homesteading it's our dream, it's our future.

We have been in Xela (a big city for Guaemala) for a year and a half now and we've been in the house we're in for a year. We've been pining for dirt, trees and open air; in other words, el campo!

We move in 10 days to just that, the country, just outside of San Juan del Obispo, Sacatepequez!

We think we have an acre to farm (homestead) and a house with a big chicken run and a separate building that will make two nice stalls. We have big plans for this place and our new lifestyle and we are busy putting them into action. We procured an arsenal of non-gmo seeds including:

egyptian kamut wheat

amaranth oppeopo

quinoa

corns

beans beans beans

peas

tomatoes galoure

gourds

melons & watermelons

squash (summer & winter)

cucumbers

eggplant

carrots

onions

peppers

rapini

broccoli

romanesco

herbs

sunflowers

highbush blueberries

black currants

peanuts

cauliflower

collards

kale

mustard greens

Our goal with the homesteading is to become food independent! I feel like that should be capitalized, it's so important and special to me! Food independence goes hand in hand with having a whole-diet farm and that's what we are aiming for. It's not going to happen over night but, we'll work as hard as we can towards our goal.

For meat & eggs we are going to have:

Chickens

Turkeys

Ducks

Guinea Hens

Rabbits

For milk, butter & cheese we are going to have:

GOATS!

The property has an avocado tree, it's young but, it's already producing. There's also a 2 year old cinnamon tree! How cool is that? We really just can't sit still we are so excited!

We are going to garden using Intensive Gardening methods to maximize our space and work with the earth....can't wait to have a Three Sisters Garden!

flowerheads

Not everysingle time but, a lot of the times I buy flowers and arrange them I am left with the odd flower heads that fell off or can't be used in the arrangement for some reason or another. I can never bring myself to toss the beauties out with the stems and scrappy leaves! The last batch I floated the flowerheads in bowls of water. Floating flowers are so enjoyable to have around. Win win. I've also strung flowerheads and used them for some tipico photos in the background.

frijoles frescos!

                               
I haven't figured out exactly what type of beans these are but, I sure am enjoying them! They are gorgeous and so much fun to work with. We've started drying and collecting our favouritest ones. My boyfriend said the sweetest thing; he says, "One day we won't live in Guatemala and have access to these beans and you'll be so happy to have a dried little collection of them.", darn tootin' sweet boyfriend!

Growing up in the South in a truly 'Southern' family, I was always around bushels of fresh beans and peas. I loved sitting around the backyard in the shade tree shelling them with  my Granny and aunts. We usually 'put them up' (canned) and I am sure I ate plenty of fresh peas and beans but, I don't recall any kind of fresh beans like these at all.

Beans have to be one of my fondest foods. They are beyond healthful and combining them with grains such as rice offers such a complete meal. I recently made sure we ate beans and grains everyday for 2 weeks just to see if we'd feel different and we absolutely did! We noticed that overall we felt way more satisfied in the hungry & craving departments. I'm just going to colour us lucky that we love beans so much!!

i dreamt about pyrex.

These are my absolute dream pyrex dishes!!! They are rather extraordinary, don't you think?? The colours are delicious and the pattern just blows me away! I've tracked down a few pieces online but, they are in far away countries with the most ridiculous shipping costs....looks like they are going to have to remain a dream for a little while longer. Best thing about them is: they go with the mixed up set of dishes that I am currently putting together so, when I do find a piece or two, they'll fit right in. If you happen to have some of these that you are willing to part with, please do be in touch with me.

putting together a daily dishware set of pyrex.

My family (grandmothers, many aunts, countless cousins, my mother and now brother) adores dishes from across the ages. My mom and brother are in the midst of a pyrex frenzy and I've caught the bug. I won't be 'collecting' per se but, am in the process of assembling a daily set of mixed and matched white and turquoise pyrex. My darling brother has started for me! He is a lucky duck living near a bunch of dope thrift stores in Pasco County, Florida. You can see his finds and part of my mom's collection on my brother, Stephen's flickr: PyrexScout. He's a total dream pie for gathering pyrex pieces for me. He's scored 6 plates (white with a thin turquoise ring around outter edge) and 2 oval platters (white with a sweet turquoise band around edge with white leaves and pretty detail) for me. Here they are:



I like the idea of being open to mixing and matching. Maybe I'll just keep it to different pyrex as long as its basically white with colour detailing. So after browsing all the lucious pyrex on etsy, I've made up my mind. I am going to mix up white & turquoise/aqua, brown & white AND red pyrex pieces!!!

Here are some pieces that I think might go together nicely for my set:

To go with the ovals plates above.

These ramekins are listed for a song on etsy! & will be adorable with pyrex's woodland pattern!

Aren't these square bowls the bomb?!

Woodland mixing bowls-2 of them as a set.

Love red & turquoise together...these fridge dishes are so useful!

These can be used for a zillion different things.

These plates just to mix in more red.

I can't wait to have a decent looking set of dishes. For being a dish-head, I've survived a year without my beloved Fiesta Ware (at my Mom's house, safe and sound) and have used the motliest crew of lame dishes. Well those days are numbered and I couldn't be happier!!!!!!!

Coffee? Tea? Yes, Please.

The offical proof is here! Caffeine is good for you in a plethora of ways. Just look at the photographic proof here of Denise and we'll get to it after this wonderful visual reference. Thanks a mill, Denise!!!!

As Denise shows us the effects of ones morning coffee we can see it sparks her right up and preps her for yet another lovely day. Caffeine is a natural stimulant, most commonly found in coffee, tea, cocoa and kola, that when consumed in reasonable amounts has a positive effect on us humans.

Energy & Stamina
Caffeine is probably used mostly for increasing energy and stamping out drowsy lethargy. It helps us burn more calories when exercising and enables us to exercise even longer. Win win if you ask me.
Mood & Mental Health
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system giving us feelings of alterness, well-being and encourages concentration. It has been said by many psychiatrists that caffeine is a mood elevator; plain as day.
Heart Health & Disease/Ailment Protection
Coffee (not kola) is loaded with anti-oxidants which help in the prevention of heart disease.

 

GET THIS! Regular coffee drinkers are "significantly" less likely to develop Parkinson's disease. Regular moderate intake of Caffeine has been shown to decrease the loss of dopamine producing brain cells. It's the loss of those brain cells that causes Parkinson's disease. Coffee specifically has also been proven to lower the risk of cirrhosis of the liver, colon cancer and gallstones. Caffeine can also help relieve headaches.

 

As little as 20 mgs of caffeine can cause noticeable physical & mood changes.

Here's a rough-guide showing caffeine content:

An average cup of tea contains around 50 mgs of caffeine. 

An average cup of instant coffee contains around 70-100 mgs. Instant decaffeinated coffee contains about 3 mgs.

A 6 oz cup of espresso coffee (much larger than the normal cafe cup, incidentally) contains about 80-90 mgs.

A single-hit cappuccino will contain the same amount.

Filter coffee (called 'drip' in the US) can contain 25-50% more caffeine than instant.

A 340 ml or 12 oz can of regular or diet cola contains between 35 and 45 mgs. of caffeine depending on the brand  

Some so-called 'energy drinks' contain very high doses of caffeine - equivalent to to 4+ cups of strong coffee in one dose!

One ounce or 28 grams of chocolate contains about 10-15 mgs .

 

I've been drinking coffee off and on for more than a couple of decades now and keeping up with a lot of the studies regularly done on caffeine...and I have to say that caffeine intake like everything else is all based upon the individual but, all in all, I really think that 1-2 cups of coffee or tea a day is rather healthful. 

guinea pig fever!

                    

Earlier this year I got my 1st guinea pig, Esme. I'd been pining for one ever since we saw some in Antigua the first month we moved to Guatemala. They had them at my favourite little pet supply shop there with a sign calling them Raton de India! That really cracked me up and was the ultimate kickstart to my love for guinea pigs. Now, I mostly refer to them by their Spanish name: cuyos.

Enid & Esme hiding out on their 1st day in their new home.

Upon bringing Esme home I started reading all about cuyos online. Maybe that's the reverse order that I was supposed to do those two things but, that's how it happened. Pretty soon into my reading I found out that they aren't meant to live alone. In Sweden, by law you have to buy two at a time. So of course there I was back at the market that day to get another one.  I chose another girl from the another bunch of pups that were a few weeks older. I was happy to have 2 sweet as pie girl guinea pigs!

                                   

                                         Esme & Enid. Their 2nd day together.

It didn't take very long for me to realize that Enid was not a girl but, a BOY! This discovery was much to my delight as I secretly wanted to have a cuyo family. I couldn't be happier to have gotten a boy & a girl. <3.

Grown up Enid. A very handsome Papa cuyo!

 In a couple of months Esme was with child, ok, pup. Her pregnancy suited her just fine, she became serene and sweeter than ever. She got huge, I charted her pregnancy on the calendar and she was overdue by 2-3 weeks. She was so big and I just couldn't imagine how many pups she was going to have. Online sources say that the average littler is 5-7 pups! But, alas on June 26th she delivered! Another surprise!! She only have one, not so small, pup. She had him all by herself on a bed of dried corn husks in a house fashioned out of a tipico basket (handles cut off, turned upside down, a little arched door-way cut out and then sunk in the dirt a couple of inches). It was the most dear and darling event to happen in our little backyard courtyard.

 1st litter. One pup. Pup-e. 'Baby' 1 day old.

While Esme was in her final month of her pregnancy we separated her from Enid. They were only separated by a chicken wire divide so that they could still keep each other company. Esme could have cared less but, Enid was a little bummed. In the natural Guinea Pig world the females surround the birthing mother and don't let any males near her for a while after she gives birth. Male pigs want to mate the minute the female pig has given birth and it's very unhealthy for the lady pig's body to get pregnant again that fast.

Esme & her 1st pup, Baby, nursing. So sweet.

Baby & Esme munching on some greens.

As soon as it was safe for Esme to be back with Enid we allowed the little family to be together. It was fun and interesting to watch them mingle. Baby hangs with his mom sometimes and with his dad other times.
We knew that it was only a matter of time before Esme & Enid would get some buns in the oven. And we decided to let this happen in high hopes for a little girl cuyo so we could split them up into two groups. Esme is such a docile darling mama pig. Her 2nd pregnancy was shorter and she was larger by a mile. I knew that she had more than one pup in her belly this time. She gave birth in a rainstorm early on the morning of September 18th to 3 little pups; 2 boys and 1 girl on a bed of shredded carrots.

 2nd litter. 3 pups. The only girl, she's the smallest.

Rosebud, the little girl.

Esme & her one-day old 2nd litter of 3 pups. One is hidden under her.

Cuyo pups are cool. They are born with all their hair, whiskers, teeth and nails. They can eat solid food from the start and can run the first day they are alive! And if you've never had the pleasure of being friends with a guinea pig you are missing out on some of the coolest animal noises ever! They whistle and squeak and eek...it's too cute! We now have 6 pigs whistling at us! Yay!

oat milk.

Finally I will no longer be dependent on buying processed Soy Milk*. I mean, I've felt lucky enough as is, just being able to find organic soy milk here! I can't believe I've waited this long to try making my own non-dairy milk.
So, naturally, ever since I decided that I wanted to make my own milk I've been reading every recipe I can find on it. I've considered making rice milk and soy milk but, then I found the simplest recipe ever for oat milk. Oat milk! I hadn't even thought of it! Sounds good, right? I made it and it's delicious!!! We are enjoying it in our tea and coffee and with granola cereal.

Here's what you do:

soak 1 cup of rolled oats in 5 cups of water for 24 hours

blend & strain

>>Shake well before each use<<

THAT'S IT!!! Oh, and keep it in the fridge.

On top of oat milk being easy to make and tasting great...it's on the cheap, big time. What would have cost me over $2 in purchased soy milk, I spent about 25 cents making my own oat milk = happy me.

*We buy very few processed/packaged items here in Guatemala and we love it. The two main things that we are dependent upon that are not only packaged but, are processed and imported to add insult to injury are: olive oil and soy  milk.

It's so nice to eliminate at least one of those. I don't see us not buying or using olive oil any time soon. At least not until I own that olive grove of my dreams! Do they have olive groves in Spain? South America any where?

backgammon

Backgammon is a game I played as a kid and then didn't play for many many moons until this year. My mom gave me an adorable travel set earlier this year that she totally scored on at her local Flea Market, Howard's* for 2 bucks! I can't even begin to say how far that $2 has gone and is going. We play almost everyday and it's so much fun! We one day aspire to figure out and use the doubling cube. Haha!

This game lives on our kitchen table. We play almost everyday. It's so much fun because we are even-steven on skill level and that makes it all a matter of 'luck of the dice'!!

*Howard's Flea Market in Homosassa, Florida is where Mike is from. He was all by himself and that is one of the most precious days of my lives; finding that little guy. What a firey little blessing he is. Talk about a flea market find!

flowers all the time.

I've finally gotten into the habit of always having fresh flowers in the house. And I've gotten so good with it, I usually have them in more than one room. My favourite places are in the kitchen/eating area and in our main hang-out room that just happens to have a really nice skylight.

Besides it's a blast looking at all the random flowers for sale in the markets. I've gotten such a range so far and there's always a bunch of flowers that I haven't seen before. I love having so much new information in the way of plants, flowers, trees, fruits and vegetables here.

It helps that my darling boyfriend brings home flowers from the market ever-so-often. And lately I've been snipping wild poppies on our walks which has been so nice! I'll def be doing that regularly.

What I am trying to say is that regularly having fresh flowers around the home makes a world of difference!!

mini succulent rock garden

I've been collecting little snippets of succulents here and there throughout Guatemala and planted the cutest little succulent garden from them. This is such a great outlet for snipping really small little tid bits off plants. It is really hard for me to pass up a fine looking succulent and not pinch a lil nub to take home. 

A few months back I did a fun package exchange with a pal in Tampa and I got a nice little bunch of crystals-rocks-gems. Housing them in my little succulent garden that basks in the moonlight and lulls in the sunshine has them super posi charged! I use them to enhance my special powers when needed by plucking the right one and lovingly carrying it around in my pocket. If I could I'd be teeny tiny & hang out in this lil succulent rock garden, I would lounge around in there all the time.

fresh herbs....nothing like em.

There are so very many things that are fresh and amazing about Guatemala; fresh herbs being one of them!

Mind you it's really hard to find fresh Basil and that's a bummer but, this bunch of fresh Cilantro is what you get for Q1 (which is about 1/7 of a dollar). ...you can not beat that!

Fresh herbs are so healthful to eat and now I can easily eat them up with every meal! It's a good thing as you know who would say. Oh! And they are grown organically......sweet!

lovey plants from the market

I ran into these little dears for sale by an even more enchantingly dear lady from Chajul. She dug these plants up out of her garden, nestled them in a leaf secured with another plant fiber and brought them all the way to Xela. I of course could not resist purchasing one of each from her. The grassy plant I'm told will have beautifuly scented white flowers! And I'm a total sucker for succulents. I have to say I love love love the packaging. The cheese I buy at the market comes wrapped in leaves as do a few other things, I think it's rad!


Here's a map (below) showing where Chajul is in realtion to Xela (Quetzaltenango). It's a hellva chicken bus ride, a beautiful one no doubt but, it's a haul! Bless her dear darling heart.

I've never been in love with a peoples or place like I am with the lands and folks in Guatemala...I have immense love for Mayans of their ways and attitudes of life...it's a beautiful thing.

darling little glass bottles.

I just adore these little glass bottles I found at the market today. I was really happy to stumble on a whole pile of them; it's the only reason I was able to walk away with just five. Rather often I find myself in need of a small brown glass container for a potion or tincture or something I either want to split up to carry a small amount of or something I am making from scratch. They are perfect for traveling & I'll find endless uses for them around the house. Best of all, they are only Q1 a piece!! I'm getting bigger ones next time....like tomorrow.

pickling peppers

One of the things I miss the absolute most of my home country is simple pepper sauces and Louisiana style hot sauces. I have, after a year, decided to try my hand at making my own. I started with the simple one first. After buying 3 types of varying heated peppers at the market, I consulted my Southern Momma and she gave me the simplest of instructions:
wash peppers
put in jar
boil vinegar
add a little sugar
pour over peppers & cover in jar
put on lid
let sit for 2 weeks & enjoy!!

I can't wait two weeks!!! Wahhhh! They look delicious!

**UPDATE**

The pepper sauce tastes good at 1 week, tastes a million times better after 2 weeks and tastes freaking glorious after 3+ weeks! Tastes exactly like my grandmothers! Woohoo!

Decade Volcano

View from our 'living room'. I look at Volcan Santa Maria first thing out of bed almost every morning. I've dreamt of volcanoes before I knew what they were, before I could speak. The hardest fight I've ever had to fight, I fought with an amazing view of Mt. St. Helen's and I know for a fact she gave me the strength I needed. What I am trying to say is that I am strongly attracted to Volcanoes.

After moving to Xela and getting settled in our house with a nice view of Volcan Santa Maria and looking reading about her, I discovered she is a Decade Volcano. And interestingly enough, my total bff lives near one too! I have already developed a relationship with Santa Maria who is currently active and has been for most of 2010. I love her.

Resurfacing in a whole new place.

A lot has changed since my last post except, funny enough, I am still ovenless and happy!(Sounds like a future post to me.) The biggest change is my recent move to Guatemala. I have always wanted to live in another culture. I have been thinking one of the best things about getting older is actually having my dreams come to fruition.

we live in the white house.
after walking the streets of xela for a week looking for a place to live, we moved into another hostel in a different part of town. as we were on the roof of the hostel checking out the view and most certainly spying for a house to rent we set our sights on the white house, after finding it (everything here is behind walls, it's a land of walls and big strong doors-again, a future post) from the street, we found out it was empty, for rent and in our budget. it's home for now.

*another change worth noting is the name of this blog. 'happy in the humidity' was left behind in florida, i was very tempted to go wtih 'happy in the highlands' but, instead decided to stick with a very favourite theme sentence of mine. time is for the birds

ovenless/stoveless and happy!

Moving into the warehouse spurred us to come up with our very own kitchen. I don't have a stove and didn't choose to have one. My kitchen consists of a large stainless steel sink that drains into a bucket (we water our garden with the water), an electric kettle, an electric wok, an electric grill and a crock pot. This was mostly the set up that just happened and we are super content and happy with it. The wok especially! The funny thing is thinking about standing in the thrift store and inspecting these kitchen 'appliances' and really asking ourselves if we should splurge the six bucks for a wok or a grill. We just love both of them. Every night we steam greens in the wok and almost every day we make our tortillas on the grill. Perfecto!

I rinse our veggies outside and let the water run directly into our garden.

It is so nice to do kitchen tasks outside!

Mike is a fantastic helper!

Huge leaves of Mong Toi.

Lovin' it!