Hello folks,
Here we are on a Tuesday again. It's T for Tuesday and I am visiting Elizabeth and Bleubeard with a blog post that has a drink in it. The drink will be featured later on but first things first: postcards...
I received a postcard from Venice. Now I have visited Italy for most of my adult life and have even worked and lived in Italy for 15 years. But... I have never been to Venice! So when I received a card from Venice I was well pleased. I must admit it didn't look like what I expected Venice to look like, but there is a large lagoon outside Venice and I thought this pictured the lagoon.
Sunday at church, my friend Roxanne brought some stuff in to show people:
This is the huge pod that the beans come out of:
This thing is about 20 cm long. (You can see the bag of beans next to it for comparison). She told me that they cut the pod open and remove the beans, then
those beans get spread out on the floor and sun dried.
When dried, they get ground into powder and what you have then is in essence chocolate.
She gave me a piece to taste as she knows I like pure, bitter chocolate. It tasted lovely. A bit rougher than the stuff you buy in the shops of course, but 'sweeter' than I thought it would be, and also softer. I could easily break off a piece to eat.
It was really interesting to see . Next Sunday she will bring in the large pod again and split it for us to see the inside. So I will have my camera ready this time (these photos were taken on my phone which does not have a good camera, sorry).
The weather here has suddenly changed. It has become winter. Last week we were still able to sit and socialize outside:
I'm not in the picture as I took the photo but hubby is the one with the hat.
Behind the swing is a little hill called Jabalcon, which is the local focal point. Most people can see Jabalcon from their house. Where we live we can only have internet if we have a visual with Jabalcon as that is where the aerial repeaters (or whatever they are called in English) are.
Anyway, all of a sudden we have fost at night and the day temperatures have plummeted.
My friend Loli took this picture of the olive trees in the morning after we had had the frost. Isn't it beautiful?
Now I mustn't forget the drink to qualify for the T-Party.
Here it is (and of course it is a glass of wine). I should have photographed my mug of hot cocoa last night but I forgot...
That is it from me today. I wish you all a happy T-Day and a good week ahead.
Blessings,
Lisca
15 comments:
That is some ice. Your weather did certainly change! I really enjoyed the story about the cocoa too. Several years ago I did an exchange program through my school where I visited Costa Rica. I visited a farm and we roasted the cocoa beans and turned them into the BEST hot cocoa I ever had. They way it should be for sure, so I really enjoyed reading about this. Happy T day. Hugs-Erika
The ice is beautiful on the trees...hopefully it didn't do a lot of damage.
The cocoa beans were really fascinating. I didn't realize how big the pods were.
Happy T day!
I loved seeing the cocoa beans, must have tasted great! Sorry about the big drop in the temps, stay warm. Your Venice mix-up made me smile! Have a great week, Happy T Day, hugs, Valerie
I was really impressed with the cacao beans. I've never seen anything like them (the pods) before, so was quite interested to learn about this. That's what makes T so interesting. I learn something new each T day.
I laughed at your Venice. I've been to Florida, but never to Venice, so that surprised me, too. And that photo of the olive tree covered with frost is just a foretelling of things to come in my part of the world.
Enjoyed the large wine bottle and glasses. Thanks for sharing the cacao beans, the Venice postcard, and your wine with us for T this Tuesday, dear Lisca.
They are super photos of the cocoa beans, they are different to what I imagined and the pods are for sure huge.
Venice made me smile, we all automatically think of Italy.
I was surprised to see so much frost on the trees, it was a great photo.
Happy T day or should I be saying wine day wishes.
Yvonne xx
p.s. I finished the Red Tent Book, it would get a high rating like yours and I would recommend it to others.
i love the look of the cocoa fruit/seed pod. you brought back memories of a guided tour we had a few years ago through some coffee Shops (and "backstage";)) - as you described the taste of the beans, i fully remembered.
the frosted olive trees make a good pic, too!
happy t-day, lisca!
I love chocolate so it was interesting to see the cacao beans and learn the process. Wow, the icicles on the olive tree are gorgeous. A little too early in the morning for wine, but Salut! Have a Happy T Day!
Your Venice postcard made me smile, I was thinking it didn't look much like Venice Italy when I saw it ...lol 😉. I love the nautical postage stamp too - perfect! It was so interesting reading about the cacoa beans and the photo of the frosty olive tree is amazing 😁. Cheers and wishing you a very Happy T Day! J 😊
your Venice Florida postcard made me smile too-for some reason our post office does not have much in choices for postcard stamps-right now just those shells-so that is what I have too for my christmas postcards this year.
I really enjoyed the photos and learning more about cacoa beans I would love to taste a fresh one like that. wow that was allot of ice for one night-we get ice here quite allot too instead of snow.
Happy Tuesday and have an awesome new week Kathy
So interesting with the cacao! I am in de- oiled cacao just now - putting the powder in
low-fat curd (cheese)
and into my breakfast porridge
and it helps me a lot against Nutella attacks - had none for nearly three months now - I give three cheers for cacao!
Happy T-Day!
Lisca! That was super interesting.. and i look forward to when you open the pod.. :) Happy happy T day! Hugs! deb
Wow! Ice! We're getting colder weather here, too, but that means the high will only be in the 50s F. Your ice is pretty, as is that warming wine. I'd love to try chocolate like that. What a treat :) Happy T Tuesday
Fascinating post, Lisca! The photo of icicles is beautiful!!
I enjoyed the story and photos about making chocolate. Hubby & I went to Puerto Chiapas, Mexico 4 years ago and saw it done in a tiny little village ... outside, by hand, with roosters and chickens and children running all over. The owner of the little chocolate "factory" is the town heroine because she won an international competition in 2010 and traveled to Perugia, Italy to accept the award.
Your wine looks inviting. In fact I feel like I could use a glass right now - lol.
Fabulous post! The cacao pod is fascinating! Love your photos- especially those icy leaves! Happy T day, Chrisx
Just popped back to tell you the Francois Mitterand opened the newly refurbished Val de Grace on the 200th anniversary of it being handed over by the Benedictines to the government for the purpose of it being a Military hospital. Chrisx
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