Mom and Dad arrived on Tuesday. We let them rest up on Wednesday and acclimate themselves to the time change - then off we went! Greg took a couple days off of work so we could show them around town.
Our first stop was the Santa Rita Winery. Greg's company owns several wineries, but Santa Rita is the closest - and it is absolutely beautiful. No, we're not wine drinkers, but the tour, museum, and restaurant are amazing!
The kids were off for the Easter holiday, but opted out of this adventure. That's ok. We had a blast without them.
The next day was Good Friday, which allowed us the opportunity to spend another full day together. We decided a picnic and hike was the perfect way to spend a beautiful fall day; so we headed to the nearby Santuario de Naturaleza. Apparently, half of the city thought that this was a great day to do the same. Luckily, we found a nice open area - a little away from the river to enjoy lunch. We then set off to explore.
The sights were beautiful, but we were a bit surprised to find that the trail markers were actually spray painted on rocks. Not something you would see in the US.
Saturday brought a day at the Farmer's Market and a visit to Los Dominicos. Los Dominicos is an area full of local artisans. It's a bit touristy, but a must-see in the area. A great one-stop-shop to see traditional crafts, handiwork, and eat yummy traditional Chilean dishes.
Mom loved finding the Chocolo corn which is huge in comparision to the normal corn we find in the US. See it next to the Watermelon? It's about the same size as a small melon.
The fish mongers showing off for the camera.
The boys loved shopping...
Dad surprisingly liked his traditional Chilean dish. French Fries topped with shredded beef, sausage, and, of course, an egg.
Greg stuck with the old favorite: Pastel de Chocolo.
This is the same place we first tried it way back in May when we were here house hunting. Memories...
We exposed mom and dad to church in Chile on Sunday. They got to listen the the speakers via headsets and a translator, and hear Andrew bless the sacrament in espanol. They were also able to meet most of my friends all in one place. It was fun to have them there.
There were a few days of hanging around the house. Sitting in the sun and reading - is exactly the kind of vacation my dad enjoys. So we let him soak up some rays before sending him back to winter in Missouri.
Mom and I enjoyed a couple cooking classes with my friend Teresa on Mondays. Teresa has been working for us for about a month now - and I'm telling you - I don't know what I will do without her. She is teaching me to make traditional Peruvian dishes (yum!) and my house has never looked better. My favorite part of the day is when I climb in bed at night after she's made it. I don't know what she does - but it beats any hotel. Serious heaven.
But I digress. Back to the cooking lessons:
Teresa and I
Ajo de Pollo is a creamy deliciousness made by blending bread with milk and cream for the base, adding spices, and chicken. It is served over rice. It is so, so, so, very good!
Pebre is similar to a fresh salsa but with Peruvian flair. It's a staple around our house. I make it all the time now. It is served with fresh bread for dipping.
Aguadito de Pollo is a cilantro based soup. The green color is from the blended cilantro base. It surprisingly does not have a real heavy cilantro flavor. Interestingly, it has full boneless skinless chicken thighs in it. We shredded them up before serving, because we're gringos.
Susprio Limeno
This yummy dessert is like a custard topped with meringue and sprinkled with cinnamon. So good and dangerously easy to make.
The classic Lomo Saltado Pervano is pretty much a staple in our area. It's lomo beef (which is like a tenderloin) onions and tomatoes.
We "gringo-ed" it up and tossed it on a tortilla and added cheese and pebre.
*My mom was shocked at the $1 an ounce price for cheddar here. We're just grateful that ONE store here sells it - so we pay it and move on.
Wineries, hiking, shopping, and food - That is probably enough for one post. There are more adventures to cover during my parent's visit here. Stay tuned!
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