Barns

You know I have always liked barns.

These are not Costa Rican barns.

I took these on our road trip a couple of years ago.

I am not sure why I like barns.

But I do.

Maybe I think they would make a nice painting.

But I never quite get around to painting one.

Maybe they just look peaceful.

Some look weatherbeaten with chippy paint.

Some are rusted metal. We see a lot of that here.

Some are just well weathered wood.

Some look well cared for with fresh paint. I like them all.

Wonders never cease, we went to a movie!

I may have mentioned this before. but just after we went to this movie, I broke my camera and so didn't blog about it. But you know I have been a Sherlock Holmes fan since I was a kid. So I really liked this movie.

I am sure the original Sherlock Holmes stories were never so action packed as this movie. But I guess this is what modern audiences have become accostomed to. And it was Action Packed!

I was not familiear with this actress, but she did a great job and I really enjoyed the whole thing. It was in the original English with Spanish subtitles. You have to be careful, because some of the movies are dubbed in Spanish with English subtitles and I don't think I would like that so well.

Great Individual Servings of Dessert

I had been looking at a blog where the lady had posted several recipes for these microwaved mug cakes or brownies that are popular on Pinterest now. They all looked good and I thought about trying one. Then her next post was of a self saucing chocolate cake baked in a ramekin and done in a regular oven. I thought why not make that in a mug in the microwave because that is the one that sounded the best to me, so I decided to try it. Her recipe was for 4 ramekins so I made it in 4 mugs since I don't have ramekins here and the mugs worked fine.

It worked really well in the microwave so if any of you want to make 4 individual servings of self saucing chocolate cake, try this recipe, then divide it amongst 4 mugs and bake each one for 1 minute in the microwave. 4 T. melted butter, 1/2 c. sugar, 2 T. cocoa, 1 egg--beat this all up with a fork. Add 1/2 c. milk ( I used soy milk), 1 t. vanilla, 3/4 c. flour, 1- 1/2t. baking powder, and a pinch of salt. I almost forgot, I added some chocolate chips, of course they make anything chocolate even better. In another little bowl mix 1/2 c. brown sugar and 2 T. cocoa. Spoon over top of the batter in the mugs but don't mix it in. Then also pour slowly 1/4 c. boiling water over top of this and again don't mix it in. Microwave each mug for 1 minute.

Each mug makes an nice serving of chocolate cake with chocolate sauce in the bottom of the mug. It would be hard to make just one serving of this because of the egg. I think if you put a whole egg for just one serving it would be too rubbery. Maybe some time I will try it using the recipe for Wacky Cake that uses vinegar and soda and no eggs. We'll see.

The only thing that would have made it better would have been if I had whipped some of this cream. It is UHT cream and lasts for months in the fridge. It doesn't even have to be refrigerated but won't whip unless chilled so I just keep it in the fridge so it will be ready for use if I want it. They had this cream in Spain too and I really liked keeping it on hand because it won't spoil or go sour like regular fresh cream. Tell me if you ever find it at home. It is a great product, but I have never seen it there.

New Favorite Breakfast

Remember the chocolate granola that sounded like such a good idea so I made some and you all liked it? Well how about chocolate oatmeal? Doesn't that sound like a good idea? It turned out great. Just make your serving of oatmeal in the microwave like you would usually do. Add cocoa, remember that cocoa is only 10 calories per tablespoon, and sweetener. Then add the milk to cool it off and put in a small handfull of chocolate chips and some slivered almonds for crunch.

A great breakfast, and if you want more crunch, add a little granola. It's like chocolate chocolate chip cookies in a bowl. What could be better!

Alajuelatia

Laurie and I had to speak in Sacrament meeting in the Alajuelita Ward on Sunday. I posted once about a town called Alajuela and you would think this was a little suburb close by, but it is a completely different place and in the other direction. It was a nice chapel and the people were really great.

We entered the chapel grounds through a back gate to a parking lot. But this is the front gate from the inside, heavy wrought iron with coiled razor wire all along the top of the fence. The Sunday School class we attended, taught by the bishop, was specifically a temple prep class for several people who are preparing to go to the temple for the first time.

More razor wire and wrought iron fence but a beautiful mountain view in the distance. I have one talk about temples and that is the talk I have used a couple of times now. I am keeping track of which wards I give it in so I won't repeat it. If we ever have to talk in the same place, I'll have to come up with a new talk in Spanish! Laurie used his same talk too, but it is a really good one.

More razor wire and wrought iron fence. They had a really nice Yamaha piano in the chapel and nobody to play it so were going to use recorded music. Laurie wanted to offer me to play and I said "no". But one of the counsellors asked him if he played the piano and he said I did so I ended up playing the piano. I was happy to do it, I just didn't want to be pushy about it so waited to be asked.

More distant mountain view over the razor wire and fence. I enjoyed the Relief Society class. The lady who gave the lesson was quite easy to understand. They did their opening exercises with the Young Women and they sang a song I wasn't familiar with, no accompaniment, but the girls did a good job.

More mountain views from the chapel. We have to go to a District Conference next weekend in a couple of the little towns north of here. This time I am supposed to give 2 different 5 minute talks. I think I will just cut my existing talk in half and make it into 2 talks!

This was the neighboring cathedral down the street from the LDS chapel.

Flowering Trees

The last time we drove in the countryside, we saw quite a few trees covered with yellow blossoms.

More yellow blossomed trees.

There are lots of trees with bright orange blossoms too.

I don't know what they are called, but they are pretty.

I am pretty sure this is a bougainvillea.

This one had red blossoms, but they were very sparse and we didn't see many trees like this one.

Another bougainvillea.

More orange blossomed trees. There is another kind of tree with lighter orange blossoms, but I didn't get a picture of one of them.

Here is a close up of one of the trees with orange blossoms.

Even closer. Pretty!

Pretty Yellow Birds

One day I heard a pretty bird song coming from the tree in front of the house. I went and looked and saw a bird to match the song. I ran for the camera, but of course the bird flew away just as I returned.

Then I heard and saw it again in about the same place and realized it must live there.

Then I found that there was another one, a pair of these pretty yellow birds live in that tree.

They are usually most active in the mornings. I can hear their beautiful songs and see them there more often early in the day.

Here is their home. I wonder if they are watching over and tending some eggs. Will they soon have some youngsters in the nest with them? Hope to see soon.