My little friend Maria

aw,bless..she looks great for her age,Gattina..hope she has many years to come,although you said she was ready to meet her maker.She seems to still have a twinkle in those eyes ... reminds me so much of my Grandma..small,same hairstyle..and lots of character in her face..:o)

Lovely :o)

She is like my Mum. She doesn't look ready to me to emigrate to another planet. I kiss her hand with love and admiration.

Maria looks feisty...The sort of Mama that is quick with a tea towel.

Aah, Costas, that is so sweet! I shall do my best to explain to her how so many people know about her and pass on your lovely comments. I'm not sure she will even know about computers.
Pimpernel - Spot on! Don't stand too close.

Bet she isn't a 'Dolmio' mama,either ! Lol.

What a wonderful old lady! I learn plenty of things from people around here to do with regional ingredients for cooking etc, but I'll bet your Maria knows bookfuls of stuff! Lol Bloomer! I can hear the crash of a shattering jar from here!

ha ha,Nariz...me too :o))

wonderful photo of a lovely lady. it reminded me of my gran.

She's lovely Gattina and reminds me of my grandads sister who was probly over 90 when she died. I was only a girl then , but I remember so clearly going to their home in Lowestoft every year for our hols. She always had her pinny on and big thick socks.

Actually, Nariz & Bloomer, she isn't really an expert cook - I'm sure she does what she knows well, but the menu is very limited, and certainly not to our taste.

Ah well,neither am I..as long as they eat what I make..which they do,with gusto,and not just to be polite,judging by the empty plates :o))

Again .. (you're going to be fed up with me repeating your life!) the menu of this region is very limited with the most usual dishes being cocidos - stews, of pork, chick peas, lentils and cabbage. Probably dating from times of hardship and the fact of most people working on their land all day, so stews could virtually get on with themselves. Haute cuisine it is NOT! Good job Partner and I can cook up a storm! :o)

Ditto, Nariz, ditto, although there is a very useful phrase for all occasions which I trot out now and again;-

"Gli dico cos'a fare, e lui lo fa!"
(I tell him what to do, and he does it)

In the kitchen, in the garden, at the market, on the roads..... ;o))
We bought ourselves a slow cooker for the summer months, and we leave an iron casserole on top of the woodburner in winter - saves a fortune in gas and electricity. Very few people here use an electric oven, and in fact, ours is pre-programmed to turn itself off after 90 minutes on the assumption that you must have made a mistake to leave it on for so long! Very annoying when you want to bake things like Christmas cakes.

Oven cooking is quite rare for the older generation here too. Love the sound of the casserole on the wood-burner! Our wood burning fire is enclosed in a 'chimney breast' so not possible for us, but I do have a very old frying pan in which we roast chestnuts over the flames while roasting our faces as well! Apart from that I try to use the oven in an organised way ie; have bread proving ready to go into a hot oven when the roast is taken out, or cook two different stews in the oven at the same time and freeze one.

Yup, me too! I must be part of the older generation, then.

Wonderful pic! :)

Wow, get to meet the infamous Maria. We have a big Italian population in NJ and some of the best Italian food. I'm not a big fan of red sauce (gravy as they say) but do love Italian food. Sounds like some primitive cooking and I can't imagine how you do it.

Yes, it can be pretty primitive, and I think it's called "Cucina povera" You adopt, adapt and eat! It's amazing how one becomes used to making the best of things, and if you manage it properly, it can be wonderful. Just not ALWAYS. Aw, come on, Regina, surely not "INfamous"? She's a really lovely, funny, feisty, strong, original, intelligent old lady. I tried explaining to her the other day about you wanting to kiss her hand, Costas, and she gave me a very dirty look. I have the feeling she thinks I have been trying to sell her into white slavery.

hello grandma maria, nice meetin u!! more long life is what i wish to u, god bless u!!

With great sorrow, I have to tell you that my lovely friend Maria died during the week. Her funeral was on Wednesday. She was always berating Jesus for not coming to fetch her sooner, so let us all hope she is in a happier place now. I shall miss her dreadfully.

RIP your lovely friend Maria ... xxx

So sorry you have lost your lovely close friend Maria,Gattina.. I hope she is where she wanted to be too,and if so,she will be watching out for you,with love ..xxx