Avocado Lime Pie by Zipline

While shopping at Luperon market in Playas del Coco, we came across some giant double-sized avocados. These bright green monster size avocados are grown locally in Costa Rica.  Their skin stays light green even when ripe.  They are Florida avocados or Dominican avocados.  The more popular type of avocado (skin becomes dark green / almost black when ripe) is the Hass avocado.

The bright green avocado was so big that after we had sliced half of it on our burgers, we still had the other half remaining.

We had tried avocado lime pie at DIWO restaurant on our 19th anniversary in Playa Chiquita.  We decided to try to make our own avocado lime pie.

Here's what we did:

Crust:  

2 packages of vanilla cookies with lime icing 

2 Tbsp shredded coconut

1 Tbsp melted butter

We crushed the cookies (8 in total) and added the coconut and butter, pressed down slightly and placed in a (10 x 15 cm) plastic dish in the freezer while we prepared the filling.  

Filling:

1 Hass avocado (or 1/2 of a giant costa rica avocado)

1 Tbsp lime zest

Juice of 3 small limes (1/4 C?)

10 fresh mint leaves

1/4 C icing sugar

1 Tbsp of melted butter

Blend until smooth and pour over crust.  Freeze overnight.

Cut into 4 slices when frozen, allow to thaw 5 minutes before serving.

Reading...by Twy's Twavels

A few of my reads...and my thoughts on them:

At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider
I saw a friend reading this book earlier this year...and it piqued my interest as its a book about a family of five (kids ages 9, 6 and 4) as they take nine months to travel the world together.  They literally went around the world - China, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, various countries in Africa, Croatia/Turkey, and finally a bunch of locations in Europe.

So - back in June, I put a hold on it via Overdrive.  Well...6 months later it was my turn (finally).  Thankful for the anticipation of a good book while we travel.

It was great to hear the perspective of another family with a similar view as ours about time together, travel and adventure.  World-schooling and travel do go together.  They were truthful about their hard times and the struggles on their marriage and parenting - which helped me feel like I wasn't alone.  I again pondered the intentions we had for this year and concluded that we are accomplishing the overriding goals.  We decided to slow down our pace compared to theirs which means we don't see as much, but we are more settled during the travel which was important to us.

We've been noticing the value of our travels already.  The other day, here in Costa Rica, we met a tourist from Montreal.  Meritt was able to chat with her quite in-depth about the many parts of Montreal that he enjoyed during our time there.  Maelle enjoys talking about her love for Prince Edward Island and the reasons she wants to move there.  It is great to hear that other families want to travel with their children so that they can know their world better.  Great read!

You Can't Make Me (But I can be Persuaded) by Cynthia Tobias

I continually enjoy finding books about parenting...I certainly don't have it all figured out!  This book spoke truth to me.  The author writes as a strong-will child herself and is able to share from her research the importance of how a person may think and feel.  It gave suggestions and ideas of ways to find common-ground.  I have become more aware of the strong-willed people in my life and how I can love better.

Reframe by Brian Hardin and Re(union) by Bruxy Cavey

Two book about life without religion...and how Jesus came to reframe our rules and reunite us to His love and relationship.  Bruxy writes the following:

THE GOSPEL IN THIRTY WORDS:

Jesus is God with us, come to

1. show us God’s love,
2. save us from sin,
3. set up God’s kingdom, and
4. shut down religion,

so we can share in God’s life.

Between Heaven and the Real World by Steven Curtis Chapman

His life story winds hope, grief, love and the passion of music together.  I cried as he wrote of the joy in the birth of his biological children and adopting two Girls from China...then the intensity of sorrows when his adopted Daughter dies in an unintentional accident caused by his older Son.  My own grief in the deaths of our Daughters was touched and small healing was found as he described his music again in the aftermath of sorrow.

Escape by Carolyn Jessop

A story of religion gone wrong in a fundamentalist Mormon community and the journey of one Woman to self-esteem and standing up for truth and her Children.

Heart of a Champion by Ellen Schwartz

Meritt was studying the Japanese internment camps during World War 2 in Social Studies.  I found this juvenile book to read with him.   It's a historical fiction story of great loss to Canadian citizens with Japanese heritage from the perspective of a 12 year old boy and his community.  This people group did not deserve the treatment given to them by the Canadian government and fellow Canadian citizens.  We were able to discuss policies that hurt, wrong ways of thinking, group anger against fellow-citizens, and ways that we can give of ourselves in times of wrongs against each other.

The Hidden Gifts of the Introvert by Marti Olsen Laney

A scientific read...with lots of 'ah-ha' moments as I pondered myself and my family as we relate to one another.  Just to name a few, I discovered my left-handed Boy may hear emotions, rather than words...and my more introvert-leaning Daughter may tend to constrict a variety of body functions when in a stressed situation without knowing it.  There is so much to digest in this one - and enjoy...I am becoming more ok with who I am as I tend towards introversion myself. 

A few more books on hold...here's what are coming next in my reading library:
Reading People by Anne Bogel
Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown
Option B by Sheryl Sandberg
Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado
Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst
Mindful Parenting by Mark Bertin

Santa and the Forces of Flight

In grade 6 science, I learned about the forces of flight.
I wondered, could Santa's sled really fly?

Lift - Lift is provided by the curved rails on the front of the sleigh.  Air traveling over the top of of the curved rails flows faster than the air slowing underneath the flat skis.  The fast flowing air passing over the rails has lower pressure than the air under the skis.  The difference in pressure creates lift.



Thrust -  On an airplane, thrust is produced by the propeller.  Santa's sleigh, however, is powered by 8 reindeer. 




Weight - This is a bit of problem, because Santa is well known to be a jolly old soul with a round belly due to his diet of milk and cookies.  Plus, there's the presents.


Drag - this is the force opposing the thrust provided by the reindeer.  The presents and the reindeer's horns and legs and are sources of drag.  Drag can be reduced by storing the presents in the rear of the sleigh and by hitching the reindeer together in a line.

 


If the four forces of flight are balanced, then an object is able to fly.  If the lift and the thrust of Santa's sleigh and reindeer are able to overcome the weight and the drag, then everyone gets presents delivered for Christmas.

An ordinary walk to town

I took my phone with me on what has become an ordinary walk to town.  Sometimes when you stop to take pictures along the way, you start to notice more of your surroundings.  Our condo is near Ocotal, about 3 km from the small town of Playas del Coco.   This was my walk to town this morning.

 I got the camera out and started taking pictures when I saw the cows grazing by the pool

golf cart parked at ninos del sol private school

golf carts are used as an alternative to cars 

 a local preschool

the ocotal hills

 options for fishing, sailing and diving

 a crumbling road leads over a bridge to the barrios

 whether its hand carved fence posts at a simple house or elaborate gates a condo complex, everyone has a fence

 some of the signs along the way

 an outdoor kitchen

a shoe repair store

 one of several small soda restaurants

 bicycle repair shop

 Raquel was our supplier of Christmas tamales

signs for fresh milk and a holistic medicine practitioner

Classification of Animals by Exotic Chicken

One part of grade 6 science is the classification of living things.
I used the science of taxonomy to study and classify 5 animals that we have seen in Costa Rica.

common name	Baltimore Oriole
scientific name	icterus galbula
kingdom	animal
phylum	vertebrate
class	bird
order
family
genus	icterus
species	galbula
Color	black,orange and white
Geographical location	Baltimore and area; Central America
Adaptations / Unique Features	Brightly colored feathers, distinct song Feeds on flower nectar

common Name	Howler monkey
scientific name	Alouatta
kingdom	animal
Phylum	vertebrate
class	Mammal
order	Primates
family	atelidae
genus	Alouatta
species	15 different species
Color	Black
Geographical location	Central america and south america
Adaptations / Unique Features	Grasping tail= Prehensile tail  loudest voice of all land mammals

common Name	Red eyed tree frog
scientific name	Agalychnis callidryas
kingdom	animal
Phylum	vertebrate
class	Amphibian
order	frog
family
genus	Agalychnis
species	callidryas
Color	Green,blue, and red
Geographical location	Rainforests in central america
Adaptations / Unique Features	Big red eyes are good for hunting at night.  Sticky Suction cup feet are good for gripping  slippery wet branches.

common Name	Beau Gregory damselfish
scientific name	Stegastes leucostictus
kingdom	animal
Phylum	vertebrate
class	fish
order
family	damselfish
genus	Stegastes
species	leucostictus
Color	Blue and yellow
Geographical location	Seabeds of the atlantic Ocean near coral reefs
Adaptations / Unique Features	Color changes with maturity