Crafty in the Med

I am here to enjoy meeting other bloggers and to share my love of craft ,mostly crochet, my thoughts and my daily happenings here in Alicante,Spain, my adopted country. I belong to a local choir because singing and music makes me happy. Flea markets and book shops are two of my favourite places to be. I read lots......sci´fi/fantasy,buried treasure, and off world adventures. I have a passion for history! I walk and walk and walk for about 10 months per year during the hot months I swim.

Sunday 28 October 2012

I'm going to a party with a plate of delicious torrijas!


 My dearest co-bloggers I'm in a terrible rush!!!!   loads to do ....very little time to do it in
I'm joining up with  Mum's Virtual tea party at Mum's simply living blog this afternoon and I've loads of things to prepare.
I've got out my best china and linen for the occasion as I'm pretty sure its going to be overflowing with guests and these extras may be of help:
First of all I've dug out my Cottage teapot which I bought in Brixham South Devon 28 years ago when I was visiting my family....it came with a lovely little jug and sugar pot but they got broken ages ago however my teapot still remains and I take great care of it as Cottageware closed down some years back ,so its vintage now.



Then I thought my Aynsley cake stand and cake knife......




and a few napkin rings too


its also a good excuse to get out my Gran's teatime table cloth which I had taken to the convent awhile back to be washed,ironed and starched, so its in perfect condition to be used.....


I'm taking some Torrijas with me too …..something a little different.

 Torrijas is a delicious spanish bread pudding, I like the traditional recipe made with milk, sugar and cinnamon but I add a little rum to the milk.
Ingredients:
6 slices french-style baguette. You have to use day old bread, yes yesterday´s bread !!.. Cut the bread in slices of 2 centimeters each.
1 litre of milk.
one stick of cinnamon and cinnamon powder.
3 sugar soup spoons and an orange peel.
3 eggs.Olive oil.
Method.
Boil the milk and add the orange peel, the cinnamon stick and the sugar. Turn off the heat once it has boiled, wait a few minutes and add the slices of bread in the lukewarm milk ; Let the bread soak up the milk for 2 hours.
Beat the eggs in a plate large enough to hold at least one Torrija ( 1 torrija = 1 slice of bread ).
Heat the oil to medium in a large frying pan that can hold several torrijas at the same time. With a large spatula (the bread will be very soft), carefully transfer the soaked slices one by one into the egg and coat.
Fry each torrija for 3-4 of minutes on each side, until brown. Place in a dish lined with kitchen roll or paper napkins  and thoroughly sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon powder. Enjoy warm or cold. You can put the torrijas in the fridge and they will last for several days !!
I sometimes serve them with a dollop of cream on top.
Do you think Mum at Mum's simply living blog and her guests will like Torrijas?
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I also wish to welcome my new followers Maggie at Flowers in the Window and Beverly from The rock for beginners.
Thanks you so much for popping in and please don't be a stranger I thrive on your comments and love new followers LOL!


Amanda :-)












Thursday 18 October 2012

Yarn zone...this way


 Speedy delivery...Indonesia Post rocks!!

 Yarn zone ...this -a -way which I share with my office.... let it be know that it is MY PRIVATE SPACE and is now clearly marked with this:
one of the many lovely bits from Alessandra's giveaway..........It took me a matter of seconds to decide where to put this!


You remember how much I love my postwoman (oops sorry postperson!)  as expressed here, well it was a postman (oops sorry postperson!)who delivered the parcel from Indonesia this time but ...hey ho.....I love him too and I'm adding Indonesia postal service to my I LUV list. They must have a fantastic service....this parcel was posted  on 10th October and arrived 15th October ...incredible only five days!

I was extremely lucky to win Alessandra at Homemade at my place's fantastic giveaway and I have finally obtained a respite in my busy busy agenda this week to show you all the glorious contents.


Look at the bright bright colours of this yarn I'm already thinking of something I can make with it Meanwhile off it goes to my yarn stash so I can gloat over it!



and then I have a sparkling pair of earrings




this gorgeous bag which I am pleased to see is bigger than as it appeared on Alessandra's blog ....it holds great possibilities in fact more than one....just a question of deciding which one.

 Two brooches ....the butterfly is going to look super nice on my black shawl....I'm very much a shawl and scarf person. The other one  has been grabbed by my grand-daughter she wants to pin it to her school backpack. Very much a fun brooch!






Two lovely pot holders...believe it or not I have NO pot holders...I seem to make for others and rarely for myself.



Lace stickers and fancy notepad....all in pretty net bags....and a lovely card from Alessandra herself




I am flabbergasted ...really.....such a very generous giveaway.......thank you so much Alessandra :-)

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Lookee here my lovelies  (as my Aunty May would say down in Somerset)......

my latest W.I.P nearly ...very nearly finished....and what ,what ,what is it ?????''
Doesn't look like much but lets wait and see ......blocking has to be done as yet!!


 Hello to my new followers Homemade by Spy; could you activate your Google translator so I can leave a comment on your blog please and Steph.....can you send me a link to your blog as I am not sure which one it is on your blog list. Thank you for following my blog and do visit often :-)



here's the weekend looming in on us again...thank goodness....


Amanda :-)

Saturday 13 October 2012

I meant to show you......

I meant to show you......

 Jorgie's Mum has given me permission to show you a photograph she posted on her facebook page of little Jorgie wearing the Lollipop dress I sent her in July and I posted about here.
It was too big for Jorgie at first but it fits now!
Isn't she a cutie!!!



and I also meant to show you....

A few of the autumn makes I sent to Sharon at From my front porch in the USA as part of the Blueberry Hearts Cosy Autumn Swap.


Not a great photo...bit blurry tch!
Autumn Pebble from Urbanova beach,Alicante

You can't see it in this photo but the sea petals are lying on a bed of pearls and other bits of sparkly treasure.


The Autumn Leaves Beanie.....I went a bit crazy with the buttons.



Autumn sea blossom brooch

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Today it is another fiesta day, a three in one fiesta day. It is the Hispanidad day and the Patron Saint of Spain, La Virgen del Pilar Day.
There are military processions throughout the city and throughout Spain because it is also the Armed Forces Day.
Madrid this morning


 We don't enjoy military processions so much so we went to one of our usual haunts this morning,the castle, but we didn't stay long it was much too hot and packed with people. However I did take a few photographs as always.


SANTA BARBARA CASTLE












We thought TAPAS would go down very well being as it is a fiesta day so we went back to one of our favourite restaurants, El Varadero, which I have already posted about here 




Have a great weekend

Amanda :-)




Tuesday 9 October 2012

TEMPTATION



"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it"
Oscar Wilde


Methinks I've yielded but what could I do????

If you have seen my last post here these images speak for themselves 

I went back to Marie Carmen's shop yesterday to change some of the white yarn and get the mint green for my sister's cot blanket pattern.
I'm not quite sure how those large 150gram balls of Denim Fun got there too!!!

and a couple of cream and beige balls of Anchor cotton ...now who put those in my bag????   I most certainly do not remember adding the orange Bravo 50 grm ball to the stash at all!!! Can't have been me....it was the Yarn fairy!!!

Hooray for the Yarn Fairy!!!!!

and Hooray today is Fiesta Day!!! The Valenciana Constitution Day...Bravo!!!


Amanda :-)




Saturday 6 October 2012

Treasure


Hello and welcome to my new follower Preeti at  Createwittyunleashed
 thank you for visiting my blog, I look forward to hearing from you again :-)


I have some treasure to show you:

 Emmmm .....no not this type........... but


nope nor this........ but



thisssssss ............    yarn treasure 

 
I had popped out for a little spending spree to get myself a couple of new tops for work and a few other bits and bobs but coincidentally I had to go by Marie Carmen's shop ....do you remember her shop I posted about it here.
  Now then as it is I remembered, I did have to pop into Marie's shop to have a look at the yarn and see if she had anything suitable for the baby blanket my sister has asked me to make for her new grandchild.
I made a cot cover for her other daughter, my niece, when she was born 28 years ago, which my niece is keeping for her own child but my sister wants another one now for the first grandchild. I'm very pleased though that the cot cover I made 29 years ago is still in good condition. Incidentally I made that cot cover with my Canarian square which I posted about here.
Isn't it wonderful how crochet just last and lasts.....I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that a piece of crochet was found in an Egyptian tomb....if so that's proof of everlasting craft!!!!

Well lets get back to the plot jack!!!!
as I was saying I had to just pop in to look at some yarn...soft yarn for babies, well fortunately Marie Carmen had just received a new batch of yarn. It was a kaleidoscope colour bomb that hit me as I opened the door (remember she does have a little shop) and it was so very difficult to choose which ones to buy. My sister had chosen white for the cot blanket but I wasn't really keen on just plain white so I picked up a couple of Jacquard Bravo Baby in Green,Grey and White as well hoping I would be allowed to add some colour. At the same time I choose a variety of other colours for ....... what were they for???? ...actually no idea.... but.... I know I needed those colours.
 I had a really enjoyable shopping spree ,I didn't get my tops or my bits and bobs...I also spent all my money tch!!!....on YARN!!!!!!

Sr P asked me later on at home what tops had I bought and I told a LIE.....a whopping great FIB!.... that they didn't have my size and I had to go back next week. Why did I do that.....guilty conscience I'm sure. I'm becoming a YARN addict now too.
 Do you know how I feel looking at my wonderful stash of yarn now that I've added what I've just bought to it as well?
I feel GOOD! VERY GOOD!

Enjoy your Sunday!

Amanda :-)


PS: Change of plans my sister has sent me a pattern and the cot blanket is green. I'll have to go back to Marie Carmen's shop and change all the white I've bought for green.....how tiresome!!!
Better pop a little bit more cash into my purse in case ............. :-)












Thursday 4 October 2012

And the sun came out and the waiting is over!


The sun shines in all its glory once again.....


 and parts of waste ground have turned miraculously, practically over night, into patches of green meadows dotted with the colour and ....




the wonder of Mother Nature. 
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The waiting has come to an end !

 As I mentioned in a previous post I am partnered with Sharon at From my front porch  and we are participating in the Cosy Autumn Swap hosted by Blueberry Heart. We've had to wait a little longer than others who swap within the Uk but finally Sharon has received my parcel and I also received Sharon's parcel last Monday. Perhaps you don't know but Sharon lives over there across the seas in Tennessee USA and I live in Spain ,well that's about a 10 to 12 days mailing span...but it has gone well and nothing has been lost in the post.

So...Peeps here you have what I received from Sharon and you can see what I sent to Sharon on her latest post at From my front porch

Glorious Autumn colours .....you can see the swap theme in all these goodies!
 Can you see that photo frame now isn't that super original just right for Halloween :-)

everything intact no breakages....I'm so lucky!


Look at the gorgeous colour of that yarn I am itching to start something with it!


Nobody can doubt this book marker is for me.....personalized...I love personalized goodies!!!
A maple perfumed candle...how about that...it smells so good I told Sharon I could almost eat it!
and finally two new dishcloths in the most perfect colours for my kitchen as the kitchen colours are different shades of terracotta...how did you know Sharon?

What a fantastic hour I had unpacking this parcel and showing everyone and talking about Sharon over there in Tennessee,about my followers,about blogging and blogland. Your ears just must have been burning!!!     
Thank you so much Sharon everything was more than perfect! :-)


a happy and content

Amanda :-)