So, last weekend was my first solo trip during my time in Spain.
I loved every minute of it.
Hopped on a flight early Saturday morning, booked a hostel in the city center, and hopped for the best. I saw the sights, met some awesome people, and truly experienced the artistic capital of southern Spain.
Since there are a few different experiences I want to talk about, I will do them each separately.
More is soon to come.
Monday, July 19, 2010
How to make Croquetas
One of my favorite food discoveries since my time in Spain has been "Croquetas" - A fried tapas dish that can be filled with any meat or veggie of your choice.
Last week, Ciri taught me how to make them them and couldn't be happier. Not only was it fun to learn how to, but making them from scratch made eating them was so much better!
Here are the Ingredients:
Olive Oil, 1 small onion, Flour (9 cooking spoons), Mlik (lots), Butter (1/4 stick), Chopped/diced meat
First, Put the stove up very high, and pour some olive oil into a large pan. Next, get a grater and fine shave the onion into the olive oil over the stove. This takes some work as most of the onion gets stuck in the grater, but no worries.
Once the onion is all grated down, mix it around with the olive oil and add the butter and flour. After stirring that, put in lots of milk until its liquidy. (I know these aren't exact measurements, but the traditional recipes for these things don't include measuring tools.)
Now Stir stir stir. add milk. Stir some more. The consistency will be very liquid. Blend until it is smooth (no lumps). If you keep stirring enough, it will gradually become doughy.
Add in w/e meat you want (chicken, tuna, ham) and stir some more. She added in a "caldo de pollo" tablet for flavoring, so some sort of seasoning related to your meat would be good. It will now look like a pot of mashed potatoes.
Transfer the filling into from a pot into a dish and let it sit to settle and cool for ~2 hrs.
Now you make the crispy part! To prep, take 2 eggs, crack them in a bowl and stir. On a separate plate, pour out some breadcrumbs. Have a 3rd plate on hand for the finished ones.
Take a spoon and scoop some of the filling mix into your hand. Roll the insides into little balls/logs with your hands. Place it in the bowl of egg and roll it around till its covered. Then, coat it in breadcrumbs and place on the clean plate. Do this for the whole dish of filling.
You can cook some and freeze the rest, as this makes quite a lot. To cook them, just think of a deep fryer. Set up a a pot/pan of olive oil filled enough to cover the croquetas, wait till its hot, drop in the croquetas and cook till golden brown and crispy.
Let cool and enjoy! These make a great party appetizer, or as a side for dinner. I also just like them as a quick snack.
(the ones pictured were with chicken, but they look the same regardless of your filling.)
Last week, Ciri taught me how to make them them and couldn't be happier. Not only was it fun to learn how to, but making them from scratch made eating them was so much better!
Here are the Ingredients:
Olive Oil, 1 small onion, Flour (9 cooking spoons), Mlik (lots), Butter (1/4 stick), Chopped/diced meat
First, Put the stove up very high, and pour some olive oil into a large pan. Next, get a grater and fine shave the onion into the olive oil over the stove. This takes some work as most of the onion gets stuck in the grater, but no worries.Once the onion is all grated down, mix it around with the olive oil and add the butter and flour. After stirring that, put in lots of milk until its liquidy. (I know these aren't exact measurements, but the traditional recipes for these things don't include measuring tools.)
Now Stir stir stir. add milk. Stir some more. The consistency will be very liquid. Blend until it is smooth (no lumps). If you keep stirring enough, it will gradually become doughy.
Add in w/e meat you want (chicken, tuna, ham) and stir some more. She added in a "caldo de pollo" tablet for flavoring, so some sort of seasoning related to your meat would be good. It will now look like a pot of mashed potatoes.
Transfer the filling into from a pot into a dish and let it sit to settle and cool for ~2 hrs.
(the ones pictured were with chicken, but they look the same regardless of your filling.)
Friday, July 16, 2010
A day of great conversation
Yesterday I went downtown to meet a friend of my dad's who's been living in Madrid for the last 8 years. She was absolutely wonderful, and we had a great conversation that ranged from families and siblings, to living as your own person, standing up against racism and gender boundaries, to how hard it is to learn a new language and pick up on sounds. We spent the afternoon in El Parque de Buen Retiro, and were serenaded by a guitarist while we chatted.
After we parted ways I journed on the Metro (have I mentioned how I love different cities public transportation?) back to the bus to go home to Santo Domingo. I later went out with the parents to our favorite place, the Terrace, which is just down the street from their home. We had copas, and chatted about everything from where everyone has been in the US, to religion, to college/university life to Snuggies. Even though I spoke more English this day alone than I have the entire trip, It was for sure one of the most memorable.
Nothing beats great company and great conversation.
Tomorrow, I'm off to Seville! More entries and photos to come.
~Jenna
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
5 day update!
?Que Tal?
I've been doing a bunch of different things since my trip to Madrid, so let's see. . . where to begin:
On Saturday,
I had lessons to make up for when I was gone on Friday. We focused on questions to get to know people better. Things like "what is your name", "where are you from", "when is your birthday" and "what is your favorite . . .". Their assignment was to ask all 8 questions to 5 people, and have them sign the card after it was completed. (5 included me, their dad, their mom, tata (mom's old nanny), and ciri (nanny) ) It was quite rewarding to see that they were actually practicing what we did in class.
During the day we went to their Aunt's pool because their was being painted. It was a fun time being over there and getting to cool off. We also got to spend time with cousins Patricia and Laura, who later came over to spend the rest of the night with us.
Because their Dad's favorite food is Pizza, we decided to make some for dinner. Since we had so many people (9= mom, dad, mer, alvaro, me, ciri, tata, pat, laura) we made 4 pizzas. They came out great! Here are two of them. (veggie & chorizo) The others were just ham & cheese.
The rest of the night was spent playing Wii Fit, and taking turns with the mini games. Its fun to try and break each others records too.
Sunday,
Was the big day. THE FINALE OF THE WORLD CUP!!!! During the day we just hung around the house but for the game we went over to a friend's house. It was quite the game with tons of yellow cards, and suspenseful goal attempts too. When Spain finally scored the whole room cheered! Fireworks started going off around the neighborhood and thus began the never ending honking of horns on the motorway. It was so exciting as Spain had never been in the finals before, and this is their first ever world cup win. For the next few days, the entire city was celebrating.
After the win, the kids took the Spanish Flag and hung it over the railing where the road is to try and get passing car's attention. When one came by they would cheer "VIVA ESPANA!!!" and if the car honked they would cheer. If the just drove by they would shout mean things to it. It was quite fun to watch, and even better to be a part of.
I didn't go into the City of Madrid, as I had no one to go with (the adults don't want to be with all the crazyness) but it was really neat to watch on TV. Definitely a really cool feeling to be here when Spain won the la Copa Mundial!
Monday,
People were still celebrating, but we were back to English classes. It was mostly review, and then focus on the Words of the Day "Pool" and "Fence". The pool was finally done being drained, cleaned, painted, and dry, so we filled it back up and were able to swim/play.
When Quique got home from work, we all took a trip to the outlet mall. It looks just like the ones in Florida, very nice, outdoor design, and has all the same stores, with a few Spain specific ones. The dad loves to shop, the mom not as much, and the kids - only like it when they get something.
There was a purse I liked by Lacoste, but then I remembered that the prices are in Euros, not Dollars, then figured I didn't really need it.
Tuesday,
Was Tata's day to return home to Seville. After the classes we all hopped in the car to drive to Madrid to drop her off at the train station. The place itself is very pretty, and has a whole area for trees, vegetation, and turtles!
The kids were very excited to show them to me, as there are 1,000s of them there in the station.
Since tia Marta lives in Madrid, we spent some time looking at the shops by her house, and got new shirts for Alvaro and a new swimsuit for Mercedes. She got to spend the night with tia Marta, and both kids couldn't have been happier. For dinner, the 4 of us (me, Alvaro, Magui, Quique) went out to this great Italian Restaurant near Magui's work. It was delicious! Also, it was kinda neat to hear the waiter speak Spanish in an Italian accent. I had the house wine which is sorta like Sangria, but it has different ingredients. Something to definitely check out later. My main course was Gnocci Pesto (pictured below). It was awesome.
After dinner I went out with the parents and their friends for drinks at the nearby terrace, which is absolutely gorgeous! Think of a huge backyard patio, covered in small white couches, ikea tables, tealight candles, and a perfect view of the sky. That, plus good friends, and conversation made for yet another excellent evening in Spain.
Wednesday,
Wow how time flies. Since Mer was late getting back from tia Martas, Alvaro and I made some progress in Super Mario Bros. Then it was time for class. They had a quiz today so there was a lot of material to be reviewed. After our Spaghetti lunch, we went with Marta to see Shrek 3! Of course it was in Spanish, but I was surprised at how well I understood 90% of it! Sure there were words here and there that I didn't know, but overall I feel as if I saw the movie, and that seeing it in English would feel like seeing it for the 2nd time. This makes me feel quite accomplished :)
The theater for our film was HUGE!!! The screen was just about from ceiling to floor, and wall to wall. I've seen films in IMAX but this was just crazy big. The kids wanted to see just how big it was, and Alvaro counted 99 paces of his 10 year old feet.
I have planned my trips to Seville, Barcelona, and Toledo, and can't believe how fast my stay in Spain is flying by! I've already been here for over a week, and have so many things planned, I hope I fit it all in! Tomorrow I'm going to Madrid to visit with one of my dad's friends, and then next week I hope to get together with some other Geo Visions-Conversation Corps people to hang out in the city. Should be fun!
For now,
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
~Jenna
I've been doing a bunch of different things since my trip to Madrid, so let's see. . . where to begin:
On Saturday,
During the day we went to their Aunt's pool because their was being painted. It was a fun time being over there and getting to cool off. We also got to spend time with cousins Patricia and Laura, who later came over to spend the rest of the night with us.
Because their Dad's favorite food is Pizza, we decided to make some for dinner. Since we had so many people (9= mom, dad, mer, alvaro, me, ciri, tata, pat, laura) we made 4 pizzas. They came out great! Here are two of them. (veggie & chorizo) The others were just ham & cheese. The rest of the night was spent playing Wii Fit, and taking turns with the mini games. Its fun to try and break each others records too.
Sunday,
Was the big day. THE FINALE OF THE WORLD CUP!!!! During the day we just hung around the house but for the game we went over to a friend's house. It was quite the game with tons of yellow cards, and suspenseful goal attempts too. When Spain finally scored the whole room cheered! Fireworks started going off around the neighborhood and thus began the never ending honking of horns on the motorway. It was so exciting as Spain had never been in the finals before, and this is their first ever world cup win. For the next few days, the entire city was celebrating.
After the win, the kids took the Spanish Flag and hung it over the railing where the road is to try and get passing car's attention. When one came by they would cheer "VIVA ESPANA!!!" and if the car honked they would cheer. If the just drove by they would shout mean things to it. It was quite fun to watch, and even better to be a part of.I didn't go into the City of Madrid, as I had no one to go with (the adults don't want to be with all the crazyness) but it was really neat to watch on TV. Definitely a really cool feeling to be here when Spain won the la Copa Mundial!
Monday,
People were still celebrating, but we were back to English classes. It was mostly review, and then focus on the Words of the Day "Pool" and "Fence". The pool was finally done being drained, cleaned, painted, and dry, so we filled it back up and were able to swim/play.
There was a purse I liked by Lacoste, but then I remembered that the prices are in Euros, not Dollars, then figured I didn't really need it.
Tuesday,
The kids were very excited to show them to me, as there are 1,000s of them there in the station.
Since tia Marta lives in Madrid, we spent some time looking at the shops by her house, and got new shirts for Alvaro and a new swimsuit for Mercedes. She got to spend the night with tia Marta, and both kids couldn't have been happier. For dinner, the 4 of us (me, Alvaro, Magui, Quique) went out to this great Italian Restaurant near Magui's work. It was delicious! Also, it was kinda neat to hear the waiter speak Spanish in an Italian accent. I had the house wine which is sorta like Sangria, but it has different ingredients. Something to definitely check out later. My main course was Gnocci Pesto (pictured below). It was awesome.
Wednesday,
Wow how time flies. Since Mer was late getting back from tia Martas, Alvaro and I made some progress in Super Mario Bros. Then it was time for class. They had a quiz today so there was a lot of material to be reviewed. After our Spaghetti lunch, we went with Marta to see Shrek 3! Of course it was in Spanish, but I was surprised at how well I understood 90% of it! Sure there were words here and there that I didn't know, but overall I feel as if I saw the movie, and that seeing it in English would feel like seeing it for the 2nd time. This makes me feel quite accomplished :)The theater for our film was HUGE!!! The screen was just about from ceiling to floor, and wall to wall. I've seen films in IMAX but this was just crazy big. The kids wanted to see just how big it was, and Alvaro counted 99 paces of his 10 year old feet.
I have planned my trips to Seville, Barcelona, and Toledo, and can't believe how fast my stay in Spain is flying by! I've already been here for over a week, and have so many things planned, I hope I fit it all in! Tomorrow I'm going to Madrid to visit with one of my dad's friends, and then next week I hope to get together with some other Geo Visions-Conversation Corps people to hang out in the city. Should be fun!
For now,
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
~Jenna
Saturday, July 10, 2010
My day in Madrid!
Here are some of the places I went in Madrid:
El Museo Del Prado
La Plaza Mayor
Santa Maria la Real de la Alamundea Cathedral
El Palacio Real
El Parque de Buen Retiro
La Puerta de Alcala
After my day of sightseeing I was quite exhausted and went home for a siesta. That night, the whole family went to a party for the new country club like place that opened in their area. There were over 1000 people there ! It was very fun, lots of tapas and drinks, and everyone had a very nice time. Paula loved the food too.
This is my first weekend in Spain. Who knows what we'll do next.
~Jenna
Thursday, July 8, 2010
La casa y las ninas
Here are pictures of the house, and the girls:
Because it's so hot in Spain, almost everyone has a pool. It's very nice to take a dip in the afternoon when it's very hot. The kids love the pool, and would be in it all day every day if they could.
This is the dining/family room. We spend most of our time here when we're not outside or doing other things. I teach their classes here.
This is my room. It's on the first floor, because its a bit cooler than the upstairs. They don't have air conditioning so we keep the windows open to get some air. The kids love to watch TV, so they ask me, in English, if they can come watch in my room.
Here is Mercedes. She is 7 years old. She talks a lot in Spanish, and tries to talk a lot in English too. She learns very fast and is very adventurous. She comes up with all the ideas for games and activities.
Here is Paula. She is the baby, and is so cute! She doesn't talk but makes funny faces so you can know what she's thinking. She's only 1 year old, but loves to get involved in whatever Alvaro and Mercedes are doing. I think she looks like a baby doll.
Time to go play wii!
~Jenna
This is their house. They bought it 3 years ago and have been doing little remodeling projects. Right now they are getting the patio entrance re-done. The guy made it really bumpy so he had to tear it all up and start over.
Because it's so hot in Spain, almost everyone has a pool. It's very nice to take a dip in the afternoon when it's very hot. The kids love the pool, and would be in it all day every day if they could.
This is my room. It's on the first floor, because its a bit cooler than the upstairs. They don't have air conditioning so we keep the windows open to get some air. The kids love to watch TV, so they ask me, in English, if they can come watch in my room.
Time to go play wii!
~Jenna
Day 3
Today, I woke up and almost forgot that I was in Espana. Once I remembered, I got excited.
At first, the amount of focus it took to listen and speak in Spanish all day was exhausting, but today it's come much easier. I'm glad it's becoming more natural and less of a conscious thought. If its this way only after 2 days, I'll be talking like a pro come August.
I was up before the kids, but as soon as I finished my breakfast, they were ready for their classes. Today we finished up the word searches from yesterday and reviewed all of the words we learned by adding pictures to them. Its still a bit difficult as one word in English can mean may words in Spanish (The word for break is different if its for the car, breaking a plate, breaking your arm, or stopping work for a bit. same goes for other words too) so we try to make several examples for each.
Since Alvaro got really good grades in school, his dad bought him a Wii, which I set up this morning. He loves it a lot, and now its all he wants to play. It's fun to see Wii fit and sports in Spanish, because I know what's going on from experience, yet they present it slightly different. For example, all the voices are different in this version, yet its still the great family fun.
When Magui came home from work, we all went shopping. Malls here in Spain, at least this one, are so much prettier than the ones in the US.
They've ornately decorated, and very open air. Plus, they have tons and tons of store, in addition to a movie theater and several restaurants. You can spend all day there if you wanted to.
We almost did, but the kids started getting tired. They started "testing" out all the beds in the furniture stores. They were happy to get home and test out all their new games on the Wii: Super Mario Brothers, Wii Resort, Wii Sports, and Wii Fit. Its been a nice relaxing, rainy day.
~Jenna
At first, the amount of focus it took to listen and speak in Spanish all day was exhausting, but today it's come much easier. I'm glad it's becoming more natural and less of a conscious thought. If its this way only after 2 days, I'll be talking like a pro come August.
I was up before the kids, but as soon as I finished my breakfast, they were ready for their classes. Today we finished up the word searches from yesterday and reviewed all of the words we learned by adding pictures to them. Its still a bit difficult as one word in English can mean may words in Spanish (The word for break is different if its for the car, breaking a plate, breaking your arm, or stopping work for a bit. same goes for other words too) so we try to make several examples for each.
Since Alvaro got really good grades in school, his dad bought him a Wii, which I set up this morning. He loves it a lot, and now its all he wants to play. It's fun to see Wii fit and sports in Spanish, because I know what's going on from experience, yet they present it slightly different. For example, all the voices are different in this version, yet its still the great family fun.
When Magui came home from work, we all went shopping. Malls here in Spain, at least this one, are so much prettier than the ones in the US.
They've ornately decorated, and very open air. Plus, they have tons and tons of store, in addition to a movie theater and several restaurants. You can spend all day there if you wanted to.
We almost did, but the kids started getting tired. They started "testing" out all the beds in the furniture stores. They were happy to get home and test out all their new games on the Wii: Super Mario Brothers, Wii Resort, Wii Sports, and Wii Fit. Its been a nice relaxing, rainy day.
~Jenna
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)