Astorga Tastes Like Chocolate

On February 14th, Valentine's Day, a year ago Astorga inaugurated it's new Chocolate Museo. The Museo del Chocolate celebrated this month with Weekends in February, in which every Saturday it's provided a different aspect of the Chocolate Tradition with Tours, Talks and Tasting.

1954 El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote De La Mancha, Colección de 80 cromos, de unas ilustraciones realizadas entre 1928-1934 por Albert José Segelles.

1954 Don Quixote of the Mancha, one of a collection of 80 collectable prints made between 1928-1934 by Albert José Segelles.

La imprenta astorgana, surgió en el siglo XVI fue revolucionaria para que se difundiera la imagen chocolate de Astorga al mundo. El resultado fue que una industria entera de dibujantes y litógrafos se desarrollara durante largo tiempo y con magníficos diseños. Figuran en la colección del Museo de Chocolate de Astorga impresiones de membretes, tarjetas de visita, cromos, carteles y envolturas para el chocolates.

The printing press that appeared in the XVI century in Astorga was revolutionary in that it spread the chocolate image of Astorga to the world.  The result was an entire industry of draftsmen/graphic designers and lithographers that developed magnificent designs over a long period of time. Letterheads, business cards, trading cards, posters and wrappers for chocolates are included in the Chocolate Museum of Astorga collection.

Piedras litográficas y planchas de cinc relacionadas exclusivamente con la elaboración del chocolate.

Paladares Expertos Eligen el Chocolate Santocildes Entre sus Favoritos

Historian Manuel Álvarez in the Program below talks about Astorga's chocolate. One of the most interesting points for me was to learn why Astorga and not some other place in Europe. He says that there were two main reasons. One, Astorga became the Diocese of the region in the 1800s, a center of religious and thus, social activity and secondly, the climate, being both dry and cold. perfect for the storage and preservation of this delicious product.

La Chocoleta de Magín, Programa nº4, entrevista a Mañuel Álvarez, historiador que nos cuenta sobre el chocolate de Astorga.

So Give Me Avocados

We attended a modest, but very well-attended luncheon benefit to fight hunger and help those in need around the world in numerous other projects such as AIDS relief, schools and educational funds and more. As I meditated on the issue of feeding the world I couldn't help but think how many mouths could be fed by feeding the grain to people instead of using it to fatten up cattle, pigs and fowl for just a fraction of those on this earth.

It's not usual to see a slam poet of this age pound out a message like this. I couldn't have said it better.

In the age in which we’re living,
There is ever more misgiving 

Over what is done to those who cannot speak. 

I was deaf to all their pain, 

So I knew not any shame, 

At eating 

For Three bodies 

A week. 

So give me avocados . . . 

Then I wondered if a child 

Could take a creature from the wild, 

Cut off its legs, then its skin, and its head? 

So we pay for hidden slaughter, 

While we teach our sons and daughters, 

Our habit 

Of eating the dead. 

So I’m O.K with avocados . . . 

And I’ll eat tofu burgers  

You can even give me black bean curd. 

But don’t give me no bread, 

If it’s wrapping the dead - 

The remains 

Of the body, of no bird. 

And how soon we’ve lost sight, 

Of how all said it’s right, 

For humans, as slaves, to be bred. 

For the animals it’s worse, 

We rend them thrice cursed: 

Take their children, 

Steal their milk 

And eat their dead .

It can be captives in a boat, 

It can be those without a vote, 

Do we ever see the evil of the day? 

For every piece of flesh we buy, 

We pay to breed the next to die, 

For as long 

As we look the other way. 

While it’s humans who need feeding 

The animals we’re breeding, 

Outnumber every human six to one 

Many children hardly eat 

Because their food has fed your meat 

While the blame For this shame 

You pass on!

 

But choice, you say, is your right 

That you can eat just as you like, 

And it’s merely an opinion that I voice. 

But your choice, - it kills so many; 

This opinion, not any. 

And your victims – 

You give them any choice? 

So there’s more to avocados...

And eating tofu burgers, 

Than minimizing illness – and your girth! 

No less than Einstein did resolve, 

From eating flesh we must evolve, 

Or mankind, he said, 

May not survive on earth! 

NO RAPPING THE DEAD ©.M. E.W. King. July 2006 & Apr 2009.

Palacio de Canedo

Such a romantic place. No wonder this couple chose it for their special day.  

21.2.2016 - One of the reasons I so love having a small English academy is that I get to meet so many interesting people, especially young people just embarking on new careers and life journeys. Alfonso Gonzálo Díaz-Palacio, in just the short time I've known him has created several short films, one which is a favourite, The Rocking Chair, La Mecedora, and a number of photography projects. Here is a sample of his special perspective, the wedding of Bruno and Laura at the Palacio de Canedo.

Alfonso: "Casi 6 meses después de la boda entre Bruno y Laura, os dejo un vídeo resumen del trabajo que me encargaron. Fue un día genial entre los viñedos del Palacio de Canedo. ¡Espero que os guste!"
www.sitofon.com

ASTORKa

Cena De San Valentín

A dinner to celebrate love and all the good that God has done in our lives.
Cenamos juntos para celebrar el amor y todo lo bueno que ha hecho el Señor en nuestras vidas.

http://www.ieponferrada.com/

Carnaval 2016

Astorga didn’t let the rain and icy winds dampen its Carnaval Spirit 2016. Photos courtesy of Astorga Comunidad. Astorga no permitió que la lluvia y viento helado les mojara el ánimo de su Espiritu Carnavalero 2016.

Chia Pudín Es La Bomba

Vanilla Bomb Chia Pudding

Ingredients for a serving of 2/ Ingredientes para 2 personas:

• 1 ¾ cups (400ml) nut milk/ leche vegetal
• 4 tbsp. (4 cucharadas soperas) chia seeds/semillas de chía
• ⅛ tsp. (5 gotas) pure vanilla extract/ extracto de vainilla pura
• 2 tbsp. (2 cucharadas soperas) pure maple syrup/sirope puro de arce 
• 1 banana (or other fruit), chopped/ 1 plátano (u otra fruta) troceada

Mis Cosillas de Cocina - My Kitchen Things is such a nice site with these great conversions

Directions - You can do one of two things to mix the ingredients:
1)  Place all ingredients, except banana in a 500ml mason jar. Screw on a lid and shake vigorously. 2) 2)  Add all ingredients to your blender and blend on lowest speed 15-30 seconds.
Pour into small pudding glass jars.
Allow pudding to set up in fridge for at least 1 hour. It's better the longer it sets. Then, top with chopped banana or other delicious fruit (optional). Enjoy!
It's so simple, yet very tasty and healthy.

Instrucciones - Se puede hacer una de dos cosas para mezclar los ingredientes:
1) Colocar todos los ingredientes, excepto el plátano en un frasco de vidrio de 500 ml. Cierra la tapa y agita vigorosamente.  

2) Añade todos los ingredientes en la licuadora y licue a velocidad más baja 15-30 segundos.
Vierte en tarros de cristal.
Permitir que el pudín se cuaje en la nevera durante al menos 1 hora. Sabe mejor con más tiempo para quedarse frío y firme el pudín. Después, pon encima trozos de plátano picado u otra fruta deliciosa (opcional). ¡Disfruta!
Es tan sencillo, pero muy sabroso y saludable.

Salvia hispanica, native to Central America, is also known as Chia, is is the richest whole food source of pure Omega3 and has been used for over 3000 years. Besides that, it contains proteins, minerals, vitamins and natural antioxidants that make lipid oxidation impossible. For that reason it doesn't smell like fish. It doesn't have cholesterol. Due to its high fiber content (more than 35%) Chia seed has the remarkable ability to absorb ten times its weight in water, making it an excellent source of hydration. Chia’s fiber forms a gel that slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, binds it to toxins in the digestive system, and helps eliminate waste. It can be stored for years without any special packaging or special storage conditions, making it the perfect survival food. This member of the mint family is gluten-free and so it's an extraordinary food supplement for celiacs. A member of the mint family, it has been used traditionally for over 3000 years.

Salvia hispánica, nativa de América Central, también conocido como Chía, es la fuente vegetal más rica del mundo en Omega3 que se ha utilizado por más de 3000 años. Contiene además, proteínas, minerales vitaminas y antioxidantes naturales que hacen imposible la oxidación de sus lípidos alimenticios. Por lo tanto no tiene olor a pescado. No tiene colesterol. Debido a su alto contenido en fibra (más del 35%) la semilla de Chía tiene la notable capacidad para absorber diez veces su peso en agua, por lo que es una excelente fuente de hidratación. La fibra de Chia forma un gel que retrasa la absorción de azúcar en el torrente sanguíneo, se une a las toxinas en el sistema digestivo, y ayuda a eliminar los residuos. Puede almacenarse durante años sin necesidad de empaquetado especial y de condiciones especiales de almacenamiento, haciéndolo el alimento de supervivencia perfecto. Este miembro de la familia de la menta está libre de gluten por lo que es un alimento extraordinario para los celiacos. 

Credit to information on my Chia bottle, Grupo Nutracéutica ChiaSa S.L. and Collective Evolution