A Creative Spirit
The following recipe and photograph are courtesy of Colin, one of my blog followers. When he first suggested the recipe I thought using beetroot AND chocolate in a cake sounded rather bizarre. But then I thought, why not, so this weekend I'm going to give it a try. Anyone else game? If you cook the... Continue Reading →
Millions of "beef" burgers were removed from supermarket shelves across the UK because they contain horse meat. The nation is outraged and justifiably so when it's reported some burgers contain as much as 29% horse! The nation is then informed, as I discovered in the Telegraph newspaper, "Horse meat in burgers 'could be health risk'.... Continue Reading →
On the 15th of each month bloggers from all over the world take part in Garden Bloggers Bloom Day organised by May Dream Gardens. What is blooming in your garden? In the UK gardening in January like the weather, was depressing.. However, here in the Algarve I'm amazed there are so many plants, shrubs and... Continue Reading →
Firstly, I’d like to thank Deirdre of Didi's Press who tagged me in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. The person tagged simply answers 10 questions about their next novel and then tags 3-5 other authors. I'm not sure I qualify as I'm still writing my first, yet alone "next" novel, but I thought, hell... Continue Reading →
The situation regarding the invasive Red Palm weevil will never be resolved in Portugal (in my humble opinion) due in part to the apathy and laziness of the few. No action was taken when it first arrived in our area two years ago by some property owners as infested trees on their land were left... Continue Reading →
I wanted something to serve with basic tinned tuna. Yes, I know it is better to eat fresh but I’d been out all day so this is my interpretation of a healthier “ready meal”. Ingredients 1 small cooked beetroot 1 orange Fresh chives Ground black pepper Method Peel and thinly slice orange and beetroot and... Continue Reading →
If you're a porker like myself, you may be in denial by genuinely believing as you take a cursory glance in the mirror that you're really not that fat. Like me, you probably hold your breath as you turn sideways and "suck in" your bulges. But the camera does not lie - Oh no! Caught... Continue Reading →
Firstly, a belated happy New Year to my followers and a big thank you for all your comments and support during 2012. I've just returned from a family Christmas and New Year in England to discover Santa and his little Elves have left me a wonderful surprise in my absence! For those who have followed... Continue Reading →
This traditional Portuguese recipe is courtesy of Fernanda I'm always keen to try Portuguese recipes so when Fernanda kindly shared this recipe I thought I would experiment. I tried to discover what the word "Farófias" actually meant but unfortunately it did not translate. Any clues please? I've never tasted Farófias before so my taste buds... Continue Reading →
On the 15th of each month I participate in a gardening blog hop called Garden Bloggers Bloom Day where garden bloggers all over the world share what is currently blooming in their garden. So what's blooming in Piglet's plot? The temperatures here in the Western Algarve have not dipped below 3C at night and have... Continue Reading →
When Steph Blog in France suggested a Christmas Blog Hop I thought what a great idea and maybe someone can share their tried and tested recipe for Bolo Rei as it originates in France! Bolo Rei is not simply a cake but also symbol of the Christmas season in Portugal as it is in France.... Continue Reading →
Piglet put the kettle on Piglet put the kettle on, Piglet put the kettle on we all want some tea... Except we won’t have some tea because the pigging thing won’t work. A couple of months ago we had a problem with our kettle. Now in the grander scheme of things a dodgy kettle is... Continue Reading →
My passion for gardening has taken a back seat during November due to my trip to France, illness and of course the National Novel Writing 30 day challenge. However, much to my surprise everything, bar the cucumbers growing in pots, survived despite being unloved and neglected. Temperatures in the day hovered around 18C and 12C... Continue Reading →
Sometimes we set ourselves personal goals swept away on the crest of a wave by a moments reckless enthusiasm or, as in my case on this occasion, after a glass or three of cheap heady red wine. We believe anything is possible if we put our minds to it and of course it is if... Continue Reading →
I usually always wear gloves when I'm gardening because of all the little beasties lurking in the soil or on the leaves of my plants. Guess what? On this occasion I got sloppy and I put my naked hands into my strawberry bed to do some weeding. I saw something lurking among the dead leaves... Continue Reading →
It's day sixteen of the NaNoWriMo and we are now over half way through the challenge and although weary at times I'm still determined to succeed. However, little did I know when I committed to NaNoWriMo that I would travel to France thereby losing two days travelling, unable to write as my adorable baby granddaughter... Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago I broke one of my back molars on some crusty Portuguese bread. For the uninitiated the crusts are rock hard so lethal if you have crowns, false teeth or indeed any other form of dentistry! Despite my aversion to dentists, the noise of the drill and that enormous needle they inject... Continue Reading →
Azulejos are hand-painted tiles used to decorate properties in Portugal both internally and externally since the middle ages. They were introduced to by the Moors and originally decorated with geometric patterns in a single colour. This post was inspired by the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge this week's theme is Geometry.
The NaNoWriMo participants are now under "starters orders" as they eagerly await, or not, the first of November to arrive when the challenges begins. I am not feeling quite as apprehensive as I was thanks to the inspirational two-day residential Creative Writing course I've just attended at the Holiday Inn, in the Algarve. The course,... Continue Reading →
Here we are hurtling towards the end of October enjoying the sun when autumn arrived quite suddenly. One minute we are swimming in the sea and enjoying temperatures of 25C while the cloudless blue sky suggested not a hint of rain and then it turned cold and wet... I should have known better, our wedding... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 