It's been a while since I posted and for that I apologise. Life with a horse changes everything and there seems to be less time for writing, thinking, using the internet, baking or biking!! Summer is disappearing fast (though these autumn days are beautiful and warm) and we feel sure that another 3 or 4 weeks will see the first snows up on Mulhacen.
So what's new - or newsworthy? I'm a grandmother, which is a novelty...I'm on the final FINAL edit of my book about our village life...Steve has done his back again and been told to do muscle strengthening exercises (him? mountain man?)...and Canela continues to be a delight. The farrier came up from Motril on Tuesday and shod her front feet, just in time, as the shoes had worn very thin in 9 weeks. She behaved very well, almost snoozing at one point, but we had a good long canter the next day to blow off the cobwebs.
I have managed to do some culinary stuff and here´s my own recipe for Green Tomato Chutney - I guess we all have our favourites:
3 lbs green tomatoes, 4 large cooking or 'tart' apples, 2 small cucumbers, 3 large onions, 6 oz stoned prunes, 12 oz demerera sugar, 2 tbsp mustard powder, 1.5 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp cayenne, 1.5 tbsp salt , 1 pt vinegar (red wine or cider will do fine).
Remove stalks from the tomatoes and peel from the apples; skin the onions and cucumbers. Chop/slice everything small, for easy spreading on bread or cheese or jamón, and put all ingredients into a good-sized pan. Bring to the boil, allow to simmer for 2 - 3 hours or until quite soft, stirring frequently. Pour into hot, sterilised jars and seal. When cool, keep in a dark, dry place or in the fridge, or simply give away to your friends!! We find it´s so delicious, we eat it up in no time at all.
Tomorrow is a medical day...blood tests and X-rays, but I am doing so well that I usually forget that I have a terminal condition...well, that's what life is anyway isn't it? None of us will get out of it alive!!
Hasta luego XXX