Love for life

One cool looking plant and great home made pizza with anchovies, capers, chili, garlic and parsley on a tomato base, topped with São Jorge cheese.

Enjoying spring and the generosity of mankind - thank you.
On my evening walk yesterday I was given a fresh fish but had no money with me to pay for it. Today's walk I had dropped off some plant cuttings with a lady I see now and then. She bakes bread on a Tuesday - I was given a hot loaf of pão do milho. How does life get any better than this? Will photograph the bread tomorrow, light in the kitchen poor at the moment. Fish was superb.

Also want to congratulate Chrissie for adopting the old girl we walked on Sunday, she had a long name of Perdigueira and has now been shortened to Purdy. One lucky dog. I say old girl but actually we think she might not be that old.

AFAMA

Association Faial of friends and animals - AFAMA.

This association was brought to our attention when attending an open market, selling second hand goods to raise money for their organisation. A photo album of all their dogs was present and how sad to think 98 doggies are homeless. To raise awareness - Joana said they would be holding a walkies day with the dogs but they needed more volunteers to help.

 This was the least we could do, so today at 10.30 we were there ready to walk the doggies. Afama have two holding points, we left from the one closer to town and made our way towards the sea, along the waterfront ending in the park near the swimming pool. Have to say they were well organised, we divided into groups of 5 and were given a leader who wore the viz vest, carried the water and had the poo bags (bit of a shitty job).








 I got an old girl, who was thin, drooping nipples and had a type of flea reaction near the back of her tail. None the less she was content to be out and very well behaved. Chrissie on the other hand got a dogie who preferred to take her for a walk, we eventually swapped and after I realised the little guy was after a hottie in the front we sorted that out by walking ahead of her.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with dog games and dance demonstrations so all in all a well spent day.
Where ever in the world you may be reading this article - you too can help. You can adopt a dog and contribute a small amount every month, which goes to the up keep of your pooch. Regular updates will be emailed to you with pictures of volunteers walking, washing your dog etc
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
 http://www.afama-faial.org/

Tapete da casca do milho

My two darling neighbours had passed the house and told Nath that they were going up to gather husks from the corn in order to make doormats. (These husks were from last year and now dry and ready to use) I could not miss out on this opportunity, to take some pictures and get involved.

I love that these two woman at 80 years of age still have a purpose in life, they never sit still. Even though they battle to walk without their sticks, it does not mean they sit back and wait. Life goes on......

Nothing goes to waste, every part of the corn is used. The corn itself is removed from the husks and then that is ground into different textures according to their use. Some going into making bread, others for the chickens, pigs too want their share. Then comes the husks - this is what we worked on today, we removed the inner leaves that are lighter and cleaner and the remaining outer husks will be fed to the cows. The empty cobs once dry, are also used to start a fire or as extra fuel for the fire. Don´t you just love it - I think this is all so fantabulous.

Maria will now wash the leaves and put them out on the eira to dry. Then the fun begins, when we transform the leaves into doormats. Nature works its magic to perfection. These natural mats will last exactly a year until the next season and by this time they will be looking a little tired and scruffy. The cycle continues these mats will then be placed on the compost.

From what Maria has told me there use to be many more sheep on the island and they would take the fleece from beginning to end - meaning a knitted garment. Strangely this is now viewed as a lot of work and they would rather go down to the Chinese shop and buy a synthetic jersey. This makes me sad as the skills for this process will die out shortly. Most of the young ones have no desire to do anything their parents or grandparents did before.

Sopas

 Sopas are held for many different events. This weekend was Sopas to raise money for " helpo" this money will go towards building more wells in Mozambique.

You might be wondering what Sopas is - well it is exactly that  - soup. But with a difference, a platter of meat and vegetables is served seperately from the tureen of soup with chunks of bread soaked in its flavourful broth. Massa Sovada is also on the table. This is all enjoyed with a glass or two of wine. Afterwards rice pudding is served for desert.

I was privileged to be able to assist with the preparation for this sopas. I arrived on Saturday to see a long table full of meat and some ladies were cutting it up and removing fat and gristle. Maria must of seen my face and asked if I would prefer to peel garlic - that sat a whole lot easier with me. Did we peel garlic enough to make your fingers burn. Carrots and potatoes were peeled, cabbage washed, mint and coriander put into muslin bags, bread cut into pieces and placed in the large soup tureens. After the meat was cleaned and ready, it was well salted and covered over with some cabbage leaves. Tables were set and everything put in place. All that was left to do was for the night crew to come in at 3am and put the meat and veg on to cook, in giant pots. Then a fire was lit in the forno and some extra meat was cooked separately that had been marinated, this was to be added to the soup for extra flavour.

I worked with some lovely ladies, all capable and calm, we even downed tools and had a wonderful lunch of fried steaks, together with a bean dish and pea with chouriço, oh and forno cooked corn bread.

On the day, the rice pudding and Massa Sovada were delivered, oh my god was this masa the best I have had, light airy and slightly lemony.

The whole day went off  like a theatre production, everyone took their places and performed their role perfectly.
Three sittings, what a success!
Congratulations to everyone who helped and made this day possible.

Visitors to our garden

Wednesday the sun was shining, we had no water since the night before and at 3pm the garden club members were to visit our garden. Just before they arrived the water came back on - what a relief.

  The numbers are growing there must have been 20+ who came. I had planned to create an awareness of the medicinal plants we have in our garden. I had counted at least 30 and there might have been more. The list was too long to show them all, so we walked around the garden, and selected a few to identify, and gave a brief out line of their use. Later we had tea and cake. For the tea I served cold lemongrass tea and mint with green tea served hot.

A few tips - citrus trees favour lavender grown beneath them. Nasturtium's keep the aphids away, garlic is also beneficial planted beneath fruit trees. A few plants of borage planted between strawberries is beneficial to their growth. Coriander seed, sown with anise seed helps the latter to germinate. Tansy repels flies and ants. Cauliflower is known to grow better if there is celery in the neighbourhood. Companion planting is amazing.

Trip to Pico

On the weekend Chrissie and I had spoken about going to Pico on Tuesday,  I told her we would have to wait and see what the weather brings,  - we woke up to a perfect day. By 10 am we were down at the ferry in Horta and ready to enjoy, what felt like a holiday for the day. It was warm, lovely light on the sea and a feeling of excitement. The trip across was inexpensive €3.40 and it took about half an hour.

Knowing it might be a while before we had something to eat again, we first stopped for a coffee and a tosta mista. Not far from the cafe we picked up a taxi  and went up to the botanical gardens. Chrissie really noticed an improvement in the gardens since her last visit, two years ago. The azalea hedges were in bloom and so many other interesting plants we had not seen before.

Returning to the harbour it was all down hill, so we decided to walk and go on a bit of adventure. Trying to cross a field we came upon a bull tethered and a cow that was loose but on a double take noticed the cow had a bucket stuck on her head, the handle had got caught on her horn. There was no helping the poor thing, the moment you walked towards her, she ran away. Getting back to the main path we saw many calves and their mums but one little one was tethered and had the line all wound around its back leg. I was able to jump over the stone wall and untangle him, man he was so cute, he even let me touch him, did not even try run away.
Further down the hill, we got chatting to a lady busy in her garden planting potatoes - gorgeous soil.

Leaving Horta

Tree Fern

Azalias

Tangled calf

Unlucky cow

Gazania - its amazing

By the time we had reached the harbour we had a bag full of plant cuttings, we sat at one of the restaurants and had a bite to eat before catching the ferry back home. A good day was enjoyed by us all. Can not wait to go back in the summer and see more of the island. It really requires hiring a car.

Planting Potatoes

Leaving Madalena  - Pico

Me

Recipe for the real Mrs Balls.

We raved over our bottle of gold - Mrs Balls Chutney that we received.
But Mrs Balls we have a bone to pick with you - have you no shame, how can you allow a product that was so awesome and unique in flavour to be adulterated. It is now all cornflour with vinegar flavour, where are the peaches and apricots and the spiciness. Here we were bragging about your chutney we grew up with and loved, only to be seriously disappointed.

We the public are to blame in a way, we demand cheaper products and yet shareholders demand a return so in the end we the consumer loose out.

 I will look forward to making my own. Mrs Balls you have only empowered me to become even more self sufficient and I thank you for this.


Mrs. Ball’s Secret Recipe.

Edward Ball, Mrs. Ball’s grandson scaled down this original recipe to make 18 bottles of (mild) chutney
612 g dried peaches
238 g dried apricots
3 litres brown wine vinegar
2 1/2 kg white sugar
500 g onions
12 g salt
7 g cayenne pepper
1 to 2 litres of brown wine vinegar for soaking
About 2 litres of brown wine vinegar for mixing

The fruit should be left in the soaking vinegar overnight, then cooked in the same vinegar until soft. Drain. Put the fruit through a mill. Add the sugar (dissolved) and onions (minced) and cook in a pot with the brown wine vinegar. The amount of vinegar depends on the consistency: it should not be too runny or too thick, but have the same consistency as the end product you find in the bottle. Add spices and cook for one to two hours. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent burning. Sterilise your bottles and spoon in the mixture.
That's it - you've got Mrs Ball's Chutney.

Planting today

Feels like spring, beautiful warm day with wonderful light, and the hope of summer on its way.

A quick trip to the riding school to load up the van with some compost for the latest outer circle. No sooner you pile it up and it seems to sink down, we will still need more but in the meantime I have space ready for new seedlings. Some of the plants I spoke of earlier, have now started to show and I take the time to get a few going before starting the next lot, that way I can keep control of what where etc.

Garlic and onions are doing well, planted some beetroot, mizuna, red onion, coriander, chives. The seedling window boxes we put up at the back of the house are an absolute joy, perfect height, good sun and when they have been empty Zac agrees it is the best place for a siesta, warm and no wind or interruption.




You might be wondering whatz up with the bags? New experiment, decided to put some compost in them, then potato chits. I will fill the bag with soil as they grow. Check back for progress report.

Protea seedlings

A lazy day

Out with the Old in with the New

It is called Progress - our favourite village store in Cedros has finally closed it doors and the new bigger/better store has now mushroomed up only a few yards away from the old store. While it is bigger, more modern and features a restaurant, we feel sad that old has gone - gone for good. It was never really about what it stocked, more about the soul of the building, the years that have come and gone with an evolving generation still keeping it running. There was intimacy, fellowship, and always a warm welcome by the owner, Aldina. This was a bar/shop where the farmers from around the area stopped  in after visits to their cows, for a cup of coffee with a (sniff) dash of aquadent or brandy, to catch up with village news and friends -  to the few tourists who were lucky enough to stumble upon and experience its "time capsule" - everyone in wellies to heels, all had their place here.

The new store is lovely and a lot of thought has gone into the massive project. In time the locals will each find their place and make it theirs once again. We welcome the restuarant and look forward to Adrianos local food with flair. Stores around the world are becoming the same, just like the world is becoming a global village,  so from that point of view we are sad today to say goodbye to the old one, with its character, patina, comfort and warmth.

Aldina, you can be very proud of your new success.