La Traviata, Cheetah's, Weight Loss,

Watched La Traviata from La Scala in Milan last night. We are both very familiar with the music, but have never seen it performed before. We thoroughly enjoyed it although the morality of the play is so very outmoded in this day and age. I wanted to tell Alfredo's dad to "stuff it". Of course, when it was written, you couldn't argue much if you were a "fallen woman". As the cast and everything else was written in Italian, I really don't know who was in it. Luckily they did have English subtitles during the performance. I don't like subtitles per se, but for opera I need them.

On GMA this morning saw a segment on a woman who is 'saving cheetahs' in Namibia. Laurie Marker is fighting to save these wonderful animals from extinction. Once there were 100,000 cheetahs, 100 years later the population has been decimated by 90%. Go to this page to read her story and to GMA's Webiste to see the video. It is also being broadcast on Nightline tonight. It is a wonderful story and it took Matt and I back to when we visited the cheetahs at The African Lion Safari in Rockton, Ontario. I told our story on December 27, 2007. We haven't been to the African Lion Safari in a while and I have been nattering about going back for a visit soon.

There is, apparently, a new drug coming along, which will help both obesity and diabetes. Oh if only. It will be a good 10 years before its approved for human use, so it probably won't help me much, but from what they say about it, it will be something of a wonder drug. On GMA there is a video about it as well as an article for GMA's website to see/read both. I want it now, I want it now.

Last night we were both anti cooking and after bowling I was hot and tired, so we opened up a can of salmon and had salad. Wish I had known about this recipe before. Talking of canned foods, I didn't realise until last night, that Green Giant Niblets have quite a lot of sugar in them. Salt I knew, but sugar? Just shows you, we need to read labels. I don't use a lot of canned or prepared foods of any kind, I never have, even when we were both working, I mostly don't like the taste, nothing beats fresh vegetables.

Lemony Lentil Salad with Salmon
Eating Well

Makes 6 servings, 1 cup each

⅓ cup lemon juice
⅓ cup chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup diced seedless cucumber
½ cup finely chopped red onion
2 15-ounce cans lentils, rinsed, or 3 cups cooked brown or green lentils (see Tip)
2 7-ounce cans salmon, drained and flaked, or 1 ½ cups flaked cooked salmon

Whisk lemon juice, dill, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Add bell pepper, cucumber, onion, lentils and salmon; toss to coat.

Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

Tip: To cook lentils: Place in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until just tender, about 20 minutes for green lentils and 30 minutes for brown. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Have a great day.

Wine Cups, Jamie Again, Jacksons Again

Our dinner party went very well on Saturday evening. Everything tasted good. Our guests brought a huge carrot cake and some fruit salad for dessert, I now have lots of carrot cake in the freezer. They also brought us an interesting present. Earthenware Wine Cups made by Barbara Taylor of Earth Works Pottery for more of her pottery the principle of these wine cups is that they smooth out the wine by absorbing the acidity. As pointed out on the blurb, wine was always stored in earthenware originally, that was all they had. A suggested taste test is to pour wine into a glass and some into the cups and then after 10 seconds compare the wine in the glass and then in the cups. There was a noticeable improvement.

This is about Eat to Save Your Life which is part of the Food Fights series by Jamie Oliver. Last night we watched and saw 18 volunteers have their food choices explained to them one girl was bathed in oil to first show her how much fat she ate over a given period and then how much fat some of the others ate. Some of the volunteers were put on treadmills. They were put through MRIs and all kinds of other tests. Jamie had a doctor and a nutritionist on hand as part of the programme. One man, obviously overweight, was shown that his liver was highly fatty and told he was at risk for heart disease. Jamie then demonstrated with a regular goose liver and a 'foie gras' which is the liver of a goose which has been force fed to become fatty. Seeing the two livers together I was quite shocked. Jamie then cut off a piece and sautéed it in a pan with no oil or anything. In a short space of time it was producing its own oil. He then showed another pan where the piece of liver had shrunk right down, but there was masses fat in the pan. I like foie gras when I can get hold of it. Jamie says he never serves it, maybe I should never eat it again even if doing so is very rare. I just came across an article in an English paper which said Chicago had banned goose liver. It didn't say why.

I see Joe Jackson, Michaell Jackson's father and his sister Latoya are now saying that Michael was murdered in order to get hold of his money!! Not sure what they are basing this story on. Still no toxicology report, it will be awhile I suppose. To me Joe Jackson looks like a Mafioso, maybe he is studying to achieve that look. There is an interview with him on TV tonight, I will NOT be watching it.

Shortly after the following recipe was posted in Food and Drink, I asked a friend at work who was really good at cake making, to make this recipe for herself and family or friends (she entertains a lot) with the request that she bring me one slice. Much to my horror she brought me the whole cake which I of course really couldn't shouldn't eat. Luckily the rest of my colleagues had no such inhibitions and I could enjoy my slice without too many feeling of guilt. It really is a fabulous carrot cake.

Honey Butter Carrot Cake With Toasted Pecans and Citrus Cream Cheese Icing

Spring 2003
By: Marilyn Bentz-Crowley and Joan Mackie

This classic carrot cake is simply the best. See Carrot Bundt Cake variation below.

Cake
Butter or nonstick spray
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground clove or allspice
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
3/4 cup (175 mL) butter, softened
1/2 cup (125 mL) honey
2 eggs
1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla
3 cups (750 mL) finely grated carrot
1 apple, peeled and grated
1 cup (250 mL) toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

Icing
One 250 g package regular cream cheese
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, softened
2 tbsp (25 mL) honey
2 tbsp (25 mL) finely grated orange, lemon or lime zest (or a mixture of all three)
2 tsp (10 mL) lemon juice
4 to 5 cups (1 to 1.25 L) sifted icing sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Butter two 9-inch (23-cm) layer pans or coat with nonstick spray; line bottom with circle of parchment or waxed paper. Stir flour with baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.
3. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter until lighter in colour and slightly fluffy. Slowly beat in honey, then eggs, one at a time. Beat in sugar and vanilla.
4. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in thirds, stirring until just absorbed. Stir in carrots, apple and pecans.
5. Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake in oven centre for 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into cake centre comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes; then turn out to finish cooling on rack.
6. To make icing, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in butter, then honey, zest and lemon juice. Gradually add icing sugar until thick enough for spreading. Spread between stacked layers, then over sides and top. Sprinkle with any extra zest or chopped pecans.

Serves 8 to 12

Variation: Bundt Carrot Cake

Make cake batter. Butter a 10-inch (3-L) bundt pan or coat with cooking spray. Evenly spoon in batter and smooth top. Bake in oven centre for 55 to 60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into cake centre comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes; then turn out to finish cooling on rack. Make only a half recipe of icing. Spread over cooled cake. Sprinkle with extra zest or chopped pecans.

Have a great day.