Spain, a Unity in Diversity exploration: Un blog perro celebra España

The history of Spain spans the period from prehistoric Iberia, through the rise and fall of a global empire, to the recent history of Spain as a member of the European Union.

PAELLA

1/3 cup of Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, minced
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
3-5 tbsps minced fresh parsley
1 generous pinch of saffron
2 tbsps of chicken bullion
3 skinless Chicken Breasts, cut in large chunks
2 green peppers, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 tsp of yellow food coloring (optional -- saffron is very expensive, a pinch
of it is all you need for taste but a richer color is desired)
8 oz tomatoe sauce
1 tsp sugar
4 cups of rice
7 cups of water
salt
1/2 lb - 1 lb shrimp, leave shell on
1 lb scallops

Saute onion, parsley, and garlic in olive oil until the onion begins to become transparent. Add saffron, chicken bullion, chicken, peppers and saute until chicken has become white. Add tomatoe sauce, sugar, food coloring. Stir. Add rice & water and bring to boil. Salt to taste. Boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp & scallops, boil an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Simmer 10 minutes covered, stirring occasionally. If the rice appears to be getting too dry during the last 10 minutes, add more water. If the rice is too wet at the end of the 10 minutes, uncover and evaporate unwanted liquid.

 Spanish Flan

"Flan" is the Spanish name for vanilla egg custard, topped with caramel sauce. It is a Spanish classic and one of the most popular desserts, served everywhere in Spain. Flan makes a great finish to any meal because even though it is sweet, it is a light dessert. Because it is made in ramekins or a baking dish and not removed until it's time to eat, it "travels" well in an ice chest. Just cover tightly with plastic wrap while en route and un-mold when ready to serve!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup blanched almonds for garnish (optional)
sprig of mint for garnish (optional)

The Spanish flag is a red and yellow horizontal triband (the yellow stripe is in the middle, and is twice as tall as each red band). A simplified version of Spain's coat of arms is pictured on the yellow band, towards the hoist side. The height of this flag is two-thirds the width. Spain's flag was officially adopted on December 19, 1981.

American Cocker Spaniel

While its initial origins are unknown, "spaynels" are mentioned in 14th century writings.[1] It is commonly assumed that they originated in Spain and Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York in his 15th century work The Master of Game introduces them as "Another kind of hound there is that be called hounds for the hawk and spaniels, for their kind cometh from Spain, notwithstanding that there are many in other countries."

 English Cocker Spaniel

Cocker Spaniel refers to two different breeds of dogs of the Spaniel dog type: the American Cocker Spaniel and the English Cocker Spaniel, both of which are commonly called simply Cocker Spaniels in their countries of origin.

Spanish Mastiff

The Spanish Mastiff can be very protective of people and property. They are also not affectionate or overly loving even with their families. The breed will attack unwelcome guests and will not like other guests until the dog realizes the new people are not a threat. The females of the breed are usually more intelligent, but the males are more affectionate. Even though they do not act like it, they do not want to be away from their owner and will constantly follow their owners around. Despite this apparent devotion, Spanish Mastiffs will sometimes not listen to their owners and will attack visitors. They will give strong warnings before attacking unlike some guard dogs.  Additionally, they always act lazy and are not playful but are always alert. Without extensive training and socialization from a very early age, Spanish Mastiffs will be aggressive and will not trust most dogs or people. Because they are a very dominant breed, they need a good leader.  Generally, they will do well around people and animals they have always been around but are definitely not trustworthy around new people or animals.

Pachon Navarro

The Pachon Navarro is a Spanish hunting dog (also known as: Old Spanish Pointer; Perdiguero Navarro; Navarro Pointer; and, Pachon De Victoria), has the unusual feature of a split or double nose. It is believed that this unusual nose gives this dog extra sensitivity to smells, a primary reason it was chosen as a hunting dog.

Spanish Water Dog

Seeing the photos you think that SWDs look like cuddly teddy bears! And indeed, that is what many people meeting them can be fooled into thinking! However, they are full of drive and energy, not at all the 'couch-potato' dog for an owner who doesn't have the time to train or work them, and not really suited to town living. They must be socialised very early, in common with many other gundogs, both with people and other dogs to ensure they become balanced adults.

They are also very quick to learn, both good and bad habits, and will take full advantage of any weakness the owner shows, with the result that they can easily learn to rule the roost! Harsh training methods do not suit them, they respond very well to positive training, personally I use clicker training with toys and food as rewards for both obedience and agility training.) They can be very protective, especially of their favourite member of the family, so this guarding trait must also be appreciated...they also like nothing better than a cuddle!

 Spanish Greyhound

The Galgo Español (Spanish Galgo) or Spanish greyhound is an ancient breed of dog, specifically a member of the sighthound family. Despite being called a "greyhound", the Spanish Galgo is not closely related to the (English) Greyhound, the lineages of the two breeds being different. However, for a short period in the 20th century, some breeders did cross-breed Galgos and Greyhounds in order to produce faster Galgos, specifically for track racing purposes.

The Galgo was named for the Gauls, a tribe of Celts, who inhabited the Iberian Peninsula 400–600 BC. The Galgo breed was probably a result of the dogs brought by the Celts on their migration through the peninsula mixed with dogs brought by traders who did business with the Celts. In the intervening centuries, it is likely that other sighthound breeds were interbred to produce the Galgo that we know today. Galgos are great endurance runners and are routinely used in Spain to hunt rabbits and hares.

Lastly and sadly and with great grief I must report that: following the end of the hunting season most of these animals are abandoned or killed, often being hung from trees. It is common practice for the galgos that hunted successfully to be hung from higher branches so that they die relatively quickly. Dogs that performed badly are hung from the lower branches so that their feet just touch the ground resulting in a long drawn out death.^[2].