Tails from the Frontier

Well many of you know that I have been struggling with getting my immigration status squared away and my tourist visa as well as the temporary import sticker on the car came to expire this past week.  I was able to obtain an FM2 after having to fly to the states to obtain some extra paper works.  The next step: fix the cars' status.  I should be able to keep the car with me for my FM2 status, so we simply drove the 45minutes to Queretaro on Wednesday and that is when the you know what hit the fan.  Here is where I have been this past week ;)


When we went to Queretaro on Wednesday to get the new Temporary Import Sticker for the car we were told that since I had an FM2- Immigrant not an FM2-Rentee I could not keep the car.  His point was that since I do not have a job and am a Housewife that I have no need for a car.  He said the only way that we could get a new sticker would be to go the border, cross and come back.  Then I could get another tourist sticker for 6 months...The problem though...our Sticker expired the next day!


We rushed home, grabbed snacks, water and made a stack of sandwiches that would make Dagwood proud, threw some clothes in a bag and dropped the dog off at the "Pet Hotel" and headed straight for the border.  Boris was amazing!  He can drive for hours!!!  I tried to help out but I am terrible at long trips.  The first day we (he) drove until Midnight which put us in Jemenez, Chihuahua. We woke up early and were on the road by 6am.  We drove hard and fast for the border because we wanted to cross at Santa Teresa, NM which is a small border crossing just West of Ciudad Juarez.  But we needed to make it there before noon.  Thankfully the weather was fantastic for our trip up to the border, we had a few sprinkles but for the most part it held out.  We arrived at the Santa Theresa crossing at 11am.  Phew!


I crossed the border only for the US Border Agent to tell me that I did not NEED to cross the border <Grrr!>  Everything that I needed to do was on the Mexican side.  So I turned around, thankfully they put me in the fast track return.  We went inside- glorious air conditioning.  We bounced around the desks inside flashing my fancy new FM2 all over the place hoping that it might get us a longer permit.  It did!  We received a one year sticker for the car, that matches the exact date of my FM2.  We got what we wanted from Queretaro at the border.  Exhausted from the stress and over 1000 miles on the road we headed back towards home.  We hoped to make it to Zacatecas around Midnight to stay at the hotel where we RV'd on our trip.  The hotel that we stayed at the night before was beyond gross and we wanted a shower (with hot water) and a bed (with pillows please). Seriously we had two beds and only one pillow that was less than an inch thick, a hand towel and no hot water!  Icky!


As I said the weather held out until we reached the border, on the way back it started to rain, and it rained hard!  By the time we reached Chihuahua, Chihuahua it had been raining for an hour.  We were supposed to take the Lebramiento, which is a Freeway that bypasses the city and takes you around the city and spits you out on the other end.  All of the big cities have this and even some small cities, they are fantastic time savers!  We reached our intersection for the bypass and our exit was under 5 feet of water (no exaggeration!).  We had no choice but to continue on THROUGH the gigantic city.  It was a flash flood, the streets were flooded everywhere!  Cars were stalling out, car accidents all over the place.  I swear we saw Jaws in one of the gutters. There was Softball sized rocks, dirt and debris in the streets, carried by the water.  It was absolutely unbelievable!  I don't think I could shut my mouth until we exited the city nearly 2 hours later.  I was just in shock and aw. After we had so much fun with Noah and his pets we were well behind in our desired destination.

2 1/2 lanes out of 3 were under water

Waves of water passed the intersections

The water in the gutters were shin deep

Jaws Returns

Cars were dying all over the place for driving too fast, in too  deep of water

Every Civic service responds to the many accidents

Look just below the street sign at the water running off from the streets, like a waterfall

We drove until Midnight again and that put us in Torreon, Coahuila.  We tried to use the GPS to find a hotel.  I punched it in for the closest Fiesta Inn, found one and off we go.  All of a sudden she knew all sorts of surface streets!  She hadn't known a single one to get us out of our predicament in Chihuahua but she was certainly the expert on Torreon!  She took us this way and that through residential and God knows what.  All of a sudden she announces our arrival...at an OXXO (a Quicky Mart)!  We figure she is off a little bit so we continue on down the road another mile and finally find A hotel.  Not the one we wanted but at 12:30 it didn't really matter much.  We fell like tumble weeds across the shiny lobby to the reception desk.  After a long and very hot shower we slept like the dead in the bed overflowing with pillows.


After another shower and a quick continental breakfast we hit the road again.  A new day and the GPS forgot the streets of Torreon yet again.  We got incredible lost trying to get out of the city and we even got pulled over for hesitating and not signaling before taking a turn... she couldn't make up her mind as to which way we were supposed to go.  Finally we made it out of the city in one piece no thanks to the GPS who tried to get us killed in the Ghetto, drive us off of a dead end road, take us through dirt roads past the city dump and get the car impounded by the local cops.  Ugh!  It was still storming here and there on our trip but for the most part we made good time.  We reached Aguascalientes without any (more) hiccups.  Passing Aguascalientes the GPS seemed to know a short cut...why we trusted her, I have no idea... we were exhausted, anything sounded good.  We ended up on a country road in the cuts for over an hour before she said "Left turn ahead"  we made it to the turn only to discover a dirt road leading off into nothing... we turned around.  On the return trip we hit another storm, it started pouring down rain. Lighting and thunder shook the car, then we saw lightning hit ground, just a few miles from the road.  I could see the smoke rising from the field where it had hit!  I told Boris that if we had any more "excitement" on this trip a plane would have to land in front of us.  Thankfully one did not and we made it back to San Miguel in one piece.  We arrived 5 minutes before closing at the Pet Hotel and got our dog out of hock.  She was so happy to be home, so were we.  The dog followed Boris around the rest of the day and Meeki tried to sleep on top of us.


We are set for the year and will be able to import the car next Spring.  I just need to renew my FM2 next year, which should be an easy process. So after more than a months expenses and nearly 3000 miles we are set for the year.  


Now back to our Regular Programming.... sorry for all of the missed posts :(

Tiangis Treats- Succulent Sweet Strawberry Red

What is better than fresh strawberries from Irapuato for only $15 pesos per kilo?  Juicy red flats to match of course!  And they are made in Mexico too.

Salud! to Pomegranate

Pomegranate is the theme of this post!  Either fresh squeezed if you are brave or Pom Wonderful if you are lazy like me.  Hee hee!  We rarely drink cocktails...or anything not Red Wine for that matter.  But in the heat of the summer a Big Spicy Cabernet is the last thing on my mind.  In order to survive the summer heat I love to make Sangria.  I have adapted a recipe over many summers of practice, but I believe the initial recipe was Bobby Flay's.  

Pomegranate Sangria

Ingredients:

1 Bottle Estancia Red Meritage (or some fruity red wine, Zinfandel works pretty well too)

1 Bottle Pom Wonderful 100%  Pomegranate  Juice

1/2 cup Brandy

1/2 cup Triple Sec

1/2 cup Apple Juice or 1/4 cup Grenadine

1 Orange, sliced thin

1 Green Apple, sliced thin (optional)

1 Lemon, sliced thin

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher.  I like to "muddle" the fruit with the back of a wood spoon, just a little bit, to help release some of the juices and oils.  Refrigerate of at least 4 hours or over night before serving.  Sangria really only lasts for 48 hours before it starts to turn really bitter.  Serve over ice with 7up and Squirt. Garnish with  Pomegranate  seeds if you are feeling fancy!

With the help of my sister and a very adventurous bar tender I discovered my new favorite cocktail just this last week at The Dive Bar in Sacramento.  If you have not been you have to check this place out!  Anything that advertises Random Mermaid Shows has got to be a fun place to hang out!  

I have out grown my super fruity girly drinks stage long ago, but I am still not quite ready for a dirty martini.  But I do enjoy Gin...so when my sister ordered a Pomegranite Martini I took a sip, it was not really fruity, it was kind of zesty and tart...it was delicious!  But...I HATE VODKA!  So I asked our valiant bar tender if he could make me a Pomigranite Martini with Gin instead of Vodka.  It is not really that far feched; Martini's are traditionally made with Gin anyway, right?  It was amazing!  My sister and the bar tender both agreed that it tasted SOO much better with Gin.  A new drink was born!

Pomegranate Martini

Ingredients:

2 oz PAMA Pomegranate Liquor or 3 oz Pom Wonderful Pomegranate Juice 

2 oz Gin or Vodka

Slash of Orange Liqueur

Squeeze and a Twist of Lime

Directions:

Shake PAMA and Gin with ice and strain into a Martini Glass.  Float a splash of Orange Liqueur on top.  Add a squeeze of lime juice and garnish with a twist of lime.

Please remember to drink responsibly when consuming alcoholic beverages.  NEVER drink and drive!

Almond Shortbread with Cookbook Sunday's

As you may know I made a little trip back to the states last week and while I was there I raided my mom's shelves.  I discovered my first cookbook, it was MINE all MINE and it had my name in it.  I used it religiously.  My mom would take kids from our neighborhood on fun trips in the summer like to Water World or Six Flags and I would help raise money for the kids who could not afford to go on the trips.  I had bake sales two or three times a week, and my little cookbook was the star of the show.  If I missed one weekend kids would be knocking at the door asking if there were going to be any treats for sale and I would have to rush to the kitchen and whip something up fast!  My little cookbook is splattered and frayed, coming apart at the binding...but the cookie recipes are still easy, fun and quick.  We enjoyed our Almond Shortbread with Mocha Almond Fudge Ice cream last night.  Delicious!

Throw back to 1993 with Sunset Best Kids Cookie Book

Simply Almond Shortbread

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter; at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour


Instructions:
1). Preheat oven to 325*F


2). Place butter, sugar, 1 cup of almonds, and almond extract in bowl and beat with electric mixer until blended.  Add flour and beat until well blended.  Use utility spoon to spoon dough into ungreased baking pan (10" x 15"); scrape out bowl with spatula.  Press dough evenly into pan; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup almonds and pres them lightly into dough.  Bake for 25 minutes, until light golden.  Turn off oven and use mitts to remove pan to rack.


3).  Immediately use butter knife to cut shortbread into 15 squares, each about 3 inches on each side.  Then cut each square diagonally in half to form 2 triangles.  Let cool in pan.


Makes 30 cookies.




Tips and tricks that I have learned over the years:
*  Add Vanilla!  Vanilla Bean if you can but at least a good dose of Vanilla Extract.
*  Leave the butter cubed and chilled and mix it in with your hands instead of a blender.  The dough will be super crumbly, but just think of it as pastry dough.
*  I like to either chop really fine or completely pulverize the Almonds that go inside of the dough so you don't have shards of almonds sticking up through the dough.
*  As I said this dough is crumbly, it is best to dump it into a pan, even it out a little bit with damp finger tips and then sprinkle with Almonds and cover with Plastic Wrap.  Then you can easily press the dough into the pan.
*  A pizza cutter works great when cutting out the cookies!  The Almonds on top make it nearly impossible to slide a knife through  the cookie, the almonds drag and destroy the whole top.
*  When you pull out the dough and slice them the cookies will look really crumbly, like if you touch them they will just crumble away to nothing.  Don't worry!  Use a little bit of self control and leave them in the pan to cool (nearly impossible to do as they smell divine!).  They will harden as they cool but still remain nice and flaky.