Movies, Logbooks,

Last night I watched Inglourious Basterds. I loved it, what an excellent movie. A fairy story in as much the German high commend were all killed at the end of the film, which did not happen so that was a bit silly, but the movie itself was good and very well done, I did so want the baddie, Col. Hans Landa played by Christopher Waltz, to get his comeuppance and I sure didn't want some people to die, but I thought it was very well done and a film I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone. However, that being said, Matt couldn't get on with it as there are lots of German and French scenes necessitating subtitles and Matt hates subtitles. It helps that I speak French anyway, albeit somewhat rustily these days, but I didn't find the subtitles distracting at all, which I have to say, I usually do. I tried to watch the Mel Gibson movie The Passion of the Christ and there was no way I could get on with it, mainly because of the subtitles. I rented Inglourious Basterds from iTunes which I am finding a great way to see movies. I have one more current rental to see, The Time Traveller's Wife. I read the book a long time ago, so will be interested to see what they make of it. Hey, we don't have a doctor's appointment today, what went wrong. Just got bowling this afternoon which is pleasure not duty. So far we only have one medical appointment next week although at the end of the month I have two appointments and both really for the same thing, blood pressure. However, it has tumbled to very low numbers so I am a happy camper. Do you know, we bought our monitor some time ago and the logbook provided is almost full up so I had to phone around everywhere I could think of plus search the web, can I find a source of new long books, no way. How ridiculous, what are you supposed to do once the log book is filled up, buy a new monitor? I don't think so. I can get log books all over the place for my glucometer but not, apparently, for our BP monitor. In the end I downloaded a little programme, for free, from SoundTells where I can chart the results and print up graphs as and when I want to. Actually this seems to be a good site to get all kinds of charts, glucose monitor charts and weight trackers amongst them. I have a secret I want to write about, but can't do so until Monday. Matt will tell you, I'm not good at secrets. There is also a bit of a funny about me being a tad stupid. Well, if I plan to go bowling I had better get on this morning. Eating Well are promoting salads in their latest email and as I love spinach in salads I thought I would share theirs with you. They have also been promoting TexMex which I find pretty boring, such recipes are usually all fire and to us, not all that enjoyable. Bit like all Greek recipes have to have Feta!!! Spinach Salad with Japanese Ginger Dressing From EatingWell: September/October 2008 This spinach salad tossed with spunky ginger dressing was inspired by the iceberg salads served at Japanese steakhouses across the U.S. Add shrimp for lunch or a light supper. 4 servings Ingredients •3 tablespoons minced onion •3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil •2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar •1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger •1 tablespoon ketchup •1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce •1/4 teaspoon minced garlic •1/4 teaspoon salt •Freshly ground pepper, to taste •10 ounces fresh spinach, (see Note) •1 large carrot, grated •1 medium red bell pepper, very thinly sliced Preparation 1.Combine onion, oil, vinegar, ginger, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender. Process until combined. 2.Toss spinach, carrot and bell pepper with the dressing in a large bowl until evenly coated. Nutrition Per serving : 135 Calories; 11 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 5 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 9 g Carbohydrates; 3 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 407 mg Sodium; 559 mg Potassium 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 2 fat Tips & Notes •Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the dressing (Step 1) for up to 5 days. •Note: Baby spinach is immature or young spinach—it's harvested earlier than large-leaved mature spinach. We like the sturdy texture of mature spinach in cooked dishes and serve tender, mild-flavored baby spinach raw or lightly wilted. Baby and mature spinach can be used interchangeably in these recipes (yields may vary slightly); be sure to remove the tough stems from mature spinach before using. •Weights & Measures •10 ounces trimmed mature spinach=about 10 cups raw •10 ounces baby spinach=about 8 cups raw Have a great day