si se puede

The phrase basically translates to, "yes, you/he/she can," and I'm not gonna lie, I got it from the Disney movie. (I think it's Gotta Kick It Up? Ha.) Throughout the film, the squad repeats this phrase as a form of motivation and inspiration. Anyway! I seemed to have adopted it, too. I've noticed I say it to myself in the last few minutes of a run or during the pilates 100s in Body Balance class, or even, most recently, when climbing the volcano. I was feeling too lazy yesterday to go into the entire trip and our excursions so I let the pictures speak for themselves, but I believe that my trek up Volcán Villaricca is worth spending sometime on. It was honestly one of the most physically-challenging things I've ever done. My perception of measurements is embarrassingly horrible, so even after hearing that it was 2,847-meter-high, I had no idea how strenuous it would be. Most of the volcano was incredibly steep, the snow certainly didn't help, and the fact that the ski lifts were no longer in service made our journey longer than most; it took us six and a half hours to reach the top and two people didn't make it the entire way. We went from being sweaty, dragging through melting snow, to freezing at the top of the frozen, windy peak. The minutes didn't fly by either, every step of the way took a complete joint effort of mind and body to keep going. But, I did it! And I've never before felt so proud of myself for doing so. I got one of the most beautiful experiences out of it, between the view itself and the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. Not to mention that it's probably the closest I'll ever get to hot, boiling magma ;). Si se puede. We are so much more than we could ever imagine... so yes, whatever it is that your striving for, no matter how difficult it is, or how distant it seems, you can do it... and with determination and focus, one day you will. Congrats in advance!

Well there's my inspiration speech for the day, ha, onto la comida! Today for lunch and last night for dinner (pictured), I had a Zucchini Frittata, Pumkin Purée and salads. Lip-smacking good. I have to say, if you like mashed potatoes and have already tried mashed cauliflower, move onto pumpkin, it's a tasty and nutritious substitute. My family had an asado this past weekend while I was away, so my ita used the left-over in Monday's dinner and yesterday's lunch. She mixed it with canned tomatoes, string beans, and corn, and it came out delish. We also ate rice and, of course, salads. Tuesday I only had lettuce, but Monday I hit the jackpot with tomatoes & cucumbers, onions & beets :).

En fin, Monday's lunch. We had Salpicón de Pollo for the first time this season and my first time ever. It's so tasty and light and ideal for the kind of heat that we've been having lately. Our salad was just the basic lettuce, chicken, and potato because we were missing a few ingredients, but I'm sure it'd be even better with the rest. Originally, it was a Spanish dish, and since then almost every Latin American country has interpreted it differently. Here's the Chilean version according to my "mom."

Salpicón de Pollo

Ingredientes

2 tbsp of mayonnaise 

2 tbsp of olive oil

2 tbsp of vinegar

Juice of one lemon

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1 cooked chicken breast, chopped into cubes

1/2 head of lettuce, shredded

1/2 kilo of cooked potatoes, chopped into cubes

1 cup of shredded carrot

1/2 cup of cooked peas

1/2 cup of cooked corn

1 cup of chopped avocado

1 boiled egg for each plate

Salt and pepper to taste

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Instrucciones

Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Toss. Mix the dressing ingredients and add to salad. Enjoy!

I'm sure you all won't be looking at this recipe any time soon with winter quickly approaching, but it'd be great for the summertime. Oh, and just a side note, I like the taste of mayo in the dressing, but leaving it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world seeing as it's not exactly the best thing for you :). Alrighty then, I've got to get back to work, 'tis the life of a student. Happy Humpday, all!