Song-ography

Song-ography is hosted by You'll Shoot Your Eye Out, a fantastic photographer and funny lady.
Also posting at Sweet Shot Tuesday.

May 2004 - Florence Italy

I am going way back into my archives for this week's suggestion. This photo came to mind immediately, we are sitting in a piazza in Florence drinking wine with dinner.

Scenes From an Italian Restaurant - Billy Joel

A bottle of white, a bottle of red
Perhaps a bottle of rose instead
We'll get a table near the street
In our old familiar place
You and I-face to face

A bottle of red, a bottle of white
It all depends on your appetite
I'll meet you any time you want
In our Italian Restaurant.

Monday Mural

November 2012 - Flagstaff AZ

I heart Macro Monday

February 2015 - Outside Bangkok Thailand

inSPIREd Sunday

Beth and Sally hosts inSPIREd Sunday!

1989 - Mexico City Mexico

I was backing up photos and came across these from 1989. I had visited this church first in 1976 and the last time in 2002. 


The shrine was built near the hill ofTepeyac where Our Lady of Guadalupe is believed to have appeared to Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. This site is also known as La Villa de Guadalupe or, in a more popular sense, simply La Villa, as it has several churches and related buildings.


There are three churches in this photo.

The best photos are from 1989 which were scanned. The ones from 2002 were taken with our first digital camera and they are horrible.




The new Basilica houses the original tilma (or cloak) of Juan Diego, which holds the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. One of the most important pilgrimage sites of Catholicism, the basilica is visited by several million people every year, especially around 12 December, Our Lady of Guadalupe's feast day.

I much prefer the older churches.

There was a festival taking place, but since I wasn't blogging back then, I have no idea what it was for.

Around the Hotel

February 2015 - Bangkok Thailand


It was close to Lunar New Year when we arrived in Bangkok, we would end up in Ho Chi Minh City for the actual day.

On the surface Bangkok is a big cosmopolitan city, much like any big city in the west, with a thin Thai flavour to it. But unlike most big cities there are small altars with food and flower offerings at most businesses and have flower offerings for good fortune.

Outside our hotel people leave offerings as well.

 

Directly across the street from our hotel we spotted this rather large shrine.

 Bright golden marigold garlands and incense are for sale nearby.

Erawan Shrine in Bangkok is Brahman, not strictly Buddhist. And yet, this famous shrine attracts more visitors than many of the city's temples. It was erected during the mid 1950s, after the Thai government had decided to build the luxury Erawan Hotel on this location. However, the first stages of the construction were beset with so many problems that superstitious labourers refused to continue unless the land spirits were appeased.

After consultations with astrologers, the erection of a shrine to honour the four-faced Brahma God, Than Tao Mahaprom, was considered to be an auspicious solution. A magnificent image of the Brahma God was especially cast and gilded, and The Erawan Hotel opened to acclaims and worldwide fame for three decades. 

Towards the end, the property could not compete with more modern facilities, and was replaced by the privately owned Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok in 1991. As the shrine was originally constructed to grace the old Erawan Hotel, the location became known as the Erawan Shrine.

The shrine houses a statue of Phra Phrom, the Thai representation of the Hindu creation god Brahma. 

Lotus flowers

A popular tourist attraction, it often features performances by resident Thai dance troupes, who are hired by worshipers in return for seeing that their prayers at the shrine answered.

My Recipe Box - Date Squares

PREP TIME:15 MINUTES, PLUS 25 MINUTES FOR COOKING AND COOLING OF DATES
BAKING TIME:30 MINUTES
MAKES:25 SQUARES
FREEZING:EXCELLENT

INGREDIENTS

FILLING
1 lb (500 g) chopped dates (about 3 cups/750 mL)
¼ cup (50 mL) packed brown sugar
1 ½ cups (375 mL) water
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice

BASE AND TOPPING
½ cup (125 mL) butter, softened
1 cup (250 mL) packed brown sugar
1 cup (250 mL) Robin Hood® Original All Purpose Flour
1 cup (250 mL) Robin HoodOats
¼ tsp (1 mL) baking soda

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Lightly oil and line a 9” x 9” (2.5 l) baking dish with parchment paper, overlapping 2 sides for easy removal.
Filling: combine filling ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, 10-15 minutes. Cool.
Base and topping: Cream butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer. Add remaining dry ingredients. Mixture will be a bit crumbly. Reserve 1 cup (250ml) for topping.
Pat remaining 3 cups onto bottom of prepared pan. Spread with date mixture. Sprinkle remaining cup (250ml) of oat mixture.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

My Recipe Box - Crispy Salmon with Butter Sauce

My husband wanted me to make salmon that was crispy so I looked around and ended up using some ideas from several different web sites. I served it with white and sweet potato fries (with oregano and garlic) and broccoli. The sauce was under the salmon and was delirious!

Normally I make a maple glazed salmon, click here for that recipe.

Ingredients

2 (6-ounce) pieces center-cut salmon fillet with skin, about 1-inch thick
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and divided
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole tarragon leaves

Directions

Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper. Place skin side up and rub 1 1/2 tablespoons softened butter all over the skin of the salmon. Transfer the salmon, buttered side up, to a plate or pan. Chill in the fridge to firm the butter, about 20 minutes.

Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add salmon, skin side down. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until skin is crisp. Turn. Cook, covered for 4 to 5 minutes for medium or until cooked to your liking.

In a small saucepan over moderate heat, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard and tarragon leaves. Divide the sauce between 2 plates and place 1 piece of salmon on top of each pool of sauce.