sexta-feira, 30 de novembro de 2012

Memories

(sorry, but my Memories are only possible to write in English, although I am a proud Portuguese born and bred woman, but it just has to be like this today).
I have been meaning to write this post for a very, very long time but between this and that, there has just been no time. Period. Funny how life made a turn to make me have time to do it.
It is funny how most of the time one has memories of people that have passed away. It is when you think of those people that you remember happy or sad days, images, feelings or things that have marked you. Sometimes it is the other way around. You see things that remind you of fond moments you passed with loved ones that are no longer here or that still are.
Anyway, a memory is always about something that happened in the past.
And in the past so many things happened that have set the way I am today!
A year ago more less I attended an online course about blogging and the question I could never really answer was: what is the purpose of my blog. I don't want to sell anything thru it, I don't aim for greatness or a huge number of followers (although must admit wouldn't mind a few more). So it was with great surprise that this November, Life brought me the answer: she is the one I want to write about!
You can say that I could do it in a diary, in a private book to be seen when I am gone by my children but no, this is how I want to do it.
So, Miss Lacitos is about my life. Probably boring for most of my possible readers, intriguing for others but well, I do hope it will make you laugh or cry from time to time, inpire and amaze you here and there and just show you how a life, past and present, of a working mother of 4 children is.
And today I want to share with you some memories that just came to me when my Mother gave me some pamphlets of a famous chocolate shop in Porto, the well-known Arcadia.
This chocolate shop, when I was little, existed just in Porto's downtown. There you could take a proper tea and of course eat their famous chocolates or buy them in blue boxes to bring home.
I remember going there sometimes but I passed at their door countless days when I went to visit my grandfather that worked close by.
He was: a not very tall, bald men, with a white moustache and most of the times a very serious look. I never really knew what he did but I always thought he most be important in his work because everyone treated him with respect.
Every time I had a school break, I would get on the bus (I was probably 8 when this ritual of ours started) and go visit him on one of the days. We would meet at his office and then he would take me to a bookshop where he would buy me a book (he gave me most of the books I owned at the time). Then we would go to lunch at Bolhão's market, in a small restaurant under the stairs. I can still feel the smell of the place.
After lunch I would go back to his office, stay with him for a while and then normally he would leave early and we would come back together or I would take the bus back home. Before I left he would always buy me a snack so I wouldn't get hungry coming home.
He died 20 years ago but the grip of his hand on mine when we went to mass together and prayed Holly Father still brings tears to my eyes every Sunday when I do the same thing with my husband, children and parents. That small but strong hand held me many, many times.
I was the only grandchild allowed into his office at Christmas and together we would prepare the bags and piles, separated by member of family or couple. I was also allowed to hear music with him because some how I had the ability to stay put and listen to Pavarotti while he played on his vinyl player.
I know he was austere, he had a bad humur lots of times, but isn't it funny what your memory keeps? And isn't it even more funny how a piece of paper from a chocolate shop, now transformed into a big chain of shops, can trigger all these things?
I have many more to share with you and they will for sure come know and then, triggered by this or that. Forgive me for the boredness of the facts but the world would be a so much better place if every child had has a hand like that to hold from time to time!
And well I just really had to use those pamphlet's for something right?
 Photo albums

And (I know , I know, I just can't stop) because it is good to know what this home of mine is finally about, Miss Lacitos leaves you with a song about home that I just love! Have a nice weekend and I promise to be back Sunday with my week meal planner!



terça-feira, 13 de novembro de 2012

E uma semana mais...


Desculpem o atraso! A ementa até já está feita e a uso à uns dias mas o tempo para vir aqui e carregá-la tem sido nenhum!
E o prometido Rosbife no tacho tem especial destaque em cima! Espero que gostem mas acreditem que o segredo é mesmo carne de boa qualidade.
Esta semana uma das sopas é o Creme de agriões da Mrs. Tatcher. Lembro-me de estar na cozinha em casa dos meus Pais quando, um belo dia, numa TV guia ou revista similar (e não, não era a Maria)  e darmos de caras com esta receita. O espanto foi geral: mas afinal a Primeira.Ministra Inglesa cozinha? Passado o espanto, a verdade é que recortamos a receita e ainda hoje, em dias especiais, a fazemos cá em casa. O facto de levar natas não dá mesmo para uma coisa de dia-a-dia!
Desejo a todos uma excelente semana e bons cozinhados!

domingo, 4 de novembro de 2012

Sunday indulgence

Hoje apetecia-me mesmo um lanche diferente. Por isso nada melhor do que um chocolate quente (oferecido pela Paula e que ainda não tinha tido tempo para experimentar) e um bolo de laranja acabado de fazer. Porque afinal hoje é domingo....

Today I really wanted a different tea. So nothing better then a hot chocolate (given to me by my friend Paula and that I didn't had the time to taste before) and a home made orange cake. After all today is Sunday.....

Nova ementa

Bom domingo para todos! Aqui fica a nova ementa para a semana que aí vem!
Mas o prometido é devido, por isso aqui fica a minha receita de Scones. Acho que é a primeira vez que a partilho com alguém! Já não me lembro onde a vi pela primeira vez mas sei que a faço desde criança. Sempre a soube de cor e ao longo dos anos fui fazendo alguns ajustes e alterações. Acho que está no ponto ideal agora por isso espero que gostem!

Uma das receitas desta semana é Galinha marrocos com tomate, mel e açafrão. Tem um sabor um pouco adocicado mas não deixa por isso de ser uma delícia. Esta foi uma das muitas receitas que traduzi enquanto estive de repouso da amniocentese que fiz na gravidez da minha filha. São todas excelentes e pratos que faço muito cá em casa! 

Tenham uma boa semana!

sexta-feira, 2 de novembro de 2012

Make do and mend

É bem verdade que muitas vezes com um pouco de esforço podemos transformar o que muitas vezes consideramos lixo. Esta camisa, rasgada em 4 sítios diferentes, estava destinada a panos de limpeza! Uma máquina de costura, linha e velcro transformaram-na num delicioso saquinho! Agora transformada, esta "camisa" vai regressar ao seu dono!

It is true that sometimes with a very small effort we can transform what most of the time we would consider rubbish. This shirt, torn in 4 different places was destined to become a clening cloth! A sewing machine, thread and a piece of velcro transformed it into a small bag. Now, it it's new rule, this "shirt" will go back to it's owner!



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