Ladies in the News, Haiti, Bob and Jimmy.

Shortly after their engagement, it was announced that William’s fiancée, Kate Middleton, wished to be known as Katherine in future. I notice in North America, at least, no-one is taking any notice of her request. This morning they were talking about the wedding on GMA and interviewing someone in Britain who stressed this point and then called her Kate himself. One thing I had forgotten, once she is married her official title will be Princess William,  which tradition always seemed odd to me. Mind you most people don’t take much notice, Diana was really Princess Charles, but you never heard anyone use that title. Reports say William will soon be given a Dukedom, I wonder which one? The couple have been offered accommodation at Buckingham Palace which I wonder about after their expressed wishes to live simply without servants, etc. etc.

Betty White was on TV this morning, she was 89 yesterday and is certainly very lively and fit and constantly working. Betty White has lots of energy and is very funny off stage as well as on. She assures everyone she is milking her birthday for all she can get. Quite an incredible woman. Someone suggested they would like a date with Betty and would love to drink a glass of red wine with her, she said OK but did they mind if she had vodka. I have to add here that I bowl every week with a woman who is 96 and who, I am assured, bowls twice a week, line dances and plays ping pong (table tennis). I should be that fit at my age.

Sadly we have a funeral to go to today, the mother of a close friend. She made it to 94 and certainly still had clarity of mind right up to the end if not the greatest health in the last year or so. Clarity of mind in the elderly is so very important. Then last night I heard of another friend who is riddled with cancer and only 58; I wish her the very best.

I must say news like this makes me wonder why I bother worrying about my weight etc. Betty White eats hot dogs and hamburgers regularly she says. Mind you she is NOT carrying excess weight, not an ounce.

I have spoken before about Matt’s reluctance to visit Mexico which he thinks sounds a very dangerous place, there is a new report from a Canadian couple who were arrested on New Year’s Eve and she claims she was gang raped by the cops. Obviously, I don’t know, but I tend to believe it because of all the horror stories we have been hearing from Mexico lately. http://tinyurl.com/4lmgcot

Then there is the news that Baby Doc Duvalier has gone back to Haiti after 25 years, no-one is quite sure why, but my guess is due to all the political unrest at the moment he is hoping to seize power once again. If that is so, and he manages it, God help the Haitians. In a report last night, they point out that the young people don’t remember the horrors of the Duvalier regimes, dad and son. There is a new museum which shows what their time was like and all the atrocities committed in their names which they hope will awaken these young people.

After the depressing news, a friend sent me a link to a YouTube video of Bob Hope and Jimmy Cagney demonstrating their versatility and how well rounded they were even at 52 and 56 years old.

Jimmy and Bob

Continuing with Eating Well’s healthy eating theme, here is a Vietnamese type recipe which contains lots of things I like, especially rice noodles.

Vietnamese Tofu-Noodle Lettuce Wraps

From EatingWell:  March/April 2009

Here we toss rice noodles with crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs, tofu and a light, sweet, tart and salty Vietnamese dressing flavored with fish sauce and wrap the mixture in lettuce leaves. For a vegetarian version, use reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari in place of the fish sauce. Pass the mixture, lettuce leaves and sauce separately so everyone can make their own wraps.

4 servings, 2 wraps each

Ingredients

2 ounces thin rice noodles, or rice sticks (see Note)

1/4 cup water

5 teaspoons fish sauce, (see Note)

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

8 ounces firm or extra-firm seasoned tofu, thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks

1 cup snow peas, trimmed and very thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

8 large leaves green-leaf lettuce

Preparation

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add rice noodles (or rice sticks) and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Gently squeeze noodles to remove most of the water.
2. Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup water, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and crushed red pepper to taste in a small bowl.
3. Coarsely chop the noodles and combine in a large bowl with tofu, carrot, snow peas, basil and mint. Pour the sauce over the salad and toss to combine. To serve, spoon about 1/2 cup salad onto each lettuce leaf and roll up.

Nutrition

Per serving : 197 Calories; 6 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 0 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 23 g Carbohydrates; 14 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 747 mg Sodium; 147 mg Potassium

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat

Tips & Notes

• Ingredient notes: Dried thin rice noodles (or rice sticks) are also called “bun” or “vermicelli-style” rice noodles. Look for them in the Asian section of well-stocked super markets or an Asian-foods market.
• Fish sauce is a pungent Southeast Asian condiment made from salted, fermented fish. Find it in the Asian section of large supermarkets and in Asian specialty markets.

Have a great day