Lalla's blog...

Yesterday has been a veeery long day, but in the end we made it! With en epic effort 15 net kilos of plums have been turned into jam. Luckily with the help of my friend (in the end, she did show up!)

 

 

My father just came back from my grandmother's house in the country with a load of plums!

 

When she was alive, she used to prepare all sorts of jam out of her garden fruit, but now that she's gone I'm the one in charge (for my own choice, since no one else volunteered...).

Two years ago she passed away just at the beginning of summer and we were left with so much fruit (purple plums, yummi!). So I started making jam; it was the absolute first time I had to cope with something like that, but with some friends advise and some goggling I was safe! I have to admit it's quite easy, but time consuming. That was my tribute to her.

Last year we had no fruit at all (I was told it's quite normal to have it every other year), so this procedure was skipped.

And now, here I am again! I bet today it's gonna be a veeeery long day! I hope it's gonna rain and my friend won't be able to go to the swimming pool so that she will come and help me... yes I know I'm kind of a bitch...

 

 If any of you has some piece of advise on what I could add to the plums to make this jam very special (cinnamon, marsala wine, diet coke...) that would be very welcome!

 

 Era da un po' che non cucinavo, ma oggi non faceva troppo caldo (a dire il vero per la prima volta da giorni ho sentito la necessità di indossare una felpa!) per cui mi sono cimentata con questa ricettina 

Ingredienti per il pesto:

- pistacchi, pinoli, aglio

- sale, pepe, noce moscata

- olio d'oliva e pecorino

 

I pistacchi vanno sbollentati (in maniera che sia più facile togliere la pellicina) e tritati grossolanamente. Tenere da parte una piccola quantità di pinoli da aggiungere interi alla fine, e tritarne una parte insieme ai pistacchi.

Aggiungere uno spicchio d'aglio schiacciato, una piccola presa di sale, un pizzico di noce moscata, una spruzzata di pepe.

Emulsionare con l'acqua di cottura della pasta, e aggiungere olio a crudo alla fine.

Condire la pasta e cospargere con pecorino grattuggiato.

 

Devo dire che non era male, ma altre volte mi è venuta meglio. Vabbè... 

Yesterday I've groomed Vinicio - his hair was way out of control and spread all over the apartment...

He likes it sooo much, and it's funny for me to do it. Perhaps he got used to it when he was a kitten because I did it to him to remove his flea, and now as soon as I start combing him he turns his 'purring machine' on...

See what I was left with...

 

 

 

Of all the places I've visited in Portugal, Sintra is among the ones that have liked less. There's no specific reason, actually the place is quite fascinating, maybe I wasn't 'in the right mood'.

Anyway, here are a few pictures (I didn't take a lot of pics in Sintra). 

I love this little statue, I wish I has bought it. I still don't know why I didn't even go into the shop to ask about its price...

I find it very funny that this dog house is built with the same design as the regular houses in Sintra!

 

Did you know that Cabo Da Roca, in Portugal, is the western place in continental Europe? I was there! And it was freaking cold and windy! I didn't see that coming, for it was a nice sunny June day.

 

Yesterday we went to the dog shelter after we haven't been there for a while. They gave us Doggie and Dyana to take out for a walk. Lovely dogs!

 

 

 

 

Lisboa is light, music and colors...

Hard to describe, I'd rather let my pictures speak for me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Da notare che questa chicca è affissa fuori da un ristorante giapponese di Lisbona... carino no?!

 

 

 

Devo dire che a parte questi deliziosi - e ipercalorici - sfizi la mia alimentazione durante questo viaggio è stata abbastanza equilibrata e leggera: non ho mai mangiato pasta, una sola volta una pizza che definire tale è piuttosto azzardato (ma cosa pretendevo...), per il resto grandi scorpacciate di pesce ed insalate. Beh, anche i mitici formaggini di capra e pecora, ma in ogni caso il mio peso non è lievitato, a differenza di quanto mi succede normalmente in vacanza. Bene, allora adesso niente dieta! Ero già pronta al peggio...