Learning the Lingo!


Learn the “Lingo” or live life in an “Expat Bubble”! I am a great advocate of the fact that when you move to a new country you ‘attempt’ to gain, at the very least, a basic understanding of both language and culture. Without this 'basic' knowledge so much of everyday life and cultural opportunities are... Continue Reading →

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Bread and Butter Pudding


Bread and Butter Pudding This is another traditional English recipe handed down through the generations. Originally, the recipe was created to utilize stale bread. However, since moving to Portugal, I have adapted it slightly by using Jean Pierre ‘milk rolls’ (purchased in Lidels), instead of normal bread. The Portuguese bread just does not work well with... Continue Reading →

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Salad Days


At the beginning of June I decided I would attempt to grow my own salad in containers. My goal - to grow lettuce, tomatoes, radish, courgettes, cucumber, spring onions, French beans and beetroot! An experiment prompted by the fact my little veggie patch now had to share soil space with some maturing trees and a... Continue Reading →

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Mrs Blobby’s 10kg Fat Attack!


Do you ever look in the mirror and think - "who is that person?" I feel the same inside but WHO is that stranger glaring back at me in the mirror? Oh my God "Bom Dia" it's Mrs Blobby! Reality check! - I'm becoming both FAT and FRUMPY! Oh to wind back the clock -... Continue Reading →

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Celebrations!


My second fishing lesson, SIL very wisely did NOT ask me to cast. The tide was just coming in so we were hopeful the fish would approve of SIL’s new hook combination; which to me looked quite complex. However, I was assured it would yield results as the hooks were smaller and therefore attracted a... Continue Reading →

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‘Poorly’ Zucchini (Courgettes)


My courgette celebrations are short-lived.  The zucchini (courgettes) have matured but the problem of rotting and yellowing ends return. I despair!  What next?  My tale of woe is shared with my favourite gardening expert, Gene, who I just happen to meet  in a supermarket 90kms from where we both live. What a stroke of luck!.   Gene listens carefully, asks questions thinks carefully and then ... Continue Reading →

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Gone Fishing!


If anyone ever tells you fishing is easy I can assure you it’s not! Looks easy – but trust me physical strength, perseverance and cunning are all attributes a ‘wannabe’ fisherman/woman needs to acquire. My teacher is my poor son in law (SIL for short). An unlikely combination! My first fishing attempt was about a... Continue Reading →

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Courgettes!


You may recall from my previous post that my baby courgettes just turned yellow, withered then died. I asked various people for advice and the common consensus was the courgettes either did not have enough nutrients from the soil, or the flowers were not being pollinated. I duly fed the plants with a tomato feed... Continue Reading →

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Victor Meldrew’s Appreciation Society


Dear old Victor - We religiously watched "One foot in the grave" every week for years. The situations in which he found himself and how he reacted were an amusing reflection of everyday life. I thought I better introduce Victor quite early on in my Blog, as he will be referred to quite often. I... Continue Reading →

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Football, football and even MORE football


Football anyone...do you love it or hate it? My sum total of football knowledge has been acquired through osmosis. A constant drip of information from the news, hubby, friends and the internet. The World Cup started today, so a whole month of highs and lows. Our social diary will totally revolve around which games are... Continue Reading →

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Driving in Portugal – 12 Survival Tips


 I always cursed driving in the UK until I drove in Portugal.  My first experience and practice drive was round the roads of a holiday complex in Albufeira. Everything felt the wrong way round and back to front. For example when I instinctively reached for the seat belt on the right hand side I found myself... Continue Reading →

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Grow my own Salad – now that’s a challenge!


 I watched a gardening program on TV a couple of months ago suggesting you should grow your own salad. Not only was it more cost effective but it was always readily available. I have tried in the past to grow vegetables, but with varying degrees of success. However, I am the eternal optimist so I... Continue Reading →

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Tennis anyone?


Mosquito Tennis Have you ever been woken from a deep slumber by a high pitch zzzzzzz ? You lay motionless not daring to breathe; just praying you were mistaken and that it was not the dreaded mosquito. Minutes pass, nothing, so you roll over and go back to sleep  relieved you must have been dreaming. Not... Continue Reading →

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Bread Pudding


This is a great recipe for using up stale or leftover bread and I had plenty! Our recent visitors bought bread rolls like they were going out of fashion and after they had left I discovered bags of stale bread squirreled away in the cupboard. I was about to throw it all away when I suddenly... Continue Reading →

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Yummy Carrot Cake


I love carrot cake, so I was delighted when a friend shared this recipe so I could make my own.  Hope you enjoy... Carrot Cake 175g light brown sugar 150ml sunflower oil 3 large eggs beaten 130g raisins 3 med carrots, grated 200g self-raising flour zest of a large orange 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda... Continue Reading →

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