Chicken livers with paprika and cream sauce and a splash of white wine, served with white rice

 

Chicken livers in paprika and cream sauce

I lost a tooth about 7 weeks ago. Since then I've been researching implants and have struggled to eat some days. Today I made chicken livers in paprika and cream sauce with a splash of white wine. Husband made white rice. It was fairly easy to eat.

 

Tarragon, mustard and lemon butter

Finely chop a 20g pack of tarragon. Put in a bowl with 125g of softened unsalted butter. Add half a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and the zest of one unwaxed lemon 🍋 and a quarter teaspoon of salt, plus some freshly ground black pepper. Use a fork to mash everything together. Baste chicken breasts or pork chops with this butter just before serving or toss through steamed new potatoes.

Cafe de Paris Butter

It takes its name from the Swiss restaurant where it originated. Finely chop half a bag of flat leaf parsley. Chop a few chives. In a medium bowl combine with 125g of softened unsalted butter. Add 1 crushed clove of garlic and 1/2 a teaspoon of paprika, as well as 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. 25g of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and a quarter teaspoon of salt. Use a fork to mash all the ingredients together. Wrap in greaseproof paper and make it into a cylinder shape. Serve slices on top of steak.

 

ROSEMARY

 

Rosemary is best known as a culinary herb. It’s generally used to flavour roast lamb and chicken. It’s also used to add flavour to herb oils and vinegars. Burn branches on a BBQ to flavour the meat.

Rosemary stimulates circulation and increases blood supply.. An infusion is thought to lift mild depression. Possibly good for treating headaches.

Use fresh sprigs to give perfume to a room. It may deter insects and moths.

NOTE: it’s not recommended for epileptics Avoid during pregnancy and breast feeding.

Herbs of Provence - Rosemary is an ingredient in the classic mix of dried Provençal herbs.

Can be container grown indoors or out.

Dry the sprigs and branches and strip the leaves off before storing. Crush the leaf just before use to release the aroma.

ROSEMARY AND IT'S BENEFITS

 

Rosemary is best known as a culinary herb. It’s generally used to flavour roast lamb and chicken. It’s also used to add flavour to herb oils and vinegars. Burn branches on a BBQ to flavour the meat.

Rosemary stimulates circulation and increases blood supply.. An infusion is thought to lift mild depression. Possibly good for treating headaches.

Use fresh sprigs to give perfume to a room. It may deter insects and moths.

NOTE: it’s not recommended for epileptics Avoid during pregnancy and breast feeding.

Herbs of Provence - Rosemary is an ingredient in the classic mix of dried Provençal herbs.

Can be container grown indoors or out.

Dry the sprigs and branches and strip the leaves off before storing. Crush the leaf just before use to release the aroma.

 

 

Summer joy – a picnic

What could be nicer in this lovely warm weather we have been having? The flowers are nodding in the light breeze. The birds are singing. Bees buzzing around. Adults and children eating al fresco. If your knees aren’t quite as flexible these days, don’t forget to take a folding chair and a picnic blanket.

Want to keep the wasps away?  Put a jar of honey away from the picnic area so they can feed on the honey, not your picnic.

A picnic without wine is no picnic.  Don't forget the corkscrew through.

 

Having Guests for Lunch?

Don’t forget the drinks. Plenty of vino, big jugs of still and sparkling water. Orange juice for the children. Thirsty guests are unhappy guests and at Casa Janussi it’s OH’s job to make sure nobody has an empty glass.

 

Dona Lola Macdonald Resort in Calahonda

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Macdonalds Dona Lola in Calahonda, Spain

4d ago

• ABBA
• heated pool
• Macdonalds Dona Lola resort
• mobility issues
• sunbeds

Stayed here in June. Fabulous weather. Lovely view of the sea but the apartments have been built so that the sun never comes inside or on the balcony. Sunbathing on the balcony just isn’t possible. The apartments are comfortable with everything you need except a washing machine but there’s a laundry on site. There’s plenty of restaurants on site including one next to the pool with entertainment some evenings. The hotel is right on the boardwalk with access to the beach but no sunbeds or umbrellas in the immediate vicinity.

Reception area

The path to the main pool area

View from our balcony

The cottages beneath us

Flamenco show in La Plaza Beach restaurant

The guitarist was particularly good and the dancer included hotel guests.

The adults only heated pool.

There’s an adult only heated swimming pool with plenty of sunbeds and umbrella. There’s a gym and indoor pool for the occasional bad weather days.

Adult pool area

La Plaza Beach restaurant pancakes

La Plaza Beach restaurant chocolate fondant

La Plaza Beach ABBA night

A fun night out with nice food.

Plaza Beach risotto

La.Plaza lamb chops

La Plaza Beach dessert

To summarise, the Macdonalds Dona Lola is a relaxing place to stay. If you have mobility issues it can be difficult to get around as there are lots of stairs and no lifts. A mini market on site was very useful and Mercadona supermarket is over the main road. The apartments are fairly well equipped so it’s easy to rustle up a snack.

In typical Spanish fashion the apartments are built to avoid the sun so it wasn’t possible to sunbathe on our balcony.

An Italian Mama's Tips for Taking it Easy and Chilling Out

Good cooking can’t be rushed. Bread needs time to rise.

Flavours need time to infuse properly.

Standing over the cooker worrying will not make things happen faster.

Learn to love the wait. It’s where the magic happens.

 

Mama's Tips for Taking it Easy and Chlling out

 

The key to an easy life is flexibility.

Be the Italian olive tree that bends in the wind,

Not the English oak that snaps.