Hello, everyone!

After a very long hiatus, The Good Meal is back on business (Hooray!). I've been MIA for two months now, but I'm finally back and starting to get settled in my new home.

I know, I know, I haven't posted in ages. Who would've known that planning a wedding would take so much of my time. For me, life has been pretty busy lately and it's bound to get worse. However, I have some personal news and things to share, so stay with me and read on.

Chocolate runs through my veins. I'm speaking figuratively, of course, but I have a personal connection with the food of the gods. As many of you know, chocolate is made from the seeds of the cacao tree. Even though chocolate is eaten all around the world, the cacao tree doesn't grow everywhere. Africa produces the majority of cacao beans, followed by Asia and the Americas. However, the cacao tree is native to the American continent, possibly originating in Venezuela (according to Wikipedia). That's right, I live in the country where cacao may have been born.

 Two weeks ago, my fiancé and I went to our wedding cake tasting, accompanied by my mother. Our cake is being made by Mayra Pérez, a friend of my sister and an excellent baker. I don't have her bio, but I know that her story is quite interesting. For her, baking began as a hobby and she trained to be a professional baker on her spare time. It's only recently that baking became her full-time job and I predict a long journey of success for her. She has already won prizes in cake decoration and appeared in local TV. It's great to be friends with such a talented person.

 

A month ago I wrote about my mother's avocado tree. I said that last year was a big harvest and that this year we wouldn't be so lucky, remember? It turns out I was utterly and completely wrong. The neighbour who always helps us came over to harvest them. He climbed up the tree and discovered that most of the avocadoes were way above the roof. The tree was full of fruit, but we couldn't see them.

One of the great things about living in Venezuela is the fact that you get fresh fruit and vegetables all year round. This is especially true when your mom has a big garden and a passion for farming. Among the many fruit and vegetable plants in her garden, the biggest one is her avocado tree. The season is beginning and we're already eating avocadoes every day. Soon it'll be an avocado overdose.

I must admit that I've been away too long, again. There are reasons, of course, but explaining myself would seem like making up excuses. Anyway, today I want to share with you some news and some pictures of cakes. 

Arepas are a corn dish made in Venezuela, Colombia and a few other Caribbean countries. In Venezuela, arepas are eaten for breakfast or dinner, served with a wide array of fillings. Arepas are soft, salty and eaten while they're hot (cold arepas taste terribly). They are very filling, with relative low calories, low glycemic index and no gluten. Venezuelans eat arepas almost everyday (me included) and they're deeply ingrained in our culture.

Well, this break took a bit longer than I expected, but I was really trying to figure out what to do with this blog. I've been researching about what makes a blog successful and there's a consensus: the website must provide UNIQUE and VALUABLE content for the readers. Piece of cake, right? Not for me.

Christmas is near and that means family, presents and great food. In this post, which is going to be a bit more personal than usual, I'll tell you about the food I eat during the holidays. To begin my story, I'll tell you that I live in Venezuela, South America. Our Christmas traditions are very different from those in the U.S., but they are equally beautiful and enjoyable.