Vacation

This family and I just got back (well, two days ago) from a short vacation in the Pyrenees mountains. Such a lovely time! Though, I did eat, more or less, whatever I wanted. A good sign, however, is that much of the time I found myself wanting more healthful foods. But the down side is that even when I do attempt to order something that, in theory, should be healthful, it's always drenched in oil! This is my biggest beef with Spain, is that everything is cooked in oil. And not just a tiny bit, mind you, but loads of it! Hey, I am a fan of olive oil, but just a bit, drizzled onto my food after it has been prepared. At just about any restaurant here in Spain, one has the option of ordering the Menu of the Day during lunch hours during the week (and often on the weekend, at a higher price). This always includes a first and a second, and usually bread, a drink, and a dessert (occasionally the drink or the bread will be extra), and costs somewhere between 8 and 15 Euros, depending on the city and the amount of tourists. So on vacation, I ordered green beans as a first, and grilled squid as a second. But I had to scrape the oil off of the squid with my fork. Come ON, certainly there's a way to cook it without all of the oil. Hmph, and as a result of my increased oil consumption of late (this family likes to cook with it, too), my stomach has really been hurting, and well, you know the kind of uncomfortable problems that leads to. :(
Boneless, skinless chicken breast. Sirloin steak, pork chops. All of these can be cooked on the stove top WITHOUT any oil or butter or what-have-you. I do it all the time. Sure, the flavor isn't as strong, but that is why we have so many spices at our disposal. I'm happy with a bit of salt and pepper on my chicken. I want to taste the chicken, not the oil. UFFFF!
Okay, rant over. Vacation WAS lovely. On Friday we went on this cool excursion through the mountains, about 7 hours walking, though much of the time it was at the little girl's pace, so it wasn't strenuous at all. That's alright, though. I'm not a fan of breaking a sweat if it can be avoided. I was really proud of Maider (the little girl), though. She walked a lot of the way on her own, what a champ! Then that night, we ate at a really nice restaurant, and I had the most delicious steak of my life. I used to get my steaks well-cooked, but of late I have been more interested in eating them rare. Don't ask me what has happened to my palate...I used to be a picky eater, and now I'll eat (or at least try) almost anything. I try not to turn my nose up until I'm sure I don't like it, and even then I give it a few goes. I'm still trying to like pimientos de padrón (a very popular side dish here, which are basically these little grilled peppers, some of them are hot, some not; it's a surprise), so I have one or two each time, and I can only assume that eventually my taste buds will adjust. Hey, I didn't always love wine. I had to make myself like it! Seems a bit silly, I know. But I think it's easier to just like everything than to have to tell someone "Well, I don't like this or this or this so don't cook it for me, please." I'm happy that I can tell this family that "I like everything." It's also much more convenient for me that I now like (almost) all veggies. A positive change in my gastronomical world.
Oh, I also tried snails for the first time on Saturday night. Interesting. I liked them, and ate a number, though it's not something that I would probably order on my own. A few weeks ago I ate stuffed sheep's intestine. And liked it. My parents (especially my Dad) would be so proud. Well, my Mom would probably be disgusted, but proud nonetheless. :)
Alright. Got some lessons to plan. When I say lessons, I mean that I have to think of some conversation topics, and that's about it. I have a number of classes later today. Also, I'm probably boring you to tears. Have a good one, whoever you are.