Give me 15 minutes

Calamari on the fly

One thing I have learned since moving here to Malta is how easy it is to create a whole fresh tasting meal using fish you froze some weeks or months ago! We needed to make space in our freezer and remembered the squid, a few hours after taking it out and my husband had whipped up some delicious and very fresh tasting calamari! He just cut it, fried it in garlic and oil for around ten minutes till it changed colour and the juices come out and thickened, set it aside and added some fresh chopped parsley, squeeze of lemon juice,  salt and pepper.  You can toss it with some fresh pasta or over a salad, such an easy and tasty meal. Growing up in the midwest, I thought Calamari was suppose to be like rubber but ahh no, it is tender and so delicious when cooked properly!

(Kid comments while watching their papa cut the squid included- "....but really where is it's nose?  how does it eat? Is that plastic inside?  "

It's not yet fall weather here, mdina strolls for ice cream, rooftop barbecues and trips to the sea side are all still happening (but probably not for much longer).

Cup of tea anyone?

Seriously considering a present to myself, who would not feel complete with one of these to greet you in the morning. Found here.

Morning stroll

Maltese Doors

A few, just to wet your appetite (for those that appreciate doors).

School Days

Feels like we really are back in the school year  here, maybe it's me or my memory but I swear I don't remember having so many notebooks when I was a kid, last night we were up til late covering (I counted) 16 little notebooks (thats just for the 5 year old). I really don't think I had Math homework when I was five (little Mr. T has 5 notebooks worth and three large workbooks just for math). Maybe he has a 'special' kind of teacher this year.

She certainly is specific, the Maltese notebook has to be covered in red plastic, the Science green, English blue etc. . The other thing was all the labels!!!! From paint brushes to glue sticks to folders (even his own little box of tissues was instructed to be labelled) , have schools lost the art of teaching sharing to kids?  I realised that I wrote my sons entire name (which is no short name) 32 times on these various labels. There is a good chance I may sign his name next time I go to the bank.

A loss

I heard today that Mercedes Sosa died, the Argentinean singer, at age 74. Since first hearing her music while at University I have been taken with the power and emotion in her voice (and the beauty of the lyrics). She has been in some ways one of the  'themes' of this last year as little destructo has become addicted to hearing the ' ah ha' (as she refers to it song) ,  which is the song Maria Maria... she will not stop requesting it until she has heard it, I can safely say that I have heard this song well over 100 times over the last six months . I do however still like it.  Am saddened by the news of her death, and think I shall take some time today to hear her other songs.

(by the way ignore the video that goes with this song, it was the best sounding version I could find online)

Nice weekend of picnics and country walks here. Hope you all enjoyed the weekend too.