Category Archives: Belize

The Road Less Travelled.

June 20, 2015 Munchkin 1 Comment

When we drive out of our farm, we usually turn right towards the Southern Highway to Punta Gorda. The road to the left is “the road less travelled” which is called Barranco Road. Here are some pictures as we drive down this road.

Roberts' Ranch Gate. — Roberts’ Ranch Gate.

This is the nearest property…It is called “Roberts’ Ranch.” We believe that “Roberts” lives in the States because over the course of the ten years that we have been here, there have been a series of farm “managers”/ caretakers for the place. This farm is huge…a mile squared so they say and it has chain-link all around the property. This used to be a cattle ranch but as years went by, the cattle slowly disappeared one by one until there was nothing left. There were rumours of cattle rustlers and talk of caretakers trying to settle bills with cattle…who knows? There was a time when everyone was feverish over all the gossip at this ranch so it is difficult to say which stories are true. All we know now is that this place is empty with no cattle or people living on it. Also, the only bit of chain-link fence left is the strip at the front, so we have been told.

About 200 yards down the road, you will reach San Felipe Village. Population is between 200 to 300 and I think that this village was established sometime in the 1970’s. As you can see, most people live in the wooden houses with thatch roofing. There are significant signs of change with more cement house construction and cable satellite dishes in some of the yards.

This is the road as you drive out of San Felipe Village. It is really quite a view (we get so used to it that we don’t even think about it).

There are magnificent Mayan mountains all around as you trundle down the dirt road.

Belize, Farming, Food, Mushrooms

Paprika Stinkhorn Egg with Nori Flakes.

June 19, 2015 Munchkin

Hello Everyone, you are getting two posts almost back to back because our Internet was down for most of the day. The day started off with a thunderstorm and stayed stormy for most of the day; there was also a power-cut for most of the morning.

As promised, I have posted up my recipe with the Witches’ Eggs which I foraged yesterday. I seasoned the sliced immature stinkhorn mushrooms with paprika and white pepper.

The dish actually turned out nicely and Gnome commended me for my efforts. Prior to eating, he had been giving me a sideway neophobic ducky look in preparation for the slimy quality of the mushroom. However, when he did eat it, he looked surprised and likened it to oysters; he said that they should be called “vegetarian oysters” or “faux oysters.”

The toasted nori flakes complimented the “seafood” taste of the mushroom very well. For the full recipe, check out Paprika Stinkhorn Egg with Nori Flakes in Belize Wild Recipes.

At this point, I would like to thank our Chinese friend (real Chinese, not like me!) for emailing us to give us some more information on this fungus.

This is what she said (more or less):

This mushroom is called Zhu Sun in Chinese. The Zhu means bamboo (because it grows on bamboo litter) and it also has the same sound as congratulations. The Sun means smooth and successful. Zhu Sun also means longevity. This mushroom is usually eaten during Chinese New Year but can also be eaten all year round. The Chinese eat the mature mushroom and the recipes are usually found under “bamboo pith” on the Internet.

This information was a great help and we will be collecting some fresh mature specimens to eat. I can’t wait!

Yes, she is right, they do grow on bamboo litter as you can see:

May we all have the pleasure of eating such an auspicious mushroom!

Belize, Our Products

Botanica Belize in Belize City.

June 19, 2015 Munchkin 1 Comment

I would like to dedicate this blog post to Joanna Randolph, of Botanica Belize. She will be taking part in The International Belize Yoga Event this Saturday the 21st of June. It is hosted by the Embassy of India and will be held at Ramada Princess Hotel, Belize City starting at 7am. The purpose of this event is to make people aware of the many health benefits of Yoga.

Joanna will be taking the Botanica Belize products which have been made in collaboration with Casa Mascia Apothecary. Here are some pictures shot on location in the bush!

Pitta, Kapha and Vata Blended Essential Oils.

Good Luck Joanna and we hope that the Yoga Event is a success!!

Belize, Food, Medical Related, Mushrooms

Witches’ Eggs.

June 18, 2015 Munchkin

Hello Everyone. It has been pouring down all day and we are surrounded by big puddles of water. It is dull, miserable and grey and so I naturally gravitated to the kitchen to make some comfort food. I made mochi balls with lotus paste. They definitely hit the spot…at least for the 15 minutes in which we were devouring them. Anyway, these are not the “Witches’ Eggs.”

These are the Witches’ Eggs:

These are the stinkhorn mushrooms in their immature form. If you want to harvest these, you need to go to a spot where you have seen this type of mushroom, get down on your hands and knees and look and feel for these round protrusions above the soil. I found eight of them today and this is a picture of a the mushroom cut in half:

These Witches’ Eggs are edible although I can’t find any recipe on the internet. A lot of information comes from other blogs where people have voiced their disgust over the gelatinous quality of this mushroom. Apparently, this fungus is cultivated by the Chinese and I was surprised to read that it is actually the mature form which they eat. They are dried and then re-hydrated for soups. Apparently, it is a highly esteemed ingredient in Chinese cooking and considered a delicacy. With the promise of delectability, I am definitely getting out there in my rubber boots to collect this for my soup.

I have known about the edibility of the witches’ eggs for a long time since we used to collect them in Scotland. At that time, we were really spoiled for choice with chanterelles, boletes and all manner of freshly foraged mushrooms that I didn’t really make much of an attempt to cook these ones up. Since I am now in Belize and mushroom foraging is less diverse, I have decided to give this mushroom another chance. I will be cooking it tonight so will post up my recipe tomorrow.

The protein content of these mushrooms in the egg form is comparable to that found in meat. Mmmm…something for the vegetarians to consider.

Also, this mushroom contains anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.

Oh, and this one is very interesting…according to a 2001 publication in the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, the smell of the fresh fungus can trigger spontaneous orgasms in human females. Definitely another reason to get the rubber boots out and go mushroom foraging?!

Belize, Farming

Snake and Internet Crap.

June 17, 2015 Munchkin

Internet Crap…short post today!!

We have started getting up early (4am) in a neurotic (Belize still can’t take the neurosis out of two doctors, even after 10 years) bid to get everything done before it gets unbearably hot and humid at midday. Unfortunately, there was no committee meeting so the other animals (especially the night shift ones) haven’t quite got the hang of the new schedule. This morning, we found a snake fast asleep next to the freezer. I walked right passed it because I was half asleep and then I had to do a “double-take” and realise that there was a snake next to me whilst I was filling the teapot. I was quite unfazed by the snake and merely said “Snake!” to Gnome. He quickly got two sticks and used them like chop-sticks and got him out!! We then had a nice cup of tea (Ahhh…hits the spot!!) and started the day!

Belize, Farming, Food

Baked Wax Apples Stuffed with Chilli Beef.

June 16, 2015 Munchkin 2 Comments

We have so many wax apples on our farm this year…we have even been giving them away to our piggies.

We have been eating a lot of them raw. Because they have the crispy texture of an apple, I thought that they would do well baked. And, then I thought of chilli beef and hey presto, I came up with this recipe: Wax Apples Stuffed with Chilli Beef.

To stuff the wax apples, you just need to cut a wedge into the bottom. Like so:

Stuffed wax apples:

I slow-baked the stuffed wax apples with onions so that the onions could form a nice gravy.

We ate it with a side of green vegetables:

We really enjoyed this dish and this is also a great way of cooking other fruits in the Syzygium family, notably the Malay (Molly) Apple.

Enjoy your evening!! It has been raining all day.

Belize, Medical Related, Philosophy

Only in Belize…!

June 15, 2015 Munchkin

I have a nice story to share with you today. It is a heart-warming story that makes me feel connected with the community of Punta Gorda and at large, humanity.

About a week ago, I received an early morning phone call from the daughter one of our many patients. She was naturally distressed because her elderly father had fallen on the floor. Unfortunately, we were in Belize City at that time so we were unable to come to her aid. However, I did tell her that it was imperative that she take her father to hospital (in Punta Gorda) urgently. I detected some hesitancy from her because she was unsure as to whether she and her husband could physically carry him out of the house and into their truck. I understood her concerns and I stated that there was simply no ambulance service available but nevertheless, it was of utmost importance that he be seen by a medical doctor.

On the same day, the daughter phoned to give me an update and said that her father was stable and improving in hospital.

I didn’t hear anything more until a couple of days ago. The father had been discharged from hospital and we came out to do a check-up. When we arrived at the house, we were met by the daughter. She was very pleased with her father’s progress and said to us mysteriously, “I will let my dad tell you about the ride in the pick-up truck…”

When we saw the father, he was lying down and it was clear that he had been through a very difficult and trying week. Despite all this, he smiled and beamed with relief when he saw us. The first thing he said to us, as he chuckled to himself, was “Oh, I need to tell you about my first ride on the back of a pick-up truck…”

So this is the “pick-up story”: The daughter had run out to her neighbour and asked them for help in getting her dad into her truck. The neighbour shouted an incomprehensible list of commands in Creole over her shoulder and the next thing she knew there were six young men, armed with blankets, standing by her side. The six men (I imagine in my head, six very strong burly men) ran like soldiers to the house and swooped the father up effortlessly and carried him in a blanket onto the back of the pick-up truck. As they drove the bumpy ride to the hospital, the men acted as a human cushion to stop the father from rolling about on the truck.

The neighbour had also called ahead to the hospital to inform them of the imminent arrival. And so, everything was done in a timely, co-ordinated manner as soon as they reached hospital.

I smiled when I heard this story. This shows community spirit and compassion. In times of crisis, they rally together and give support to one another. This is truly priceless and no amount of facilities and public services can replace the warmth and humility that is necessary in times of need.

Bees, Belize, Farming, Pets

Animal Farm.

June 14, 2015 Munchkin 3 Comments

Here are some pictures of “animals in action” on our farm. First of all, I would like to say that our cat is back on track after his traumatic event. He rather enjoyed being fed three times a day and the intensive heavy petting. No more nightmares for Kitty and by the way, he is sleeping well. This is the cat “not in action.”

Tarantula in the house…this one might actually be a resident but we don’t mind because he does the night shift so only comes out after dark. I used to be terrified of spiders when I lived in Scotland (and they were tiny compared to the ones here). Anyway, I actually think that the furriness makes the tarantula look cute and cuddly.

I am pleased to tell you that The Gnome Mark III Stingless Bee Beehive has been a success and the little troopers are doing their thing.

And, of course, our beloved piggies residing at the famous gated community of Paradise Pastures are doing their piggie thing…eating. The population is now 15 with 4 expecting mothers. The maternity wing is ready to receive them! A few days ago, Mayor Gnome presented each of them with a gift of a personal wax apple. They were very happy but somewhat confused over personal ownership and so they ended up playing a popular piggie game called “snatch and grab.”

Doing a photo shoot with guinea pigs is actually really difficult because they tend to be camera-shy. As soon as they see a camera pointing at them they usually scurry off into the corners. So, you have to realise that I took about 30 camera clicks to get these photos. I have to say that Stumpy (the Grandmother of all the piggies so-called because she has one stumped leg due to an unfortunate accident in the past) is a real champion with photos because she has bilateral cataracts so she can’t spot the camera. She’s a real natural, very photogenic:

Grandma Stumpy on the right. What a Cutey!

Another piggie picture:

This is a huge caterpillar (the size of a finger) feasting on our fig plant. We eventually had to flick it off because it ate up all the foliage.

And, last but not least. This frog jumped onto Gnome’s shoulder and promptly fell asleep.

Gnome is much loved by the frog community for continuing the breeding program in various buckets of water on the farm.

Belize, Food, Plants

Glazed Cashew Fruit and Ham with Basmati Rice.

June 13, 2015 Munchkin

We have discovered the wonders of cooked cashew fruit because they absorb flavours really well and they have the texture of chicken breast. Cashew fruit can be eaten raw but tends to have tannins in them which stops you from eating too much of them. Cooking this fruit in sugar helps to off-set the tannin taste.

We had some left over roast ham so I came up with this recipe: Glazed Cashew Fruit and Ham with Basmati Rice.

After eating this, we both agreed that the cashew fruit was worth eating. In previous years, we have just let this fruit drop to the ground and rot…what a waste! The only problem is that there seems to be a health community of pacas (gibnuts) feasting on the fruit as soon as they drop to the ground. This means that we have to get up at the crack of dawn to collect the fruit before all the critters (including doggie) get them!!

Belize, Philosophy

Gnome’s Double Century Post.

June 13, 2015 Munchkin 1 Comment

Munchkin has charged me with the honorary task of posting our two-hundredth post and filling it with some lofty thoughts and ideas that free us from the feeling of mundaneness engendered by three inches of rain every night, not having fixed the pump yet, mud, mosquitoes, no-see-ums, botless flies, doctor flies, termites and the constant growth of tropical bush — Green Hell…ehm…I mean Paradise!

Before I start, however, I want to share the happiness of having found and reconnected with a long-lost, medical school classmate with whom I shared some of those awful times:

Thank you for re-appearing in our lives. — Thank you for re-appearing in our lives and being more than a once-a-year-email friend.

Here I go: Let us take today to realise that all religions have at least one common commandment: “Thou shalt not disfigure the soul.” This is a powerful and empowering statement and it gives me hope and comfort when I ponder upon it: it reminds me that we are all in the same boat as collective Humanity; allowing me to feel and behave as an equal with my fellows; with compassion and understanding regardless of which books we read and study in our search for freedom. I believe that we can all meet with the common belief that there exists a Divine Essence in the universe without having to kill, crush and destroy each other trying to prove the supremacy of our personal thoughts to others.

This next one is a blatant paraphrase from the Liturgical Manual and Commentaries of the Orange Catholic Bible: People, finding no answers to the ten thousand religious questions now apply their own reasoning: All men seek to be enlightened. Religion is but the most ancient and honourable way in which men have striven to make sense out of God’s universe. Scientists seek the lawfulness of events. It is the task of religion to fit man into this lawfulness.

Another paraphrase that follows nicely: Much that is called religion has carried an unconscious attitude of hostility towards life. True religion must teach that life is filled with joys pleasing to the eye of God, that knowledge without action is empty. All men must see that the teaching of religions by rules and rote is largely a hoax. The proper teaching is recognised with ease. You can know it without fail because it awakens within you that sensation which tells you this is something you’ve always known.

I dedicate this quote from Bomoko’s Legacy to those of us that feel that our problems will be taken away by somebody else: “You who have defeated us say to yourselves that Babylon is fallen and its works have been overturned. I say to you still that man remains on trial, each man in his own dock. Each man is a little war.”

I find this quote from the O.C. Bible enlightening when I neurotically rationalise and justify my bad behaviour: “Any sin can be ascribed, at least in part, to a natural bad tendency that is an extenuating circumstance acceptable to God.”

And finally, to end on a note that reminds us to be mindful of that little voice in our heads which often gets us into plenty of trouble (22 Kalima): “Whether a thought is spoken or not, it is a real thing and has powers of reality.”

…”Would you like fries with that!!” 😉

Everything Handmade in Belize.