Although I have spent 90% of my days in the last two weeks painting/urethaning/cleaning/etc the casita, to get it ready for its first guests….Sue and Sharon showed up this past sunny Friday and convinced me to go to the Mariposa pool with them….look how upset I look!
We had a great time….my pictures I took of the pool didn’t turn out, but here is what it looks like (via google)….
Here are some delicious shrimp fritters from their menu (I ate 80% of this plate. Plus dinner.) She also has great wine! It is such a fun place to spend the afternoon, or for dinner. I should note, Sticks is only allowed in the dining room at certain times 🙂
Have to thank Sharon for this coconut drink….THIS is what I am working towards lol!!! Mine are still sloppy and don’t sit up 🙂
My poor husband has been in Cleveland to work on a few projects…and I have really been enjoying his weather updates from up North….here was one of my favorites!! It was LITERALLY 115 degrees warmer here that day when you took into consideration the wind chill and the heat index….!!! (Yes, that DOES say wind chill -21.)
Here are some of the horrible things I have had to look at while he has been vacationing in the snow….
Also, one thing I keep hunting for is new things I can make with the ingredients available here. You can find ALMOST everything, but not quite like the US, and it is helpful to find good staples that are always available. I came up with two things that would be good for those that live here and also visitors…
#1–YUM! Throw a bit of coconut oil in a pot with a lid. Put it on a burner, put some popcorn kernels in, and voila! Until I hear otherwise, coconut oil is supposed to keep you alive and young looking forever. This is also really cheap!
#2–I had a few random ingredients and wanted pizza. I also realized I didn’t know how to use the oven in the new place. I am convinced if I mess with a gas appliance, I am capable of blowing buildings up. So, having to wait until Dave returns for the oven lesson, I threw some corn tortillas on a pan, put some tomato sauce on top, then a bit of cheese, tomatoes, and green onions. I let it sit on the pan for a few minutes, and this was like wayyyy better than it even should have been!
Also–you really only need the tortillas, cheese, and sauce, and these can ALWAYS be found easily. Pizza is easier to find now than when we first were here (Galley delivers now YAY!) but this worked for me. I am sure the poor visitors get sick of eating out every night, so here ya go! Pizza without an oven 🙂 Also good on a hot day when you just don’t want to turn it on.
Finally, a totally gratuitous chihuahua picture. I have been taking too many pictures of the dog, because I was certain Dave missed him as much as I would if I were gone (he doesn’t. But I like taking the pictures.) This one was just a real gem….Sticks’s vet said chihuahuas have bad teeth and it would do him a lot of good to have them frequently brushed. Anyone who has tried to brush their dog’s teeth, knows what a treat this is for both of you. I feel that I captured the mood of this interaction here:
Dave returns in a day and half, yay! And, probably due to the above mentioned weather in Cleveland, we have three group of friends from Cleveland coming in the next 6 weeks and I CAN’T WAIT to have fun down here with them!!!!