Cleaning, Stress Test, Coffee Jam?

Tuesday morning, the sofa was dry enough to sit on but my chair wasn’t: Matt made me sit on it anyway so he could see if it was positioned right. I got a wet bum, yuck. I guess it will be a while yet before it’s ready. So long as its cat free I don’t mind waiting. Monday night, to watch Jeopardy, Matt sat on a dining chair and I sat on his chair, nice of him, he always says I’m a spoilt brat. Afterwards I went on the PC so he could have his chair back. Then we swapped and he played Bookworm. They told me 4 hours to dry, I think they exaggerated a bit. I didn’t realise before the company I use for carpet cleaning and now furniture cleaning, has a web site full of popping bubbles www.crystal-clean.ca they are pretty reasonable and I have used them for carpets a couple of times.

Tuesday just after lunch Matt had a stress test which he was worrying about because he isn’t as fit as he was when it comes to pounding a treadmill. I can’t do it and I once had to have a chemical stress test which was one of the worst things I have ever experienced. The injection they give you makes you feel as though you are dying. Doesn’t last long as they give you the antidote almost instantly, but what a dreadful sensation. You really feel ill. Then you have to wait around for a couple of hours before they can put you in a machine and finish the test. I don’t ever want that test again. However, Matt came through his test with flying colours. See, he worried for nothing. Let’s face it, we often do worry about things which turn out fine in the end.

On the way home we stopped at the Ontario Cremation Centre which is managed by a friend I haven’t seen in several years, not since I worked in a funeral home. It was wonderful to see her and we had a good chin wag. She has gone through some bad patches health wise so it was nice to see her so well and cheerful.

Here’s a new one from Cooking.com on Facebook “Our Editorial Producer Tina just returned from Guatamala with coffee and coffee jam (jalea de cafe)! The jam is made from the fruit of the coffee berry that covers the coffee bean. It's delicious! Mildly sweet and fruity with a slight coffee essence.” I‘ve certainly never heard of it, I wonder where one could get hold of it. I can imagine Barrie’s Asparagus and Food selling something like this.

How about this recipe for something different. I think I will be trying this one out very soon. They look delightful.

Parmesan Spinach Cakes

From EatingWell: September/October 2008

If you like spinach-cheese pie, try these simple but elegant-looking little spinach cakes.

4 servings,

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh spinach, (see Note)
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese, or low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Pulse spinach in three batches in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add ricotta (or cottage cheese), Parmesan, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper; stir to combine.
3. Coat 8 cups of the muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide the spinach mixture among the 8 cups (they will be very full).
4. Bake the spinach cakes until set, about 20 minutes. Let stand in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and turn out onto a clean cutting board or large plate. Serve warm, sprinkled with more Parmesan, if desired.

Nutrition

Per serving :141 Calories; 8 g Fat; 4 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 123 mg Cholesterol; 6 g Carbohydrates; 13 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 456 mg Sodium; 560 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

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

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Equipment: Muffin pan with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups

• 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