Day of the Dead 2013

 Every November 2 Ecuador celebrates el Día de Finados, or Day of the Day.  We started the day with a rainbow.

I always get up early and make the typical Pan de Muertos from Mexico, sweetened with Splenda (my innovation) so that my diabetic mother-in-law can indulge.

Marisol's family always invites us to spend the day.  Most of the day we babysat Jacob and Elías.  Here Marisol shows Elías the family guinea pigs, raised not as pets but for eating on special occasions.  Sorry, animal lovers!

 Marisol's sister Miryan, her mother Zulema, and sister-in-law Gisela help with the bread making.  Joel helped with EVERYTHING that day!

 
Marisol also took Elías to taste the grapes ripe for picking.

Jacob was sleeping in the car.

 Even the kitten had a taste of bread.

Amelia and her cousin Zoe made little figures, o guaguas de pan, out of the bread.  This is typical in Ecuador.

 Everyone got into the action.

Pans of bread waited their turn in the ovens.

The figures are shaped and colored with food coloring.

Joel patiently shaped his figure.

MÁS PAN, more bread!

The neighbors raise peaches for selling.  Currently the trees are in bloom!

Jacob and I with Señora Virginia, a close family friend.

Bread now out of the oven.

Joel with his cherished bread giraffe which he made.

The typical colada morada, made with purple corn flour, blueberries, strawberries, babaco, blackberries, and herbs.  Yummy, Yummy, YUMMY.  ¡Deliciosa!






 Jacob and Elías with their bread horses, courtesy of Marisol.

Jacob saboreando.  Jacob tasking his horse.



 Amelia and her creation, a bread dolly!  Now no more pan de finado nor colada morada until next November 2.

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