Sometimes I just want a quick treat for the kids on a hot summer day - and that's how my Guava Ginger Paleta recipe was born. When I came across guava juice-and I was so excited to see a flavor from Costa Rica that we have a hard time getting fresh ingredients in Denver. So excited, in fact, that I ended up buying 3 boxes of guava nectar juice- that's a lot of juice! Instead of just drinking the juice- we…
Walking into my husband’s childhood home to reunite with his extended family we were hit with the smell of olla carne cooking on the gas stove in the kitchen. In all…
Al final de mi primer día de regreso al trabajo después de tener a mi hija mayor, fui a buscarla donde la niñera. Entré en la habitación de arriba y mi hija…
After my first day back at work after having my oldest baby, I went to pick her up at a nanny share. I walked into the upstairs room and my 8-month-old daughter…
One of our favorite recipes here at Casa Pura Vida is Sopa Azteca - it tastes like home for my husband, I LOVE anything with melted cheese, and the girls have…
This traditional Costa Rican black bean soup recipe is a delicious, healthy, and simple vegetarian meal that everyone loves! Served with Costa Rican white rice and Salsa Lizano. You can find…
For some reason, every single person that tries my guacamole immediately falls in love with it. And people- this is the most unfussy, unpretentious, EASY guacamole recipe you will ever find.…
These mango habanero wings are delicious- a perfect combination of sweet and spicy- not to mention easy. Mango is a staple in the Costa Rican diet, and I love love love…
I have to have a huge disclaimer here- while this is the Carne Asada recipe that we use when we make meat in Costa Rica, I would be doing you a…
This recipe is a very popular recipe in the Central Valley of Costa Rica as part of a casado. If you visit small restaurants or roadside buffets (called sodas in Costa…
This Paleo sausage and potato foil packet recipe is ready in under 30 minutes and doesn't even use a pan! With smoked sausage, sweet potato and red apples, this recipe is…
I am not going to lie people- the last 11 miles up to the summit of Mount Evans is a pretty intense drive- I'd dare say harrowing. There are literally huge…
Today I'm sharing this big list of animated series available in Spanish- this is a comprehensive list as of April, 2020. I've also got a small list at the end of…
Popsicles are the quintessential summer food- and in Costa Rica, it's paleta season year-round! You can always find popsicles sold in grocery stores, pulperias and on the beach. But I love…
Since having my children, I will be the first to admit that I haven't been hiking as much as I would like. It's a lot of work to hike with a…
This post has been compensated by Inmar Intelligence and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyMazolaMarinade This easy grilled Tandoori chicken recipe combines a marinade of greek yogurt, lemon juice…
Full transparency here- this is my all-time favorite of all the Costa Rican fruit drinks ever. Literally any chance I have to drink this juice, I take it. Just call me…
This shredded beef (carne mechada) is generally prepared in a pressure cooker, although I will include slow cooker instructions here too. This recipe is a staple in Costa Rica because it…
If you have been reading about the best way to raise bilingual kids, you have probably come across the one parent one language (OPOL) method. Some people call it one person…
Not only is this recipe easy (I often make them while I’m scrambling eggs and we eat them right away) and healthy (it’s low in sugar and high in fiber!), it’s…
The Minority Language at Home bilingual parenting method (also known as MLAH and ML@H) is simple. In your home, you speak a different language than you do outside the home. Full…
Tamarind juice is made from tamarind pods that grow on the tamarind tree throughout Costa Rica. Because they are so commonly found throughout the country, the fruit is used for both…
Easiest homemade vegetable beef soup recipe ever! Combines tender beef stew meat, corn, beans, tomatoes, green beans, and pasta in a delicious beef broth for the perfect cold-weather antidote.…
Recently I was running out of breakfast ideas (we’ve had a LOT of raisin bran muffins lately!) until I remembered... Mom’s Poppy Seed bread! I made a batch (2 loaves) and…
This salsa recipe is one of my favorites because it's easy to make ahead and it keeps for weeks in the fridge. It's also easy to have the ingredients on hand…
This creamy green salsa recipe is big on flavor and super easy. Combining avocado, cilantro, white onion, fresh tomatillos and serrano peppers, it’s as beautiful as it is delicious. Get out…
This low-calorie margarita is big on flavor and less than 100 calories. Just in time for cinco de mayo!…
In this post, I'm going to give you a quick glimpse into my brain as I choose bilingual content to show my kids, tell you how to change the language to…
This staying home with small kids is hard. So hard. Anyone else feeling that? The days are so long and yet they go by so fast. I am quickly finding that if…
Over the years I have made this dish countless times, tinkering with it each time to make it more delicious. I would say now- it's my signature dish. I love the…
Bean and cheese empanadas (empanada de frijol con queso) are a popular vegetarian type of empanada. Most other empanadas just have a single filling, but the bean and cheese are a…
Coconut empanadas (empanadas de coco) are a popular Costa Rican sweet treat. Obviously, there are tons of coconuts in Costa Rica, so the basic ingredient is easy to find and abundant…