A WARM AND SUNNY MANILVA ON FRIDAY AT THE START OF THE WEEKEND;

FRIDAY 24^th OCTOBER 2014.

We were up early this morning and after a quick breakfast we shot down to the local market by the sports ground for some fresh flowers; we then carried on down to Sabinillas for the main shop of the week. Our first call was to the bank then we picked up the papers from the ‘English’ bookshop before our main shop in ‘Mercadona’

Next we went to the ‘English’ butchers in Duquesa Marina and ended up with a very nice piece of ‘Topside of Beef’ for this weeks Sunday roast! At the same time we bought some Gammon steaks and homemade Pork Sausages for another day.

We then headed back up the hills through the vine fields to sunny Manilva; its another glorious day with just a little ‘Levante’ breeze, the forecast for the weekend and into next week is for more of the same, all over Spain at the moment the weather is very good and breaking local records everywhere, in fact yesterday in Marbella it reached 37.1 degs which is the hottest temperature ever recorded in Spain in October since records began!

The menus for the weekend are now sorted; this evening for supper we are having ‘Fillets of Hake Meuieire’ – just lightly dusted in seasoned flour then quickly pan-fried in foaming Lemon butter with lots of finely chopped Parsley ( Brenda!) and Saffron New Potatoes with Garden Peas and a little Homemade Tartar sauce on the side.See picture below.

Then on Saturday we are having ‘Entrecote’ steaks cooked on the hot griddle ‘Med- Rare’ with sautéed Baby Mushrooms, finely sliced Green Beans and twice-cooked Frits, Béarnaise sauce on the side and the steaks garnished with fried Garlic buds for Brenda and a Campo Fried Egg for me!

Our Sunday ‘Roast’ this week is going to be the ‘Topside of Beef’- cooked ‘Pink’ with Yorkshire Puddings and a large selection of local fresh vegetables from the ‘Chef Entremetiere’ – the ‘veg -cook’! Not forgetting my famous ‘Goose Fat’ Roast Potatoes and finger licking Pan –Gravy!!

It’s another “Gourmet Extravaganza Weekend” in sunny Manilva.

We have a doggy –free weekend in “Doggy World Heaven” but next week and over the following weeks we are going to be rather busy as Barbara’s baby is due next week so ‘Reina’ will be with us more ‘Scruffy’ is booked in for a couple of days and of course ‘Charlie’ the African Grey Parrot is ‘flying’ in the following week! Oh yes - not forgetting 'Chispa' who is in and out 2/3 times a day!

Meanwhile ‘Up North’ in Skelton the ‘Queen’ with time on her hands has been researching the ‘Skelton’ family/history and was called on the phone by one of her loyal subjects, he was hiding in his greenhouse as his wife didn’t like him talking about local history – he was 77!  “There’s nowt as queer as folk” was the ‘Official’ quote from the Palace spokes -person!!

PS; Its arrived - the postcard from Albufeira,Portugal that Norah & Jenny posted a couple of weeks ago! See the board below - middle right !!

So this evening after supper we will find a film to watch.

PPS; In the same post was the yearly 'ITV - MOT'documents for the car !! 

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

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