31 March 2010

corner view "spring"







I have to admit. When I suggested this topic I was feeling pretty confident. We had already had 2 days of blue skies and the terrazas were full.... Then I typed the theme "spring" and well, everything went down hill. Coats and scarves were again the dress code, and hot chocolate the drink of choice... (I apologized to my fellow Vitorianos...sorry Ibb!) Anyway, I did manage to capture a few signs of spring... Knowing the climate here, I should have waited till June... ;)

Next week´s theme comes from JGY and is "vending machines."

Happy spring everyone!




28 March 2010

sunday outtakes







I used to always shoot in black and white...
Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

24 March 2010

corner view "typical architecture"





The president´s abode...
15 century...

Vitoria is a "small" town that has grown a lot over the past 30 odd years. Unfortunately, with fast growth comes a lot of controversial decisions.... i.e. tearing down beautiful mansions to make way for apartment buildings. Vitoria is rich in history and some of its grand architecture dates back to the 14th century. (The town dates back to the 12th century.) You´d think I´d be used to it by now, but it still doesn´t cease to amaze me...

Next week´s theme is "spring"

I´ll be back tomorrow. I´m planning on making a big pot of coffee and then popping around for a visit. Save me some cookies ... :)


21 March 2010

berastegui

Friday was San Jose (Father´s Day) in Spain... a national holiday.... We spent the day with Jorge´s family. We met for a long lunch and then a nice stroll around the valley. A very typical family outing.
(The first picture is of stewed meat and chorizo. We went about 20 kilometers out of our way to have it.... Yes... this is what we ate BEFORE meeting everyone for lunch.... Don´t tell Jorge´s parents.....)







(And this is where Coco hung out while we were having lunch...)

I haven´t been home much this past week. And tomorrow I´m off to Madrid for a few days. I´ll catch up with you all soon.

P.S. You surprised me with your comments about my hair. (Thank you!) It has a mind of its own, and half the time I don´t even look in the mirror to save myself the stress ;) It´s funny, before I had kids, I had straight hair... smaller feet... and a bigger bra size.... facts I have no problem reminding them of when they start to get on my nerves...




16 March 2010

corner view "front door"



That, my friends, is my front door... and that is me, wearing one of Elis´s original designs. I had to add a little funkiness to my very drab front door. :)

How about for next week´s theme we show "typical architecture" from around our towns?

I won´t be around tomorrow, so I´ll catch up with you by the end of the week.

P.S. The door is open because you are all welcome any time!

Happy Corner Viewing!

12 March 2010

photos courtesy of my sarita

When people ask, "What kind of dog is Coco?" I always answer, "Part Pointer, part Beagle and part .... seal"




Now do you see what I´m talking about?... ;)

Happy weekend!


10 March 2010

corner view "miniature worlds"



OK, this might be a stretch, but this is the first thing I thought of when I read Cate´s idea.... Pinchos or Banderillas are bite sizes of food (miniature ;)) usually held together by a toothpick. "Pincho" comes from "pinchar" which means to stab (ie with a toothpick) and Banderillas are long barbed sticks (like a toothpick) that bullfighters use to stab the bulls (sorry for the grim reference). Pinchos or Banderillas are usually served in the bars around 11:00 am to be eaten with an apĂ©ritif, and again around 6:00 pm to be eaten with a glass of wine or beer after work. Pinchos have become very sophisticated over the years, but I still favor the more traditional ones. A few of my favorites are; a pincho of hard boiled egg, mayonnaise, and a chunk of tuna, "gildas" which are pickled gindillas with tinned anchovies and olives, tortila de patata, and "ensaladilla" which is potato salad served on a small piece of bread...
By the way, Tapas are served in the south of Spain and are usually given for free with your drinks.

Next week´s theme is "front door", which comes from the lovelies Daan and Pien.

Happy Corner View!

P.S. Thanks again for all your sweet comments and your participation! Corner View is so much fun because of you!


07 March 2010

fuenterrabĂ­a









This is one of my favorite towns in Guipuzcoa (a Spanish provence). It has some of the best food, lovely people, charming shops, history, and.... views of France;) Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

¡Dos besos!

05 March 2010

yoghurt cake update


I got a lot of questions about the recipe.... Hope this helps :)

- I use 4 oz (113g) size yoghurts.
- I usually use sun flower oil (not corn).... but you can also use light olive oil.
- The recipe says 3 eggs (I think it tastes a little eggy- my kids think otherwise), but I think it only needs 2....
- It´s a little sweet (again my kids disagree), you could probably use less sugar.
- You can substitute plain yoghurt with chocolate or lemon yoghurt.

Sorry for the confusion...

This post reminds me of a joke.

Happy Friday!






03 March 2010

corner view "coffee companion"



One of my favorite things to have with my coffee is whole wheat biscuits. A little boring, and un photogenic, I´m afraid. So instead, I´ll share with you a typical spanish yogurt cake. I love this recipe. Who needs high tech utensils.... when one really only needs a yoghurt container...

1 whole fat natural yoghurt
3 yoghurt containers of flour
2 yoghurt containers of sugar
3 eggs
1/2 yoghurt container of corn oil
1 teaspoon of baking powder

Mix the wet ingredients together. Sift in the dry ingredients. Bake at 175C .

Next week´s theme comes from our resident chef, Cate, and it´s "miniature worlds". Can anyone who has an idea for the following week, please leave a comment. Thanks!

Happy Corner Viewing!

P.S. My friend Mike, over at Mike´s Photo World, has just started a two month photography trip across the US. Basically.... my dream.... he´s doing it..... If you´d like to follow along, and live vicariously through his lens, check out his blog. It´s going to be amazing!





pink

I knew a girl who was blue. So she painted her world pink. xoxo