Silver, Pesticide, The Theatre.

We finally got round to a job we keep putting off – cleaning the silver. Had done a few pieces before we went away, but yesterday we finished off the job. It really doesn’t take that long, especially since we found a recipe for silver cleaning in Hailey’s Household Hints. You pour 1 quart of fairly warm water into a basin, 1 Tbs of Calgon or other water softener and 1 Tbs of salt then add a sheet of foil. Hey presto, you have a very good cleaning agent. The silver must come into contact with the foil and be under water for it to work, but work it does and very quickly. If you have too many curlicues on items, it doesn’t always work because you can’t get them near enough the foil. Once its all done and shining it is such a relief and everything looks so bright and nice - until next time.

I am having a few problems with, I believe, insecticide. Whilst we were away, a bug man came and sprayed the whole rental house. I started coughing a bit shortly after, then one day I was in the bathroom and leant forward to get toilet paper and there was a vent right there and the a/c came on just as I was leaning over it which blasted me with pesticide, I coughed and choked quite a while. These days I am coughing quite a bit and I have a pain in the chest.

This afternoon a friend and I are going to see a production of Twelve Angry Men at the Drayton Entertainment theatre situated in St. Jacobs, The St. Jocob’s Country Playhouse. Not too far away and as I haven’t been to the theatre all year, I am looking forward to it. Did you ever see the movie with Henry Fonda and Lee J. Cobb? A great movie. Jack Klugman was in it too I was surprised to discover. I had forgotten that.

Minestrone is a very popular soup in this part of the world and here is one I recently received in the mail.

Minestrone with White Beans and Italian Sausage

Source: Quick from Scratch - Soups and Salads

The Italian minestra refers to a variety of moderately thick soups. Minestrone is a hearty vegetable-filled minestra that often contains beans and sometimes pasta. We've omitted the pasta here but added some Italian sausage. With minestrone, it seems, there is no end to the delectable variations.
INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed

1 onion, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped
1 carrot

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

4 cups drained and rinsed canned white beans, preferably cannellini beans (from two 19-ounce cans)

10 cups water

1 cup canned diced tomatoes with their juice

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

2/3 pound spinach, stems removed and leaves washed well (about 1 1/2 quarts)

Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon.

Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine 2 cups of the beans and 2 cups of the water in a blender and puree until smooth.

Add the tomatoes, the bean puree, the remaining 8 cups water, the salt, and the pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Stir in the sausage, the remaining 2 cups beans, and the spinach. Simmer until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes. Serve the soup topped with grated Parmesan, and pass more Parmesan at the table.

Have a great day