Hello Everyone!! Thank-you to the people who responded to my question Who is/was Jonas? Where they any good? It appears that I have not missed anything on our 10 year Internet hiatus in the jungles of Belize. For all those people who did not respond, I don’t think that you actually realised that it was a real question!
It appears that our cat has taken a special interest in our Jonas bags…or is it the black bin liner? Isn’t it funny that we post pictures of our cat much like the way people post pictures of their babies?
Hello Everyone!! Happy Cyber Monday to you all!! To commemorate this day of spectacular e-commerce shopping, I am offering 10% off ALL Apothecary items today. Sale ends Midnight tonight. Every buyer also gets a Free Collectors’ Edition Vintage Jonas Gift Bag!!
Can anybody tell us Who Jonas Are? Have we missed out on anything good? Somehow the last 10 years of Belize has acted as a time warp and we have no knowledge of current trends and popular fads. We have no idea.. are these guys old or new? Are they a Christian Pop Band? We have ended up with hundreds of Jonas Gift Bags and this is how it happened…
Just last week, our old missionary friend phoned me up and asked if I had ordered gift bags to be sent to his States address. I recalled that a long time ago (2 years to be exact) I had ordered some golden organza bags via Amazon, from China, to be sent to his address. They never appeared and so I had given them up for being lost in the post somewhere out there! So, when he mentioned Gift Bags, I immediately thought that they had at long last arrived. When our friend came to deliver the stuff he literally chucked a huge bin bag liner over the gate, a few token papayas and scurried quick smart back into his truck. He made a hurried excuse about needing a hair-cut, pushed the gas pedal down and was gone before I could even utter a word of thanks.
I opened up the bag and this is what I got. Hundreds of these in all shapes and sizes.
Jonas Gift Bags.More Jonas.And More Jonas.
I have the sneaky suspicion that my missionary friend has happily off-loaded these bags onto me regardless of whether I have true ownership. I think they probably came from some church bazaar along with woolly jumpers and coffee mugs. Anyway, since I continue to receive gifts under the auspices of Jesus, I would like to extend this gesture by giving away a free Jonas bag with every International order from our website. Yay!! Start Shopping!!
We have made Moon Cakes, off season!! Well, as far as we are concerned, Moon Cakes should be happily enjoyed all year round!!
Moon Cakes.
This time we used a yam paste which consists of lotus seed and the vegetable taro.
Yam Paste.
This is fresh taro…maybe we can make our own paste sometime.
Taro.
We have stashed them in our Moon Cake Treasure Chest…
Munchkin and Gnome Moon Cakes.
And, of course, a couple for the Duckie Bag. The Duckie Bag is our manual coffee/tea making facility (ie. thermos flask and teabags, coffee,sugar and milk) that we take with us everytime we go out.
Here is another Munchkin and Gnome Game which might become famous once we are minor celebrities. So, even although it seems like we are the only ones that find this game humourous, it is our hope that this might catch on at some point…”go viral” so-to-speak. However, I would like to give a Big Thank-you to Ginja Bwai for playing this game with us once.
Last week, we spotted a Fridge On A Pickup at Tommy’s Superstore in Bella Vista.
Gnome:
“Quick, quick, get a picture before you miss it!”
Munchkin:
“Yeah but…how can I miss it? It’s not moving!”
Fridge On A Pickup.
Gnome:
“Sorry Babes, but you do have a habit of missing them!”
Spotting a Fridge On A Pickup means 1000 points!!
And we have had close calls in the past as I fumbled around for the camera as the truck and fridge came whizzing by. Look! It’s speeding away!! There have been a few fast and furious car chases in Belize with Munchkin and Gnome!
White Goods On A Pickup.
Anyway here are the Point Allocations for the spotting of Goods (and assorted paraphernilia) on a Pickup (with a picture):
Fridge 1000pts.
Washing Machine 900pts.
Freezer 850pts.
Estufa (Spanish for Stove) 800pts.
Boca (Central American Chip Packets) 750pts.
Pig 500pts.
Tractor Wheels 500pts.
Large Ruminant 350pts.
Small Ruminants 250pts each.
When you spot the Fridge on a Pickup, the rule is to jiggle your bottom on the car seat and shout out,
“Fridge On A Pickup!!”
with whistles, loud expressive whooping and hand gesticulating.
Add up all your points and come to the sober realisation that none of this means anything and try to have More Fun!!
Mmmmm…deep fried cassava is one of our favourites…it is really hearty and warming for colder days in Belize.
Fried Cassava with Miso Dip.
And since we are moving into winter time in Belize when the temperature can drop down to 18C (64F), this dish is perfect.
To prepare the cassava, peel and wash:
Dug Up Cassava.Peeled Cassava.
Boil the cassava in a stockpot. You will know when they are ready when they start to split length-wise. Drain the roots and once they have cooled down, slice them into 1/2 inch circular pieces. Heat up oil (I use a wok) until smoking. Fry about 10 pieces at a time, until golden brown, and drain on kitchen towel.
To make Peach Palm Miso Dip combine the following :
2 tbsp Soya Sauce
2 tbsp Honey
1 tsp Peach Palm Miso (or Shiro Miso)
Peach Palm Miso Dip.
Enjoy!! We deliver Peach Palm Miso in Punta Gorda on Wednesdays. Contact us by email or Facebook if you are interested and we can drop it off for you.
Peach Palm Miso.
We can also send it to you via Tropic Air within Belize. Check out The Apothecary for prices.
Before I start on another hilarious story with Munchkin and Gnome (Ha-Ha), I would like to mention that you can find us on FaceBook under Mandy Tsang. We have removed the Casa Mascia Apothecary page because it has only served to confuse everyone or maybe it’s because I don’t know how to use FaceBook properly! Anyway…back to The Brain…
Every-time we harvest one of these beauties, we call out “The Brain!!” in unison. Well, it is because we think that this root resembles a brain and also, we have been living in the bush for so many years, we have developed a sense of humour to offset some of the boredom (Ha-Ha).
Hmmm…I suppose you could say that it also looked like an elephant’s foot…
The Brain!!
“The Brain!!” is also known as elephant foot yam, white-spot giant arum and its latin name is Amorphophallus paeoniifolis. Anyone who knows a bit of latin will be wondering why this is called a misshapen (amorpho) penis (phallus). This plant actually produces a spectacular flower which is the reason for the name; unfortunately, we have not been privy to the flowering of this plant. If you do a quick Internet search, you will find pictures easily…the flowers are truly amazing.
If you look at the stem of this plant, you can see the tell-tale white-spots which lends them their popular name.
White -spot Yam.
This plant is related to A. konjac which is consumed in South-East Asia and Japan. According to a Straits Chinese Gnome, this is used, amongst other things, to make Jello in Asian countries because it can remain solid in the Tropics.
The Brain!!
The preparation and cooking will be for another post!! Watch out for the dissection of The Brain!!
A couple of weeks ago we harvested fresh cassava from the farm to make “Cuppa Cassava” which is our own home-made version of an instant noodle meal. As described in an earlier post, we prepared the root by peeling, cutting into pieces and steaming. After that, we put the cooked vegetable through a meat grinder in order to homogenize it and obtain a “noodle-look.” Then it was placed in the sun to dry for three days.
Instant Cassava Noodles.
We made an “instant” quick meal by adding boiled water (about 1+1/2 cups) to a handful of dehydrated cassava noodles; we covered this and allowed the vegetable to soften and cook for 10 minutes. At 7 minutes, a teaspoon of miso (our famous Peach Palm Miso) and a 1/4 cup of finely chopped green spinach were added to the mixture. And Hey Presto…Cuppa Casava Ramen was ready to eat!
Cuppa Cassava Ramen.
The cassava noodles had a chewy, firm texture with a bite. We both agreed that this was a good preservation method and this was definitely worth having in the pantry as “farm-made fast food.”
Hello Everyone!! I am always so pleased with our harvests on the farm; the farm still keeps producing bountiful crops and there is always something new and exciting to eat. It never ceases to amaze me how generous the land can be if you are willing to put in a bit of time and work.
Plenty of Cassava to harvest right now.
Cassava.
A whole bed of sweet potatoes and it gets better…you can even eat the greens like a spinach.
Sweet Potatoes and Greens.
Voluntary wild papayas dotted all around the farm. Get them before the birds feast on them.
Wild Papaya.
This is malabar spinach. Simply stir-fry, steam or boil; also makes a great salad green. It can be started from cutting and grows well in boggy areas. This is such an easy green to grow that I think everyone should have a patch of this in their garden.
Malabar Spinach.
This is a cultivated variety of purslane; it makes a lovely salad green and the edible flowers add colour to a dish.
Cultivated Purslane.
We have been harvesting these for about 3 months solid from one tree…and it has started flowering again! These have a crunch just like apples.
Chinese Jujube.
It is absolutely wonderful growing our own vegetables and fruit to eat. I would not have it any other way!
This is an MGNews special bringing you the most exhilarating and high velocity news from Paradise Pastures, a home for Paradise Piggies. Mayor Gnome took some time out today from his busy schedule to talk about the most special time of the day for him.
Toddler Tickling Time: 5pm Every Night.
Mayor Gnome.
MGNews: Good Evening Mayor Gnome. Thank-you for this exclusive interview. In this year’s election campaign, you had promised Toddler Tickling Time every night. How is this working out for you and the community?
Mayor Gnome: Oh yes, delightful. This is valuable time for me and I find the whole experience uplifting and joyful.
MGNews: What do you like most about it?
Mayor Gnome: Sharing with the community. All you need to do is to look into the eyes of one of these piggies and that is all you need.
MGNews: What kind of response have you received from the toddlers?
Mayor Gnome: Well they make a lot of squeaky noises which I take as a positive response!
Piggies Are Happy.
MGNews: Thank-you Mayor Gnome for sharing your thoughts with us.
This was a MGNews exclusive interview with Mayor Gnome. You better Belize it! We will leave you tonight with a gallery of toddlers from Paradise Piggies.
Cute Piggie.Friendly Piggies.We Love Toddler Tickling Time.Playful Piggie.Piggie!
We can’t help but love Mayor Gnome. Keep up the good work…and keep funding our network!
