Make your own hummus

I love this stuff but my problem is I always make too much. It usually goes bad in less than a week. Unless you have other people over (that may like it), keep the number of beans to a minimum.

So unlike the video, I cook the dry garbanzo beans for about an hour and put them in a blender. Add garlic, olive oil, lime juice and a touch of salt. Sesame seeds are a good idea but Tahini is expensive anywhere and probably not easy to find in Mexico

Back for thirds ....

Fruit in the yard

So far quite amazed at the weather and not surprised that so many varieties of fruit grow here in the Lake Chapala area - although a little over a week is not much of a weather monitor.

The avocado tree was cleaned out by my landlord just after I'd agreed to rent. I doubt there will be more this season. The mango tree looks far from season but healthy. Only four stalks of sugar cane. Palms of the decorative sort only (5). The tangerine tree is loaded with sweet, juicy and full of seed fruit. The guayaba is badly pruned with most over the wall into my neighbors yard. Both large and small limes - large the size of lemons - small like key limes. The apple tree has been butchered from bad pruning and I'll try to clean it up this winter. And I've never seen a pomegranate tree but I have one.

I'm tempted to get down on Mexican gardeners and the way they treat fruit trees ... but I've known gringo friends up north that have done much worse. It's not easy and even I could use a little (Internet) help with the apple.

Pomegranate and flower


Tangerine


Large Lime with bug


Apple

Moving - not my favorite thing

But some moves easier than others. Finished my second trip to the Chapala area a few days ago and will head back for the third in a few days more. Silvia, my helper, wants to be back in her hometown for Independence Day on the 16th and I should have another load ready to go. Sounds exciting as I've only experienced the fiesta and Grito in the small town of Melaque and Seattle.

Got very lucky to locate a nice house on the first trip with the help of Trailrunner my new neighbor. Second trip was to sign a contract, pay rent, buy some furniture (unfurnished) and clean the place up.

Place has a great yard for the cats (out at night), fruit trees (from avocado to pomegranite), covered fiesta area, four bedrooms and I can almost see the lake from the second floor.

Quite a different feeling to use a sheet or even a blanket this time of year. The house has no fans.

So when you buy a bed-frame and mattress ... why would the price be the same for a double or a single. Mexico only!

Melaque landlord will be here this weekend to figure out what he wants to exchange for rent or just buy ...... because I installed an air-conditioner, replaced the stove and fridge, replaced the hot water heater, painted the place, added a security gate on the front door and fixed the older cyclone fences. I want my washing machine but the new place has no fridge so we'll see what happens there.

And I just rebuilt the well (I wasn't going without water for a few weeks or even a few days in this weather).

Got back from Chapala and noticed the pump was running but tinaco not overflowing. I had water so just turned the pump off over night. Next morning the toilets would not fill. Seems a combination of the water level dropping and the well filling with sand clogged the intake and ate the pump. Had to sink a new 6" casing inside the well, extend draw pipe a meter, new intake valve and rebuild the pump. Worked perfectly 'till the tinaco filled and we found the shutoff float was stuck.

No lessons here ... just stuff that happens