Nicole’s prerequisite for our family traveling in Central and South America was attending Spanish Language School in an immersion style program. She found Rancho de Espanol in Costa Rica and signed us up for a week of a home...
Brazilian Cuisine: Essential Mandioca Flour
What are staple foods that you couldn’t do without? Rice? Potatoes? Salt? Sugar? Milk? For Brazilians, especially those with tribal heritage from the Manaus Amazonia region, Mandioca Flour made from Cassava adds flavor and texture to every meal. Mandioca...
Meat with a Side of Meat: The Wonders of the Uruguayan Asado
We have seen many cooking techniques around the world, but none as mouth-watering for carnivores as the Uruguayan Asado. Our hosts for our first Asado were the welcoming and generous Bachmann family. Helmut manned the grill and Fanny prepared...
More Than Just Beans and Rice: Costa Rican Cooking
Our Cooking Class at Rancho de Espanol was one of the highlights of our stay! We walked to an outdoor rustic kitchen area just as the afternoon rains began to fall. It was a...
Uruguay: Colonia del Sacramento Highlights
We are so excited to be in Uruguay! For the next couple weeks we will be edventuring through Paula’s home country, eating all the delicious foods she remembers from her childhood, and meeting dear family and friends. To begin,...
Costa Rica: Homestay Spanish Immersion Program
Rancho de Espanol provides language instruction for people of all ages. It is a wonderful retreat center equipped with hotel rooms, pool, restaurant and other common spaces. It has enclosed cabanas that serve as classrooms. However,...
Japanese Gardens: “The Perfection of the Imperfect”
As far as Ryan and Nicole are concerned, Japanese Gardens are the most lovely of all gardens; utopias of natural beauty. While it has always been difficult to discern why the Japanese Garden is so utterly satisfying to the...
Japanese Ramen Haiku
It’s time to be honest. Our family might have a problem. We are the Warne-McGraw Family, and we are Japanese Ramen addicts. So far, we have sought out ramen for a meal no less than 6 times in about...
A Chinese Farmer’s Proverb: “Hunger is the Best Spice”
Our guide, Qin “Chin,” told us his parents used to say that “Hunger is the best spice” when he was growing up. As simple farmers, they knew too well that if you are hungry enough whatever you cook or...
Baan Thai Cooking Class
An American Expat here in Thailand asked us why we had chosen to travel to Thailand. And my (Nicole’s) answer included something about hearing Thailand was beautiful and the fact that our family LOVES Thai foods. So, taking a...