Rocking Your World Friday

This is where anyone can join in and share their positive thoughts from the week we have just had.

Mine will have to be a quickie today as it is getting late and we have promised ourselves an early night tonight - which really means we might make it to bed on the right side of midnight for once.

I have had a good though busy week. This photo tells the main story.

Yes, the mince pie marathon has begun. So far I have made twenty one dozen, and sold over half of them, so I will be baking a few more batches next week. I use my marble work surface to roll out on as it is nice and cold for pastry, and a better height to work at than my kitchen table which is much too low. Even so, by the time I have used up two batches of dough - seven dozen pies, my back is saying "OK That's enough for today!" Then I wash up and make the next two batches of pastry so it can rest in the fridge overnight.

On Tuesday we had our choir practice in the venue of our first proper concert tomorrow night. It used to be the chapel of a convent and has high decorated ceiling arches, and a lovely painted backdrop. Acoustically it is good, but because of the height and space, we really have to sing out to be heard. I am looking forward to the concert now.

From This Thursday until Sunday morning, it is the Gallarte expo in our village, where artists and crafters can display their work, and hopefully sell some. It is a low key affair as we are a fairly small, self-contained village.  Last night we had a good few visitors for the opening, but it will be fairly quiet from now on. I have put my two crocheted animals on my table, along with some Christmas decorations and sweet novelties for the children, plus some jam and pickles, and mince-pies. The Spanish folk are not familar with mince-pies. I have seen them take the lids off and eat them first, and once I saw a lady put cheese inside hers! But I put a plate of them on the refreshment table so they can try before they buy, and I do sell quite a few. 

There are some good items on display...

My friend Cati with her sewn bread bags and hand made jewelry....

 Eileen's lovely knitting...

Some excellent art work...

And, of course, my stall.

Today I got to try out my new toy. It is actually my Christmas present, but as we could not order it direct, it was delivered to my courier friend's lock up in Exeter, and he brought it back for us. So it had already been a few weeks since delivery when we got it, and we felt it should be opened and checked. There was actually a small piece missing so it is a good thing we looked. I telephoned them on Monday, and they have already sent the missing item to my son's house, so he can bring it out when he comes on 20th. So having opened it, it seemed silly not to have a go! It is a high powered blender, that is capable of doing some very clever things. The friction creates enough heat to make hot soup from a few whole raw vegetables. It can also turn frozen fruit and yohurt or milk into ice-cream, and much more besides. 

Today I just made a fruit juice.

There is little preparation needed. I did peel two oranges, to remove the pith, but then I just halved them and put them in the jug with one apple cut in half with the pips removed, but there was no need to peel it, and I added a handful of grapes. Within seconds we each had a lovely thick and very tasty glass of juice. (I could have added water for a thinner drink, but we like the fruit pulp in ours). I can't wait to have another go. You can put whole carrots, cucumbers, spinach, in fact almost any fruit and vegetables in it and make a juice, or run it longer to turn it into soup. You don't lose any of the nutrients that mostly lie just under the skin, because you don't peel anything except citrus fruit and bananas, and you also retain all the fibre that is lost with a conventional juicer. Won't we be a healthy pair?!

Well that just about rounds this week up. I have just started decorating the Christmas tree and putting up some other bits and pieces, and I love the house when it is all Christmassy. This year it is reminding me that there are only a couple of weeks before our son Ben and his partner are here. Happy days!

So I'll just go and link this up with Virginia at Celtic House, and see what needs to be tidied away before bed. See you all next week. Hasta luego.