Pinwheel Block

I've started doing a Block of the Month at a fairly local quilt shop. It sounds really cool - the first kit cost $5 and included the fabric and directions to make the Pinwheel Block above. When the next month rolls around we bring our completed block in and receive the next kit for free! In theory I can complete an entire quilt top for only $5. And even the penalty isn't bad - if a block isn't completed in time or if I can't make it to the quilt shop on the designated day they only charge $5 for that block. Overall it will be a scrappy sampler quilt all in the '30's repro fabrics and I really like it.

I now have kit #2 in my hands and 4 weeks to complete it. And if I get enough other things done in this month I'm going to splurge on some fabric for a little project for B. Sometimes it can be dangerous walking into a wonderful quilt shop because there are so many temptations!

On the way to the quilt shop we stopped to get some lunch to go. We've started picking up copies of Texas Highways magazine and are having such a grand time finding out of the way places. We absolutely love the mom and pop type restaurants or quirky places. This magazine has a feature where people can write in and recommend restaurants throughout the state. The most recent issue a woman wrote about Big Fatty's Spankin' Shack in Valley View, Texas as having the best barbecue briskit sandwich she'd ever eaten. Who could resist such words? Especially when it turns out that it's just maybe 2 miles off the interstate.

We had a ball in here! It's a small place and the people working are so mellow and laid back. In addition to the briskit we also got some potato salad (which turned out to be more like creamy mashed potatoes with onions and peppers in it - absolutely fabulous!) and some "crazy stoopid corn" (which was very similar to a corn chowder). The briskit was wonderful and we will definitely return.

Wherever you live, find out if there is a similar magazine for your state. We're starting to fill up our tentative vacation plans with things all around. I'm going to start cutting out restaurant recommendations and travel destinations and putting them in a notebook so that we can pull it out on a weekend where we have no plans. Kind of like a spur of the moment mini vacation! And seriously - we would never have found this place without seeing it in the magazine. As it turns out, it's not that far away and we'll enjoy returning.

Good times.....

Costa Rica Food

I am still missing the food from Costa Rica! One of the supervisors brought in some Manzana de agua for us to try one day. The best translation they could come up with was water apple and they are the red fruits in the picture. It was a crisp fruit and reminded me more of a pear than an apple. The picture was taken in the market and I swear most of the fruit there was new to me. I would love to have tried it all!

One of the days for lunch they took us to a nearby shopping mall to eat in the food court. I wasn't excited about eating at Subway, Quizno's McD, etc. and asked which place might have more traditional Costa Rican foods and they led me to a restaurant that I can't remember the name. This plate is what I ended up with, along with a Pepsi Light. I can't remember what any of these dishes are called, but it was all so delicious.

Two of the CR managers got a combo #1 from Taco Bell and while the grilled stuffed burrito was just like home, the side order of nachos was not. They serve the meat, cheese, sour cream, etc. on top of french fries (and yes I did get some later in the week and can confirm that it was wonderful!!!). Even with eating one fast food meal I still managed to lose weight last week because of all the walking and the predominance of fresh fruits, veggies and seafood.

Oh and every breakfast we had gallo pinto (essentially black beans, rice and cilantro) with our eggs and coffee. They serve it with sour cream and tortillas and I've been craving it enough that I finally have some recipes printed to try it on my own. I grew up eating pinto beans and rice, but really I think I like the black beans better. And a nice benefit of gallo pinto in the mornings is that I stayed full until lunchtime. I loved the gallo pinto so much that when we were at the airport on the morning of our departure we had breakfast in the food court there. I chose Burger King purely because they had a BK Pinto on the menu - gallo pinto, sour cream and corn tortillas - for only $3.00. My last chance to eat it in Costa Rica and I wasn't about to let it slip away! :)

The Costa Rica Experience

Finally getting some Costa Rica pictures posted!

This first picture is the view looking out the front door of our office. San Jose is in Central Valley and there were mountains everywhere we looked. Unfortunately I was not able to take advantage of the tours to the volcanoes, rain forests or beaches this trip, so maybe next time.

One of the days during lunch the facility manager took us downtown for lunch and to walk around. This picture was taken inside the market where there were booths selling every sort of food - meats, produce and grains. It was really magnificent and one interesting thing to me was that I was unable to identify a large percentage of the fruits! I thoroughly enjoyed trying the different tropical fruits though and will miss them now that I'm back home.

The crowded streets of downtown. Unreal to me just how many people were walking. Between the fresh fruits and vegetables and all the walking they surely must be a healthy country!

It was during our walking that we went into a VERY small shop that sold baby clothes. I bought three items for Miss Brooklyn there and enjoyed it immenselly!

We visited this church, built in the 1700's. It was beautiful and so serene inside.

Honestly - I'm not sure that I would call the trip "fun" since we were not in the touristy or more natural areas. But it was a very interesting trip and I'm glad I went.