Smiling in Cuenca

Parque Calderon, looking at Nuevo Catedral in Cuenca

Today I find myself smiling a lot.  It is a pretty normal day but I find myself feeling joy at every turn.  For one thing, I am finally feeling like myself again with good energy and interest in projects. Whatever that flu bug was, it was a sneaky one.

Today began when a friend came over to fix a couple of household things we did not know how to repair.  Len and I are in the bottom 1/3 of people in the world who are seriously "repair challenged". So it was great of this friend to take his time to do a few things for us.  While Bill worked on "the list" we had some nice conversations going.

I decided to wash the curtains in the living room while we had the curtain rod down being repaired.  I washed them in the kitchen sink because I feared the washer might tear them up.  We rented this place furnished.  I know the curtains are only about 2 yrs old, yet the water was dark brown from all the - well whatever it is.

The buses here are diesel and pour out a ton of black smoke.  Although no buses travel on our street, the air must have a lot of pollution. Come on, Cuenca! Get this changed to keep your gorgeous, magical city looking that way.

But some of the joy is that the city IS magical. The weather would not  be ideal for some - it rains way more than I expected and there is nothing balmy about most evenings here. Yet there is a fresh  crisp feel to the morning air each day.  The Rio Yanuncay tumbles by, carrying off the rain that came overnight. It is fun to see each day how high it is running.

Today we went for almuerzo (lunch) in the heart of the historic district. Nectar is an organic vegetarian restaurant that uses only...well, nectar...to sweeten things.  Lunch was great but what made it interesting was that there were several people we know at other tables.  The owners of Nectar are Yanni and Tania, a charming couple who work very hard to assure that this restaurant is successful.  It is located on Benigno Malo near Gran Colombia.  The building is painted a deep red shade, go upstairs to find 3 rooms decorated in wonderful intense shades.

I love going to Nectar because I know that Tania will take care of me regarding being gluten (wheat/barley/rye) free. If the soup has barley in it, for example, she tells me and we discuss what she may substitute.  It is very cool to feel relaxed that most food items on the menu will be safe for me to eat. Also the food is prepared in imaginative ways, organic and delicious.

Life today is very difficult for many people all over the world.  I am so fortunate to be in Cuenca where my health is better and every day is an adventure.

What an incredible gift my life has become: to have the pleasure of living in Cuenca, Ecuador. Learning about a new culture. Trying new foods, meeting other people from the US who have elected to live out their years here. Learning from Ecuadorians about the history of South America.

So many things are unfamiliar here. And yet, I can say that a lot of my joy is related to the natural beauty and warm nature of Cuencanos. Many of the people of Cuenca, as I've mentioned before, are generous, kind, shy about speaking English, humorous and helpful.

I love life here every day.  Thank you to my wonderful esposo Lenny Charnoff who generously gives me photos whenever I ask. Check out his new blog,   cuencatechlife.wordpress.com

I hope some joy oozes out of this brief post and expands your day.

Sharon

Quilting in Cuenca

Buenas dias!
This is a post about sewing some fun things and quilting in Cuenca.  Most of my fabric stash is fabric from the United States.  I will admit I'm a tiny bit of a fabric snob in that I really like well manufactured fabric with colors that don't run in the wash and edges that do not ravel easily.

I also love the variety of patterns, designs, textures that one can find in many fabric shops in the US.  Recently I was shopping in Cuenca for tela - espanol for fabric - and batting.  I have a couple of projects where I need the puffy polyester batting I have never used.  But it seems it is not sold in tela tiendas (fabric shops).

My friend and I visited 4 tela shops of fairly good size in the historic shopping district without finding any batting.  It was only the 4th store that had stuffing, like for pillows, and a roll of batting that was not for sale to individuals - it was about 20 feet long and the roll was about 3 feet high.  The word for pillow stuffing...hmmm..Cannot recall that word in either language.  Oh, like polyfill only I found some made out of ostrich down machined into layers. And also the polyester stuffing.

We found a lot of interfacing of all weights so if you need interfacing, it is here in Cuenca in abundance.

APRONS are back in style with a demand to match in the US. Will that fashion come to Cuenca soon?  I bought some fabric to make a few aprons - just a fun project to see how much work it is- and some oven mitts to match.  Here is the fabric I got here in Cuenca:

I especially like the watermelons.

And here are some fabrics from the US I'm putting together for a 3 tier ruffled apron with contrasting layers.

Quilts, Quilts, Quilts

I recently had the pleasure of hanging some of my quilts and complex quilt blocks at the private art gallery of Gary Myers and Arie Atlas in El Centro.

It was a celebration of the conclusion of the first drawing class Gary taught in Cuenca.

It was an incredible honor to have the quilts there to share the spotlight with the drawings. It was a wonderful evening. Classes are taught by Gary Myers    Contact  garymyersartist@gmail.com  Gary has taught all ages and all levels of art, as well as being a wonderful artist in his own right.

Have a fabulous new week!

A few tips and observations about Cuenca, Ecuador

Buenas dias!

The usual reminder applies here: I can only describe my experiences and observations. Other people have different thoughts and experiences.  Take the best and leave the rest.

Life in Cuenca, Ecuador is tranquilo, sometimes loud, often quiet, peopled by friendly, kind, handsome Cuencanos and by an ex-pat community that is welcoming and easy to connect with.  Life here is always interesting.  I have lived in Cuenca with my husband for 10 months.  I created this blog to chronicle the first year of joys, adjustments, challenges, surprises and experiences. That year is almost up.

                        On the road from Guayaquil to Cuenca, abandoned fruit shack

My thoughts today are about some of the adjustments I've experienced in moving here.  And always the joys, as there are many.

Whether it is a barber, a new friend, a taxi driver or a neighbor, everyone wants to know "How do you like it?".  For me that answer is very clear.  I LOVE it here.  Me gusta Cuenca!  There are challenges, as with living anywhere.  But every day has doses of joy and new experiences are just outside the door.

Some of my challenges stem from not speaking Espanol very well. I have lessons 3 times per week so I am making progress but it seems s-l-o-w to be learning a second language when I am 62.  How I wish I had taken Espanol in high school and college!  It is a fact that if a person knows any second language, learning a 3rd language is easier.  But I must not get discouraged. My conversation is improving and I am getting braver at speaking with strangers. Living here certainly gives opportunity for "almost immersion" experiences.  

At the same time, one could live here and associate mostly with English speaking ex-pats and decline the opportunity to learn Espanol, never study the culture, rarely communicate with local people from all social strata.  But each person who arrives on the shores of Ecuador will make his/her own decisions as the next stage of life unfolds.

Another challenge for me is that mucho patience is required to survive well and thrive in Cuenca.  Why?  Ecuador is not the US and South America is different from North America in many ways.  Part of the charm of the Ecuadorian culture is that they rush less.  They lust after material possessions less. They value family above everything else.  Many Cuencanos will go far out of their way to help a friendly ex-pat in need, especially if the ex-pat can speak even a tiny bit of Espanol. But...

                                          The road to Loja

But back to patience.  I was used to the American culture where you get an estimate of when something will be fixed or even if it can be fixed.  Here, Cuencanos do not want to deliver bad news (like "it can't be fixed" or "that will take a month") so they estimate something will be done long before it can possibly be completed. Like "sure, that engine will be rebuilt by tomorrow" kind of thing.  

The internet is a rather constant issue so it can be a huge irritation or you can adopt the Ecuadorian way of "just waiting and staying tranquilo".  

As I have said before in these pages, patience is a lifelong learning process for me. It's tied up with my karma.  God sends me opportunities. Buddha observes. Some days I learn better than others.  It is an opportunity to address an issue with a different mind set. You may bump into some issues of your own.

There are several internet companies here.  At first my mind set was to ask which is best and get us signed up with the best one.  Now I believe there is no "best service".  They all have times where they go down.  There are moments when you have good speed.  There are hours where you do not. Paying more for faster speed may be worth it or it may not. It is just another opportunity to practice patience.    ETAPA is one type of internet service that is DSL. Centronet is through the power line. Puntonet uses Wi MAX which is line of sight. TVCable has service varying from $20/mo to $100/mo.  Of course, the more you pay, the faster the speed is promised to be.

Cuenca gets a lot of brief thunder and lightning and many changes of weather - sometimes a service is down related to that.  Most of the time, if your service goes down, it is not for too long - minutes to hours rather than days.Usually you never know the cause of why the service went down. So patience is helpful and the mindset of "it's Ecuador - this is normal" with a shrug will help you live longer and stop gnashing of teeth.

Many little annoyances of getting used to a different way of life are trumped by the fantastic attitudes of Equitorianos, the incredible tropical fruits at very low prices, outstanding handmade crafts and views available only to those living high in the Andes Mountains in a UNESCO heritage city preserved for several hundred years. 

The phone numbers here take a bit of getting used to. Some need a 0 at the front and some don't. Getting used to the messages being in Espanol takes a bit. BTW, I recommend getting a phone, especially if you do not speak Espanol, so that you may communicate with other English speakers. An example follows later in this paragraph. Basic phones are more expensive for what you get than in the US but you will most likely need a cell phone.  Very few people buy a plan, most people just put minutes on the phone or rather you put dollars on the phone. For example, getting $10 on your phone gives you a good start in case you are somewhere and want to ask another expat you've met for a restaurant recommendation in a different part of the city.  You can call, get a quick recommendation and directions and walk there rather than wandering into an unknown restaurant. If you are out in the city at night, you can call a cab if no taxis seem to be are around.

My husband and I each bought a used phone at AirLink in Portland,  airlinkonline.com  3626 NE Sandy Blvd. Len's phone cost $35 used in the US and works great. But AirLink is only in Portland, Oregon.  If you are thinking of moving to Ecuador, your US or Canadian city probably has a similar phone store where you can buy an unlocked used phone. You will want an unlocked phone and it needs to be GSM (not CDMA) to work in South America.  Then, after you go through customs and get your bags in Quito or Guayaquil, if you have time, or here in Cuenca, you buy the chip to insert with the $10 or whatever amount you want.  The minutes do not expire. You can use the phone in the US if you want with a different chip. So I have my pretty little used raspberry-colored phone to use in Ecuador but when I go to see grandchildren/family/friends in the US, I simply buy a chip in the US with some minutes and I can use the same phone wherever I am. There are 2 companies in Cuenca that sell the chip you reload with minutes: MovieStar or Claro.  I've been told most expats use Claro.  Calls to another person with Claro cost less for the caller and the call quality seems better.

                                                     Bananas in Vilcabamba

Will you bring a computer? It is better to buy in the US if you want a new one.  Prices are 30-40% higher here for computer items, especially Apple products. If you do not bring a computer, there are internet cafes everywhere.  If you bring a laptop/IPad, the entire square of Parque Calderon by Nuevo Catedral has wifi, as does much of El Centro.

 And don't forget, there is an IPad Users Group to connect, learn, share about IPad, IPod, IPhone, etc.  Lenny Charnoff, my husband, started that group which meets once a month.  Contact graygeek@gmail.com for more information.

Which reminds me, I plan to start a Gluten Free User's Group in May, date and location to be announced. If you are sensitive to gluten or have celiac disease, it can be helpful to talk with others about resources.  What restaurants are aware of gluten issues?  Where can you buy gluten free bread that is not only edible but very good? How can we search the area for resources needed by people with gluten intolerance?  Please email me that you are interested and we'll see how this new idea unfolds.  nature93@gmail.com

Things are casual and somewhat spontaneous here.  Life is pretty laid back, especially since many of the ex-pats are newly retired and exploring what to do with their time now. The younger expats are busy with work, children, activities, like in the US. For those with some time and not too much cash, there are art classes, a fly fishing group, dance, chess, symphony, tennis, writers' group, meeting for coffee and everything in between those diverse topics. Bring your hobbies but also try some new things, find some things you love to do and enjoy your time in Ecuador!

                 This is Blake our grandson who was in the hospital last week but is fine now.

                 In the background, the little one with the red hair is Blake's cousin Andrew.

Have a terrific rest of the week!

Sharon

Gorgeous weather in Cuenca, Ice Cream and a new quilt project

The weather in Cuenca, EC today was as perfect as I could hope for.  Clear skies,  a few afternoon puffy clouds some of the day, just warm enough (around 75 F) followed by a long, mild evening. Beautiful bird song floated through my studio window all day long, underscoring what a wonderful place I have to work on my craft, whether I'm writing or quilting.  What a joy!

                         A handsome couple in Tarqui

Early this morning, a plain sooty gray bird perched in the tree near my studio.  I picked up the binoculars.  This bird was singing all of his joy in the day in tones that reminded me of mockingbird song in the US.  I strained my eyes to memorize the slight markings I could see. About the size of a robin. Mostly his gold legs/feet and beak stood out.  He chortled, he trilled, he tipped his head back and showed off most gloriously. Are there birds like this in New Zealand?

I picked up my enormous new book,"The Birds of Ecuador Field Guide" Vol II, and searched  the photos for a bird that resembled my morning companion. I now have an idea of what type of bird he is but wish I knew someone who could tell me for sure if I'm close in identifying him.  Maybe a male great thrush? I can hear a lot of finches in the trees behind our building but I can only see a little bit of a tree where they sometimes land briefly.

Here is my newest quilt project, the melon block quilt.  I am just beginning to sew the 20 completed blocks together. I love this stage where it seems magical that it pulls together to look like a quilt and not just a bunch of pieces.  Here is a photo of it before any blocks are sewn to rows or columns.

After spending a couple of hours arranging the blocks just as I thought looked best, I numbered the blocks in the order in which they are to be sewn.  That helps me keep the arrangement straight as I sew the quilt top together.  Here is a shot of that process.

Mamas, teach your children to sew.  I'm surely glad my mother insisted!  I had no patience for sewing at age 12 ... but I'm so glad now that I had the basic skills to pick up sewing again 3 years ago after I read a book about the history of quilting in the US and got interested.

For a lark, I'm also using up left-over fabric and fat quarters (quarter yard pieces) I have on hand in a side project - I signed up for a free online "block of the month" class. This is, in this case, where people get directions for 2 blocks per month, without ever seeing a photo of the finished quilt ahead of time (which drives some people nuts!) until the end of the year when one has a completed quilt.

Here are the fabrics I'm using:

 Soon I'll post a picture of January and February's blocks:

Here is where anyone can sign up for this free online class:
www.craftsy.com    The largest block of the month class in the world

In the afternoon, I made ice cream using an attachment for my KitchenAid mixer.  I'm experimenting with recipes for vanilla ice cream. The product today was yummy but not quite right yet.  I used no eggs, cut way down on whipping cream and used whole milk.  I also added 1/2 cup of plain yogurt.  I reduced the sugar but it was a bit too sweet. More experimentation is called for.

I said I'd post some recent thoughts about life in Cuenca so next that is what I will do.
Have a terrific new week, wherever this finds you!
Sharon

Something puffy in Cuenca, Ecuador

This post is about Baked Cheese Puffs. If you are trying to eat a wheat-free lifestyle, here is a recipe for a delicious gluten free bread that freezes well, is versatile to use as breakfast, appetizer, lunch, dinner, or snack.

I serve these to guests who are not gluten free and they never guess it is not made with wheat until they see me eat one!

Because this blog is about Cuenca, where I live at 8300 ft altitude in the Andes mountains of Ecuador, I am presenting this as a recipe for high altitude baking with a note at the bottom telling how to adapt the recipe to "normal altitudes" sea level to about 4000 feet alt. And for those who want a wheat recipe there are suggestions but not tested by me.

I'm not a nutritionist  - just a good practical cook.  This recipe has good protein, varied fiber, no sugar but is still kinda high in cholesterol and fat as so many gluten free recipes are.

This "puff" was a great success.

These are a bit of work and take a long time to bake but they are worth it. If you have teenagers, these will disappear at lightning speed. You can make them ahead and store in freezer for at least a couple of weeks.  They hold well in the refrigerator for a few days. Try them out!

Cuenca GF Baked Cheese Puffs
Ingredients                                T=Tablespoon, tsp=teaspoon
                                                   c= cup     1/2 c=1/2 cup
4 Tablespoons butter
4 T shortening (I used grape seed oil instead)
1 1/4 cup water
1 cup Pamela's gluten free baking mix  
  or  1/2 cup  brown rice flour, 1/4 c potato starch, 1/4 c tapioca starch
1/2 cup almond flour (I do not use blanched almonds but you may - either is fine)
1/2 tsp xantham gum
1/2 tsp guar gum (you  may use all xantham gum but guar gum will make the texture better)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
pinch of fresh ground pepper or 1 tsp your favorite seasoning such as Italian seasoning, smoked paprika or chili powder or your choice

4 eggs at room temp
1 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese grated Today in Cuenca, I doubled the recipe and used 1 cup grated cheddar, 1 cup "taco cheese" from Super Maxi, 1 cup cubed queso fresca=3 cups cheese for the doubled recipe. It made 4 cookie sheets of puffs so I packaged small batches in small zip lock bags and put them in the freezer. When I can think of nothing  gf for lunch, I can pull one or two out and have with whatever I have on-hand: tuna, a fried egg, steamed veggies, etc.

Instructions
1.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Boil butter and water in a medium sized saucepan on medium heat, reduce to low.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flours, gums and pepper.
4.  Reduce the water and butter mixture to low heat.
6. Now add the entire flour mixture and VERY quickly stir with  a wooden spoon until a dough ball forms (or all is well stirred together to make a gooey dough).
7.  Now preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
8. Scrape the dough into your mixer bowl.  Allow the dough to cool somewhat - this step may take 10 min or more. Test dough temp before continuing.  If you do not allow the dough to cool, when you mix in the eggs, they will cook into little rubbery bits.
9. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix with flat paddle tool or dough hook in electric mixer. If you have a KitchenAid, mix on 4. On other mixers, use medium speed and mix until creamy or the texture of very thick soup.
10. Add cheese, mixing in the same fashion.
11. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.
12. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. Lower heat to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for another 40-50 min until puffy and a medium golden brown.  Test one puff by cutting into it to be sure it is baked all the way through. There should be no raw dough in the middle.

Lower Altitude cooking? If you live at a lower altitude, try these changes:
reduce flour by 1/4 cup
reduce water by 1/4 cup
reduce total baking time to 30-40 minutes.

NOTE: ovens vary greatly in temperature. Using an oven thermometer is a great way to assure you are baking at the desired temp. You can alter the baking time if your oven temp is off.

To make this with wheat flour, eliminate the gums and reduce liquid by 1/3 cup. Use all wheat flour.  NOT gluten free!

In Cuenca, today I doubled the recipe and used 1 cup light cheddar, 1 cup "taco cheese" from Super Maxi, 1 cup queso fresco (a cheese common in South America) because that is what was in the refrig.  The puffs came out golden brown, delicate and delicious. I believe the grape seed oil lends a wonderful lightness to the result.

***Please write a comment if you know where I can buy grapeseed oil in Cuenca. I have not found it anywhere.***

Tonight I made a light turkey salad-avocado mix to put in the baked puffs for a light dinner. (like small sandwiches)
Oh, the green figs are just for show.  Ripe figs later this year.
Enjoy!
Hey readers: I want to mention a bright new blog Cuenca Tech Life covering up to the minute technology topics. It is generated right here in Cuenca by Lenny Charnoff who is my husband and my entire IT department.

For readers interested in Cuenca as a destination, next week I will write about some of thecommon  little issues that come up when living here.  I LOVE Cuenca but it is not an ideal paradise of perfection.  More later...