Unity In Diversity

Unless you live in a cave ( and it's OK if you do) you've probably heard that the World Cup Football (soccer to us in the USA) tournament is going on. It's being hosted by South Africa and Maxmom in South Africa is hosting a wonderful event Unity in Diversity.



I'm afraid that in our household the sports we follow most closely are chasing glow balls, competitive stick chewing, tug of war and of course water retrieving and who can splash the most water on the floor.

We wanted to take part in this worthwhile event but not having a favorite in the competition we needed to choose a country to root for. We are, after all, The Portuguese Water Blog and we have eight Portuguese Water Dogs in the household, so we chose PORTUGAL.



Portugal is located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It's bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and south and by Spain on the north and east. The islands of Madeira and The Azores are part of Portugal.



Portuguese Water Dogs were used on the fishing boats until they were replaced by technology. Portugal is still one of the countries with the highest fish consumption per capita.



I've chosen to offer a Portuguese recipe for you today.

These delicious Portuguese-American muffins are served at the Cafe Sintra, a Portuguese restaurant in Oregon. The owner of the cafe named them Bom Dia. "good morning" in Portuguese, because his customers love to order them with their morning coffee. This recipe was published in the Los Angeles Times, reader request column, on October 1, 2003.



Bom Dia Muffins

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium)
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup coconut, shredded
1 cup granny smith apple, grated skin on (about 2 small)
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
Add the carrots, walnuts, coconut and apple. Mix together.

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, oil and vanilla.
Add the egg mixture to the large bowl and stir until just combined.

Bake in muffin tins greased or lined with paper liners, in a 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.



Enjoy !


GO PORTUGAL !!!!