Kitchen Ranch

Granada, Nicaragua

For people living in Costa Rica without residency, border runs are necessary every three months.  I have met many people that have been living this way for years.   In theory, one must remain out of Costa Rica for 72 hours, but this is rarely the case.  In fact, it is not uncommon to walk into Nicaragua, enjoy a cup of coffee, and return to Costa Rica.  

Honestly, I was dreading the border run.  I have always wanted to explore Nicaragua but I imagined the circumstances were going to be different.  We chose to visit Granada which turned out to be a lovely destination.  What a charming city!   

I felt as though everywhere I turned I saw beauty! 

And color!

  

Robert had his first Coke ever (in Nicaragua, the Coke is made with real cane syrup unlike stateside where the Cokes are made with high fructose corn syrup crap).

This sums up how not fun it is to actually cross the border.  See you in three months Nicaragua!

We are Coming to Visit you Nicaragua

We recently explored the Reserva Biologica near to our house.  It was splendid to say the least.  What a find!

The entrance is kept by the Lagarta Lodge (above) which is a lovely place to retreat after a jungle hike for a cold beverage.

At this time, we must exit Costa Rica every three months and get our passports stamped.  I cannot believe three months have flown by since we arrived.  So, we are off to explore the city of Granada in Nicaragua.

Have a perfect weekend! 

Spring Break

It is spring break around here which means all the kids are at home and looking for action.  

Pie Making.

Dinner eating.

Yogurt making.

Art making.

Beach going.

 

Vanilla Cupcakes with Nutella

 

On Easter, I thought I would bust out some fancy cupcakes to accompany brunch. Since everyone is a fan of Nutella, I thought vanilla cupcakes with nutella would be a hit.  And, they were (no surprise).

I used Martha Stewart's vanilla cupcake recipe which makes 12 cupcakes.  I then dropped a dollop of nutella onto the cupcake and with a toothpick, I swirled the nutella.  

Once baked, the swirl sunk.  I had to top the cupcakes with another dollop (which was fine).  

The cupcakes did not last long.

On a side note, I found a use for the handful of pie dough I always have left over after I make a couple pies.  Does this happen to anyone else???  It is enough dough to feel guilty about throwing out but not enough dough for another pie.  So..... I made these mini pop tarts the next morning and they were delicious.  I sprinkled cinamon and sugar in between the layers.  

Happy Spring and chocolate goodness! 

Slowly Slowly

That above is a photo of all my lunch and breakfast dishes stacked up and waiting to be washed.  The dishes are waiting because the water is off again.

I have been expressing so much joy about living here in Costa Rica and I thought in all fairness that I should post about some of the day-to-day realities that offer up immense inconveniences:  

• The water goes on and off at random times
• The electricity goes on and off at random times
• The ATM runs out of money (all the time)
• The post office might or might not be open
• A trip to the bank will possibly take you a very long time (the good news is, the bank always has fresh coffee available)
• The roads are unpaved and "bumpy" feels like an understatement

There is nothing wrong with moving slowly now and again.  The real question is, can I live without meyer lemons?