Costa Rica Trip-Part three

Ride a zipline.....

harvest bananas....

see waterfalls.....

get a great view of a volcano,get a tooth pulled, eat empanadas and picadillo made from heart of palm,do art on a day of rain-all this and more can be done in Costa Rica!

Yesterday we hired a taxi pickup to haul us and our gear back to the farm.When we were almost there we found the road blocked by a fallen tree.(It's not unusual for trees to fall over when there's a lot of rain.) Thankfully our taxi driver had a machete with him and hacked away until the road was clear.Lee helped haul away the branches of course.

And we removed a large scorpion from Wrenbird's playpen a teeny bit after we lifted her out of it........

It's certainly not unadventuresome around here anyway.

God has been faithful and good to us and keeps revealing more of Himself and His nature to us and we are joyful for that! May it be well with you also.

Hasta Luego!

Marcella

The Trip-Part Two

A Costa Rican bank....

Jess under a leaf while visiting a volcano.

Lee with a big leaf we found on the farm.

Playing in the River.

Seasoned travelers....

Lee and Jess are still out tonight,returning from a trip to beaches and to a remote part of Costa Rica. I am so glad Jess is getting this chance to be with his Dad and get an educational trip of a lifetime. One for the portfolio all right!

The little ones and I hung out at the farm this weekend. I made squash soup,vegetable curry,cheese stuffed bread rounds with the queso fresco they make here and helped keep everyone fed and clean.It's hot and sticky-next up on the recipes to be tried is a raw milk or cream ice cream I think.

I am getting some reading in too and poking around in some stuff I left here when we moved.

Dentist is on the list too -not so fun!

Well,got to go! Hasta Luego! Marcella

The TRIP - Part One....

Toes in the sand....

Arrival...

Returning from a Costa Rican river adventure.

I think Jess got this shot at a waterfall garden. Wouldn't like my fingers near those chompers!

Yes,this is the "undisclosed project" we were preparing for. We are thoroughly enjoying a vacation in Costa Rica. Swimming in the river,hiking, volcano watching,connecting with old friends,making new ones, sleeping late....just what the doctor ordered! (DON'T WORRY-THERE'S A FAIR SHARE OF ELBOW GREASE GOING ON TOO).And now I must turn over my slow ,little computer to the next user in line. Look for continuing segments!

Hasta Luego! Marcella

Eating Summer squash in a New Way .....

There's a lot going on here at present but here are a few things I really wanted to share....

Even in all my busyness these days I am quite excited about a new site I found called Passionate Homemaking http://www.passionatehomemaking.com ,especially for what look like "doable" healthy recipes. And there just may be some Nourishing Traditions recipes simplified which is a good thing for people like me! I enjoy looking at the Nourishing Traditions cookbook but feel overwhelmed with implementing it in my family's kitchen!

Wrenbird is teething bigtime. There's a stomach flu making it's rounds and people are dropping like flies as it hits. And one,as yet undisclosed,"project" we are in the process of embarking on as a family. Need I say more??

From the kitchen: hmmmnn...I have invented a" recipe" for eating summer squash besides all the usual ones I know. I grate the summer squash,add an egg or two,a couple tablespoons of flour,ricotta cheese to my taste,salt to "taste" and fresh basil. I proceed to make fry these and like to enjoy them as a vegetarian "burger". Heh,vegetarian summer squash burgers! Funny.
I am also pondering couscous these days. I was given some boxes of it and put it on the menu this week in an attempt to clean it out of my cupboard. Then this week I had a couple of dollars of mad money I was spending at the thrift store.(Yes,it can be very interesting to see what neat things one can snag with just a dollar or two.This is a little game of mine.I know,I'm strange.)Anyway,back to the couscous. I found one of those beautiful little calendars with quotes that are made to reuse. This one is called The Heart of The Home,A Kitchen Collection.Anyway,when I was setting it up, what should I find but suggestions on how to use couscous! A new idea I learned was that couscous can be sweetened and accompanied with fruit.I look forward to experimenting with this.

From the bookshelf: I picked up a paperback for 50 cents titled "to die for" by Carol Lee. A Bestseller,and nonfiction it's about a young woman suffering from anorexia,primarily,and the woman who was her mentor.

Under my bed: Ghiradelli Bittersweet Baking Chips.

Music: He Lives as in "I serve a risen Savior"

Well,that's about it for the day! May it be well with you,in body and soul.

Marcella

Creative uses for Overgrown Zucchini

Here's a fun use for those humongo zucchinis that may be plaguing you right now.

Take large zucchinis. Get out an assortment of Mr. Potato Head parts (we had lots of pieces because we had a Mr. Potato type kit to use with clay) and start playing. If in need of extra eyeballs I think balls of clay stuck on toothpicks would probably work.

Or one could draw body parts and tape them onto the zucchini.

My boys felt like zucchini carving was in order. Mothers,use discernment when your offspring get this urge. Proceed at your own risk. Just saying....

And if you catch them before they're toooo large--

There's always zucchini bread with chocolate chips in it or zucchini cheese casserole.See,zucchini's not so boring! It can even make a great pizza topping when sauted with onions. Be bored no more!

Marcella

I Wonder If

heaven will be a place where we experience the wonder and Awe of God's helping hand without the gritting of teeth we do here on earth as we hang onto Him because of our sin nature that wants to overtake us so quickly? If that's the way it is there's only one word I can think of to describe the mere thought of living like that-Heavenly!
Marcella

Wrenbird Growing Up !!

Too tired to post much but here's a peace offering. Major ordermaking coming to a close here!

Hasta Luego! Marcella