Movies and Snow

Saturday night we watched a delightful movie called A Dog Named Christmas about a young man who was somewhat challenged mentally, but was a whiz with all animals and how he persuaded a whole town to 'adopt a dog for Christmas'. We both very much enjoyed the movie. It is, of course, a slightly magical story and well worth watching. Last night, I got tired of reading and decided to finish watching Camelot on my laptop. As usual I ended up crying my eyes out, I am such a cry baby. It is one of my favourite films and I think Richard Harris did a fantastic job as King Arthur, its such a pity he is no longer with us. Having read the Camulod Chronicles by Jack Whyte, I much prefer his version of the story, but I still love the old story as told in the movie or in the original Morte d'Arthur which I first read when I was about 10 or even a little younger, I was in the sick bay at school at the time but I don't remember what I had. Possibly chicken pox. Another movie I will have to watch in the next few days is Miracle on 34th Street. I finally got a copy of it last year, VHS unfortunately, but at least I won't have to hunt for it on TV during the season. Christmas isn't Christmas to me without watching that particular movie. I like both versions, the original and the newer one. The one I actually bought was the newer one with Richard Attenborough. This morning, December 1st, we finally got some snow. Not much you understand, but enough to lie on the ground and give everywhere a light dusting. For us, that's is very late in the year, normally we have had snow for a couple of weeks by now. I love the way the Portuguese prepare cod and I found this recipe from Food TV this morning in an email from them. Portuguese Cod Casserole Ricardo Larrivée and Friends Yield: 6 Ingredients * 2 onions, thinly sliced * 2 tablespoons olive oil * 2 clove garlic, finely chopped * 4 cups potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced on a mandolin * 3 plum tomatoes (such as Roma tomatoes), sliced * 1/4 cup oil-cured black olives, drained, pitted and finely chopped * 2 pounds fresh cod fillets * 1 cup chicken broth * salt and pepper Directions 1. Soak a 3-litre (3-quart) terracotta baking dish and its cover in water for about 15 minutes. If you are not using a terracotta dish, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) with the rack in the middle position (see note). 2. In a skillet over medium heat, caramelize the onions in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute. Set aside. 3. Remove the terracotta dish and cover from the water. 4. Cover the bottom of the dish with one quarter of the potato slices. Add half the tomatoes and olives. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with another quarter of the potatoes. Cover with the onion and garlic mixture. Cover with another quarter of the potatoes, and then lay the fish on top. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with the remaining potatoes, tomatoes and olives. Add the broth. Adjust the seasoning. 5. Cover the dish and place it in the centre of the oven. Turn the oven on to 200°C (400°F). Bake until the potatoes are tender, about 1 1/4 hours. Let stand for 15 minutes and serve. 6. *Note: If you do not have a terracotta dish, you can use any ovenproof covered baking dish. In that case, preheat the oven and reduce the cooking time to about 1 hour. Have a great day.