Still Alive!

Aaaahhhh... We are back from a two weeks holiday spent fighting sicknesses and bugs of all kinds. We have survived!!! That is good. I cannot wait to try and make a speed-of-light Paella, as close as possible to the delicious one we ate in Barcelona.

I might give it a try tonight.

During the holidays, I have convinced my friend first, and my mother later, to give Home Made Washing Powder a try. Other friends I met laughed at my face. Not a bother at all. In my own house I do what I like and I do not intend to justify it in any way. I like it, it's perfectly legal, I do it. Simple, no?

The funny thing is, I was not even trying to convince them that making your own laundry powder is good, they just brought it up and laughed at me. Fine.

We've been to Barcelona and then to central Italy, to visit our families. I can tell now for sure that Spanish use the same ingredients Italians use in their cooking; they just combine them differently and that gave me many ideas to put into practice. I also feel the desperate need to grow nyora peppers, to make Romesco Sauce. We'll see where this goes :)

I have purchased three dried nyora peppers from a shop in Barcelona. If I'm lucky, some seeds will come out of the packet...

We had a good time despite the chickenpox, the fever, the cough and colds and I realized once again how strong we can be as a family, just the three of us. I just kept my parents amused for a few days, while laughing about our "bad luck holiday" :)

A quick update on my Apple Vinegar. I filtered it the day we left, just before loading the bags in the car. It smells delicious; I am a vinegar lover and I cannot wait to try it in a nice salad. We'll see.

I believe my mother will soon be making Pineapple Vinegar. She was very happy when I gave her the recipe, she is a woman who's curious of trying new things. And me too.

My sister was amazed at the idea of using the whole pineapple: the juicy inside to eat and cook, the core and peels for the vinegar making, and the top to grow a new pineapple plant. She's a very curious girl as well. I can see her growing into the woman she will be one day, and it is a beautiful sight.