About Me
Passionate cook, a citizen of mediterranean europe, aspiring writer and City Slicka turned Spanish Chica. This blog includes chapters from my book City Slicka to Spanish Chica which describes the journey from living and working in London to meeting my Big Man, building a house in Spain with him, and taking on dogs, chickens and vegetables as part of my new life.
I now have time to indulge my hobbies of cooking, writing, designing and sewing clothes and the blog shares the highs and lows of what I get up to in my Andalucián mountain hideaway.
I hope you enjoy what you read. Please do leave me a comment, I love to hear from people who pass by and stop for a while.
Hi, Thanks calling by on my blog. Yours is great too. Love some of these recipes and guess what…we’re having chicken tagine this Sunday having seen yours! Will be looking in again. Have a lovely weekend. Trevor.
Hi Trevor and thanks for your kind words. Enjoy your chicken tagine, and have a great weekend too!
Congratulations! You have been awarded The Versatile Blogger Award. Stop by Self Expression http://olgaselfexpression.wordpress.com for more details.
Wow, thank you so very much and congrats on your own award. Most kind of you!
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Love Spanish food, so your blog is a treasure trove!
You´re welcome, glad you´ve enjoyed what you´ve seen!
Hello, thank you for passing by my blog, I think yours is very interesting, gonna snoop among your recipes!
Hugs by Kiotta
Please do snoop away! Glad you stopped by mine too. Take care…
Your blog looks wonderful! I’m enjoying reading about the process of buying land and building a house in another country, since I’m going through the same things in Montana. I’m also really excited about all the recipes
Hi there and thanks for stopping by. Liked the look of your blog too. Building a home is fun, stressful but eventually rewarding! Hope you have some good experiences with yours. Glad to hear you like the recipes too, thanks so much.
Just read your “Building a House in Spain – Part 2″ – you are quite the storyteller! Very entertaining!
Hi Karen and thanks for your kind words. I love writing, and fortunately or unfortunately – this is all based on my real experiences! There will be another chapter in a few days, so watch this space…
Oh my goodness, I’m so delighted to have found your blog. Your recipes look incredible. Cannot wait to try your lamb one — yummmm yum! & how romantic to be fitting out a home in Spain. Love it.
Liked yours too! Do hope you get to try out some recipes – and there are more stories to come soon. Take care and thanks for “visiting”!
Living in Spain! That sounds fabulous! Glad I came across your blog, I look forward to hearing more about European living and delicious food
Thanks for your kind words, hope you enjoy my blog. Just popped over to yours. Enjoy your “single” summer. I spent a long time being single, and have to say it has lots going for it too…be yourself, enjoy life and steer clear of the bad guys! You might enjoy having a giggle reading some previous posts about my Blind Dates with Big Man….!
we are also building house! Looking forward to reading you blog
It can be quite a headache, but worth it in the end. We moved into our house 3 years ago – and are still “discovering” little quirks! More stories to come, and thanks for subscribing, do hope you enjoy.
I think I’m going to enjoy perusing this blog. My wife used to work in a Catalan restaurant in our home town (Portarlington, about 2 hrs from Melbourne, on the bay). Great people, great food.
Their signature dish was mussels; unsurprisingly, as the restaurant was 100 metres away from the local pier, where the mussel fleet was based.
Welcome aboard! Good to have you here and thanks for your kind words. Think I went to Portarlington when I was in the Melbourne area about 8 years ago – I recall wonderful fish and seafood there too. Do hope you enjoy more of what you read!
Thanks for visiting HomeCookLocavore.com! You live in my favorite place in the entire world. I studied there when I was 16 and despite the heat and the dialect that took me oh so long to understand, I dream about Andalucia all the time and make it a point to go back every few years.
Your food looks amazing and real. What a treat.
Jeremy
HomeCookLocavore.com
Thanks too for your visit – and for your kind words. It´s great that you do manage to get back here every so often…but that dialect, I´m still struggling!!
Hi fellow Andaluza, just found you through Rufus (Greg). I love your little huerta, so jealous, we live in the pueblo so only have a roof terrace but my chilli plants and herbs keep me happy!!
Well lovely to meet you! I have just signed up to your blog which is wonderful (and stunning photos). I always thought it must be tough for vegetarians here in Spain but you seem to make it work – and how! Am just looking at a bowl of chick peas which I was going to turn into Puchero but I think I´ll put a few aside for one of your recipes! Look forward to reading more. Do come back soon!
Thanks for your liking my RoastedGreen Onions all the way from Woodstock, NY
Marvin Davis
You´re welcome, we do this with our super large spring onions and they´re delicious!
Hi! Thank you for visiting my blog 4otomo.wordpress.com and for leaving your wonderful comments
You live in an incredible part of the world, and hey! what can I say, I’m envious 
I’ve started reading your building a house in Spain blog, and the trials and tribulations of finding one, well, the perfect house for me presented itself to me on my hike 
, complete with the spanish “for sale” sign, just one slight little problem with the budget though, you need a lot more south african rands than I have, to buy that many euros 
:-), so for now I’ll just have to settle with reading more about “building a house in spain”. Thanks again 
Well, thank you to you too! I meant to say GR7 in my post and not GR/!! Spain has become much more expensive even in the time I´ve been here
Hope you continue to enjoy your trip if you´re still here! Take care, Tanya
Hi! No problem, I understood it to mean GR7. Unfortunately, I’m not travelling there at the moment, my post was about my time there a while ago. But, I’ll be back, no doubt about that
kind regards Mo
Hi Tanya, I have my firework pictures ready (took them from our master bedroom balcony last eveing) and wanted to do a slide show, tried, but it went no where. If you have time, and if you want to, (please if you are to busy or whatever just say so…)I would like some ABC directions, they would have to be pretty step one, step two, it is hard for me to do somethings… sometimes (head injury). Thanks so matter how you decide, if you know where I could go you could give me that, I have tried with some directions and am getting no where, later….RaeDi
No problem, will head over to your site and post you the link from JamieAnne which is how I learnt. If that doesn´t help, give me another shout and we´ll see if we can come at it from a different angle!
Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog..
I’m new to this blogging world. I’ll be browsing through your post for new recipes to try.
You´re welcome, I liked what I saw. Hope you´ll be back soon!
Hi there and thanks for liking my “Chill Out” post on bitsandbreadcrumbs.wordpress.com. I’m a newbie out here in the blogosphere and was so happy to see that you visited! I really like your blog, too, and am glad to know about you. I’ll be visiting often. Cheers!
You´re welcome and good luck with your blog!
Your blog is really beautiful and interesting! I’m from Mumbai, India and recently started my own food blog and you were the first reader to ‘like’ a post. So I thought I must stop and say thank you and hello!
Thank you for the return visit and all your kind comments – do hope you enjoy doing your blog as much as I enjoy doing mine. Will visit you again soon
Hello Spanish Chica from another Spanish chick! Love your blog!
¡Muchisimas gracias!
I am so glad you stopped by to visit my blog. Now I have your blog to read and enjoy — and I love what I’ve seen so far.
One more thing … Love your banner picture of the bouganvilla and hope it is on your property. It would be so nice to wake up to a view of that every morning… John
We do have a small bouganvilla which after 3 years is finally taking off…it seems we were too nice to it. You have to treat it mean! The photo was taken in the spring in Cordoba (happy memories as this is where we had our first “date”) where the annual “Patios of Cordoba” event is held. One day, hopefully, ours will look as good as this!
Thank you – I think background wise we have a lot in common!
Thanks again for stopping by my blog! When I’m not running MGF, I’m actually a full-time day student studying Spanish! Your blog is heaven sent – I will definitely be referring to it often.
Ooh – what a coincidence. Hope the studies are going well. Come back again soon!
I love your blog, absolutely marvelous! You live a life I some day dream of! I search for more time to spend on my blog, but with work, raising 2 children, animals & my husband gone; currently he is deployed – time is limited. However, cooking is my biggest passion & brings me such happiness! Thanks for the comment, best to you!
Thank you for your lovely words. I liked your blog too! I have nothing but admiration for you – must be tough. Enjoy your cooking…I feel the same about it
Hello! I happened upon your blog, through another blog. I too am based in Andalusia, and have tried my hand at planting (although on a much smaller scale and failed miserably). Will definitely be looking at your blog more often for some much-needed gardening advice!
Hi Kim and so glad you popped in for a visit! More gardening advice to come….am off to have a little nose around your blog now! I´m guessing you are in Sevilla, probably melting right now with the heat
Yes, you are right – I am in Seville and sweltering too
Leccy bill will be high this month!
I can’t believe I didn’t find your blog earlier! So excited to read through some of your recipes!!! Check mine out too if you want: http://www.spanishsabores.wordpress.com
Will check yours out and glad you like what you see!
Hi, Nice bloggy thingy. Some luscoius looking tucker there. We’ve just moved down to the Alpujarra after about 6 years in northern Sweden. Big differences, not least in the foodstuffs available! Keep rolling along there.
You´re in a lovely part of Andalucia – and yes, you´ll notice some huge differences. If you want a giggle about how I adapted at the start, take a look at some of the chapters of City Slicka to Spanish Chica! Thanks for subscribing too – hope you continue to enjoy the blog.
Hi have really enjoyed reading and looking at your blog….
Welll thank you for coming over to visit and for taking the time to comment! It´s nice to know when people enjoy what they see.
Loving reading about your experiences. Isn’t it fabulous to be able to live a life where you can grow your own food, have your own chickens and have space!! Especially after a life in the city. Looking forward to reading more.
So glad you have enjoyed what you´ve seen and thanks for the visit! Life in NZ is pretty good too I remember from a visit a few years back
Hello!
I am the Houses Editor for IKEA Family Live magazine – it’s my job to arrange photo shoots of interesting homes around the world (23 countries) that show how people mix IKEA with their own style. At the moment I am particularly looking for homes in Spain and wondered if you might have IKEA in your home and be interested in a feature about it for the magazine? A long shot I know but if so I’d love to hear from you bethan.john@augustmedia.com with some photos. Or if not perhaps you have friends or readers of your blog who might be keen?
Really pleased I came across your blog – must be time for lunch I think!
Bethan John, Houses Editor, IKEA Family Live magazine
HI Bethan – glad you liked the blog! Have responded to you directly.
Hi! Thanks for the like! You have a very nice blog as well
Great looking food!
http://souphie.wordpress.com/
Thank you – and thanks for visiting
Hi Tanya, I am glad to see you back, I missed you! Thought about you and hoped that you and the Big Man had a wonderful, quality filled time on your vacation/holiday that you took. Cannot wait to hear all about it! I just wanted you to know that you are one of those souls that got me ‘more’ interested in blogging and writing down what I see, feel and love in life. You are an inspiration to so many souls and I am sure I am not the only one that missed you while you were away! Welcome back and get writing and cooking girl and sharing with the lot of us! ….RaeDi
Hello! Thanks for stopping by my blog. Yours is so up my alley combining food and all things Spain (former Spanish major and teacher). Very cool! I hope someday my photographs look stunning like yours!
Igualmente – thanks for returning the visit! So pleased you liked what you saw and thanks for the nice words about the photos…I´m learning!
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I enjoyed your’s so much and it brought back wonderful memories of a trip that took to the mediterranean with my sister 2 years ago. She has since passed so this was truly sweet! Keep posting…
L~
Am so pleased you liked my blog and glad it bought back some good (if perhaps bittersweet) memories. Take care.
Tanya! I’ve nominated you for The Versatile Blogger Award!
Go here to read the rules and accept your award if you so desire.
Congratulations!
Thank you so much – most kind!
Thanks for dropping by. You’ve got a great collection of recipes and I’m going to be back for some inspiration
Likewise – glad you liked what you saw and looking forward to seeing you back here again!
Hello Tonya, I have nominated you for ‘The Most Versatile Blogger Award!’ I follow very few blogs, only those that I really enjoy and when I received this award I thought of your blog. It never lets me down and I enjoy it very much. Do deserve this my friend… Thank you….RaeDi
This is not easy for me…
Tikktok has nominated me for this award, The Most Versatile Blogger Award! I do not know whether to thank her or block her. I am not one who likes to receive any type of notice, other than please read my blog and subscribe… it is hard for me to accept this award… if you want to know the truth… I went to one class reunion since I graduated in ???? (I will put it like this it has been a very long time) and the only class reunion I went to was the 25th.
I knew the gal that was putting it all together and she was honored with being picked the speaker. We were good friends in high school and I was invited over one afternoon so we could get caught up on things, it had been quite a while. When she started talking about the little awards for who came the furthest, had changed the most, changed the least… my brain started thinking, yes it does that once in awhile… Please do not let it be me, I knew deep down I probably had come from the most miles away, unless someone was living in Europe or Asia that I was unaware of, but I let her know that to make sure it was not me, I wanted no added attention to myself. I thought there were no possibilities my name would be called for any of the other awards, just for who had traveled the furthest. We talked about that and then I remembered that one of our classmates, became a pilot in the Air Force and had been stationed somewhere in Asia and had just returned stateside and was in Alabama. I said since he just returned and was on his way from just getting to Alabama then he should get it.
That evening sure enough some thought I had came the most miles and my friend brought up our classmate/friend the pilot and that he was just getting in from… and he got the award. To my horror the next award was for who had changed the least, countless voices all called out my name. I looked at my friend up at the podium (pleadingly)she then asked if there any more nominees? To my relief two of my classmates’ names were called… after a few anxious minutes it was decided with applause and my friend named the winner and thank goodness it was not me. All that was said are you sure… We were all I was very sure!
Now back to this award… Since she has done all the backup work and finding out just exactly what this award is or does, I leave that to her! Maybe she would like to write this too! All kidding aside, thank you Tikktok for thinking of me… you should not have!
I need to list 15 blogs I enjoy reading then link them and let them know I have nominated them for this award. I need to list seven things about me; and I need to display the award badge! (HELP)
15 Blogs I Enjoy (not in any order):
1.AnnieEats
2.Cooking in Sens
3.Chica Andaluza
4.tales of ambrosia
5.Jules & Jules do food & wine
6.Camerahols/Food,Photography & France
7.the bountifulplate
8.thefooddoctor
9.lookatmyblogmyblogisamazing
10.Oneheartonemind’s Blog
11.A Word from the Bird
12.Mango, Chili and Z
13.mixed gems
14.meanderings minds
15.veggieyarnsandtails
Seven Things About Me:
1.I do not know how to display the award badge!
2.It is hard to make a list when all you have to do is read: JUST ME, which tells you everything!
3.My biggest fear is height, no… maybe mice… or it could be spiders…
4.I do not like frying bacon.
5.I will not swim in water that I cannot see what is swimming with me, but love the beach…
6.Love doing watercolors more than cooking.
7.Love our baby, a pixie bob named Ninnie.
The Versatile Blogger Award:
If you have been nominated by someone and you claim this award by displaying it on your blog, you must meet certain criteria. Here is the list:
1.You must give credit to the person that has nominated you and create a link to their blog in your post, (as I have done in the above paragraph.)
2.You must create a list of 15 blogs that you enjoy most and link to those as well. Then you must go and tell them you have nominated them. That means if you do not have 15, you cannot do this step. If you do not complete this step, then you cannot claim this award.
3.Finally, you must create a list of seven things about yourself.
Thank you Tikktok for nominating me, you are such a darling! Is Cocoa still screeching? ….
Nooooooo! Please don’t block me!
Firstly, your photography is too good not to be seen. Secondly, I love you and your blog!
Thirdly, you don’t have to do anything (even though you already have).
Fourthly, to get the badge save the image; upload the image into your files so it has a url. If you want it on the sidebar, go into your dashboard and get into the widgets. This is an image widget. Drag and drop it into your side bar, fill out the info (add the title of the widget/image and paste in the url), and you are good to go.
Cocoa is not screeching as much, and is an egg-laying machine! She lays nearly every day; every 3rd day she seems to be skipping at this point. We now have a mystery blue/green egg, too! We’re pretty sure it’s coming from Chocolate Chip, but until we catch her in the act, we won’t know for sure. I am thinking there is going to be a coop egg cam in our future so we can watch chick tv in the house and see who is laying what.
Thank you RaeDi for the nomination and for sharing some more about yourself. Don´t like frying bacon eh?! Do hope you´re going to put this up on your blog too for others to share and enjoy. Have a wonderful day!
Chica – enjoyed perusing your blog this evening. I want to visit Spain – I live in Texas. Every time my hubby asks where I’d like to go, Spain just pops out of my mouth before I even think about it. I’ll be visiting again soon – maybe I can convince him it’s the next place we should visit.
It is a great country (and still relatively good value for money). I knwo I used to enjoy coming here on holiday, even before I made my life here. Do hope you make it over and thanks for your kind words and for “visiting” my little blog.
Chica, LOVE the blog. I lived in Spain for awhile during college and absolutely loved it. I look forward to reading your posts!
Hi there and so glad you are enjoying my blog. Where were you in Spain? Thanks for subscribing!
Hey Chica! We have a ton in common. What’s your pueblo? (That’s like what’s your sign for expats)
Hey Rea (love the name, my best friend is called RIa!) My pueblo is an aldea between Alfarnatejo and Riogordo….teeny, tiny. Have just been flicking round your posts, you´re right, we have a lot in common!
HI chidaandaluza,
I stumbled across your blog from Spanishsabores. I’m living in Andalucia in Roquetas del Mar working as a language/teaching assistant (auxiliar).
My dream is to own a piece of land somewhere- grow a garden, have bees, raise chickens and goats, learn how to make cheese etc. Live the simpler life more connected to nature.
So exciting to hear you’re living your dream and have a great partner in crime to do it with!
I look forward to reading more of your blog!
So glad you came to visit and liked what you saw! So you´re in Almeria – lovely place. I had to wait quite a while for the dream to come true (and sometimes still have to pinch myself) so I hope that some day soon yours comes true too
Hi there! Just wanted to let you know that we nominated you for Versatile Blogger – but looks as though, no surprise, you’ve already been nominated! Well, a fun little activity nonetheless. Happy holidays and looking forward to reading lots more in the New Year!
Thank you so much – you can never have enough of a wonderful thing! You´re very kind indeed
Hi there
Just fabulous to have found your blog, I can see I have LOTS to cathc up on !
That’s meant to say catch up ….. bah humbug to typos!
Likewise – I think we´re going to get along very well!
Tanya, I’ve nominated you for The Versatile Blogger award. I realize it’s a “duplicate” for you, but I hope you know how very much I enjoy you!
Thank you – I believe that there is no such thing as too much of a good thing! Very kind and very much appreciated Spree
Thanks for checking out my blog and liking my 40 Days of Soup-Day 14-Pumpkin Soup! Love your story.
You´re welcome. I´m a big soup lover so I enjoyed your posts!
I look forward to the vicarious pleasures of Andalucia—actually my choice for vacation last fall, but was voted down by some Italophiles!
Hope you enjoy and you can make plans for the holiday (whenever it happens). And as I´m half Italian, can´t criticise the choice of Italy as a destination!
So excited to find your blog! I’m going to have so much fun reading your blog posts. Delicious Wishes!
Thank you and welcome – hope you continue to enjoy!
Hello – have you visited Books4Spain.com – we have some great Spanish cookery books. Would you be interested in reviewing Spanish cook books for us?
Hi Rod and thanks for visiting – wil pop on over to your site now and let you know! Thanks for visiting…
Always love your posts, though prefer the meat-free ones since I’m veggie! You are amazing the way you come up with endless recipes – I am full of admiration at your boundless energy and inventiveness.
Thank you, that´s so kind! It´s tough being a veggie in Spain. Neither of us are, but we like to ring the changes with plenty of fish and vegetables, so hopefully there will some recipes that are suitable (well, the meat and fish free ones at least!).
Hi Tanya!
Do you remember me? I’m Sofía, Manuel’s daughter (from Asturias)!
How are “Big Man” and you?
Well, I’ve heard that you’ve lost my e-mail, so here I am! I want you to know that your blog is fantastic. Although it is quite difficult for me to understand some parts (but as the same time it makes me learn and practise hahaha), it is a pleasure to read how you describe every recipe. I wish I had more time to read all of them!
Now we are in touch, I want to thank you for sending us the olive trees! Dad says that if you give us your e-mail, we will send some pics of them
I’m waiting for your reply!
Love,
Sofía.
Hola Guapa – it´s fantastic to hear from you! ¿How could I forget la chica mas guapa y encantadora de Asturias? So glad you´ve found the blog – it will be good practice for your already excellent English. And I have sent you an e-mail too. Un beso y un abrazo muy fuerte, Tanya
Hi! Your blog is lovely. I’m glad to have stumbled upon it.
Welcome and thanks for subscribing – so pleased you like what you have seen!
Hi, your blog is fab and I really want to follow it but it won’t let me subscribe?
Strange – will have a look at the subscribe button, it´s the first time anyone has mentioned a problem.
Hi Tanya,
Thank you for the PM, I manged to sort the issue out, the problem was at my end but I’m not sure how I fixed it ha! Anyway I’m all signed up now and looking forward to reading your posts, thanks, Jenny
Wonderful – hope you continue to enjoy!
Hi!
I Heart Mondegreens recommended your blog and your recipes are amazing! I am a producer on an American TV show about people who relocate around the world and was wondering whether you might be interested in sharing your story, housebuilding and blogging experiences with our viewers?! Email me on soraya.spiers@leopardfilms.com!
Thanks so much for visiting my blog! Your blog is lovely and will definitely be visiting again.
Likewise! Glad you enjoyed what you saw
Hi Tanya…visiting today via I am Simply Tia. I’m feeling totally transported by your posts and your lovely recipes. I must plan a trip to Spain, though I have to get to Italy some day as well (being half Italian). Decisions, decisions! Looking forward to your upcoming posts!
It´s always lovely to welcome a new visitor! And I´m half Italian too. Southern Spain was occupied by the Romans for many years so there is a lot in common with our two cultures…I think you´d love it here
Thanks for checking out my Blog. Yours is exactly what i aspire to do! Congrats on a great site! I’ll enjoy looking through all the lovely creations you have.
Thanks Melinda for your very kind words!
Greetings! I found your blog via another blogger who stopped by my blog. wow that’s a lot of blogs in one sentence, he he. I’m a lover of all things Spanish and hope to retire to Málaga in 8 years. So, I just followed your blog and will be perusing your posts here too. fun, fun!! happy blogging
Hi there Toby and am so glad you “found” me! Thanks too for subscribing. If you´re planning to retire to Málaga you´re in the right place. Although I also feature English and Italian (my heritage) recipes, there´s plenty of Spanish food and culture going on here. Why Málaga, and do you have anywhere specific in mind? How exciting!
what interesting heritage! why Málaga? how to answer that briefly….well, I have been in love w/Spain in general since studying for a year in Madrid over 30 years ago. Brought hubby and kidlet there 2 years ago and hubby fell in love too! We both absolutely loved Málaga and started thinking about retiring there after a second trip for our 20th anniversary. We met in southern California and he has missed the “sea” since we moved to Minnesota. My body started reacting to the cold here so Málaga sure fits the “find somewhere warm to move to” bill so….whew! that’s pretty brief for me
We’d love to find a place in the center of town but also like the idea of a place further out of the city and closer to the shore. A ver lo que pasa 
I look forward to continue perusing your blog. Nice to meet you!
Well, I think you´ve made a great choice and just think of the fun you´ll have deciding exactly where to live! There are plenty of places along the coast just a km or two from the centre of Málaga so you could probably find somewhere that fits the beach/city centre criteria together. Hope you had a great Easter – those will certainly be a huge experience once you move over here
Hope you find this message among all your fans! I nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award because I think you are pretty awesome!
Congratulations. Check it out: http://bit.ly/IOaIxe
Here are the rules:
* Thank the person(s) who nominated you and link back to them
* Share 7 things about yourself
* Nominate 15 bloggers you admire
* Contact your nominees and let them know
Thank you, that is very kind of you! I have been lucky enough to have been nominated for this previously, so won´t subject the world to my responses again, but a hearfelt thank you to you
I thought you had but know that you really deserve it!
Hey there! I nominated you for the Kreativ Blogger Award. I adore your blog! Check it out:
http://kellisretrokitchenarts.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/kreative-blogger-award/
Thank you so very much!
Just tagged you in a “getting to know you” blogger series, should you want to participate. ¡Que tengas un buen fin de semana!
http://iheartmondegreens.com/2012/04/28/getting-to-know-you/
Thank you – will check it out!