Wishes on Twelve Raisins

Another year has left and 2022 has arrived.  What a year it has been for us!  We spent a good part of the year downsizing-for the 4th time since retirement-and packing to make our big life change move to Portugal. 

But 2021 also held another "biggie" for us.  We celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary and shared the event with our two sons & their families in Hawaii.  

What a fun week with four little boys who were determined they were going to surf and snorkel!

Well, this week has been fairly subdued due to the typical office holiday closures coupled with the tighter Covid-19 restrictions which shuttered bars and required negative tests to enter New Year's Eve parties at restaurants.   Interestingly, the government limited groups of people to no more than 10 in the streets and prohibited consumption of alcoholic drinks in public places??  This would conceivably prevent families and friends from gathering in their little neighborhood squares to pop the bottle of champaign at midnight! 

But the array of firecrackers echoed through the narrow lanes and revelers partied from the many rooftop terraces.  

We did wander down to the waterfront to watch the fireworks over the Ria Formosa and see some local celebrations.  Most of the surrounding cities cancelled their big firework displays and scaled back any celebrations that could result in large gatherings but fortunately for us the large Real Marina Hotel in Olhão provided an effective firework show.  

New Years traditions in Portugal are many and sometimes kind of bazarre:

• Hold some money while you step up on a chair, using your right foot first to signify moving up in life
• Toss a coin in the air at midnight and hop on your right foot to bring more money in the new year
• Put a bay leaf in your wallet and leave it there for the whole year

fresh bay leaves I bought at weekly Mercado da Fruta 

• Choice of clothing brings: Blue-good luck, Red- love, Yellow-money, Green-health
• Don't eat poultry as your last meal of the year or your happiness could fly away like a bird!

And finally, the 12 RAISINS one for each stroke of midnight:

getting the large raisins lined up

it was difficult to pop each raisin and make a wish simultaneously on the twelve rings of the bell 

We have been experimenting with recipes in our new Cataplana cookware that is unique to the Algarve region.  This is both a cooking vessel and the type of meal prepared in it cooking by steam over low heat.  It has a long history in the coastal Algarvean region that may have been influenced from the cone-shaped earthen pot used by early Arabs from North Africa.  

Traditionally they are made of hammered copper but we have an induction cooking surface so have the stainless steel version.  It is sort of like an instapot - add ingredients, close tightly and put over low heat for 10-30 minutes.  

the lid is removed to serve the mussels and the top can be used for the shells!

We end this blog with another success!  I found some pretzels, Worcestershire sauce, non-sweet cheerios so I could finally make my favorite holiday (non-Chex) Mix

Feliz Ano Novo e Boa Saúde