Fruitcakes are often associated with the Christmas season and it has this "infamy" of lasting months after the Yuletide season has "come and go". Indeed it's true as we still have half a loaf of it in the fridge - lol. Usually I just slice and toast it to make it more appealing but I don't know what came over me that I suddenly got an idea of making a smoothie out of it.I just crumbled some of the fruitcake over my usual smoothie combo of milk, sugar and crushed ice. It was surprisingly good for it has the usual freshness of any smoothie and the essence of the fruitcake. Of course, there was the tinge of wine that makes it more than the usual ice cold quencher not only on a hot summer afternoon but in times when you crave for something out of the box!
A stones throw away from the plaza of La Villa de Arevalo is an ancestral house where one can find not only good pasalubong items but also a look into the past of the district. Known as the Sinamay House , this well preserved ancestral house is an attraction not only in the outside but also what it houses inside. A collection of what the past like is housed in the two storey edifice which also acts like a museum of sorts. Sinamay is simply known as abaca by most and, here, a variety of products made from this fiber can be found. I remember watching a feature on tv wherein the owner proudly showed a framed letter signed by the late Princess of Wales, Diana, showing her appreciation of the handkerchief she was given as a gift coming from this very shop. But the attraction I am most familiar with are the chewies and crunchies made by Mama's Kitchen. Attractively packed in boxes showing their current flavours and variety, this is among the better...