A ' CRISP' & WARM SUNNY MANILVA ON SATURDAY.

SATURDAY 17th/ FEBRUARY 2018.

We had a nice lie in this morning after a busy week, the village is very quiet, we have of course no local traffic passing our front door, no school children, next week is half-term here in Spain, the church bells have not yet started and our neighbours are not out & about as it’s too cold!

Brenda took ‘ Chico’ for his first walk of the day, as I was waiting for the gas-bottle delivery man to exchange our bottle, he has to come along the bottom of the village and then drag them up to our house’s, when she returned I was treated to her famous ‘ Campo Poached Eggs on Toast’ – as you can see in the picture below!

While she was out ‘ Chispa’ came calling so we ended up with both the dogs with us for breakfast, because ‘ Chico’ has been groomed, they are looking similar, except ‘ Chispa’ needs grooming after her visit to the family ‘Campo’ – as you can see in the pictures below.

'Chico'

And ' Chispa'!

The forecast for today is warm & sunny, with no clouds, a clear blue sky and a little breeze, so by lunchtime it’s due to reach 20 degs+ - warm in the sunshine and still ‘ crisp’ in the shade, tomorrow the threat of the wet stuff has gone away, for now, next week is also starting to pick up a little, the sun is breaking through and the wet stuff is also not as bad, the overall temperatures are hovering on the 15/17 degs mark, watch this space.


See below the ' Puerto de la Duquesa ' Marina yesterday early evening.

Yesterday evening Lee called in, as promised, and he has fixed the coding problems with the multi-channel TV System, so we are back to normal in time for all the weekend sports etc, he’s doing more work on the satellite programmes, from home, so by next week we will back, up to date & fully running- thanks!

This evening for our supper we are having my version/recipe of the old classic “ Steak Diane “ – that I was shown how to cook on the ‘ Gueridon Trolly ‘  of the restaurant of the ‘ Stork Hotel’ in Liverpool, back in the mid 60s,  by the old ‘ Head Waiter’ – My Oliver - with a Silver ‘Meths’ Lamp to cook on, with a Silver/Coppered Flambe Dish!

I will trim the Entrecote Steaks- ‘ French’ style, before flattening them, seasoning with salt and crushed black pepper, then smearing them with French & English Mustard, they are the seared in butter and left to rest, the sauce is made in the same pan, adding Chopped Shallots  & Garlic along with the finely sliced Button Mushroom and a ‘glug’ of Red Wine, a small amount of a rich Beef Stock, with a dash of Lea & Perrins & Tabasco also, then a good spoon of French Mustard and finally the Double Cream, the taste & seasoning is adjusted and then the steaks are placed back in the sauce, to finish cooking ‘ Med-Rare’ – before ‘ Flaming’ the sauce with Brandy! On the side its’ going to be Whole Baby ‘French’ Green Beans and twice-cooked classic ‘ Frits’

On the sports front this weekend we will be watching the Winter Olympics, as its’ on all the main channels, this afternoon we will catch the ‘ National Hunt Racing’ – in full – from Ascot, as there is no ‘Six Nations Rugby Union’ this weekend- they have the weekend off! Over here in ‘ La Liga ‘ lowly Eiber welcome Barcelona and in Seville ‘ Real Betis’ – the second team of the city, welcome Real Madrid, meanwhile over in the UK it’s the fifth round of the ‘ FA Cup’ with Manchester City visit Wigan on Monday.

Liverpool have no matches this week so they are just up the coast in sunny Marbella for ‘Winter’ training in the sun, the players have been already spotted at the celebrity restaurant frequented by ‘ Footballers’  - La Sala ‘ – one of our haunts!

After supper we will now be able to channel hop and find something to watch later.

Thoughts for the Day;  See above.

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