Verdolaga or Purslane

I was reading a message board from La Manznilla about someone looking for Verdolaga or Purslane and this was their message.

There is a "weed" called purslane, or pigweed, or, in Mexico, verdolaga - which is also very high in many nutrients (omega 3 for example). It's easy to grow and harvest, and can be eaten raw or cooked. It is related to portulaca. If anyone sees any growing wild, and would be willing to transplant it into a pot, I will be most grateful. I'll bring seeds for the domestic type, but I hear the wild variety is better tasting. This fall, I'll be looking out for someone who can show me which other weeds are actually edible and nutritious; why work so hard at growing familiar vegetables, when local, wild ones grow so readily?

There are a number of similar looking weeds and I had to go out with a Mexican neighbor to get the right one.  Not a good idea to eat things that only look similar.  These are the wild ones unlike the vertical ones raised commercially.

Verdolaga found on our street

Verdolaga example found on the Internet

Ours won't look like these from a market

It is an excellent source of Vitamin A (100 g provides 44% of RDA). Purslane is also a rich source of vitamin C, and some B-complex vitamins like riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine and carotenoids, as well as dietary minerals, such as iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and manganese.


Verdolaga Link

Mexico's New Immigration Law and ExPats

The new Migration Law for Mexico (originally passed in May 2011) was published on 2012-Sept-28 and will take effect 30 working days from that date (early November).  Many articles in the law are intended to help protect immigrants from countries south of Mexico and to improve the rights of women and children.  However there are also major changes that will effect temporary and permanent residents, especially ExPats from other countries. 

Many of the details are missing such as income levels required for temporary or permanent residence.   The new Residente Temporal visa which will replace both No Inmigrante and Inmigrante visas is bound to have new income requirements.   Also upon applying for a Residente Permanente card there is no income level mentioned.  Of course the reason to be interested in a permanent resident card is that it means no more visas or renewals.

It also states that you can apply for a permanent resident card after 4 years on a temporary visa but does that mean on the 4th renewal of your current visa.   For instance, I'll be entering my 7th year next renewal but it will be my 2nd renewal on my current visa.   That point may be moot since the law also states you can apply for permanent status at any point.  Then there's the issue of regional interpretation which many of us have experienced or read about in the past.

Here's one persons take on the changes from San Felipe Life  He also has PDF files in English to down load from his site.   You can also go to the official Mexican site Diario Oficial de la Federacion and read it online.  If that link does not come up in English you can use their translator on the right sidebar.

Here is another aspect to the new regulations from Rolly Brook's web site

You will be able to renew your Residente Temporal for periods of one to four years with costs being: (in pesos, of course)

$3,130 for a single year
$4,690 for two years
$5,940 for three years
$7,040 for four years

RepubliCons are destroying peoples constitutional rights to vote

Sarah Silverman | Election 2012 - Voter Fraud

RepubliCons are destroying peoples constitutional rights to vote in some states. They pulled this crap on my elderly mother a week ago in Michigan. I bought the wrath of God down on her city clerk (state bureau of elections), he still can't sit down.

The road to Pinal Villa

This is our road to Pinal Villa after heavy rain ... and this is hours later after the sun has come out. It actually smooths the road in most places so has it's benefits. We are still feeling the effects of Tropical Storm Norman and it rained hard all night and into the morning.

I just heard they opened the lagoon again and it's about time. When the lagoon really backs up our road by the highway does not drain well. We were headed for Barra to Uriel's physical therapy today and ran into 2 feet of standing water and it was starting to rain again. I turned around for fear the water would be even higher on our return. Hopefully we'll be back to normal tomorrow or Sunday as Norman moves away.  There was no school today in Pinal because the teachers couldn't drive in.

Niama's second birthday

A very small party but they went to a lot of work, especially the pinata of a Racimo de Uvas made with eggs. They had to empty all the eggs, fill them with confetti, glue them into the shape of a bunch of grapes and then paint them. I'd never seen or heard of this before

Niama got a new dress, a Dora Exploradora pinata and two cakes because the store only had small ones. No one was there to write anything special so we just used a candle in the shape of a 2. Dora was almost indestructable and the kids worked on her for almost an hour

Niama's new dress

Dora Exploradora pinata

Racimo de Uvas de huevos