The Super-Market Experience

Vallarta.

Just, Vallarta.

It's the main reason that California is the best state in the Nation. While I was looking for places to live in the area Ross and I will hypothetically be living in, Vallarta was the main component. Others were looking at the close proximity of Whole Foods, or popular restaurants or fancy retailers. I'm a little more simple. Give me Mexican food, or give me death.

Vallarta is Latino food store that is gorgeous, so gorgeous I've already mentioned it on the blog before.



You just walk in and you feel like you are at a party, and no, that isn't just the bachata you are dancing to. It's the jugador de six packs, its the palm trees and three foot pinatas. It's the neon lights too.

Let's talk about produce. Oh the glorious produce. When my friend was moving to California we were discussing the cost of living. Taxes are higher, gas is more expensive, but oh the prices for produce will make the most vehement veggie hate load up their cart.

Take a moment to adore the peruano beans and tomatillos. I love you! I have missed you!

When the weekly market flyers arrived in the mail I just stared in jaw-dropped-awe at the advertised prices. 99 cents for a pound of strawberries?
$1 for 3 lbs of bananas?
$1 for 3 pounds of onions (sorry Tay)?
$1 for 2 pounds of Granny Smith Apples?!
$1 for 5 POUNDS of grapefruit?



This truly is a magical place.

They don't always have the American brand you are looking for but they make up for it in the innumerable amount of Goya products, microwaveable pupusas, and submarinos.

Okay actually the Submarinos sucked but I needed them for a recipe.

They have a huge meat counter, their very own sour cream/ crema counter. That whole back wall of the store is covered in all sorts of counters. Then, you have the restaurant and tortilleria! Fresh, steamy tortillas.

The crowned jewel comes near the end of your complete experience. The bakery. Yes, the very bakery I ordered my wedding cake from.



Please never make me leave this place.

I made it out pretty easy, just two pieces of pan dulce, 1 small horchata, 1 slice of tres leches cake, and don't forget the huge thing of refried beans and fresh chips.

I was in Heaven, because if Heaven doesn't have pan dulce, I don't know if I want to go.

If none of this sounds appealing, maybe you want a medium sized saint for $8.99 (don't worry they have large ones too).

How to: Accidentally Shop at the "Ghetto" Supermarket

One thing I have learned in my very limited "world traveling" (haha!) is that it is all about perspective! I mean that in many different ways, but in this post I am specifically talking about the way we are raised and our expectations when going to a new place. It changes our perspective.

Let me start with an example from home:
Lots of people I know back home refused to shop at the Latin supermarket Vallarta, because it was "ghetto."
(And besides that being so totally ridiculous because they have amazing pistachio ice cream, mangoes and cream popsicles, the cheapest and freshest produce around, an amazing restaurant, and the most delicious pan dulce and best treats, and incredible refried beans and the shortest check out lines and easiest parking lot....)

But I don't really believe in the word ghetto. I believe in, "out of my comfort zone, because it is new/unknown."

So, let's try that sentence again:

Lots of people I know back home refused to shop at the Latin supermarket Vallarta, because it was "out of my comfort zone, because it is new/unknown."

Yeah. That makes more sense. Whether you shop there or not, whatever (but you are missing out).

My point is, it is kinda like that here. You have the IGA Real Value supermarket. Which is right on the school bus route and all the students shop there. You have American things and I have found that in general things are a bit pricey.

But then you have..... Food Fair. Which many students and SOs claim is in a bad area and dirty and blah blah blah. So without further ado I present my first tutorial:

A visual to aide you in your quest!

How to Accidentally Shop at the "Ghetto" Supermarket (aka Food Fair):

1.)Go to campus and wait at the bus stop
2.)Get on a bus that has a paper in the back window that says "Gand Anse/ True Blue" with the intention of going to IGA.
3.)Ride the bus and ask some people near you where exactly the bus is headed, to which they reply, "I hope Grand Anse."
4.)Watch as the bus turns up the street to Mont Toute. 
5.) Panic for a sec, then remember that you got this!
6.) Get off when the bus stops in the Food Fair parking lot.
--> Shop at Food Fair and realize they have great prices! And a clean store despite the shady storage and quality of meat/fish!

Also, you get negative points if you tell a poor girl to get on the bus because it is headed to IGA, but if you tell her sorry you were just as confused and help her shop and make sure she gets on the bus back you can have bonus points.

Salvadoran Food: Pupusas!

During my time in Grenada I endlessly tried to make my comfort foods. This usually meant Mexican or Salvadoran food. My pupusa venture was pretty disastrous and only left me feeling more hungry and more heartbroken for home. So the The Day of the Pupusa has been very much anticipated.

We tried out this new place called El Majahual, which is apparently a beach in El Salvador.

I don't mean to be dramatic, but those might have been the best pupusas I have ever eaten. They have an, "El Majahual" pupusa that has like peppers, cheese, and shrimp. It was amazing. The service was good and the decor was really awesome. My mom got some garlic shrimp, that the waitress recommend and that was amazing too. Lucky for me, we had a misunderstanding with our order and ended up with a ton of leftovers. Lucky for me (2) I already have a kolashampan in the fridge from my Vallarta trip.

Every Once in A While...

Every once in a while I forget that I live in Paradise. Everyone thinks I tan on the beach while Ross works his butt off at school. Ha! Well, at least part of that is true, Ross does work really hard. :)

I think most people on the island now are, soo done! We are hitting our post midterms slump when everyone just wants to pack up and take a vacation (which of course, is funny because we live on a gorgeous island people come to for vacation).

But day in and day out living in Grenada can take a toll on you! Like for over a month I wasn't able to get my hands on a single ounce of butter. Yes folks, BUTTER. It was like a slow painful death for me. Many people on the island resorted to making their own.

My sweet salvation! My second favorite thing from Minnesota (Hi Pip!).

Groceries are fun to shop for in Grenada, know why?

1) Who knows if they will actually have what you need
2) They are expensive

Ross and I honestly aren't a huge fan of the local fruits. They definitely have a different taste and most are difficult to get at because they have large seeds. I guess I need to post more on that later.

I miss my USA fruits like berries berries berries and PEACHES. Ah, what I wouldn't give for a Utah peach right now. When peach season rolled around in Utah I would LIVE off peaches.

Now don't get me wrong, you can buy berries at the local IGA grocery store.

And you can definitely find some apricots!

I have to thank my beautiful friend Tammy for these pictures. And for those of you keeping track, yep, that is roughly $11 for the strawberries and a whopping $28/ pound for the apricots. Needless to say when I get back to California, my first trip will be to Vallarta to dive head first into cheap produce and pan dulce. Haha.

I don't know if I'm counting up or counting down or what. Just getting through the days at this point and getting excited to get my husband back and see some great family and friends! :)

Palmdale

This summer I have spent quite a bit of time in Palmdale. Maybe I needed some time away from it, but it is one of my favorite places, for so many reasons. Here is a picture dump from the past summer months.

Beautiful sunset on a (rare) rainy day.

Every time I'm in Palmdale my parents treat me! They know all the best places to eat. Like this citrus coconut pecan shrimp. Or nachos pretty much served on Captain America's shield.



I had to introduce my parents to Dole Whips. All the times taking the family to Disneyland growing up, but they didn't know what it was! Ross used the pineapple soft serve but made a tropical/ shark-week themed treat with cheesecake bits, coconut, and a gummy shark.



While we are on the topic of food.... My mom made this amazing blueberry cheesecake with fresh blueberries. Simply epic.



Palmdale means Vallarta. Somehow I ended up there unsupervised. Pan dulce, horchata, and Pelon later, I came out mostly avoiding the pastry section. Settled for a tostada at home.



It was my first time getting the huge Pelon. Because I live large and I've made it. Ross had one taste and was revolted. Just tastes like childhood to me. No idea how I shared those things with my friends and playground kids and came out mostly okay and healthy.

Synge is such a user. He is crazy for ice cream too. He will get up in your face and start pawing at you.



One time my mom jokingly asked Synge, "If I lost my hands in a car accident would you still love me?!"Good thing he can't talk -I don't think my mom can handle the truth. Just look how devious he is.



With the time I spend with my grandparents, I also get to hang out with their cat, Sabby. I like this sassy photo. I captured her at the perfect moment.



Dad and Ross staring so intensely at the broken doughnut machine at Krispy Kreme. Seconds away from jumping in with a toolkit, or maybe just grabbing the machine and shaking it, "WHERE ARE THE HOT DONUTS NOW?!"



They crack me up.

August brings quite a few birthdays for my family, so we all got together for a party. So much food it wouldn't fit on the table. And Snapchat stickers. This snapchat from my cousin of the dog gettin' so intense on dat cookie. 

And homemade waffle bowls! Calvin gave mom and dad a waffle bowl maker but I guess the recipe for it sucks, so I set out to find a better one. Luckily others thought it sucked too so I didn't have to look long before I found one posted in the Amazon reviews. I perfected the method and have since forgotten it, so enjoy a bit of trial and error.

--Waffle Bowl Maker Recipe--

Ingredients:

3 large eggs 

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter, melted and cooled

2 Tablespoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 c. all purpose flour

Directions:

-Beat the eggs, adding in the sugar gradually, beating until smooth. Add the cooled melted butter and the vanilla.

-Stir in the baking powder and flour, until all mixed. 

-Spray the iron with a light amount of cooking spray- this will make the first ones turn out imperfect but is important for the process. 

-Drop about a tablespoon of batter onto each bowl. Cook for about 40 seconds, open iron and with a towel or potholder to protect your hand, rotate each bowl about 180 degrees so all sides cook evenly. Use the cooking time as a guide and adjust. 

Of course the best part of going to Palmdale is hanging out with your parents! This time I learned that when my mom was little she was absolutely-fan-girl-status obsessed with the series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. 

I've probably shamed her since I've never even heard of the series before. My mom goes into her magical closet and pulls out this old briefcase. She was not messing around when she was 10! She said that it had been forever since she opened this little time capsule. Inside were autographed photos, magazine clippings, and notes from the fan club she had formed. The best part was the script that she wrote. Dang, my mom was even smart and creative when she was 10. That script was super legit, all typed up on a typewriter and everything. That's some major stamina for a kid.

I'm likely forgetting other tidbits and photos from my summer lovin' in Palmdale, but for now this will do,