comer es vivir

my "nesting" instinct fired at a premature age. whether with a new coat of paint, a worn but well loved chair, or a refinished bookshelf, from the time i could take care of it myself, i was creating my own space. i collected bits of artistic expression (mom, you know the painting i am referring to), and created my own to fill whatever gaps were left. but there has always been a strong need to have a space that at once reflects who i am and simultaneously inspires me to be who i wish to become.
thankfully coy shares this need, and together we have created not one, but several homes. each time, there are new challenges but our inner voices consistently whisper, "cozy" and we persist with unparalleled creativity and resourcefulness. ok, perhaps i exaggerate a bit. but i happen to think our homes have been pretty darn awesome. and to give you a peek into our new digs, here are some photos:

this is our kitchen area, which was recently made complete by the lovely shelf unit
we now use to store our food and dishes. (i designed it myself!)

the kitchen and living room areas (as seen from the doorway). coy is seated in front of our home entertainment unit. each night, we pull up the rocking chairs and settle in for a viewing of some of our favorite shows (right now, community and modern family are house favorites).

the bedroom and living room areas seen from another angle. the gentle pink hue cast over the room comes from the sun filtering in through the curtains. while quite soothing, it also makes our apartment a dangerously comfy nap zone.

and finally, the bathroom. although the high window leads to the neighbor's back porch, it also lets in the afternoon sun, which bakes our towels dry cada tarde.

and because life has a way of being always unexpected, just as we have finally been settling into our own space, our adopted family has been making us more and more comfortable in their home. we spent most of the weekend at their house, eating, watching tv, and relaxing on the back porch. viviana and i are now officially walking partners, and yesterday we followed up our walk with a trip to the farmer's market. every saturday in buenos aires, there is a nice little farmer's market next to the park. seeing all those fruits and vegetables in one place can get pretty exciting, and luckily we had one another to help carry bags.
when doña elder saw all the treasures we had brought home, she decided we should make the costa rican favorite, olla de carne. although i've eaten this soup numerous times already, i love the hearty vegetables and simple beauty. que rico!

olla de carne

ingredients:
1.5 kilo beef (the cut depends on your preference for soup)
2 green plantains
2 ears of corn
2 chayote (a new veggie you should learn to love!)
1 sweet potato
5 medium sized potatoes
2 ñampí (not sure if this tuber is available in the north, but it's great)
1/2 of a small squash
1/2 of a small cabbage
1 kilo yuca (cassava)
for seasoning:
culantro (a local fresh herb, probably not applicable for most of you)
onion
bell pepper
beef bouillon

once you've got all your ingredients together in the kitchen, add the meat, green plantain, and corn into a large stockpot filled with water.

if you have the luxury of cooking with a pressure cooker, this process will only take about 45 minutes. otherwise, cook in a regular pot until the meat is tender.

meanwhile, seek out a lovely and comfortable setting for you and your vegetables.

commence peeling the remainder of your vegetables.

if you're super hardcore, you can use a knife like doña elder, but most of us would probably use a vegetable peeler for this part of the preparation.

you want to chop your vegetables into rather large chunks. keep in mind that you will be cooking them until they are soft enough to break apart with a spoon. once all veggies are peeled and chopped, head back to the stove to check on your meat.

when the meat is tender and plantains and corn are cooked, spoon them out of the stockpot and set them aside. add your other vegetables into the broth, except for the cabbage and yuca. cook the vegetables until they become soft, adding the cabbage and yuca last, since they cook most quickly.

this part can take awhile, so you may want to work on a life goal, like learning chess, to pass the time more quickly.

finally, add the meat, plantain, and corn back into the pot and serve your olla de carne with rice. (olla de carne literally translates to pot of meat. just use the spanish name, it sounds much more appetizing).

viviana, emanuel, and coy are so emocionados about this healthy and delicious lunch.

looks yummy, doesn't it? well, it is. however, beware that if you're eating this in a warm climate (like we are) you will definitely work up a sweat.

having eaten and bathed, doña elder takes to her favorite spot again, looking so peaceful. what is there to worry about? this pot serves up to 15 people. pura vida. dinner is already done.