Animal Wednesday: Emily's Garden Update

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Hello Everyone, it's me, Emily. (Hello, Anne. I'm glad you aren't in the cellar anymore and where are your poems because now even I am looking for them and usually as you know I mostly only care about myself.)

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You may know that I had to charge kj $ 15 for use of my garden this weekend. Some of my lollipops and jellybeans were pulled without my permission and even though it was done by a little boy don't you think kj should have asked me first because the whole garden was my idea which brings me to two more points:

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first, I think this may be my break through idea. Don't you think little kids like Mr. Ryan and Mr. Baby Drew and even some grown ups would like to have jelly bean and lollipop gardens of their own? You just go out in the back yard and pull what you want and then eat it. I suppose you could plant donuts that way too if you wanted to.

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I asked my Uncle Bunny, who is a business bunny (and Janis Joplin's best friend, well not any more but he was until she died and who knows, maybe he still is) and Uncle Bunny told me to write a letter to see if some company wants to produce and sell garden seeds like the ones lolo designed and I planted and Jos is going to be my business manager even though she hasn't told me how much of the profits she wants but I think she is very fair so I am not worried about it.

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second, you know kj is a negative nelly, right? She told me no way Jose would the seeds for the Upside Down Cake sprout. She said she researched it and there has never been upside down cake seeds that worked.

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Well it's a good thing I don't usually listen to kj. I know you will agree:

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I am pretty sure I am going to be a millionaire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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And when I get the money I am going to invite everyone to kj's house for a big party and I am going to give away free seed packets and food, plus I will be glad to give lessons to anyone who wants them in how to properly roll down hills and of course how to fall on the ground and stomp your feet while whining and crying deep from your stomach.

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See kj: sometimes you just have to believe in dirt and chocolate and the power of jellybeans.

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Yours truly,

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Emily Rabbit

Tea . . .

. . . is now being served

at the lighthouse

at 53A.

Stop by and join me.

The tide is out and

the birds are pecking

in the sand

exploring for goodies.

Everyday Views of Puerto Rico

View from my Puerto Rican Oasis

Hi neighbors! Will you please excuse the resident of number 70 who has been out of town for a while? I want to share with you some of my everyday summer views of Puerto Rico. Many people think of Puerto Rico in a traditional somewhat nostalgic way, similar to this Sugar Cane painting that hangs on the walls of a local Old San Juan restaurant, Manolin Cafe but the reality is quite different.

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Last week, I went to Old San Juan with Mr. Oasis where he is teaching for the summer and so much is happening at the Esquella Artes Plastica (Art School). The students have joined in with the University of Puerto Rico students to protest the government wide-budget cuts, and they are camped out on the lawn of El Morro. (Click here if you want to read an Oasis post about El Viejo San Juan.) What a lovely place to camp-even if it is illegal! I met my bff, Ms. D, for lunch at Manolin Cafe- a traditional Puerto Rican restaurant that locals frequent. I enjoyed the mofongo and Yaucono cafe served with hot milk. If you haven't tried Puerto Rican coffee, it's time to be adventurous. In my opinion, it is the best coffee in the world. Confession: When I visit state-side relatives, I find the unopened Christmas present coffee still in storage. Why is that? (My Michigan cousin, Tammy, says it's strong and they prefer coffee-tea! Her coffee drinking quirk is to mix instant chocolate into a cup of weak morning coffee, which apparently gives her more wake-up power.)

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My friend, Ms. D, knows where to go and how to spend money wisely. She suggested lunch at the Manolin Cafe because it has the best local food at the most economical prices. However, the value is not a secret! We had to wait at the door for a few minutes to be seated. And of course we ran into a friend because Puerto Rico is small, and you run into friends everywhere. Deeply immersed in conversation with our former co-worker and now world traveling friend, Mr. G, we completely forgot to compete for our place in line. After noticing we were still not seated, I took the initiative to be the rude one and excused us from an extended talk about the political situation and policy at the University of Puerto Rico. Finally, we were seated and it was well worth the wait. The photo is a half serving of mofongo, served with white rice and a mixed salad. I recommend that you do not order the rice with mofongo. It's too heavy. What was my waiter thinking? I find that being a vegetarian in Puerto Rico is a challenge. Often perfectly nice servers will give me starch with starch served with a side of starch. My growing middle may be blamed on such eating experiences as these!

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Aside: Friends you have to try making mofongo. It's not too difficult as long as you have access to green plantains. Yes, you have to peel them with a knife, but it's worth it to try. Yes, they have to be sliced in one inch pieces, fried in oil until both sides are golden, and then briefly cooked again-but here is where you change your tostones to mofongo.

Place the fried plantain in a container and smash them with lightly roasted garlic until they are broken down into a nicely textured rounded pile. Flip unto a plate and serve with a little salad and Spanish olive oil. Delicious! (Click here if you want to try a more traditional recipe that includes meat.)

What I do differently in this recipe: I allow the plantains to get crisp so that when they are mashed, they continue to have texture. Also, I drop the garlic cloves in oil until they are a bit crunchy as well. Both of these changes make even the meat-eating Mr. enjoy the days when I serve his traditional food vegetarian style.

~~~~~~~~~~~ These Spanish looking baked clay tiles are on the floor of the Art School. Above them, an old picnic table on one side, and just behind the table, a scrap pile of boards and disgarded art projects. In spite of their neglect, I find the tile pattern beautifully arranged and pleasing to the eye. Doesn't it give you a feeling of another time? The art school is losing funding-drastically-and the students continue to work on their projects even though it feels as if the roof is caving in. It's a highly competive art school that produces students who can create in both the classical style art and more modern media, such as computer graphics. What a shame that art is the first to go when money is scarce.

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Blogland Neighbors, thank you for sharing a cup of cafe con leche and some traditional Puerto Rican food with me. If you want to borrow a cup of sugar, please stop by whenever you are near Blogland Lane # 70 -or if you prefer azucar mascabada o negra (cane or brown), come over to Oasis !