Mizmoe

Hypothetical question - if you lived on the Costa del Sol would you have a Melton Mowbray pork flown in from the UK? Well, would you?

I was listening to “celebrity chefs” whittering on about buying local produce and supporting local “corner” shops. When I was young … more years ago than I care to remember … we had no alternative than to buy at local shops and use locally produced food as supermarkets did not exist in our area. Our diet changed with the seasons.

Whilst I understand the need to cut down on air and road transport plus the use of fossil fuels, I also remember when we purchased our groceries at local stores and markets.

My auntie owned a local store and her mark up on food was unbelievably high - she often boasted about the profit she made each week. Other shops in the area were run in the same way - subsequently many of the poorer families could not afford to eat properly - my friend ate chips and bread each evening, all they could afford.

The market traders were okay but the food sold was not always good quality and often they would drop a few pieces of “damaged” or “bad” fruit into the bag.

When a supermarket opened in the local town my parents decided to try it out - eventually we did our weekly shopping there - but still buying meat, fish, cheese, fruit and vegetables from the local week-end market.

Our bills dropped dramatically, the brands were the same as in our local store but cheaper and there was more choice. Compared to today’s supermarkets they were small and did not stock such an extensive range.

Shortly before moving to Spain, we compared the major branded products sold in small stores and supermarkets - prices at local stores were much higher. We looked at “perishables” - those on offer at local stores were more expensive and lower quality - without exception!

Perhaps this is why the majority of us shop in supermarkets - because we cannot afford not to!

It would be great to shop at the local deli, to buy meat from the local butcher, fish from a fishmonger (to purchase wild as opposed to farmed salmon), to buy bread from a local baker. These celebrity chefs live in a different world. I remember one saying that perhaps if people gave up “boozing” and “smoking” they could afford to eat healthily - well I do neither! Nuff said!

When I was in my early teens, I had been out to the youth club, coming home the weather was awful and before I could seek the safety of home thunder clouds gathered. It was one of the worst storms I can remember, surpassed only since coming to live in Spain. My mother and father - who had been worried - watched from their bedroom window in horror as they saw me running for my life up the road with the blue lightening dancing around me - it chased me for about half a mile - although I was super fit having competed at swimming since the age of 10 years, I think it was more good luck than speed that saved me. By the time I arrived home my hair was … rather wild! The thunder storm continued throughout the night. Although I had no sense of danger when young, I admit to being a little frightened. I still love storms - thunder, lightening, hail, snow, wild seas. I sat on the shoreline at Findhorn Bay looking out over the Moray Firth when a force 9 gale (daughter said it was a force 10 storm) was blowing - I could stand up and lean forward and not fall flat on my face. If I were younger, I would love to go to America and follow the tornados, see a volcano erupting, see the beauty of wild and wonderful seas. Now that’s fun!

Throughout my life I have visited the seaside in winter and when storms were forecast - and enjoyed it immensely. At 60 years of age you would think I’d know better, wouldn’t you? I don’t think I will change now.

I remember studying weather at Junior School - the teachers knew of my fascination and gave me all the old magazines to take home when I left. I had them until about 20 years ago, when Mum went into my bedroom and threw them out - I’d been looking at the pictures for nearly 30 years, to Mum they were just dusty old mags making the house look untidy, to me they were memories of my youth!

I liked the old theme of course, but since I absolutely love the sea, and cannot resist a storm, this theme was a match made in heaven! I found it at wpthemes.co.uk

I wanted a caffeine hit, but didn’t really want it hot as the temperature is currently a minimum of 81 degrees (ie that’s in the shade) admit this has to be prepared well in advance, but it is well worth the effort. I am told - but haven’t tried it - that a little Cognac adds to the experience.

6 tbsp ground coffee
1 pint water
4 tsp sugar
8 fl oz whipping cream
4 scoops of vanilla ice cream

To decorate - 1 tsp cinnamon, flakes of chocolate

Make up the coffee by whatever means you have at your disposal, stir in the sugar (I like brown sugar cubes) and allow to cool, refrigerate along with 4 glasses or glass cups - for 3 hours or so

Whisk the cream until it forms stiff peaks, put into a piping bag fitted with a star shaped nozzle

Place a scoop of ice cream in each cup, pour over the coffee, pipe the cream on top and dust with cinnamon powder, sprinkle over the chocolate flakes (or just crumble over some Cadbury’s flake)

Serve immediately and enjoy - or just go to a cafe if you don’t want to wait that long!

Ex pats on life in the UK and why they left.

I watched another TV programme - the subject being discussed this time was getting back old family values and yet again the subject of one parent families was raised. The number of times I have heard the same tired old arguments “the decline of UK family life is down to these people” - “they have no morals” - “their children terrorise and run riot in the streets”.

I met many decent responsible lone parents who were hard working people, devoting their life to providing for and bringing up their child. Interesting to note that “lone parent families” includes widows/widowers, divorcees, plus those who didn’t marry their partner and subsequently split up.

Admittedly there are those who do live off the state, but the same can be said for some married couples.

Get to the point … it’s this … not all societies ills are caused by those people who are not members of traditional two parent families, ie one man and one woman. A lone parent’s reasons for being “single” should be private, ie nothing to do with patronising bigots whose sole aim in life is to criticise and put down others to boost their own ego..

Many of the people interviewed on these programmes do tend to generalise and at times the arguments they put forward do not stand up to close scrutiny.

Blogathon 2007 is just around the corner [28th July to be precise], and I would just like to draw your attention to a couple of participants that have attracted my attention.

Fembat Unhinged is planning on designing 24 wordpress themes in 24 hours. Knowing full well what she is capable I am looking forward to this immensely, and intend to use one of her themes on this blog! Her chosen charity is Gingerbread.

The Big Brothathon is also a creation of Fembat, and is a group endeavour to raise funds for Children with AIDS. They intend to do a big brother themed event with a minor twist here or there.

If you would like to read more about the blogathon please visit their site.

I have watched a couple of programmes over the past few days where discussions were held among fellow “ex pats” on the joys of living in Spain with other “ex pats”.

There appears to be those people who keep themselves to themselves and live in Brits only areas, buy from British owned shops and then the people who pride themselves on their language skills and integrating with the Spanish.

My problem with the latter is their superior attitude to living in Spain - I speak a little Spanish, just enough to get by on a day to day basis and I am trying to improve my skills by taking a course and listening to Spanish television, but I’m not really sure which group I “belong” to. I am on “hello” terms with my spanish neighbours - but they don’t seem like the absolutely perfect Spaniards these people live amongst - in fact they are just like me - normal … sometimes friendly, sometimes not, occasionally happy - get the gist?

What’s the problem with these people - just get along with all your neighbours whatever their nationality and language skills, ok some of them you may not agree with, but what the hell just try. Oops - sorry I’m on my bandwagon again - it’s just that they annoy me with their superior attitude to those they seem to consider less than themselves. And then … there was the comment about the older “ex pats” and those that live in one particular area - now that really annoyed me. Snobs, oh yes?

Early this afternoon whilst eating my lunch I noticed that there was a nice little column of ants on the march from the dining area to the sitting room - small ants in the centre of the column, the big guys on the outside! Think they must be the ant equivalent of body guards.

I tried sweeping, mopping and drying the floor - didn’t work, so now I have had to resort to the big guns … sprayed with the kill everything bug spray - no regard for human life either if you go in the room before fully airing it out. Trouble is, the bugs return when you open the window.

Tried the natural deterrents - but they didn’t work.

I have no problem with ants as long as they stay outside the house, it’s when they come on my turf and starting biting … or whatever it is they do to make your legs sting.

Looks like it is back to the Internet to search for more solutions.

I have been really good since my last naughtie - lost quite a few kilos and am really pleased with myself. So what do I do - why have a little treat. Nothing changes really except that for the majority of the time I abide by my low fat - low calorie healthy eating plan with lots of fresh fruit and veggies. So what’s my goodie this time? Well a little bit of healthy eating with the bilberries, but then there’s the pancakes and Mascarpone!

Lavender and Bilberry Pancakes

Pancakes:
1 whole large egg and two yolks
4 oz plain flour
6 fl oz whole milk
1 rounded tbsp dried lavender leaves, crushed with a little caster sugar
1 oz melted butter

Filling:
8 oz Mascarpone
2 oz icing sugar
2 oz lavender shortbread crumbs
4 oz fresh bilberries

Crush the lavender leaves in a pestle and mortar with a little caster sugar.

Whisk the egg, egg yolks and the flour together in a mixing bowl, add the milk and continue whisking until the batter is smooth. Add the crushed lavender mixture and stir to combine - leave to rest for about 5 minutes.

Place a little melted butter in a frying pan set over a medium heat, pour in sufficient batter to form a thin layer over the base of the pan, turn over (or toss if you’re feeling really chef like) when golden brown. When both sides are browned, remove from the frying pan and place on a warm plate in a very low oven. Continue until all the batter has been used.

Put the lavender shortbread biscuits into a plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin.

Put the Mascarpone and sugar into a mixing bowl, and whisk until “fluffy”, gently stir in the fresh bilberries and lavender shortbread crumbs.

Place the pancakes on dessert plates, spoon the filling over one half, then fold over or just serve with a quenelle of filling (or two) whilst the pancakes are still warm.

Maybe life is too short to be messing around with two spoons trying to make a pretty shape. Well … at least bilberries are a “super food” and lavender has lots of qualities … really it does.