Trying something new...

So..... I´m not very good at this blogging thing. I spend lots of time online; I think of lots of interesting things I could write; but I´m terrible at combining the two things! Time to try something different :)

One of the blogs I read is by Tiffany, at A Clove of Garlic, A Pint of Salt. She started a challenge recently set by Jenni at Story of my life to blog every day in May. Now.... I know I´ve already missed the first few days, but I´m going to try and start now, and see if I can at least manage to post a few days every week for the next few weeks! Better than nothing, right? Right!

Even though technically today is Day 5, I´m going to go with the prompt for Day 4 for today, which is about your favourite quote.

This is one of my favourite quotes, one that has been useful for me in many stages of my life. The first time I saw it was when I was about to leave home to move away for university, which was in a town more than 6 hours drive away. No one I knew was going there, so it was a huge move for a 17 year old! At my going away party, my grandparents gave me this quote written on a plaque that they had made (they used to make wooden plaques and toys - Gramps would cut the wooden shapes, and Gran would paint the quotes and decorations).

It calmed me at a time when I was full of nerves, about to step into so much darkness - new town, university life, new friends. I didn´t know what to expect, and it was reassuring to think to myself that either whatever was waiting for me would be familiar, or that it would show me how strong I could me. In the end, I think it ended up being a little of both. :)

This was also very comforting for me for other huge steps in my life - new jobs, new cities, new countries! Rather than getting myself worked up over what was waiting for me, I could trust that either I could already deal with it, or I would learn to deal with it.

Two years after my last big move, I still use this quote - but now with my students :) When they are worried about living overseas, about functioning solely in English, I give them this quote, and I think it helps (I hope it does, anyway!!)

What´s your favourite quote? More of mine are on my pinterest board here: Quotes. Please share your favourites!!

Challenge: Mini jeans skirt

Ok, so this challenge has taken me a long time to complete.... I started it sometime towards the end of 2012 and just finished today - so maybe 4/5 months? I think the important thing is that I finished it though!!

Challenge: Change an old pair of jeans into a jeans skirt.

Before - old (but favorite!) pair of jeans that have seen better days...

I really thought that this would be more simple than it actually was! But I guess my year 9 sewing skills from 14+ years ago (omg, am I really that old??) had kinda expired, and the fact that most tutorials I found online were for long (think 70s hippy) denim skirts, I was working blind!

In saying that, I´m pretty happy with the result! I´m not going to win any fashion awards, and I certainly won´t be rushing out to make another skirt anytime soon, but at least I know I can do it!!

I decided to make the skirt after I realised my favorite pair of jeans were kinda old (ok, very old) - so old that the fabric was starting to wear through in places. Places where you should not be able to see skin when you are wearing jeans. Converting them into shorts (which I actually need far more than a skirt!) was not possible due to the.... ummmm..... ´sensitive´ location of the biggest hole, so a skirt it was!

This is not an appropriate place to have a hole in your jeans....

I took the time to unpick the inside seams, and although it was a lot of work, I´m glad I did - I think the contrast seams add something. And I´m not sure how well the fabric would have matched up again if I had just cut the seams.

With seams ripped. I cut a lot of the legs off - anyone have ideas for the leftover material?

The hardest part was working out how to line up the back seam - In the end there is a slight bubble, but I don´t think it´s really noticeable (please don´t tell me if it is, let me live in my dream land just a little longer!).

Can you see the bubble? No? Ok good.

This was a huge challenge for me - but a worthwhile one!

 

Ta da! Finished product! (Ok, so I may have to straighten the bottom a little... shhh!)

My favourite (Brazilian) things - The Sacolão

Second instalment of my favourite things - a great place that makes my weekly grocery shop much cheaper, healthier, and more fun!

Introducing.... the Sacolão!

The premise behind the sacolão is this - they work directly with farmers, and sell fruit and vegetables from them without any middle man. The produce is usually really fresh (sometimes dirt-still-attached fresh!) and seasonal. Most of the store is set up with the same price - so you don't have to worry about what price potatoes are this week!

My local sacolão charges R$1.48 per kilo. A bundle of greens (for example, lettuce, basil, kale, spinach leaves - they have a huge variety) is R$1.20 each. They also have a section with fruits and vegetables from further away which are priced differently. They also sell spices, tea, and natural products (think granola, quinoa, linseed, nuts etc). I can leave there with bags full of wonderful, fresh goodies to last more than a week and have change from R$20!

For me, the price isn't the best thing about it though. The best part is that everything is FRESH. And TASTY. These tomatoes are delicious - they actually have flavour!

Being able to buy such great fruit and veges at an affordable price is a great incentive to eat healthier - another reason why the sacolão is one of my favourite things!

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...

...bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens,
brown paper packages tied up with strings,
these are a few of my favourite things!

Ok, well not really. Although those things can be pretty cool! But I love this song, from The Sound of Music, and I decided I want to tell you about some of my favourite things! Sometimes, it's the little things that can make your day that little bit brighter :)

One of those things for me has been the cat who lives in our apartment building, Mel. Technically, you aren't allowed pets in our building - although I know of at least 2 dogs, a cat and 2 snakes (yes, really) that live here permanently. There are also a few cats who hang around, but one in particular captured our heart - Mel.

Just one of her favourite sleeping spots! She tried out the other box too!

One of our neighbours was feeding her, and she started stopping by to say hello on the way to get her breakfast. Over time, she became more and more trusting - from letting us pat her, to coming inside hesitantly, to meowing at the door to be let in. Nowadays, she lets herself in through the open window!

While she has lots of strange places she likes to sleep (the shoebox, in the cupboard, on the kitchen stool) her favourite place has to be a warm lap. If you sit down at the computer, or lay in the hammock while she is inside the house, you can guarantee that you will shortly have a warm friend keeping you company.

Mel likes the hammock, laps, and music!

I've loved her company when I've been home alone - talking to a cat is much better than talking to yourself!

Unfortunately (for us) she's moving to a new house soon - our neighbours who also took care of her have recently moved, and they want to take her with them. She's pregnant, and we know that the babies don't have a chance of surviving if they are born here. While she is very real-world savvy, and can survive on her own, the kittens just aren't able to, and we can't protect them here the way we want to. So its a bittersweet goodbye for now, but hopefully we will be able to go and visit her (and her kittens!) when we want.

In the cupboard, sleeping on my bag - where else?

Thank you Mel, for being my company, for keeping my legs warm during the winter months, and for bringing a smile to my face when I needed it! 

When we move to a more pet-friendly place, we're planning on adopting a dog or cat from the street - there are far too many animals here living on the streets, and we would prefer to give one (or maybe two... :) ) of them a second chance at life.

If you are in Floripa, please check out this organisation - Oba! Floripa. You can adopt an animal, or donate money/food to help them out. They also run a fantastic program where you can go and socialise with the dogs they are caring for and take them for walks!

100 Brazilian Dishes/Foods to Try

I've seen this on two or three other blogs now, the first on A clove of garlic, a pinch of salt and I knew I had to go through it myself! I love trying new foods when I'm in new countries, even if they are foods I would never eat again (live octopus legs in Korea anyone? no? me neither...).

I guess this is also a challenge for myself - I need to try the foods on the list that I haven't eaten yet!

1. Doce de batata doce (sweet potato purée/jam/jelly)
2. Churrasco (Brazilian-style BBQ) Done! Almost every weekend right now...
3. Bala de banana Oliveira ou similares (some sort of sweet) 
4. Tapioca (kind of like a crepe, made from mandioc starch…it´s complicated)
5. Pizza assado no forno à lenha (I think we´ve all tried this one..) Done!
6. Feijão tropeiro (a variation of the feijão or beans) 
7. Arroz carreteiro Done - I've eaten this a few times, mostly at Festa Juninas
8. Açaí na tijela (very common in the NE and N, served with granola in the NE or with regular food in the N) Done - and I am in love! This was my after surf energy lunch in Praia de Pipa.
9. Paçoca de amendoim (peanut sweet, a little like fudge with peanuts) Done! Addictive...
10. Pato no tucupi (some sort of duck dish)
11. Maniçoba
12. Baião de dois
13. Acarajé (amazing street food served in Bahia, mostly. Made of feijão paste with all sorts of goodies and shrimp. Ask for it without chilli the first time and make sure the oil used for frying is not too nasty)
14. Pamonha (sweet corn paste wrapped in corn leaf and boiled, very nice) Done! First one I tried was bad :( (too long sitting in the display - it had gone off). But I've tried sweet and savoury versions since, and I like it! Am also a little obsessed with the song about pamonha on one of the pain killer ads here... does anyone know the one I mean?
15. Dobradinha (tripe stew, tastes better than it sounds if made well) 
16. Rapadura (just try it, mostly sold in fairs)
17. Farofa de içá
18. Barreado
19. Pastel de feira (they vary depending on the region, but it´s basically a fried pastry with various fillings. Done! too many times...
20. Couve refogada com alho (a common side dish) Done, love it! Just need to learn how to make it myself now.
21. Sanduíche de pernil (a pork sandwich, pernil is the pork leg)
22. Palmito (palm hearts) Done! I had some fresh recently - so delicious!
23. Umbu em natura (a fruit, the juice is good too)
24. Pacu (a type of fish)
25. Camarão na moranga (a shrimp stew served in a pumpkin)
26. Doce de abóbora (pumpkin jam/sweet)
27. Feijoada (the classic Brazilian dish, based on beans and varied meats served with rice, orange and couve, a sort of cabbage. Done. How can you live in Brazil and NOT try feijoada?
28. Galinhada com pequi (a chicken stew)
29. Peixe na telha (a fish dish)
30. Biscoito de polvilho (very Brazilian, and irresistible little biscuits) Done
31. Galinha à cabidela
32. Pão de mel com doce de leite (literally honey bread, very nice) Done - YUM.
33. Any fish baked in folha de bananeira (banana tree leaf)
34. Queijo coalho na brasa (usually sold at beaches in the NE) Done. If I gave in every time I wanted to eat this at the beach, I would be at least double my size by now.
35. Curau
36. Torta de liquidicador (I can´t believe this is here, but it´s a must-eat! Any Brazilian housewife should know how to make it)
37. Café coado no filtro de pano (coffee passed through a cloth filter) Done - although I use paper filters at home, a friend always uses a cloth filter.
38. Caldo de cana (sugar-cane juice usually served with ice and lemon. Careful with hygiene. Done - there is a little stand that sells this every day on my walk between my house and the beach. Very sweet, and much nicer with some lime juice included.
39. Arroz, feijão, bife e batata frita (rice, beans, steak and fries, not very healthy, but you can remove the fries. This is a typical PF, prato feito) Done - many times!
40. Buchada de bode (mutton dish)
41. Bolo de rolo (no idea, some sort of cake)
42. Furrundum
43. Chá mate gelado (chilled mate tea) Done
44. Rabada (oxtail stew)
45. Vaca atolada
46. Pitanga (a fruit) Done - straight from the tree! very small and not very sweet.
47. Quibebe (pumpkin dish) Done
48. Pintando na brasa (BBQ fish) Done
49. Cuscuz paulista (corn-based dish)  
50. Quebra queixo (hard sugar-based sweet)
51. Pingado de padaria (a must-have, served in Brazilian diners, hot milk with a little of coffee) Done - this is my usual coffee when I'm not in a cafe
52. Quindim (egg-yolk-based sweet) Done - that reminds me, I need to try this again!
53. Cajuzinho (cashew-nut sweet)
54. Sorvete de milho (sweet corn ice cream)
55. Sarapatel (very common in Bahia)
56. Bolinho de chuva (mmmmm, try them!)
57. Caruru (a type of stew, also common in Bahia)
58. Frango com quiabo (chicken with okra) Done - I tried this in Ouro Preto, made over an open fire with love by a local tour guide who invited some of us to dinner with his family. One of my best memories of my first trip to Brazil! (and maybe a story for another post?)
59. Leitão à pururuca (pork dish)
60. Canjica doce (sweet corn pudding) Done - my husband loves this dish!
61. Pinhão (type of pine nut, usually baked, common in the South) Done - I almost tried cooking these myself this year, and hope that next year I might get to the Pinhão festival in a nearby town.
62. Vinho quente (hot wine) Done. My favourite drink here (after capirihas, of course!) I wish it was available outside of Festa Juninas!
63. Cachaça artesanal de qualidade (artisan quality cachaça) Done - my boss's father makes it himself, very well aged!
64. Pão de queijo (mmmm, sold almost anywhere. Make sure they are fresh) Done - also responsible for weight gain! 
65. Caldeirada de tucunaré (no idea) 
66. Moqueca (very common in Bahia, a fish stew with lobster and shrimp, coconut milk and other goodies) Done - I love moqueca, but moqueca doesn't like me :( I have an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients (possibly dente oil?) and I break out in a red rash. Boo!
67. Mandioca frita (fried cassava) Done! Best bar food ever.
68. Broa de fubá (a sort of pastry made from corn flour)
69. Jaca (you have to know how to eat this fruit, but it´s worth it. Very nutritious. Ask a native to serve it)
70. Sonho de padaria (a type of doughnut) Done
71. Anything made with cupuaçu (a fruit) Done - fruit, juice, icecream... I love cupuaçu!
72. Requeijão cremoso (the Brazilian version of cream cheese) Done - my husband finds any opportunity to add this or cheese to every meal
73. A whole cumari pepper (hot)
74. Churrasco grego (literally Greek BBQ, no idea what it is)
75. Queijo de Minas fresco (fresh cheese from Minas Gerais, sold in other parts of Brazil) Done
76. Misto quente (amazing stuff, grilled ham and cheese sandwich that somehow tastes better in Brazil) Done - the food you cook when you don't want to cook :)
77. Caldo de piranha (pirana broth???) Done, while I was in Amazonas
78. Doce de leite mineiro (doce de leite from Minas Gerais) Done - my mouth is watering...
79. Brigadeiro (the all-Brazilian sweet, chocolate with granules… just try and it and tell me about it) Done - so so good. Even if you eat it from the pan, before it can be made into balls
80. Acerola (a small berry-like fruit, similar to pitanga, with lots of vitamin C. Usually in juices or ice-cream) Done - but not a fan. I can drink it if I mix it with orange juice
81. Bobó de camarão (a shrimp stew, or similar) Done - delicious
82. Pudim de leite condensado (condensed milk pudding, like a flan but more consistent and sweeter) Done - on my list of things I must learn to cook!
83. Manjar de coco (a very sweet coconut pudding)
84. Refrigerante de guaraná (guaraná soft drink) Done - I prefer it to drinking coke now!
85. Coxinha (street/fast food, with chicken filling in potato and bread crumbs and fried) Done - and my preferred street snack
86. Caldo de mocotó (mocotó is the marrow from the hoof of a cow, calf, ox, used to make a broth) 
87. Romeu e Julieta (a slice of goiabada, guava jelly, and cheese served as a dessert) Done
88. Chimarrão (like the Argentinian, mate) Done
89. Virado à Paulista (combination of many dishes on one plate)
90. Jabuticaba no pé (a fruit picked from the tree) Done - I've drank the juice, but I haven't picked it from a tree
91. Bala de coco de festa de aniversário (birthday coconut sweets, very typical, with the brigadeiro) Done - delicious, I almost prefer these to brigadeiro
92. Bolinho de bacalhau (cod croquette)
93. Beirute (a very nice meat sandwich) Done - a regular lunchtime meal when I'm busy
94. Caldinho de feijão (bean broth) Done
95. Melão produzido em Mossoró-RN (melon from Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte, in the North)
96. Milho assado (baked corn on the cob) Done
97. Batata doce assada (baked sweet potato) Done - love it
98. Caipirinha (made with cachaça) Done - far far too many times to count...
99.  Geléia de mocotó  Done - never again!
100. Caju (the fruit, not the nut, which is the cashew) Done, but I prefer the nut to the fruit.

53 out of 100 - not too bad! Still lots of things to try though. I noticed reading through that there are a lot of pumpkin based dishes that I haven't tried - that would have something to do with the fact that my husband hates pumpkin! I guess I have to find someone else to take with me to try those dishes! I think that I may have tried some of the others, specially the fish or meat dishes, but just not known the name of them at the time. 

Now I'm hungry.... what to eat?

Happy Birthday!!

Ok... It's not my birthday. But I figure since today is the starting day for this blog, it's technically the blog's birthday, right?

I've been thinking of starting a blog for a while now - I've been reading them regularly for over 2 years, and I've discovered/learnt/kept in touch with different people and things that I probably wouldn't have been able to otherwise. The problem is, the more I read, the more I want to be able to give back some of this advice (and let's face it, some time wasting!) to other people. My fear has been - what do I have to talk about? What do I know about, and can write about, that hasn't already been said a million times before?

For those who don't know me - I'm 28 years old,  recently married, and living in an absolutely beautiful part of Brazil with my Brazilian husband.  Late March 2011, I decided to throw caution to the wind and follow my heart to be with him, not knowing if it would be a mistake or the best decision I ever made, but knowing I would regret it if I didn't try. I know the answer now!! BEST decision I have made, hands down!! The last year and a half has been a year of huge adjustments and changes - new country, new language, new house, new job, marriage - pretty much everything that's on the list of most stressful things you can do! But it's also given me some of the happiest and inspiring moments too.

So back to the question - what have I got to write about? I want to write about the small challenges I have been setting myself, and will continue setting myself, to enjoy life to the fullest. Right now, that means I'll be writing about learning to cook healthy (and easy, and cheap!) food, exercising, learning Portuguese, and other little challenges that come up in my day to day life.

First challenge: exercise. I started the Couch to 5K running program last week. Wish me luck!!