Mexican Stone Soup story has been around since the 1700's. The soup began with the Chinantec villagers from the Oaxacan Hamlet of San Felipe Usila would load up food and other items to sell in the market town of Tuxtepec. On their long journey, they would stop and make soup at the Papaloapan River. A soup made with white river stone. They used the water from the river along with fresh caught shrimp and fish. They added vegetables and made the soup bowls from dried calabash trees.
They would use orangewood to start the bonfire to heat the special kind of white river stones. They used the stones because they were very good at conducting heat. When the rocks were very hot, they put them in the gourds with the seafood and all the other seasonings. The rocks would cook all the food in the gourds within minutes...cooking the food perfectly.
That is how the soup got its name: Caldo de Piedra. No one knows the true origins of the soup. It is said that the Chinantec men made it as a tribute to the women and children of the village. Today the Dam that was built near their village decimated their supply. That did not stop their tradition,they still make the soup on holidays and Sundays to keep their families together.Tourists still travel up the mountains to get a taste of the traditional Caldo de Piedra. Holy week families and friends get together to prepare the soup.
Several books are written about Mexican Stone Soup/Calda De Pierda. Jon Muth's book is below on Audible a Company by Amazon. Some restaurants carry on the tradition of the famous soup even today, making it just as delicious as their ancestors. Please watch the video below to see how its made.
Thank you for visiting,
Judy
Credit to alamy stock photo and John J Muth Stone Soup Audible Book.
Thanks to COVID-19 some of us are working from home on the companies PC or Laptop or your own, if you run your own business. The computer that you use daily is a valuable electronic equipment. Caring for your computer is very important. You need it to function properly at your command.
Caring for your PC and Laptop:
Its very important to keep your computer clean and prevent dust from decreasing the air flow. You can purchase air dusters and cleaning cloths. Dampen the cloth and gently clean the monitor. I would stay away form very harsh chemicals as you could damage the monitor and the keyboard. Keep water and food away from the computer at all times as you do not want water to damage the internal components and food to clog up the keyboard and the mouse.
Use a fan or a can of compressed air to clean the ports, but remember to shut down the computer before you do this. You can use q-tips with a little alcohol on the tips to clean the ports. wait a few minutes for the computer to dry and then turn it back on.
Keep your computer in a cool dry place and try not to overwork the computer. Disable programs you no longer use. Use a Ant-virus and Firewall as you want to protect your valuable and sensitive information.
Be good to your battery on you Laptop. If you are not using it and it is fully charged, unplug it until you get a signal to recharge.
In conclusion, your computer and laptop are now your best friends especially now that we are quarantined. Treat them well and they will last you a while.
Eating healthy fruits and vegetables should be a part of everyone's diet. Stay away from processed food and sugars. Take your vitamins Omega 3 fatty acids, high fiber foods and VitaminC. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of plain water with no additives as water flushes toxins and clears your skin. Try herbal teas and non-sugar drinks to supplement supplement your thirst.
Exercise by working out. You will see amazing results as your circulation will increase and make you stronger. This will last you forever.
Take care of your skin
If your skin is prone to breaking out. Visit your dermatologist so that he can prevent the problem from getting worse. Develop your own beauty routine. Washing your face with a mild soap as you do not want to strip the natural oils. Use really good masks, toners, moisturizers and exfoliate your skin. Sun screen is also a great way to protect your skin form the harmful rays of the sun.
Put on your favorite dance music and dance a few minutes with your family or pets.Even if you do not know the latest moves.
Look at some on these online workouts( they are also on your tablet and your phone) and see which one suits your lifestyle.
Chair work out. Grab one of your sturdy chairs( please do not hurt yourself). Sit on the chair and get up a few times. You will feel muscles work that have not been worked for a while.
Hoola Hoop slims your waistline and gives the body a great simple workout.
Easy workouts for outdoors:
If you own a pool or have a community pool. Try running in place in the pool. You can also do squats in the pool to strengthen your muscles.
Bike with your family. Pick a safe path that you and them can ride for 20 minutes safely.
And ofcourse walking. Walk slowly for 5 minutes then pick up your speed for 20 minutes, then cool down.
Just remember that these exercises are simple and have no time constraints. You can do them at your leisure and enjoy also with family members. One last thing to mention... They are Free and Easy. Enjoy! Hopefully this helped the newbies.
Handbags are one of the luxury industry most powerful product. Women walk into any store whether flagship or not and pick out their handbag or handbags which match her personality. Price tags can range from twenty dollars to thousands. They do not even need the store associates help because they know exactly what they are looking for.......a designer handbag or handbags.
The happiness and the joy that comes from the purchase is what the designer wants to happen to all their customers and trust me it does.Most of the time the showcase window does the attraction. They see it and the magic trance begins. They enter the store and depending on the season (winter, summer etc.) they are overpowered by the look and feel of the handbag. Their handbag now becomes a girl's best friend.
Along with showing off personal taste, a handbag suggests economic prosperity and acts as the childhood security blanket.
The handbag became a part of emancipation of women brought about after the First World War. Women who wore a handbag became a sign of public stature and independence. They carried their keys, cigarettes, money and their makeup hidden in their handbag instead of their pockets beneath their skits or dresses.
As times evolved and changed the designers became more involved in the psychology of women and handbags. They began to design handbags for all economic classes with varying prices and designs for every woman's taste and personality. From Chanel and Coach high-end handbags to Michael Kors who makes handbags affordable for all economic classes. They are all out there for women to love and purchase. Successful brands appeal to the psychology and sell identity to women.
Women buy luxury handbags because they feel they are elevating themselves by owning something very special and exclusive. They look at the ads and want to be like that model in the ad. All in all handbags are found in Sotheby's auctions, online stores, department stores, and consignment shops. They are everywhere for our satisfaction and bliss.
Its that time of the year again! Time to file your IRS Income taxes!
Tax debt relief is a means of finding a suitable agreement for repaying your debt to the IRS. Many timesthe debt may be collected through wage garnishments or tax liens which can be very destructive to your life. Negotiating a new tax debt relief plan can help relieve that stress because it is personalized to the individual.
1. File your taxes
File your taxes even if you are not able to pay. Do not ignore filing. It can only make things worse. You can file for an extension, if you need more time to file. But you should still pay as much as of your estimated tax as possible by the annual April deadline to avoid penalties and interest.
2. Make a payment plan, delay payment or settle
If you can’t pay your taxes in full within 120 days, the IRS also offers options to help manage your balance. They can help you set up a payment plan that has penalties and interest.
3.Find a tax debt relief company for assistance preferably a CPA or Financial Planner with IRS debt experience.
Check their credentials thoroughly before signing up with them. They should be able to handle your tax debt in the quickest and best way possible.
In conclusion. Filing and owing taxes is not something that makes us happy, but bit is something we must all participate in to keep our country growing in the right direction. So please do not forget to do it. Place reminders on your devices so you will not forget. In the meantime enjoy your life without too much stress. Let the great Tax Debt Relief companies assist, if you are not able to do it alone. The deadline for 2020 tax returns is Wednesday, July 15th, 2020.
Cannabidiol is a popular natural remedy better known as CBD. It is one of over 100 chemical compounds known as cannabinoids found in the cannabis or marijuana plant.
We all need to eat right and live right, but
do we actually know what is right? Take a look in your kitchen cabinets and you
will find herbs and spiceswhich have so many health benefits.
1. Cayenne
Cayenne relieves many gastro problems. It soothes the sore throat and heals
other cold and flu symptoms. Apart from this Cayenne regulates the metabolism
of one’s body which promotes weight loss and strong immunity.
2. Oregano
Oregano is a plant that is used to make medicine. It is used for
Gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory tract disorders, menstrual cramps,
UTI's, and headaches. It is great on pizza!
3. Cinnamon
Cinnamon's fresh aroma and sweet taste is culinary love. It is a rich
antioxidant. Add it to your teas, oatmeal and fruit smoothies.
4. Turmeric
Curcumin, a substance found in turmeric exhibits medicinal attributes. It is
known for its anti-inflammatory properties and detoxifying nature. Turmeric
detoxifies the liver and improves the brain health. Add it to your tuna chicken
or egg salad. Enjoy!
5. Ginger
Ginger is used widely in cooking and also forms an important ingredient in many
alternative medicines. One gram of ginger a day keeps nausea at bay. Apart from
this, ginger also has anti-inflammatory properties that help in pain
management. A study showed 2 grams of ginger a day can lessen the risk of
developing colon cancer. Ginger adds taste to all your dishes and teas. Great
taste.
We are now addicts to technology and social media. Are they taking over our lives?
Family Life and Cell Phone
We gather together as a family for dinner. Every family member including the children have a piece of technology in their hands. Cell phones go off every second. Some calls are solicitation, but others are just the mere fact that we are so addicted to the phone. No one is talking to any family members at the dinner. Some are off in a corner on their tablets or phones catching up with their so called friends on social media. Some of these people they never even met or will never meet.
We are addicted....
According to the Pew
Research Center, a
staggering 81% of Americans own a smartphone. And we check these smartphones an
even more staggering 80
times a day, which is roughly
every 12 minutes.The same survey found that 31% of those
questioned felt anxiety when separated from their phone and 60% felt stressed
if their phone was off or out of reach.
We now have what's called Nomophobia, a fear of being without our phones.
Our Relationships with Family and Friends
We are now starting to care more about our online world than our real world. We do not take the time to interact with our family and friends as we are too busy trying to escape from them and our real surroundings by losing our true reality to see what is going on in fake reality-social media.
Psychotherapist Amy Morin writes:
“You can’t form a meaningful relationship
with someone unless you talk about real issues and share real problems. But
that’s not what happens on social media".
Our addiction is causing us to experience loneliness and making our companions lonely by ignoring them as we stare into our devices for hours at time. This is impacting our relations with everyone, our friends, family, our children and even our pets.
Some families have been destroyed because of excessive use of devices with partners discovering that others had been cheating on dating websites and trying to find love outside their love nests with others on social media. Some couples are now finding out that even in their private bedroom life the phone interrupts their togetherness. Their wedding bliss is now a marriage nightmare of loneliness and depression! They are not able to have a conversation as live-streaming, gaming and social media have interrupted their lives.
Our Children...The most impacted
Our children would suffer most from our addictive habits. They watch and imitate everything we do including our behavior. When a parent is engaged on their device or devices. They tend to be tuned-out, more aggravated and stressed out when the child reaches out to them for attention. Our children notice our pre-occupation with our phones as we take scrolls through TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Gaming sites, and Dating Sites. We are failing to teach them language skills , coping skills, and how to behave as a loving and caring human being.
It is scary...
How can we recover? Here a a few simple tips.
Acknowledge your addiction!!
Wean yourself off your addiction gradually.
Put your devices away for a while or minimize your exposure to them.
Replace your addiction by other activities such as exercise, reading a new book, going for walks.
Engage more with your family and friends in person.
Your life is just as exciting as the ones you see online!
We know that technology is a new way of life. We know that without it we would not be able to have the jobs that we have now. We still do not understand it totally as it is growing at such a fast rate that we are not able to keep up. Hopefully, over time we will be able to understand it and better be able to adjust so that it does not take over our lives and our feelings. We need to eventually break our dependence on it and become better parents, lovers, and friends.
