While my friends were visiting from Texas, we were invited to watch a Doma Racional (Horse Whisperer) training session at the home of a friend in Uruguay.   Doma Racional is a method of taming horses with patience and respect.  The trainer, Marcelo Gonzalez says, "Today in Uruguay, about 60% of dressage is rational."  This training method uses interpretation of the horse's body language and animal psychology, instead of the traditional methods. 
     Marcelo believes, "To carry out rational dressage, you have to put yourself in the place of the horse and take into account that, for the animal, humans are predators. The techniques of this type of friendly dressage is intended to make the horse understand that this alleged predator is not going to harm it, but rather it is going to be an educator, a friend."
     It was an amazing experience!  I had to say there were tears in my eyes several times, seeing the communication between such a magnificent animal and a trainer.  Watching this was an experience I'll never forget. 

     My neighbor and best friend in Texas came to visit!!!!!  She and her friend love to travel, so what better place to visit than Uruguay.  We were so happy to have them as our first guests. 
     Our dogs, Sam and Gracie, remembered Rosaura, our neighbor.  They went just a little bit nutty when they saw her.  Sam may have peed with joy...
     We had the most marvelous time.  I played "tour guide" and we went places I hadn't been, such as Casa Pueblo and parts of La Barra.  We climbed a lighthouse, ate crepes and seafood, visited the beach numerous times, and watched a horse whisperer train wild horses! 
     We cooked fabulous food, laughed, snuggled with the kitties, and talked on the porch until late at night.  There's no better cure for homesickness than to be with long-time friends.  We spent many a night in Texas under the stars, sipping wine and singing songs; we continued that tradition here below the equator.

     We found Sissy's kitties under the woodpile; they are growing and very happy. They are the best cats!  Ashley (solid gray female) is the huntress and a bit feral.  She goes out hunting every morning and comes home with at least a bug.  Benny (gray and white male) is the protector and the kool kitty.  He's loving and laidback, but will protect his sisters and Mama, if need be.  Freddie (black and white female) is a shy girl.  She's loving, but likes her space.
These kitties and their mama, Sissy, have given me so much insight into family life.  Sissy is the best Mama and these kittens have so much love for her and each other.

     It's that time of year!   The tiny village of Pueblo Edén will celebrate their 99th Aniversary this year.   The anniversary celebration is always a treat, with a huge gaucho parade complete with traditional gaucho wear.  It's my favorite celebration, festival, or attraction in Uruguay because it's so real. The people take such pride and it's been fun watching the children grow up each year on horseback.
     It's definitely a family affair with children running everywhere, dogs barking, and the Maldonado Symphony playing the Uruguay National Anthem before the start of the parade.

Here's my recipe for ORANGE MARMALADE at my cooking website: MissCookbook.com.

     After the canning of pickles In February, I still was determined to NEVER can/preserve another thing.  Those memories of Mama hovering over a hot steamy stove in the summertime with no air conditioning will always linger!
     But you know what they say about "NEVER."  Friends brought us a very large bucket of Seville oranges from their tree.  I thought, "Oh goody - orange juice!"  Nope, turns out Seville oranges are sour and bitter; they're terrible for juice or eating.  What do you do with them?  You make orange marmalade.  In fact they are the premier orange (greatly desired) for marmalade. 
     Oh, dear heavens...see where this is leading? 
     My husband chimed in that orange marmalade is his favorite jam or jelly.  I was hoping he would forget that little factoid.
     So now, faced with friends and spouse looking expectantly at me and my bucket of oranges, I'm forced to comply with the inevitable.  It being the middle of winter helped greatly with my magnanimous decision to once "can" again.
     Having no idea how to make marmalade, I tested two different recipes and read a dozen.  After doing a lot of combining and tasting, I think this one is a winner.  Here's my recipe from my cooking website, Miss Cookbook:  https://www.misscookbook.com/orange-marmalade.html

     Sadly, people also "dump" unwanted dogs and cats out here in the countryside.  Education for responsible spaying and neutering is happening, but not fast enough.  My neighbor and I decided to make dog coats for the shelter.  Let's keep those doggies warm!
We spent several afternoons cutting and sewing little and big doggy coats, then took them to the shelter.  Rescue shelters are always a mixed bag of emotions for me.  I'm sad to see so many animals with no homes, yet happy that someone, anyone is caring for them.

     When we moved to the Texas Hill Country, I was amazed after the first spring rain.  Pink flowers seem to pop up out of nowhere and cover our 3 acres.  Everyone called them rain lilies or prairie lilies.  They are a white or pale pink wildflower and open after spring and early summer rains.  They start to open at sunset and by morning are fully open.  They smell delicious and last for a couple of days.  Sometimes they popped up BEFORE a rain, so I liked to think they were a very smart predictor of weather.
     Lo and behold - they are also in Uruguay.  I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw an entire field of them.  Tears came to my eyes, as I felt like a little bit of Texas had come to visit!
    Sam, our Border Collie, always loves to run through wildflowers in Texas, especially the rain lilies.  When he saw them here in Uruguay, he went nuts.  Sam ran and ran through them and even posed for a couple of photos.  I think he felt the same as me; something familiar appeared!

     Straight off the success of making pickles, the pioneer woman in me has kicked in to action.  Even on the Ides of March, I've decided to make my own apple cider vinegar.
     The stuff is good for you!  I like to add it to smoothies or sometimes when cooking veggies.  It's good to drink a shot now and then, as well. 
     Problem is - you can find it for sale in Uruguay, but it's VERY expensive.  But apples are grown here - fresh, plentiful, and cheap.
     After awhile spent with Mr. Google, it seems that making apple cider vinegar (ACV) is straightforward and simple. 
     I did it!  No steamy kitchen is required, only large jars, water, apples, sugar, and three weeks of patience. 
Here's my recipe -
​Making Apple Cider Vinegar - Miss Cookbook.com.

     My husband is the BEST at surprising me for my birthday.  This year we started the day going to our friends' home and visiting their amazing garden.  Then we all piled into the car and drove down the beach.  No one would tell me where we were going, but did I care?  No way - beautiful summer day, salt air, and a breeze!  Ahhhh!
     The drive seemed to go on and on and finally ended in José Ignacio, a smaller town on the beach north of Punta del Este.  It used to be a sleepy fishing village not too long ago, but now is THE place to see and be seen.  We ended our drive at La Huella, a very popular restaurant - said to be a favorite of Mick Jagger when he's in the area!
     La Huella is right on the beach - as in walk through the sand to get to the restaurant.  I loved everything about it.  It was my best birthday in Uruguay; you can't beat being surrounded by those you love!

     When life gives you dozens of cucumbers, make pickles!
     I swore back and forth, since I was a child, that I would never, ever, ever preserve or "can" food.  I spent every summer of my childhood watching Mama sweating over a hot stove filled with steam and canning jars.  Mama and Daddy went to the Farmer's Market in Mobile every summer and bought bushels of fruit.  As if that wasn't enough, they'd go to my uncle's house and pick figs and pears off his trees.  Then the canning would commence...
     We didn't have air conditioning back then and we lived in the Deep South.  I have no idea how Mama survived all that canning process. I remember waking up during the night hearing the can tops "popping."  You wanted them to pop!  If they didn't, they had to be emptied, the contents reheated, and the process started all over.
     But hey, we had so many cucumbers in our new garden.  HUGE cucumbers at that!  I decided to put my childhood "canning fears" to rest and make pickles.  It wasn't so bad!
MissCookBook link to Making Pickles!