No Mistakes – Only Lessons

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building a stair rail, cement and bamboo construction, Mindo Ecuador, safety rails

“You will fail many times but in failing you’ll learn and in learning you’ll find your way. Remember, there are no mistakes in life but only lessons, and lessons will keep on repeating until learned.”  Paulo Coelho

I’ve been quiet, but that might mean that I’ve been busy!  Are you curious?!

Mindo Ecuador – The tragedy of last year’s earthquake has had an unusual effect on me;  my patience and tolerance, thanks to several challenging lessons, have strengthened.   A project-in-progress for the ‘Artist’s Nest’ has tested that statement!

Two local workers have been helping with a 3-day project that has stretched into eight.   If I sweep the sawdust and debris five times, there’s always a sixth, and most likely a seventh, though at the end of the day these two sweet workers clean the entire area well before leaving.

When I grab the broom to sweep the steps yet again, I find that I don’t sigh and say to myself, “Again…” or get frustrated at redundant tasks.  I think, “What those people who have no home would do to have this problem!”       In addition to lessons learned via my nephew Don, “While the Worlld Outside My Window Goes Insane”   , I think of those on the Pacific coast that lost so much, and I ‘Let it go’ instantly.

Whoosh!  Gone.  Not worth it.  That post (above) connects me back via the photo tribute to Don;   with 124 comments, it’s surely one of the most popular ones for inspiration.

And the lack of stress and frustration is genuine! There’s no psyching myself into trying to dump the stress; it’s never allowed residence or even a Timeout Corner as each day brings new surprises.

Measure twice – cut once. I watched as they measured, stated outloud the measurement, then the apprentice went outside to cut the section. He returned and —- “Whoops…”  he cut it at ’06’ instead of ’16.’  No problem – he learned an easy lesson! They lengthened it with a second section and wired the two together.

The workers are so kind and sweet, and Perejil (a nickname) does amazing work.  He’s very patient and goes to great details, so the work has taken longer than expected.   It’s worth the extra days, and in the story of my day, my week, my life, what is important is the quality of each day — and each day as been crammed with positive experiences.

Are you curious to see the project in progress?  Put on your hard hat, as there’s no hand rail, the main reason this project began!

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Timeout for Mississippi

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cotton, cypress trees, lanterns on the mississippi, mississippi delta, soybean harvest, timeout for mississippi

Timeout for Mississippi has squeezed the Timeout for Art to the sidelines this week.  As you read William Percy’s words from his autobiography, “Lanterns on the Levee,” enjoy these images taken throughout the Mississippi Delta.

Cotton at its peak and awaiting harvest… Heavy rains at this critical time would ruin the crop.

“My country is the Mississippi Delta, the river country. It lies flat, like a badly drawn half oval, with Memphis at its northern and Vicksburg at its southern tip…

(Highway 61 near Clarksdale Misssissippi) Memphis is an hour behind in the rear view mirror and Vicksburg is hours and hours away at the other end of the road!

Its western boundary is the Mississippi River, which coils and returns on itself in great loops and crescents, though from the map you would think it ran in a straight line north and south. Every few years it rises like a monster from its bed and pushes over its banks to vex and sweeten the land it has made…

Soybeans near Clarksdale

For our soil, very dark brown, creamy and sweet-smelling, without substrata of rock or shale, was built up slowly, century after century, by the sediment gathered by the river in its solemn task of cleansing the continent and deposited in annual layers of silt on what must once have been the vast depression between itself and the hills.

Near Yazoo City Mississippi

Near Yazoo City, Mississippi

This ancient depression, now filled in and level, is what we call the Delta. Some say it was the floor of the sea itself. Now it seems still to be a floor, being smooth from one end to the other, without rise or dip or hill, unless the mysterious scattered monuments of the mound-builders may be called hills…

Staying Well

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Aspartame, auxigro and grapes, auxigro and msg, Bursitis, Chemicals in Food, Dr. Sheel Tangri, Msg, Msg in Wine, Treating Old Injuries

A Toast to Good Health! (Can you see the sun through the stem of this glass?!)

Anyone who has hopped from doctor to doctor in search of a diagnosis and cure will agree that one needs to find out what triggered the symptoms.  The best treatment whacks at the root of the illness instead of throwing darts at possible reasons, masking the symptoms with temporary solutions and hoping to reclaim your wellness. If your body is retaining fluid, would you rather take a pill to flush your system or try to figure out what’s making you retain that fluid?

Paying attention to diet and the chemicals we put into our bodies might help pinpoint possible triggers.  Sometimes those triggers are obvious.

Check That Hot Sauce Label for MSG

For over thirty years, I’ve dodged MSG (monosodium glutamate) which almost immediately makes my fingers and feet swell.  Sometimes if I unknowingly ingest a double dose, my heart starts beating faster, I break out in a sweat and feel weak.   If I consume an overload of MSG, my symptoms are similar to being drugged, and I cannot think well.  Once several days passed before I emerged from the fog of an accidental MSG “overdose.”

Figuring out my sensitivity to aspartame took longer, although losing one’s vision and then getting it back will get anyone’s attention!  Several of these MSG and Aspartame stories are here: G for GALLO, GARZA, GARROBO, GAFAS AND – GASP – GLUTAMOTO MONOSODICO.

Beware!  MSG and Aspartame

This past week during the Ecuador Expat Journey tour, I told this red-wine story to a new friend:

  “…About four years ago after experiencing MSG sensitivity two different times after drinking red wine, I conducted a random online search: “RED WINE, MSG.”  

 

…I was not expecting to find links to stories that linked red wine and MSG with a product called AuxiGro, but they were there staring me in the face!  Yes, AuxiGro contains “Glutamic acid” and was used on many food crops in the USA and throughout the world!  The product not only helped crops mature at the same time, but it also enhanced the sweetness of grapes!  

 

I was stunned…”

Postcards From Zeebra’s Flying Carpet #5

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guava leaf tea for diarrhea, Hand-painted concrete floors, l, painting concrete floors, postcards from zeebra's flying carpet #5, travelers diarrhea

Buenos dias from the land of unpredictable internet and electricity!  We not only lost power a few nights ago, but we’ve been enduring very poor internet service for the week so far.   Hopefully this post will find its way to you soon!

The floor-painting project continues to evolve as we approach the end of Barb’s third week here in Ecuador.  Her flight leaves on Sunday, and we find ourselves wondering how those three weeks flew by so quickly.  Then we look at the floor and smile!

What’s For Breakfast?

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Breakfast Ideas, magic carpet, quinoa crust, quinoa pizza, Quinoa Recipes

What’s for breakfast? Anything served on the magic carpet will surely be a unique experience!

As Barbara and I enjoyed our unique breakfast while test driving the magic carpet, I stated, “Probably no one else in this country is having this for breakfast.”

Barbara replied,  “Probably no one else in the whole-wide world is having this for breakfast!”

It looks like pizza, and is sort of tastes like pizza, but, it’s a very fast way to convert left-over quinoa into a fairly-healthy breakfast.

Mix left-over quinoa with one (beaten) egg, a dash of salt, then add enough flour to hold it together.  Press into a slightly-oiled pan and cook on medium heat until browned on the bottom.   Flip it to the other side and brown for another five minutes.  Flip back, add warmed tomato sauce (i used leftovers from yesterday’s creole sauce)  and top with mozzarella.  Cook on low heat until mozzarella is melted.

It’s so easy! Quinoa-crust pizza!

Ta-dah!

Buen provecho!

Z  (See Quinouli Frittata for another breakfast option)

Colorful Cuisine!

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cooking with hibiscus, cooking with pitaya, cooking with quinoa, using red in cooking, Wordpress Photo Challenge COLOR

Colorful, Healthy and Delicious

The photo archives hold many images of colorful foods that lend themselves well to this week’s COLOR theme on WordPress.   Here are some of my favorite-but-unique foods that find their way into Zeebra Cuisine.

Postcards from Zeebra’s Flying Carpet #4

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Hand-painted concrete floors, skillet pizza, what to cook when you have nothing in the kitchen

I get by with a little help from my friend!

Manabi Ecuador – Day 7 of Barbara’s visit

… I’m afraid we have a bit of a runaway train here…  I left Barbara with the finishing touches on the second application of black paint so that I could resume work on tonight’s pizza.    Living off the grid for a dozen years, I’ve ‘mastered’ the art of cooking in a skillet.  Every so often I burn the brownies or burn the bread, but usually the end result is a close facsimile to oven-baked food.    So instead of painting with Barbara, I am making sure that the pizza crust doesn’t burn in the skillet.

(I have a strong suspicion that Barbara might sneak over to my computer and type a side-story to all of you while I am cooking.  Hence the suggestion of a runaway train…)

Got Tea?

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cooking with dried tea, cooking with hibiscus, cooking with plantain flour, cooking with yucca starch, what's cooking?

Rose/Hibiscus Tea Blend

Impromptu company stops by, and you have nothing to serve.  Quick! Check your dried tea selection, and you might be able to whip up a unique appetizer! Here’s an easy dip or spread using dried tea! In honor of Valentine’s day, hibiscus will star in this post!  (Fresh hibiscus always trumps dried products, but dried hibiscus in tea form is so convenient!)

E for Encebollado!

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E for Encebollado, Ecuador cuisine, Fish Soup, Frizztest alphabet story challenge E, internet problems, Ways to cook fresh tuna

Cruzita Ecuador –  What’s on the menu?  Fresh tuna!

Pulling up the rear, I am sending this while in transit to Guayaquil. Internet options are poor, and I am able to grab a signal by standing beside the window of my hotel while balancing the laptop in one hand and pecking these words with the other! Frizztext’s story challenge “E” is indeed a challenge tonight!  Thanks for some great comments; replying and commenting are fruiutless tasks as well! I will ‘send’ this & see you in a few days!

V Is For Viche, Specialty Soup of Manabi Ecuador

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biche, Frizztext Story Challenge V, Viche, Viche de Pescado, What is Viche

Ecuador’s specialty dish, viche, comes from the province of Manabi.

Nearing the end of the alphabet, Frizztext’s story challenge for this week is for the letter “V.”    How lucky I am to live in the province of Manabi, home to an amazing culinary specialty we know as ‘viche.’   Also spelled, “biche,” this hearty seafood soup combines a variety of fresh vegetables, ripe and unripe plantains in a unique peanut-based broth.

Rather than making a poor attempt at describing how this soup is made, I am steering you to Laylita, who shares amazing recipes from her home country of Ecuador!  Her version of biche can be found HERE.

Although I have never made viche, I enjoy sampling and comparing the different versions between the local restaurants.  

Mmmmmm – Delicious!

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Achojcha, Almuerzo, biche, Bolones, Chifles, Culinary Specialties of Manabi Ecuador, encebollado, Food of Manabi, Jake's Sunday Post Delicious, Lobster, popcorn soup, pureed carrot soup, quinoa, quinoa crisps, Quinouli, Shrimp Harvest, torta de pescado, Viche

Colorful, Healthy and Delicious – Potatoes, Carrots, Lemons, Peppers, Naranjillas, Achojcha, Tomatoes, Camote, Garlic, Onions, Tomate Arbol, Broccoli

MANABI, ECUADOR –  While recently fighting a three-week perpetual cough, I lost my normally-healthy appetite.  The past few days have found my strength returning, and my taste buds are suddenly screaming for attention!  Jake’s Sunday Post has given me a great opportunity to tease my appetite back to normal!

Viche – Not to be confused with Ceviche!

The province of Manabi Ecuador is known for its culinary specialties.  Viche, sometimes spelled, Biche, soothes the palate with a pureed peanut based fish and lemon juice stock.  Packed with fresh in-season vegetables, shrimp and/or fish, viche also comes with green-plantain ”balls” that patiently wait to be discovered at the bottom of the bowl!   The customary garnish of cilantro adds color and flavor!  Almost always, fresh lemon juice and aji (hot sauce) are served on the side.

Wrong

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Mangrove Destruction, Our planet's health, Pacific Ocean Pollution, Sea Turtles and Shrimping, What's wrong with our planet, WordPress Photo Challenge, WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge Wrong

Beach trash disturbs our senses; we frown on the eyesores and pick up our token share when we visit the beach (or not!)   Have you ever pondered how many plastics touch our lives on a day-to-day basis?

WordPress’s weekly photo challenge for the week is “Wrong.”  We’re asked to submit images that reflect, “There’s something wrong here.”

Mother Ocean gives, and Mother Ocean takes.

Living along Latin America’s Pacific Coast, I often witness scenes that reek of wrongness.  Most of those aren’t directly related to life in Latin America, but  to the daily serving of flotsam that the Pacific Ocean offers each day.   Becoming more aware plays a part in our planet’s health, though finding active and positive ways to change things is a more difficult task. Through WordPress’s platform, I am grateful to pass along these images that reflect “Wrong.”

Mother Ocean spits the plastics back on the shore… What’s that green speck beneath that timber?

Major Tom(boy) to Ground Control

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Cruzita, Ecuador, Jama, Manta, The Mola Series

Oops!

Before dashing to the beach at La Division with my friends here in Ecuador, I updated a post on the wrong site!   Forgive me for juggling way too many balls and getting some of them mixed up!

Here’s the catch-up post: http://zeebradesigns.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/major-tom-to-ground-control/

More soon!

Z

 

“Going Organic” :)

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Carambola, Hibiscus Tea, Maracuya, Organic Gardening

Long ago my brother-in-law Don wondered if I would be bringing ‘seaweed’ to a family pot-luck gathering!  I still smirk at the memory and often ponder if he would sample my latest culinary creations here in Ecuador!

Hibiscus remains my ‘herb’ of choice for freshly-brewed tea, and when combined with lemon, maracuya, starfruit or any acidic partner, the drink transforms into a shocking-red-but-healthy drink!

“Quinouli” (Keen-oo-lee) Fritatta

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Breakfast Ideas, Brunch recipes, Hibiscus Tea, Hibiscus tea from fresh flowers, quinoa, Quinoa Fritatta, Quinouli, Tabouli

Quinouli Fritatta - Bipolar presentation to show top and bottom of fritatta!

The “Quinoa-Tabouli” post gleaned a great new name:  Quinouli!  Thanks LT!

This morning-after experiment with quinouli leftovers was a success!  I should switch back to painting soon, or I’m going to gain weight!

Let’s go to the kitchen!   Z

Quinoa-Spinach-Hibiscus “Tabouli”

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cooking with hibiscus, Quinoa Recipe, Quinoa-spinach Tabouli, Recipes for Diabetics

Quinoa-spinach-hibiscus Tabouli

As a watercolorist, I am a purist and believe in saving the white of the paper without the use of masking fluids or tape.    I am equally-sensitive about certain traditional foods, and it seems a bit wrong to call this, “tabouli,” just because it looks like tabouli!   I welcome suggestions for a better name!

Whatever we call it, this recipe uses quinoa instead of wheat and is a much-better choice for diabetics or people with wheat sensitivities. (When using fresh flowers, always be sure that they have not been treated with pesticides!)

This is so easy!

Creative Cooking & Cursing Computers!

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Achojcha, Computer frustrations, Experience Ecuador, February 2012 Manabi flooding, Lentil Burgers, Naranjilla, Sarah Dettman, Tomate Arbol

 (Pictured above:  Parsley, New Zealand Spinach, Potatoes, Carrots, Pineapple, Limons, Green Peppers, Tomatillos, Achojcha, Tomatoes, Tomate de Arbol, Sweet Potatoes, Celery, Garlic (from Chile), Red Onions, Broccoli – all for ten dollars and some change!)

The devil surely has his fingers in the computer world!  True to my recent statement, “It’s not what one has planned for the day,” this week brought computer demons that altered my priorities!   An ultra-sluggish Windows 7 system refused to upload any information, my computer challenged my competitive spirit, and I was determined to wrestle it back into submission.

..When All Else Fails... (Probably 30 attempts to upload this before it worked!)

This problem happens only

What’s Cooking at Bat’s Corner – Manta, Ecuador

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Almuerzo, Bat's Corner Bar & Grill, Dining, Ecuador, Manta

Tucked on an unassuming-yet strategic location in Manta, Ecuador, Bat’s Corner quietly awaits the daily lunch-time clientele.   Near  Playa Murcielago, Oro Verde Hotel and the forever popular KFC, Bat’s Corner Bar & Grill is my favorite spot for the noon almuerzo.    Never have I been disappointed, and the quality and diversity of their menus continue to amaze me.

Achojcha, Where Have You Been All My Life?!

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Achojcha, Caigua, Cyclanthera pedata, Ecuador cuisine, mango camote salad, quinoa, Stuffing Cucumber

After finishing a painting session today, I prepared a chicken for the crock pot, then took a long leisurely walk to Playamart.  I needed to restock my supply of beach rocks!

Returning home,  I washed the latest Playamart treasures then painted a handful of new rocks.  I returned to the kitchen to prepare stuffed achojcha.  How could I have spent so much time in this country and be just now discovering this incredible vegetable?! (This past week, achojchas cost ten cents each at the local market.)

ACHOJCHA CON POLLO, QUINOA Y MOZZARELLA  

What’s Cooking? Achojcha (Cyclanthera pedata)

Tags

Achojcha, Caigua, Ecuador cuisine, Stuffing Cucumber

A new vegetable recently caught my eye at Maria’s sidewalk market.  Light green and slightly ribbed, it was extremely lightweight and hollow.   “Que es esto?”  I asked Maria, who was helping several shoppers.

“Achocha,” she replied then resumed weighing vegetables.

Left to ponder the unusual vegetable, I inspected the display, sniffed the achochas, rattled one,  tossed it into the air, caught it,  then added two more to my selection.  Why not try this curious new vegetable?

What’s Cooking? Quinoa Crisps

Tags

Ecuador cuisine, quinoa crisps

Quinoa Crisps & Sauteed Tomatoes

Move over, rice and potatoes, a super food from the Andes is knocking home runs through the culinary world!

Quinoa dates back to 3,000 to 5,000 B.C. and was a sacred grain to the Incas.   Along came the Spanish Invasion, and quinoa was discouraged and sometimes forbidden as a food source.  Wheat replaced quinoa, and potatoes became popular. Considered a food for the poor for centuries, quinoa has suddenly burst out of the closet and stepped into the spotlight.

THE LOVELY HIBISCUS

Tags

cooking, gumbo, herbal tea, hibiscus, Latin America Cooking

The lovely hibiscus continues to be the darling of my gardens!   Although the intoxicating aroma of the dramatic white ginger lily (Hedychium coronarium) steals my heart each rainy season,  and the aroma of the ylang ylang stops me in my tracks, the hibiscus holds my admiration and respect.   Thriving in hot climates,  a mature plant adorns the landscape with a daily offering of flowers.  Ranging from the classic five-petaled red flower to soothing peach-colored ones to frilly doubles, they adorn gardens and mark property lines throughout Latin America.

Many people are surprised that the hibiscus flowers and leaves are edible.   Added to salads, their delicate texture and colorful petals enhance the culinary experience.   Not only beautiful, they are also rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.   A double handful of fresh red blossoms added to a pot of steaming water

What’s Cooking?

Tags

cooking with hibiscus, dragonfruit, green papaya salad, herbal teas, quinoa

This gallery contains 27 photos.

Carambola, maracuya, pitalla, cacao, mani, hibiscus, quinoa, achocha…  When I need a break from painting, I often switch hats and …

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