Friday, March 29, 2013

Day trip to Toledo


Toledo is a great day trip from Madrid....Its a cheap 40 minute train ride from Atocha station and there is so much to see.  Just be prepared to climb lots of hills stairs and see some of the most gorgeous churches and cathedrals you have ever seen.  We didn't do any planning before leaving Madrid, just grabbed a map at the first Tobacco store we saw after getting off the Renfe and started wondering.  No matter how lost you get you are always no more then 10 minutes from a church or a gorgeous view! 



Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Whole Wheat Sriracha Crackers




  •  1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
  • 3/4 tsp. sea salt
  • 4 Tb. cold butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 c. grated cheddar cheese (though I think Parmesan would be tasty, too)
  • 1 to 1-1/2 tsp. Sriracha
  • 3 Tb. cold water
  • coarse salt and oil for topping (optional)
  1. In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, salt, and butter pieces. Pulse until the butter is incorporated and no large bits remain. Add cheese and process  a to combine.
  2. Add the Sriracha and water and pulse until the mixture forms a ball. Remove dough to a piece of wax paper, flatten it a bit and wrap with the paper. Refrigerate for an hour.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly flour a cutting board and roll half the dough out to an even 1/8-inch thickness. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into squares, triangles, or rectangles.
  4. Spray the tops with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with pinches of coarse salt before transferring the crackers to a parchment or silicone-lined cookie sheet. Leave just a bit of space between each – they don’t spread, but shouldn’t touch. 
  5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, rotating halfway for more even cooking. The crackers should be mostly golden brown, but there will be variety – some more brown than others. If you cared, you could remove the darkest ones and continue cooking the others, but I don’t bother – just another sign that they are homemade and imperfect! The lighter ones will still be crunchy, though they might have some chew to them as well.
  6. Repeat with the other half of dough, rolling and cutting while the first batch is baking. Cool the crackers completely on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Spanish Seafood

Despite the fact that Madrid is in the middle of the country far from the ocean I still managed to find some pretty good seafood.  Mostly shell fish, octopus, sea urchin and squid...mmmmmm!





Friday, March 15, 2013

Happy Friday

Happy Friday...here is one of my favorite pictures I took this week. 

Madrid Cathedral

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Churros con Chocolate.

Another typical Spanish breakfast....Churros and chocolate.  While San Gines may be a bit touristy its is an absolute must while in Madrid.  The chocolate dipping sauce is so rich and amazing, the Spanish actually drink it when they are done dipping (I didn't). Try going during the week to avoid the hoards of tourist.




Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Searching for Holy Cookies


I'm convinced this is one of the best kept secrets of Madrid.  There is a small church and convent behind San Miguel Market where there is a secret cookie operation going on, in El Convento de Corpus Christi.  When researching online there is very little information so all I knew was we had to ring a door bell and a nun would give us instructions on where to find the cookies.  When we got there it felt like an illegal drug deal...the door is basically an unmarked door in a small square and the deal is done via a lazy susan without seeing anyone. I don't want to give too much information because I wouldn't want to ruin the fun of the adventure...if you ever find yourself in Madrid make sure you seek out these cookies.
               
The Buzzer
          
The Menu




So Many Choices
                                  
Paying

THE COOKIES!!!!




Monday, March 11, 2013

Happy Monday...Booty Lift.

 Found these awesome booty lift leggings from Calzedonia can't believe the difference they make.
Regular leggings

Booty lift leggings

Friday, March 1, 2013

Favorite Sunsets

Happy Friday!! While browsing my pictures this week I realized how many fun sunset pictures I have. Here are a few of my favorites....



Costa Rica
Anguilla

Angkor Wat

Nantucket


Thursday, February 28, 2013

Take What You Need

I need to make one of these to hang on my door so I can grab what I need when leaving the house.












Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Madrid Street Performers



One of my favorite things to do in this city is to walk around and find new street performers I haven't seen before. Here are some of the ones I found this weekend....
These ones are my favorites


CREEPY baby in carriage


Weird looking Hello Kitty...Mickey and Miney are scary too

Took me a while to figure out how they do this...
Balancing man

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

San Miguel Market

My favorite places to stroll around and eat between classes....


Dessert
Nuts
Paella
Olives
                                              







Croquette
Sausage
Sausage sandwiches
Squid


Monday, February 25, 2013

Happy Monday

Starting the week with my favorite Spanish breakfast...Pan con tomate y cafe con leche!!!

Friday, February 8, 2013

The Round House Review


I really enjoyed this one.  A story of a Native American teenage boy coming to terms with his mother's recent rape and his Indian heritage all while navigate through his teenage years.  In the novel, Joe, a sheltered 13-year-old, must come to terms with crime, justice and adult sexuality after his mother is brutally raped. She is so traumatized that she initially will not speak of the incident or name her attacker, and Joe decides to find the culprit. He quizzes his father, eavesdrops on conversations and bikes around the reservation with his three closest friends, investigating. The way he ends up handling it in the end is shocking yet I understood why he did it.  This is a definite must read!!!!!

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Where does the crust go?!?!

 
So this has been bothering me since my arrival in Spain....crustless bread. Do they cut off the crust after baking or have they figured out a way to bake it without getting a crust? 

Friday, February 1, 2013

Little Bee Review


I really thought I was going to love this book but after reading it I have mixed feelings on it.  While the scene on the beach was horrific it was quick the author breezed over it a little two quickly and there seemed to be some quirky things that bothered me.  For example after the funeral Sarah's mom and sister are at the house and she asks them to leave her alone but they never questioned the fact that there was suddenly a Nigerian girl in her house.

Another thing was at the beginning of the book it seems like the Batman costume is a result of Charlie's father's death but then it becomes clear that he was wearing it before the death. It would make more sense if he began wearing it after the padding based on his reasons for wearing it.  Not to mention Charlie draws some unbelievable conclusions for a four year old especially about his mom's relationship with Lawrence.

Once I got past these little quirky things I did like the plot of the story and I actually did really enjoy the plot of the story I just wish some of the details were a little more consistent. I am glad I read it and I would recommend it but let me know if these same things bothered you....

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Jamon y Queso Crepes

Since I'm back in Madrid and starting to interview for teaching jobs and getting settled I have been back to quick go to Spanish dinner.  Iberico ham and sliced Manchego in a crepe its easy takes five minutes to make and is always delicious.


Store bought crepes, layer of cheese, Iberico
...another layer of cheese
And viola!