Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have to admit that I have been horrible cook for just Kristen and I so I finally got tired of waiting until my husband arrived, to make a decent meal.

I wanted not only a decent home cooked meal but also a treat. I thought of cookies and went online searching for a good recipe for chocolate chip. My normal favourite recipe is on the bag of chipits and I didn't think that I would be able to either find that brand here and if I could, it might not be worth the price to buy them.

I found on my favourite recipe site, Epicurious.com a recipe for Mexican chocolate chip cookies. The recipe added cinnamon and pepper to the recipe and I used Mexican chocolate as some reviewers suggested.

I have to say that I just took the first batch out of the oven and of course I just had to eat the one that broke. Well didn't I? Guess what? They are amazing. It definitely has that Mexican zing to them but still sweet and runny.

I find that while I am here in Mexico, I really want to cook like a Mexican but am at a loss on finding traditional recipes. A couple of months ago I was invited to a neighbours house who was making arracherra for dinner so I found a recipe for Mexican corn pudding from a chef in Guadalajara to bring as my contribution. I am happy and proud to say that there was not a drop of it left.

Mexican cooking is so much more than Taco Bell. I am thrilled to be experimenting with it.

Want a cookie?

Grocery Shopping at Soriana in Chapala

I just took my grandmother grocery shopping at Soriana's in Chapala, the next town about 10 minutes away. We both bought quite a bit of food although my groceries don't last as long as her between a growing 10 year old and myself.

I bought yogurts, cheese, meat, juice, fruit and veggies, soap, conditioner ( have you noticed how you need to buy conditioner a lot faster than the shampoo?) and all sorts of other goodies. My bill came to 670 pesos (about $67).

My grandmother did the same but added a bottle of vodka (she buys a large bottle for 59 pesos - remember the 10 - 1 ratio of the dollar - too cheap LOL) Her bill was about the same as mine but instead of lasting a week like mine does, her will last her about 3 weeks.

Walmart is set to open just around the corner from us - walking distance actually unless we grocery shop. It is supposed to open the end of November just in time for Christmas shopping. It is also going to be a superstore. I am curious if they are going to stock a lot of NOB (north of the border) products and what price they will be.

We have a store called Super Lake that caters to the "gringos" and has every product that we can get including the luxury items like caviar, smoked salmon and my grandmothers must have today - Cheez Whiz.

Me, I am looking forward to my smoked salmon on toast with butter, chopped red onion and dillweed. Who called this a third world country? They are crazy.

El Sarape Restaurant in Ajijic

Normally I don't eat like a Mexican and by that I mean, I still eat like I did in Canada with the main meal of my day being at dinner in the evening. But today I was really hungry at lunchtime so we went out for big lunch at El Sarape.

El Sarape in on the main road, the carreterra, on the west end of Ajijic. The food is phenomenal and although they call it tex mex I think its truly Mexican.

Today I had my first Tamale, with green corn chili. I have seen them made on the food channel on tv but I had never had one. It cost 18 pesos (generally we divide by 10 to get the equivalent North of the Border price so = $1.80) I assumed at that price I wouldn't be full so I ordered a torn beef crispy taco as well.

My daughter and her friend were my companions for our lunch (dinner) and between them, they ordered 2 soft tacos of beef, 1 crispy chicken taco and a chimichanga. At just about every single restaurant in Mexico, you are served salsa and tacos when you sit down.

The chimichanga was huge with Mexican cheese and guacamole on top (most of that came home although I took about 1/4 of it to taste of course).

The crispy tacos I am afraid to admit, are deep fried, but man oh man are they good. It is NOTHING like our taco shells bought from the store in a box and then made at home. Nothing from NOB (north of the border) tastes anything like real Mexican food.

Then we were encouraged to have a piece of El Sarape cake which is a rich dark moist cake made with oatmeal (so it had to be healthy right) and topped with a nuts and coconut in sugar sauce. So amazingly good. But now I am so incredibly stuffed - which makes you understand why if you eat like that in the middle of the day, why it would be your main meal of the day.

Oh and I forgot to mention, with all that food, deserts and homemade lemonade and orangeade, the bill was 240 pesos ($24 dollars - you couldn't eat for 3 at McDonalds at that price - let alone be full)

I love eating here!!!