#There was a pie crust making class nearby but even though I signed up for it they never got back to me

[crimsonblackrose]

I promised my aunt I’d make tiramisu but forgot pie day coming up and I’ve wanted to make pie for pie day for...years and always miss it. But! I think we have a pie crust (with cigars resting in it for some bizarre reason) in the freezer and this like raw sugar-free book has a pie recipe that I think we’ve got all the ingredients for...so I might be able to do both?

[jessaadventures-blog]

Week Nine: The Final Week!

My painted volunteer rock going under the sign!

My last week in Lobitos was very chill and I spent a lot of time finishing up my work and preparing for Patagonia while I enjoyed some final traditions and experiences! These last few days had their ups and downs (I got sick again), but now I’m on to a new adventure and I couldn’t be more excited :)

The EcoHouse

Yummm mango :)

We said goodbye to Chris on Tuesday, and Michael left for vacation on Tuesday as well, so I said farewell to him before he left on his adventure. That only left Ale, Joris, Anthony, and I with Diego and Nai Ana; a big change from having eleven people in the house last week! The house was pretty chill all week, we all did a lot of reading and sleeping but had some fun nights as well!

On Monday we decided to make breakfast for dinner on Monday with our leftover food (we still had a lot because of the number of people that had just left). We made a whole spread with pancakes with honey, a potato and onion hash, avocado and tomato toast, and eggs; it was wonderful! Taco Tuesday happened for the ninth consecutive week (every Tuesday since I arrived) and it was sad to have my last one, though I hope the guys keep it going. On Wednesday we had a bunch of leftover chickpeas from lunch and the guys decided to create some falafels with homemade tortillas. They were very tasty in a deep-fried way, and the guys got creative with the batter by throwing a bunch of other veggies and leftovers in there, but I’m pretty sure the falafels made me sick. 

It might’ve been the large amount of oil that my stomach wasn’t used to or eating some raw flour, I’m not sure, but both Nai Ana and I got quite sick later that night. I had absolutely no appetite for the next two and a half days, though I tried to eat some delicious tomato soup that Anthony made for us sickies (it didn’t stay down). On Friday I managed a banana and some cornflakes, but it wasn’t until Saturday morning that I felt mostly back to normal. I’m extremely relieved that I got (mostly) better by the time I left; traveling while sick would not be fun! I ended up spending a few evenings of my last week lying in bed watching movies and feeling pretty horrible, which was sad, but the end of the week took an upturn!

I made some yummy avocado toast for lunch after a breakfast of cornflakes on Saturday, and ate a super sweet mango for snack (I’m gonna miss the tropical fruit)! For my last dinner I had to cook something good, so I whipped up one last veggie pot pie! I think it was my best yet, and the comfort food felt right before heading into the Patagonian winter. I also baked a really yummy  vegan vanilla cake that we ate with fried sweet plantains on top; the combination worked beautifully!

The last veggie pot pie with biscuit dough crust topping!

For my last night, now that everyone was recovered, we drank some delicious homemade maracuya sours made by Diego and played a few rounds of King of Tokyo, a new board game that was really fun and nerdy! Overall it was a really great last night, I’ll definitely miss the EcoSwell pisco and game nights. 

My last maracuya (passionfruit) sour! I’m going to miss pisco.

Otherwise, I spent Sunday morning packing everything up (shoving everything in my backpack always takes some time), painting a rock to leave by the sign (a recently-begun tradition), and writing my most famous recipes in the EcoSwell recipe book. It was a chill last morning, and it was nice to not be in a rush to get packed and out the door!

Work 

Planting day at the school!

My last week of work was really successful! I finished the manual I was making for the next volunteer, who will be building a new (and better) solar distiller and we fixed and tested the current distiller for the last time and it made more water than any of the other tests (about 15 liters in three days)!! Joris and I also launched a crowdfunding campaign on Friday to raise money to build the next solar distiller, and last time I checked (Sunday morning) we only needed $30 to reach our goal of $1000! That’s way quicker than we expected (thanks to all of you who donated or tried to donate)!! It felt so good to end on a huge high note after my nine weeks of effort at EcoSwell; I managed to finish a whole big segment of the solar distiller project and I feel pretty proud of all I learned.

One of the highlights of the work week was spending planting day at the Lobitos primary school planting native trees and vetiver! Diego had gotten in touch with the school, and they had a small plot that they wanted to plant with some eco friendly plants, so we headed to the school at 8am on Wednesday with some seedlings from our nursery and all of our tools. While we didn’t get to interact the kids much (they were in classes), we had quite a few run up to watch what we were doing and we got to see their PE class that was near where we were planting. It was a fun morning and it was so nice to see a bunch of curious little kids playing around outside; it’s been a while since I’ve been in that environment and it made me miss my little sisters even more than I already do! After planting some trees and vetiver, fertilizing the soil, and setting up protection around the seedlings so the wind doesn’t knock them over, we talked to the teachers for a bit, took some pictures, and headed back to the EcoHouse. It was a wonderful last planting day (and we didn’t have to get up as early as normal)!

Adventures 

I’m a surfer girl now, look at that massive wave !! ;)

Because of my stomach bug, I didn’t get out of the house much this week, but I did make sure to do some of the things I’ll miss in Lobitos. I watched the sunset on my last night; I’ll miss walking the beach in the golden glow of the sun or hiking to the water tower to watch the sun go down over the fishing boats. 

I also managed to get out surfing for the last time on Saturday, and it was a ton of fun! We went to Piscinas to surf, and though the waves were small there were a lot to catch and I managed to stand up more times than I ever have in one surfing session! I’m definitely thankful I was over my sickness enough to hit the waves, because it really was a highlight (and Joris got some pictures of me surfing)! I wish I had gone surfing more while I was in Lobitos, but I’m definitely planning on heading to Santa Cruz to surf while I’m at school and up to Tofino hopefully next time I’m home (and it’s warm enough)! 

One of my last sunsets over the Lobitos pier.

These nine weeks have been an incredible experience, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’ve learned so much about the reality of working to encourage sustainable development in small communities (it’s difficult but I’m passionate about it and definitely what I want to continue to do in the future, especially at the beginning of my career), how to go about finding (and building) solutions to community issues and running a non-profit, and how to have patience and include all stakeholders and perspectives when developing these projects. I’ve gone on so many amazing adventures (and managed to survive living in a desert-like environment for two months - I didn’t feel a drop of rain the whole time I lived in Lobitos), and met so many incredible people. During my time at EcoSwell, I’ve met twenty people, and those are just the ones that were living in the house. I’ve made a list, in roughly chronological order: Kyler, Sean, Isa, Dion (I already knew him but we’ll count it), Javi, Ale, Brady, Joris, Jenny, Jack, Orianna, Seth, Claudia, Chris, Anthony, Alejandro, Diego, Andres, Michael, and Nai Ana. I also met and interacted with a lot of Lobitos locals and made friends with some of the travelers that came in and out of the nearby hostels! 

I’ll remember this experience forever, and EcoSwell will always have a place in my heart. 

And now I’m heading off on another unforgettable adventure: Patagonia! I’m currently sitting in the Lima airport (after almost not making it onto my flight from Talara to Lima because the flight was overbooked) waiting to board the plane to Santiago and then to Punta Arenas, Chile to meet up with my professors and the fourteen other students in the class!

We’ll be in Punta Arenas from September 3rd to the 5th, then Puerto Natales, Chile from the 5th to the 17th, then El Chalten, Argentina from the 17th to the 20th, and finally El Calafate, Argentina from the 20th to the 22nd, when I fly home and get back to campus on Sunday, September 23rd, twenty-one hours before my first class! Woooo, I’m ready!!

I’m going to try to continue posting roughly every weekend while I’m down there, but I’m not sure of the internet situation, so bear with me! I’m sure I’ll have plenty of stories to tell when I do manage to post :) As always, I love and miss everyone and hope the end of your summers are going well!

[lovettshaper-blog]

Austin is a city that seems to never sleep. In a place where the hill country meets the urban jungle, this rapidly expanding town simply doesn’t have time to rest. Its inhabitants are either weird, talented, out to change the world, or a mix of the three. Austin has a celebrated food scene, but seeing what the city has become, there is no room for the food scene to sleep either. Whether you are finishing up a long night of work, or the bars are beginning to shut down on 6th Street, everyone has fallen victim to midnight food cravings at some point. Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind the next time the late night munchies attack.

The Experience:

Opening its doors in 1950, this Austin-based café chain has been serving quality, homemade food around the clock for millions of satisfied customers. I visited the university branch, where one can seldom find the establishment completely empty no matter what time of day. The layout is much like that of a 50’s style diner (minus checkered floors), but with some Austin funk thrown in. A blue and lime green color scheme keep the place seeming bright and lively at all times. At the time of night I visited, the crowd was almost entirely college students who had stopped by for a late night bite.

The Eats:

The menu is so extensive that if you aren’t quite sure what you are in the mood for, this is the spot for you. That being said, if you do show up thinking you know what you want, there is a serious chance that you might change your mind after a brief skim over the options. Because I enjoy breakfast no matter the time of day, I went with the Crispy Chicken Benedict, which is two homemade biscuits topped with poached eggs, chicken fried chicken breast, hollandaise sauce and onions, and topped with a green chili sauce for some extra zest. I inhaled it along with my side of homefries. Salads, sandwiches, gourmet burgers, tex mex, pancakes, omelets, and everything in between can be ordered to your liking twenty-four hours a day. If none of those tickle your fancy, look to “Kerby Lane Creations,” where you will find standouts like the Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf and the Green Chili Mac (which actually comes with fried chicken in it).

Info:

Hours: 24/7

Address: 2606 Guadalupe, Austin, TX 78705

kerbeylanecafe.com

(logo and picture from kerbeylanecafe.com)

The Experience:

At Frank, where they have dubbed themselves “purveyors of artisan sausage,” you will find endless shareable plates and libations bound to satisfy anyone’s late night cravings.  The old wooden tables and white-painted brick give it an authentic feel of a sausage house/beer garden. I would highly recommend this place for a group outing. I found that most patrons order several different sausages and sides to share around the table (they will even cut up the hotdogs for you). It’s a fun way to eat with a group, and gives you a chance to try a little bit of everything. With plenty of TVs on the walls, a drink menu that is twice as big as that for food, and the easily shareable nature of its plates, Frank is a great spot for a late night hangout with friends.

The Eats:

I was amazed by some of the items on the menu. The Stag caught my eye, which is a jalapeno, cheddar, venison, and pork sausage covered in smoked black pepper-honey cream cheese, blueberry habanero espresso BBQ sauce, and crushed barbecue chips as a garnish. I was also intrigued by the Frank Thunder Brat, which was a Austin Beerworks Black Thunder Schwarzbier-infused smoked bratwurst accompanied by cider grazed red cabbage, caramelized onions, and scratch-made mustard. Both of these came inside a warm, custom-made Frank Bun. Don’t forget to pick a dipping sauce of your choice to cater your own tastes. They do not limit themselves to sausages and brats either. Their menu also contains a veggie and gluten free section, along with a catalog of waffle fries and pretzels.

Info:

Hours: Sun: 10AM-12AM/Mon-Thu: 11AM-12AM/Fri-Sat: 11AM-2AM

Address: 407 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701

Hotdogscoldbeer.com

(logo and picture from hotdogscoldbeer.com)

The Experience:

Homeslice is one of Austin’s most well known spots for serving New York style pizza. Located down South Congress, it is at the heart of the city’s food scene. More Homeslice is the takeout sister restaurant that doesn’t quite count as a sister restaurant considering the two share a parking lot. Even though it is designated as “takeout,” you’ll still find plenty of its patrons scarfing down their pizzas outside on the steps or nearby picnic tables. I enjoyed my slice of ‘za on the steps soaking in the views of South Congress, and looking out towards the illuminated downtown skyline.

The Eats:

Customize your own pizza with a long and assorted list of toppings, or look to their “Tried and True” section for specially priced, signatures pies. I decided to stick to the basics, and went with two slices of pepperoni pizza.  The pizza is thin, as NY-style pizza generally is, and has a puffy, yet chewy, crust. This can be attributed to cooking the pizzas in a brick oven rather than a conventional one. When ordering my pizza, I asked why a brick oven produces a better pie, and was told that the higher cooking temperature crisps the outside of the dough faster so that it locks in the moisture as, well as providing a smoky flavor that cannot be reproduced in a conventional oven. The menu also features select salads, calzones, sub sandwiches, and even a beer & wine menu to accompany your takeout order.

Info:

Hours: Sun-Thu: 11AM-11PM/Fri-Sat: 11AM-12AM (Window open for slices only until 3AM)

Address: 1412 South Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704

Homeslicepizza.com

(logo from homeslicepizza WordPress/picture from Michael Hsu)

The Experience:

If you are heading up Lavaca Street and aren’t looking for this little gem, you very well might miss it. Walking in, you would think that someone took an old sports bar and turned it into a restaurant. It is a small and cozy establishment. The walls are covered ceiling to floor with beer signs, sports posters, and other paraphernalia of the like. Rather than watching one of the TVs, you can easily spend your meal entertaining yourself by admiring all of the “artwork.” It’s pretty hard not to. Here you’ll find college kids, families, and regulars who have been coming for decades. Despite the modest appearance, don’t let the look of the place fool you into thinking you’ll be served subpar bar food.

The Eats:

For all the chili lovers out there, this place must be added to your list of restaurants to try if you haven’t already. Go for a Frito Pie, Chili Mac & Cheese, or one of their “legendary” bowls of red chili. Bowls of red come in three degrees of spiciness: 1X, 2X, and 3X. I went with 3X (yes, I live life on the edge) and was very satisfied with my choice. It had good spice, but not an offensive amount that would drown out any of the flavor. If you’re looking to treat a special someone to some high-class dining, look no further. Feast like royalty with the $100 Chili Dinner, which offers with two bowls of chili, a large Caesar salad, and a bottle of Veuve Cliquot Champagne. For those not inclined to order chili, the menu also offers a variety of burgers, sandwiches, and tex mex.

Info:

Hours: Everyday 11AM-2AM

Address: 1409 Lavaca St, Austin, TX 78701

(logo from Democratic Underground/picture from Trip Advisor)

The Experience:

Classic 50’s diners inspired this establishment, but it has been put together with a modern twist. You won’t find a jukebox or any fluorescent lights here. Seating comprises of booths and contemporary bar stools, all of which are well lit by some fashionable light fixtures. If the weather is nice, they have a covered outdoor seating area where you can enjoy your food along with some fresh air. Located on the corner of 6th and Lamar, it is only a few blocks away from Austin’s prime bar scene. You are sure to find some folks enjoying a late night munch after they’ve been out on the town.

The Eats:

This diner’s name represents the fact that they serve food to eager customers around the clock. Breakfast, burgers, sandwiches, salads, and an assortment of entrees are always available to order. There is even a gluten-free menu available. Make sure to look into their various hash and Belgian waffle dishes. I ordered the 24 Hash, which is hand-cut potatoes mixed with onions, jalapenos, cheddar, bacon, sausage, and two runny eggs. If you are feeling adventurous like I was, add chili on top of that for only a few extra bucks (because why not). For those looking to stay away from breakfast, the Bacon Gorgonzola Burger is a favorite, and so is the Steak & Fries. Be sure to check out their daily blackboard specials that include items selected from local farming partners.

Info:

Hours: 24/7

Address: 600 N. Lamar, Austin, TX 78703

24diner.com

(logo from @24dinerATX Twitter/picture from fedmanwalking.com)