Free Rice Game, Anjou Wine and Pears

This is a great little word game which also allows you to donate rice every time you play it. So do click on the free rice game to help at this time of food crisis in the world. It will also increase your knowledge of words and is fun to play and see how many you can get right. It usually re-introduces a word you get wrong so that you have a chance to remember it.

Prices of food are rising everywhere, very much due to the price of gas. It staggers me that North America has allowed itself to become so dependent on oil supplied by other countries. I talked about a hydrogen powered car the other day, and I would think they would concentrate on it and other alternate fuels although now we are being criticised for using ethanol because it comes from corn which is a food of course. We drive a 6 cylinder car which my European friends consider to be a gas guzzler. What about all these SUV's that are running around. It costs us around $50 to fill up, what on earth does it cost those owners? I don't think I want to know.

If you read the comments on this blog, you will know I was recommended to try a Cabernet d'Anjou rosé wine, I have not yet established if this is available in Canada. Researching on the net it looks as though it is available in the States - I just searched the LCBO web page and it doesn't seem to be available here at all.

Talking of things from Anjou, I get so ticked off seeing advertising for d'Anjou pears or similar items. That is actually saying "of Anjou pears" but I see it all over North America; in Canada which is a bi-lingual country (or supposed to be) that is inexcusable to me. There are, of course, many Canadians who can't speak a word of French. Québec French isn't quite the same as French French either, but "d'Anjou pears" hrmmph. Good pears mind you.

That reminds me of a dessert we have made a few times, Pears in Red Wine. It is quite a favourite of ours and very simple to make.

Pears In Red Wine
Serves: 4

Source: Time Life

4 lg pears
1/2 bottle red wine
2 tbs sugar
small piece cinnamon

Boil sugar and wine together to make syrup. Peel pears then simmer for 5 mins in syrup. Take them out and put in a glass dish. Boil the syrup to reduce, remove from heat and add cinnamon. Let it get cold. When nearly cold, pour syrup over pears and let them get cold. Remove cinnamon before serving.

Have a great day.