Quesadilla Recipe

This Quesadilla is a dessert, unlike what is generally known here in the USA as a "quesadilla". It is made with a fresh, crumbly cheese called queso fresco found usually in Guatemala, but shredded Parmesan is a suitable substitute.  Do not get mozzarella cheese, it just does not have the same texture.  Look for a cheese that is of a dry and not spongy texture.

Makes one 8 x 8-inch coffeecake

1 cup rice flour
2 cups shredded cheese (Queso Fresco, Cotija, Parmesan)
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
¾ cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  If you have a convection oven, set the oven for 325 degrees on Convect Bake.

In a mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, cheese and sugar, with the baking soda and toss to combine well.  This also coats and separates the cheese shreds.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the 4 eggs with the heavy cream. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened well.

Spray an 8 x 8-inch baking pan (glass works well) with cooking spray, or grease with butter or shortening.  Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Ancient Mayan Alter Discoverd in Guatemala

Breaking news today a tean of archaeologists in Guatemala has discovered a council house dating back about 700 years with altars, incense burners and sculpted images of animals.

Located at the site of Nixtun-Ch'ich' in Petén,Guatemala,the house has "two colonnaded halls constructed side by side. The halls were decorated with sculpted [reptile], parrot and turtle imagery," writes Timothy Pugh, a professor at Queens College in New York, in a summary of a talk he recently gave at the Society for American Archaeology annual meeting in Austin, Texas.

More on this story click here.

Guatemala Crime seems to be dropping

Some good news out of Guatemala is that crime seems to be dropping especially homicides. According to National Institute of Forensic Sciences and Fox News homicides have dropped 10.2 percent from January to May of this year.

An average of 15.5 homicides were recorded daily in Guatemala during the first five months of 2014, an average of 1.7 fewer compared with the same span in 2013. There were 2,343 murders committed nationwide during the first five months of the year, according to INACIF.

Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina said he plans to increase the country’s police force from 31,500 to 35,000 by the end of the year.

Source

Tropical Storm Boris plays rough with Guatemala

It is a new year and already the tropics are alive with tropical storms. The latest is Tropical Depression Storm Boris which is affecting over 100,000 people in Guatemala. Source

The US National Hurricane Center is stating that the storm could produce upto 30 mile an hour winds and drop from 20 to 30 inches of rain. With this kind of weather the national disaster relief agency said as many as 100,000 people have been affected by the inclement weather that has caused damage to homes and roads. Schools have been closed in parts of Guatemala.

Happy Independence Day Guatemala

Today marks the day for Independence Day in Guatemala. There are decorations and celebrations all around the country today and for the rest of the month. The sights and sounds are an awesome thing to see. The Palacio de los Capitanes in the Main Plaza of Antigua is decorated with flags and banners in remembrance of this great event.

 

 

It is an awesome time in Central America this time of year.

Foot Loom or Treadle Loom

The women in Guatemala often weave their clothes using either a back strap loom or a Treadle (foot) Loom like the one here in the picture. They will use this to weave their Traje (traditional clothes). Each Maya village has its own style of weaving and dress so you can usually tell which village a women is from the style of her traje.

Antigua Guatemala the beauty found in abandonment

What makes Antigua so beautiful to me is the lovely old historic faced. This picture is just that "old
and historic". This old abandon building I spotted while walking around one day on a side street in Antigua.
One thing that caught my eye was the textures and character in this photograph. This was probably someones home at one day in past years, now it sits abandoned. Another thing that caught my eye is how narrow the doorway is. I cannot imagine trying to squeeze my body through this narrow opening.
Like many of the buildings, doors and windows in Antigua Guatemala, there is much beauty and charm that lays in the eye of the beholder.