Monthly Archives: May 2020

The Oaxaca Mask Project Report #6: The Final Push

Posted on Monday, May 11, 2020 | 1 comment

This is our final push for now to make and distribute masks in Oaxaca and surrounding villages. We need your help. Will you make a donation today to give us the means to get 300-500 more masks made this week? To do this, we want to raise $1,250 more. To date, we have made and distributed 2,355 masks. Please use this link to give:

paypal.me/oaxacaculture

We want to wrap up receiving donations for this project (for the time being) by May 15. That means we want to contract and pay for more mask making by this Friday and have all the distribution complete by May 30.

My doggie and casita caretakers, family of Arnulfo Lazaro Bautista, Teotitlan del Valle

Then, we are going to take a break and assess our successes and where we could have made a greater impact. Perhaps there will be another wave coming and we will be better prepared to move faster and cover more faces.

Disease will plummet if 90% wear masks! study shows.

And, the New York Times reports that Mexico is underreporting number of cases and deaths. A sad situation that is also true in the United States of America! Of course, some are disbelievers, too.

La Merced Market Story

Reports from Kalisa Wells in Oaxaca City are promising. The streets are empty. And, she says:

“This morning at La Merced Market: To enter, one must wash hands with soap and water, under supervision. Then a temperature check, followed by a gel squirt. The inside was bustling with fully-masked customers and vendors. No way to stay distanced, but big bottles of gel everywhere… at each station. I felt very comfortable! This market got it right!!!!

“Not ONE mask-less person. But it gets better ….. here is where The Oaxaca Mask Project comes in.

“While waiting to wash my hands, a very young (15- 17 years old) couple was trying to get in to pass the hat and play the accordion. They were very rancho, indigenous, poor, with a baby in tow. An official came out to talk to them. She said they may wash and enter and pass the hat, but they must wear a mask.

“Voila ! I gave them one flowered and one plain, and they were admitted. I do not carry a camera, it so wished I could send you a pic of them in masks made [here in Oaxaca] by Rocio Bastida Cruz and Telarcito Lindo [made possible through donations to The Oaxaca Mask Project].

“I carried a couple of masks with me this morning in a plastic bag… for this! But who knew! Thank you Norma. I imagine they made enough today to eat and maybe buy a few groceries to take back on the long bus ride home.”

Note about the above photo: Left to right is Rodolfo, then Arnulfo Menor (Jr.), mom Natividad Ruiz Vasquez, and two-year-old Esmeralda. Arnulfo Lazaro Bautista is taking the photo. They are my Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, friends who are wearing masks made possible through this project. Arnulfo comes to my casita twice daily to feed my dogs in my absence. I’m eternally grateful to them.

Wear Your Mask. Love, Norma

Sam Robbins, mask-maker, who contributed 150 masks to this project

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Cinco de Mayo Special: Norma’s Spiced-Up Corn Bread Recipe–Gluten Free

Posted on Tuesday, May 5, 2020 | 4 comments

It’s Cinco de Mayo. What better way to celebrate than with CORN. Native to Mexico and first hybridized right up the road from where I live in Teotitlan del Valle, corn has traveled around the world and become a food staple for many. Of course, Cinco de Mayo was invented in the USA. Read more about it HERE.

Now, for the RECIPE. What some of you have been asking for: the cornbread recipe I created and modified over many recent bakings. I think I’ve perfected it to the point that I’m ready to publish it. It is much better than the original recipe I made and posted a few months ago from Oaxaca.

Finely textured cornbread using almond flour and Gold Mine brand corn meal

The recipe uses almond flour instead of gluten-free white flour and a finely ground cornmeal, giving it a texture more like a cake than the traditional dense, gritty cornmeal one usually encounters in cornbread. If you want something more dense, use a different flour and a stone ground meal.

Assemble the following ingredients:

  • 1 cup gluten-free almond flour
  • 1-1/2 cups finely ground corn meal
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 2 T. ground turmeric
  • 4 T. fresh grated ginger
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 T. dried oregano leaves
  • 1-1/2 cups almond, coconut, rice or soy milk (for lactose free) or cow milk, if you prefer
  • 1 T. white or apple cider vinegar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar

Prepare a baking dish. Use any one of the following:

  • Cast iron 8″ skillet, OR
  • 8″ aluminum springform pan, OR
  • 8″ x 8″ pyrex baking dish

Grease baking dish with grape seed oil. Grape seed oil can take a high temperature without burning. If you use the springform or pyrex pan, cut a piece of parchment or wax paper in a circle 1″ larger than the circumference. Oil the paper, too. I like to use cast iron because it gives a crunchy exterior.

After removing the cornbread from the springform pan

Steps to Prepare the Batter:

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and cornmeal with all the spices, oregano, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Stir until thoroughly mixed.

Combine milk and vinegar and let sit 10-15 minutes until clabbered.

Melt butter in microwave — in three 30 second increments so it doesn’t splatter or overheat.

Beat the 2 eggs with the sugar until blended, about 2 minutes.

Make a well in the flour mix. Add the milk, butter and egg mixture into the well. (A well is a deep indentation in the middle of the dry ingredients.) Mix until all the flour is absorbed into the liquid ingredients. Beat until smooth.

Pour mixture into the greased baking dish.

I grate the peeled ginger with a microplane — my new essential kitchen tool

Put on the middle rack of a pre-heated 425 degree oven. Bake 30-40 minutes until done. Test doneness with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the baking is finished. If there are particles of batter on the toothpick, continue baking, checking every 10 minutes.

Remove. Let cool. Cut into squares. Can be stored refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 5 days, or freeze. I doubt it will last 5 days and you’ll find yourself making this recipe at least weekly.

Note: you can cut down or add to the spiciness by adjusting these ingredients. I like a lot of turmeric and ginger. To me, this tastes reminiscent of pumpkin bread.

Let me know if you have any questions. norma.schafer@icloud.com

P.S. In years past, I owned and operated a gourmet cookware shop and cooking school in South Bend, Indiana. Just a little tidbit to affirm my competence in the kitchen.

This is the corn meal I love
You can also use this brand, made in Mexico–also excellent for nicuatole

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The Oaxaca Mask Project Progress Report #5: Covering More Villages

Posted on Monday, May 4, 2020 | 4 comments

First, I want to say THANK YOU to our donors AND to friends on-the-ground in Oaxaca who are making and distributing masks AND to our USA friends who are making masks and sending them to me to ship to Oaxaca. Because of YOU, this project is a success. We continue. There are many more people to cover!

That said, we are going to wrap up The Oaxaca Mask Project on May 15. After this date, we will consider ourselves COMPLETE for the moment. We will not be accepting donations after this date unless there is another virus wave that is coming. I will provide a final tally with donor names, amount raised and villages distributed to — then.

If you wish to contribute, please use this link to make your gift: paypal.me/oaxacaculture

Que Milagro! Applausa to Alvin Starkman, Oaxaca Mezcal Educational Tours, for distributing 200 masks to these villages: Santa Catarina Minas, San Baltazar Chchicapam, Rancho Blanco Guila, San Pablo Guila, San Dionisio Ocotepec, Santiago Matatlan, San Marcos Tlapazola San Martin Tilcajete, Cuilapam and Teotitlan del Valle.

Felix, Santa Catarina Minas, from Alvin Starkman

Mask maker was Rocio Bastida Cruz in San Felipe del Agua, with help from Dave Crosley.

Lidia, Santiago Matatlan, from Alvin Starkman
Francesca, Santiago Matatlan, from Alvin Starkman

Mil Gracias to Gail Pellett for teaming with me to distribute 100 masks in San Agustin Etla taxi drivers and passengers to keep villager protected when they travel to Oaxaca city. We paid her seamstress for mask making.

Made by Reina in San Jose, barrio de San Agustin Etla, from Gail Pellett

In her own words, Gail says: Hi Norma, we distributed the masks made by Reina in San Jose/San Agustin Etla to the collectivo drivers based in Etla. These drivers serve the Etla Valley and the busy highway route between Etla and Abastos in Centro.  A week or 10 days ago very few of these drivers had masks.  Yesterday we discovered many of the drivers were wearing their masks, but none of their passengers were, so they welcomed the donation of masks to distribute to customers in their cars.  The collectivos could end up being the vector of the virus, as now most of the pueblos along their routes have cases of the virus.

Also, the “village guardians” who were staffing the elaborate check-point controlling access to San Agustin Etla were using one of the “gun” thermometers that a group of our neighbors and us bought for the village. So our temps were taken on re-entry yesterday.  Onward, Gail

San Agustin Etla taxistas (taxi drivers) ready to go! from Gail Pellett

Accolades to Eric Ramirez Ramos of Zapotrek who had 200 masks made and distributed to vendors and customers in the Tlacolula Market, and to neighboring villages. Mask maker in Tlacolula is Ines Lopez Hernandez.

In the Tlacolula Market, from Eric Ramirez Ramos, Zapotrek
Lupita Zuniga Sosa of Zapotrek, hands out mask in Tlacolula Market
Tlacolula Market barbacoa vendor with mask, from Eric Ramirez Ramos, Zapotrek
Lupita and Eric, Tlacolula Market — Zapotrek heroes

Abrazos to Kari Klippen-Sierra and Rudy Sierra in San Andres Huyapam who picked up 63 masks from Kalisa Wells in Oaxaca and 50 masks from Cristy Molina Martinez in Teotitlan del Valle. The village president there asked for PPE for health clinic staff. They had none! Masks were distributed widely to others in need. Mask makers were Telarcito Lindo (Oaxaca), Hollie Taylor (Chapel Hill, NC), Sam Robbins (Columbus, Ohio) and Malena Jimenez (Teotitlan del Valle).

Kari Klippen-Sierra and Rudy Sierra, give masks to Huayapam health clinic official

Next up?

About 150 masks made in the USA arrived in Teotitlan del Valle today. Cristy Molina Martinez will be the point person for distribution. Some will go to Armando Sosa in San Pablo Villa de Mitla, to use as patterns for mask making along with several bolts of high quality 100% cotton cloth.

Most will go to Jacki Cooper Gordon, who is working with enVia Oaxaca, a foundation to get the masks distributed to people the villages the micro-financing organization works with.

I will keep you posted on this distribution network as it happens.

Jacobo and crew, San Martin Tilcajete

Today, 100 masks made by Karen Nein in Eldorado, New Mexico, arrived at the Jacobo & Maria Angeles Workshop and Studio in San Martin Tilcajete, Oaxaca. They employ over 100 people, and the masks are being put to good use there! Our project funded the DHL mask shipment.

Receiving the masks at Taller de Jacobo y Maria Angeles, San Martin Tilcajete

We have another box of 150 masks leaving my son’s home in Huntington Beach, California, tomorrow, also destined for Cristy to distribute. I am accepting more masks and high quality cotton fabric here in Durham, NC, for one final DHL shipment. I will consolidate what I receive and want to get this shipped by May 12.

Please contact me by email at norma.schafer@icloud.com to send masks for fabric. I will send you the mailing address pronto.

Reminder: We will end this phase of the project on May 15, 2020. If more help is needed beyond this, I will let you know!

Thanks to each and every one of you for your participation, generous support, love and caring for the people of Oaxaca. We appreciate you.

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Oaxaca COVID19 Report: Moving Command Post to Durham, NC

Posted on Saturday, May 2, 2020 | 12 comments

I’m sitting in the Los Angeles International Airport starting my transit from son Jacob’s house in Huntington Beach, CA, to home in Durham, NC. LAX is nearly empty. There are eight United flights operating out of here today. Half are international. I’m connecting through Denver.

My thinking was to get to NC while air travel is still very light, the airports are empty, and while NC Governor Roy Cooper (D) has a stay-at-home order in place until May 8. Calculating all the risks, this seemed like a reasonable decision. I was to be on a one-week visit with my son, from Oaxaca to NC on May 12. Having mom for a roommate long-term was not in the plan! But we did pretty darn good.

There is lots to update you about our Oaxaca Mask Project. We are distributing to many more villages and continue to make masks there and send some from here. But this will need to wait until I get safely through the day and settled in to the Durham apartment.

It’s after noon here. I’ll get home after midnight. It feels strange, after having spent the last seven weeks plus two days with my boy.

The strangest is that my first encounter at LAX was the unmasked TSA agent who came over to inspect me after I sent the alarm off at the security machine. True to form, I stopped her in her approach. My son would be proud.

Why wear lipstick when it will only stain face mask? Me and Jacob.

Where’s your mask? I asked. You can’t inspect me without a mask. She went off and someone else took her place. The bins where I was told to put my carry-ons, unload my computer and laptop, place handbag and back-pack, jacket, shoes, were dirty. Everything got a thorough spray with alcohol before I unloaded them and put them on. I sprayed carry on bag, too.

I’m taking no chances.

Everyone, all 17 of us in the boarding area, is not wearing face coverings. Maybe 15% aren’t. I guess that’s a pretty good percentage, even though we hear that people here don’t have fear — just like in Mexico. Flight attendant passes. Her face mask is hanging from her chin. I just can’t be the coronavirus police.

Talk to you tomorrow, hopefully.

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