I'd like to see a little more padding in the InnoPocket. It's velvet-lined but not really padded. I'm going to visit a local specialty fabric store and get a small amount of lightweight neoprene to improve the padding. Also, the hinge that fits into the left stylus silo could use a little nubbin at the top so the Palm device could lock in place. That little click as the hinge snaps into the silo would make the InnoPocket that much more reassuring.

In addition to our trips to the beach and about town, my Palm V and I attended a cooking class where I copied the following recipe for an easy, delicious Mexican soup. This soup is good for a light meal with some crusty bread and a tossed green salad.

Albondigas de Anabella Cobantes
The ingredients for Albondigas de Anabella Cobantes are:

• One quart water;
• Five Roma tomatoes;
• Five cloves of garlic, peeled;
• One white onion;
• Four tablespoons chicken bouillon;
• One pound ground beef;
• Three tablespoons oatmeal;
• Three tablespoons uncooked rice;
• Two eggs;
• One bunch of cilantro;
• Salt and pepper to taste;
• Optional vegetables: Carrots, zucchini, potatoes;
• One avocado;
• One serrano chile (or more if you prefer a hot salsa);
• One lime;
• Queso fresco (a lightly-aged semi hard cheese) or queso chihuahua (a pale yellow cheese that can have a cheddar-like sharpness).

For the broth: Combine the water with three of the Roma tomatoes, the garlic, onion, and chicken bouillon and boil until the tomatoes start falling apart (about 15 minutes). Put the mixture in a blender and puree. Return the mixture to the pot.

For the meatballs: Mix the ground beef, oatmeal, rice, a quarter of a finely chopped white onion, one finely chopped Roma tomato, eggs, two tablespoons of chopped cilantro, and add salt and pepper to taste. Form into balls.

For the soup: When the pureed mixture is boiling, add the meatballs and cook about a half hour. The meatballs will expand as they cook. Add cubed carrots, zucchini, and potatoes (or other vegetables) for a richer soup. If you add the vegetables, cook until they reach the desired firmness.

For the garnish: Cube the queso chihuahua or queso fresco. Slice the avocado. Make a fresh salsa by chopping one Roma tomato, a quarter of white onion, a handful of cilantro, and the serrano chile. Add more chiles if you like it hot. Remove the seeds from the chile if you prefer a milder salsa. Squeeze the lime, add the juice to the salsa, and mix well.

Serve each person a bowl of soup with a few meatballs. Pass the cheese cubes, avocado slices, and salsa fresco for each person to garnish as desired. Serves 6-7 people.

Product availability and resources For more information on QuickPower Travel Charger, visit http://galenworldwide.tripod.com/products_palmpower.html. For more information on the InnoPocket Metal Deluxe Case Plus, visit http://galenworldwide.tripod.com/products_innopocket.html. For the review of the Otter Box in the June 2000 issue of PalmPower, visit, http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200006/ppotterbox001.html. For more information on upgrading the memory on your Palm device, visit http://www.palmpilotupgrade.com. For more information on Mazatlan, Mexico, visit http://www.mazatlan.com.mx/. For more information about Palm computers, visit http://www.palm.com. Bulk reprints Bulk reprints of this article (in quantities of 100 or more) are available for a fee from Reprint Services, a ZATZ business partner. Contact them at reprints@zatz.com or by calling 1-800-217-7874.

Contributing Editor Bob Draper is a technical writer at Westar Corporation's U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground office. He's also a Green Bay Fan and a certified Mac addict. He can be reached at palmguy@mac.com.