Saturday, November 29, 2014

One Pumpkin, So Much Joy

Dando gracias siempre de todo al Dios y Padre en el nombre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo.
And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Greeting, water-colour leaves against apple-green wall
Waiting, pumpkin & butternut sit on the stairway ledge.
Helping hands cut pumpkin chunks and scoop seeds for spring planting.
Toasted delicious and crunchy with olive oil and garlic salt.
Pumpkin thyme puree with hot from the oven rye and walnut wheat loaves.
Mashing boiled pumpkin and blending finest ingredients for pumpkin pie filling
Rolling help from little hands, English pupils make fall leaves to grace the pies
and to cover with cinnamon-sugar to take home.
Sombra reminding mom that she's a pastry loving pup. Pumpkin pie treats for her, too.
Sweetness, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and pumpkin leave the oven and fill our little home. Pies to enjoy this evening and delight first time teenage tasters and teachers at school. One pumpkin, so much joy.

Más del tema- More on the subject:

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Blanco & Negro

Cinco Días del Desafio en B&N- Five Day B&W Challenge
It began with artist Chayo:  It's my turn to invite Mary, my friend, dance mate and English teacher. My favorite American!
Empezó con artista Chayo:  Me toca invitar a Mary, mi amiga, compañera de danza y profesora de Inglés. ¡Mi americana favorita! 

Día Uno - Day One


I invited Carlos, my dear blog friend since before coming to Spain and whose photos I love.
Le invité a Carlos, mi amigo blogero desde antes de venir a España y cuyas fotos me encantan.

Día Dos - Day Two


I invited Alex, photographer, painter and overall artist.
Le invité a Alex, un fotógrafo, pintor y artista total.

Día Tres - Day Three


I invited my love and best friend, Enrique, who always has something creative to share.
Le invité a mi amor y mejor amigo, Enrique, quien siempre tiene algo creativo que compartir.

Día Cuatro  - Day Four


Le invité a Karen, por su asombroso trabajo fotográfico en modo macro. Ya se había sido etiquetado y aquí abajo su foto. 
I invited Karen, for her amazing work in the macro world. She had already been tagged and here below is her photo.

Día Cinco  - Day Five


I invited Tina, because I'm a fan of hers and her art and creativity.
Le invité a Tina, porque soy fan de ella, su arte y creatividad.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

If You Bake A Lot - On Pies and Writing

"If you bake a lot, your kitchen will become a happy home to wild yeasts, and all your bread will taste better. Even a failed loaf is not wasted."
Yes, a happy home to wild yeasts, to warm kitchen smells, to happy students and friends....

"Si horneas mucho, tu cocina se convertirá en un hogar feliz para levaduras salvajes y todo tu pan tendrá mejor sabor. Incluso una hogaza fallida no se desperdicia".
Sí, un hogar feliz de levaduras salvajes, a olores agradables de cocina hospitalaria, a estudiantes felices y amigos ...

Tarta de Calabaza

¡Cuanta más masa mejor se pasa!
The more dough the better! (not missing the double innuendo)

This is true of this country-made pie. Filled with hand-picked fruits, blackberries and small orchard apples, the best things about this pie is that the very sweet juices of the baked fruit blend with the unsweetened and slightly salty pie crust.  It's a delicious marriage of salty and sweet, although it took sharing them with teacher friends, my co-workers in Spain, for me to discover the appeal of the typical American pie.

Esto es cierto de esta tarta casera. Rellena con frutos recogidos a mano, moras y pequeñas manzanas de huerto, lo mejor de este pastel es que los muy dulces jugos de la mezcla de la fruta, en el horno, combinan con la masa exterior del pastel, sin azúcar y un poco salada. Es un delicioso matrimonio de salado y dulce, aunque había que compartir mis pasteles con profesores amigos, mis compañeros de trabajo en España, para que descubriera yo misma el encanto de este pastel típicamente americano.

Erin Bow from California writes:
"No writing is wasted. Did you know that sourdough from San Francisco is leavened partly by a bacteria called lactobacillus sanfrancisensis? It is native to the soil there, and does not do well elsewhere. But any kitchen can become an ecosystem. If you bake a lot, your kitchen will become a happy home to wild yeasts, and all your bread will taste better. Even a failed loaf is not wasted. Likewise, cheese makers wash the dairy floor with whey. Tomato gardeners compost with rotten tomatoes. No writing is wasted: the words you can’t put in your book can wash the floor, live in the soil, lurk around in the air. They will make the next words better."

Erin Bow de California escribe:
"Ninguna escritura se desperdicia. ¿Sabías que la masa madre del pan de San Francisco es fermentada en parte por una bacteria llamada lactobacillus sanfrancisensis? Es originaria de allí y en otros lugares no va bien. Pero cualquier cocina puede convertirse en un ecosistema. Si horneas mucho, tu cocina se convertirá en un hogar feliz para levaduras salvajes y tu pan tendrá mejor sabor. Incluso una hogaza fallida no se desperdicia. Al igual que los fabricantes de queso lavan el suelo de la vaquería con suero de leche o los cultivadores de tomates abonan con tomates podridos. Ninguna escritura se desperdicia: las palabras que no puedes poner en tu libro pueden lavar el piso, vivir en el suelo, acechar en el aire. Ellas harán que las siguientes palabras sean mejores."

Pastry Recipe for Double-Crust Pie 
for Conchi, who has waited two weeks for me to print and translate this for her *smiles*
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup butter
6-7 tbs. (tablespoons) COLD water
1/2 tsp. (teaspoon) salt

Receta de la Masa para la Doble Tapa de Pastel
2 tazas de harina normal
2/3 de una taza de mantequilla
6-7 cucharadas de agua FRÍA
1/2 cucharadita de sal

In a large bowl, stir together flour and salt. Blend with a pastry blender or folk until pieces are the size of small peas.  Sprinkle 1 tbsp. water over the mixture, then gently mix, push to the side, add another tbsp. and repeat until all is moistened, but not wet. Divide the dough in half.

En un bol grande, mezcla la harina y la sal. Mezcla con una amasadora o tenedor, hasta que sean del tamaño de guisantes pequeños. Espolvorea 1 cucharada de agua sobre la mezcla, a continuación mezcla suavemente, empuja hacia un lado, añade otra cucharada y repite hasta que todo se humedezca, pero que no quede mojado. Divide la masa en dos.

On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten one ball of dough. Roll dough from center to edges, forming a circle, just a little bigger than the shape of the round pie plate. Fold the pastry in half and lift onto the pie plate, being careful not to stretch or tear it.

En una superficie ligeramente enharinada, aplasta ligeramamente con las manos una bola de masa. Estírala desde el centro hacia los bordes formando un círculo, sólo un poco más grande que la base del molde redondo. Pon la masa sobre la base del molde, con cuidado de no estirarla o romperla.

Puncture with a fork and place in a low heat oven (250ºF/120ºC) about 5-10 min. before adding the delicious pie fill in, such as berries or apple.
For top crust, repeat rolling remaining dough. Pinch top together with bottom, using fingers of a butter knife. Decorate with cookie cutters or other, such as the leaves or hearts on the pies above.
Look for your own recipe for filling and baking instructions and enjoy this pie crust!

Pínchala con un tenedor y colócala en el horno a fuego lento (250° F / 120° C) durante unos 5-10 minutos, antes de añadir el delicioso relleno de la tarta: frutos del bosque o manzana.
Para la tapa superior del pastel estira de la misma forma la masa restante. 
Une la parte superior con la parte inferior, con los dedos o con un cuchillo de mantequilla. Decora con un cortador de galletas u otras cosas, por ejemplo unas hojas o corazones, en la parte superior del pastel.
Busca una receta para el relleno y instrucciones para terminar de hornearla y disfruta de esta masa quebrada!

More on the perfect pie crust

Monday, November 3, 2014

Come Little Leaves

Beautiful photo by Lucia de la Luna, Astorga (León)
"Come, little leaves,"
Said the wind one day.
"Come down to the meadow
And we shall play.
Put on your dresses
Of red and gold
For summer is past
And the days grow cold."

Dancing and leaping
The leaves went along,
Until winter called them
To end their sweet song.
Soon, fast asleep
In their earthy beds,
The snow lay a coverlet
Over their heads.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Madrid, Te Comería a Versos

In Spanish, if you're a lucky one,  you might hear, I could eat you up with kisses. Te comería a besos. Here's a lovely scene when local poets change it up and say, Madrid, I could eat you up with verses,

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Mass of the Saints


And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.
Romans 8:28


Por lo cual estoy seguro de que ni la muerte, ni la vida, ni ángeles, ni principados, ni potestades, ni lo presente, ni lo por venir, ni lo alto, ni lo profundo, ni ninguna otra cosa creada nos podrá separar del amor de Dios, que es en Cristo Jesús Señor nuestro.
Romanos 8:38


A day to honor our loved ones who have gone before us, Grandma Nome and Mamá Tinia.
"Tradition plays a very important role in giving family an identity. We know who we are because we know what we've done together, what we believe, and what we care about." -Dr. Dobson