How I went to Santa Cruz to look for a house and ended up acquiring a dog too.

Well, we actually found the dog first.

We have stayed at the same hotel, Casa de Campo, every time we've visited Santa Cruz. The owners have been fantastic, the rooms are amazingly comfortable, and the breakfast is incredible. We've actually taken to calling the place "home" and have considered how much it would cost if we rented out a room for oh, maybe a year or so.

I digress.

On Friday when we arrived at the hotel, a very skinny black dog came right up to me and placed her head on my stomach so she was looking vertically up at my face as we were both standing. She was very cute. Then she started "hugging" me. You know wrapping her legs around me, but very gentle. Very sweet.

Boyfriend asked the hotel owner who the dog belonged to. He said "to you." We looked at each other, shrugged our heads and said ok, as long as he could care for her until August when we move. He said it wouldn't be a problem.

There is no way to know if the dog will actually be there and/or alive by the time we arrive in August, but if she is, she is totally ours.

So, we went to Santa Cruz to find a house and we found a dog first. Isn't she cute though? I named her Bella.



Ok, in this picture she looks a little scraggly. We have some fattening up and cleaning to do.



Brace yourself. This story has an even happier ending.

We also found a house!!! We would have preferred something more in the country with a little more land and maybe a little more space, but this house is going to be a fantastic place to live. It's in a very cute neighborhood only a few blocks from the center of Santa Cruz. It has a small yard, a parking area, access to Internet, and parquet wood floors! It has a great location for me to teach from as well and a room that I can use as a classroom. The owners are an old couple who are incredibly nice and seemed very happy to have us as renters.

Exhibit A:

Nice old lady: Do you like the house?
Allie: Yes, I like it very much.
Nice old lady: Ohhh! We like you too!!! (said as she squeezed Allie's arm with a big smile on her face)

(This dialog was then repeated about 2 minutes later)

Having chickens there might be a challenge, especially considering that we now have a dog and already had two cats, but if we are creative we may be able to work something out. If not, my long time dream of having a few chickens of my own will have to wait. At least I have a dog!



Besitos,
Allie

When the weather outside is frightful...

What do you do?

That's right. You light a fire in your fantastic wood burning stove and make some soup (and maybe some muffins, a few fruit tarts and a curry too.)

Boyfriend's house has a fantastic wood burning stove which I am infinitely grateful for.

Yesterday I got down to the soup making and had a fantastic result. I tried to take a picture but the camera I have just isn't capable of capturing the soup's true loveliness. New camera, I should work on that...

I decided to post this recipe for three reasons. Primarily, I just made it up and I don't want to forget it. I'm kind of tossing around the idea of writing a cookbook someday, but more on that later. Secondly, cubes of polenta floating around in creamy, spicy soup has proved to be such a fantastic idea that I felt compelled to share it with the world, especially the people I love. And lastly, I've been following the "How Low Can You Go" Family Supper Challenge on NPR in which listeners and chefs are encouraged to share tasty and satisfying recipes that could be made for under $10 and feed a family of four. Well, I think this soup, paired with salad, fits quite nicely into those parameters. I'd submit it, but I don't think they would chose me, as they just featured a recipe from a gringa living in Chile last week.

Creamy Curry Carrot and Polenta Soup

Polenta
2 cups water
1/2 vegetable stock cube
1/2 cup polenta
lots of fresh ground pepper

Soup
1 onion
a splash of white wine (or water, or oil)
3-4 cloves garlic
about 2 cups chopped carrots
1 corsely chopped tomato
1 vegetable stock cube
water to cover
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cardamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste


Polenta:
Boil the water. Mix in the stock cube. Pour the polenta into the boiling water in a thin stream while constantly stirring the mixture with a wisk. Turn down the heat and cook for 5-10 minutes, stiring with a wisk very often. Pour polenta into a baking dish. Use a spoon to spread it into a thin layer. Set aside to set. (Hint 1: Clean the pot and whisk imediately. Polenta is very easy to clean off when hot and soft but when allowed to completely dry it becomes a crusty material that can be very difficult to remove. Hint 2: Make a double batch of polenta and save it to use in other tastey dishes! There are a million things you can do with leftover polenta. If you want ideas, just ask.)

Soup:
Saute the onions in a splash of white wine (or water, or oil) until soft. Add spices, carrots, and tomato. Simmer until the carrots are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Taste the broth and add salt, pepper, or additional spices as needed. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked vegetables into a blender. Add one cup of whole milk and blend until smooth. Pour the blended mixture back into the pot with the broth. Reheat over low heat for a few minutes and taste. Add more seasonings as needed.

To serve, cut polenta into cubes and divide amoung four large soup bowls. Top polenta with spoonfuls of warm creamy soup. Sit by the fire and enjoy with people you love.


I also recently made a Tart Tatin for a little lunch date with friends. Isn't it pretty? This dessert seems to make people very happy, so I like making it. I was just barely able to take some decent photos.



Besos,
Allie