I had a wonderful time yesterday at a friend's house. Her mother, Olga, is at the end of a month-long visit from Puerto Rico, and her sister, Vickie, who lives in Miami, was also in Tampa for the holidays. All three ladies are members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Vickie works for the Coast Guard at their HQ in Miami. Heleyde is our new Flotilla Commander. Yesterday was the first day officially in that office. They prepared the most wonderful pork roast, and Heleyde made a salad with chickpeas, diced onions, a little diced tomato with Balsamic vinegar dressing. It was wonderful! They shared recipes for a half a dozen ways to use chickpeas and beans in salads and as side dishes, so if any of you are either vegetarian or just like various bean varieties, look up Puerto Rican or Caribbean bean recipes.

Heleyde has a Carambola tree in her back yard. You may recognize it as star fruit. She sliced a plate full for us to enjoy and I brought a half a dozen whole fruit home. Ripe, they are only slightly tart and delicious. These were tree-ripened and the best I have ever eaten. I did not get any pictures of Vickie, but Heleyde and Olga are pictured above. What a way to start a new year!