Feeling a little daring?

Avocado and lime chilled cheesecake

The Mr. had a birthday this week and I indulged in some full on  cooking time- Mexican in all it's flare takes a little bit of time. Mango salsa, baked black bean burritos, some guacamole and this!  I tried to find a cold desert that would go with Mexican and this one turned out better than I expected.  Actually it was delicious, a good finish to a spicy meal on a very hot evening. Click here for the recipe if you want to give it a try.

Happy Friday to one and all

Hope to see some of you here!

Potato salad with capers and lemon

A recent favourite 

dressing: 2 garlic cloves pressed,

 the zest of one whole lemon

fresh rosemary ( 2-3 springs) leaves finely chopped 

2 Tbs capers

olive oil

juice of one lemon

salt and pepper to taste

*small tip - toss the potatoes with the dressing as soon as they are done cooking and leave to cool in the fridge dressed. 

***

Ahh sweet summer sunsets

sandy toes

salty skin

 iced coffee mornings

rushing to do anything or go anywhere quickly is impossible

 the heat is heavy 

May your Monday be slow and gentle

New in the shop

Little bits of bold summer

and for myself an impromptu lab top case (notebook size)

Pockets for pencils and a pen drive

Wednesday's Corner View: me

Not a very easy cornerview.

 I am shy by nature and although I like being behind the camera taking photos, 

I am not very comfortable on the other side. 

 

but here you go... 

plain ole me

For other 'cornerviews' go here. 

Cold mint and pea soup

Having a bit of a heat wave here in Malta so it is time once again for some cold soup. 

This is one of my favourites, simple and so refreshing!

COLD MINT AND PEA SOUP

2 onions chopped
1TBs butter
1/4 cup fresh mint
450 grams peas (frozen is fine)
450 ml vegetable stock
400 ml milk
single cream to garnish

Step 1. sauté onions in butter till translucent.
step 2. add in mint, peas and stock and cook on low heat for 30 min.
Step 3. Take off the burner,  add the milk and puree. Place in fridge to chill for at least two hours.
Step 4. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with a drizzle of cream.

Also of note this week in the Francalanza house hold is we have been kitten sitting for this sweet fella. He will be very missed when his owner returns to collect him tomorrow.

Today's impromptu muffins were plum and almond..which turned out to be delicious!

General recipe follows (as once again it was spur of the moment and not from a book).

PLUM AND ALMOND MUFFINS

175 grams margarine (keeps it moist when baking with fruit)
200 grams brown sugar
3 eggs
400 grams self raising flour (if not using self raising add around 2 tsp to plain flour)
pinch of salt
150 grams ground almonds
6-8  red plums cooked down and pureed (I had them on hand in the freezer)
1/2 cup milk

Start with the margarine, add the sugar and mix in the eggs, next add the flour and almonds and last the wet ingredients (you can alternate the wet with the dry of course).

makes 24 muffins.

*Often if I buy more fresh plums or peaches then I can possibly eat (or they are not as great tasting as they looked) I cook them down and freeze them to use in smoothies or muffins.

and the winner ...

of last Friday's give away (July 2nd) was chosen with the help of my four year old and her hat. 

Congratulations Janis !!

Will happily be sending something from this sunny rock your way. 

Corner View: Saturday

Running

 climbing

 exploring

spinning

squealing

 and making new friends

 Saturday often brings a stop at the park

For more corneviews visit Jane. 

Of gifts and long days

Little gifts my husband returned with... he knows me well... some local coffee and a special beer to try! It seems he fell for Portland the same way I did. 

Notice the words on the Vixen Coffee Blend - I arise in the morning torn between the desire to save the world and a desire to savour it, which makes it hard to plan the day...

E.B. White

The beans are from a small roaster on the island of Vashon, an Island not far from Seattle which I had the good luck of living on for a spell. 

Fingers crossed there is a job opening in one of our fields and we find ourselves in Portland one day!

Till then its the start of summer holidays... long days of occupying the wee ones.. 

a small walk to explore a nearby grove of trees.. nothing like a picnic. 

At last!!

The recipe that I mentioned some days ago, the fig ice cream. Especially for you Guusje. Sorry it has taken me some time to get round to writing it down!  It is an original recipe so sadly I am not completely certain on the amounts I used.  I am also including a very dependable tasty strawberry ice cream recipe. 

 I have opened a little etsy shop!!! 

It is called The Caper Collection and can be found here,
I still have quite a few items to add but here are a few. 

To celebrate I would like to have my first give away! 

Who ever is picked can choose one of the following: an animal of their choice, one of the small purses, a make up carrier or the jewellery carrier. 

In your comment please leave your name, which you would prefer and your email address. I will choose someone in one weeks time.

Strawberry Ice Cream
400 grams chopped strawberries
100 milk
300 ml fresh cream
100 grams sugar
Directions: puree all ingredients together and pour into ice cream mixer.

Fig, Walnut and port ice cream
7 large very soft figs
50-100 grams toasted walnuts (chopped)
300 ml fresh cream
100 ml milk
orange rind
100 ml port
pinch cinnamon
Directions: Simmer lightly in a covered pan the figs in the port ( fork some holes into each of the figs). add in sugar, orange zest (around 1/2 tsp) and the pinch of cinnamon. Let cool and then scoop out the fig insides and add to the liquid, remove the peels. Gently pour in the milk and fresh cream. Lightly stir and add to the ice cream mixer, add the nuts just as the ice cream is getting thick. Obviously this is according to your own taste so feel free to increase or decrease amounts of orange rind, sugar and figs. This was my first time making this ice cream, sadly the Bajtar Tal San Gwann figs are finished so I will be trying it with a different sort of fig when the new kind are in season at the start of August.

Wednesday's Cornerview: Summer

The joy of such simple entertainment.

Happy Monday

A small taster to what I have been working on lately.

Still without the Mr. but I have been making the most of my quiet evenings with some new sewing projects, having fun designing and trying out ways of making a small make up carrier bag (for the times you are away for two or three nights and just need a few things, one or two lipsticks, mascara, eye shadow a blush etc. ) and a jewellery carrying case and lastly a hand purse (but I have not taken photos of those yet).  Am making some things for the next arts market here in Malta and yes... the etsy shop (planning to have it ready by the end of the month). Not many days left! Will let you know when I do get it off the ground. 

Any feedback much appreciated.. still working on the pricing.. I find this part very tricky. 

Corner View: Noticing (late)

My absent minded professor has been away these last two weeks, lost in a conference of maths and logic. He was away for my first art fair, fathers day, our anniversary and my job offer (teaching history). In some way it feels like its been years and not just a few weeks. It is terrible to say that it takes him being away to make me realise how much he means to me... but I suppose in the whirr of life with smalls it is easy to get caught up in the to do list of every day, every week...perhaps do a little too much nagging etc.  Having him gone makes me notice .. notice how much he means to me, to us all, the children really miss him. I realise just how much he helps me keep my pace, makes me laugh and supports me through phases of second guessing myself which I so appreciate. 

I am so thankful for having him in my life. Silly coffee machine ruler, fellow radio addict, foodie, 

travel lover, planner and love.

The whole island feels different without him. Am so glad he will be returning next week. 

Happy Monday

Tis Fig Season again here! Actually to be specific it is the season of Bajtar ta' San Gwann (the big purple soft figs) will be cooking some with a tiny bit of port and orange zest tonight (have eaten so many raw that I think its time to try out other methods). The season is only about three weeks long and there are not so many days left... you know what I am planning next- but of course - Ice cream! So we can savour the taste just a little longer into summer. There are actually three different fig seasons here in Malta. So this most likely won't be the last of my posts on them (Tin).

Wednesday's Cornerview: 'Daily'

Aside from the first thing- (coffee of course), and bread (delivered fresh to ones door if one were to leave a small bag and some cents in it), and some morning kisses 

the daily MUST is for me a bit of the 'outside world'.

Global News from the BBC, NPR's Fresh air and a bit of Woman's hour to keep me up to date on the 'going-ons' of happenings out there and cultures I feel connected to (ought to have some Norsk Radio).

Of late I have heard some shows that I can't stop babbling on about.. here are a few favourites

1. Hostages- (a recent This American Life show)

2.Watching Giants (cool short piece on the underwater culture of whales 

(really far more interesting than you would guess!)

3. Sheds- what a clever- funny idea for gathering men together to talk. 

4. Last but not least - a piece that really renwed my faith in humanity and the power of what one person with the right vision and attitude (and support) can achieve. Fresh Air Interview with the founder of Home Boy Industries (helping to get gangs off the streets and into skilled employment). 

First

Caper Collection (my first stall)

This weekend I participated in the Patches Market (the first of it's kind in Malta). Was a  lot of work leading up to it (sewing last bits early in the morning and late at night) but really an enjoyable experience. Met some cool people and tapped into the art/craft community here in Malta. Looking forward already to the next one, lots o ideas bubbling around in my head for the next event! Still need to get the etsy shop up and running! Time where does it go?! 

When life gets ahead

Pardon the silence....am franticly catching up and finally finding my breath again. Very busy last two weeks, funny how sometimes things all happen at once! Did not manage to make this week's Cornerview, shame (bliss- what a good idea click here for what some others came up with).  I have been wanting to draw your attention to this

Click here for more details. Still putting together my collection for the market. 

Will post about it as soon as I finish.  Drop a line and join if you like! 

Happy Friday!

Wednesday's Cornerview: From where I am sitting

Or rather as I have not been sitting much, its where I am going. Notice for once I am in the photo!
This scenic picture was taken by my friend Amber, over from Italy with her family.
Heading down to the water. 

Stairs, children and waves was the view.

Off to play a little

Pardon the silence, we have friends visiting this week. 

Will be back soon!

Wednesday's Cornerview: Your street

Our street when she was getting all dressed up for the feast. 

Our nice little run down ally

Our stoop plus the gang (who without fail try to run to the end in time to scare us) 

Monday morning traffic

 Along with the blue sea,  blossoming peach trees and sun blanched quaint stone streets there is also this side of Malta (I am admittedly overdue in making this post). 

This is the view out the car window last week while we were stuck in endless traffic (a bit of rain means flooding in many parts of the island and more than the usual numbers of traffic jams). Lovely industrial Marsa, with its many derelict cranes (gone is the hay day of the Maltese ship building industry). Many pot holed back streets criss-crossing between factory buildings and closed up abandoned old storage houses. I was beginning to fear I may be painting too sunny and perfect of a picture and so was moved to include a few photos that normally I may edit out.

I for the most part in the last year have focused my attentions on the bits of beauty and culture here.  This also helped in my transitioning to the island, trying to find the hidden treasures that make living here really worth while. But this (above photos) is also Malta, lots of construction, lots of traffic... it is the most densely populated country in Europe and because most of the country was built long before cars were invented, there simply is not space for them all. I could go on in this direction, with the many faults one can find here but at the moment I won't spend too much time on that, for I am enjoying this time of allowing myself to be charmed by Malta's rustic worn down beauty and quirkiness.

*I must admit I do rather like some of the old abandoned houses,
 such textures and small remains of past glory!