Chapala FAIL

Yes, we are still alive! Bobs been struggling with health issues, so lately I've been doing the cooking. We are all loosing weight. Not because I cook so well, but so poorly. :(   This will not be a post of what yummy dinner I made from my trip to the market, but more about the current prices in Mexico.

So, Monday was tianguis day in Chapala. Mel and I headed in to the market while the two little ones were in school. Here is a list what we bought and the prices we paid.

 Note: I do not haggle on prices. Most prices are posted, but if not I ask and either purchase or walk away.

Currently 13 pesos = 1 usd

40 Fake pesos and coin game for Mairen  
20 mariachi music CD
15 huge cauliflower

30  1/2 kilo raisins
80 two pairs of soccer shorts for Shay
30   6 kilos of bananas  (yes, we eat that many)
10  bag of cucumbers..about 10 cukes
20 big pineapple
20 3 kilos of mangos
30 2 kilos of tomoatoes
30 1 kilo of green grapes
10   5 skeins of embrodery yard
35 quart of local raw honey...just dripped off the comb..it was amazing!
40  1/2 kilo of roasted peanuts (to make peanut butter with)
24  1 kilo of peruano blanco beans  (white Peruvian beans)
19  1 kilo of aluvia beans (think cannellini beans)
13  1 kilo of white rice
6    pack of 4 AAA batteries
3   sweet bread  (all that shopping make a girl hungry)

The Huge FAIL was I decided to make a cauliflower and bean soup.
*I* thought it was good.  Bob was sick, kids opted for raw cauliflower and bananas refering to my soup as "babyfood"....

*I* have a huge pot of it left over LOL

Our chef didnt run away...

But we have just been crazy busy. Didn't make it to a tianguis until Thurs (a new town for me), and I wont be going to that one again. Mostly clothing and yucky looking produce. We bought socks, queso, awesome street pizza (14 pesos a slice), dahilas from a road side nursery, and nutmeg. I had never seen whole nutmeg.... 4 pesos. Still nothing there to make a challenging dinner out of eh? Next week we will be back!

Episode two

Here we are again, but now it gets harder. Bobby had a pretty nice and easy basket as his first one, don't you agree? Nothing to strange or unknown in it. Now we up the ante.

In his basket today he will find~
Chicken
mangos
pineapple
and GUYABANO 

I had never seen such a thing! IT is a tropical fruit that is said to be the cure for cancer!  The flavor is a blend of strawberry and pineapple, with sour punch contrasting with an underlying creaminess like that of coconut or banana. My mouth just isn't sure what to think of it. It is commonly used in desserts.
I don't think he knows what it is or what to do with it.. ..let the fun times begin :)

Dinner is served!

 



Marinated chicken in guyabano, mango salsa, coconut pineapple rice, with totopos.

We all really liked the flavor the guyabano gave the chicken.. new favorite found!

Win!

Pilot episode

Chapala Chopped staring Bobby Conshue

Each week Shannon will bring home four seemingly normal (for Mexico) items from the local tianguis (market). Bobby will be tasked with making these items into a dinner for five that his picky foodie family will eat. He will have the sometimes overflowing, but usually bare kitchen pantry to supplement to his basket items.

This week, from the Chapala Tianguis, in his market bag Bobby will find; sea bass filets, huge beets, limes, and crema Mexicana.

And he created.... Butter poached rosemary and lime sea bass with creamed beets and potatoes as a side accompanied by a beet salad.   Yum!