Today is our little granddaughter's first birthday. We cannot believe it's a year ago since she was born. She is a little ray of sunshine! Related Posts: Proud Grandparents An Emotional Rollercoaster
hApPy BiRtHdAy
Portugal: Growing Fruit and Vegetables in April
My diary continues... Despite earlier problems with white cabbage mold Piglet's plot continues to yield a modest crop of lettuce, carrots, leeks, cabbage, spinach and radish. The brocoli and cauliflower have now finished, and it was rather a challenge to eat them all before they ran to seed! I like them but not THAT much!... Continue Reading →
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Global Warming and Zucchini
Piglet is going green! No, that's not green with envy of EC's wonderful zucchini and squash. But I do feel I can at least make a small contribution to help reduce global warming by cutting down on my personal carbon emissions. How? By not growing zucchini (courgettes) What...has Piglet gone mad? (probably...) How will not growing... Continue Reading →
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Two Subjects
Can anyone name this flower? Yes, Fernanda has now identified the flower as "Lírio-das-areias" Weekly Photo Challenge: Two Subjects How can something so beautiful and delicate grow in such barren land? What life-lesson could we learn from this simple flower? Is less more? Please share your thoughts...
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The Elderly in Nursing Homes v Criminals in Prison
A friend sent me a "joke" Grumpies of the World Unite, but far from making me laugh it made me extremely angry because the words hit home and made me pause to reflect. The more I read about care or lack of care and respect for the elderly, the less enthusiastic I am for my... Continue Reading →
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Journey – Trams in Lisbon
The electric tram network (Rede de eléctricos de Lisboa) is an easy way to see historic Lisbon. Tram No. 28 is the most famous as the journey takes you through the steep winding streets of the old town. We were advised by a seasoned tourist to catch a tram at the bottom of the hill... Continue Reading →
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Piglet is Spitting Feathers!
A year or so ago we went to a brilliant Italian restaurant in a seaside town near Portimão, in the Algarve. The staff were efficient and friendly, the pasta was perfect, the sauce delicious and the desserts outstanding! Even the decor and ambience were welcoming, so we vowed to return next time we were in... Continue Reading →
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A Visit to São Teotónio Market
I enjoy going to the country markets and one of my favourites is the market at São Teotónio near Odemeira, in the Alentajo. I refer to the term "country" because I'm not so keen on the markets held in the tourist towns of the Algarve. These are usually full of the rip-off-tat such as fake... Continue Reading →
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Hot Cross Buns to share with friends at Easter!
According to English folklore there are many superstitions surrounding hot cross buns. My favorite superstition is accompanied by the rhyme…
“Half for you and half for me,
Between us two shall goodwill be”
Apparently, if you share a hot cross bun while saying the above words it is meant to ensure friendship throughout the coming year.
This is my first attempt at making “Hot Cross Buns” so here’s to sharing them with all my blogging buddies… HaPpY eAsTeR!
Hot Cross Buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday served either hot or toasted. Some believe the cross symbolizes The Crucifixion while others maintain the buns pre-date Christianity. The cross in Saxon times was in honour of the goddess Eostre and symbolized the four quarters of the moon.
Ingredients
For the buns
2 oz caster sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
5fl oz hand-hot water
1 level tablespoon dried yeast
1lb plain flour
1…
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Portugal: Growing Fruit and Vegetables in March
The monthly diary of growing my own fruit and veg continues... - What grows well (God grant me the serenity to accept dispite my best efforts SOME vegetables will not grow well in my garden) - What to plant and when. (Next year I must leave space for broad and green beans and NOT fill... Continue Reading →
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Arranged
Can you spot the carefully arranged pebble amongst the many thousands of pebbles at Praia da Canal, in the Western Algarve? Did we stumble across a Geocaching clue? I wonder... Arranged. Sometimes you chance across things which were arranged on purpose, or on a whim – find something in your environment which was arranged by... Continue Reading →
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The Ugly Bug Spring Jive
The Ugly Bug Spring Jive by PiP With the Herald of Spring the bugs start to arrive in my Garden of Eden for the "Ugly Bug Jive". The weird and the ugly they give me the jitters who may I ask created these critters? There are black bugs and green bugs and stripey ones too... Continue Reading →
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Tarte de Pascoa (Easter Tart)
This traditional Easter recipe is courtesy of a friend in Northern Portugal. Tarte de Páscoa (Easter Tart) Ingredients Filo pastry (18 circles). I used 2 x 230g packets of *PÂte Feuilletée which I think is ready-made filo pastry. 1 medium onion (finely chopped) 500gr Spinach 4 Hardboiled Eggs 2 Uncooked eggs 70gr Parmesan Cheese 30gr... Continue Reading →
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2012 BiB Awards – I’m on the shortlist – YAY!
Today I had a great surprise but I need your help! Michelle @Michelloui asked me on Twitter if I'd seen the #BiBs? "The what?" I thought feeling slightly confused... Apparently I've been shortlisted in the "Go! Award" section in The 2012 BiB Awards The BiBs received more than 12,000 nominations over 12 different categories. And... Continue Reading →
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Jogo da Malha – Jogos Tradicionais
A few weeks ago we returned to Praia do Vale dos Homens to show friends the pair of white storks we'd discovered nesting on an outcrop of rocks. As we drove through the back streets of the sleepy village of Rogil we noticed a group of elderly men gathered on some waste ground. Some were... Continue Reading →
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Unusual…
I am not sure if this is an unusual Rhubarb Forcer or an unusual use for a plant pot destined for the garbage after Mr Piglet burnt a hole in the bottom with red-hot ashes! Researching on the Gardeners' World website I've just realised I should have plugged any holes to exclude light. Now there's... Continue Reading →
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Pilates on the Beach
I love Zumba classes, so how on earth did I end up 'doing' Pilates I ask myself. All those impossible body-contorting exercises don't feel in harmony with my body shape - my legs and arms just aren't long enough! Neither can I seem to master the special breathing or find my "inner-core". Do we all... Continue Reading →
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Contrast…
The theme for this week's WordPress Photo Challenge is Contrast After my previous post about the white mold attacking my cabbages and the long-term consequences I wanted to post something a little more upbeat to cheer me up. They say inspiration usually comes from the most unexpected sources and when you least expect it. This... Continue Reading →
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The Demise of Piglet’s Veggie Plot
I want to scream, stamp my foot in anger, have a mardy and then curl up into the fetal position and have a good cry. I'm normally a positive person and if I don't succeed I keep trying until I do. For example you may recall when I discovered roots from nearby trees and hedges... Continue Reading →
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Chocolate Chouriço (Morcela de Chocolate)
Or perhaps better known as Chocolate Salami! Chocolate Salami is very popular in the Algarve and is a great biscuity-cake to serve with tea or coffee. It's extremely rich so it's wise to cut the slices as thin as possible. I can only assume the name comes from its chouriço sausage-like appearance. So after my... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 