Free Range Friday

I was walking by Holistica Aimee yesterday when the chalkboard caught my eye because of the word tempeh on it. Tempeh, a food made from soy that my daughter Michelle introduced me to many years ago, is one of those foods that sounds really unappetizing and tastes delicious. If you are thinking of the blandness of tofu - which is a palette to build on for those of us who like it, think again. Tempeh would be more akin, in a cheesy metaphor, to a mild blue cheese rather than queso blanco. But of course, that still doesn't tell you how it really tastes, as that would be up to your taste buds. And now, on Culebra, we can/you can to go to Holistica Aimee and buy some!

The tempeh sold there is made by Lightlife. Not just a plain tempeh, this one adds wild rice, a perfect marriage for all flavors involved. Now, truthfully, not having had tempeh for a long, long time and the tempeh I used to get being freshly made, I wasn't sure I really would even still like it. But the price was good, one of those "Well, if I don't like it I won't be feeling like I blew a wad of cash on it" self-argument clinchers, so I bought it, with high hopes.

Oh my!! I hope Dian plans to keep a good supply in there because this stuff is addictive! She suggested I go easy on soy (I used the tamari I also bought...another really great priced deal) as the tempeh itself has salt in it,

 so that's what I did, using not quite a whole tablespoon, along with the same amount of olive oil, in preparing three snack sized slices.

7 or 8 minutes at best (half of that on each side) over a medium heat, and wa la...instant snack that left me wanting more but filled me up at the same time.

I took it outside to offer it to the rain gods...

and was rewarded with a few drops! We all agreed: Delicious!

To make a real meal out of tempeh, I would go with a recipe I found on Recipezaar for Greek Tempeh Pitas to start with. First of all, I love Greek food and all of the flavors seem like they would go really well with this. Since I don't have any pitas, I could use tortillas, which seem to multiply in my refrigerator over time. But for getting this done this morning, I'll just let you check out the recipe yourselves! Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now for the really exciting news!!! I GOT THE GIFT CAMERA!!! First, it was not a camera I was expecting. Instead it was the camera I'd been lusting after for quite a long time. I opened it at the cart and was working very hard to go slow and not lose anything, as it was the complete enchilada of a camera gift. But soon enough (2 minutes) I had the batteries and card in and started clicking. Oh, that familiar feeling. This is the updated version of what I was using before, and completely love after a LOT of research into trying to talk myself into other cameras. And there it was, thanks to Angie and Blaise, whom some of you met on their visit here to Grady and Walt. I hope I do you two proud and bring you Culebra over and over again out there in Colorado! A huge thanks to Kim for letting me use her camera while I was camera nekkid! I imagine my own camera will be back from the hospital someday...maybe when my phone actually works again...

Here are some random shots of the afternoon.

Down the canal on a beautiful day

A cute Yorkie 

(poor woman had to listen to my 'I'm too happy for my sandals' 

camera joy babble, bless her heart)

Saying so long as the cargo/passengerized ferry was heading out

Looking out to Dakity in the late afternoon - Semana Santa full

Same shot, an hour later...who took the horizon?

Checking on the chicks, Mama still trying to keep her babies, Cheep and Chirp under wing

(I'm not sure what happened with this shot, I took it almost touching the wire netting, which somehow sort of disappeared...whatever happened, I liked it!)

The sky is clouded over, and there are specks of rain on the radar; maybe maybe? We've gotten about a thimbleful so far since last night. More please (for Terrie's sake, it can wait until this evening if it MUST).