by Madison pollard
If you’re reading this, my guess is you’re a new expat or student getting ready to move to this special little city called Murcia, and you’re looking for some information about living here. When I was first accepted to a Spanish teaching program that places North Americans across Spain, I was imagining life in an …
Salads are not for me. I’ve never been a lettuce and tomato person. However, I’m always trying to find ways to consume more vegetables. This, for me, is a major task. Especially when it comes to RAW vegetables. Stir fry, saute, olive oil, sesame oil, I can work with. But raw salad? No thanks. It’s …
I’ve mentioned in previous posts how much I enjoy being able to sit outside and eat and drink – a practice much more common in Europe than in the US. When you’re in a new place traveling or living, you can learn so much from observing while enjoying the local cuisine or street food. People …
I have always held the philosophy that you should enjoy yourself and enjoy food, within moderation. Life is too short. I had never been one to ‘diet’ or go along with something food-related in which you had to be ‘compliant’. That word was a real turn off for me when I first heard of Whole30. …
When my family came to visit me in Spain, we decided to spend half of a week in big cities and a couple of days in the smaller town of Girona. About an hour north of Barcelona, tourists flock to this destination for its infamous cathedral, featured in Game of Thrones. We thought this would …
I’ve been making this chicken carnitas recipe for years now due to its simplicity and versatility. It’s a relatively healthy recipe that is also cost effective and crowd pleasing! Earlier this week I was thinking about what recipes I could make for me and my AWESOME mom – while not going overboard with heavy ingredients. …
I’m hoping that if you’re reading this, you’re a soon-to-be expat in Murcia, Spain. You’re planning all of the details of your visa paperwork, starting to check out flats on Milanuncios, sifting through posts on the Facebook group for auxiliares in Murcia and thinking about all of the traveling you’ll do while living in Spain. …
1. Enjoying the one-of-a-kind tourist attractions I don’t throw these words around in the form of recommendations lightly. But Valencia’s ‘tourist attractions’ are probably among the cutest in the world, especially for kids. I could wait to bring these photos back to Murcia to show my students. Chances are, you’ll easily stumble across these …
Roasted and fried almonds are one of the first recipes I learned to make from my tapas bible as a kid. I still make them to this day, but with all sorts of sweet and salty variations. This particular recipe, however, is by far my favorite. It’s yet another ridiculously simple go-to recipe that’s perfect …
The Tower of Belem is on every list of things to do when you visit Lisbon, but it’s not exactly in Lisbon. Belem is actually about five miles from the vibrant, seven-hilled center and it’s its own charming little escape from the hustle and bustle. You’ll probably want to take a bus or taxi to …
I visited Valencia for the first time during Holy Week and loved it. It’s a vibrant city with just enough of a small town feel to be able to accomplish a lot in a matter of two days. Most of what I accomplished was eating. Valencia’s regional uniqueness in terms of culinary tradition lived up …
When most people think of fruity Spanish drinks, sangria comes to mind. However, if you want to live like a local, you should be sipping tinto de verano, often called ‘tinto’. Everyone has a different recipe, but it generally meets several criteria. First, it’s made with cheap red wine, that’s the deal. This is a …
So Lisbon stole my heart, pretty much right off the bat. From the moment I realized I could figure out the metro system without incident at midnight (thanks for the delayed flight, as always, Vueling). Walking through the Baixa district at night on the way to check in at my AirBnB, meeting my hilarious and …
I haven’t been writing much on The Mad Kitchen lately as I’ve been traveling for two solid weeks for the lovely holiday break of Semana Santa. I have a quite a bit to share about the travels to 5 different cities and enlightening food inspiration. But first, I feel compelled to expose a little about …
Lately, I’ve been planning a special brunch for my family who will be visiting me in Spain in two weeks! Unless you’re a close friend or family who I’ve cooked for, you might not know that I have an obsession with planning meal spreads. Not just one, but as many dishes as I can fit …
I’m 24 years old and I have officially been living in Spain for six months. As I have just submitted my application for renewal to the Auxiliares de Conversacion program in Spain, I’m realizing how much time flies. It feels as if I just arrived a month ago. And yet, I’ve been fortunate enough …
I’m always looking for new recipes to make for my vegan and vegetarian, offering more interesting and colorful options – that aren’t salad. Tofu, often cooked in panko crumbs is great – but I wanted to use something different that went well with a tropical salsa, so I went with a more coconut-heavy breading. Unsweetened …
After a couple of months of living in Spain, Halloween spirit was in full swing at the primary schools where I work. Halloween is still relatively new to Spain, only gaining major traction in the past four or five years. Seeing my friends at home get into the spirit with their costumes and parties on …
I began concocting this recipe when I learned how important a well-maintained diet is to managing thyroid disorders. I went on a bit of a health kick, as I started paying attention to my diet according to a couple of major personal health factors: Hypothyroidism and anemia (severe iron deficiency). So I finally found a …
Here’s the big secret to a lot of my latest recipes! When I first boxed up my prided kitchen in Virginia and packed my bags for Spain, one of the hardest goodbyes was to my spice collection. I knew I wouldn’t get my suitcase successfully through airport customs with a box of fifty open …