Mizmoe

Just to let everyone know Blogathon 2008 will not be taking place this year, as it is having a vacation. Instead this year will be Day of Blogs

Day of Blogs will take place on the 26 July 2008 (details below)

7/26 @ 900 EST to 7/27 @900 EST
7/27 @ 2100 EST to 7/27 @ 2100 EST

The site is currently in the development stage but please consult it for further information. I understand that the whole event will work in very much the same way as Blogathon.  Of course, we all hope to see the Blogathon return again in 2009, but lets make the most of this years event by taking part in Day of Blogs

As before my daughter will once again be blogging for One Parent Families, (for more information please refer to the post below. Whether she can actually partake in blogathon by the designing of themes during the 24 hour period as yet has to be seen, but I will keep you updated. In the meantime please check out Day of Blogs and Fembat Blogathon Themes - participate if you can, and sponsor if your circumstances permit. Also please pay a visit to her charity of choice One Parent Families

Interesting last night, I managed to sleep through several hours of noisy revelling which was a good thing as my sister and husband were visting us. The fiesta finishes tomorrow with the burning of the statues, I intend going out to watch. The statues are so large in our Barrio that I fully expect at least one block of flats which are quite close to be burned to the ground!

We had a lovely day, met up around 10 am and walked from bar to bar (mainly because two of us cannot walk very far due to mobility problems, my excuse and I´m sticking to it). Lunch on the front just past the port, some good and interesting conversation with my sibling and her husband, then onto yet another nice bar.

This is the first time I have seen my sister since November 2007, and as it was also my Mother´s birthday, it would doubly good to be with “family”. We had intended to return to the UK, but I still haven´t received my new passport despite being promised it would be here in plenty of time. We exchanged news and my brother in law gave me tips on how to manage my condition, indicating that I really needed to take painkillers that actually worked. The one thing about living in Spain is that I miss the extended family, but I know that I am actually healthier here than I would be in the UK, or at least I hope so. I feel sad now they have gone, though we will be meeting up again early August and then I am going to the UK in September and will be staying with them for a few days.

Computers make contacting family and friends in the UK easy, ie email, I can send messages to them without having to rely on the Spanish postal system, which is dire.

We came back on the bus after the visit and unfortunately were dropped off several kilometers from our destination. The roads were closed due to the fiesta, so we had to get a taxi back to the flat.

All in all, a very good day.

I was told before we moved to Spain to expect it to be noisier than England! Goodness, after last night I can well believe it, the party went on until just before dawn with drums, music, fireworks, disco playing music I haven´t heard since the 1980s and early 1990s.

When the fireworks go off, it is just noise. No lovely colours rising high in the night sky. The window in my bedroom actually rattled.

Were we allowed to finally go to sleep after the sunrise, no! Then the fireworks started again, the church rang their bells several times, and finally … and best of all … the brass band marched up and down each street on the barrio for the next couple of hours, then church bells again and fireworks. At this point I gave up and went for breakfast.

This goes on for three more nights, or so I am told.

There are lovely statues all over Alicante and my daughter tells me that they are burned at the end of the Fiesta, which to me seems a great shame as they are all beautiful. Our Barrio has won the competition for best statue in the main category for 2008. It was a sea theme with a large sea horse and other smaller statues including the God of the Sea! I just cannot remember his name at this point, it´s that memory again. They are so large that photographs do not show them in their best light, pity I would have liked to have posted one on my site. I´ll have a word with the family geek.

Even I am a little excited as the statues have started to go up on the Barrio, they have been practicing with the fireworks this morning, very noisy! And … the seating has started to arrive. It starts this week-end and I am assured that it will be a good time. Also the “snack” stalls have arrived for chocolate and churros. I just love the combination, though I have been told they are equally as nice with coffee and more adult! I have always been a child, so why change my ways now when I am in my 62nd year. Would that be second childhood, or more.

I understand that the whole of July is one long Fiesta with lots of noise and entertainment. On the beach, in the town centre, in the barrios. Trouble is, we are moving on 30 June, so will have to travel into town to enjoy all the fun.

We talked yesterday and I feel that in time, we will return to Alicante and make this our permanent home. Which doesn´t mean that I will give up my wonderings.

I want to travel up the med coast of Spain, then along the Atlantic coast. That is my dream. If I ever start, I intend blogging about my experiences and posting photograps enroute.

I have only tried this recipe once and there seems to be something missing, I will just have to do more research and see if there is. I had hoped to get a Spanish recipe, I think this is South American and I am told (though not sure how reliable the information is), that this dish does come from South America. Anyone knows any better, please feel free to comment. Also I am unsure of the spelling.

Serves 2
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
3/4 tsp chilli powder
14 oz tin of tinned natural tomatoes (we buy these in Spain, just use tinned if in the UK)
3/4 tsp dried oregano
4 large organic eggs
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large frying pan
Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery
Cook over a medium heat until tender, stirring all the time
Add the chili powder and cook out for about 30 seconds
Add the tomatoes and oregano
Simmer for about 6 minutes or until slightly thickened
Break eggs into the sauce
Cover and cook until egg whites have set (I like the yolks to be quite soft)
Sprinkle the grated cheese over the eggs and then season
Cover and cook until the cheese has melted but not browned

I love coffee cakes, this one is a little different

1 cup butter (room temperature)
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 x 1.25 cups of caster sugar
2 large organic eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup dark chocolate buttons (or Lindt thins, roughly chopped)
Topping:-
1/4 cup chopped pecan nuts
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup of caster sugar

Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Lightly butter a 9″ spring form cake tin

Place the butter, cream cheese and 1.25 cups of sugar into a bowl and beat until pale in colour
Whisk together the eggs and vanilla and beat into the butter mixture
Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt the add to the cake mixture - adding alternating with the milk
Lastly, stir in chocolate buttons
Pour the mixture into the cake tin
Put the topping ingredients into a small bowl and stir well to combine
Sprinkle over the cake mixture
Bake in the centre of a preheated oven for about 50 minutes or until a very fine skewer inserted near the centre comes out clean
Leave to cool for a quarter of an hour
Carefully run a knife around edge of the tin to loosen the cake
Remove sides of tin, place the cake on a cooling rack and leave to cool completely

My daughter went to several local pharmacies today and was told at each of them that they could not possibly get my cancer medication before the week-end, as I had already run out she went into the town centre which was quite a treck and managed to find a pharmacy there that had stocks.

The local pharmacies receive “covert” deliveries on only one day per week, so they advised her to call in should I need any other medication as soon as they open the morning following delivery night.

The barrio is planning activities for the coming fiesta, yesterday evening two very large lorries came the wrong way up a narrow one way street (with police escort of course) the deliver something that is currently being built. I am not sure as yet just what it is, could be a ride, could be something else!

I am looking forward to the parades, we are going into the town centre to see all the decorations that have been erected ready for the Grand Fiesta!

My daughter has visited La Mata today to look around a rental property with a view to renting. Decided the area would be okay for now, so paid the deposit and we move on 30th June.

House in Mazarron has fallen through and our deposit has been returned, not that I am bothered. I will be just a bus ride away from the Mar Menor and the Mud Baths which I look forward to trying out. I have been told that to get any benefit from the Mar Menor, you need to stay in for quite a while and move around. Some people apparently just stand there and expect it to work!

It will be interesting to see where we go next, though we have a property on offer to start in May next year which is in the Campo! Near Alicante. It has been furnished as a home and has a garden, but access is down a long rough driveway, so we will need a car. I fancy a Jimny, preferably blue and silver, like the one I had in the UK. I miss that car, it had the option or either 2 or 4 wheel drive, was good on fuel consumption as it was mostly driven in 2 wheel drive, very good on emissions, easy for me to get in and out of (most cars are too low - I have problems standing when I am sitting too low down). I wish we had brought it with us.

I have been reading through my postings since the site´s inception. Many promises made, then forgotten. Weight loss not maintained, mainly because I have been unable to exercise. I am still sticking to the healthy eating plan, with the exception of the short shot of coffee Bonbon!

I hope to be able to swim in the salt lakes or Mar Menor when we move, and cover myself with lots of lovely mud at the mud baths. I have to admit it will take a lot of mud to cover me.

I had intended trying many of my new recipes, but until my desired weight loss is achieved, they are all out. Most people, or so I am told, actually gain weight when they come to live in Spain. I do not find that hard to believe. Their pastries are devine, ice cream absolutely superb, coffee … goes without saying, much nicer though in the traditional Spanish bar rather than the tourist haunts.

I love ice teas, either made with black tea (or any other colour you personally prefer), and mint or other flavour fruit tea bags (or even sprigs of mint, lemon zest etc). This one is quite nice!

2 cups boiling water
6 sprigs fresh mint (or 2 mint tea bags)
2 tea bags (black tea)
Sugar to taste
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
1/8 cup of freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
2 cups iced cold water
Ice cubes and lemon and/or lime twists to serve

Place the tea bags and sprigs of mint (or mint tea bags) into a large jug
Pour the boiling water over and leave for about 5 minutes
Remove the mint and tea bags, discard
Add the sugar and stir until dissolved
Add the citrus juice and ice cold water, stir to combine
Add ice cubes to the glasses and pour over the tea, garnish with lemon twists

I also like a tea made by my daughter, add one tea bag (black tea) and one mint tea bag to a jug, add two cups of cold water, microwave until the water boils, immediately remove from the microwave, stir, then remove the tea bags, squeezing out excess water, add sugar to taste and drink. Nice on a morning.