Check out some new photos!!
If you haven’t checked out the photo galleries since they first posted, you’ve been missing out! I have been adding to the current albums: Street Art (Extra)Ordinary And I’m working on some new ideas for galleries – suggestions always welcome!
UPDATE: Experiments with Sourdough
I can’t help myself. I’ve spent my ENTIRE adult life as a scientist. Experiments MUST go on! In my last sourdough post, I had to admit that my frustrations and tribulations with my sourdough focaccia were primarily self-generated. If only I could have *known* that the pan I was using was OVER TWICE the square area of the recommended pan!!! LOL! I’ve since found an appropriate, albeit round, pan that gives nice, fluffy, tall focaccia. The funny part is that…
Where has the Doctora been?
It has been a busy, crazy, stressful, roller coaster lately. So much has been happening that the blog took a back seat for a bit. I’ve got a little bit of breathing space now, so I’m checking back in. “So what’s up, Doctora?” you might be asking… Let’s start with the COVID vaccine and Mexico. Just like everywhere else in the world, vaccine availability is not consistent, nor is it without an agenda. Initially, it was looking like we might…
Math is HARD
No, not really. Math is not hard, but sometimes one ASSumes certain things without checking. That can get one into trouble. The “one” is me. The assumption had to do with the size baking pan needed for a new gluten-free, sourdough recipe. Since my first couple of posts about sourdough, there have been MANY experiments. (Those of you who know me are not surprised!) The short story is that I’ve changed my starter over to 100% brown rice flour. I’ve…
We call her Dolores
In Spanish, dolores means “pains”. When we moved into our current rental home, there was an active house finch nest in the sconce on one of our balconies. Every time we opened the door, the chicks would freak out, the parents would avoid coming to the nest. It was a pain! We didn’t want to have the chicks die, but we wanted to use our balcony. We waited until the chicks fledged and we took the nest out of the…
It is all in the delivery…
What AM I, anyway? Am I an immigrant to Mexico? No… I am not here seeking citizenship. But ?yes?… I am planning on living here, probably permanently. Or am I a migrant? No… migrant usually refers to someone working, often temporarily, in a country other than their own. I am not, nor do I plan to, work in Mexico. Am I an expatriate? That is what my blog title says. So, kinda yes, although expat frequently refers to highly skilled…
Springtime in the Garden of my Mexican House
March may come in like a lion and go out like a lamb, but April came in with full-on hot weather. March highs 70’s to low 80’s, so far in April it is ALL 90’s! It could be worse… I’m enjoying everything blooming. Tony is lurking about much more, mostly tanning and teasing. The garden in our rental is AMAZING! Mature plantings for us to enjoy, and the landlord INSISTS that they pay to have a gardener come once per…
Sourdough – The second round (really a boule)
My first (two) attempts at sourdough were … pretty good. They both used a very simple recipe (4-Ingredient Gluten Free Sourdough) that was clear and gave a timeline for the two day process. The bread was beautiful to look at, however the crust was so tough that it was nearly impossible to cut, and the bread itself was on the gummy side. I understand that GF breads are often gummy, but this stuck to the knife, once you got through…
Trash Tony
Earlier this week, you met Tony and many other critters that have become part of our lives in Mexico. Tony is exceedingly camera shy, so the introduction photo was notoriously bad. Today, Tony visited again – LOUDLY. And I had the opportunity to get much closer and take a better (although still not a great) photo. Tony did not make the transition from our tile roof to the pergola as “gracefully” as usual. This time Tony slid off the tiles,…
Interesting (and creepy) Critters
We have discovered many new and interesting critters here. These are not the things I had in my backyard or neighborhood as a child. Some I want to know better, others I want to never encounter again. You make the call… MEET TONY Tony visits occasionally on our terrace. Frequently crawling across the 50% shade cover to sun him/herself, or gain access to the flowering bush next door. Although it is a terrible pic, I posted it to the hive…