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! 

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.

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!

          

Happy Friday

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

Madrid Cathedral

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.

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!!!!

Happy Monday...Booty Lift.

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

Regular leggings

Booty lift leggings