Uma Casa Portuguesa! a song and a night at Ana's house

There are times when words are not needed, when tears can not be stopped from falling, when a the first notes of a song grips your heart and makes your nose sting as you feel as if your stomach was pushed in ....Those times are memories being recalled so quickly you can not grasp the emotions and are instantly a victim of them all at once.

for me its a song from my childhood sang in parents native tongue played many times on a record player up stairs in my mothers home AND always On Saturday which was PORTUGUESE Housecleaning day !! ohhh it might be a house cleaning day for others BUT in my lifetime so far NOTHING like the steps that are taken on that day have I seen ANYWHERE else ......

opening of every window, collecting of sheets, frozen foods taken out for that night and THE BIG Sunday dinner, the dusting, the hanging of the area rugs to be beat, the dust mops, the endust,the dust mops again,the vac, the scrubbing of the bathrooms,

the scrubbing of the floors and set up of ingrediants for supper and the set up of early morning sunday soup starter and whatever meal will be served after church.

ALL IN THIS ORDER.......


I am a lunitic about clean floors BUT even my manic weirdness is NOTHING compared to my family ON both sides.....well there was about 2 exceptions ....and they went as far in teh OTHER direction as could be LOL extremists I guess.

Now about the song...........Uma Casa Portuguesa ( A Portuguese House) sung by one of Portugals most Loved Fado singers Amalia Rodrigues, a simple country folk song about a ...Portuguese house ....makes me weepy everytime....teh lyrics are simple and are things as a Portuguese person you instantly relate to .


At a Portuguese home it is well
bread and wine on the table.
When at the door humbly beats someone,
people are seated to the table as well with us
It is well this weakness, is well,
that the people never contradict it.
The joy of the poverty
it is in this great wealth
of giving, and being glad

Four whitewashed walls,
a the smell of rosemary,
a bunch of gilded grapes,
two roses in a garden,
a Saint José of ceramic tile
under a spring sun,
a promise of kisses
two arms to my wait...
It is a Portuguese house, certainly!
It is, certainly, a Portuguese house

In the comfort very modest of my home,
there is abundance of fondness.
The curtain of the window and the moonlight,
more the sun that likes her...
It is enough little, little bit is enough to cheer up
a simple existance...
It is an alone love, bread and wine
and a potato and cabbage broth, green
smoking in the Bowl .
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Simple yes BUt soooo true to everyone We know.

TONIGHT here in my home, I am reminded of a Doctors meeting with my famly about my fathers quickly failing health next week it will mark 25 years He left us all and my life as I knew it Changed forever. it is a deep painful hurt that HAS NOT and I suspect will never heal Till I to leave this world and in my Belief see him again.

his 12 string...his 6 string....quiet....

So with tradition in Hand in remembering those that have gone . tonights Dinner will have all the makings of my Childhood


vinho verde
Shrimp Mozembique
Meat sauted in sauce ( carne Guisada a portuguesa)
and sweet rice for dessert.


and a prayer of thanks to GOD for my family near and far.




SHRIMP MOZEMBIQUE
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Ingredients
1 lb. medium shrimp (cleaned and
shelled)
3/4 - 1 stick butter
6 cloves garlic - minced
1/4 can beer (cook gets to drink the rest!)
2 pkgs Goya Seasoning Con azafron (for
fish and seafood)
Fresh parsley
2 tsp. lemon juice
Hot sauce - to taste

Directions
Melt butter and sauté garlic for two minutes. Add Goya, shrimp, beer and parsley. Turn up heat to boil, then turn to low and cook approximately 8-10 minutes until shrimp is pink. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve over rice with Portuguese or Italian rolls to soak up the juice.
Number Of Servings: 4-6

very good with white rice.

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Carne guisada (stewed Portuguese style beef)

1/3 cup of olive oil
1 med yellow onion
2 tblsp paprika
2 cloves garlic
one small can tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
2 pounds stew meat
1 cup of white wine


water about roughly 1 cup
1 1/2 cups of green peas
2 peeled chopped in slices carrots
2 large peeled cut in cubed potatoes

in large stew Pot heat oil about 2 min add above 1st 7 ingrediants in order waiting 2 minutes in between each addition, add meat salt and pep to taste if you like heat (pepper) add hot sauce as you like. saute till meat is browned, add wine and water and vege COVER cook on low heat about an hour .

you must must have crusty bread with it !!!