Places to see in portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa), is a unitary semi-presidential republic. It is located in South-Western Europe, on the Iberian Peninsula, and it is the westernmost country of mainland Europe, being bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east. Aside from continental Portugal, the Portuguese Republic holds sovereignty over the Atlantic archipelagos of Azores and Madeira, which are autonomous regions of Portugal. The country is named after its second largest city, Porto, whose name derives from Latin "Portus" and Celtic "Cale".

The land within the borders of the current Portuguese Republic has been continually fought over and settled since prehistoric times. The Celts and the Romans, followed by the Visigothic and Suebian domination, and the Moorish invaders, who were eventually expelled during the Reconquista. Portugal by 1139 established itself as an independent kingdom from Galicia. In the 15th and 16th centuries, as the result of pioneering the Age of Discovery, Portugal expanded western influence and established the first global empire, becoming one of the world's major economic, political and military powers, and ultimately dividing the world with Spain.
Source

Clock tower, Lisbon, Portugal



Source: http://booking.vogueresorts.com/City/Lisbon_1.htm

 


Caves in Lagos, Portuga 

 

 

Lagos Algarve, Portugal



The Forgotten Temple of Lysistrata, Portugal



Cascais - Portugal



University of Coimbra, Portugal



Arribes del Duero Natural Park, Portugal


Seaside Stone Pool, Madeira - Portugal 



TOMAR, Portugal - festa dos tabuleiros!



Umbrella Street in Portugal


Beautiful gardens


Beautiful garden

 

Where do the stairs go?!



Delightful

 

Instead of just a bench how about this little pergola??? :-) 
 
 

 

Norway's most beautiful garden?




Dinner rolls


Ingredients
  • 1 package regular dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 3/4 cup milk, scalded
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3 1/2 cups flour (approximately)
Instructions
  1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Set aside.
  2. Scald milk in microwave. I put it in a 4 cup glass measuring cup & cook on high for a couple of minutes. You want it to boil but not boil over. While milk is hot, add butter, stir it a bit until the butter melts in the hot milk. (I accidentally used a whole stick of butter today & it turned out just fine.)
  3. After milk & butter cools for a few minutes, stir the egg, salt & milk mixture into the yeast.
  4. Using a fork, stir in sugar & 2 cups flour to form a batter.
  5. Add enough additional flour to make dough easy to handle.
  6. Knead dough on floured surface for five minutes. Add additional flour, if needed. Place dough in greased bowl covered with a damp cloth, in a warm place, to rise until doubled, at least 1 hour.
  7. Punch dough down and shape into rolls. Place in greased 9x13 pan & cover & allow to rise again.
  8. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter & serve.
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Baked Zucchini Fries




Ingredients
  • 3 small zucchini, or 2 large
  • 1 cup panko crumbs
  • 2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • salt
  • ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 2 eggs

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. Start by cutting your zucchini. Cut off each end. Then cut the zucchini in half and then lengthwise. Set one piece on its end and cut it in half lengthwise. Cut that half in half. Cut that half in half. Stack the planks on top of each other and cut into strips. Lightly sprinkle with salt.
  3. Combine panko crumbs, italian seasoning, and shredded parmesan cheese in a shallow pie dish.
  4. Whisk the egg together and working in batches dip each zucchini strip into the egg and coat well in panko mixture.
  5. Set on a the cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 until lightly brown. Can be dipped in marinara sauce, ranch, or your favorite dipping sauce.
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Stromboli




Ingredients
DOUGH:
  • 1 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • ¾ cup warm water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
FILLINGS/TOPPINGS:
  • ⅓ lb. salami
  • 6 slices provolone cheese
  • ½ cup banana pepper slices
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning blend

Instructions
  1. Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar, and stir until dissolved. Let that sit for about five minutes or until it becomes frothy on top. After five minutes, stir in the olive oil and salt. Pour the yeast mixture into a large bowl and add one cup of flour. Stir until smooth.
  2. Continue to add flour, a half cup at a time, until you can no longer stir it with a spoon. At that point turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about five minutes, adding more flour as you go. Knead in flour until the dough is soft, but no longer sticky. You should use roughly 2.25 to 3 cups of flour total. Form the dough into a ball, place it back in the bowl, loosely cover it with plastic, and let it rise for 1-1.5 hours, or until double in size.
  3. Once the dough is double in size, take it out of the bowl and place it on a floured surface again. Pat the dough down into a rough rectangular shape and then gently stretch and coax the dough into a larger 12×18 inch rectangle. Stretching the dough rather than rolling it with a rolling pin will give you a fluffier end product.
  4. Arrange your toppings over the dough. Roll the dough up so that it forms an 18 inch log. Place the rolled dough on a baking sheet and brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning over top. Allow the stromboli to rise for about an hour.
  5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the stromboli for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Slice the stromboli into 12 pieces, about 1.5 inches each.
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Amazing flowers


Dew on flowers



Orange Orchids



Dragon Fruit flower


Gorgeous Purple Orchids



Gladiolus

Apple Honey Challah


Ingredients
  • 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter or nondairy margarine, plus more for bowl, pan, and plastic
  • 3 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour, plus more for surface
  • 3/4 cup warm water (100 degrees)
  • 2/3 cup honey
  • 2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (from one 1/4-ounce envelope)
  • 2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 1 1/2 tart green apples, preferably Granny Smith, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1 3/4 cups)
Instructions
  1. Butter a large bowl, and melt 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; let cool. Combine 2 tablespoons melted butter, the flour, water, 1/3 cup honey, the eggs and yolks, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes.
  2. Transfer dough to buttered bowl, and brush with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Cover with plastic. Let rise in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
  3. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Pat into an 8 1/2-by-14-inch rectangle. Top with apples; knead to incorporate. Return to bowl. Brush with remaining tablespoon melted butter; cover. Let rise again in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1 hour more.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Roll dough into a rope (about 24 inches) on a floured surface. Coil into a circle, and transfer to pan. Butter plastic wrap, and cover dough. Let rise again until dough almost doubles in volume, about 45 minutes more.
  5. Heat remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat until butter melts. Brush dough with half the honey-butter. Bake until golden brown and firm, about 35 minutes.
  6. Brush challah with the remaining honey-butter. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Turn out loaf from pan, and let cool.
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ROLO CHEESECAKE BARS




Ingredients 
Crust:
  • 3 cups of graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 sticks melted butter (16 tablespoons)
Filling:
  • beat: 2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 1c. sugar
  • 1/4c. flour
  • once smooth, add one package of mini rolos
Glaze:
  • 1 stick butter
  • 6 ounces chocolate chips.
  • 4 tsp. light corn syrup.

Instructions
  1. CRUST STIR ALL TOGETHER AND PRESS INTO A 9X13 PAN LINED WITH NONSTICK FOIL.
  2. BAKE AT 350 FOR 7-10 MINUTES AND COOL.
  3. FILLING:POUR ONTO THE COOL CRUST AND BAKE AT 350 FOR 30-35 MINUTES.
  4. LET COOL AND ADD GLAZE.
  5. GLAZE:
  6. MELT IN THE MICROWAVE:
  7. 1 STICK BUTTER & 6 OUNCES CHOCOLATE CHIPS.
  8. STIR SMOOTH AND ADD 4 TSP. LIGHT CORN SYRUP.
  9. POUR SMOOTHLY ON BARS AND CHILL OVERNIGHT.
  10. CUT WITH A BIG KNIFE! I ADDED A CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE AND A HALF A ROLO ON TOP!
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Honey-Apricot Monkey Bread Recipe



Ingredients
  • 2/3 cup apricot preserves
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 (16.3 ounce) Pillsbury Grands Honey Butter Biscuits
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 inch bundt pan or tube pan.
  2. In a small bowl combine the apricot preserves, cardamom, honey, and butter. Set aside.
  3. Open one can of biscuits and cut each biscuit into 4 equal parts. Place the biscuit pieces in the bottom of the bundt pan. Pour half of the sauce on top of the biscuits.
  4. Open the other can of biscuits and cut them into 4 equal parts. Place the biscuit pieces in the bundt pan and pour the remaining sauce on top.
  5. Bake for 30-32 minutes or until golden brown.
  6. Invert onto a serving plate and serve warm. Pull pieces off to eat.

Winter Photography


Cold winter in Sweden

Photo by Marita Toftgard



So sweet



The Love of a White Christmas



Baby it's cold outside! Winter is coming


 

 

Ice lanterns

 Source: http://pictureperfectforyou.tumblr.com/post/37629651400



Omg - so cute!


Sock snowmen




You'll need the following:
  • 1- white sock.  Use one that has a mid-calf or knee high tube on the top.
  • decorative socks (the argyle ankle socks shown plus many other styles are at Target for $1)
  • Rice for filler
  • twine or ribbon
  • rubberbands
  • buttons
  • something for the nose (I used the top of a bbq stick that I painted orange)
For full instructions please visit: http://www.darkroomanddearly.com/2011/12/10th-day-of-christmas-sock-snowmen.html

Inspiring florals


Ferns and Mushrooms

 
 
 
 
Dahlia 
 
 
 

ladybug on pink and white flower

 

 

 


Japanese Chrysanthemum
 
 
 Source: http://our-amazing-world.tumblr.com/post/87971376446/japanese-chrysanthem-amazing-world-beautiful




Geissorhiza-radians






Beautiful Rose 

Old architecture


Sant Antoni, Barcelona, Catalonia





Ornate



Beautiful art nouveau architecture in Paris


 




Old church



Old Staircase in an Abandoned House in France


 


 

Wind Tower 

 

Wind Tower (A cooling tower – ancient air-conditioner) Borujerdi House, Kashan, Iran The Borujerdi House is a famous landmark and sample of Persian traditional residential architecture.







Balcony from Pakistan


 





Abandoned Juvenile Detention Facility, Concord, North Carolina



lobster & cream cheese wontons




Ingredients
  • 8 oz. cream cheese or neufchatel
  • 8 oz. imitation lobster or crab
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ bunch green onions
  • 1 pkg (42) wonton wrappers
  • ½ tsp sriracha hot sauce
  • as needed non-stick spray

Instructions
  1. In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, green onion, egg and Sriracha until well combined. Add the lobster and break the chunks up slightly as you stir it in.
  2. Get a small bowl of water to help seal the edges of the wonton wrappers. Working in groups of about 6 wontons at a time, place about one teaspoon of the cheese filling in the center of each wonton square. Using your fingers, wet the wrapper all along the four sides. Fold them diagonally corner to corner and pinch the wrapper together to seal. Try to squeeze the air out as you make the first fold. Bring the two opposite points of the triangle together around front and squeeze together to seal. See the photos below to see how this is done.
  3. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Working in groups of about 8-10 wontons, drop them into the boiling water and remove them once they begin to float (about 3 minutes). Place the boiled wontons on a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet so the excess water can drain off. The wontons skins should now look nice and transparent.
  4. Once all of the wontons have been boiled, heat a large non-stick skillet coated with non-stick spray oil over medium-high heat. When it is nice and hot, place about 8 wontons in at a time. “Fry” the wontons on each side until they are golden brown, blistered and crispy in some spots. You may need to spray more non-stick spray as you go, it will help crisp up the wontons.
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Chocolate Italian Love Cake





Ingredients
  • 1 package chocolate cake mix (I recommend using Betty Crocker brand), and the ingredients needed to make the cake according to the package
  • 2 lbs. ricotta cheese
  • 4 eggs
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 (5.1 oz.) package instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 1 cup cold milk
  • 8 oz. Cool Whip

Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350*F and spray a 9×13 inch pan with nonstick spray.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together your cake mix according to the directions on the box. Set aside.
  3. In another bow, using a hand mixer, beat together the ricotta cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
  4. *The following directions are correct. The layers switch during the baking time!
  5. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Spread to fill the pan evenly. Once the cake batter is in place, carefully pour the cheese mixture evenly over the top of the cake batter. Spread to cover the cake batter as best as you can.
  6. Bake the cake at 350* for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.
  7. Once the cake is cool, stir the pudding mix and milk together with a whisk until combined. Carefully, fold the Cool Whip into the pudding until combined.
  8. Spread the pudding mixture over the top of the cooled cake. Cover the cake and refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving. It tastes even better the next day.

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Flowers in spring

Spring perfume in the garden

 


Spring Tulips




Drumstick Allium





Peony






Kentlands, Spring Flowers


 

Lilies of the Valley

 

 

Source: http://ginger-xanadu.deviantart.com/art/Lilies-of-the-Valley-165364100

 


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