Wednesday 1 July 2015

WOYWW 317, chocolate brownies, the vine and a plastic bag...

Hi desk hoppers! Happy Wednesday and happy WOYWW! 
(If you have no idea what I mean by that, have a look at Julia’s website where all will be explained: http://www.stamping-ground.blogspot.com.es/)

I have no desk to show you as I am not home. We’re staying at our (cave) house in the country for a couple of days’ rest. That’s not to say I have been sitting still. I recently acquired a cookbook by Paul Hollywood (in the UK well known for being a judge in the TV programme Great British Bake off) 

and I made his chocolate brownies (with cranberries) Yumm, scrummy! Very nice indeed. (and not at all difficult).


Remember I mentioned we had so many grapes on our vine? Well, our lovely neighbour Serafino, who pruned it so effectively, told us that we needed to treat it with anti fungal powder. So I went out to buy the stuff, which cost all of 60 euro cents, (the price of a litre of milk). Serafino would do it for us and bring his own equipment. So he arrived the next day, pulled a plastic bag over his head (!).....health and safety you know.... this stuff is toxic. 

Then filled his ‘equipment’ 

and then went round puffing the powder over the grapes. 

I just stood there speechless. If I hadn’t photographed it, nobody would believe me. Within minutes he had ‘puffed’ the whole courtyard. Plastic bag was removed and off he went! I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Never a dull moment here in Spain!

That's it from me today. I'm leaving you with a funny postcard. The 'naughty' old ladies by Inge Look. I love them. 
I hope I will be like that when I'm older. A bit like the woman who wears purple with a red hat (a poem by Jenny Joseph... http://www.laterbloomer.com/jenny-joseph/ ).

Have a great week everyone!
Lisca

30 comments:

  1. Glad you snapped the grapes getting their treatment :-) that made me smile.
    Purple is one of my fav colours so think I'm there already Lisca :-) Life is for living eh?
    Hugs,
    Annie x # 20

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  2. My husband and I love brownies, unfortunately I have not found a recipe I can make a nice one of. He says they make them the way he likes it in the US. well i am not flying over there to get a recipe hahaha.
    I dont know how he can breath with that plastic over his head lol, what a funny many and a sight to see-thanks for sharing these hilarious photos with us.
    i love that photograph, come and play in my A POSTCARD A DAY meme, you dont have to play everyday, just whenever you can.
    Bridget #2

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    1. Yes I will join that Bridget. I was looking through it this morning. I think it's a great idea. Also I've written you a card but the postmaster didn't have any stamps, so I have to wait until he does. A machine stamped card is no fun....

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  3. I really enjoyed the Great British Bake off.Didn't know Paul had a cook book.I would be worried about Serafino's health with that bag on his head!Gosh people take risks with their health don't they?

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  4. That chocolate and cranberry cake looks scrumptious. I was also fascinated by your photographic journaling of Serafino's spraying of your grapevines. The contraption he used looks very cool, but I was concerned with him wearing a plastic bag over his head. There must be some kind of mask he could wear that he could actually breathe through. Anyway, happy WOYWW, amiga mia! #39

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  5. Hi, Lisca. Wow! A plastic bag over the head-- no words! I'm glad he survived it. The brownies look heavenly. I've never been successful with them. Maybe that's a good thing because I love them and would never stop eating them! Love that postcard. My good friend Jean and I, and one of my sisters did some Red Hatter activities for awhile. It was a hoot! I have my sister's Red Hatter stuff in her memory now, and my hat safely tucked away in a beautiful hat box. They were crazy, fun times! Happy WOYWW and have a great week! Nann4 # 38

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  6. I think your blog post should have the warning 'Don't try this at home'!! It's rather scary isn't it! The chocolate brownies look delicious and I love the idea of the cranberries - my mouth is watering just thinking about it!
    Hope you have a great week,
    Diana #32

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  7. Only in Spain , health and safety?? Never. I'm a fan of Paul Hollywood and have the pies and puds cookbook. Your cake looks scrumptious, hope you are cool in your cave house, it's been 45 c here.
    Jan No 41

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    1. It was meant sarcastically. The bag was used as a health and safety measure for the toxic powder!
      Yes, it's lovely and cool in our cave and outside it is 40+.

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  8. Oh Lisca I did enjoy my visit to you. Serafino must hold some sort of record for holding his breath! I'm only joking. Loved those photos. We live in a small stone cottage and it was nice and cool inside today & 33 outside. Your cave house sounds very exciting. I do like the look of your brownies. Have a happy week. Barb xx #36

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  9. Hi Lisca. You asked about freezer jam: it is uncooked. you simply chop and mash the fruit, mix with the correct amount of sugar ( very important to use the correct amount) let it sit 10 minutes and then stir in well the liquid pectin and lemon juice. Put it in jars and leave to set at room temp for 24 hours and then freeze. It should be used within a month once taken out of the freezer, but I have left it up to 6 weeks with no harm. It tastes much more like fresh fruit than cooked jam, and is runnier. If sometimes it doesn't set properly, we use it instead as sauce for pancakes, frozen yoghurt or on cake. It doesn't go to waste!

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    1. Thanks for explaining that to me. Might try that one day. Today we have a glut of apricots. I don't know quite what to do. I might make freezer jam....
      Lisca

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  10. Looks D-lish...thanks for your visit.....I love the cartoon characters too. Quite the ambitious neighbor but no doubt necessary. Have a fun week and Enjoy

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  11. Being from the US, you would think I'd never heard of Paul Hollywood or the British Bake-Off. However, they showed it on PBS, so I got to see him AND two of his books he was selling during the PBS promotion.

    Spain's safety and health laws must be the same as those in the US (grin). Great for Serafino. If only I could find a guy who would put a plastic bag over his head. Great look, though. Loved the photos.

    Thanks for visiting already. Happy WOYWW from # 3.

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  12. Forgot to mention that YES, I knew that Wendy's image is a Fornasetti. I read somewhere that he had produced over 500 images of Lina. I am NOT a stamper, and I have FOUR of her faces, one of which turned into the lovely Wendy.

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  13. That looks so delicious! I watch the bake off - love it. I also hope I am like those two old ladies :-) Anne x #31

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  14. I just LOVE the postcard! And the brownies make my mouth water! Hope you get well rested. Thanks for stopping by and happy WOYWW!

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  15. I roared with laughter at your pictures of Serafino and his spraying equipment lol lol lol!!! I had to call my hubby to come and have a look! Talk about Heath Robinson. My hubby said he'd probably been using it for years, and probably made it when you couldn't get stuff. I'm sure it was very effective lol!! Your chocolate brownie looks amazing and quite mouthwatering... Yum yum. Was it nice being back in the cave again? How long have you been in your new house? I feel a bit out of touch!

    Thanks for your 2 lovely comments and your commiserations over my chemo! I'm hoping treatment #3 won't be so arduous. At least I managed to squeeze in one session in my studio and got a masterboard made (glad you liked it!) and also our lovely outing to Daddyhole. Our coastline is so beautiful! Glad you enjoyed the photos of that. I can usually muster enough energy to work the laptop and keep in touch with my friends online, and feed my Pinterest and Youtube addictions so I can't complain.

    Happy WOYWW,
    Shoshi #33

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  16. Oh my goodness those brownies look so yummy! I am cooking several desserts tomorrow for a end of cancer party for my DH on Friday. I am making coco cola cake, pineapple cake, chocolate chip cheesecake and some lemon raspberry cupcakes. I hope they are as yummy as those brownies! Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier.
    Shel @ PaperOcotilloStudio #5

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  17. You are very naughty for tempting us like that with the brownies, mmmmm! You are quite right about sewing machines and paper, they don't really like it which is why I have this one and keep it just for this job. I bought it very cheaply, about £20 which is a very good price for a sewing machine. It looks better than it is. Have a great week and happy woyww, Angela xXx 27

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  18. Glad you explained the plastic bag over his head that must have been wild to watch for sure and seems like he was quick about it too :) Not fair showing off lovely brownies like that such a tease
    hugs Nikki 6
    Harvest table is just a large table you can gather around and eat at, It's just a old country table that at one point was used for the end of the fall harvest/thanksgiving.
    Ours is just going to be our backyard table with benches to sit at

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  19. Hi Lisca, love the postcard, want to do that too maybe under the table with the grandkids. Yummy looking cake, got the ingredients out myself to make chocolate cake so might toss in some cranberries I love them. Those pics of your neighbour are incredible - I hope all that bad stuff doesn't affect the fruit. Have a great week and thanks for visiting my WOYWW desk, Cheers RobynO#28

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  20. I have a grape vine in my garden too (some sorts can actually grow in Finland!) but since the beginning of the summer has been cold it only has buds as yet. I'm hoping this warmer weather will get the flowers to open soon and perhaps we'll have some (tiny) grapes before winter. They are actually quite funny, about the size of blueberries :)
    Happy woyww, I love ANY chocolate baking, cranberries sound really good!
    Kristiina #19

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  21. Crikey health and safety doesn't even come close does it!

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  22. Djeeezzz... some system your neighbour has! I have not had breakfast yet and seeing the brownies makes me realize (my stomach makes noises!) Is it that hot in Spain as it is in the Netherlands? Stay cool and enjoy Summer, Marit #25

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  23. Scrummy Brownies.

    By heck, I can't believe the plastic bag over the head.

    I love that postcard.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog.

    Happy WOYWW
    Sue #24

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  24. Thank you for your visit.
    OMG a plastic bag LOL
    You have to love Spain.
    Your grape vines look amazing.
    Glad you have them treated it would be such a shame to lose them.
    Love your post card, so cute. :) #23

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  25. Love your old ladies postcard - just my sort of thing - and hey - I want to be able to do that too but doubt I could get up off the floor once I was down on it.
    Love Serafino and his equipment - what a hoot - still, he was very much needed and he was effective.
    Hugs, Neet 18 xx

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  26. Reminds me of my Grandpa - he was northern italian, and he grew grapes in his backyard in Pennsylvania. Made rubbish wine with them :) far too sweet, but did everything old-world style. Good thing you kept an eye on your neighbour! Love the postcard too - who every grows out of an under the table den?

    Happy (late) WOYWW! again.....
    Mary Anne (4)

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  27. oh my gosh we have grapes... and I have never seen that before WOW the bag on his head... that is so cool that he did it for you. ~Stacy #51

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