"You Go'ne Eat Yo' Co'nbread?"

I hope at least 90% of the people who read this blog have seen the movie Life with Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence. If you haven't, watch it. Now. It's one of the funniest movies you will ever see (if you don't mind LOTS of explatives...). Miguel and I often quote the movie (the fact that so many of the quotes are applicable in our everyday lives is sad), so when I made cornbread yesterday, my husband couldn't help himself. As soon as it came out of the oven, he said, "You go'ne eat yo' co'nbread?" 

I gave him a piece, because I'm nice. It's incredible. AND gluten-free/dairy free. Yeah. What.

Co'nbread

It couldn't wait to be eaten...

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of milk of choice (I used soy)
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 2 cups cornmeal (white or yellow)
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup sugar (you can omit this if you don't want sweet cornbread)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or melted butter for non-dary-free)
• 1 apple or 1/4 cup apple sauce
• 2 eggs
• 1 can of whole corn kernels (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C
2. Mix vinegar with milk and set aside (this makes buttermilk)
3. Combine the dry ingredients
4. Blend oil, apple, and eggs in a food processor until smooth. If using apple sauce instead, you can just mix it.
5. mix all of the dry and wet ingredients together
6. Pour into a grease 8x8 pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean

This bread is so easy and so cheap, and GF/DF. How awesome is that? It's addictive though. I must warn you. You can experiment with this recipe. Next time, I want to add an extra apple, and extra egg, and no sugar. We'll see what happens. I'll keep you posted.

Tata for now!

Birthday Festivities

For the past few days, we have been celebrating Miguel’s birthday. Starting on Friday. His birthday is today…

On Friday night, I had a small little surprise party with a few of our friends for him. He had absolutely no idea all the way up until they were in our house. Ha. They rang, he answered, and wondered why they were here. Finally, when I said, “Surprise!” he said, “Yeah, surprise!” I realized he still didn’t know what was going on. He thought they’d just popped by unannounced. So I had to say, “No babe, surprise. Like, happy birthday, we’re gonna celebrate.”

A few minutes later, I walked out with a flaming cake and we sang Happy Birthday. Still shocked and surprised, Miguel was very happy. We drank some Madeira wine, had ice cream, homemade chocolate cake, and coffee. Yum. How fun.

Nicole, Tony, Miguel and I. Jenny's taking the photo. Thanks Jenny!

 Then yesterday, for Miguel’s day off, we went to Monte, a little town northeast of here. The bus ride takes you up, up, and away into the mountains. I was carsick by the time we got there. But a few minutes of being in the fresh air and seeing the spectacular views, I got over it.

There is a church in Monte, and it’s beautiful, and we went inside and sat for a while. 

 After that, we spent time just walking around the area, checking out the different viewing points, admiring the landscape, and stopping to smell the roses, literally. 

 Our lunch in the gardens was amazing, with a view to die for.

 It made us feel like we are on a permanent vacation. As we ate, we watched people ride the wicker baskets down the mountain. 

Those brown things the guys are leaning on are vehicles...

 It looked incredibly dangerous. Maybe next time.

We rounded out our day with an awesome dinner of typical Madeiran food in town. Delish. And so romantical.

Speaking of romantical, for his actual birthday today, I decided to go sentimental this year. I made a painting and wrote a poem (that I wrote) on it. 

 No, it is not a love poem. It’s inspirational. I also made him some prayer pocket stones.Cutesies.

For lunch today, we had another picnic in the botanical gardens, and lounged for a few hours. It being the first year in three years that we are spending our birthdays together, I wanted to make it special. And I think he enjoyed it (I hope. Hehe). I know I did.  

C'est La Vie

This week has been a rather relaxed one, not that my weeks are ever not relaxed. I’ve mostly been working on getting things ready for Miguel’s birthday on Tuesday, things that cannot be mentioned (obvs.). It’s interesting trying to surprise your husband when you spend all but four hours of the day together. But, I am super excited and hope he really loves his birthday stuff. Other than that, I did manage to whip up a delicious meal last night (as well as the other nights, but nothing that was blog-worthy).

Southwestern Corn, Bacon, and Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized potatoes, cut into cubes (I used red potatoes)
• 2 cups milk of choice (I used soy)
• 1 tbsp butter
• ½ onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• ½ cup celery, diced
• 5 slices of bacon, chopped
• 2 cans of whole corn kernels with juice

 Method:

1. Cook potatoes until soft and drain.
2. Add milk to potatoes and blend with an immersion blender. Do not over blend. It’s ok if there are a few chunks left.
3. Sauté onions, pepper, and celery for about 5 minutes in a large pot.
4. Add bacon and corn and sauté another 2 minutes.
5. Pour in potato mixture and bring to a simmer. DO NOT BOIL. Simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Devour and enjoy.

 This soup was bangin’. As is everything I post on here. I wouldn’t post it otherwise…

Today, I met my hubby in town for coffee, which was fabulous. While waiting for him, I saw this:

There is a flea market downtown right now, so we had to have a look at that. 

 Typical, but cool. Then, instead of waiting for the bus, we decided to take a leisurely stroll home starting with the botanical gardens.

I know I'm a newlywed, but I don't think I'll ever get over how gorgeous my husband is...

 How romantic is my life? Seriously. I love it. So, there’s not too much to talk about, but a lot of stuff to see. I hope you enjoy.C'est La Vie. 

As an end note, I am super excited about my upcoming birthday post. You should be too.

Tata for now.  

Chatter Box

Since we last chatted, a lot has been happening, as promised. I did end up going to that church on Thursday so that I wouldn’t be late today. Thursday morning, I spent about an hour online trying to figure out what bus route I needed to take to get to my destination. I also looked up how to say, “Can you tell me when we get to Rua Silvestre?” for the bus driver. See, the thing is, the buses here are easy, if you know where you’re going. On subways and metros, they alsway announce which stop is next, and when you get there, they let you know. Not here. No sirree. You gotta know your stop. Which can be interesting if you’ve never been somewhere…

So, when I got on my bus, I went to the driver and started by saying in Portuguese, “I speak VERY little Portuguese,” and proceeded to ask my question. All I wanted was a yes or no answer. But no, instead, my question was met with very fast Portuguese, of which I did not understand. When I gave him a confused look, he gave me a disgusted one. When I specifically say I don’t speak Portuguese and don’t understand when they speak to me in Portuguese, I am the idiot. Right.

So, I sat in the front, hoping that he would signal me. Note to self: never sit in the front on a bus. Ignorance is bliss...

After my harrowing experience, I finally made it in one piece, albeit a little nauseous, to the church, which was closed… Gah. Luckily (well, not really), and old man from across the street came over to help me. I say not really because he barely spoke English. And by barely, I mean, he knew numbers. I was able to tell him in my limited Portuguese, and I quote, “I want to see where the church is, because I arrive on Sunday.” When he asked if everything is ok, I replied with, “I want to speak to pastor, but he is not here. No problem. I arrive on Sunday. Thank you very much.” Arrive was the only word I could think of at the time. And the past and future tenses make me tense under pressure. Pun intended.

Friday, I wasted half my morning rearranging my dining room and living room, only to realize, it looks like crap any way other than the way it was/is again. We also watched the movie, Colombiana. So cool. Love a girl who kicks butt.

Yesterday, I came to the realization that efficiency in errand running is impossible here. I went to the Chinese Market (my favorite place for cheap stuff) and the grocery store, which is directly across the street. The entire trip took me an hour and a half, and I only bought about 15 items. What? I don’t know how it happens. Later in the afternoon, Miguel left for Portugal again, so I spent the night alone. Well, not alone. Just me, a glass of red wine, dark chocolate, and Audrey Tatou in Amélie. Stunning evening.

Mad Men has recently caught my attention, so I watched my third episode of that. It’s difficult to watch. I think I could write a whole thesis on the themes of racism, alcoholism, and sexism in the show. It’s a bit difficult to watch, yet strangely addicting. Another note to self: don’t watch sad stuff before bedtime.

Today, I went to church which, in all honesty, I didn’t really enjoy. Eighteen people (I counted), 12 of which were tourists from the UK. All but a (roughly) 35-year-old mother and her baby were over the age of 60. Not really my scene… Oh well. That’s how you learn. On to the next one, I suppose. Then I caught up with my family and Biff (best friend) over Skype. The joys of technology. How I miss them.

Tonight, I plan on watching some more movies that I “rented” (I call it renting because I delete them after I watch them…). Then my hubs will be home around 1 AM. I should probably take a nap if I am expected to be awake at that time.

So that pretty much sums up my week/weekend. Until next time kids. Keep it classy.

Care to hear a current Portuguese craze? It’s everywhere. You can’t escape it… I know the words. That should tell you something.

Another Day in Paradise

The past few days have been incredible, just like the days before that, and before that. Nothing new here, really.

On Monday (Miguel’s off day), we walked down to the boardwalk to this gorgeous little restaurant call the Magic Tea room. Inside, the décor is different shades of pastel green with dark wood chairs and palm trees everywhere. Ahh. Loved it. While looking out that the ocean, we sipped our coffees and chatted for a while, enjoying the warm sunshine. 

 Only when I started sweating did we head out. Sweat and I don’t really go together unless I’m exercising.

On Tuesday night, I whipped up this super simple, ridiculously healthy dinner. No this is not a recipe blog. It's a life blog. Cooking is my life right now. What? *gangsta face*

Chicken Cacciatore, healthy style

 Serves 2 really hungry people (we had a drumstick leftover)

 Ingredients:

• 2 chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks), skin removed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• ½ cup black olives (I used ones with pits, but it doesn’t matter)
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a pan, season chicken with salt and pepper, and brown the chicken on both sides, about 8 minutes
2. Remove chicken
3. Sauté onions and peppers until soft
4. Add garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds
5. Add white wine and simmer to reduce by half
6. Once reduced, add the can of tomatoes, olives, oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir and put chicken back in the pan and spoon sauce on top.
7. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
8. Devour and enjoy!

 I served this dish over rice, and then Miguel had the leftovers with spaghetti the next day. Super easy and so, so good.

Yesterday, I experimented and made my first artisan bread. I felt so domesticated.

 When Miguel came home from work, he was sniffing his way through the door. Needless to say, he loved the bread.

Last night, I made yet another super simple, healthy dinner. It was a repeat from last week. I usually wait at least a month to repeat a recipe, but this was an exception. It was amazing, and like I said, easy.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

 As a whole meal, serves 4. Each roll is probably a serving but who cares.

 Ingredients:

• 1 large head of cabbage
• ½ lb (about 400 g) of any ground meat you want. I used pork chops ground up in my food processor. I plan on trying it with beef and chicken in the future.
• 1 ½ cups cooked rice or quinoa
• 1 onion, diced
• ½ green pepper, diced
• ½ red pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.
2. Bring a large pot of boiling water to a boil
3. Cut into the cabbage around the core to sever the leaves but keep them whole
4. Submerge the cabbage, core down, into the boiling water for 30 seconds until the leaves are soft enough to come off. Repeat until you have 8 large leaves.

5. Sauté onions and peppers until soft.
6. Add garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
7. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the raw meat and cooked rice.
8. On a flat surface, place a leaf stem-side toward you. Put ½ to ¾ cups of the mixture onto the bottom of the leaf in the center. 

 9. Roll up halfway, fold the sides in, and roll up the rest of the way. Repeat until all leaves are filled and placed in a baking dish, preferably close together.
10. Pour over chicken broth, cover with foil paper, and place in the oven.
11. Bake for 40 minutes.
12. Devour and enjoy! 

This is a very basic recipe, but you can definitely play around with the ingredients. I plan on it!

In other non-cooking news, I joined a group on Facebook called South Africans in Madeira. I wrote something on the wall just introducing myself, and got a great response. One of the members invited me to a Baptist church in town, and I am going today to find it. I don’t want to get lost on Sunday. The pastor and his wife are Americans and there is an English service at 11 AM! From doing further investigation, I found the church’s blog and found out that they are actually missionaries to Madeira since 1976 and Brazil before that. http://madeirabaptist.blogspot.com/ How cool? I am so excited about going. It will be great to meet some new people and hopefully find a good church. So, wish me luck in finding it.

Also, I plan on doing some stuff in preparation for Miguel’s birthday on the 27^th. I clearly can’t go into a lot of detail since he reads my blog. Duh. But I think it will be good. :D

I’m not entirely sure what Friday will hold, but I’m sure it will be just another day in paradise.

  Tata for now!

Revelations

No, this is not a biblical post. I know you were excited though...

This week, several things have been revealed to me that I haven’t thought much about before. Living in a new house in a new place with a (relatively) new husband, you come to find out really quick things that need to change.

Revelation #1: We NEED an iPad. Yes, need. I am not normally one to confuse needs with wants, but this time, the line is severely blurred. Reason being, we mostly watch TV online in the evenings, as well as Skype our families and friends, meaning that my blogging gets shoved to the back burner. Hence the sorry-it’s-taken-me-four-days-to-post post. Also, when we are watching TV, agreeing on something sometimes does not work. When soccer is on, it usually takes precedence above all else. WE do have regular TV, but sometimes, I like to watch something I want to watch. Not just “what’s on.” I’m a spoiled American. Sue me.

Revelation #2: I want a dog. I know Miguel cringes inside every time I say it, but I really, really want a dog. This business of being dog-less for so long (my inlaws’ dog, Tammy, does NOT count. She’s an idiot.) sucks. And I see about a zillion dogs a day walking around being all cute and stuff. Gah. I keep telling my hubs to find out which of his teammates have dogs and ask them if I can play with them. The only response I get is usually a raised eyebrow, sometimes accompanied by an eye roll. Need dog. Now.

Revelation #3: Need(ed) a new oven. If you’ve been keeping up, you know that my oven is horrid. And, I have the absolute BARE necessities in the way of knives and other chopping devices. Earlier in the week when I reach my last straw with that stupid oven, I nearly cried. And my wonderful husband who loves me so much, took me out the very next day to buy a brand-spanking-new toaster oven. 

 Basically, it’s a mini oven with no need for pre-heating. How awesome is that? Also, he decided that it would be helpful for me to get a food processor of sorts. I ended up with a hand blender (AKA Zoom-Zoom. Remember this for future posts…) with a food processing attachment. It’s pretty much the most amazing thing ever. I have been whipping up a culinary storm since then.

 I’ve baked banana bread, sweet potatoes, chicken- you name it- in this little wonder. I’m more than happy. And so is Miguel. No more undercooked meat. Bleh.

Tonight, I made the most amazing meal I’ve made in a long time. Super simple, but totally delish. On a side note, when I go to the grocery store, I occasionally buy things and have no clue what it is. Case in point, tonight’s fish. It was a white fillet with a funky name that looked good for most cooking methods. When I got home, I looked it up. Turns out, it’s a type of catfish… So without further ado:

Oatfish (Oat-Encrusted Catfish)

 With this delicious twist on a southern goldie-oldie, we had a rather interesting accompaniment.

Broccoli and Apple Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 large head of broccoli
• 3 large apples
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

 Method:

1. Cut the broccoli florets off the stalk and set aside. Cut the stalks into 1-inch pieces. Peel the apples, core and cut into 1-inch pieces.
2. In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and apple chunks. Saute about 6 minutes. Add the broth and the broccoli stalks. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the broccoli florets to the soup and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Judging by the noises of enjoyment coming from Miguel as he scarfed it down, it was super good. And I loved it. Yum. Wow. Yum.

Revelation #4: Madeira has the smallest, lamest library that I’ve ever seen. The English section is one shelf of random books I’ve never heard of. I ended up walking out with a few Portuguese children’s books… Hopefully it helps.

Revelation #5: I need to get out and do some interesting things. This week, I plan to do something other than cooking. Something you will enjoy reading. It’s going to be awesome. I can feel it.