A OVERCAST START AGAIN IN A WARM SUNNY MANILVA ON SUNDAY;

SUNDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 2015.

We just got up this morning in our own time and a after a quick breakfast we got this evenings 'Roast' on the go, our first for six months; we have treated ourselves to a 'New Zealand Leg of Lamb' ( Iceland) which I studded with Garlic & Rosemary before it went in the oven. The Vegetable Chef is getting ready a fine selection of Cauliflower Florets in a 'Three Cheese' Sauce, local whole Baby Green Beans & Carrot Batons and Garden Peas ( for me!) See the vegetables & potatoes below and the 'finger licking' gravy at the back!

I have just made a dish of my famous 'Boulangere' Potatoes, I used for the first time, to slice the very thin potatoes for the top, my new Madoline' attachment to the 'Schaler Peeler' that Josie bought me for my birthday! For the med & thick/layers I hand cut them! I've also used 'Red & White Onion' slices for a change. After the Lamb comes out of the oven ( see below ) I will make my now famous 'Finger Licking' Pan Gravy

We have just had a phone call from Rose to ask if we could have 'Scruffy' for a sleep over this evening and all day tomorrow, no problem as its always nice to see him, we bumped into Rose on Friday while out shopping and we said that we were only taking guests in 'Doggy World Heaven' on Monday & Tuesday, 'Reina' is here on both days, to keep the rest of the week free for my birthday celebrations! Thursday the 24th of September if you had not noticed!!

By lunchtime the sun was out, the sky was blue and there was no breeze so it was hot in sunny Manilva; after showering we went for a short walks and a cool drink, we stopped at ' Bar Rojas' as they had 'Paella' on today for the first time since Lumy finished, I had the 'Pealla' and Brenda tried some different Tapas - all very nice and we are of course are on the locals price for food & drinks!

First thing tomorrow morning I have a appointment at the surgery with the Nurse for my Blood tests etc.then the rest of the week is 'Celebration Time' !! The hire car is being dropped off at 11-00 am. They have just rung to say that they will drop it of later this afternoon - result!

Some results from yesterday; Everton could only draw 0-0 at Swansea, and Manchester City lost at home to West Ham 1-2! & Real Madrid just managed to beat Granada 1-0.

Last night after supper I found a good film to watch "The Butler" from 2013 with Forest Whitaker in the main title role playing 'Eugene Allen who was a butler at the White House for over 34 years and saw in him time 4/5 Presidents ending up with Barack Obama! The 'Ensamble' cast; Robin Willaims,John Cusak, Alan Rickman, Lenny Kravitz, Cuba Gooding Jr. James Marsden, Liev Schreiber, Jane Fonda, Minka Kelly and as his wife Oprah Winfrey!! Don't miss it!!


Finally just a little reminder;

Thoughts for the Day; See above.



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A WARM AND STILL SUNNY MANILVA ON SUNDAY;

SUNDAY 2^nd/ NOVEMBER 2014.

Just a little lie in this morning as we had today’s roast to get on the go; after a quick breakfast we started with the ‘Roast Loin Of Pork’ and the Chestnut & Herb stuffing, at this time of the year the Chestnuts are at their best, the ‘Hot Chestnut Man’ is in Calle Mar at the weekends!

From the vegetable department/chef we are having Cauliflower Florets in a three-Cheese sauce, Cabbage with Alselgas, Crushed Carrots & Turnips and Garden Peas and Goose Fat Roast Potatoes – I have made a pan of my famous finger licking Gravy. See below,its all for two days - honest!

We then freshened our selves up and went for a nice walk in the lunchtime sunshine, it’s a beautiful day here n sunny Manilva, down to the cemetery as today is the “Dia De Muertos – Day of the Dead” a very special religious weekend in Spain and all over the World; all the ladies of the village dress up and after the mass, this year with the new young Padre which we introduced ourselves too at lunchtime outside the church house, they then go into the local cemetery next to the church and decorate all the their family wall Mausoleum’s with the finest flowers available! See the picture above.

We the called into ‘Bar Rojas’ just for a nice cool drink but our friend Antonio insisted on us having Lumy’s famous Paella with him,at the same time sat on the next table was a friend that we see from time to time when he’s over. Nick with his son and a friend, so we ended up having a drink later with them and good catch-up and gossip!

When we came back to the house I caught the end of the Manchester City v Manchester United game - City won 1-0! Yesterday Liverpool lost 1-0 at Newcastle and played terrible again, Everton could only manage a draw at home; over here in ‘La Liga’ Real Madrid won 1-4 at Grenada, Barcelona lost at home to Celta De Vigo 0-1 so went third in the ‘La Liga’ with Real Madrid now top!

Yesterday evening before supper we were able to watch on of the greatest films of all time “The Shawshank Redemption” from 1994- from start to finish, with no commercials, with Tim Robbins & Morgan Freeman. Then we found on TVE 2 the new Rick Stein series on Mediterranean cooking; this week he was in the Italian region of ‘Pughlia’ at the bottom of Italy – the ‘Heel of the Boot’ – some very rustic plain food with local ingredients from the countryside! The high-light was a ‘Lamb Hotpot’ but made with local cheeses and Cherry Tomatoes as well as Onions & Potatoes!

A message for Brian from his Mum over in Runcorn and us and all his friends;

This evening after our ‘Roast of the Day’ we will catch all the news,sport and weather details before watching one of the latest James Bond films.

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

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A WARM AND SUNNY MANILVA ON SUNDAY;

SUNDAY 5^th/ OCTOBER 2014.

After a quick breakfast we got today’s roast on the go; ‘Roast Lemon Chicken’ with a savory mixed Herb Stuffing and my famous finger-licking pan Gravy which I have just made, you could taste it with a broken jaw!

From the vegetable Chef we are having Baby Leeks in a Cream sauce, Crushed Carrots & Baby Turnips, Baby Brussels Sprouts, and Garden Peas and for Brenda Cauliflower florets in a three-cheese sauce. Of course I have not forgotten the ‘Goose Fat’ Roast Potatoes that I’m famous for! See the vegetables below;

NB; Watch out for Roast Leg of Lamb & Roast Rib of Beef  coming soon! See the Roast Chicken below;

Its another glorious day here in sunny Manilva,the sun was out first thing and the day is getting better all the time, no breeze and warm, the forecast for next week is for more of the same and getting a little warmer.

Yesterday we had a nice E-Mail from our old customers and friends Terry & Alma over in Northern France just below Caen; we love receiving surprise messages, post cards etc – Brenda’s two sisters, Norah & Jenny are just leaving for a weeks holiday at a four star hotel in Albufeira Portugal. It’s changed a lot since when we were there back in 1975 when the government was over thrown! It was a tiny fishing village,now its a concrete jungle!! So we are expecting some post cards from them! Keep them coming, we send you one back from sunny Manilva!!

While we getting the roast on the go I was also watching the ‘Grand Prix’ from Japan, Hamilton won after a brilliant pass on the outside around Roseberg,sadly the race was over shadowed by the crash of the young French diver Jules Bianchi who was rushed to hospital unconscious.

NB; Manchester Utd have just beaten Everton 2-1 with De Gea saving a penalty and making 2/3 world class saves for United! Oh dear - 'Big - Bri' will not be a happy 'Bunny'!! 

We are having a nice quiet day at home today as next week we are out an about on the ‘Costa Del Sol’ Monday we are shopping, again in Estepona and on Wednesday I’m at the hospital, then more shopping! Meanwhile here in ‘Doggy World Heaven’ ‘Reina’ is here as normal on Tuesday& Thursday and ‘Scruffy’ is coming on Tuesday lunchtime for the day.

Last night later on I caught a film on the local Spanish Channel that broadcasts from Seville “ Canal Sur ” I pressed the translation button and it started – “ Around the World in 80 Days ” from 1956! With David Niven ‘ Cantinflas’ Shirley MacLaine and Robert Newton!

The ‘Cameo’ appearances are a Helluva’ list; Finlay Currie,Robert Morley, Noel Coward, John Guielgud,Trevor Howard,Charles Boyer,Cesar Romero,Peter Lorre,George Raft,Marlena Dietrich,Frank Sinatra,Buster Keaton,Victor McLaglen, John Mills, Glynis Johns and Hermione Ginggold to name just a few!!!!!! They don’t make films like this today !!!!!!!!!!!!

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

MANILVA.

Friday/Monday,12th./15th. December.

In the morning we shot across to Estepona and called in to see Vidal and Gissy,it was Gissy’s birthday so we had a little something for her along with a glass of wine to help the day start off in the right direction! On the way back we called into the site where we had the Winnebago last Christmas,just in case any Xmas cards go there! It seems a long way away now from when we came back in September 2007 with the Smart car on its trailer,a lot’s happened since then! In the evening for supper we had Pan Fried Fillets of Salmon and Pink Trout with a Ratatouille and then watched a little TV.Over the weekend the forecast is for rain during the night but sunny and cold in the day,as we got up we found that we had no water so we had to use the spring tap,which is outside our front door,along with all our other neighbours.In the evening we had two nice steaks from our local butcher with Frits,During the day I watched the Liverpool match,live,they drew with Hull and in the evening it was the Real Madrid/Barcelona match from the Nou Camp stadium which seats 96,ooo thousand, the match does not kick off until 10pm and Barcelona murdered Real!After our usual Sunday lie in we walked down to Mano and Anna’s as she had come back from North Wales on Saturday and caught up with all her news and made some plans for Xmas,whilst we were there Carlos called in with Fabio,who is a lovely little happy boy. On the way back we called into Bar Rojas for a glass of Rosado and as we were sat at the bar some other customers had a selection of Tapas with fresh Batata frits,so we had a plate with some Breaded Chicken fillets! The water did not come back on until late in the afternoon as we got in so we had Brunch late again for dinner!This morning we had an appointment at the bank to close our account in North Wales and on the way back we picked up a large fresh Chicken ,for dinner,which we are roasting with all the trimmings including the famous Roast potatoes in Duck fat! Mano and Anna are joining us for our first Roast since May when all the family were last together.