A Creative Spirit
Let's talk about food! Chestnuts roasting by an open fire ... not quite, but you get my drift. When we were in the UK, we never ate chestnuts... it wasn't a thing. However, in Portugal, we quickly discovered there is even a day dedicated to them: Dia de São Martinho, celebrated on November 11th, which... Continue Reading →
Okay, I did not intend to make pumpkin soup, but when I sent Mr P on a mission to buy a pumpkin for my Halloween light, I was not expecting him to return with the runt of the litter. Needless to say, it was spared from being turned into a Halloween pumpkin light, and I... Continue Reading →
While on a boat trip to one of the islands on the Ria Formosa the boat's skipper proudly introduced us to these slimey critters. Sea cucumbers or “Sea rats” as they are aptly nicknamed by some fishers and divers because of how they move and feed—slowly crawling over the seabed, cleaning up waste and debris... Continue Reading →
For this week's Food on Friday, I want to discuss managing obesity, successes and weight loss failures, and the latest trend in what I have heard tagged as fat jabs to help you lose weight. I am obese and have been for years. Despite my best efforts to exercise (I have limited mobility), the excess... Continue Reading →
Yes, this is a serious question. I ask because whenever I see something sweet, it triggers an irritating voice in my head, which keeps niggling like the spoilt toddler intent on getting its own way until you lose the will to live and comply just for a quiet life. Recently, the niggling came in the... Continue Reading →
I've probably been in denial for some time, but after eating pizza last night, my stomach bloated to the size of a barrage balloon within hours. This is not an isolated incident. Perhaps it's time to reassess my diet and try a gluten-free approach. My body's reaction might not be to gluten. It could be... Continue Reading →
Hello fellow food enthusiasts. Let's talk about food. Today I experimented with a new-ish recipe inspired by Luna on FB. I am bored with eating Greek yoghurt and fruit every day for breakfast, so I thought I'd try something new. We will see. I am stuck in a breakfast rut. What do you eat for... Continue Reading →
Let's talk about food. On Thursday, I spent the day chopping onions, zucchini, and tomatoes to make homemade chutney. Cheese and crackers, baked potatoes in their jackets, and cold meats are not the same without a dollop of chutney and shop bought chutney is full of preservatives. Ingredients2lb courgettes (peeled)1lb 8oz tomatoes1lb 4oz onions1lb 4oz... Continue Reading →
Let's talk about food! Today's post is inspired by a visit to The Trout Inn, a traditional old English pub located on the bank of the River Thames in Lechlade. It is the perfect location to enjoy a traditional English 'Ploughman's' lunch. As I was basking in the sunshine, enjoying lunch, I pondered on the... Continue Reading →
and what do we eat on Good Friday? Hot Cross Buns! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN4SPwIXIAs And while searching for a simple recipe I came across the nursery rhyme I used to sing as a child. These kids are SO cute! Do you remember this rhyme from your childhood? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6CzbcKM7cg We or rather Mr. Piglet made some NOT Cross... Continue Reading →
I love fresh seafood, especially dressed crab, so today, we went to lunch at 'A Azenha do Mar' near Odemeira in the Alentejo. No, I didn't go to the tank to choose the live crab, I left that to the waitress. Do you like seafood? I do, but apart from prawns, I don't cook it.... Continue Reading →
Living in a country where English is not the first language certainly takes you out of your comfort zone, especially regarding food shopping. Imagine walking into a supermarket and suddenly seeing none of your favourite foods and familiar brands; throw the added complication of language into the mix, and you may feel you have landed... Continue Reading →
Every year, we Brits celebrate Shrove Tuesday with pancakes. We call it 'Pancake Day'. This brilliant YouTube video explains why. https://youtu.be/pw6oRE7NKVM?si=_wpNybpoK8A9NFCO This traditional batter recipe dates back to 1439, as per Historic UK Quote: "The ingredients for pancakes can be seen to symbolise four points of significance at this time of year: Eggs ~ CreationFlour... Continue Reading →
Let's talk about food and healthy options. Recently, I've noticed an increasing number of cookie and cake recipes on my FB feed that use oats instead of wheat flour. Keen to discover more, as part of my quest to reduce the number of ultra-processed foods in our diet and replace with healthier alternatives, I dived... Continue Reading →
With a name like Piglet, you've probably gathered I love food, whether it's growing, cooking, or eating out. More recently, as part of my drive to get fit, I have been researching the health benefits of different ingredients, experimenting with new recipes, and logging some of my successes and disasters on Foodie Friday. ARE HARD-COPY... Continue Reading →
As part of my drive to step outside my foodie comfort zone, I searched Pinterest for some Christmassy 'aperitivo' ideas and found this Christmas Tree cheese and spinach breadsticks. Great. I had fresh spinach in the garden, begging to be eaten before the slugs and snails ate it all. I adapted the original recipe to... Continue Reading →
Let's talk about traditional English 'Fish 'n Chips'. When we were back in Blighty, Mr. Piglet had a craving for real English fish and chips bought from a proper Chippy (slang for Fish and Chip shop). When I was growing up, fish and chips used to be bundled up in sheets of old newspaper--fancy wrapping... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 