Monte Verde

It's been a week since I've posted, and we've been learning a lot through lectures, and field trips. I probably haven't blogged much because frankly, there's been so much going on over here! Also, most of the week, I haven't gotten many pictures. 

Monday, we had an early wake up call, and had to be ready to go by 6 AM. Though tired as we were, it was completely worth it! We met up with a couple scientists who were studying birds by the cocoa and coffee collections in CATIE and got to see how they track birds and use that information to see how forests and environments are providing for each species. We saw a Basalisk Lizard (yes, those totally exist!), and got to eat a banana straight off the tree. Emilka opened up a cocoa fruit and we got to taste the fruit that eventually becomes chocolate! 

Thursday, we got to visit the recycling plant within CATIE and got to see first hand the work that goes into sorting recycling. It was a lot of work to separate different materials, such as plastic, metal, glass, aluminum, and paper. People would even leave food in the bottles/containers and we had to clean it out by hand. This is how it's done in the US as well. Manual labor that doesn't even make much in return. The main purpose of doing this though, is to try to reuse things as much as possible to reduce waste in landfills and help provide a cleaner earth. 

Thursday night after dinner, Enrique passed out Karaoke lists... So of course I had to participate. Complete with my ray bans, rain jacket, and funky hairdo, I rocked out to Everything by Michael Buble, and Hey Ya by Outkast. Made a few Tico friends who insisted on getting their picture with me. I see this as a good sign of my delightful singing skills.

Friday morning came swiftly as we climbed into a cramped van at 4 AM. Heading to Monte Verde for a fun adventurous weekend, mountain roads don't make one feel good on an empty stomach. Never the less, we made it to Monte Verde around 10 and got to stay at the cutest cabina at the Capulin Hotel and Farm. They have their own dairy farm that used to be used for income, but now they only use it for tourism.

A little cabin by ours that isn't used anymore. Still SO beautiful. 

Stopped a bit before getting there to take some beautiful pics!

Seriously. My favorite. On the side of the mountain right next to some great clouds. It's awe inspiring.

Everything is covered in moss and dew all day long. So great.

We got to see Coati families foraging for fruit. They are the cutest, and most unusual. Mix between racoon, monkey, lemur?

Our tour guide had a birding telescope and picked out some really great birds. This pic was taken through his lens. Baby hummingbirds waiting for momma to get back.

The road less traveled.

By the waterfall!

The fig strangler. It grows around an existing tree and slowly kills and devours it. It ends up being hollow on the inside. 

We were also lucky enough to see a male and female Kuedcal birds in the forest. This is the female, and they are pretty rare to see in Costa Rica at this time of year. Very beautiful.

On one of the 6 sky bridges in Monte Verde. So fun walking in the canopy!

So. I found a vine. And. I may or may not have tried to swing on it. Also. I may or may not have almost fallen off the edge of the mountain. It's harder than it looks.

The largest of the bridges!

An incredible view of this beautiful place.

Over the course of the weekend we went to a serpentine observatory, did a bridge walk in the canopy, went to the cloud forest and got to talk with our tour guide who was born in Costa Rica, but his parents founded Monte Verde in the 50s. Such a cool perspective of life and growth within a small amount of time. 

One of the main themes of the weekend for our group was thankfulness. Sometimes, it's hard to stay positive when things go wrong, but we must remember the gifts and blessings bestowed upon us. We get to experience a new culture, new beautiful views, and learn about the world around us. Let us not dwell upon small shortcomings, but rejoice in the joys of the present. 

As we're learning more and more about sustainability, I find myself thinking about the larger picture. Even if everyone in the world lived sustainable lives, you will still find war, famine, selfishness, and greed. We have been called to steward our resources well; however, only Christ can change this world permanently.  Only He can sustain us fully. Only He can make right the injustice. Only he can fulfill us. 

We still have about ten days left, but I can already tell that the amount of personal growth as well as knowledge about our world has been greater than any other trip, even mission trips I've ever been on. We are called to lead sustainable, resilient lives. In every area we should strive for excellence for the Glory of the God who created us. Be looking for a post soon about how we can achieve this!

God Bless, and Pura Vida!

Weekend numero uno!

Because there was so much going on this weekend, I decided to squish everything into one post! Friday, for our activity, Eric took us into town to check out the market. This market is a real treasure, because everything is producer grown! Everything is supposed to come straight from the source. This is good both for consumers and the producers because it cuts out the middle man, thus providing more money for the growers and less for consumers! Plus, you get to meet the people who grow the produce! It makes it very relationship oriented. We bought fresh honey and cinnamon rolls for the mornings, got to try my first passion fruit!

This is what I like to call, the alien fruit. Seeds are similar to pomegranate and very sour! Each one is connected to those little nodes reminds me of sour skittles! Very tasty!

We also got to try some other fruits!

They sell bananas still on the branch! 

Starfruit. Very pretty, maybe for fun summer drinks, quite sour to just eat.

Pe Ji Balle. It's a fruit, that tastes like a savory potato dish with tons of beautiful seasonings. But it's just been picked off the branch. So, yeah, not quite sure why we don't just eat these for every meal.

Red guava! It's the sweet kind. Much more palatable than the white kind that usually has worms inside...

This is like a leeche, and very tasty! Cool outer covering too!

This. is. the. best. Candied coconut. Made with molasses! Seriously, could eat tons of this stuff!

On Saturday, we slept in (as much as we could from the early rising sun) and made it a relaxation day! We went to the pool and swam and laid out to get our bronze on. We were then invited to go out with one of the master students from UNT and some locals for dinner and hanging out. We got to get dressed up and spent the night laughing and possibly getting slightly overcharged for the food.

Now, for the best part of the weekend, and also a part of the top 5 days of my life thus far, Sunday! We woke up around 7 and took a bus to zipline through the jungle and raft through the Pacuare River! Sadly, I didn't take my phone (for obvious reasons) so I didn't get any pictures, but hopefully I 'll get some up on facebook soon :) The tour was about 2 hours long and full of beauty! There were about 10 pieces of the course and some of them were daunting rappelling lines where we lowered ourselves to the ground from 50 ft platforms. It was amazing! They last zip line was about an 1/8th mile long and overlooked the rainforest! I would COMPLETELY recommend it! 

The second was even better. Imagine a high energy, 3 hour beauty tour in the one of the world's top 4 white water rafting rivers. And that's what I did! Seriously, the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my entire life! Level 4 rapids and an incredible view and quite the workout! I fell in at one point, which may or may not have made the experience more epic. I wish I could show you pictures, but then again, you should really just go see it for yourself :) 

Things I've taken for granted:

Fabric softener. Today (Monday), we were able to finally wash all our laundry. We had one of those pod things which was helpful, but then we put things on the line. They smell great! But they feel...a bit crunchy.

Drier weather. Don't get me wrong, it is SO completely gorgeous here. Breezes and rain every day. However, the mosquitos find me quite delicious. Like filet mignon. I've heard it could be linked to blood type. If that's the case, I may just end up getting a blood transfusion. But, it's whatever. 

I'll write more about our adventures we had today, tomorrow! Have a great day! God bless and Pura Vida!

Botanical Gardens

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

There is not speech or language where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth, 

their words to the ends of the world.

-Psalm 19:1-4

Our sustainability house is located right next to the beginning of the botanical gardens. Yesterday, we got to go on a 2 1/2 hour tour through it. It is so incredible how diverse the foliage is! This is just 1% of the fruit they have in the botanical garden, and each one is completely different. 

There are fruit that have as much caffeine as a red bull, fruit that are used as bowls, tons of different coffee bean varieties, smelly fruit, different kinds of citrus, and so much more!

This ecosystem is so intricately woven, that even little changes in bugs, moss, really anything can kill off species quickly. 

I just thought this was so beautiful :) 

This is a bamboo plant, and we were lucky to see it blooming! Bamboo trees only bloom once in their lifetime, which doesn't usually happen until the tree is about 80 years old. They say you only see it happen once in your life! 

Not sure what this one was called, but it is so fascinating! Both the male and female components are in the flower, so after pollination, it is able to fertilize it'self and will fall off the tree. It only blooms for a day.

This was a HUGE tree. Didn't even get all of it in the picture, but there are so many other plants/bugs on the tree that use the tree for support/nutrients.

An artist out of San Jose painted this. It's hard to see, but he painted on it the elements of nature. It represents how nature needs all of them to survive.

It has been wonderful here so far! It's so wonderful to get to see God's creation all around us. Our lecture time has been so fascinating. Sustainability is a very important part of everyday life to survive and thrive in the long run. We're now starting to focus our attention on sustainability as it concerns tourism. Stay tuned for more later!

Pura Vida!

Pura Vida!

Day one:
See ya later America! I'll be chilling with my fresco de pina for the next 24 days!

I've had the INCREDIBLE opportunity to study abroad in Costa Rica for July! It is a sustainability seminar series that will focus on how environment, culture, and socio-economics work hand in hand to create a life more sustainable, both on the macro and micro side. Because it is also hospitality oriented, we will also focus on eco-tourism and sustainability of a country through the lens of the tourism industry!

I've already learned so much, and the end of day 1 (or two if you count travelling day yesterday). Me and Sara, a student from New Mexico, were the first to arrive yesterday. Our trip is led by a former UNT hospitality student who graduated with his masters in the MIST program that is operated out of a Costa Rican sustainability graduate school a few years ago. He now lives here in Costa Rica with his wife Joanna, who also helps with our study abroad group.

Today (Wednesday) was our first full day here, and it has been a blast! This will be the longest I will have ever been out of the country! It is such a relief to not have to fit in everything I want to do in 7 days! It's been so relaxing, and it also doesn't hurt that we have wifi ;)

Things I didn't expect I would be grateful for:
1. No AC. Here in Latin America, it's so nice most of the time, that AC isn't really necessary. Instead, we keep the windows open and get to listen to the crickets and birds. It is SO refreshing to just lay in bed and feel the breezes.
2. Limited wifi. Seriously ya'll. I get these 3 weeks to RELAX and not check on my phone every second of the day. It is SO freeing. Ya'll should definitely come to Costa Rica and try it out.

I'm sure that list will continue to grow as time goes by, but those are the more obvious ones :)

So, my schedule for weekdays starts with breakfast at 8, even though we all kind of wake up at 4....when the sun rises. Costa Rica's biggest export right now is pineapple and man have I already had my fair share! We then have either a lecture or activity from 9-11:30ish then walk to the University's cafeteria for some seriously delicious food! We then will have whatever we didn't have in the morning after lunch! We'll get to have some free time before dinner, eat dinner, and then free time till the end of the night. We'll have essays, research articles to read, and other things to do at night.

On the weekends, we'll have even more fun adventures! This weekend we plan to go white water rafting and ziplining on Saturday, and who knows what else!

I am so blessed to get to be with the group I'm in for these weeks! There's only 7 students in our group which is nice and very much more my style.

I'll try to write every couple of days to keep everyone informed! I'm having so much fun so far, and I know I'll continue to grow and learn while I'm here!

Sustainability House we're staying in!

My bunk! 

water lillies on a pond at campus

Salmon in the Summer

Man, has it been a long time since my last update! I'd like to blame it on a tough class schedule (18 hours)... but I'd be lying if I said it was anything more than a bout of laziness. It's been so long that I had even forgotten my username/password...

But, without further adieu, here we go!

Here's a little recap:
In March, I said yes to the dress!!! I absolutely cannot wait for Jacob to see me on our big day!
I rounded up some pretty special girls to be my bridesmaids! I'll be making a special post just about them :)

The bridesmaids invitations I made :) 

We went on a wonderful camping trip with our church in Norman (Rest Retreat)

Jacob graduated from college! Woohoo!

And I'll be going to Costa Rica in July for a 3 week Study abroad trip!! I'll be posting more about that later :)

Things seem to be changing more and more, and I can't help but be thankful for everything and everyone in my life. It's finally less than a year until we make our vows, and I am SO excited to see what God has planned!

So far, this summer has been glorious. Lazy day after lazy day, full of good food, lounging, and...video games. Sure, I'm actually really excited to start summer classes (I'm taking a beverage survey class that's sure to be quite interesting), but right now, I'm reveling in the lack of responsibility. 

And now, to make up for the lack of posts recently. How about an AMAZING salmon recipe? I found this recipe on Pinterest, and I was assured it would be a great one for dinner parties, or just if you don't have much time. It definitely lived up to it's reputation! If you don't know, salmon is chock full of omega3 fatty acids, iron, protein and is simply a deliciousbutterymeltinyourmouth fish. The difference between a fish considered to be fatty, and one that is leaner, is where it swims. Bottom dweller fish who mostly feed on plants, shrimp, and krill are slow moving, less aggressive fish. The fat stores therefore are concentrated mostly in the liver. In fattier fish, such as salmon, the fat is stored throughout the fish due to the higher amount of movement in the water. Salmon are athletes, and they need the fat for energy. The reason so many people advocate for this beauty is due to the higher levels of the fatty acid that is present throughout this fish than others. Not only is this polyunsaturated fat essential- unable to be synthesized in our body- it is needed in order for vitamins such as A, D, E and K to be absorbed into the body. This fatty acid is also great for maintaining metabolism! It is needed in order for your body to process fats, proteins and everything else you eat. If you REALLY want some of those omega3s, how about snacking on some sardines? haha only kidding, but really, they have higher levels of this fatty acid than any other fish!

I hope you enjoyed that little science lesson! Now, onto the actual recipe! 

FYI: I usually NEVER make fish at home. While it is probably my favorite thing to eat, I'm always afraid it will leave my house smelling....fishy. However, this recipe is INCREDIBLE. Easy to prepare, quick to bake.  And NO fishy smell! 

Parmesan Crusted Salmon

4- 6 oz salmon fillets (I tried 8 oz. fillets and they were too much to eat)

2 1/2 Tbs. mayonnaise

2 1/2 Tbs. plain Greek yogurt

2 Tbs. chopped chives

3 Tbs. shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Lightly oil foil (just for good measure). Mix last 6 ingredients together. Lay out fillets onto foil skin side down (I think you can ask the fish guy for fillets without skin, but I don't mind it. Once it's cooked, the meat comes right off). Top with Parmesan mixture and spread evenly over top. Bake for 10 minutes. You don't want to over cook these babies, but you can stick a fork in the thickest part of the fillet just to be safe. Mine were 8 oz. fillets, so I ended up cooking them for 13 minutes, then broiling them for 2 minutes to get a beautiful golden brown from the cheese :) 

Note: The original post says 5 Tbs. mayonnaise, and the pinner before said she halved it with the greek yogurt to cut down on fat/calories and add a bit more protein and vitamins. I don't know what the original tastes like, but this comes out beautifully, with a slight tang from the yogurt. If you want more tang, you could probably swap out all the mayo for yogurt. Personally, I think this is the perfect combination.

Hopefully, I'll have more time to write this summer. I have more recipes, ideas, things on my mind that I'd love to share! If there's something you'd like me to write about please comment or message me!

God Bless,

Megan

Spring Break

I can't believe Spring Break went by so fast! It was so much fun and so much happened!! Soooo, let's recap! 

Thursday I drove to Norman to see Jacob, who I hadn't seen for 3 whole weeks! (3 weeks too long if you ask me...) Friday, we went on a double date with some friends to BJ's Brewhouse and then Starskate where we showed the disco who's boss. 

Me and my fiance, Jacob :)

While there, we were told we were the cutest couple in the entire face of the universe -their words, not mine- by a couple of middle school girls. Then they asked what "our relationship status" was. We told them we were engaged, and pretty much gained our own entourage for the evening.

Jacob gave me my birthday present a little early, and good thing, cause a good cast iron skillet needs time to be seasoned ;) He knows me too well! 

Naturally, I used it to create a wonderful sauteed steak that's finished in the oven with compound butter with chives.

I drove back Tuesday afternoon so I could start my shadowing at Maggiano's the next morning at 5:45. 

Pros for 5:45 A.M.- no traffic.

Let me tell you, it was INCREDIBLE! I followed the Executive Sous chef around for the morning while he did inventory, helped make huge quantities of marinara and Alfredo sauce and got to taste EVERYTHING. If you know me at all, you'd know I was in culinary heaven. 

At 9:30, we had 'family breakfast' where some of the cooks made a meal for all the other cooks. This morning, they made pollo con mole y arroz! That's chicken with stinkin awesome spicy cocoa sauce and Mexican rice for all ya'll non Spanish speakers ;)

I got to know the ins and outs of being a kitchen manager, became fluent in spanish- as I'm sure ya'll have already figured out- and what's that? Oh yeah, I got to learn some amazing recipes! 

So if you've never been in a restaurant kitchen before- like me- there's something you may have never guessed. You see, when I make a dish at home, it may take me, say, an hour- hour 1/2, depending on the recipe. I have to make the sauce, cook each ingredient, yadda yadda yadda....

BUT, in THESE kitchens, they've basically already made all the ingredients up and have them in large coolers, ready to be put together, into amazing, mouth watering dishes.

So when I made chicken Marsala, it probably took me, maybe 5 minutes, most of that was dedicated to grilling a perfect piece of chicken. Somehow, I never guessed their secret to speedy dishes...

Also, I've decided that I'm going to get one of these kitchens for my house...

The second day was much like the first, except I didn't have to wake up at ungodly hours this time. I got to talk to the banquet manager and beverage manager some more and ended up going home a little early. 

My time there was so informative, enlightening, and really fun! The chef offered me a job to start off as a cook there if I wanted- if only I lived a tad close- and now, I also have a really awesome experience to take with me!

My birthday weekend. Was. Awesome.

Friday, my mom and I went to the Dallas Arboretum, and it was fantastic! 

Tulips, tulips, everywhere!!

Jacob came into town, and Saturday, we went to a couple's shower for my friend Jessica & David.

Then, me, Jacob, my friend Haley, Amy, and Amy's sister and friend went to Billy Bob's to celebrate my birthday at midnight! I love getting to dance with my man :) 

The others may or may not have been asked by random weirdos to dance, including creepy old hip-thrusting man, choke-hold man, and smelly arm-pit man...sorry, guys!

The next day, me, Jacob and my parents went to Bonnie Ruth's to have brunch with Mimosas :) so fun!

We ended the night with dinner at Razoo's, The Other Guys, and hot tubing! 

I am SO incredibly blessed by all my friends and family in my life!!

Overall, my spring break was filled with lots of friends, love, and new experiences! 

What are some of your favorite spring break memories?

Feel free to comment!

With much love,

Megan

Joy. Opportunity. Food.

March has been quite a wonderful month so far, minus the tests, projects, and papers...but it's finally spring break!! WHAT WHAT!? I've been thinking over the past couple weeks of what I should write my next post about, and by the time I've finally had time to write it, I could write so much! So here is the plethora of things that have been going on in my life:

Joy.

Have I mentioned before that me and Jacob have set a date for May 17, 2014 for getting hitched?! Eeek! At first, it seemed like a daunting amount of time to wait; however, God has been using little things to show me that it's not only the perfect TIME to get married but that I will have plenty to do before the big day arrives. Note: did ya'll know that it can take up to 8 months to get a wedding dress made and altered? I sure am glad I have enough time! 

I may have mentioned before that Jacob goes to OU, which is about 145 miles from the big D (in my world, that's Denton, ya'll). This semester, I haven't gotten to see him as much- which is probably a good thing considering he has a lot of work to get done- but I sure do miss him. And while, deep down I am so sure that this IS His plan for us, it doesn't always stop me from being impatient. Then I realize, here I am, I get to marry the man of my dreams and have plenty of time to plan a fabulous wedding, and I have no joy to show from it? 

I've come to realize- mostly in the past week or so- that God is also using this time to bring me closer to himself. To find joy in HIM rather than my circumstance- which really, isn't that bad. While Jacob will be spending the last couple months or so finishing his film before he moves back to Texas, I'll be spending that time learning to be content in my circumstances and praise Him for his perfect timing. 

Opportunity.

Upon switching to Hospitality Management, I've been so blessed in getting to receive opportunities to learn what my passion is. I know I love food. I love cooking, using fresh, whole ingredients. I love serving and teaching people about food. I also love delighting people with an exquisite tasting experience. In order to get to spend more time with my roommates (and save on gas), I decided to resign from Oil and Vinegar. I'll still get to work holidays, and I'm actually planning with our manager a time for me to come in and do a cooking demo in the store! My big debut! It's going to use some of the products from the store, so chances are, it'll be my famous broccoli, let's be honest. 

For Christmas, my fiance's mother gave me the opportunity to shadow some of the managers/chef of Maggiano's and this week it's going to happen! I am so blessed and excited for this, even if it's going to mean an early morning 5:30 start time! Yikes! I'll be sharing my experiences I'm sure late next week. Prayers for a fun learning experience would be wonderful!

Foodie Friday! 

Last but certainly not least, the moment you all were waiting for...right?! Foodie Friday! Now, this week's recipe is seriously, one of my all-time favorites, because it involves everyone! Let me explain. A couple weeks ago, my roommates decided to have a pizza night and I was in charge of ingredients. It was WONDERFUL! So easy, tasty, and very gourmet! ;)

This is just a glimpse of how they turned out

We used already made naan bread from Kroger that was infused with garlic, so it was really flavorful! The key, is to use simple ingredients, and preferably ones that won't make it soggy when cooked. They are only in the oven for about 5-8 minutes, and the best part is, everyone can make their own! Everyone did different toppings, but personally, I think mine was the best :) 

I used a sun-dried tomato pesto (can be found on pasta aisle), a little bit of mozzarella, goat cheese, mushrooms and spinach. After this beauty finishes in the oven, I drizzled it with my California Novello olive oil, and black truffle salt. It. was. incredible! The goat cheese has a slight tang and becomes creamy, the olive oil brings out all the wonderful flavors, and the truffle salt gives it that extra shut-the-front-door taste. 

Naan pizza:

2 naan bread (Found ours at Kroger)

4 tbs of sun-dried tomato pesto

1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella 

handful chopped spinach, stems removed

handful white mushrooms, chopped & stems removed

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (if you can, get your hands on an unfiltered olive oil, it'll rock your socks off)

dash of truffle salt

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Place naan bread on baking sheet and spread on pesto. Add cheese, spinach and mushrooms. Bake for about 5-8 minutes, until cheese in center is melted. Drizzle with olive oil and add a pinch of truffle salt.

Happy weekend everyone!

What's your favorite recipe that's a MUST DO with friends? I'd love to hear!!