Everyday life is the special occasion!

October 30, 2015

In The Mood For

{waking up to beautifully dressed trees in bright yellow leaves}

This week absolutely flew by with little time to play, so this weekend I plan on doing just what truly pleases me - a trip to the local market to stock up on new season dhalias, celebrate my niece's birthday on Sunday, moving all the tableware indo the new kitchen, buying a new scent for the new house ( Pure Gardenia, at Zara Home), indulge in cozy nights in by the lit fireplace eating roasted chestnuts and binging on a Halloween's top scary movies of the decade marathon - The Babadook, Maniac and The Woman in Black. Wish you a great one. I'm in the mood for...


{biker leather jackets and ultra feminine hairdos}



{this lovely airy living room with major stunning space usefulness}


{a chic way to celebrate Hallowe'en}


{trying this pretty french manicure with an edge}


{the beautifully scented soaps at Zara Home}]


{having roasted chestnuts for a cozy night in watching scary movies}

October 29, 2015

Homemade Tomato Jam

Growing up, my mom used to make a super delicious tomato jam at home when tomatoes were in season. I would just giggle over this luscious treat on a big loaf of bread for a snack after returning from school. This deliciously sweet and savory jam recipe made from the summer garden tomatoes by the end of August absolutely preserves its fresh flavour. It is so delicious we went through the jars much quicker than we anticipated and the only one left by now is [was] this one. It has a deep, rich color and the reminiscent chunks of tomato and even the seeds make it beautifully rustic and homemade!  It’s a great topping for bread and pairs beautifully with all kinds of cheeses. It’s basically pure deliciousness and I hope you'll give it a try soon.

Ingredients:
  • 1.5 kg of ripe tomatoes 
  •  800 gr. of sugar
  •  1 lemon peel
  • 1 cinnamon stick
Scald the tomatoes in boiling water, remove the skin [I let most of the seeds remain] and allow to drain well in a colander. After well drained bring to  boil in a deep pan and add sugar, the lemon peel and the cinnamon stick. Stir well, boil over low heat [for about  1 hour until it forms a thread when pressed together and pulled apart. . Remove from heat and distribute it into properly sterilized jars. Cool completely and close the jars tightly and turn them over  leaving them in an inverted position for about 24hs to gain vacuum and ensure a longer preservation


Ingredientes:

  • 1,5 kg de tomates maduros
  • 800 gr. de açúcar
  • 1 casca de limão
  • 1 pau de canela
Escaldar os tomates em água a ferver, retirar a pele [eu deixei ficar a maior parte das sementes] e deixar escorrer muito bem num passador. Depois de bem escorrido levar ao lume num tacho e juntar ao polme o açúcar, casca do limão e o pau  da canela. Mexer muito bem, deixar ferver em  lume  brando [aproximadamente durante 1 hora]até ficar em ponto de estrada. Retirar do lume e distribuir por frascos devidamente esterilizados. Deixar arrefecer completamente e fechar bem os frascos e virá-los ao contrário deixando-os numa posição invertida cerca de 24h para ganhar vácuo e garantir uma conservação mais longa.


Too Good Not To Post It Right Away


October 28, 2015

Chickpeas Soup

With cold days and colder nights starting to prevail on a daily basis there's actually nothing as coming home to a warming bowlful of this filling and  comforting soup. It's a meal in a bowl that perfectly straddles the line between light and hearty and that absolutely spares a main course - chickpeas are rich in both types of dietary fiber, which are important for maintaining heart health and for stabilizing blood sugar levels . The spicy chorizo is the wild card heremaking this soup sizzles with ts amazing flavour. 

Ingredients:
  • potatoes
  • turnip
  • carrots
  • onion
  • water
  • salt
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 spicy chorizo
  • pasta
  • 2 cans of chickpeas

In a pot with water cook the vegetables cut in cubes and season to taste with salt. After the vegetables are cooked, add a cooked chickpeas' can, let it  boil a bit and grind all with the magic wand, but not completely. In the emanwhile add half a cup of extra virgin olive oil, let it boil and add another can of beans, pasta and sausage. Let simmer.


Ingredientes:
  • batatas
  • nabo
  • cenouras
  • cebola
  • águia
  • sal
  • azeite virgem extra
  • 1 chouriço picante
  • massa meada
  • 2 latas de grão de bico
Numa tacho com água cozer os vegetais cortados ao cubos e temperar a gosto com sal. Depois dos vegetais estarem cozidos, adicionar uma lata de grão cozido deixar ferver um pouco e triturar tudo com a varinha mágica, mas não completamente. Entretanto adicionar meia chávena de azeite, deixar levantar fervura e adicionar a outra lata de grão, a massa e o chouriço. Deixar cozinhar.