Menu for the week

Costa Rican casado with grilled fish

Tortellini, tomato and spinach soup/Salad
Black bean soup
Fish tacos/Refried black beans

Breakdown:

Aldi/Kroger $ 26
Costco $ 26
Super H $ 5

See you all on Monday!

The breakfast project

My friend Patricia's utterly delicious berry smoothies:

Ingredients:

1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
3 Tbs of oatmeal
1 Tbs of ground flax seeds
1 orange squeezed
1/2 cup of berries (strawberries, blueberries, rasberries or a combination of them)
Agave nectar or honey to taste
A splash of Kefir recommended but not necessary

In a blender mix all the ingredients until all have been incorporated. Serve and enjoy

Casitas

Protection against the weather is taken seriously in Costa Rica. While driving in the little country roads of the Costa Rican highlands I could not help but to notice the picturesque way the Ticos decorate their electric meters... . Not uniformity here, a very unique form of expression.

Pictures from the weekend

We decorated some eggs

(if you are wondering what is that on M's forehead... a kitty cat tattoo. He wanted to show it to everybody so, he chose {of all places} his forehead to showcase it... Whatever!)

We also did an Easter egg hunt with our friends and neighbors

And finished up the day with a {very delicious} leftover Passover dinner at their house. The menu included: Brisket, roasted lamb osso bucco slyle, potatoes, roasted asparragus, matzah ball soup, cookies and brownies (including a lesson in how to make Matzo from scratch)... Have I confused you enough already?

The weather was absolutely perfect. A lovely weekend indeed...

The mating dance

We were having dinner when we noticed these beautiful birds right outside our window. I can only guess they were doing some kind of mating ritual. I just feel lucky to have taken these pictures.

Aren't these Pileated Woodpeckers pretty? Now, if we can get them to make their nest somewhere else it will be wonderful... We are getting a little tired of them pecking at our stucco and making ugly holes everywhere... Urggg

Menu for the week

Roasted chicken in adobo on a bed of carrots and potatoes/Green bean casserole
Thai noodle soup/Salad
Chicken lasagna/Rolls/Salad
Calzone/Salad

Breakdown:

Aldi/Kroger $39
Costco $30

Have a happy weekend!

A look through their eyes

Here they are, the kiddos' favorites:

Spotting monkeys in El Arenal Volcano National Park (everywhere, actually)

Night hikes in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve

Horseback riding in Hacienda Guachipelin - Rincon de la Vieja National Park

Tubing in Rio Colorado - Rincon de la vieja national park

Swimming in crushed shell Playa El Conchal

Eating sugar cane

Actually, eating everything - including fried fish at the beach

Drinking lots of batidos and juices (favorites: Guanavana, pinapple and tamarindo)

Wildlife spotting in Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge

and the one that tops the cake, zip lining in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Goodbye GG

We are going to miss you...

Spring=Engagements

This sassy lady is getting married

While they were in town visiting from Austin we got together for an impromptu photoshoot

They make a cute couple, don't they?

Trey, you are still one of my faves! I'm just putting out there in case you forgot :)

Angela, Trey... I hope you like this little preview. I can't wait to see you when you come back to town in June!

April showers

Bring such pretty flowers (and my absolute favorite - my much loved dogwood flower)....

This is the view my daughter gets in the morning when she wakes up on an early (and rainy) Spring morning.

We are back

...nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kinds of people.


Mark Twain

So much to share from amazing Costa Rica - without exageration, the vacation of a lifetime. The best present a girl can ask for.

We are already planning a return trip!

Until then, I will be dreaming away with a few photo journal spreads, a look through my kids eyes and lots of photo series sprinkled here and there, I hope you want to follow along.

Happy Monday everybody!

Menu for the week

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches/Gazpacho/Pickled cucumbers
Carne en salsa (beef stew Latin style)/Rice
Pasta with roasted cauliflower, arugula and prosciutto - I have not had this recipe in a while/Salad
Vegetable soup/Salad

Breakdown:
Aldi/Kroger $ 32
Super H $ 13
Trader Joe's $ 5

You did not think I was done with my use-what-you-already-have-in-your-pantry-or-freezer-challenge, did you? We are still going strong. Check the other menus for Week I, Week II and Week III.

And because I am one of those really curious foodies, I got the skinny on some delicious (and very simple) recipes from our trip to Costa Rica - Yes, I was that one asking the chef at the hotel or the lady at the food stand how they made the food so delicious. Their secrets are out of the bag and I will be sharing them with you... Coming soon...

France Highlights - The scrapbook edition

To finish things up I wanted to share with you some of my favorite scrapbooking pages

I had so much fun putting together this scrapbooking album... I got to re-live our trip all over again.

This is it friends, Costa Rica scrapbook coming soon...

France Highlights - Paris at dusk

Just a last few... For good measure