The Search for the Perfect Cookie!

Nothing rings in the feel of fall like warm, hearty foods.  Gnocchi, roasts, soups and a perfectly warm and gooey chocolate chip cookie.  Here in Edmonton we have a harsh reality unfolding: when you wake up to single digit temperatures and it's still August, your body is instantly catapulted into the fall season!

My love of food and cooking came when I was very young, and started with the simple but classic cookie. And in full-disclosure mode, I am a purist.  Put away the M&Ms, the mini-chips, caramels, butterscotch or mint chips.  Those are for snacking or for your child to create their own cookie.  Peanut butter is best left for bread.  And leave those dried fruits, seeds, coconut and nuts for some granola.  Oats are best for breakfast, however, who doesn't like a nice warm cookie for breakfast?  But I digress...

Crisp and thin, thick or chewy?  The debate has been on for decades.  My preference is most definitely thick and chewy with large chunks of chocolate.  There is something extra pleasing about feeling like you are biting into a molton piece of chocolate.  And yes, by-pass the cheap chocolate, filled with wax and refined sugar and go for the gold level of chocolate.  Your food is only as good as the ingredients you use.  If you have that waxy light chocolate, turn them into emergency candles.  You don't want to eat those things!  I prefer semi-sweet or dark chocolate for my chocolate chip cookie - it gives some definition between the sweet and buttery batter.  Chocolate preferences? Callebaut, Lindor, Valhrona and even a good quality English Cadbury.

How about the recipe for the "perfect" cookie - there is none.  I mean, I have healthy, fatty, gluten-free, sugar-free, organic, decadent and a hundred other recipes to choose from, but for this blog, let's try the good old fashioned chocolate chip cookie.  If you haven't had much luck perfecting this cookie, start simple - go to your local grocery store, pick up a bag of toll house chips and follow the recipe on the back!  Really, this is the recipe that started it all at the Toll House Inn! 

However, if you feel secure in baking this classic, why not try a new recipe to kick it up a few notches?  One of my favorite recipes I discovered several years ago is Jacques Torres' recipe.  If you are lucky enough to be in New York, drop by the store and pick up one fresh out of the oven!  For those of us in Edmonton, you need to do your shopping and roll up your sleeves.  This is a simple recipe - I am not into a laboured time over a hot oven for cookies, they should be something you can whip up easily, have fun with children creating or enjoy creating a beautiful warm aroma though your home!

Jacques Torres's Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

Makes twenty-six 5-inch cookies or 8 1/2 dozen 1 1/4-inch cookies.

1 pound unsalted butter

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar

4 large eggs

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour

3 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 pounds Jacques Torres House (60 percent cocoa) Chocolate or other best-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined.

Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies. Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Interested in some other variations on the classic themed cookie?  Look no further than this article from Martha Stewart - it is sure to keep you busy every Sunday afternoon over the upcoming Fall season!

http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/chocolate-chip-cookie-recipes

Happy Baking!

Unexpected Travel Deals - look against the season

(Italian Riviera)

To unravel the mystery of this title, just think - where is travel busiest in the summer for Canadians?  Europe.  How about the winter?  South!  Seems logical living in Canada that we want to escape to a warm climate when our cars won't start or when the kids have a break during the school year, but when summer is on, time to do some longer travel over to Europe.  Well, makes sense that when you are looking for a vacation on a budget to do the opposite, unfortunately the weather is not that ideal.  But to make a compromise, try the shoulder seasons.  Europe is beautiful in the Fall.  The weather is warm and mild, everyone is back at school (Europeans are known to travel in August!) the streets are not as crowded with tourists and you can get a great deal!  Italy and Spain not to mention Greece and other countries in the Mediterranean can be downright hot - what a great idea to prolong the feeling of summer!

(Coastal Town of Liguria, Italy)

Deals are to be had almost everywhere during the early fall for Europe.  Residing in Edmonton is slightly problematic to achieve a massive discount or variety of options, but take a look at package deals out of Toronto and it will shock you!  How about a week on the coat of Italy, airfare, accommodations and either all or some of your meals included for about $1100!  With that price, you can find your way to Toronto either by points or a cheap fall sale!  Compare that with packages from Edmonton to Rome, Italy - no other Italian destination offered - currently runs with no meals at a whopping $1800+.

Check out your favorite destination using some of these discount website  My favorite:

http://www.escapes.ca/

Or

http://www.selloffvacations.com/

If your dates are flexible

http://www.flightcentre.ca/

Also, sign up on this website for your local area as well as Toronto, and get the best deals sent to you on a weekly basis

http://www.travelalerts.ca/

As for heading South, of course the best deals happen in the rainy season or hurricane season (or both!).  You also want to consider how hot is too hot for your liking! We have always found that November is a great month to travel.  It is the end of the hurricane season, making it highly unlikely to interrupt your vacation and the temperature is very pleasant!  In fact, you can get extremely good prices travelling south for the entire month of November, and up until the 15th of December!  If you really prefer to travel after the Christmas season, January is the best budget-wise month with minimum crowds.  Otherwise, February, March and the first half of April coincide with Midterm, Easter and Spring breaks for Colleges, Universities and School Boards across North America.

(Puerto Vallarta Coastline)

If you enjoy a winter wonderland in Canada and prefer not to miss out on the ski season, May is also a fantastic time to travel, either to Europe or the South!  For Mexico and exotic destinations, it is a shoulder season between the winter/spring breaks and summer vacations and for Europe, it is the quiet time before children are out for the summer. 

One tip you might not have considered: summer is not necessarily a budget or quiet time to head to southern destinations!  Trends have shown that while the "cold" States in the US and Provinces in Canada prefer their southern vacations in the winter, "warm" or Southern States prefer to travel in the summer, to experience a hot summer climate!  Go figure!  You will find a high percentage of Americans travelling with their families to Exotic destinations in the summer months, guaranteed high humidity and temperature with a not-so-great deal on a package vacations!

(Total Relaxation!)

So, if you have some flexibility, May-June and September-October are my picks for European travel.  Keep in mind, I enjoy feeling the warmth of the sun on my face when I go abroad!  And to head South, my picks are late October to late January and late April to the end of May.

K

Pomodoro, Pomodoro!

Every year since I started experimenting in the garden with vegetables, I have the same problem the last few days of August and into September - what the heck do I do with the bumper crop of tomatoes that seems to rejuvenate overnight?  I have to admit, I don't grow the large beefsteak tomatoes, primarily because every member of my family prefers the smaller sweeter versions.  My favorite are 100 tomatoes.  Very similar to a cherry tomato found in your local grocery store, but the taste is over the moon in comparison!  So I head back to my trusty Italian reference guides to make the most out of our "100 season", relishing that everyday brings a harvest where soon a blanket of ice and snow will dominate.

One of my husband's favorite appetizers is a basic tomato bruschetta - a large round of peasant bread topped with fresh tomatoes, herbs, garlic and cheese.  I figured out during our time in Italy that if you order bruschetta, expect a bread slice as large as your hand - order a crostini and it is more a bagette sliced size portion.  Other than that, you are on your own with defining the two!

Here is my standby, courtesy of Babbo in NYC, which pleases the entire family!

Tomato & Sheep's Milk Cheese Bruschetta


2 tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced
10 fresh basil leaves, finely shredded
4 large garlic cloves, 1 halved, the other 3 sliced paper thin
8 -1" slices of crusty peasant bread
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
⅓ lb. cacio di roma or other semi-soft sheep’s milk cheese

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, basil, black pepper and thin-sliced garlic. Set aside.

Slice the bread, place them on a large cookie sheet and toast them in a 400 degree oven for about 8 minutes, or until they crisp and turn a light golden brown.  Remove from the oven and to a cooling rack. Rub one side of each slice of bread with remaining garlic halves, then brush with olive oil. Season the tomato mixture with salt, and spoon onto slices of bread, topping with shaved cacio cheese.

And my daughter's favorite pasta dish?  Mario Batali's Spaghetti using 100 Tomatoes!  This is a super-easy and quick meal I love to prepare this in September, while the 100s are multiple and I can still fetch fresh chives and basil from the garden to accompany them.  As well, I try to supply at least one vegetarian meal to my family each week (unbeknown to my husband!) and this fits the bill perfectly! 

Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Chives

2 tablespoons salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 pints 100, grape or cherry tomatoes, whole
1/2 bunch chives, cut into 1-inch lengths
12 fresh lemon-basil or basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 pound pasta (linguine, spaghetti, just about any kind), either fresh or dried

Directions


Bring a large pot of salty water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, reserving some pasta water.
In the meantime, heat a large skillet or sauté pan with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until it softens and just begins to brown.

Add the tomatoes, chives, and basil (reserve some for sprinkling at the end) and cook until the tomatoes just begin to burst.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring, for an additional minute to marry the flavors. Moisten with pasta water as desired; serve immediately.

We like to grate some fresh parmesan or pecorino cheese over the dish just before serving.


Lastly, a quick and easy side dish is roasted tomatoes.  You can prepare this several ways, simply place a bunch of clean tomatoes in a baking dish, coating with some olive oil and your favorite fresh herbs.  Pop them into the oven until they start to brown.  I often keep the tomatoes intact on their vine - it creates a pretty plate!  Some variations on this dish include adding salt/pepper or dried bread crumbs.

However you choose to devour your earned crop of tomatoes, enjoy them to the last ripe one remains!  For us in Edmonton, we have another ten months before we taste them again!

K

THE GOODS undergoing some cosmetic surgery

I have decided to branch out a bit and try to spruce up my very basic blog design!  Over the next few weeks you will notice the presentation of THE GOODS change as we test drive some new looks for the fall!  Please feel free to comment on any design - love it, hate it, what the heck is going on, etc!

K

Travel and Chocolate - two of my favorite things!

I love to travel.  I love chocolate - everything about it, actually.  Try combining the two and I'm floating a few inches above ground.  So, how about a trip to Paris experiencing the world's greatest chocolates? Heaven!

Our friends, Pamela and Jay, a lovely couple we met through work, both love travel and food.  They are a bit more adventurous and experienced in both than my husband and me, but nonetheless, it's something we all share.  While over cocktails this weekend, they told us about plans to head over to Europe next year.  Initially for a family wedding in England, and then to Paris, France.

I couldn't help but tell them about the popular chocolate walking tours of Paris.  A few euros, a comfortable pair a shoes and you are on your way to a gastronomic experience of mega proportions!  France is widely known for creating the best dark chocolate in the world.  (one fantastic brand being Valrhona)  Luckily for us Edmontonians, if Paris is not in the budget,  we just head downtown to Sweetlollapalooza (http://www.sweetlollapalooza.com/ ) to taste a bit of France's phenomenal raw material!

But for Pamela and Jay, here are some links and information to get the planning started for your chocolate adventure!

First, take a look at the article in France Today on the best chocolatiers currently hanging their plaques in Paris:

http://www.francetoday.com/articles/2010/08/12/the_short_list_paris_chocolatiers.html

If your interested in those walking tours to cover the chocolate district in Paris, try:

http://www.paris-walks.com/chocolate-walk.html

or

http://www.viator.com/tours/Paris/Paris-Chocolate-and-Pastry-Food-Tour/d479-3234PCT?pref=02&aid=g3363

And, if you got a week to eat, try a Bovitz tour.  Yes, not only does he write food books, but will also guide you through the best gastronomic experiences France has to offer:

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/tours/

But why stop at chocolate?  France is known for so much more in the food world!  Take a look at Luxirare's article on the experiences of one blogger on a foodie stop to Paris:

http://luxirare.com/macarons-chocolates-scorpions/

So, have fun researching all the phenomenal things to do during your stay in Paris, Pamela and Jay!  I am very jealous!  A cooking lesson, countless French bakeries and chocolatiers, and don't get me started on those bistros!

Bon appetit!

K

How's the garden growing?

Well, it's the middle of August and my husband and I have been waiting for summer to come and without hesitation, we now feel that fall has arrived!  On top of the not-so-great-summer-season, Edmonton has been blessed with plenty of rain which has brought a bumper crop of mosquitoes!  Now, I don't mean to complain, but boy, does it ever diminish your need to spend time in the garden!  And increase your need for a beach vacation!

My battle with the rabbit population of our neighbourhood continues and on our first walk of the season last night, my husband and I noticed that the neighbours apple trees (a few houses up) have no apples this year!  What is going on?  My husband says it's 2012, as in the beginning of the end of the world.  I'm already looking forward to starting over in May 2011!

Regardless of my whining, we have had some success in our garden this year.  And I think enough Italian vegetables to support an upcoming Italian-themed appetizer party!  A bumper crop of tomatoes for a crostini with some fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

(I like to grow these sweet 100s variety in containers)

And my first attempt at fava beans has been a success!  I have to say, if you have room in your garden next year, plant these seeds!  Not only are they easy to grow, they are quite beautiful with large and wide stalks with interesting white and black flowers.  Also, if you haven't added fava beans to your plate - why not?  These beans have a sweet, nutty taste and are wonderful in salads as well as pasta dishes, purees or a simply served side.  My love of these beans came from a visit to Bottega restaurant this past spring, where my husband and I shared a pan fried gnocchi dish with fresh fava beans and sweet peas, finished with meyer lemon - heaven! 

(These stalks rest against our back fence and offer beautiful foliage)

We also have a good crop of eggplant this year - I'm sensing some Italian fritto in my near future (Fritto Misto di Verdura)!  Chef Guisi in Montanare showed us a clever recipe for using fresh vegetables and herbs, coating them with a simple batter and frying.  I hope my guests enjoy this Italian take on tempura with the surprise of eating fresh herbs and vegetables from our garden - bueno!

(Our eggplants join our tomatoes in pots in our garden)

Of course a trip to the Italian market cannot be avoided.  Unfortunately, our arugula was not once, but twice the victim of hungry hares, and no animals were raised in our urban osasis!  Bresaola, proscuitto and peach nectar are on the grocery list - we'd have to live in Italy otherwise.  Hmmmm.....

(Poor arugula, happy rabbits)

So, how is your garden doing this year?  I'd love to hear from you and feel free to attach pictures of your crop!

K

Diabetic Chocolate Cake - we could all do with a little less sugar in our life

We just finished the annual pilgrimage of my favorite niece and parents from Newfoundland.  My daughter and my niece are extremely close, and regardless of the distance between them physically, they are great friends and as close as sisters could be.  Every year we get together for a vacation and lately, this also includes either a trip to Newfoundland or one here to Edmonton.  Last month our wonderful niece was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes - it was quite a shock to the whole family. But to my amazement, my daughter suggested without a moments hesitation, to turn our entire kitchen and pantry into a diabetic friendly zone to support her cousin.  Out with the sugar candy, in with the sugar free!  Goodbye white sugar, hello Splenda!

As my niece was here to celebrate Jenna's 11th birthday, we wanted to have a cake that everyone could enjoy - off I went on a diabetic-recipe crusade to my trusty computer!  In the end, we found a great chocolate cake recipe courtesy of the Splenda website ( http://www.splenda.ca/ ) that put a smile on every one's faces.  Here it is:

DELICIOUSLY MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE


Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes
Makes: 10 servings


Ingredients


•1 3/4 cups (430 mL) all-purpose flour
•1/2 cup (125 mL) SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
•1/2 cup (125 mL) SPLENDA® Brand Brown Sugar Blend
•3/4 cup (180 mL) cocoa powder
•1 1/2 tsp (7mL) baking powder
•1 1/2 tsp (7mL) baking soda
•1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt


•1 1/4 cups (310 mL) low-fat buttermilk
•1/4 cup (60 mL) vegetable oil
•2 large eggs, lightly beaten
•2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract
•1 cup (250 mL) hot strong black coffee


Directions


•Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). Grease cake or bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
•Blend flour, SPLENDA® Granulated, SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large mixing bowl.
•Combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and coffee in a small bowl.
•Add dry ingredients to buttermilk mixture, using an electric mixer on medium speed, mix until smooth (about 2 minutes).
•Pour batter into cake or bundt pan.
•Bake for 35 minutes, until an inserted toothpick in centre of cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes.



Juliana (our niece) was quick to point out that sugar-free chocolate pudding was a great substitute for traditional cake icing and we topped it off with a selection of sugar-free candy.  Just a note - keep the cake in the fridge to keep the pudding in place!
 
Juliana and Jenna had a great time making and decorating the cake!  Give it a try!
 

What do you get the man who has everything?

This is a question my husband uses to poke fun at himself - he then answers "penicillin."  Now, if you are a scientist, this will be extremely funny.  If not, take it for what it is and.... move on.  And on is where I moved last week.  Abandoning the traditional guides for gifts to celebrate our second anniversary, I opted to buy him something near and dear to his heart - alcohol.

To be fair, my husband is English.  That speaks volumes.  However, over the past few years (and I think with my influence), my husband has taken a liking to wine.  More specifically, appreciating and collecting it.  We currently have about 200 bottles in our make shift cellar in the basement, and with the anniversary approaching, I went to my trusted computer and started googling my way to a brilliant idea.  I found Vintage Views.

http://www.vintageviews.com/


Vintage views is a wine rack system - in a variety of offerings from simple wall rack to complex cellar.  It is basic in design - two metal bars which hold the bottle in place but on it's side, so the entire bottle is viewed by the onlooker, not just the cork.  This enables you to find your favorite vintage in a moments notice as well as offering a beautiful piece of artwork to admire.

Vintage Views constructs wall mounted racks, free standing and custom racking.  In addition, your wine rack can hold 9 or 12 bottles in a single row, double roll or triple roll.  In other words, racks to hold anywhere from 9 - 36 bottles of your favorite wine.

I then found Cellar 1855, a business based in Edmonton that offered home consultations, drafted design plans, imported and installed vintage view racks!  I decided to start small and installed one 12-bottle rack in our dining room, and filled the rack with some Chianti Classico Reserva.  It was a well-received gift.  My initial idea of building a wine wall of about 48 bottles to view went to the back burner when I could not find a millwright to frame them in.  I guess all worked out for the best, because hubby did not want our collection in a warm room!  I think he has dreams of building his own cellar in the depths of the basement!

K

The Tourist Guide to Guanajuato Part 3

For those who enjoy seeing the sights at each destination, Guanajuato has lots to keep the average tourist busy for several days!  Not only is it steeped in rich Mexican history, revolutionary stories and several silver mines, there are also beautiful paths to hike and find fantastic views of the city and hill sides in and around Guanajuato.  Enjoy!

Colonial Center

Guanajuato doesn't have a main square like the other colonial cities; but the Jardín de la Unión (Union Garden), an intimate tree-covered urban green space, is a popular meeting place.

However, Guanajuato does have lots of small plazas, each of which is connected by an intricate and complex series of cobbled streets and narrow alleys. Guanajuato winds and bends all over the place—it's a delight to discover. Get a tourist map at the local tourism office. If you get lost, the locals are very friendly and will point you in the right direction.

Some of the more photogenic plazas are Plaza San Roque, which hosts outdoor theater productions during the Festival Cervantino. And Plaza de la Paz, adjacent to the Basilica and surrounded by mansions, owned by former silver magnates who lived here during the boom years.

Teatro Juarez is a major attraction - the architecture of this theater is part Roman, part Greek and part Moorish, making it a really beautiful building, both on the outside and the decor inside, and are both well worth a look. 

For great bird's-eye view photographs of the city get up to El Pipila; the statue at the top of the hill, commemorating Jose de los Reyes Martinez, who is said to have given his life opening the doors of the granary where Guanajuato's rich and powerful were sheltering, enabling the rag-tag independence army to take control of the town during the struggle for Independence.  The 28-meter tall statue is atop the San Miguel hill. To reach this place use the funicular (cable car) just behind Teatro Juarez. The view is beautiful, particularly at night.

Templo de Cata is a small miner's church, which you'll see up on the mountain to the north of the city. Admission is free and this is another good place from which to take photographs.

The Basilica of our Lady of Guanajuato was built from 1671 to 1696. Inside this church there is a 1000 year old statue donated by Spanish King Charles I who tried to protect it from the Arab invasion in Spain.  This is the main place of worship in Guanajuato; other main churches include Iglesia de San Diego, Templo de la Compañía de Jesus and Templo de San Francisco.

Callejon del Beso - alley of the kiss - is famous for its balconies, which are so close to each other they nearly touch. Locals will recite an old tale of forbidden lovers for a small tip.

Alhondiga de Granaditas Place where the independence revolutionaries burned the Spanish troops.

Presa de la Olla (Dam of La Olla) Built in 1749 to supply fresh water to the town. In this place you can rent a little boat. There's also a park and a great statue of Miguel Hidalgo casted in Italy also inaugurated by President Porfirio Diaz in the early 1900's. This area is very tranquil and quiet to have a break.


Museums and Art in Guanajuato

Guanajuato's Museo de las Momias (Mummy Museum) is situated just outside of the town on the northwest side. The local water supply is so packed full of minerals, that people who drink it all of their lives are effectively preserved naturally when they die. Coupled with the ultra-dry climate, their bodies don't decompose, and those who cannot afford the cemetery's land rents end up cremated or on display at the mummy museum (only about 1% end up here). Glass cabinets house mummified remains of the dead, and a tour guide will happily tell you stories about the people currently on display. Rather macabre, but also a fascinating tour - certainly different.

Museum of Mineralogy  - One of the richest collection of minerals in the world, located in the Ex-hacienda de San Matias.

Those who like art won't want to miss Diego Rivera's birthplace - Casa Diego Riviera. The house has been restored recently and converted into a museum. Some of Rivera's early works are on display.

Don Quixote museum. Small, but very well done.

Take a walk through the University to see the sites and studies offered in this small city.  Also, at the University, there is a 3-4 story series of steps that lead up to an auditorium. Climb up the steps and look out over the colonial city - beautiful!

The silver mines brought much wealth and history to this area of Mexico.  Some of the mines include: Mina de Rayas The first mine of Guanajuato discovered in 1550. Mina de Cata, Mina Experimental El Nopal  and Mina de Valenciana, the richest mine in Guanajuato still in operation today. It supplied enough silver to sponsor the Spanish empire and its colonies.

Of course, to experience the local culture, make your way to the City's outdoor marketplace and shop throughout the plaza.  You will find everything here from prepared food, fruits, vegetables, linens and Mexican art.  This is a busy place as local families will shop here and eat their purchases under the trees or on park benches!

Lastly, A trolley-like bus makes sightseeing tours of the city departing from Plaza de la Paz in the Centro, next to the Basilica of our Lady of Guanajuato. The rides lasts 1.5 hours and costs $50 pesos. There is a tour guide in Spanish only. Is a great way to know the city.

Why I love Guanajuato Part 2

(Plaza De La Paz)

We found Guanajuato clean, tidy and very safe - in fact, each evening found us walking through the plazas and along the roads around our hotel, popping into whatever restaurant or establishment looked of interest.  It's cobbled streets twist and turn, so just walking around is an adventure with new things to discover and explore with every new corner. We quickly noticed that unlike most Mexican cities that house a large Plaza in the middle of town (like a Town Square), Guanajuato had several small plazas connected to one another - all filled with beautiful restaurants, drinking establishments and shops.  I would happily get lost in this city, as I know each direction turned would mean another row of colonial architecture, vivid colors and quaint shops.

(Church, Plaza San Roque)

(Plazuela de los Angeles)

One evening we strolled through the Plazas, ate at a beautiful restaurant and wandered around with the entire population of the town (seems like it is a favorite past time - whole families, dates, tourists and expats) - it felt like a very tightly knit community, family-friendly and safe.  Buskers on the road and in Mariachi at your disposal...

We also witnessed a group of estudantinas - university musicians dressed in medieval costumes - entertaining a crowd sitting on the steps of one of the many churches.  As you can see, Guanajuato has a genuine Spanish colonial look, style, feel and atmosphere. Cobbled streets, churches, asymmetrical buildings and lots of color!

Just as a note of interest, Guanajuato is also home to a well-respected University, symphony orchestra and a newly renovated concert hall!  This is the perfect mix of beautiful architecture, history, art and culture, rolled up with  vibrant Mexican culture, food and a beautiful climate!  Not to mention daily Farmer's Markets and a wide variety of specialty shops for candy, baked goods and even European-styled cafes!  But if that's not enough, remember Guanajuato is the birthplace of Diego Rivera - artist, muralist and rebel husband of Frida Kahlo!  In fact, the house he was born in is now the Diego Museum.

(Dia de flores, 1925)

(Diego Rivera Museum, Birthplace)

If you head inland on your next visit to Mexico, I would personally set aside a week, rent a car from the airport at Leon, and make your way through several of these well-known Colonial towns, highlighting both Guanajuato and it's more famous-for-expat-sister, San Miguel de Allende.  Where San Miguel is highly populated with American and Canadian Expats, Guanajuato's expat community is small and quiet - this is an unspoiled paradise which I think, it's residents fear the rest of the world uncovering!  It is a town/city for Mexicans who are proud of their country, their heritage and their history. 

But the most important uncovering on this trip for me was the Mexican heart: strong and giving.  My husband and I spent the first few days of January in Guanajuato and left on January 5th.  The city was preparing for another "Christmas celebration" on January 6th, where children in need and those living in poverty would make their way to the above-pictured Plaza de la Paz and find toys, gifts, blankets and non-perishable foods to help them through tough times.  By the time we left this beautiful city, the Plaza was filled with blankets and toys for children of every age group, and enough for a hundred families to celebrate Christmas - this is heart.  This is Mexico to me.

K

Travelling to Mexico? Go inland my friend. Part 1

My husband and I decided to take our honeymoon a few months after we tied the knot and set out to explore Mexico in Jan 2009.  On the destination agenda: visit our dear friends residing in Guadalajara, explore new areas  AND enjoy a relaxing sea view.  Tall order. 

One leg of our journey had us travelling in our rental car (lovingly referred to at the rollerskate - yes, a VW Pointer) from the bustling Guadalajara in Jalisco State to Guanajuato (gwah-nah-HWAH-toh), in the State of Guanajuato - about a four hour journey with stops on a well-planned toll highway.  This jewel of a destination is located in the center of the country, and known as Bajio, the colonial heart of Mexico.

To give you some markers on it's location, this lovely city is under an hour from the new airport in Leon, about an hours drive from San Miguel de Allende or about three hours northwest of Mexico City.  Guanajuato is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is one of a group of old silver mining cities, which includes Guanajuato and San Miguel, Zacatecas, Queretaro, San Luis Potosí and Alamos. Each has its own unique character, features and atmosphere but together they make fantastic travel experiences!

Hundreds of years old and thousands of feet above sea level - our tour guide told us at the highest point, Guanajuato reaches almost 7000 ft!  The city dates back to 1552 and it's known tunnel system, which you have to see to believe, was built around the time of the silver boom.  The city is now filled with a striking amount of one way streets, some above ground, and others below, in a complex cavernous underworld.  But not only are these tunnels one way travel routes for cars, there are also subterranean routes for pedestrians, which makes travelling around the city very easy (if you are not directionally challenged!)

For drivers, kilometers of brick tunnels guide you around the city.  Just make sure that wherever there is an opening with sunlight streaming down, there will be a street marker indicating what roads you are intersecting!

Guanajuato is a friendly and unspoiled place, not overwhelmed with tourists like the coastal areas of this beautiful country. And it is in the colonial cities that the real Mexico begins to emerge. You'll experience magnificent scenery, beautiful and unique hotels at reasonable prices as well as taste local foods and flavors as colorful and diverse as the cultures that created them.

I found a fantastic deal on http://www.luxurylink.com/ for three days in a suite, breakfast, dinner and a full day tour at the 19th century Hacienda now called Quinta Las Acacias (http://www.quintalasacacias.com/ ).  A cross between a luxury small hotel and B&B with old Spaniard architecture and Mexican charm.

Our suite was in a secondary building further up the hill behind the main house, perched into the hillside overlooking the beauty of the city as well as one of the hotel's jacuzzi pools! 

The great architecture of this gorgeous city was built with the enormous wealth generated from the silver mines that enjoyed their surge during the 17th and 18th centuries. At this time, Guanajuato was the source for one third of the world's silver supply!  Today, you can see Guanajuato in its unspoiled, perfectly preserved splendor. It's like stepping back in time here; the city is incredibly picturesque - my camera barely had a break!

We were both amazed at how much this small city in the heart of Mexico could easily be mistaken for a village in Spain or even Italy!  It has a genuine Spanish colonial look, style, feel and atmosphere. Cobbled streets, churches, asymmetrical and colourful buildings, an amazing vibe and fantastic history!

To be continued...

Anniversary Ideas

My husband and I will be celebrating our second wedding anniversary on August 9th.  Last year, we both chose gifts to exchange (unknowingly) that followed the traditional symbol: paper.  This year we were under the impression that the second anniversary was wood, and I scrambled to get some unique ideas for him.  However, my intuition led me to a google search, and low and behold the traditional symbol - cotton! And the modern symbol - china!  Ah, Houston, I have a problem!

Does this fill you with inspiration?  Suggestions anyone?

My daughter has suggested this...

However, she suggests this for every gift, for every occasion!

Where do they get this stuff, anyway?  What is it about the tenth anniversary (for example) that someone has deemed it worthy of a tin or aluminum gift?  Anyway, I have one week and few sparks of imagination right now.  Somehow, I don't see a set of bath towels going over so well, or my husband thanking me profusely for the lovely tablecloth or placements.  Let's not even start with china as a possibility....

All of this sparked further research into why the almighty "they" have deemed August 9th, 2010 as the year of cotton for us.  I found the following:

By the time a couple celebrates their second anniversary, they are more cozy with one another, making cotton the appropriate anniversary gift for this wedding anniversary celebration.
Here are some second wedding anniversary ideas and symbols to help you choose cotton or china gifts associated with your 2nd marriage anniversary.

2nd Anniversary Traditional Gift :

Cotton. As a material, cotton is both durable and versatile. These are both important qualities in a successful marriage. Cotton has also been known as a symbol of great prosperity.

2nd Anniversary Contemporary/Modern Gift:

China. Many people describe love as being elegant and beautiful. In the same way many people view love, china is seen as elegant and beautiful, too.

2nd Anniversary Gemstone:
Garnet.

2nd Anniversary Color:
Red.

Hmmm..  OK, so I feel better knowing that at least "they" have taken some time to make an analogy of cotton or china to the marriage, but somehow, I think it's a hill I am not ready to die on this year!

For those curious to know more about the traditional and modern wedding anniversary symbols, you can find the first 100 here!

http://marriage.about.com/cs/anniversaries/a/wedannivideas.htm

Some milestone anniversary symbols include:

5th
Traditional:  Wood
Modern:  Silverware

10th
Traditional:  Tin/Aluminum
Modern:  Diamond Jewellery

15th
Traditional:  Crystal
Modern:  Watches

20th
Traditional:  China
Modern: Platinum

25th
Traditional:  Silver
Modern:  Silver

30th
Traditional:  Pearl
Modern: Diamond

Happy Hunting!

K