Lets Make New Recipes!

Posted on November 21, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

I’m in the US with my daughter and husband and their brand new baby. I could post dozens of baby photos every day but tempting as that is,  I’ll try and mix it up a bit. My other main activities here are enjoying the scenery and fall colors, and helping out with meals. We definitely eat well in Panama but here I have access to some different things, and this is a vegetarian household so I get to experiment with different ideas.

Today I made open face sandwiches for and was very happy with how they turned out.

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To make sandwiches for three or four people you will need –

  • Bread – sandwich rolls sliced lengthwise, or some nice hearty loaf sliced up, something that will toast up nicely with crunchy edges
  • mayonnaise to spread on the bread
  • 1/2 pound of feta cheese, crumbled
  • a thinly sliced tomato, or two if they are small
  • a few tablespoons of seasoned bread crumbs (optional)
  • 1/4 – 1/2 pound of mozzarella cheese, grated
  • lemon juice (from about 1/2 a lemon)
  • vegetables – I used a garlic clove, 1/4 red onion, 1/2 green pepper, a couple mushrooms, a zucchini, half a yellow squash, and a big handful of spinach

Turn the oven on to broil

Slice the vegetables thinly and saute in a bit of oil, starting with the garlic, onions, peppers, and mushrooms. When they are starting to look cooked, add the squash. When the squash is almost done add the spinach and saute until wilted. The idea is to get all the veggies to about the same level of lightly cooked at the same time.

While the veggies are cooking spread the mayo on the bread, and then sprinkle on the feta cheese. Toast in the broiler until the cheese is starting to melt and the edges of the bread are toasted. Remove from oven.

Slice the tomato(s) thinly and grate the mozzarella cheese.

Put the veggie mixture on the bread. Arrange the tomato slices on top, sprinkle with seasoned bread crumbs and lemon juice. Top with grated mozzarella. Return to the broiler until the cheese is melted and if you prefer, lightly browned.

Remove from broiler and enjoy!

I could easily make these in Panama too. We would have to hunt a bit for mushrooms and we don’t have spinach but everything else is readily available in the supermarket or vegetable stand. And, you can make it with any veggies you prefer and I’m sure it would be great with any number of combinations.

Bien provecho!

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The Newest Baby!

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

It’s been a very exciting time in our family with my older daughter’s baby girl, Marian Grace arriving on October 21st, and my younger daughter’s little girl Autumn Marie, born on November 13th, just a bit over three weeks later. I have been with the newest baby and family since shortly after they came home, and of course pointing my camera at them when opportunities present themselves.

New baby girl!
New parents, still a bit exhausted after a sleepless night in the hospital.
Mom and baby
Sweet baby girl

It’s hard coming home with a new baby. They don’t let you sleep much in the hospital, and then you are home with a little newborn and an overwhelming job. I was glad I could get on a plane and get here quickly but in truth, they are doing fine. They mainly needed some sleep and reassurance that they were doing a good job.

After another night’s sleep, more or less, mom and dad are starting to feel somewhat human. Here they are with a baby and a fur baby.
I hold the baby sometimes too.
The other grandma loves the little feet.
Here’s a little hand for the other grandma.
Precious sweet little hands.
This baby has strong lungs and make a lot of noise when she is unhappy about something.
But, peace always returns quickly and she is back in mom’s arms again.
So sweet
and now, looking sweet in dad’s arms

Yesterday was baby’s first outing. She had her doctor checkup which she passed with flying colors, and then we went to the supermarket. It was feeding time at the doctor so after eating, the baby slept through the rest of the outing. Later in the day she spent awhile awake, alert, and calm and I had fun catching her various expressions with the camera.

Mom and baby
Dad and baby
Getting ready to go out
Hanging out, exhibiting cuteness above and beyond

Today, the baby is six days old. I can already see her changing. Mom and dad, of course, are feeling much better after getting some sleep between feeding and changing. There have been a couple nights when the baby didn’t want to settle down until very late but thankfully, mom and dad can sleep all morning if they need to. They are getting calmer and more confident by the day, and doing a great job. The baby is also settling into something of a routine at times. I also see her spending more time awake but calm and alert, and its so fun to see her just looking around, and exercising her hands and feet.

I’ll be here for a while more. They could manage just fine on their own but seem comforted that I am around, and it is a very special time for me so I’m very glad I can be here.

Meanwhile, my other daughter is spending her first week caring for the two kids with just herself and her husband, and they are doing very well. She was uneasy at first but I knew she would be fine, and indeed she is. All of these children are very lucky to have such good parents.

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The Children’s Museum

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

When I was in California, we went to the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County a couple times and had a great time. The place was overrun with adorable little kids having fun with the multitude of activities available. It’s a great option if you need something to do indoors, or want to arrange a play date.

Off we go to the museum!
The biggest attraction for Camden is the helicopter. It was an actual medical helicopter that is now retired and available for the kids at the museum.
I’m not sure what this yarn art is about but it’s colorful and pretty.
There is a vegetable garden on the left and place where kids can sort vegetables.
There is this pretty pond and lots of plants and flowers.
You can pretend you are a caterpillar that hatched from the egg and made your way down into the cocoons.
There is a nice picnic area outdoors too. Notice the pretty pillars along the walkway.
The most popular area though was the water play with various streams, tubs with activities, and water toys.
It was chilly and I wouldn’t want to play in water but the kids didn’t seem to mind at all.

Indoors is very pretty with colorful decorations and activities anywhere you look.

Look at all the colorful decorations, and the train tracks overhead. The black thing on the blue stand blows air and if you aim it right, you can balance a ball on the air stream.
More train tracks and activities, and a bench popular with grandparents.

I started by walking around downstairs looking at the various activities.

One of my favorite activities was right inside the entrance. You take one of the soft yard balls and put it in a tube entrance. It gets shot up the tube by air and pops out above to land on the floor at your feet. There are various valves where you can change what tube it goes to.
The model trains were very popular.
Camden, being a lover of trains, was of course very interested in this section.
There is a dentist office. Here a dad was helping his kid brush all those alligator teeth.
There is also a hospital room, complete with a baby incubator and baby doll.
There is also a bee room. The wooden structure in the middle is an actual working hive. There is a tube leading to the outdoors and you can watch the bees come in and out. There is also a magnifying glass to help you hunt for the queen but no one was able to spot her.
The tools and hardware section was also popular. ‘
The kitchen seemed to be almost as popular with the little boys as it was with the girls.

In the back, downstairs, is the toddlers area. Shoes are not allowed and there is a height requirement. It’s a good place for the little ones to play without worrying about being overrun by any bigger kids.

Outside the toddler area is a bench, a good place for a mom to hang out with a baby.
The toddler area is a lot of fun.
Camden is playing with his friend.
Camden makes a new friend
Whenever we feel busy we can think about this mom trying to get shoes back on four little ones with the help of another little girl.
Just outside the toddler area is the puppet theater

There is just as much fun stuff to do upstairs, so don’t miss it!

You can use this cool light pen to write on the wall!
One day there was story time in front of the cool light board.
There is something that looks like the sole of a flip flop. You use it to slap the pipes which make different notes so you can play tunes.
Use this gun thing to shoot bursts of air at the shimmering curtain out there.
This little guy was having a great time playing with the hardware on the board.
If you push the red button, the train whistle blows.
The train was also popular.
Here comes the train!!
I think he would have stood there all day pushing that train whistle.

We had a good time at the museum, and it was really fun to see all the kids enjoying themselves. One of the days was Veterans Day and school was out, so the museum was very well attended. There was a line out the door waiting to come in as we left. I’m glad Sonoma County has made this available to the community. It’s clearly being enjoyed by many.

I think I’m caught up on California news and pictures. My daughter and her husband are taking care of the kids on their own this week which I’m sure is challenging at times, but they are doing great and I have no doubt that they will be just fine.

Next up, news and pictures from Seattle and the newest baby!

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A Man with a Baby

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

A woman can’t help but get a warm feeling from seeing a man tenderly holding a baby. My husband and I were recently in California visiting my daughter and family and meeting their newest member, the little baby girl. Joel wanted a few pictures with her, so I have sorted through them and have a few ready to share.

She’s a beautiful little baby and we are so fortunate to have this new addition to our family.

I’ve been sorting through more photos of California, and taking more pictures of the newest baby in Seattle so stay tuned. More baby sweetness will be coming!

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Hola from Seattle

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Kris Cunningham
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There is a pretty view of the fall colors from the back door.

As you can see from the photo, I’m still in the US. I haven’t been writing much though. Life has been a bit topsy turvy the last couple weeks. I first went to California to help my older daughter’s family and new baby, and planned to leave there on the 17th. My younger daughter’s baby, however, decided not to wait until due date and came a week early so plans changed and I went to Seattle early.

The sun tried to come out this morning
This is as far as it got

For some reason, hospitals don’t seem to want new parents to get any sleep (according to both of my daughters). This new mom was up all Thursday night in labor. The next night she was still in the hospital but she said there was a constant stream of people in and out all night doing something for either her or the baby, which usually left her with an upset and crying baby. By the time they got home on Saturday afternoon she and her husband were both beyond exhausted, and the baby was also upset and fussy. Thankfully there was room on the evening plane so it was easy for me to just come on up here.

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outside the front door

They are doing great with the baby! They just needed reassurance and some sleep. The baby has been sleeping 3-4 hours at a time during the night so they are catching up on their sleep a bit and feeling a lot better. The baby is also doing well and though she has a very strong set of lungs, she hasn’t been using them to cry very much.

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So, I am using this post just to check in and to share a few photos. It’s cold and rainy here, in the 40’s, so I haven’t set foot outside the door since I arrived. They are in a pretty area though as you can see from these photos, all of which are views from the house.

I have baby photos, of course, and various things I want to share so these will be coming as I get time to sort through things. And, I will be here a while so we will be getting out and about later on. Right now though most of the time is spent supporting the new parents, cuddling the baby, and even watching a bit of TV. (they have cable! :D) Both of my daughters are doing great with their new babies and I couldn’t be more proud of them.

When there is a bit of sun, I love how it shines through this tree.

When there is a bit of sun, I love how it shines through this tree.

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Chasing Bubbles

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

There won’t be much about Panama for a while since I am currently in the US with family. But, since this blog is about my day to day life, now you will hear mostly about grandchildren!

I am with my older daughter who has a 2 1/2 year old boy and a newborn daughter. Babies are wonderful and this one is beautiful, but for taking photos it is the boy who is the most interesting since he is in almost constant motion. One of his fun activities is blowing and chasing bubbles.

We started with the bubbles in the backyard one afternoon.

This bubble gun is pretty cool and he knows how to work it.
Blowing bubbles from the wand is also fun.
Even more fun is chasing the bubbles that Joel blows.
There was much blowing of bubbles, chasing, running, shouting, and squeals of excitement that afternoon!

My daughter’s neighborhood has this great park that wanders through the neighborhood, containing a playground, flowers, walkways, streams, and fields for people to run and play. It’s a favorite place to go on a nice day.

We walk along the path in the park, chasing bubbles along the way.
Alexander, another friendly kid in the park, wanted to show my grandson his favorite secret places near the stream.
Climbing over logs near the stream is always fun.
OK, onward we go following daddy.
Playtime in the field!
Dad has the great wand that makes big bubbles.
I can do it!
big bubble
Down the slide, and off and running
I am not supposed to kick dirt, or wood chips, or gravel, or anything but it is so irresistible.
Swinging is another wonderful thing

We also had a lovely outing to the St. Francis Winery on Sunday afternoon. Along with beautiful scenery, wine, and cheese there were of course, bubbles!

There is a beautiful statue of St Francis near the entrance to the winery.
This plaque tells about the Italian bell above the entrance.
The back terrace, and bubbles everywhere!
Joel reaches for a floating bubble as he hangs out with the baby.
Chasing bubbles is such fun!
The baby is happy to sleep through all of it.
There were a couple really interesting windmills.
I should have taken a video to show how beautiful the windmills are in motion.
The kids liked the fountain and water pool
Hanging out by the water. I’m getting a bit more acclimated but I still need a number of layers of insulation.
We got the idea to switch the hats around
I have daddy’s hat and he has mine!

I am just here to enjoy the family, play with the kids, and help out a bit around the house but it is surprising how fast the days are flying by. I’d rather watch Pooh, Monsters, and Sesame Street with my grandson than work on the computer, and I’ll hold the baby when she needs an extra pair of hands to cuddle and rock. My grandson is going to Montessori school so he needs to be dropped off and picked up, and there are the usual shopping and errands and chores.

This all gives me a taste of what it is like for so many young families in the USA –  Get up, feed and dress everyone, get kids out the door with back packs and lunch boxes, and hopefully shoes and socks, and then go to work (though my daughter’s current work is 24/7 newborn care). Before you know it, it’s time to pick up kids, prepare snacks and dinner, spend a few quality minutes before bath and bedtime, prepare for tomorrow, fall into bed hopefully to sleep a bit before doing it all again the next day.  It is the rare family who can afford to have one parent home full time, and it is the rare family who has extended family nearby providing daycare and support. Few jobs have the flexibility for part time work or flexible hours, so parents are juggling a lot and trying to make it all work with little time to care for themselves. There are no one size fits all solutions, but I wish there was more support and understanding for families. Thankfully both of my daughters have good jobs, and great husbands who are very involved and hands on with the responsibilities of parenting and caring for the household, but it’s still a lot.

I’m not sure how I got from bubbles to the state of families in the US, but here we are. Nap time will be over soon so I will sign off for now, but pictures of fun outings to a children’s museum are probably coming next.

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Travels, Family, Kids, and Babies

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

I am currently in the USA with family. I have lots of pictures of my grandson, the new baby, and other family and California things but we have been having too much fun to spend much time sorting photos and writing. But, little by little I will check in as time allows.

Today is about baby’s first bath! She’s a lovely, calm baby who spends quite a bit of time just looking at the world between naps. I can’t wait to see what she is like as she grows. Big brother is being very good with her and generally taking things in stride in spite of a new school, new sibling, and all the grandparents invading his peaceful home.

Amy got this really pretty bathing mat that looks like a flower and conforms to the shape of the sink.
What are they doing to me?!
OK, maybe I kind of like this
Getting all the creases and folds
Almost done
Big brother checks on his sister.

The baby is over two weeks old now, doing well and growing as expected. There has been regular washing up, of course, but people tend to wait a while before giving a newborn a bath in the water. Her delicate skin is still acclimating to the world.

All finished and getting dry
Clean, dry, and dressed!

So, this was the Sunday afternoon excitement but not by any means the only thing going on. I have a more photos of my grandson who is very active and provides a wealth of photo ops as he engages in his favorite games. I love my life in Panama but I’m also thankful that it allows enough disposable income to buy tickets to come back and visit my family! It is a very special time for all of us.

All that bathing can wear out a girl.

All that bathing can wear out a girl.

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Be Careful of the Lemon Tree

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

I am currently in California (more on this to come!) but I had a few photos from before I left so I’m using my free time to catch up.

There is a lemon tree just outside of our neighborhood and it makes huge, delicious lemons. The fruit is just starting to ripen so on my way home I often stop by to look for fruit on the ground.

The fruit is huge, but it tastes like the lemons we are used to in the USA and makes great lemonade. The peel can also be eaten and doesn’t have the bitter taste of most lemon peels. The tree, however, is full of large, sharp thorns on branches that reach to the ground, so one must use caution when touching it. I have a pair of clippers on my bike because sometimes fruit falls under the tree and I have to clear a spot to get my arm through to reach it, and I’d rather not get all scratched up in the process.

Joel and I were both out one day and he shook the tree to see if any of the ripe looking fruit above would fall. The only thing he got though was a wasp sting! The other day we were both there again, and I found the tiny nest hidden in the leaves. I haven’t seen one before with this interesting reddish color.

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It’s just a little nest of very little wasps that normally aren’t a bother, but if you disturb them one or two is likely to come out and ask you to move away (ouch). Thankfully though they don’t come out in a crowd like can happen with some bees and wasps.

We were also looking in the center of the tree and saw this very interesting sight.

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These look like wasps, but not of any sort I have ever seen before. I can’t tell if this is a nest or just a ball of insects all clinging to each other. The white things are their bodies, and the rest of the wasp is brown. Joel was clipping right below them to remove enough thorns to get to a couple fruits under the tree and the wasps made no attempt to come after either of us. I just noticed them because they were flying around from the disturbance, but they quickly settled down into their ball again when we backed off.

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This is what the fruit looks like. I put a couple normal size bananas next to them for size reference. The are big! When I first saw them I thought they might be grapefruit. When I get back to Panama the tree should be in full production. We also have a couple loaded limon trees in our own backyard that are almost ready, so there will be no shortage of lemonade in the coming months.

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Marvelous Pork

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

I’ve written in the past about my friend Cedo’s finca (farm) in Cuesta de Piedra. She mainly manages the dairy cattle, but there are also pigs on the farm. They belong to her son Harry who lives in Panama City.

These piglets seemed excited that I was visiting them. Cedo explained that they have to stay in their area or they create havoc and destroy/eat everything within reach.

The pigs are being raised for meat. I heard that some were going to be sold so I put in my order for one. Another family member was put in charge of coordinating the job, and soon after the appointed time he showed up at my house with the pig, in three huge pieces!

I learned later that when a Panamanian buys a pig this is how it is delivered. The person is then expected to chop it up with a meat cleaver or machete. But, I know nothing about chopping up pork. It arrived late in the day and I wasn’t going to spend the night learning so in the freezer it went, with promises that a guy with the proper equipment would solve the problem the next day.

As with many things Panamanian and a busy guy with a lot on his plate, it was a few days before the problem was solved. I was directed to a store here in town where Alexander, the owner, had the necessary equipment.

El Palacio de la Carne

El Palacio de la Carne

As with most things, there are silver linings. This looks like a very good store to buy meat. It was spotlessly clean with no smells. The people were very nice and even gave us coffee while we waited.

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If you want to find this place, it’s on Ave 8a Oeste and Calle B Sur, on the corner across from the Hotel Imperial.

Here are the boards with the prices and cuts of meat.

This guy is definitely used to dealing with meat. Each of our pieces was more than 35 pounds, and he picked up two of them like they were nothing and carried them into the back room. The meat was frozen which we were told is easier for cutting, but also limits the amount of finesse that can be used to get various cuts of meat.

The cutting equipment was in the back room
He tackles one of our pieces

In a very short time, we all the pork neatly sliced, bagged, and returned to the back of our car!

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We had no idea what we were going to get. We are used to the various cuts of meat from the USA but here things are often cut differently. Little did we know that eventually we’d come home with everything in neat, one inch slices. There are pork chops like the ones in the first and last pictures, ribs are in the second picture, and there are also other slices that look like the other pictures below. We tried one of the bigger slices and though it wasn’t as tender as the chops, it certainly was delicious.

Of course, after thinking about this pork for days as soon as we got the sliced meat home we had to cook some for lunch. Oh my goodness!! It was absolutely delicious. Panamanians also cut the fat into little pieces and fry that. I’m sure it’s totally illegal for anyone who is trying to limit their fat intake but it sure is good.

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I think this might be the best pork we’ve had. It’s a good thing since we have 108 pounds of it and are going to be eating it for a long time. (Oh, and by the way, we paid $2/lb for the pork and weren’t charged for cutting it up. Maybe the guy who delivered it worked it out with the shop since he felt bad about the misunderstanding.) We recently bought a freezer for the pork but I think it’s going to be very useful for other things as well. I have ideas about raising more chickens. There may be some beef coming from the farm. And, I’ve gotten very good at picking up fruit around town which can also be saved in the freezer.

Life is good in Panama, and we eat very well!

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A Last Painting

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

The time for my trip back to the USA is coming soon, and I have finished the last painting I plan to take with me. This one is a gift for the granddaughter who is coming in November.

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I think I like this one the best of what I have done so far. I feel like I learn a bit more with each painting. While I am gone I can sketch and think about future projects, and decide what I want to tackle when I return. I feel like I want to just paint more to sharpen my skills but at some point, I can see moving in a more abstract direction. We shall see.

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