Togui Food

When we were at the farm, we enjoyed all kinds of local delicacies.

These are rooty-sweet potatoey-ish things you eat with honey.

All the cooking was done in a little room off the back of the house over fire.  Andy made pancakes.

Fresh coffee spread out in the sunshine to dry.

Giant mango/mint salad.

We learned that each of the small towns have their own shape/recipe for bread.  

This bread represents Togui.

We had an official lesson on making arepas.

Grilled arepas with hot chocolate.

Yucca soup with cilantro for breakfast.

Bocadillo, or guava paste is a special treat from this region.  Yum.

The sweet guava treat is best when paired with this local, salty cheese that is traditionally wrapped in banana leaves.

Panela (see next post) is mixed with coconut and formed on these little sticks for a sweet, local candy.

Grilled steak and yucca is best when paired with these incredibly hot chilis and salt.

Extremely strong coffee with sour limes and panela (strange, I know, but fabulously delicious).

The kids went to harvest all the yucca we needed for the weekend in the rain.

Even the baby kitty got to try a pancake (new to her and the Colombian friends at the farm).

Togui, Boyaca

A weekend trip away from the city was the perfect invitation for us to enjoy the quietness and fresh air of our favorite place in Colombia:  Boyaca.  Words cannot describe how grateful we were to get away, relax, and connect with these dear, generous friends, so I will just share pictures.

Stopping by to see a historic church on the way (very common).

New found friends/pets.

Hiking and riding horses.

A gorgeous waterfall and romp in the cool river.

Beautiful, old hacienda.

The contemplation rock.

The church in small town Togui.

La familia Pinzon.

Wild orchids growing out of tree trunks.

The view from the front porch.

Truly relaxed.

Young Bostonian Entrepreneurs

This Spring has been very busy with big school projects.  One of these was for a class that Lydia and Andy are taking called "Young Bostonian Entrepreneurs."  They had to research, propose, and develop an original business plan.  There were MANY assignments related to this project, including proposals, brochures, sample products, costs analysis/projection, and all of this had to be done in groups.

Then, the school hosted a fair in order for people to come check out the new businesses, and buy their products.

Lydia chose to bake bread.  Her group was incredibly difficult to work with, and included THAT GIRL, who made our life miserable for awhile.  But, Lydia persevered, figured out a lot about business, and even more about group dynamics and relationships.  They did NOT make the most money in the fair, but I was informed that they had the most compliments.  Specifically, Lydia's Lemon Poppyseed bread and her Whole Wheat Pilgrim Rolls (which she learned how to make with Elizabeth).

Andy was in a group that wanted to make something.  It was less labor intensive, because they contracted out some of their work.  The fluffy purses made from dyed bunny fur were a hit with the second graders, and they sold immediately.  Andy chose to paint boxes instead of sew bunny purses.

He had great fun using the "cash register."

While in the midst of this project, I wondered if all of this work was worth it.  Hours and hours of homework was assigned.  But, when I attended the fair and saw the happiness and enthusiasm in all of the students, I was grateful.  I know that my own children learned a lot about starting a new business, and they will remember this experience if they are ever doing it in "the real world."  All together, the school earned more than $4000 in this event.  Of course, the students had to pay for any employment (including parent help), materials, and all other expenses.  But still, I was impressed.

Abby turns 8, I mean, 9

Abby always has to wait the longest for her birthday to come.  Waiting through four other birthdays gives her plenty of time to plan for a party, or four or five.  Being a planner by nature, she comes up with a variety of fun, and some extravagant ideas.  We settled on hosting a spa for her three friends from school, who have been together as the only girls in their class of 12 children for the last three years.

We started with Yoga in the Park, led by big sister Lydia and her assistant, Andy.

I am not sure, but I think there is much more physical affection shared between these friends than what we might see in the US.  When they are together, they are always touching...holding hands, hugging, cuddling together watching a movie.  I need to remember that Abby will miss this.

Tres Leches Cake with carved white chocolate.

Matching plates and napkins (specifically requested).

Manicures and pedicures.

Massages by our friend Vilma.

Chocolate Facial Masks with Strawberry Sugar Scrubs (made and administered by Lydia).

love.

light.

And now she is eight nine.  I completely forgot, or I was in denial.  The birthday fairy left eight balloons.  I put eight candles on the cake.  I kept saying she was eight.  I think maybe I want her to stay eight.  I was very quickly corrected.

I read recently about the change that happens between eight and nine.  More independent.  More self-conscious.   More judgmental of herself and others.  Looking for fairness.  Making sense of the world. Asking a lot of questions.  Spending more time with internal thinking.  Connection.

This is all happening.  

Abby has always been really sweet, super funny, and kind.  She is (like many thirds) easy-going, and non--demanding.  This year we also learned that she is very generous.

My parents sent each of my children some money for their birthdays.  They don't normally like to do that, but they did it so that each of my kids could buy something to remind them of Colombia.  Abby was happy to open her card from them.  I asked her what she wanted to buy to remember from Colombia.  She thought for a long time, and then told me that she wanted to buy presents for all of her Colombian friends, wrap them, and ask them to save them for their birthdays, all of which she will miss next year.  She said that those friends were her presents from Colombia.

Oh dear Abby, we have so much to learn from you.  Thank you for your generous and loving spirit, and for all of the laughter you have brought into this household.

We love you very much.