FOOD 101 – COSTA RICA STYLE!
1. Tamales
Christmas is fast approaching and in Costa Rica, it coincides with the arrival of Summer! Yahoo! In Costa Rica, summer holidays for all the school children start in December and continue until February. Christmas time is a special time in Costa Rica. It is the time for making tamales, the traditional food served on special occasions such as Christmas and Easter. This time of year in the rural areas of Costa Rica you will see lots of yards with a nice fat pig or two running around, just right for tamales! In Canada and the US, Christmas time is not a good time to be a turkey; in Costa Rica, Christmas time is not a good time to be a pig! We have acquired a taste for tamales during our time here and look forward to receiving these tasty treats as gifts. We especially enjoy the authentic tamales which are cooked over an open fire. See photos on the sidebar about how tamales are made!
2. Toronjas (Grapefruit)
This time of year is also grapefruit time in the mountains and we get montons (lots) of grapefruit from our neighbors – huge sacks at a time! A good friend from the beach loaned us his hand juicer and we produce gallons of fresh grapefruit juice which we give to friends. It takes 10 grapefruits to fill one 62 fluid ounce jar and it is good for what ails you!!! Apparently grapefruit juice is great for the blood and all body parts. All we know is that we really love it, especially on a hot day at the beach. Check out the photos on the sidebar of Herb making the juice.
3. Bananas
Bananas are one of the main exports of Costa Rica and we have the major producers like Dole and Chiquita here. The large plantations are generally located more in the southern part of Costa Rica which is more tropical and conducive to growing bananas. We have visited these plantations and they are huge. Our neighbors grow bananas in the mountains near our home. We especially enjoy the miniature bananas which taste like a strawberry/banana combo – just great! Here are a few surprising uses for banana:
Costa Rica Discovered
. . . Newsletters
Liberia
Time & Weather
This 'n That
Mountain Retreat $199,000
Pacifico Condo C405
$359,000
Sports Bar & Restaurant
$50,000 business only
Las Brisas Villa
$275,000
Making Tamales!
HELPS SCRAPES AND CUTS HEAL FASTER
While playing a game of freeze tag your daughter tripped and scraped her elbow on the pavement. This usually requires a little more than a bandage and kiss but she is going to be a flower girl in a wedding next week. For a speedy recovery, disinfect the sore then massage the wound with the white side of the banana peel for one minute. The peel is packed with vitamins B6 and C - antioxidants that stimulate the healing process. (I wish I knew about this when I raced triathlons – great for road rash!)
WHITEN TEETH WITHOUT SPENDING A CENT
Instead of shelling out big bucks for a tooth whitening kit at the dentist, try this simple at home alternative. Massage your teeth with the inside of a banana peel, rubbing in a circular motion for 2 minutes. Repeat once a day for two weeks. The texture of the banana peel gently removes the yellowing tartar and plaque while infusing the enamel with the whitening minerals such as potassium, calcium and vitamin D. The results: Pearly whites guaranteed to make your smile.
ADD GLOSS TO HOUSE PLANT LEAVES
No matter what cleaning technique you use, your plant leaves always look dusty and dull. Don’t get frustrated and throw in the towel. Instead give indoor plants a straight from the florist shine by stroking each leave with the rough side of the banana peel. The texture and oils of the inner skin serve as a mild abrasive and polish, great for dusting and shining. What’s more the peel’s nutrients feed the plant to keep it thriving for a longer period of time. Or move to Costa Rica where your house plants grow outside – we can help!
GIVE HOT CHOCOLATE A COOL FRUITY TWIST
For a springtime spin on your favorite sip, add one chopped banana peel (sans brown spots) to a pot of hot chocolate stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Strain then blend the sweet beverage with 3 cups of ice until it reaches the consistency of a smoothie. The bananas’ casing expels an enzyme called flavorase, infusing the brew with the tropical flavour. Bonus: when heated, the peel releases lutein, an antitoxidant that provides nutritional support to the eyes for healthy, strong vision.
MAKE WARTS VANISH NATURALLY
Living is easy – until you see the signs of a wart developing. To remove the stubborn bump, cut a coin-size piece of banana peel and place it pulp side down on the wart; secure it with a bandage. Leave on overnight and remove it in the morning. Re-apply nightly for about 2 weeks or until the wart disappears. The pulp contains mucilage which kills warts without harsh chemicals. Pura Vida!
STOP BUG-BITE ITCH FROM THE GET-GO
You’ve swatted a mosquito away two seconds too late and now you have an itchy welt on your ankle. To relieve the annoying bite, rub the inside of a banana peel against the inflamed area, its abundance of polysaccharides (a starch-like material that sooths the skin) seeps deep into the skin cells and stops the irritation immediately.
EASILY REMOVES INK STAINS FROM SKIN
It was a long day at the office and it shows! Your hands are covered with ink. When soap and water aren’t cutting it, simply rub the white side of the banana peel onto the affected areas and watch as the smudges disappear. The natural oils in the peel attract the oils in the ink, weakening the bonds of the pigment for struggle-free removal.
SALVAGE A SCRATCHED CD IN SECONDS
Oh no! Your toddler’s favorite nap time CD won’t stop skipping. Since nothing else will do, you need to repair the scratched disc --- stat! No worries – just grab a banana. Use the skin’s inner layer to stroke the disc in a circular motion for 30 seconds. Then wipe with a lint free cloth sprayed with glass cleaner to remove the leftover film --- ta-da! The waxy peel polishes away scratches so sleep time music can play on without skipping a beat.
KEEP A FLOWER GARDEN APHID-FREE
Last summer your precious rosebush was over run with pesky aphids. Not this year! To outsmart the destructive pests, try this DIY pesticide: Cut up two or three banana peels, place on a baking tray and bake at 100 degrees for 15 minutes, or until they shrivel. Then dig a 1 inch deep hole in the ground at the base of the plant and place the dried pieces in the soil. The high concentration of potassium in the banana skin will make the aphids beat a hasty retreat. In addition the buried bits are lethal to ants.
RID LEATHER OF SCUFFS AND SPOTS
All the wear and tear from your husband’s countless business trips has made his year old luggage look more like a vintage find on e-bay. Revamp the worn suitcases by shining the dull and dreary spots with the white side of a banana peel, then buff with a clean cloth. The potassium (also a key ingredient in leather polish) will be absorbed into the damaged leather and diminish marks, leaving his bags looking like new again.
4. Huevos (Eggs)
We are fortunate at the mountains to be able to grow our own farm fresh free range chicken eggs. And, boy, are they good! They are certainly not your perfectly matched Grade A white Safeway eggs, but the real thing that come in different shades of brown (sometimes even green) and different sizes. First thing in the morning in omelets or scrambled and rolled in tortillas, they are delicious. Mmmmmm!
Here is another great use for eggs – keep this handy at Christmas in case of a burn emergency, a method taught to beginner firemen. First aid consists of spraying cold water on the affected area until the heat is reduced and stops burning the layers of skin. Then, spread egg whites on the affected area. Continuje to apply layer upon layer of beaten egg white for at least one hour. The pain will soon disappear and by the next day there will be hardly any trace of the burn. Within 10 days, there should be no trace left at all of the burn and the skin will have regained its normal color. Since egg whites are a natural collagen, a placenta full of vitamins, the burned area can be totally regenerated thanks to the collagen in the egg whites.
REAL ESTATE NEWS
The market is definitely picking up this year over last year. There are still some deals out there, but they are disappearing fast! Soon the best deals will be gone and our prices will start to climb as inventory goes down. We have never been terribly overbuilt in this area so the problems here were not related to the overbuild problem that was more apparent in the global economy. Visit our FOR SALE Section on this website or our new corporate website www.prestigecostaricaproperties.com for lots of good information on your piece of paradise. We cover the whole range with condos starting at under $40,000! Check out some newer listings below:
CHRISTMAS WITH OUR FAMILY!
We are heading to Canada for Christmas this year! We are looking forward to spending Christmas with our son Craig and his wife Nicole and daughter Sadie and our daughter Jessica and her husband Ryan and their son Nicholas. Jessica and Ryan are expecting their second baby just around Christmas time so it will all be quite exciting. We have our fingers crossed the weather will cooperate both coming and going. Hopefully the weather will not be too cold while we are back in the Great White North!
Remember to check us out on Facebook and keep in touch. We look forward to seeing you in paradise.
Merry Christmas every one and hopefully we will see you in paradise in 2012!
Feliz Navidad y Feliz Ańo Nuevo!
Herb & Donna
If you would like to be included in our mailing list to receive regular newsletters and real estate updates, please click here
2011 December Newsletter
Hola Everyone from the sun, surf and mountains of Costa Rica!
