Cat Nap

Thought of sharing this funny picture with you this week.  Here's a cat who decided to have a nap in one of the kids' play castles.

Gnien l-Istazzjon, Birkirkara

One of the greatest inventions ever to come about during the Industrial revolution was the steam engine. The first commercial steam engine appeared in 1698. Here, in Malta, this great invention took a long time to reach our shores. In fact almost two centuries passed since the introduction of the first trains. The Malta Railway was officially inaugurated on February 1883 and lasted for a period of around fifty years.

The train was lovingly known by the Maltese, as 'Il-Vapur tal-Art', meaning the land steamer. The dark green carriages were constructed out of wood and framed in steel chassis. There were only first and third class carriages. Prior to the introduction of electricity, carriages were simply illuminated by candles. After 1900 the carriages were lit up by electricity.

Trains were expensive to run and the introduction of trams and buses adversely affected the Malta Railway. Buses soon became popular. After almost 50 years the train performed its last service on the 31st of March 1931 . Unfortunately, from a total of 10 engines and about 34 passenger carriages, nothing is left to remind us of the existence of a railway system except for one surviving carriage which can be found in Gnien L-Istazzjon in Birkirkara.

The carriage that is in the garden is very dark, with no windows at all. I wonder why they were constructed in this way. Was it because they were third class carriages or for safety measures?

The Railway station at Birkirkara, is one of the most well preserved buildings in Malta. For a number of years, the station was used as office for the Local Council. Now it is presently being used as a childcare centre. The building is surrounded by pleasant gardens.

Our Lady Tal Hlas chapel (Protectress of mothers in labour)

A few weeks ago I took my little one to a thanksgiving mass celebrated at Tal-Hlas chapel in Qormi. This special mass is celebrated at half past 4 every third Sunday of the month and the children of all ages are presented to Our Lady in gratitude following a safe delivery. My siblings were all presented at this quaint chapel and for this reason I wanted to keep to this family tradition.

This small chapel is situated in a secluded part of Qormi and lies on the border with Zebbug. For a time its location was disputed as either being in Zebbug or Qormi territory. Incidentally, this chapel is also said to lie in a path halfway between Birgu and Mdina. Hence it was a convenient resting place for the pilgrims travelling between these towns. The unusual twin porticoed loggias on either side with stone benches and tables, were built in 1699 to provide shelter for the numerous pilgrims who visited the church.

The original church, now turned into a sacristy, was built around 1500. In the year 1560, Fra Christophe le Boulleur Montgauldry, the Treasurer of the Order of St John, who had a house by the church (I believe the building opposite the church is the one that is being referred to here) was a great benefactor of the church, building it anew and paying for the titular painting now kept in the sacristy, which showed Our Lady with St Paul and St John the Baptist. In this sacristy a large number of ex-votos are kept here.

The original chapel was seriously damaged in the violent earthquake of 1693 and was rebuilt by the architect Lorenzo Gafa. The titular painting of Our Lady tal-Hlas (protectress of mothers in labour) was placed above the old one.

The feast, which used to to be held on the 15th August, is now celebrated on the Sunday following that date. In the past there was the custom of distributing hazelnuts and a glass of wine to visitors on the feast day.

This year, the feast will be celebrated on the 21st of August and two masses will be celebrated - one at 9:30am and the last one at 6.00pm. Parents who would like to present their children to our Lady are invited to attend to this celebration.

Stuffed Aubergines (Brungiel Mimli)

This is another traditional Maltese recipe of parboiled aubergines stuffed with meat and baked in an oven until done.

Many think that cooking aubergines is complicated since you need to put them under salt for a couple of hours before you cook them. When I'm in a hurry I don't do this and I still get finger licking results!

Ingredients ( for 2 persons)

2 medium sized aubergines (eggplants)

1 onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

300g minced meat (mix of beef and pork)

2 tbsp margarine (or butter)

2 tsp tomato purée

60g breadcrumbs

4 tablespoons grated cheese,

Worcestershire sauce

grated salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method

Cut each aubergine in half lengthways. Bring a pan of lightly-salted water to a boil, add the aubergine halves and parboil for about 10 minutes. Remove from the water and scoop out the pulp. Retain the pulp.

In the meantime, melt the margarine (or butter) in a pan, add the onion and garlic and fry for 5 minutes. Now stir in the meat, reserved aubergine pulp, tomato purée, and add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce. Fry, stirring frequently, until the meat is no longer pink. Take off the heat. Stir in the cheese then season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Arrange the hollowed out aubergine halves in a baking dish and stuff with the meat mixture. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top then transfer to an oven at 200°C and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

To make this meal more substantial you can add sliced potatoes and onions. Start the potatoes about 45 minutes before the aubergines.

A little old arch

Hush! Who's hiding behind the wall...

I took a photo of this little arch tucked away up on a hill in my home town. I came across this old arch while walking along an old disused path that leads down to the little old boathouses in front of St Anne's gardens. Beyond the old arch there was this confusion of entangled vegetation that most probably covered up any signs of a cultivated garden. That jungle of creepers reminded me that life is always about survival of the fittest. The sturdy weeds took over what was once a beautiful garden and are blooming uncontested among the other weak shrubs.

Kwarezimal (qua-re-zee-mull)

I don't suffer from sweet tooth but I have to admit that I've got a particular weakness for kwarezimal. They're my favourite cookie. The cookies in my photo do not look that appealing but I can vouch that they're really really good.

This sweet is usually made during Lent and contains no fat or eggs. The word 'kwarezimal' refers to quaresima - the forty days of Lent. In fact, the kwarezimal's popularity among the Maltese originates from the fact that it contains no fat or eggs, and hence does not interfere with fasting regulations. Although recipes vary, it is traditionally made up of almonds, flour, honey and spices.

(The ones I made were just plain ones because I had no crushed almonds in the pantry. )

Here's my mother's recipe

220g almonds (Lightly toast or roast the almonds. Grind coarsely)
220g flour
330g sugar
1tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch mixed spice
orange flower water
1 grated rind of lemon + juice,
1 grated rind of orange +juice
and grated rind of tangerine
1 tbsp cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder

First, mix the dry ingredients, then add the citrus juices and a little orange blossom water. If the dough looks a little dry add more blossom water or just natural water to make a stiff dough. Knead lightly until well amalgamated and shape into ovals, approximately 17.5 cm long, 5 cm wide and 2 cm thick. Place on greased and floured baking trays and bake at 190'C/375'F/gas 5 for about 20 minutes.

The most important factor in baking kwarezimal is that you do not overcook or let them get too hard whilst in the oven. This is because once they are out of the oven they will harden more due to the almonds.

Haunted Mansion

Old decaying leaves gently swirled beside my feet, as I stood in front of the imposing mansion. The cheery notes of a piano could be heard coming from the room on the left. This was the beautiful drawing room, all decked out in red velvet and golden bows. A mistletoe stood hanging in front of the huge window. Merry laughter broke forth from across the hallway - the guests were enjoying themselves in the warmth of the burning fireplace...

The clanking sound of a passing truck soon woke me up from my reverie and brought me back to the present. Of course, I had been daydreaming but I'm sure this house in front of me had seen better days. I'm referring to the haunted house situated in front of the Marsovin vineyards in Marsaxlokk. If I'm not mistaken this house was once known as the Sans Soucis house. At one point an English couple lived in it. I was told that the husband was a captain employed with the RAF. What happened to this couple God only knows.

Its once beautiful groundfloor windows are all barred up now. Although this house has long been abandoned by its human proprieters yet its ghosts still roam its floorless rooms. There have been numerous ghost stories tied to this place. Friends of mine who went to explore the house encountered problems in taking photos of its interior. Another friend of mine said he heard strange noises coming from inside the place. This house has been caught up for decades in a battle between the family members that inherited it and it now is up for development - but most probably the permit will not be granted. It seems that the ghosts of Sans Soucis mansion will be reigning supreme for the time being.

Pancake Disaster

What is it with pancakes? What's this trick that I haven't yet discovered in making pancakes?!! I tried frying some pancakes the other day and the first one got stuck on the pan - (which, by the way, has only been used twice and just for pancakes only)!!! I tried frying another one in another pan but I got the same results!!! I used to blame my pans but when I watch chefs on TV preparing their pancakes in old pans I realised it's not the pan which is causing the problem but rather ME. At the end I cooked my pancake mixture in my waffle maker but I kind of lost appetite after doing them all. I just can't understand what I'm doing wrong. Does anyone have any tips???

Stuffed Artichokes

I don't know what came over me last week when I bought these artichokes. I had completely forgotten how long it takes one to prepare the filling and to stuff them up. But once I got started with the filling I couldn't stop. Having a baby in tow did make my job of stuffing these two artichokes rather more difficult but somehow I managed in less than half an hour. I just couldn't abandon the artichokes - the filling smelled too enticing. So I persevered with Zack watching me with curiosity and sometimes moaning for attention.

If you're intimidated by this unusual-looking vegetable, you're not alone. But once you learn the simple procedure, preparing artichokes is easy.

Ingredients for two good sized artichokes

3 slices of stale Maltese bread (with crust removed)
olive oil
3 anchovies
4 sundried tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
4 or more green olives
parsley

Method

Wash the artichokes under cold, running water. Pull off lower petals and cut off stem. Process the slices of bread in a food processor. Then add the rest of above ingredients in the processor and give them a quick whizz. Add a good amount of olive oil to the mixture. I don't add salt as the sundried tomatoes and anchovies are already salty.

Now here comes the difficult part. You have to separate each leaf and spoon the stuffing in between the leaves and place the artichokes upright, side by side, in a saucepan. Pour in water up to half the height of the artichokes, add a tablespoon of vinegar and some salt, and sprinkle with olive oil. Cover tightly, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer; when the leaves are easily removed, the artichokes are ready for eating. Take the artichokes out of the water, and allow them to cool.

Crazy House Names 3

When I first saw the name above at first glance I thought I saw Asterix but when I looked again it was 'Asterisk'!!! Would you believe it?? Why would people pay to have their house named after a punctuation mark?

Hmmm makes me curious to know what goes inside this house.......

AAAh this must be one lucky man and boy, he must be proud of it too!!

Phew! They did it notwithstanding all the obstacles!

Finally I found where Bo Peep lives...but I won't tell you where!

A dyslexic homeowner maybe? Read it from right to left

Crazy Chocolate Cake

I'm writing this post in honour of my dear and loyal friend Vanessa. Although we've known each other since our kindergarten years I cannot say that we were the best of friends in our primary school years. Actually we were arch enemies! I think what really made me dislike her was because she spoke loudly all the time and to this day I dislike persons who need to voice their opinions loudly. There's nothing better than having a smooth talking person. On the other hand she disliked me because I had said something offensive about the boy she used to fancy. These complaints sound so silly now but that was our childhood. In the secondary years we somehow found out that we got on very well together. By that time Vanessa had mastered the art of speaking quitely and I could enjoy her company without any headaches. Today I'm posting a very old recipe - a recipe which Vanessa shared with me in our secondary years. We used to go crazy on this cake. I used to eat it all by myself. If I'm not mistaken I think it was my first try at baking.

This recipe of hers contains some unusual ingredients but it somehow makes a lovely cake.
Last Sunday I felt like trying it out again after having forgotten it for all these years and I've realised I still enjoy eating it. Here it is - don't expect a spongey chocolate cake. If you like chewy cakes - the maltese pudding style then, this is your cake. It has no eggs and no butter. It is also very easy to prepare.

Recipe

3 cups flour

1 and 1/2 cup sugar

half a cup cocoa

a pinch of salt

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

1 and 1/2 cup water

2 tsp vinegar

3/4 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

Then add the above ingredients to the dry ones until you've got a smooth brown paste. Bake in a moderate oven for about 45 minutes. So easy!!!

Alleys in Zabbar

More often than not, streets and alleys reflect the history of a particular place. These alleys can be still found in many old villages of Malta. Last summer while strolling through Main Street in Zabbar I got captivated by the number of enchanting alleys that could be found offshooting from it.

These alleys known as 'sqaqien' in Maltese are etched in Zabbar's village character. They are still throbbing with humanity and the houses in these alleys have remained untouched by touristic development. The narrow streets are haunting and enchanting, with some of the best quintessential Maltese architecture that one can see. Our ancestors designed these narrow winding alleys because they offered shade from the scorching summer sun. Today we're witnessing the decline of these historical alleys. High buildings are replacing the alleys that reflected the history of that place. As you can see in the photos below each alley has particular characteristics that distinguish it from other alleys...

'One sometimes encounters fine architecture discreetly hidden away, such as the one in Sqaq Berqi, an offshoot of Main Street.'

As I was leafing through a book about Zabbar the above quote caught my attention. What struck me is that 'the fine architecture' that the author is referring to happens to be an 18th century house which used to belong to my husband's grandparents. In the photo, on the right page of the book you can see the house in its heydey.

This is how it looks today. I had the occasion to explore this lovely old house which I'm sure has seen so many generations grow and dwell inside it. It has withstood the ravages of the two world wars. Indeed, it's a pity that now it's up for sale waiting for someone to give it its due attention.

Crispy Chicken Pieces

Hello friends time is flying so quickly - we will soon be celebrating Christmas. Although my life's very busy taking care of little Zack I still find time to cook something different each day. A few days ago I prepared these sizzling chicken breast pieces and thought of sharing my recipe with you. They're very easy and do not take long to prepare.

Ingredients

2 Chicken Breast pieces

1 egg

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

4 tbsp porridge oats

4 tbsp breadcrumbs

3 tbsp Parmeggiano

4 tps flour

1 tbsp Cajun

1 tsp paprika

1 tbsp oil

Method

In a small dish or medium sized bowl, whisk eggs, black pepper and salt.

Cut the breast pieces into smaller bite size pieces.

In a bowl combine all the dry ingredients together. Place crumb mixture in a bag. In the meantime coat chicken, one piece at a time in the egg mixture. Next dip the chicken pieces in bag with crumbs and shake to coat.

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat (adjust when needed). Place chicken pieces in frying pan.

These pieces can be baked if you prefer a healthier option.

The Chinese Garden of Serenity

In the South of Malta, in the quiet village of Santa Lucija, there is this beautiful Chinese garden which unfortunately few people seem to know of. This morning I grabbed the opportunity to pay a visit to this garden, and together with little Zack, I spent a quiet morning soaking up the soothing ambience that envelops this garden. Inside this garden I was embraced by its exceptional beauty and serenity. The artistic architectures just took my breath away and I couldn't stop admiring the mosaic on the ground which had been painstakingly done by hand.

The specific design of this garden makes you go through a personal rebirth and you feel the stress of modern life slowly abandoning you. Here life, with all its challenges is symbolically represented as a winding corridor at the northern end of the garden. The bamboo shoots represent meditation on life. Sadly, the fountain at garden's entrance which should represent birth was undergoing maintenance. The garden’s courtyard with its fishpond, rock garden, and circular door takes you to a magical place where you cannot help but be at peace with yourself.

This garden was constructed in 1998 and built by a group of foreign Chinese workers. If I remember correctly it was a sort of twinning project which the council of Sta Lucija held with a city in the Republic of China.

I believe this Garden of Serenity provides the ideal environment to allow one's creativity to blossom. There are so many quiet places where one could sketch, write a story, or simply read a book. This garden really lives up to its name “Serenity”. You will love it there. Anyway, I'm taking the opportunity to share with you some of the photos that I took of the beautiful designs, shapes and architecture in this garden.

Little Zack's out!

Hey friends, I present to you the little dinosaur that I was carrying these past nine months. Here's Zack, born on the 16th of August at 4:20 pm. Thank God I've been blessed with a quiet baby. He's a little treasure. As you may have noticed my posts have slacked. Zack's keeping me very busy with his daily feeds and nappy changing. But I just count my blessings every day and enjoy this lovely miracle every moment of my life.