Wednesday, December 04, 2019

A CRISP & FRESH SUNNY MANILVA ON WEDNESDAY.


WEDNESDAY 4th/ DECEMBER 2019.




































I was up early again this morning to see little Miss ‘Bella’ back with us for the day, she shot upstairs, as usual, onto our bed, for a little lie in, she’s back with us next week for three days and the following week for four days! ‘Doggy World Heaven’ is going to be busy over the next couple of weeks & Christmas, as ‘Sunny, Chico & Pucci’ are all joining us, as well as ‘ Chispa’ calling in to see all her friends!













After we freshened up and had our breakfast, as I was on the rota, I had my favourite ‘Toasted Crispy Smoked Bacon Butty’ – smothered in ‘HP’ Brown sauce – open on brown for Brenda – with mugs of hot/strong tea.











On ‘ Castle Radio FM 89.2 & Online on the WWW ‘ the “ Andrew Charles Breakfast Show “ was ‘ blasting out’ – the ‘Music Quiz’ came on, I got it straight away, it was of course ‘Nat King Cole’ with ‘ Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire’! I’m in the weekly draw, again, on Friday morning.















Brenda then popped down to our local ‘Sub-Post Office’ to post our Xmas/Family cards to Australia & Canada, Lyn’s birthday card arrived just in time, it has taken nearly two weeks! We spoke to her on the ‘ Skype’ audio link up last night, just after Jenny had called her from the UK, it was 10-00 am in the morning over in Melbourne, the family were just arriving with her ‘ Birthday Cake ‘!


















Meanwhile in the ‘Plaza de la Vendemia’ the workmen are putting up the large ‘Tented/Marquee Village’ ready in time for the annual ‘ Xmas Gastronomic  Food, Wine & Music Festival ‘ this weekend over Friday/ Sunday – at the same time the Contractors are starting to put up the new ‘ Xmas Light Canopy’ along ‘ Calle Mar’ – watch this space.


See below; 


























This morning it’s staying dry & sunny, there is a light breeze, making it ‘ fresh & crisp’ – the sky is clearing and is going blue, by lunchtime it’s due to reach 15/16 degs+ - it’s staying the same over the next two days and the weekend, as the ‘ Wet-Stuff’ is blown away, next week is now looking settled to start, hovering in the mid/high ‘ teens’ – overnight down to  10 degs+ - then by next weekend we could be in for more ‘Rain’ Watch this space.
















Yesterday lunchtime our dear friend ‘Big Brian’ called in, he came to help me finish signing the digital online documents/contracts for our new ‘Internet/Landline’ –‘ OliveNet’ system, I then sent them off, within a minute they rang me and confirmed that everything was OK ( in perfect English) – followed by an ‘E-Mail’ confirmation! It then takes two weeks to the installation, watch this space.












I then popped down to our local ‘ Butchers’ in Calle Iglesia to pick up the diced Beef that I ordered yesterday morning, it’s his best ‘ Estofado’ Stewing Beef, when I returned I then made the evenings supper; my classic “ Beef & Vegetable Stew “ – the diced Beef is dusted in seasoned flour and browned-off in Vegetable Oil, at the same time I sweated-off the diced Onions, Shallots & Garlic, adding a dash of ‘Lea & Perrins Worcestershire’ sauce & Tabasco, then the diced Carrots, Turnips,  Leeks, Celery and Baby Mushrooms ( Tinned) – along with a large glass of Brenda’s Red Wine, then a large spoon of ‘Tomato Frito’ – the seasoning is adjusted before adding the browned-off Beef, together with a rich ‘ Beef & Vegetable’ stock, adjusting the colour with a small teaspoon of ‘ Crosse & Blackwell Gravy Browning, then left to ‘cook-off under the eagle eye of the ‘ Second Chef’ – who can adjust the consistency if needed!












The ‘ Aromas’ are wafting around the house, it will be served with ‘ Savoy Cabbage’ & Glazed Carrot Batons, accompanied with ‘ Pickled Shredded Red Cabbage ‘












Yesterday evening after supper we caught the next very moving episode of the ‘Gold Digger’ as more of the story/tale unfolded, later we watched the pen-ultimate episode of ‘Rick Stein’s Secret France ‘ as he reached the ‘Roussilon’ region in the foothills of the Pyrenees, with a ‘ French- Catalan’ legacy, including the famous coastal town of ‘ Collioure’



























Thoughts for the Day ; See above.








....  

No comments: