ah, my little coconut bread! my friend, how i've missed you!

so when asked what was the best thing to come out of coronavirus 2020, i will be able to say: PAN de COCO! i've always been slightly hesitant to do breads because...i don't know...yeast? flour? ew...i do not love the feeling of sticky dough on my flesh. gag. but oh my. i suppose you just have to weigh out the pros and cons and figure out some good tips and tricks, because: HOW HAVE I NOT MADE THIS BEFORE NOW?!😍 alright. thank goodness i made a half-batch, because i would make myself sick eating it! yes, so in making a half batch, of course one must halve all of the ingredients...i'm just bad with fractions, so what did i do? i may or may not have pulled up Istation Math Teacher Station and used the digital tools to figure out my measurements. #dontjudge if you are still in school, life lesson: this is a real life math scenario! #stayinschool (only you can't...covid19)

i'm just gonna' say it, we have the coolest math tools and the math instruction would've helped me, ask ms. smallwood...

i was pleasantly surprised (ok, fake surprise because i'd recvd a tracking e-mail) when my istation t-shirt arrived at the front door! woohoo! then when we walked to the mailbox, i had a package in the box, and a key to get a package from the bigger mail lock-boxes! the smaller package contained a 'creamer' that kinda' does taste like birthday cake, and the bigger package was my #1 from Hunt a Killer series! (i'd received #2 and #3, but the first one hadn't come, so i couldn't begin). i will be looking forward to this one! there is still a half-finished mystery over at shea's because we all go busy last fall and never found a chance to get back together to finish.

t-shirt: we've got your back, birthday cake creamer-yes! who doesn't want to celebrate their birthday year round in the form of coffee?! and to hunt a killer, because it's good to keep the brain sharp...and you never know when you might need them skills #murderino #ssdgm

i probably shouldn't have tried the prymal coffee creamer, because it was already 3:00pm and it may affect my sleeping pattern...yikes. oh well, it seems like such a minor...(until 2am rolls around and i'm wide awake). but it IS delish, so well-worth it. i think the serving size is 4 tsp, but i only used 2 in an over-sized cup, and it was plenty, so don't let that calorie count scare you!

**danger alert** i may have just had another coconut bread roll** i.can't.stop.myself.

and today was the 2nd company-wide "virtual happy hour" via ZOOM. last week and this week- it has been an interesting experiment! it's fun when you are in a breakout room with people you know and converse easily with...it is a little awkward when you know almost no one in a room, but a good chance to get to know people and what they do..kinda' like looking at the brady bunch of work colleagues and wondering, "hmm...which one could be a potential serial killer...or who would make the best serial killer...or who would play the best serial killer in a movie..." i mean, there's a lot of routes you could go! next week maybe the internal question will be: WHO in this breakout room: who would be the MOST likely to survive a quicksand pit? escape headhunters? (sorry...gilligan's island). anyhoo, it was good to see my people! even if it meant being on the computer for an extra hour...maybe next week we start an hour later on friday. i also think i need to come up with a list of questions or silly anecdotal things to talk about because dead space is seems like a virtual faux pas. 

i was hoping that my mermaid's pies and produce would be open, but they seem to be closed- i may swing by tomorrow just to double check! they make the best lobster rolls in the area, and i am a huge fan! they are also well known for their award-winning pies! i've tried a variety of slices. my favorite to date has been the coconut creme!! LOVE! i need to order their brie and caramelized onion quiche, because it's been awhile, and i know what i like!! they seriously do have the best lobster rolls! i don't even bother with the seafood festivals for lobster rolls anymore, because sometimes you go someplace and nothing really compares! they do the traditional as well as the ct style -hot with melted butter, both on toasted roll- large chunks of lobster- always freshly made. #hugefan

look at the size of those lobster pieces!!

if they are not open, i will probably make some shrimp and scallop coconut thai soup again, because that stuff...woah! i may make enough to take a taste over to shea and patrick. we'll see if that works. 

this morning i did get up early and went for that walk- i have been lazy the last couple days. so today i drove over to cortez village and parked at the park/museum and walked through the neighborhood (cute little fishing neighborhood), and then across the drawbridge and down the main beach sidewalk, barely into the park before i had to turn around and come back. well worth it, and a nice different change of scenery!

he was getting ready to fly away, then he sensed that i wanted a pic, so he put his wings back for a minute, gave me the sideways glance..the "get-on-with-it" glance, and once i'd taken my shot he flew off! love me some pelicans! (mostly because i don't own a dock, so i don't have to deal with pelican poo).

not sure what this weekend will hold, it may be very chill. i may be going to the store to get more flour, skim milk and whatever else i need to make more bread- bread that i will share.

i was awake SUPER early this morning, and i was thinking about the things that we take for granted, and my list was so simplistic yesterday. truth is, even our 'poverty' got NOTHIN' on some people around the globe. when i lived in HONDURAS, we would visit some of our churches out in the smaller mountain villages, and they would take us to their one-room home with dirt floor where they keep their dishes in a suitcase in a corner..i don't even remember how many brothers and sisters lived here with the parents, but one room. how can they social distance?...obviously not every family was this 'poor', but those experiences have never left me. i have AC, washer, drier, two t.v.s (i'm single...), cable, android, 2 work devices and 3 personal tech devices, a go-pro, camera, more than 2 pair of shoes, more than 5 outfits, a refrigerator, stove, microwave, multiple kitchen appliances i seldom use...and that's just the tip of the iceberg...please just take a look around your home and think about the 'things' that you have that you take for granted. the reason it even hit me was because it is easy for me to 'shelter in place' i can buy food and freeze it or preserve it...i have running water and electricity...i can cook food...i can wash my clothes and take showers...I CAN WASH MY HANDS 50 TIMES A DAY... again. be grateful that you are even able to read this on the internet on whatever device you have...for that matter, be grateful that you can read! you are richer than you know.

blessings-
julie

eat your produce and i'll eat my coconut bread

alright, here's your PSA for the day: use your produce that you bulk-purchased awhile back because it's about to turn if it hasn't already! (speaking to myself).

i did get out for lunch today with these two yahoos... it was a quick trip to the post box to find a post card about what steps i should be taking to curb the spread. #doingmypart

as you can see, i told them to look away from the camera. not really, but they do this every time i don't prompt them with a treat. it's almost like they are trying to train me to bring treats. 

 as i mentioned before, i fear that we may have waited too long to close those beaches (and when i say we, i had nothing to do with it...no vote on the matter, don't blame me), but yeah, i'm afraid the beaches could easily have been a spreading ground...who knows. and i have been lazy the past couple days...i think tomorrow i make an effort to get up early and do a little cortez village/drawbridge walk. it's time. oh, the things we take for granted.

the county did decide to close the part of emerson point where people were gathering on the beach, which i never made it to. i guess it's all the way down the main road, but i usually just  walk the trails. it seems that there were a lot of people trying to gather there since the beaches were closed, so that's fair, as long as they leave the trails open...

so i said i was going backward a bit. last week on thursday, i did a little panic breakfast, because a. i couldn't remember how long peachey's was going to be in town, and b. see a. i mean....donut/pretzel truck falls under essentials, right? i submit that yes, yes as a matter of fact, it does. #needs and they did say that they planned to be coming to our local ace hardware parking lot on thursdays through april...if things go as planned they'll be able to head back out to the festivals and fairs. i hope this is the case.

my krytonite. #covidweakness

i received my special purchase (let's be honest we all been 'special-purchasing' on amazon and blaming it on coronavirus...i see you!) so yes, my special purchase arrived. i am going to be pretty excited about this if a month or two down the way it's as good as it touts itself to be... i got the SIMPLEFRESH shampoo and conditioner bars! i tried them, and they do lather up as promised, and have a lovely minty smell (the ones i chose), they are the sulfate-free, which if this works as expected, i will be able to travel without tsa fear, and no spillage! i'm about 3-4 months past time for my brazilian blowout! but now it gets strategic. i am going against what i know i should do. i plan to cut it now-gives plenty of time for it to grow out before i see anyone...and wait until it gets closer to the 'un-locking of the lock-down' in which groups of 10 or more can congregate to use product and do the actual blowout process- until then we'll stick with messy bun + headband. but let's just be real, even once life has been unlocked, i don't even know a group of 10 here to congregate with... mine would be a group of at most 6. maybe at that point we just adopt a few random unknowns to join the group just for a 're-congregation' event. yeah, no. but yes, so i like the bars so far (see how i took us back?), and i will let you know after a couple months if hair is healthy or not!

you'll be happy to know that i did cook up my spaghetti squash today, and plan to continue eating that tomorrow (single issues-must eat multiple meals of the same thing so it doesn't go to waste). but i like it, so all's well. i still have more produce to get on the plate...i suppose i can freeze the spinach if need be to make smoothies later. we'll see where we are in a day or two!

oh! i also did my 90 second keto bread, but i modified the recipe- i recommend using the original. yes. quinoa flour is a bit more dense than almond flour. so next time i will stick with the almond flour, perhaps use a little more baking powder, and i think oil works better than butter...but i still ate it! just so you know, in the past, i have tried it with coconut flour as well, and it was also dense. but i do like the idea of making fresh mini-loaves, because if you have the raw ingredients, you can make it and eat it.

size-palm of your hand

made in a mug

speaking of bread, my friend from a lifetime ago back in HONDURAS posted something MUCH BETTER return visit home! anyhoo, i saw the recipe, and tonight i went through the pantry to see if i have the necessary ingredients, and i think i do! i need this. (don't judge, coconut bread is like paradise for me...it truly is amazing how smells and tastes can transport you to a different time and place...and take a toll on your waist and thighs. #cursescoronavirus for giving us so much down time).
today that immediately made my ears perk up and my mouth was watering! coconut bread, ya'all! in fact the last time i mentioned coconut bread was back when i was planning my

before i close it down, just take a moment to think about the things that you take  took for granted. moving freely. not worrying when someone coughed or sneezed. shaking hands. hugs. toilet paper. not worrying about the next paycheck (if that is not an issue for you right now, consider yourself blessed and pray for those who are, because it is THE ONLY THING on their mind). now, for those of you in the U.S. know that we are much more fortunate than so many countries, and think about the fact that even before the world-wide pandemic, and so many countries enforcing some sort of quarantine, many countries have issues that we have not had to suffer, like having certain confines for the sake of safety, be it due to gangs, rogue governments, sickness, terrorism, fill in the blank...the fact that we have costcos, walmarts, targets, sam's clubs, amazon...this is not a luxury for everyone. be grateful for what you have, and be empathetic for those in less fortunate circumstances. #prayforall

well, i do think that will wrap it up for tonight! best to everyone-
julie

travel plans..check! put that in your pipe and smoke it...george did!

***spotty internet connection-i think i will have to change vendors when i return! i wanted to post this last night, but i couldn't get pics to upload, and then when i did, they wouldn't save...grr.

 so between finishing the post last night and right now, i was practicing with the timer on the camera-remember the new camera? well, i got some lens filters and a battery and an sd card with a greater capacity-i will try not to take more than 2000 pics while i'm on vacation...hmm.

so it took while i was trying to pick up chaco-note his ears are back. he was yelling at me...something about being used for commercial purposes, and that if he wasn't going to get paid to be a model, he didn't think he should offer his services for free... jerk.

oh my goodness!

i've been thinking about this post all day!! i am still smiling. let's begin with the fact that i have not been a big skyper nor have i hung out in google very much...that said...it may become a more common occurrence because seeing and hearing my 'little sis' in HONDURAS last night just about made my heart burst open! i am dying to meet her family and honestly, even if we both had laryngitis and couldn't talk (not likely), it'd be ok because proximity is everything! just to sit in the presence of an adored friend would be enough! but we know that won't be the case-time cannot fly fast enough!

my near future includes some of my oldest and dearest friends. even writing that gives me this strange ache of endearment that reaches to the very core of my being-which may sound strange, but
that's ok; i hold my friends from this era of my life in very high esteem-i was the one who was different and it would've been easy to not fit in, but i was accepted unconditionally. that is something that you cannot put a value on, and i am excited to rebuild some of those friendships-so to those with whom i have been able to be in touch with recently, please know that you are priceless to me!

so for now, the plan is beach, ferry to roatan, a few days in roa (hopefully seeing a dear friend there as well), then back to san pedro sula. hopefully while at the beach, i will be able to see another precious friend who has moved there. (i am going to be dreaming about coconut bread and coffee from right now until i arrive). while in sps, i hope to see some of the old haunts, and what all has changed.

then there is a strong likelihood that i will be headed out to copan with kika (we became instant friends in 8th grade when i had difficulties with the zipper on my uniform skirt after gym...she's my favorite cow, i'm pretty sure i'm still her favorite pig)...i am super excited to meet her kiddos and her husband! hopefully we'll get to visit with the parental units as well!

it feels good to have some of those plans and details checked off-again, as i type this, i am smiling from ear to ear and i cannot believe that i'm going home! if there are things we miss out on this time around, it will be ok, because as i said before, this won-t be a one-time adventure.

so i may have gone out today and made some 'must' purchases. understand that these aren't one-time-use purchases...i am already thinking about the next!

the suitcase is nicer than any i've invested in before...there are just so many stinkin zippers everywhere!

this was a key piece that i wanted to get because it's smaller-since i won't be toting a gun around, it will be perfect...i love that it is reinforced with wire-it reminds me of a bus ride back from a restaurant one night on a bus, when a man cut my mom's purse open and stole something out of it..(the chicken she had wrapped up to take home) and she had no idea until we got home. so yeah, there's that-no one be takin my food...

  i finished registering for jury duty-boo. time to get the princess leia outfit ready. (thank you tina fey). last week of school...ugh.

and last but not least, let me share with you the curious george big book that we received. my principal gifted hers to me- thank you dr. hughes! nothing beats original george, smoking a good pipe!!

 

i LOVE the smell of a good pipe-i don't know why, but the old corn-cob pipes just smell so sweet!

so. with that i bid you farewell,
jules