWpXB8cWFCuMIGNtW7OYbB-a4L/s200/Malecon2.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkbj9gHgzygITJjQPhBRIW8PnIOWEzWlvfhgSKjHGRGYf6fTEQKgjIY6xms0WjrjnFxAFM_n7V57Tkb-de655nPPbLPhYinX1O63wSSU_J59-EuGBxoCWOz-woebc8vEsqaq9aL9wAOnH/s1600/houseMalecon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkbj9gHgzygITJjQPhBRIW8PnIOWEzWlvfhgSKjHGRGYf6fTEQKgjIY6xms0WjrjnFxAFM_n7V57Tkb-de655nPPbLPhYinX1O63wSSU_J59-EuGBxoCWOz-woebc8vEsqaq9aL9wAOnH/s200/houseMalecon.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_OWPkBPE_6tTQclflDsrPmth9iuZZ5g-e2AWHc7U4yqnwxJ2No1H22oq3AUNnFeO1kkfjUSn_A2lFkdRR5WYUvrknESt4EgM8OTFIlbcravoi9TGLlDrYJBckzV-xw54aai1e950Czxg/s1600/BVM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_OWPkBPE_6tTQclflDsrPmth9iuZZ5g-e2AWHc7U4yqnwxJ2No1H22oq3AUNnFeO1kkfjUSn_A2lFkdRR5WYUvrknESt4EgM8OTFIlbcravoi9TGLlDrYJBckzV-xw54aai1e950Czxg/s200/BVM.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Malecon to Puerto Rico</td>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House across from Malecon</td>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue on Malecon</td></tr>
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<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-rdLxhg-VKVuWhZtBrp4hLwsU5MS3_zS-pplRJsFg-NCXzTYH_Ce7JEVFmqYTzEp-Y6KRvIV5GJ6fQ58O-wVp574wi8v0dPbUsbHuz-K_VUqBUOBveet4unF2I8H-LSigEIjok5JgOlM/s1600/chickenyard3131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-rdLxhg-VKVuWhZtBrp4hLwsU5MS3_zS-pplRJsFg-NCXzTYH_Ce7JEVFmqYTzEp-Y6KRvIV5GJ6fQ58O-wVp574wi8v0dPbUsbHuz-K_VUqBUOBveet4unF2I8H-LSigEIjok5JgOlM/s200/chickenyard3131.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rp3r5FfxFX2cjWQMtAB59OqENpn4goMKJKcYJhn9fFGOi9wgxGsWNVZpYqsfTTnvgzKGPc-qJzV7nGSKeR3STegW8eBK0cln7ssG-UemFL5UJOHX8GEQJRTymt7NTn0AbHW939CcaosY/s1600/fromOurTerrace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rp3r5FfxFX2cjWQMtAB59OqENpn4goMKJKcYJhn9fFGOi9wgxGsWNVZpYqsfTTnvgzKGPc-qJzV7nGSKeR3STegW8eBK0cln7ssG-UemFL5UJOHX8GEQJRTymt7NTn0AbHW939CcaosY/s200/fromOurTerrace.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td>
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Chickens run around the streets, as do the dogs and horses, but some are fenced in. That's the next door to ours.
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Boats are docked out on the Puerto Real. Walked along Puerto Real (below left) and over a spit of land which goes out to Cayo Tierra; past some guys
camping, and we were at Sun Bay, or Ensenada Sombe (below right) , as it's known on the
old USGS topo map. Already we had an amazing beach practically to
ourselves.<br />
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<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWznlr2jnNKGRU8RoofR4E4r2Y13DjzwDr9d1uElnvBIJZXBQEIiqvZkK1QkF7vOJr1idlzBQlZ0N7C-L7pq5MU22bk3FhykWVJmbLKcvZm7XeyVmAYqZ364wIagaGFGGRUyn7o7CeUGoC/s1600/puertoreal3139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWznlr2jnNKGRU8RoofR4E4r2Y13DjzwDr9d1uElnvBIJZXBQEIiqvZkK1QkF7vOJr1idlzBQlZ0N7C-L7pq5MU22bk3FhykWVJmbLKcvZm7XeyVmAYqZ364wIagaGFGGRUyn7o7CeUGoC/s200/puertoreal3139.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK5jsx-Dlulg3OUqBhAkUbHCns9lOtKYGOhUx3RmWvw97goqJ0-VfAXkjQ7vnhUq9pJHLDPhFeRzj44BYfrK-PvWMGY-7AANFR5mH43HbxoT4OoKV5Z6OsMHM-7AiBBq47S7MTLVHQL5y5/s1600/SunBay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK5jsx-Dlulg3OUqBhAkUbHCns9lOtKYGOhUx3RmWvw97goqJ0-VfAXkjQ7vnhUq9pJHLDPhFeRzj44BYfrK-PvWMGY-7AANFR5mH43HbxoT4OoKV5Z6OsMHM-7AiBBq47S7MTLVHQL5y5/s200/SunBay.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a></td>
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<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTyzeEOhRPbpgVd2i1gbBGnkDbFCUW0R4xImxbBqj9eE0EhlxIKh6drFJDU98y5cexohJ4FME5gMlQ7X1pDyDFSSRuQrYNGSFnr1ObJ28elAowu6YrsUTmSnJX3wOv4h6oF7bsSDp82Vg/s1600/Redflag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTyzeEOhRPbpgVd2i1gbBGnkDbFCUW0R4xImxbBqj9eE0EhlxIKh6drFJDU98y5cexohJ4FME5gMlQ7X1pDyDFSSRuQrYNGSFnr1ObJ28elAowu6YrsUTmSnJX3wOv4h6oF7bsSDp82Vg/s200/Redflag.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhxTKRRNH7euj88LGJB1L6fCDWQkV8OohcyKCViCIpGNunym-eah4_8AgZyqAEuyVd1Jcuh5opuZK6dQ-HO6Xyn6ywhayIlucvr13lwhof8J_JlJ1kmz0Nyh_cyyNd_QFxxSzpusLNfM4/s1600/flagsSunBay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhxTKRRNH7euj88LGJB1L6fCDWQkV8OohcyKCViCIpGNunym-eah4_8AgZyqAEuyVd1Jcuh5opuZK6dQ-HO6Xyn6ywhayIlucvr13lwhof8J_JlJ1kmz0Nyh_cyyNd_QFxxSzpusLNfM4/s200/flagsSunBay.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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We were there at a breezy time; the surf was rough, and the red flag was out (above left) indicating swimming conditions were dangerous. Puerto Rican flag at Sun Bay offices (above right).<br />
We just played in the shallow waters and enjoyed the sun.
A brief shower sent us under coconut and mangrove trees. <br />
In the afternoon, we waded through the shallow rocks across to Cayo Tierra. Don't you love Tevas? Did a little beachcombing and then checked out the trails around the little island.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9hhBfN71SagzfaMPvMqfkrT6WNO9Qb-iHMy_8Wh92gJLd4QtPEiSWzCoScnd1IAoKuvimrii1JwEUyWmcmT9-8YpOkdmCvi6mX38X-uUaMmzYzgNaNoIfSogrKQxSrVfD7UOr0mC4WHg/s1600/FoundCayoTierra2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9hhBfN71SagzfaMPvMqfkrT6WNO9Qb-iHMy_8Wh92gJLd4QtPEiSWzCoScnd1IAoKuvimrii1JwEUyWmcmT9-8YpOkdmCvi6mX38X-uUaMmzYzgNaNoIfSogrKQxSrVfD7UOr0mC4WHg/s320/FoundCayoTierra2.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIb6RmPlr2X8cgn17qwCf-sIHH9BLO6Op96cjF2pqtM_LodWf75_yfQ2MucTngKUTRUQmiAH9C1vEqbUGDRovKD8LTQFZYGvhKY4NrdDbXV0rXiWy1l3Hs5O5oVO8O4pX47xmW9McAlKa/s1600/handTree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIb6RmPlr2X8cgn17qwCf-sIHH9BLO6Op96cjF2pqtM_LodWf75_yfQ2MucTngKUTRUQmiAH9C1vEqbUGDRovKD8LTQFZYGvhKY4NrdDbXV0rXiWy1l3Hs5O5oVO8O4pX47xmW9McAlKa/s320/handTree.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaVDnmXkUwhUAP9UODa9XiO9imOLHmEJqWAD1aFAb6jZ7xcKMtOsFM2B1hv5gJRTN_jYLYYdBqU8gS9H9wv1BSAY0yB-9YNWguVPEy-hA2S1xUNRPZgpMZ3zBRIvicq3rIDoKGU6L2QlY/s1600/CayoAfueraEspPRfromCT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaVDnmXkUwhUAP9UODa9XiO9imOLHmEJqWAD1aFAb6jZ7xcKMtOsFM2B1hv5gJRTN_jYLYYdBqU8gS9H9wv1BSAY0yB-9YNWguVPEy-hA2S1xUNRPZgpMZ3zBRIvicq3rIDoKGU6L2QlY/s320/CayoAfueraEspPRfromCT2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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We had arranged with Gary at <a href="http://viequesadventures.com/" target="_blank">Vieques Adventure Company</a> to rent bikes for the next two days. The morning when he was supposed to deliver the bikes, I woke up early and saw the sun rise, and all was peaceful. But soon the eastern skies, from whence the weather generally comes, were dense with dark clouds and it started raining. I didn't have internet the whole week, so couldn't check out the radar to see whether this weather was likely to be persistent or not. If I had been there a few more days, or had yet heard from one of the Fun Brothers that when it rains this time of year, it'll be over in an hour, I might have been more optimistic. But we were afraid we were socked in for a rainy day. Unfortunately Gary told me he could not predict the weather and we cancelled the reservation out of an excess of caution.
Of course the sun came out in another hour, and I tried to rearrange with Gary, but he was then too busy and recommended <a href="http://blackbeardsports.com/" target="_blank">Blackbeard Sports</a> as an alternative.<br />
We arranged that rental for the next day, and headed down to the Malecon to see about kayaking. Yesterday we had seen a couple women in a kayak and they recommended the <a href="http://www.funbrothers-vieques.com/" target="_blank">Fun Brothers</a>, so we headed to their stand on the east end of Calle Flamboyan a little past where the Malecon ends, and Jay Jay from Brooklyn set us up right away with a double kayak - $25 for two hours. We were hoping to do a lot of kayaking and head south to Playa Grande, but they discouraged us from heading with the wind at first as it could be very hard to get back as the wind continued to pick up in the afternoon. It was good we took their advice and headed instead east into the wind towards SunBay.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMBE5VQXAmjuZkpSnBv86oK93XAA1Qdtzh5jkl_cxZnDkgTUrFdVfY6o6_pSUa28X_JtvStMonZWuK7LEUjlXK1f-LvZhnOQYMOHgHI02Ftx__qeO8SJFT8vG2d3_DzJK0Ja9q5d55XMB/s1600/CayoAfueraEspPRfromCT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMBE5VQXAmjuZkpSnBv86oK93XAA1Qdtzh5jkl_cxZnDkgTUrFdVfY6o6_pSUa28X_JtvStMonZWuK7LEUjlXK1f-LvZhnOQYMOHgHI02Ftx__qeO8SJFT8vG2d3_DzJK0Ja9q5d55XMB/s320/CayoAfueraEspPRfromCT.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFTeqzf8S_gh-nYsioipzqh4_ztomwhW89bIo0oI8EDw94nQJpUjZZIk4rhtZOjFozNxfPZ0uS3ZKyNu71fHvkahcj0EB18ktksZtjsUDabEVCL5lV6QSeg7Xpy7lZGrk1z40zApaHvGD/s1600/SunBay2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFTeqzf8S_gh-nYsioipzqh4_ztomwhW89bIo0oI8EDw94nQJpUjZZIk4rhtZOjFozNxfPZ0uS3ZKyNu71fHvkahcj0EB18ktksZtjsUDabEVCL5lV6QSeg7Xpy7lZGrk1z40zApaHvGD/s320/SunBay2.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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We got out of the kayak and pulled the boat over the spit and then hit the rough waters of Sonbe. There was no pause for a sip of water or to scratch as we crossed the bay in total concentration not to get side-swiped by the waves. Adrenaline was up! As we approached the other side of the bay, the waters calmed and we relaxed on the beach and ate our lunch in joy. Only two people walked by, and we had seen them both the day before. There we were on that far beach.<br />
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When we got back from kayaking we heard the electricity was out on the island (that happened twice while were there, but only lasted a couple hours). I had a message from <a href="http://blackbeardsports.com/" target="_blank">Blackbeard Sports</a> that they wanted to deliver the bikes early, like this afternoon for no extra charge, since it was for their convenience. What a great deal! Thanks Diane! We were already getting free delivery to our place in Esperanza, since we booked it a day in advance, even though they're located in Isabel.<br />
So that afternoon we rode the bikes past Sun Bay into the dirt roads over to Media Luna and Navio Beaches. Tucked into a small protected bay, Media Luna had quieter waters out of the wind and was a peaceful change.
We then rode over to Mosquito Bay to check it out, but it was daytime, so no bioluminescence. We might be the only tourists to the island who stayed more than a week and didn't make it to a biobay tour at night when bioluminesence was shining. We heard so many "glowing" accounts that we were afraid it might be anti-climactic. Actually we're not big on tours. We only had nine days – couldn't do everything… Just excuses – next time I hope we check it out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sliver of Mosquito Bay beyond Sun Bay</td></tr>
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The next day we rode the bikes to Playa Grande -- west out of Esperanza on Route 997 past gardens and haciendas, slowing down for horses. All the cars we encountered on the narrow roads were courteous and shared the road with us. We turned left on 201 and very soon was a sign for the turn-off down a dirt road to Playa Negra, but Steve didn't want to check it out. In a couple miles we found the dirt road turn-off to Playa Grande. Before we turned down it, we checked out an open field surrounded by barbed wire and warning signs – it had been a site for underground bunkers and storage for when the Navy was there. I was almost going to take a picture of this forbidding area, but a sign said, "no fotografia" and warned that video cameras were watching our every move. We headed down the dirt road to the beach.
Playa Grande was empty and gorgeous with rocks and sand. My camera battery decided to conk out then. I forgot to see it coming. We walked around and relaxed and watched the surf crash against the rocks seeing only one young family while we were there.
We were thinking of checking out the road north after that, but 201 north was blocked off with a pile of dirt, so we decided to forget about trying to exploring more in that direction.<br />
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Wild horses wander the island – left behind by the Spanish explorers.
Many are Paso Fino horses or mixed blood. Like the wandering dogs and chickens, many, but not all, are owned by people but
allowed to roam free. We just had to do a trail ride to get to ride horses and find the trails. It was a splurge but worth it for the $70/person cash only for a two-hour tour. The trail ride with <a href="http://esperanzaridingcompany.com/" target="_blank">Esperanza Riding Company</a> took us on trails through thick vegetation over some hills with different views of the island. I was lucky to be on the back end of the group, so I got to get a lot out of one of our guides, Darcy. She was a South Carolina beach girl, who fell in love with the Caribbean over her honeymoon and convinced her husband to move there. Vieques was the least developed place they could find. Yes, there are lots of problems there, but when you get frustrated, you just go to the beach, and remember why you moved there. They are working to make a home there, carving out some jungle to plant a garden. She pointed out and shared with me some of the edible plants along our route – little apples that looked like crabapples, but were sweeter (it might be a jujube). She also grabbed little orange fruit with little stubs on it. She told me to open it up and chomp on the red seeds inside that tasted like chocolate-covered espresso beans. They really almost did. She didn't know what it was called, and my landlady didn't recognize it from my description. Now that I'm searching the web I think it could be <i>Momordica balsamina</i>. From a distant hill, they pointed out the coconut trees lining Playa Cocal, and later we winded through a narrow jungly trail to ride along that beach, as we headed back to the stables.<br />
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Later that afternoon, when the electricity went out again, we took the bikes over to Playa Cocal, Coconut Beach. When we told Eileen about going there, she swore us to secrecy as to its location, as she said that beach is known to locals only.<br />
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We got the mountain bikes from <a href="http://blackbeardsports.com/" target="_blank">Blackbeard Sports</a> again the next day. Steve liked to space out the biking, as those dirt roads down to the beaches are rough! The rental bikes are mountain bikes and for good reason. It was fun dodging around and through bumps and troughs, gravel and branches. If you don't have a bike you have to have a jeep to go on those roads. I got used to standing up on my feet on the pedals on the rough spots to avoid the constant bombardment to the bottom.
This time we headed east to the eastern beaches. First we stopped at the Stonehenge of Vieques. Darcy from the trail ride had tipped us off as to its location – just ¼ mile north of the Sun Bay beach entrance on 997, on the left. There was a big sign that said "Sitio Arqueológico Hombre de Puerto Ferro". Dating back to the Taino Indians, it's an eerie collection of large boulders, where they had also unearthed a 4000-year old skeleton.<br />
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We pedaled on to the turn-off to the eastern beaches. It's good we had packed sandwiches and hadn't planned to eat at the acclaimed Sol Food shack, as the sign said it was closed Monday through Thursday. On the north side of the Roosevelt Road was more barbed wire as there was the old Naval Station and now the center of the clean-up operation which is the largest employer on the island. At the entrance to the road were signs of the protests that had led finally to the closure of the naval base in 2003.<br />
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We took a dirt road – this one was closed off to motor vehicles -- down to Garcia Playuela – another beach on a quiet bay we thought we had to ourselves, but a couple appeared at the other end. <br />
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From there we could see the beach umbrellas on Playa Caracas, or Red Beach. We later rode over to check that one out. It's one of the few with paved road access. There were more people there, so it was less attractive to us.
The bridge to Bahiva La Chiva, Blue Beach, was out so we could not go there. Apparently there are still munitions in the water that need to be cleaned up. Steve was sore by then and we headed back.
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On our last day, we went back to Jay Jay at the Fun Brothers as we wanted to do a two-hour guided snorkeling trip, since we hadn't really ever gone snorkeling. It was $35 apiece for two hours. Juan, a native Viequense, took us on, showing us how to clean the masks and make sure they fit. Then we got into one kayak and followed him in another out to Cayo Afuera, a small island across the bay where the snorkeling was good and we saw an amazing world of colorful fish and plants amid coral reefs. Juan wasn't too good about identifying what we were seeing, but he was fun, and determined to teach us to dive to the bottom, where we could see dozens of conch shells, with our life jackets on and retrieve a conch shell. Naturally the life jackets made that difficult, but he could do it easily and we both tried many times. I managed it once. But we had no room in our luggage to be able to bring home one of those conch shells. But we collected some little specimens beachcombing.<br />
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<b>what we ate – </b>We were also in the minority of tourists not to got out to eat at restaurants but one time. Steve does not like to go to restaurants, and insisted that we could save a lot of money. We only ate out once. Our first full day there we had lunch at <a href="http://www.duffysesperanza.com/history.html" target="_blank">Duffy's</a> which is across from the Malecon. The sandwiches were good washed down with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Medalla-Light/107983792569418" target="_blank">Medalla Light</a> beer (the beer of Puerto Rico), and I learned that pan de agua was the best local bread. There we heard about <a href="http://enchanted-isle.com/chezshack/shack.htm" target="_blank">Chez Shack</a> in Pilon, in the interior of the island, which is also owned by Hugh Duffy. We were going to break our restaurant fast one more time for the barbecue and steel drum music that they have on Monday nights. We were hoping to go, but when I called for a reservation, the guy said that he was cancelling it this week because there just weren't enough people on the island, and it costs him $1000.<br />
I got the sense from people that Vieques is like a neglected step-child of Puerto Rico. The ferry service from the mainland has been spotty and unreliable over the years, and it's not just inconvenient for people, but for cargo, and thus the imports are slow and irregular in coming, and there's not a lot of farming on Vieques. There is a fresh market near Isabel on Tuesday's and we could have probably gotten a publico to go over there, or hitchhiked – we heard it's very safe. But Tuesday was toward the end of our stay and there was too much else to do.<br />
For the rest of the time, we bought all our groceries from the two local stores: <a href="http://www.enchanted-isle.com/vieques/fyivieques.htm" target="_blank">Colmada Lydia and Tienda Verde</a> (aka The Green Store). <b> </b><br />
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At the Tienda Verde we got fresh-baked pan de agua every other morning to use for our sandwiches. It was never ready until 11 am or so, and we often got it still warm from the oven. There is a bakery next to Colmada Lydia called La Dulce Esperanza, but they only bake Pan Sobao for bread, which has sugar and butter in it. Pan de agua is more like French - made only with yeast, flour, water and salt. Most days we packed a lunch – sandwiches with meat and cheese, lettuce and onions, mayonnaise and salsa. Dinners were mostly burritos – rice and beans, and a variety of other things. There was little selection of fresh vegetables in the stores – only onions, cubanelle style peppers, garlic, potatoes, and iceberg lettuce; but a good collection of canned and jarred mostly Goya products. Got frozen chicken once. The chicken went into the burritos, and then I cooked down the bones and skin to make a broth for the next day, just like I do at home. The next day skimmed off the fat and it made a great base for soup. Made one mistake with food, but at least I had a conversation with the clerk in spanish. I found unmarked packages of fish in the cooler and asked him what kind of fish it was. Bacalao. He told me it has <i>espinas, y tiene que quitarlas</i>. He pointed out the another package of pollock, which was actually cheaper and he said the <i>espinas</i> <i>ya se habian eliminado</i>. But that package was labelled salted pollock, and I was concerned about the saltiness. He said <i>tiene que lavarlos antes de cocinar</i>. So I happily bought them and cleaned off the salt and loosely followed the recipe on the back but with not so many potatoes as there were enough there to feed at least 6 people. I figured we could get a couple meals out of the fish combining with rice and beans and vegetables… But even with the potatoes and tomato sauce, and then the rice and beans I added, it was awfully salty. We had two meals with too much salt. I'm glad Steve's blood pressure didn't burst a vein. I only put in small spoonful into another meal or two, as it was tasty. But had to throw out a bunch of it at the end.<br />
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I enjoyed the challenge of cooking with limited supplies, and our space at Casa Almendro was oh so relaxing in the evenings. Our sandwiches on beaches were divine… Steve really got to like iceberg lettuce and so did i. but I would have liked to have had one good dinner at El Quenepo. <i>Otra vez</i>..<br />
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We never did need to use the publicos – the collective cabs. We took a taxi from the airport and back. We met Kate, one of the owners of <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/el-quenepo-vieques#hrid:Q5psc2DkxaoqYnisaBOdlQ" target="_blank">El Quenepo</a> restaurant, on the little Cape Air plane we took from San Juan. She agreed we could ride together in a taxi to Esperanza, just a few miles from the airport on the northside to the southside of the island. She was delighted when Mario appeared with his cab, and we piled in. He was the original owner of El Quenepo, and she and her husband had bought it from him just a few years ago. At 78 years old, now he makes a living driving a cab around. He said in his younger days he the best horse-tamers on the island. He was great company pointing out many things on our drive with traditional music on the radio, and so we called him up for the return trip too. 787 741-8541 or 787 603-4946<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTLeaU8CCxfNQ_hqlL_fp9iewOt8NoZk6YkpPvp7mwXlJUrs1U2KSDLm86j_brlV0lM0WfxpsdlagJ8wVbyprLnjp5SEc6f7HYSztyycDjQmgvfpCxlOlYT_aMye4d6LQc6dEhFrjbwZ_/s1600/cloudShadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTLeaU8CCxfNQ_hqlL_fp9iewOt8NoZk6YkpPvp7mwXlJUrs1U2KSDLm86j_brlV0lM0WfxpsdlagJ8wVbyprLnjp5SEc6f7HYSztyycDjQmgvfpCxlOlYT_aMye4d6LQc6dEhFrjbwZ_/s320/cloudShadows.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a>Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-74695024756556608162011-11-05T20:14:00.002-04:002011-11-05T20:31:59.938-04:00The last sweet and hot remnants of summer<br />
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<br />Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-59195435404465331452011-07-04T18:48:00.000-04:002011-07-04T18:48:31.812-04:00Lettuce soup<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:DoNotShowRevisions/> <w:DoNotPrintRevisions/> <w:DoNotShowMarkup/> <w:DoNotShowComments/> <w:DoNotShowInsertionsAndDeletions/> <w:DoNotShowPropertyChanges/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">It's the Fourth of July <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and we still have so much lettuce left in the garden, despite eating it every day and giving away bunches and bunches. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can't freeze lettuce but I can make a delicious lettuce soup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also use some of the lovely peas from the garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">First sauteed up some onion and garlic scapes in olive oil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlh5hXIodG2A8soOw_rrnJtdMOO1TiZLxpZzkki9sixnSqpXMCEO_0YoZgGiMEKb3kh1bI3kgUcyvzZ0WhbRFPCMnNurLk9P9yvDIFuT32xNUmtHVLr4UBYB_tzjQup5hIbJOnQMh9EleT/s1600/lettuc+soup+cooking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlh5hXIodG2A8soOw_rrnJtdMOO1TiZLxpZzkki9sixnSqpXMCEO_0YoZgGiMEKb3kh1bI3kgUcyvzZ0WhbRFPCMnNurLk9P9yvDIFuT32xNUmtHVLr4UBYB_tzjQup5hIbJOnQMh9EleT/s320/lettuc+soup+cooking.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Added chopped lettuce and some spinach and mixed for a few minutes, and then added chicken broth and cooked gently for 15 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cooled slightly and pureed in a blender.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Added some hot pepper vinegar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sprinkled with dill and garlic chives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Voila!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLULW5k7OYWOn6jF5J0FerfS4HdoDKP_Fm-daixzvKsWAHG546E_0yHT44snf_3soqoSp8IKW9wG9Yf3HGOxRaMRM1mUi-oCMUpb0U1f69hexd2mMNCYeevAacjp0gfGYm_7KfYNroqUNQ/s1600/lettuce+soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLULW5k7OYWOn6jF5J0FerfS4HdoDKP_Fm-daixzvKsWAHG546E_0yHT44snf_3soqoSp8IKW9wG9Yf3HGOxRaMRM1mUi-oCMUpb0U1f69hexd2mMNCYeevAacjp0gfGYm_7KfYNroqUNQ/s320/lettuce+soup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-42854636898802398802011-06-05T21:04:00.000-04:002011-06-05T21:04:17.098-04:00Salad DaysEarly June. Summer came early this year, but it's always a big rush after the last frost-free date to get the major part of the garden planted. Here in Ithaca, New York, Memorial Day weekend is a safe bet. But already we can enjoy the fruits of early spring planting. We're even still enjoying overwintered greens. This was a particularly good year for over-wintering greens, between the relatively mild temperatures and the decent snow cover. We had also covered the little spinaches, radicchio, and lettuces with leaves in the late fall. The radicchio did spectacularly well, as did a few lettuces:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfP7vpV3VEslwOQDShoLKLfzjMerwwuUnktCqVavE5H6YSkDY7IZSCwuIbOTdeBSR383P3cbJBI5quioZz78btPQKQ2HZT66Nm23RZRwiNRvF3W3ASThpYfgMsndzvULFmsFpG7Q5rJEkf/s1600/overwinteredGreens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfP7vpV3VEslwOQDShoLKLfzjMerwwuUnktCqVavE5H6YSkDY7IZSCwuIbOTdeBSR383P3cbJBI5quioZz78btPQKQ2HZT66Nm23RZRwiNRvF3W3ASThpYfgMsndzvULFmsFpG7Q5rJEkf/s320/overwinteredGreens.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
In early April, the new salad crops were sown, and now they are thick. It didn't hurt that April and May were the rainiest in history. We hoe up raised beds with paths between, and sow the lettuce thickly. Shades out a lot of the weeds! Here we have (from the top) Red Deer Tongue, Tropicana (or was it Barbados?), and Nancy lettuce. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUKltjNYRoVRgtiZCtPwmLuNJKhTP3MbLb0B4_TR1BRPXvUWK1ffMluQhC2ivvnLEfMu9a5NMhGXExOf6vr_MuBepCEaos98gIYezz3E6HhEd-EVHCMh5aFSFOjWeZxfEe0VeFfvPdf6P/s1600/lettuceCloseup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUKltjNYRoVRgtiZCtPwmLuNJKhTP3MbLb0B4_TR1BRPXvUWK1ffMluQhC2ivvnLEfMu9a5NMhGXExOf6vr_MuBepCEaos98gIYezz3E6HhEd-EVHCMh5aFSFOjWeZxfEe0VeFfvPdf6P/s320/lettuceCloseup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In the mornings, I thin the beds, while at the same time picking for the table. The key is to feel around the base of the plants, and pick out whole plants, rather than just leaves. Even on a busy day, the plants can be thrown in bowl of water, roots first, and sit around as a lettuce bouquet all day, before being washed and packaged up in the evening (except for what's eaten that day of course.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMQ-p9-s6BifdlPRRVfNI28uBkm3BFLhBdizb7AFV0aqpx4nOU-R1jDiQXG4zbzQVK2QaOzU4XmwykhoRShu9ljvbe3eZ-4IjAyWmrvnWwkZW5U1z2HlfjFbBt6tcUrPRz5U3zC-dml8u/s1600/lettuceBouquet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMQ-p9-s6BifdlPRRVfNI28uBkm3BFLhBdizb7AFV0aqpx4nOU-R1jDiQXG4zbzQVK2QaOzU4XmwykhoRShu9ljvbe3eZ-4IjAyWmrvnWwkZW5U1z2HlfjFbBt6tcUrPRz5U3zC-dml8u/s320/lettuceBouquet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-43956609085485599422011-03-28T20:14:00.000-04:002011-12-21T19:26:19.468-05:00The best chocolate chip cookies / kitchen sink cookies<div class="x_MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Rachel’s coming home for a few days, so it inspired me to dig out the best cookie recipe - we made them together many times since she was little. It's a low-fat version of the Toll House chocolate cookies my mom used to make – and we loved them, though they were saggy and greasy. These ones have half the fat (one stick of margarine instead of two) and are just as tasty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> I modified the Sensibly Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe slightly; used whole eggs instead of egg whites and water. I can't see throwing away good yolks. And I substitute my own technique on mixing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">The chocolate chips can be substituted in part or all by <a href="http://wildwestend.blogspot.com/2007/12/fudge.html">fudge</a> pieces that went wrong; raisins, etc. I like to mix it up and make them true kitchen-sink cookies! This time I'm adding part peanut-butter fudge that was a bit too crumbly; along with some raisins; and pecans.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Ingredients </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">3 cups flour </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">1 teaspoon salt </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">1/2 cup granulated sugar </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">1/2 cup margarine, softened </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">2 large eggs </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">1 ½ to 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">1/3 cup chopped nuts (optional) </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Directions</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Preheat oven to 350°.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Cream brown sugar, granulated sugar, margarine and vanilla in large mixer bowl.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Beat in eggs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Mix flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Dump the dry ingredients into the wet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Stir in morsels and nuts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Use hands to mix thorougly, and shape balls to place onto lightly greased baking sheets. Squish each one down a bit with a fork.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Bake for 10-12 minutes or until centers are set.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Cool for 2 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Remove to wire racks to cool completely</span></div>Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-39867561623352824342010-03-22T21:24:00.001-04:002010-03-22T21:47:48.585-04:00Hawk!Sunday afternoon the chickens were out on rec around 5 pm. Steve was in the kitchen making coffee and I was in the potting shed starting seeds. From the back window I saw the chickens scrounging around the asparagus patch along the fence. I turned my head back to the seeds. Suddenly there was a commotion - loud squawking. I turned my head to see the chickens turn suddenly like Catholic schoolchildren when the morning bell rings in the schoolyard - they just went single file and disappeared into the forsythia bush. Something was up.<br />
Steve wasn't hearing this, so I walked back there and the one hen was squawking like crazy right next to the forsythia, and the other girls were nestled tightly together in the bush. I counted only five. One chicken was missing. I looked around for feathers.. Finally Steve came out and we both saw in the other corner of the yard that a large black bird had cornered our chicken. Steve poked the hawk with a pole and the bird flew into the neighbor's tree, keeping an eye. Bells jingled, and I thought I saw the bells around the bird's feet. The chicken rushed backed into the pen, which was right there.<br />
A man appeared in the other yard. He had been chasing his bird all the way down here. Meanwhile Steve was in the back checking out the other chickens. I went back there - he said we got to get the chickens back in the pen. I took one in my arms and walked down the yard. Suddenly there was the hawk again flying right at me from a few yards away, wings spread. I ducked curling into my chicken. It felt like I went into a heavy wind. I got to the cage and opened the door and threw in the chicken. Steve was saying, "Annie go back into the potting shed!" I'm thinking what is this macho thing. I'm not going to hide in the shed. I haven't done any harm.<br />
When I walked back over to the driveway, the man was there and he had caught his hawk in some kind of device around his finger. He was apologetic but we were thrilled to see the hawk. He said it was a Harris hawk and he had been up at the municipal golf course at the bottom of the lake, when the hawk took off - it must have seen the chickens. Now Steve suggested I get the camera. I got some pictures, but they're not developed yet. I still don't have a digital camera or a camera on my cellphone. <br />
When I walked back to the potting shed, I noticed my hand was all bloody. I guess the chicken dug in when the hawk tried to convince me to drop her.Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-46263671711350666692010-03-15T20:16:00.001-04:002010-03-15T20:17:17.816-04:00Eggs for sale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOb1s7KX6uGAvMmASdgKmLPaQSK5JDGH4M5GmQY9_T8YQ0VQJAnFpz16NgjfYt_zk1mO1cHTxPi3Ja-TsVAgZ2ucVT9hyphenhyphenX0GducahCFe-w1xgvz5UY8LvoJ1QzEYdc4NAKjEc0b5RF4Rc/s1600-h/garden+with+chickens.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOb1s7KX6uGAvMmASdgKmLPaQSK5JDGH4M5GmQY9_T8YQ0VQJAnFpz16NgjfYt_zk1mO1cHTxPi3Ja-TsVAgZ2ucVT9hyphenhyphenX0GducahCFe-w1xgvz5UY8LvoJ1QzEYdc4NAKjEc0b5RF4Rc/s320/garden+with+chickens.JPG" /></a></div>We started with chickens last year, and it's been a success - perhaps too much of a success. We have more eggs than we know what to do with. We've given a lot away, but it would be nice to sell at least some of them to cover some of the feed costs. <br />
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The chickens are beautiful Golden Comets - fairly quiet; good for our mixed-use semi-wild West End neighborhood. They're a little scrawny for meat, but they sure lay a lot of eggs, even all winter long. Here's a picture of them in the garden last summer. Now we let them range all over the yard a few times a day. (More pictures to come.)<br />
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I used to just eat one egg sandwich a week, but I've been working on increasing my egg consumption, and it's been very good! Now the <a href="http://wildwestend.blogspot.com/2002/05/burrito-dance.html">burritos</a> often include some scrambled eggs. I tucked some hard-boiled egg into the pita with felafel and tabouli today. For last Sunday brunch, tried Scandinavian-style and had sardines and hard-boiled egg on sour corn rye toast; couldn't help adding some of that Capricho with black pepper goat cheese that they sell at the <a href="http://www.greenstar.coop/">GreenStar</a>. I would love to barter with the cheesemakers for some eggs!<br />
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Meanwhile I'll barter with anyone through the genius of <a href="http://www.ithacahours.org/">Ithaca Hours</a>. We just need a few regular customers. Bonuses from the garden available during the harvest season! You can contact me at gardensfirst at gmail.com if you're interested in some eggs.Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-12575683360056241362010-02-24T20:54:00.003-05:002010-03-28T18:44:24.374-04:00Cabbage two waysInspiration for cooking wanes in the bleak days of February when very little of last summer's bounty is still left in the larders, and the days of fresh still seem far off. I was moved to buy an organic cabbage and first used more than half of it to make kimchee – the simple version according to <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tassajara-Cooking-Espe-Edward-Brown/dp/B000GU2VPQ?ie=UTF8&tag=subje-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Tassajara Cooking</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=subje-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000GU2VPQ" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></i>. It's a two-day process rather than the longer traditional fermenting. <br />
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<h3 align="center">Kimchee</h3><blockquote><h4>Day 1</h4>Cut cabbage into bite-size chunks and put into non-reactive glass or ceramic bowl.<br />
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Mix with ~1 ½ T salt.<br />
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Mix. Press down with a plate on top and a weight.<br />
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Store overnight in the refrigerator. <br />
<h4>Day 2</h4>Pour off accumulated water. The salty water can be saved for soup.<br />
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Add garlic, ginger, toasted sesame seeds, and red papper to taste.<br />
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Store in glass or other non-reactive containers in refrigerator. <br />
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Kimchee is a delicious additive to add kinds of things – salads, pita sandwiches, soups…</blockquote>OK still another half a cabbage left. There are some carrots in the hydrator too. Ah, masala! Masala is a mixture of vegetables, with Indian spices. My introduction to the basic recipe for masala came from another of my early favorite cookbooks from the seventies, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Temple-Vegetarian-Cookbook/dp/0801530679?ie=UTF8&tag=subje-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Golden Temple Vegetarian Cookbook</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=subje-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0801530679" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />. </i>(These are the cookbooks I actually learned to cook from back in the seventies when I was in my twenties. I learned to make bread from the detailed directions in <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tassajara-Bread-Book-Edward-Brown/dp/157062089X?ie=UTF8&tag=subje-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Tassajara Bread Book</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=subje-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=157062089X" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />.) </i>As with many of the recipes in the <a href="http://wildwestend.blogspot.com/2002/04/cooking-without-recipes.html"><i>Tassajara</i></a>, this one can be adapted to use many different kinds of vegetables according to what it is available and what turns the cook on. <br />
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<h3 align="center">Vegetable masala – Basic masala for curry</h3><blockquote>Cut several cups of vegetables in advance. This time I'm using just cabbage and carrots, but any combination you think is compatible works..<br />
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Heat 1/3 cup oil – sesame is best<br />
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Fry up 2 or 3 onions; add 2 T minced ginger and a few cloves minced garlic<br />
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After the holy trinity (i.e. onions, garlic, and ginger!) is soft and fragrant, add 1 tsp jeera (either cumin seed or caraway seed), 1 tsp turmeric, a tsp of garam masala*, ¼ tsp or more cayenne pepper and salt to taste.<br />
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Stir for a couple more minutes and then add a couple tomatoes (fresh or canned). The tomatoes are optional.<br />
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After that is cooked down, add the several cups of vegetables. When it comes back to heat, add some water, and lower heat and cover til cooked, stirring occasionally. <br />
* garam masala is a mixture of spices, so if you don't have that, you can just put in a little of various spices according to taste including cumin, coriander, cardamom, pepper, cloves, cinammon.</blockquote>Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-25298104138044550852009-10-18T11:45:00.004-04:002009-10-18T14:47:19.814-04:00mixed harvestLate blight (potato blight) hit the tomatoes bad this year, as it did all around the region, thanks to our local big box stores which buy tomato plants from the south, and the people who bought their plants from them, and then the virus spread through the air. My tomatoes were started from seed, and only caught the virus late in the season, unlike some friends out in Trumansburg and Lodi who lost pretty much everything. I was able to salvage parts of a lot of the bigger tomatoes. The damaged parts had to be cut out, and the rest could be used. The smallest cherry tomatoes did the best – Ildis and Jelly Beans. Also the Principe Borghese showed very little damage and had a good crop. Usually I use them mostly for the tomato preserves and dried tomatoes, but this year they pinched-hit for all fresh uses along with the little cherries. One Rutgers plant survived surprisingly well – at least it was Rutgers according to my records, but the fruits were on the small side, a little bigger and rounder than the Principe. I should save some seeds from that plant! We've still been covering it up at night along with a few other things since frost has threatened at night. So still been eating some tomatoes about every day; just have a lot fewer jars on the shelves. Tomatillos did not seem affected so do have a lot of salsa verde. More to make tonight. <br />
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Have a great crop of kale and collards this year, thanks to early planting for a change. So I've had it all summer, but now I really am appreciating them, as there's little else. The dinosaur or Tuscan kale is most susceptible to the cold, so I'm cooking, eating, and freezing a lot of that now before frost gets really hard. It's always surprising to pick a few lower leaves from each plant, and then strip the skinny leaves from the stem and slice them and there is actually a big pot of greens. These don't cook down to a tiny volume like spinach, but hold their texture, and consequently put up with more cooking. <br />
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The serviceberry tree is entering is entering its glory time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ioB5UX28EMJMVTvGhL2ZavByAYCllsEJDlpOYgj8bt63IAejxnfRZRYrteoCknQyvTUjinwY-o0JvItc1TRSo5G-dpzrETRgCvJQtYLHhI62N5kSNpti3cZ0utvWNXgMkUA4ROWSE5BO/s1600-h/006_3A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ioB5UX28EMJMVTvGhL2ZavByAYCllsEJDlpOYgj8bt63IAejxnfRZRYrteoCknQyvTUjinwY-o0JvItc1TRSo5G-dpzrETRgCvJQtYLHhI62N5kSNpti3cZ0utvWNXgMkUA4ROWSE5BO/s320/006_3A.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-59900134209230259282009-09-07T22:00:00.005-04:002009-10-18T14:59:14.867-04:00Labor Day feast<meta content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" equiv="Content-Type"></meta> <br />
<title>Untitle</title>Inspired by having company, we did a barbecue for Sunday of Labor Day weekend. The meat was simple; the vegetables were almost all from the garden. Western-style pork ribs marinated in Stubbs' barbecue sauce. A couple chuck-eye steaks. The queen of the barbecue: sweet corn. We don't have the room to grow it, so we've gotten a few bushels over the past few weeks which we barbecue and freeze. First the ears are soaked in a bucket for an hour or more, then barbecued in the husks. They don't need much cooking but even if they get singed, that only accentuates the flavor in the kernels nearby. Cut off the kernels and freeze in bags. Cole slaw – thinly sliced cabbage, sweet onions, and grated carrots lightly dressed with olive oil and cider vinegar, and sprinkled with a few chunks of apple, raisins, and roasted sunflower seeds. Potato salad with hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, and basil. Broccoli-tomato salad: Sauteed the broccoli lightly with garlic. Added tamari and balsamic vinegar, and then chunks of tomatoes. Added sliced olives and goat cheese. We grew the tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, broccoli, onions, garlic and basil. I gave up growing carrots. I can't grow everything well. <br />
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Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-4161036837127601852009-07-04T10:16:00.006-04:002009-07-19T20:30:51.558-04:00rhubarb pieIt's Fourth of July so will do something traditional - rhubarb pie! This time I'll put in some serviceberries since they were abundant this year and last. Although I was eating them fresh last week, we still had some in the freezer from last year when Steve put a tarp down and shook the tree. I've been laboriously separating stems from berries, so just a few will go in. They do make it extra special - a few red gems thrown in!<br /><br />The serviceberry, by the way, is a wonderful landscape tree. Native to eastern North America, it's covered with delicate white blossoms late April or early May. The berries are delicious and very popular with the birds and squirrels. In the fall it's astounding as the leaves turn from red and purple to burnt orange.<br /><br />Whatever fruit is available for a pie, I fall back on the same basic recipe. The pie crust recipe comes from Craig Claiborne's <span style="font-style: italic;">The New York Times Cookbook</span> and the filling part is based on the fruit pie recipe in <span style="font-style: italic;">Let's Cook it Right</span> by Adelle Davis.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pie crust</span>:<br />Stir together: 2 cups flour and 1 tsp salt<br />Add: 2/3 cup shortening<br />Mix until lumps are no bigger than little peas.<br />Sprinkle in ice water (about 1/3 cup but it depends) and mix until it stays together. I start mixing with forks and end up with my hands making balls.<br />Form two balls - one bigger than the other, and cover and put them in the refrigerator for an hour or more. It makes it easier to roll out.<br /><br />This next step is probably not necessary but it prevents a soggy crust.<br />Preheat oven to 425°. Roll out the bigger ball for the bottom crust and put it in a 9" pie pan. Flute the edges. Pierce with a fork intermittently over the surface for air to escape. Place a smaller pan like a cakepan on top to keep the crust from rising. Cover with foil and put in the oven for 8 minutes. Remove cakepan and foil and bake for another two minutes. Take it out of the oven.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fruit pie:</span><br />Preheat oven to 375°<br />4 cups fruit - cut up<br />1/2 to 1 cup sugar depending on sweetness of fruit<br />3 to 4 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour depending on wetness of fruit<br />dash of salt<br />Mix together and add to pie crust. Roll out top crust and cut into long strips and lay them criss-cross on top.<br />Bake for about 40 minutes til it looks done.<br /><br />For the rhubarb I used the full cup of sugar. Sometimes I make pies with fruit I had previously canned, like peaches and plums, and they already had sugar so then I just 1/4 cup sugar to the pie.Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-29418771553794310222009-06-29T20:02:00.008-04:002010-03-28T18:48:18.945-04:00early summer eatsAs usual, the night's menu revolves around what is fresh in the garden. Lately there's a lot of peas: sweet peas and snap peas. The snap peas are tempting for a crunch right off the vine, but cooking them every so slightly really brings out the sweetness. I generally put just a little oil on the fry pan and get it good and hot; sauté the snap peas briefly, sometimes with minced garlic, and then toss on soy sauce. They're good in a salad, and of course in a stir-fry with other things over rice.<br />
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I remember clearly the first time I tasted fresh sweet peas out of the pod. I was in junior high and ironically my classmate from Manhattan shared some on our end-of-the-year school outing taking the boat around the island. I was skeptical at first as the cooked peas my mother served were only surpassed in vileness by the cooked spinach. But these were a totally different thing, and the beginning of an awakening to fresh vegetables.<br />
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The sweet peas go well into a spring tabouli. I don't even cook the little ones but mix them into the still-warm bulghur. The basic recipe I borrow from <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Cookbook-Katzens-Classic-Cooking/dp/1580081304?ie=UTF8&tag=subje-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The New Moosewood Cookbook</a></i><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=subje-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1580081304" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, but then I vary the vegetables.<br />
<blockquote>1 cup bulghur<br />
1 ½ cups boiling water<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
black pepper, to taste<br />
¼ cup lemon juice<br />
¼ cup olive oil<br />
2 cloves garlic, crushed</blockquote>Add the boiling water to the bulghur and cover and let sit 30 minutes or more. Mix in the other ingredients above. Then the recipe says to refrigerate before adding the vegetables, but that might be a more essential step when tomatoes and cucumbers are to be added. This time of year, I don't necessarily refrigerate at this stage, but toss in the peas, and some parsley and maybe mint. Dill, why not? Whatever I got that seems suitable. A few chickpeas are nice. Green onions, yes!!<br />
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Tonight are a lot of collard greens. Torn from the stems and cut into ribbons; add them to the garlic sauté, and then liquid – this time broth from the hambone that had been secreted in the freezer for months. Some are added to tonight's black bean soup; and the rest saved for another day in the freezer.Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-9729445363821804582009-06-20T19:18:00.005-04:002009-06-21T10:53:27.758-04:00White clover is blooming in the lawn and even my mother noticed how beautiful it was on this rainy day, which otherwise she considered a miserable day since it rained all day. She remembered how she picked the clover for her mother when she was a little girl. I told her I love the rain. I got out a lot of the dusty house plants; the philodendron and ivy, spider plant, begonia and peace lilies; and spread them out on the patio in the light rain. Walked around the garden, knowing I didn't have to do any planting or even bother weeding today. Wait til the rain stops. Time to admire how lush the plants look in the rain. Picked the swelling peas and a bulb of fresh garlic.Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-31098532448966873822009-05-30T10:43:00.006-04:002010-03-28T18:53:01.233-04:00veggie burgers<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; font-family: trebuchet ms; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">More than ever I'm working on using things up and cooking more efficiently – minimal waste of food and ultimately effort. My mom's penchant for having the refrigerator fairly empty so that she can see everything, is finally rubbing off on me. It's a challenge to please my mother, my daughter, Steve, and myself. Rachel is a vegetarian. Mom and Steve and convicted carnivores. I'm somewhere between, preferring meat as a condiment rather than a main course.<br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; font-family: trebuchet ms; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">I've pretty much mastered <a href="http://wildwestend.blogspot.com/2002/05/burrito-dance.html">burritos</a>. Now I'm working on veggie burgers. Steve and my mom prefer the real thing. I like the real thing only if it's barbecued. I've tried a few veggie burger recipes – like the lentil walnut burger from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Cookbook-Recipes-Restaurant-Ithaca/dp/B000OZ0ETI?ie=UTF8&tag=subje-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Moosewood Cookbook</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=subje-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000OZ0ETI" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />. When they came out with <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Cookbook-Katzens-Classic-Cooking/dp/1580081304?ie=UTF8&tag=subje-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The New Moosewood Cookbook</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=subje-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1580081304" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></i>, I noticed that the lentil burger recipe had changed! I liked the original but the new one is good too. Recently I wanted to incorporate tofu in a veggie burger so searched online for such a recipe and the <a href="http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/recipes/mushroom-tofu-veggie-burger/index.html" target="_blank">mushroom tofu veggie burger</a> from the Harvard School of Public Health recipe looked pretty good, so I used it with modifications. The nuts should be finely ground so that they hold together better. <br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; font-family: trebuchet ms; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Now that I have an idea now of the various possible ingredients, I figure I can improvise and throw various things together in a rough balance of ideas of taste and the right consistency (and what is on hand!). In my first attempt I started with some tofu, which I had previously shredded and marinated and sauteed. Added cooked lentils and bulghur, finely chopped walnuts, and a couple eggs. Threw in a little hot sacue and of course salt and pepper. At the end added a bit of cornmeal as it seemed a bit wet.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; font-family: trebuchet ms; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Forgot the mushrooms! Rachel just put them on top. Buen idee!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; font-family: trebuchet ms; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">A few nights a week there's more greens to cook up, since the salads can't keep up with the quantity. Last night cooked up lambsquarters, swiss chard, and spinach: LSS. I try to label the greens accordingly when I put little containers in the freezer, so that I can remember whether they were DGM (dandelion garlic mustard) or BGM (bacon garlic mustard), for instance.</span></div>Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-13666047547069634832009-05-23T10:22:00.004-04:002009-05-23T14:11:34.641-04:00compostA beginning gardener is an impatient one. A mature gardener is a composter. The rich soil in the beds, built up over the years from compost, can be seen now where the dill is volunteering heavily. In the beds it grows dark green and tall, but between the beds where the soil is shallower and scraped away, the dill is lighter in color and shorter. It's harder to pull out of the ground in the paths too since it is so packed, not lofty as in the beds.Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-25382783927695946322009-05-22T20:26:00.002-04:002009-05-23T14:10:57.918-04:00salad days<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">I must hard-boil some more eggs tonight for Steve's salads. This has been a great year for salads already. Spinach, swiss chard, and radicchio overwintered under the leaves. As the last summer's spinach is practically gone, now the spinach seeded in March is coming on strong with big fat dark geen leaves. One of the best spinach crops I've ever had.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Lately been eating a lot of violet leaves (I forgot to pick the flowers when they were good); there's some young lettuce thinnings to add to the mix. The lambsquarters are just starting to be big enough to bother picking and adding to the salads.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />When I see garlic mustard in the yard, that goes into the mix too. I try to pull it out every year, but there's always some that still pops up here and there. I'm surprised not to have heard from Betsy Darlington this year about garlic mustard pulls in the woods.<br /></div></div>Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-61681452549901557172008-11-22T11:18:00.000-05:002009-06-20T11:20:37.627-04:00garden activity<p> Facing reality, I brought the large brighly flowering geraniums, as well as the noble evergreen rosemary plant into the potting shed and cut them all back. The geraniums are simple and clear to cut. Look at the branches and save the bright green new stems; go for the darkened old brown stems and cut them down to the base, in the process mercilessly cutting off flowers right and left. The plant looks rather small, but green and healthy at the end; by spring it will be rebounding strong and beautiful. I'm never quite sure where to cut the rosemary - I've heard to cut them back by one-third, so I kind of trim it all around after taking out a a few particularly straggly branches from the base. Also brought in a Penny Lane viola that bloomed sweetly in the speckled shade off the patio all spring and summer and again has a couple of sprightly blossoms. </p> <p>Working on the garden clean-up gradually. Early in the month was another great sunny day for it, so it was a wonderful excuse to linger. Took down another trellis-netting. This one had been for the tomatillos. The vines shrivelled to dry brown leaves and slippery rotten stems here and there, but there were still some solid tomatillos to harvest. Despite the light frosts we had they're still good for salsa verde. The trellis-netting is always a bit of a pain to reuse, but I try. There was also twine to untie as Steve had tied up some of the abundant side branches. Sure I could cut the knots with a knife, but then I couldn't save the short pieces, and besides, I can get totally mesmerized untying a knot. I’ve been drawn to that activity since a child, untangling my aunt Sis’ rosary beads during church. At that time, it distracted me from the boredom of church. Untangling the trellis netting gave me a chance to be still and look up once in a while and see the bees visiting the four-petaled yellow wild arugula flowers which are the only bright color around, and time slows down. And then a little pale yellow butterfly drifted by and I followed its meandering path with my eyes until it landed in the grass. I walked over to see where it alighted and found a dandelion flower tight in the low grass, previously inconspicuous. Later when working in the potting shed, I saw four dead ones of this same kind of butterfly on the windowsill. On one side the wing is more white with a yellow border and two black smudgy spots. Maybe it's a sulphur butterfly - I'm not sure. </p> <p>Towards the middle of the month, it turned much colder and has stayed that way. But even though the winter has come early, with an early snow coating the ground at Six Mile Creek, still getting some fresh greens every morning that I’m willing to venture out. The snow has still been covering the east bed where there’s some arugula, lettuce and radicchio, and I figure hopefully that I can let that go as the snow might be insulating it a bit, and I pick the other barer plants on the west side where they get a bit more sun due to the configuration of the trees. Still picking garden cress, lettuce, mustard, swiss chard, spinach, arugula, radicchio, sorrel, and winter cress, as well as sideshoots on the two Dividend broccoli plants which were set out in June. The late-planted broccoli got too late a start and is only just putting out small heads. Eventually I’ll have to face reality and pick the small immature heads before they freeze into mush.</p> <p> I pick almost every morning now – as much as I can before my fingers freeze. The leaves are small now but still so healthy. All the little bits add up – it’s amazing. If I don’t get them now they might be gone tomorrow or next week. Pretty soon my only fresh greens will be the alfalfa sprouts I sprouted myself or something I buy at the store. </p> <p>Steve planted the garlic a couple weeks ago and I planted a few shallot bulbs a few days ago. He covered the garlic with leaves, but they're now sprouting through the leaves! I clipped the tops and chopped them into salads etc. </p>Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-44204654703858234192008-09-20T11:40:00.000-04:002009-06-20T11:43:15.934-04:00pickles<p>Summer is still lingering on despite the evidence of school buses and college tuition bills. There is some hope for the fall garden: sprouts of mustard and arugula are strong - starting to eat thinnings. Radicchio transplants are also putting out some growth but it will be a little while yet before they can shoulder the bulk of a salad. Lettuce and spinach are quite small but coming up so long as I remember to water religiously during the hot dry days we've been having. The cooler nights are forgiving. All the abundant greens of spring are long gone. The masses of dandelions and garlic mustard, which I had packed into little jars and into the freezer back in April have since been found and eaten, as summer greens became sparse. </p> <p>The best green this year to carry through the summer, when lettuce has already bolted, is Swiss chard. It's pleasant when cooked like any other green, and the young leaves can passably substitute for lettuce, when lettuce is scarce. In past years, I grew the venerable old Fordhook variety. Since I don't grow that much at a time, that seed packet lasted over several years in the refrigerator. When I ran out this year, I decided to try for some visual excitement and obtained Charlotte and Sea Foam chard from Pinetree Seeds. Charlotte is a red-ribbed variety and Sea Foam is a lighter bright almost limey shade of green. Grown together they make a striking contrast. Sowed in April, they are still going strong in September. Sea Foam is crinkly and more delicate so more suited to salad. But either one can be used for either cooking or eating raw. </p> <p>Canning has been going on steadily since the first batch of pickles in early August. Bread-and-butter pickles, dill pickles, salsa, tomato juice, plums, chutneys. Although my favorite is dill pickles, most of my family favors the sweet bread-and-butter pickles, so I make a lot of them for gift-giving. Ever since I discovered the recipe in <em>Putting Food By</em>, I've never bothered to try a different one for the sweet pickles since everyone loves them. Actually the authors of <em>Putting Food By</em> credit Isabelle Downey's <em>Food Preservation in Alabama</em> for the source of the recipe. My old Bantam paperback edition of <em>Putting Food By</em> has gotten pretty tattered and falling apart over the years, so my daughter recently found a higher quality trade paperback edition of the book from the Stephen Greene Press in a used bookstore. But lo! It doesn't have the best recipe ever for bread-and-butter pickles, so I will reproduce it here before it turns to dust:</p><br /><div id="recipe2"><h2 style="text-align: center;">Bread-and-Butter Pickles</h2> <blockquote><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;">6 lbs medium cucumber</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">1 1/2 cups sliced onion</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">2 large garlic cloves, left whole </span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">1/3 cup salt</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">2 trays ice cubes or crushed ice</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">4 1/2 cups sugar</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">1 1/2 tsp turmeric</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">1 1/2 tsp celery seed</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">2 T mustard seed</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">3 cups white vinegar</span></li></ul> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Slice unpeeled washed cucumbers into 1/4" slices . Add to large bowl, along with sliced onions, garlic and salt. Cover with ice; mix well and let sit at least three hours. (When I leave it up to 24 hours, I put in in the refrigerator.) </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Drain off the liquid and remove the garlic. Combine sugar, spices and vinegar and heat just to a boil. Add the cucumber and onions; simmer 10 minutes. Pack loosley in clean, hot pint jars, leaving 1/2" of headroom. Adjust lids; process in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes. Makes 7 pints. </span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></p></div>Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-84826590744114870912008-05-24T20:29:00.001-04:002010-03-28T18:30:39.905-04:00late MayOne of the delights of early spring is finding unexpected edibles in the garden. Each year, at least if the winter is not too severe (and it has not been so lately), some vegetable plants, normally considered annuals, survive over the winter and put out new growth in spring. It's not predictable, although I often try to over-winter things, like spinach, by covering them with leaves in the fall, I'm not always successful. I've had good luck on occasion with the spinach in the past, but not reliably. Last fall we haphazardly covered a lot of things with the abundance of leaves - including spinach, lettuce, and some kale which was still small in the fall. This spring no spinach survived, but a bunch of radicchio plants surprised me with new growth since uncovered in March. I've been picking leaves regularly in the past weeks. Several little kale plants also survived the winter to grow again, and I will keep an eye on them to see if they get big enough to pick before flowering. They were planted on the late side last year and never got too big. The radicchio and kale had both been started indoors last June and transplanted into the garden in July.<br />
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Then there are the re-seeders. I've already mentioned the dill which has been re-appearing for years without benefit of re-seeding (June). Sprouting pockets of feathery growth in numerous spots around the garden, dill consequently ends up cut and scattered over all kinds of dishes. I'm getting in the habit of picking a bunch up by the in the mornings and sticking them in water like a small bouquet to keep fresh for using later in the day. The little plants go into a shot glass and as they get bigger and bigger they move up to a quart jar. There's a ridiculous abundance now, but it's always a challenge to still have enough around by the time the cucumbers are ready for pickling.<br />
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Deepening my love affair with arugula, I started some wild arugula (<span style="font-style: italic;">Rucola selvatica</span>) seed a few years ago. A little more bitter than domesticated arugula, it's still a great wake-up call for the taste buds alone or mixed in with other greens. In the last couple of years I haven't needed to seed it again, as it has re-seeded thickly in some spots, and is scattered just about everywhere else in small bunches or single plants. It's slow to grow when first seeded, but after a while it seems almost invasive. Garlic chives is another delicious treat in spring and early summer, which has been spreading a little too promiscuously. This year I'm being more aggressive about picking the garlic chives and wild arugula, so as to make more use of them and make more room for other things! The garlic chives are solidly rooted and so I go around with a hand shovel and pull out bunches of plants to thin them out. Often I bring them into the house and put them in a big bowl with a little water in it to keep them fresh for a day or two while cutting off the tops and using them here and there. Other times I clip the tops off right in the garden after digging out the roots, carrying the compost bucket (to throw the roots) and scissors, along with the harvest basket.<br />
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It's amazing how many foods can absorb a quantity of garlic chives, especially stews and soups. Since it's good as an ingredient in pesto, sometimes I make a pesto with it as the major ingredient, and then later in the summer, when basil is available, the pestos can be mixed together.<br />
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The wild arugula can be cooked up like dandelions, garlic mustard and other greens, and saved in small containers in the freezer for use throughout the year. From early spring til late fall, it's one kind of leafy greens after the other. They each have their special qualities, but when there is an abundance they often get mixed up together in the pot as cooked greens. Dandelions and wild arugula are on the bitter side so they benefit from more liquid in the cooking. Garlic mustard can be awfully chewy, but if chopped fine or even pureed after cooking, it makes a fine deeply flavored sauce. Radicchio is already wonderful raw - a deep smoky taste, so only makes it into the cooked greens at times of most abundance when we can't use all of it fresh. Mustard greens can vary as for their sharpness of taste. In recent years I've been growing Tendergreen mustard (from Gurney's seeds) which is a milder and prolific form. After sowing seeds in early April, thinnings are ready to eat in a month and by early June plants are starting to send up flowers and it's time to pick them all.<br />
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Thanks to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Temple-Vegetarian-Cookbook/dp/0801530679?ie=UTF8&tag=subje-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Golden Temple Vegetarian Cookbook</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=subje-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0801530679" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, here's a lovely recipe for mung bean-mustard greens soup:<br />
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<blockquote>Cook 1/2 cup mung beans with a few bunches chopped mustard greens and plenty of water. Puree after it's cooked.<br />
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When that's almost done, sautee onion, garlic, and gingeroot. Add a teaspoon or two caraway seeds and curry powder (or garam masala), salt and pepper. Add the pureed beans and greens and heat slowly.</blockquote><br />
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A surprise this spring was shallots. It shouldn't have been a surprise if I had been paying attention. I planted seeds for them last spring and didn't get around to harvesting them until so late that I didn't find them all. If I was thinking I might have done what I did by accident anyway, as people often plant shallots in fall for next year's harvest, just as we do with garlic. So we've been eating some of them as green onions, and now I'm going to let the rest mature into shallot bulbs, and maybe will plant a few in the fall! They are sending up a lot of shoots with seed tops, so I'm picking those for fresh-eating and to divert the energy back into the bulbs.<br />
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I had started epazote by seed a few years back and to my delight it re-seeded itself in subsequent years, so that I started to depend on it. It's good to throw in epazote leaves with the black beans. Besides adding authentic flavor, it is purported to neutralize the flatulent effect of eating the beans. Alas it stopped coming back last year, so I had to start seeds again. C'est la vie! But they didn't germinate! Then I discovered they were growing thickly in the pot where I had been growing cilantro, which was now dying off. In fact they're showing up in several potted plants that are using my recycled potting soil. What luck! Now I just have to rememer to use them when cooking black beans. The fragrance clears the head.Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-28711157570929468272007-12-03T11:08:00.001-05:002010-03-28T19:04:49.495-04:00fudgeIn the weeks preceding Christmas I get to fudge-making. Over the years, the many failures only drove me more determinedly to conquer the process. Though not the correct consistency, the failures were usually still edible: generally undercooked and eligible for fudge sauce. Occasionally the fudge was over-cooked and came out more like hard candy. Then there were the intermittent successes, when the fudge miraculously congealed into the perfect smooth and almost solid texture that we desire. When it comes out too crumbly, I save the crumbs to put into cookies in place of the chocolate chips. <br />
After repeated attempts, note-taking and re-reading notes, here is what I have learned to be able to more consistently make the fudge come out right. <br />
The recipe is slightly modified from <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fannie-Farmer-Cookbook-Anniversary/dp/0679450815?ie=UTF8&tag=subje-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Fannie Farmer</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=subje-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0679450815" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> </i>for chocolate nut fudge:<br />
Ingredients: 3 squares of chocolate, 2 cups sugar, 2 T corn syrup, 3/4 cup whole milk; 2 T butter, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 cup chopped walnuts. <br />
Melt the 3 squares of chocolate in a 3-quart sauce pan. Add the corn syrup, sugar and milk. Stir til it all dissolves; bring to a medium boil and stop stirring. I've read those directions in the past, but it took me a while to recognize the significance. <b>Bring to a medium boil and stop stirring - really!</b> As a neophyte I had found it hard to resist the impulse to stir. I was afraid it would stick to the bottom. Why, it was getting stuck to the pan all around the upper edges! Well, there's a better way to deal with that than to stir it all back in. Instead keep a little bowl of warm water near the stove, and use a pastry brush dipped in the warm water to brush down the sides periodically. Stirring actually results in the re-formation of sugar crystals, and will not result in the proper fudge texture. Relax and let the swirling of the boiling mix it all up. <br />
Fudge requires attention and obedience to the laws of fudge physics. It is not one of those cooking escapades that one can modulate according to one's desires. Once begun, timing is all, and the fudge tells you when it's time. The boiling phase requires patience and close attention; it needs to boil at a good pace, but not boil over. It generally takes about a half hour of boiling before it reaches that magical "soft-ball stage", but it might only be 15 minutes or closer to an hour. Different atmospheric conditions and humidity have their effects - it's actually best to make fudge on a dry, cool day. I get the impression that the addition of fattier elements such as chocolate or cream decrease the boiling time. I haven't had much luck with a candy thermometer - the one I used was probably off by 10º - so I'd given up on that. But if you have a good one, they say that 234º is the temperature of the soft ball stage. <br />
I go by other signs. When the volume boils down to about one-quarter of the original volume, and drips from a spoon start to fatten, then the time is getting closer but there's no need to panic. You can even slow it down a bit at this point if needed, by turning down the stove a bit. The soft ball stage is defined as "a small amount of syrup dropped into chilled water forms a ball, but is soft enough to flatten when picked up with fingers". As the ideal stage nears, the last drops from the spoon briefly form small balls on the descent. In a blink of an eye, a tail forms and they look like little sperms before hitting the bottom. If you reach in and pick one up off the bottom of the glass, it does not disintegrate in your fingers anymore, but can be formed into a little ball and flattened too. <br />
Now is the time to pounce! Remove from heat and throw in two tablespoons butter, cut into little pieces. It is the role of the butter to help cool down the fudge slowly. Once again, against all intuition, do not stir at this stage! Put the pot of fudge on a rack so it can cool down from all sides, and leave it alone. (Sometimes I hasten the process by immersing the pot in a larger container of cold water, but this can be risky, as the cooling can suddenly become rapid particularly on the edges.) If you haven't already done so, now is the last chance to butter up the 8-inch square pan, and chop the nuts. Keep an eye on the fudge, for once again you are waiting for the right moment to pounce again. This cooling stage generally takes about a half hour. We are waiting for it to cool to lukewarm, so that is pretty easy to spot. Once the sides of the pan are no longer hot, you can test it by poking a finger in the middle of the fudge. If it's still hot, then it needs to cool longer. Once it's just barely warm, approaching body temperature, then it's time to really whip into action! <br />
Now all that pent-up urge to stir can fully express itself. Add the teaspoon of vanilla and mix it in gently, and then start to really get into it. Oh what activity for 10-15 minutes – muscles and breath! Do this on a solid counter at a good height to maintain good posture. Have a sturdy wooden spoon, as the fudge is now thickening rapidly as you stir, and you want to get the heavy spots on the bottom of the pan to mix in. Beat, beat, breathe, beat! Continue to beat til it just starts to lose its gloss. The gloss doesn't have to disappear entirely, but it must start to diminish. Add the chopped nuts. Now it is really impossible to mix – oh, hands don't fail me now! – you can drop the wooden spoon and roll up the sleeves. Hands always do the best job when things get really stiff. It's all in one glob now. Press it into the pan - no need to press it to the edges. Let cool on the rack and if you have the patience, watch how the gloss continues to dissipate until it's perfectly fudge. You know what to do now, with the knife. <br />
My other favorite is penuche, which my aunt Sissybell made to perfection when I was a child. Unfortunately I never got her recipe or really watched her do it. But this recipe I found on the internet from the Christopher Kratzer Bed & Breakfast in Clearfield, Pennsylvania. It was passed down from the proprietor's grandmother who had learned it from her days in Atlanta. <br />
Ingredients: 2 cups brown sugar, 1 cup milk or water, 1/4 tsp salt; 2 T butter, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 cup chopped pecans. Follow the same procedure.Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879874220313505706.post-32693372928591225402007-05-10T16:10:00.000-04:002009-05-25T20:13:44.528-04:00pictures of May<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwA2VzhitaO1MkyOar7Rumcdoy6QHze-N8qDAQbggEOQcAl6scPaSpGAVUmczuG-XTODCQK9DAKCr-NqFKJoFX2rHZJfHqyHm-cfs3saVHLJdCDO4hJtXjGkMO82INSsmow4r29IQspan_/s1600-h/crabapple+blooms.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-decoration: underline; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwA2VzhitaO1MkyOar7Rumcdoy6QHze-N8qDAQbggEOQcAl6scPaSpGAVUmczuG-XTODCQK9DAKCr-NqFKJoFX2rHZJfHqyHm-cfs3saVHLJdCDO4hJtXjGkMO82INSsmow4r29IQspan_/s320/crabapple+blooms.jpg" alt="potted plants on patio" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339114581011276258" border="0" /></a>Steve rescued the crabapple from the chain link fence adjoining our backyard. He thought it was a pear tree, but we're almost as happy that it turned out to be a crabapple.</p><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9z2yK2wGatHTIwh78PdaPUe_8uxjNtXk3Qn7TO_faSyel1ii5r3u4N9-K25S01Z22UStO8y-CsTHIPigOYMYFjQl1zfFbNYIsK3K8T2aVEsGkMwy_sszbAnMh2r39BFy6rUls5KrNjiOq/s1600-h/patio+plants.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9z2yK2wGatHTIwh78PdaPUe_8uxjNtXk3Qn7TO_faSyel1ii5r3u4N9-K25S01Z22UStO8y-CsTHIPigOYMYFjQl1zfFbNYIsK3K8T2aVEsGkMwy_sszbAnMh2r39BFy6rUls5KrNjiOq/s320/patio+plants.jpg" alt="crabapple blooms" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339115017602903234" border="0" /></a><br />The geraniums and rosemary were overwintered in the basement, but now get to come outside on the patio. Cilantro was started from seed in February. </p><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-CHthrBZcN_cE6jbUC4Ug7I1rOTeRmaaxEmmEPvk_z9FLesMZvBr8Mu7KMgjek_5voz_dlbjZzojhNT4B2hKbFFiTFfRhol6eNx0kPACdv9k4vlVAjIajwVhMdptUeR4SpW69U0UaKQO/s1600-h/tulip+wall.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-CHthrBZcN_cE6jbUC4Ug7I1rOTeRmaaxEmmEPvk_z9FLesMZvBr8Mu7KMgjek_5voz_dlbjZzojhNT4B2hKbFFiTFfRhol6eNx0kPACdv9k4vlVAjIajwVhMdptUeR4SpW69U0UaKQO/s320/tulip+wall.jpg" alt="tulips by fence" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339118436259581010" border="0" /></a><br />This is from a few years ago. Only two of these tulips came back this year. </p><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSW_YGRq5V7IdqEDUx5Za5jH0EzwZcsAzJzmBwnfJLae8DmldLd9RfQTnXkwnZ3y4c6C1yUt1YL42X_FkYo76I9tdkxVat7cgdquuguP8sXFNtnShEh8dwiN2ZpTZiXlmbI06qL3GWmGYp/s1600-h/patio+tulips.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSW_YGRq5V7IdqEDUx5Za5jH0EzwZcsAzJzmBwnfJLae8DmldLd9RfQTnXkwnZ3y4c6C1yUt1YL42X_FkYo76I9tdkxVat7cgdquuguP8sXFNtnShEh8dwiN2ZpTZiXlmbI06qL3GWmGYp/s320/patio+tulips.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339128423358961666" border="0" /></a><br />The south-facing patio is a micro hotspot, occasionally allowing sunbathing in the spring.</p><br /><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNdktgzn2Zfy80rXpJ5DnBm_G38GYrAIkviASL5WVo0k89DX0Xp9aqPoaoXFPCo25KEtOqoq3A5bQtuzwmRMmoRaiNtNOp65w0X442JiVZFBzknop9jmEGTEqYux8Yv9Kvw92pzZS-laY/s1600-h/crabapple+in+bloom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNdktgzn2Zfy80rXpJ5DnBm_G38GYrAIkviASL5WVo0k89DX0Xp9aqPoaoXFPCo25KEtOqoq3A5bQtuzwmRMmoRaiNtNOp65w0X442JiVZFBzknop9jmEGTEqYux8Yv9Kvw92pzZS-laY/s320/crabapple+in+bloom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339128304079189986" border="0" /></a><br />I planted this crabapple tree (Malus 'Royalty') in 1987. Before that there was one of the old peach trees which had been planted by Caesar Capucci, but it was dying and had to go. Violets growing wild under the tree have been encouraged over the years by pulling out competitors.</p><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hQoaBojanxiC6ECe91g2h7noe2V3laO9lBLi5Zcir_-WLMcaskEynQgCX8XPzI3SSXIYM3ioiyjcSgwWpqSR2dMczuXi1eeJRVvddqxwMvDVh_VBhl1u80RvkDXDXN5XkfQ4jE3O4dYZ/s1600-h/petal+fall.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hQoaBojanxiC6ECe91g2h7noe2V3laO9lBLi5Zcir_-WLMcaskEynQgCX8XPzI3SSXIYM3ioiyjcSgwWpqSR2dMczuXi1eeJRVvddqxwMvDVh_VBhl1u80RvkDXDXN5XkfQ4jE3O4dYZ/s320/petal+fall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339128199676714482" border="0" /></a><br /> Petals fall. </p><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoq9mLaFaezxfwRskQrgIbSrFg9dpw1h64MIFaTxC-OuTA0HxuLufmyrhyphenhyphenEiPrF5Prq_tlOXxYohyiFpLwZYSkwSS2OPlViJXNPuj0dg7vZPrJHT3hHBmMgj1lMeEj-YeqTXVtLdvXvzq/s1600-h/lettuce.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoq9mLaFaezxfwRskQrgIbSrFg9dpw1h64MIFaTxC-OuTA0HxuLufmyrhyphenhyphenEiPrF5Prq_tlOXxYohyiFpLwZYSkwSS2OPlViJXNPuj0dg7vZPrJHT3hHBmMgj1lMeEj-YeqTXVtLdvXvzq/s320/lettuce.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339128119249318482" border="0" /></a><br /> Early peas waiting to climb the trellis. Lettuce grows nearby. </p><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVDI3NCFzJn2_IfchHLhwWA12wPMmIs79G3w3pitgmsnKCUtZXKt8SU_d3tCPwTC0VWAVI8Zw7wTos_mL8x0Oq4sAh7-_w3I7vsL5a6sKp5n6gZ_EWU0PYfsEjB9zPrfC-iQOHn9GPCh8/s1600-h/early+lettuce.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVDI3NCFzJn2_IfchHLhwWA12wPMmIs79G3w3pitgmsnKCUtZXKt8SU_d3tCPwTC0VWAVI8Zw7wTos_mL8x0Oq4sAh7-_w3I7vsL5a6sKp5n6gZ_EWU0PYfsEjB9zPrfC-iQOHn9GPCh8/s320/early+lettuce.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339127979188936034" border="0" /></a><br />Garlic, in the background, was started in the previous fall.</p><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAUSsO97COydoFtr-LeVNDS6tWXx_WtydfNaVwST3sYE2OaBbUnnJfyGnUl54Ohmqr08DYd7G2flujM4bw80IqA5hYrkqmSt1Wldxexdy3esrkcuESOriYLMumHYphDcKS4pnSO94qS-W/s1600-h/early+garden+with+redbuds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAUSsO97COydoFtr-LeVNDS6tWXx_WtydfNaVwST3sYE2OaBbUnnJfyGnUl54Ohmqr08DYd7G2flujM4bw80IqA5hYrkqmSt1Wldxexdy3esrkcuESOriYLMumHYphDcKS4pnSO94qS-W/s320/early+garden+with+redbuds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339127867166604290" border="0" /></a><br />A redbud tree and lilac bush from two adjoining yards make us appreciate our neighbors in close city lots. </p><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-CHthrBZcN_cE6jbUC4Ug7I1rOTeRmaaxEmmEPvk_z9FLesMZvBr8Mu7KMgjek_5voz_dlbjZzojhNT4B2hKbFFiTFfRhol6eNx0kPACdv9k4vlVAjIajwVhMdptUeR4SpW69U0UaKQO/s1600-h/tulip+wall.jpg"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9z2yK2wGatHTIwh78PdaPUe_8uxjNtXk3Qn7TO_faSyel1ii5r3u4N9-K25S01Z22UStO8y-CsTHIPigOYMYFjQl1zfFbNYIsK3K8T2aVEsGkMwy_sszbAnMh2r39BFy6rUls5KrNjiOq/s1600-h/patio+plants.jpg"></a>Anne Marie Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899162999738810249noreply@blogger.com0