I have been waiting for developments, and I was getting to the point where I was considering postponing my next trip to the fall of 2012. But in a couple of days (last Friday and Saturday) - it seems that the wind has turned for the better, and things are shaping-up nicely for my next trip to Yucatan in late April!
First, a had a surprise phone call from a French music teacher who just arrived in Toronto, and she is looking for work. This is fantastic news, and if it works out I will be able to have my business growth right back on track by January, and end the year as mapped out in my business plan. I am meeting her on Thursday, and I have to make sure that she is a good fit for this job. If that goes well, it will open-up a new zone of operation for my business - in the East end of Toronto.
Also, I had hired a friend to do some telemarketing for me in July, calling a bunch of daycare centres to find out if some would like to receive information about Le Petit Atelier's music programs. She sent me back a short list of interested prospects, which I followed-up by email. From that marketing effort I have one new client so far, and two other are now requesting to meet with me. Looking good! It's a very good approach which I plan on repeating when the time comes to increase my client base. It cost me $135 for the telemarketing project - and I recoup that cost right away only with the first contract obtained. It works just fine for my business, and for me!
The other nice surprise is that I have a friend who wanted to celebrate her birthday in Telchac, organise a big gathering and rent a couple of houses on the beach, but she was planning that for late February - which is not possible for me because of the structure of my work year. I felt very bad about that and it was like a little dark cloud over my travel plans. But she has decided to move it all to match my availability - so the party will take place at the end of April - and suddenly I foresee that my trip will be much more festive! This makes me very happy.... We have started to plan, and I LOVE that part of course.
So now that things seem to line-up, it's time for me to introduce my business to the beautiful city of Merida. I will be sending a bunch of email to seek opportunities to teach in English and/or French and/or Spanish. If I can book a teacher training or some music classes in a private school, it will make that trip a perfect one. I do have to cover the cost of my flight, the deal I was offered ($60 to Cancun) is far from being secured since it has to be a last minute, and stand-by arrangement.
And I keep moving forward, one step after another, and one day at the time. Let's see where this leads me : )
Somewhere between Izamal and Sudzal, Yucatan.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
The Best Banana Bread Ever!!!!
Euraka! This is AMAZING Banana bread... and pretty simple... for a change : )
Banana Bread
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix 1/3 cup of melted butter into 3 or 4 ripe mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in 3/4 cup of sugar, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of baking soda and a pinch of salt over the mixture and mix in. Add 1 1/2 cup of flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
You can also ad some chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips when you add the flour. I always make a double recipe, and bake it in my 'crown' cake pan. It's super moist and yummy - enjoy!
Banana Bread
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix 1/3 cup of melted butter into 3 or 4 ripe mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in 3/4 cup of sugar, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of baking soda and a pinch of salt over the mixture and mix in. Add 1 1/2 cup of flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
You can also ad some chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips when you add the flour. I always make a double recipe, and bake it in my 'crown' cake pan. It's super moist and yummy - enjoy!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Kids Lunches Galore - Calzone!
Okay okay. Sharing kids lunches tricks may seem a bit boring to some - but I will stick to it because food is a nice comfort zone to explore. As I work to settle my business with a solid start for this new school year, I find that cooking is a great escape from the sales forecasts and financial planning. It keeps me grounded and focused when I get overwhelmed with business stuff, and I feel it's a good place to invest some good loving energy in my day. So hopefully, you will feel the need to escape into cooking too!
Last weekend, I made and froze 18 lunch size calzones (aka pizza pockets). There is not much to it really, I buy balls of pizza dough at my local grocery store, and look for fillings that my boys enjoy - like sausage, salami, and bacon. My oldest likes pesto, so I make a few just for him with pesto, mushrooms and chicken.
The key to make this a healthy lunch is to prepare your own pizza sauce. I chop one onion, a couple of carrots, a sweet potato, a zuchinni, and brocoli stems - and roast it all in a pot with some garlic and basil, and salt to taste. When the veggies start to soften I put a little water, just to cover the bottom of the pot, cover and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
I add 4 to 6 chopped tomatoes - or about a cup of tomato coulis, and let it all simmer until the veggies are cooked and soft. I let it cool a little, and put it all in the blender until smooth. It you find that the sauce is too clear or runny, return it to the pot and let it simmer some more - uncovered.
Separate the dough and form balls - a bit smaller than a tennis ball. Roll them to get nice circles of about 6" or 7" across.
When you prepare the calzones, spread one or two generous spoons of the veggie puree right in the centre of the rolled dough, instead of the usual pizza sauce. Add your favorite fillings - all meat must be cooked and chopped - and don't forget the cheese! (mozzarella). To seal them up, I always wet the border of the dough before I fold them, to ensure that it will seal properly and avoid possible content leaks. Poke the top so that steam can escape - and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. I always use parchment paper to line the cookie sheet when I bake.
I let them cool - then I place them in zip locks bags - and I put them in the fridge. Once they are cold, I move them to the freezer.
To warm them up, I place two calzones in the micro wave for 5 minutes, and move them to the oven at 350F for 15 to 20 minutes for a golden and crisp finish. Kids love it!
Last weekend, I made and froze 18 lunch size calzones (aka pizza pockets). There is not much to it really, I buy balls of pizza dough at my local grocery store, and look for fillings that my boys enjoy - like sausage, salami, and bacon. My oldest likes pesto, so I make a few just for him with pesto, mushrooms and chicken.
The key to make this a healthy lunch is to prepare your own pizza sauce. I chop one onion, a couple of carrots, a sweet potato, a zuchinni, and brocoli stems - and roast it all in a pot with some garlic and basil, and salt to taste. When the veggies start to soften I put a little water, just to cover the bottom of the pot, cover and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
I add 4 to 6 chopped tomatoes - or about a cup of tomato coulis, and let it all simmer until the veggies are cooked and soft. I let it cool a little, and put it all in the blender until smooth. It you find that the sauce is too clear or runny, return it to the pot and let it simmer some more - uncovered.
Separate the dough and form balls - a bit smaller than a tennis ball. Roll them to get nice circles of about 6" or 7" across.
When you prepare the calzones, spread one or two generous spoons of the veggie puree right in the centre of the rolled dough, instead of the usual pizza sauce. Add your favorite fillings - all meat must be cooked and chopped - and don't forget the cheese! (mozzarella). To seal them up, I always wet the border of the dough before I fold them, to ensure that it will seal properly and avoid possible content leaks. Poke the top so that steam can escape - and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. I always use parchment paper to line the cookie sheet when I bake.
I let them cool - then I place them in zip locks bags - and I put them in the fridge. Once they are cold, I move them to the freezer.
To warm them up, I place two calzones in the micro wave for 5 minutes, and move them to the oven at 350F for 15 to 20 minutes for a golden and crisp finish. Kids love it!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Telchac Dream
I had a very nice dream a few nights ago... I was In Telchac Puerto. I was there with my mother who was spending one week with me, and I was to stay there for three months. I was Susan's guest (she is the home manager we rented a couple of houses from in January and February, and she is also the fundraiser for Telchac Education. We seem to hit is off and get along right away, one of these nice unexpected friendly encounters). We were in a beach house, and there was a strange routine that all the neighbours took part in... they would all go swimming at sunrise, and the town fishermen would gather nearby on their boats. They were trowing shrimps overboard to the swimmers, who were catching them with delight... a very strange playtime which I chose to not join for the moment. I was feeling very happy to just be there, so comfortable and relaxed... glad to be with people who share my fond interest and attachment to the place. And then I remembered that I had forgotten to tell Tim and the boys that I would not be home for three months. Big woopsy!
This dream has been on my mind since, and I think it's a very plain and simple picture of my reality. As much as I want to go back and spend more time in Yucatan in the coming years, I am very likely to do it alone. Tim is not into the idea, he did give it a good try - and I am grateful for the fact that he did step out of his comfort zone to follow me to Mexico for a 3 month trek. Tim and the boys would like to go back for visits of course, but not for the long stays I have in mind. It's difficult to not be able to share this goal with my family, but I will find compromises to still make it happen.
I am still hoping to go in late April, and I am waiting to see how my business year develops. The little kinks I encountered do have an impact on my overall revenue, and I am still working on bringing things back to normal. I'm almost there!
This dream has been on my mind since, and I think it's a very plain and simple picture of my reality. As much as I want to go back and spend more time in Yucatan in the coming years, I am very likely to do it alone. Tim is not into the idea, he did give it a good try - and I am grateful for the fact that he did step out of his comfort zone to follow me to Mexico for a 3 month trek. Tim and the boys would like to go back for visits of course, but not for the long stays I have in mind. It's difficult to not be able to share this goal with my family, but I will find compromises to still make it happen.
I am still hoping to go in late April, and I am waiting to see how my business year develops. The little kinks I encountered do have an impact on my overall revenue, and I am still working on bringing things back to normal. I'm almost there!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Kids Lunches Galore - Burritos!
And so the fall begins, and school days make our weeks seem like we live on fast forward again. So far so good!
I have prepared some lunches for the freezer to facilitate the daily routine, but also to make sure that our boys eat good home made and non-processed food. It feels good to know every ingredient they have in their lunch box... Here is how I make burritos - the longest of all recipes! A bit tedious because I make everything from scratch (no canned beans or commercial salsa), but once the fillings are prepared it's easy to make a couple of dozens.
Chicken Burritos
-First, I cook a whole bag of black beans. Make sure to not put any salt or spices in the water when you cook dried beans, it would prevent them from getting nice and soft. Once they are cooked and cooled, put the beans in your blender with a little water - start with about half a cup and add more if needed - you are looking for the consistency of a creamy hummus. Season with some lemon juice, salt, one or two cloves of garlic, cumin, and chili powder to taste - blend until smooth.
-While the beans are simmering, I cook one whole chicken in the oven. I fill it with chopped onions and two or three heaping tablespoons of salt - rubbing the skin as well with salt and a little olive oil. It will eventually be deboned when cooked, so there is no need to roast it - keep it covered until it's fully cooked, and debone it. Chop the meat in small pieces and set aside.
-Still while the beans are simmering, and while the chicken is cooking - I cook a pot of rice, parboiled is fine, and I also season the rice with salt, chili powder and cook it in half water or chicken broth, and half tomato coulis.
-Finally, I make my own salsa by simply pan frying one chopped white onion, and once the onion is starting to soften - I add four to six chopped tomatoes (which I have emptied). A little salt, a little origano, and a little lemon juice, et voilà! But commercial salsa is just fine of course, especially organic salsa.
-Grate some cheese (medium cheddar), and line-up all the above ingredients to get ready for the assembly!
I use the large tortillas - easier to manipulate. I place 4 tortillas side by side and fill them in this order :
-Spread a spponfull of beans in the centre of the tortilla, leaving a wide edge all around (to avoid messy rolling and folding...).
-on the half closer to you, form a thick line of rice, and chicken (much like a thick caseless sausage).
-Top the rice and chicken with some salsa, and cheese.
To roll them : Lift the edge of the tortilla that is closer to you, and cover the line of filling - tightening it by pulling delicately towards you - and roll it forward about half a roll. Now fold both sides inward to enclose the sides, and finish rolling - still tightening by pulling the roll delicately towards you. It might take a bit of practice... adjusting the amount of content as you progress from one burrito to another. Thick is good - but too thick is impossible to seal properly.
Once they are rolled, I place 4 to 6 burritos in a large zip-loxk bag, and cool them in the fridge. Once they are cold, I transfer them to the freezer.
To heat them up, I place two frozen burritos in the micro wave for about 5 minutes, and transfer them to the oven at 350F for about 15 to 20 minutes - for a golden and crisp finish.
Buen provecho!
I have prepared some lunches for the freezer to facilitate the daily routine, but also to make sure that our boys eat good home made and non-processed food. It feels good to know every ingredient they have in their lunch box... Here is how I make burritos - the longest of all recipes! A bit tedious because I make everything from scratch (no canned beans or commercial salsa), but once the fillings are prepared it's easy to make a couple of dozens.
Chicken Burritos
-First, I cook a whole bag of black beans. Make sure to not put any salt or spices in the water when you cook dried beans, it would prevent them from getting nice and soft. Once they are cooked and cooled, put the beans in your blender with a little water - start with about half a cup and add more if needed - you are looking for the consistency of a creamy hummus. Season with some lemon juice, salt, one or two cloves of garlic, cumin, and chili powder to taste - blend until smooth.
-While the beans are simmering, I cook one whole chicken in the oven. I fill it with chopped onions and two or three heaping tablespoons of salt - rubbing the skin as well with salt and a little olive oil. It will eventually be deboned when cooked, so there is no need to roast it - keep it covered until it's fully cooked, and debone it. Chop the meat in small pieces and set aside.
-Still while the beans are simmering, and while the chicken is cooking - I cook a pot of rice, parboiled is fine, and I also season the rice with salt, chili powder and cook it in half water or chicken broth, and half tomato coulis.
-Finally, I make my own salsa by simply pan frying one chopped white onion, and once the onion is starting to soften - I add four to six chopped tomatoes (which I have emptied). A little salt, a little origano, and a little lemon juice, et voilà! But commercial salsa is just fine of course, especially organic salsa.
-Grate some cheese (medium cheddar), and line-up all the above ingredients to get ready for the assembly!
I use the large tortillas - easier to manipulate. I place 4 tortillas side by side and fill them in this order :
-Spread a spponfull of beans in the centre of the tortilla, leaving a wide edge all around (to avoid messy rolling and folding...).
-on the half closer to you, form a thick line of rice, and chicken (much like a thick caseless sausage).
-Top the rice and chicken with some salsa, and cheese.
To roll them : Lift the edge of the tortilla that is closer to you, and cover the line of filling - tightening it by pulling delicately towards you - and roll it forward about half a roll. Now fold both sides inward to enclose the sides, and finish rolling - still tightening by pulling the roll delicately towards you. It might take a bit of practice... adjusting the amount of content as you progress from one burrito to another. Thick is good - but too thick is impossible to seal properly.
Once they are rolled, I place 4 to 6 burritos in a large zip-loxk bag, and cool them in the fridge. Once they are cold, I transfer them to the freezer.
To heat them up, I place two frozen burritos in the micro wave for about 5 minutes, and transfer them to the oven at 350F for about 15 to 20 minutes - for a golden and crisp finish.
Buen provecho!
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