Jonathan and Catherine, Death of a Penny,

Have you seen the latest from Britain’s got Talent. It drove the complacency out of Simon Cowell for one thing. Brought tears to the eyes of both Matt and I.

We had a federal budget yesterday, one of the things they said, they were going to stop minting pennies (1¢) which now cost more than that to make anyway. The news is going on about all the phrases where we use penny, a penny for your thoughts etc. in the UK we used to have spend a penny which meant going to the toilet, that was from the old days when you had to put a penny in a slot to open the door of a public toilet. Don’t think that has ever happened over here. We have been saving pennies in one of our pigs, so I guess we had better get them cashed in before we can’t do so. That now leaves us with the smallest coin being 5 ¢ or a nickel. I wonder how long that will last now.

We had a fun day yesterday with our Travel League although basically  we didn’t bowl particularly well. I think we both had one good game and that was it. Still, its not important on the Travel League, its purely and simply for fun. We had lunch at Angel’s which tries to be an old fashioned diner and doesn’t do bad food at all. Their walls were covered with old film stars and shots from old movies like Gone with the Wind.  I think everyone enjoyed what they ate. I had pork souvlaki on pita and Matt had a BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich). Some of the soups looked good, I was sorry it didn’t come with my choice. I was knackered at the end of the afternoon though and am wondering if I will be able to bowl today.

I had lots of things I was going to write about, I didn’t jot them down, so now I have forgotten. You will have to wait with bated breath for the next blog.

I love Satay and when I saw this one had to share it.

Thai Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

From EatingWell: July/August 2009, August/September 2005, The EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook (2006)

Spicy peanut sauce is the perfect match for these Thai-marinated grilled chicken strips.

4 servings

Ingredients

Thai Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce, (see Ingredient Note)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 pound chicken tenders

Spicy Peanut Sauce

• 2 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons 'lite' coconut milk, (see Tip)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste

Preparation

1. Whisk lime juice, oil, soy sauce, fish sauce and red pepper in a shallow dish until combined; add chicken and turn to coat. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
2. To prepare peanut sauce: Whisk peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper until smooth.
3. Preheat grill to high. Thread each chicken tender onto a wooden skewer. Grill until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, about 3 minutes per side. Serve warm or chilled with Spicy Peanut Sauce.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Covered and refrigerate the peanut sauce for up to 2 days. | Equipment: 12 wooden skewers (see Tip)

• Ingredient note: Fish sauce is a pungent Southeast Asian sauce made from salted, fermented fish. You can find it in the Asian section of large supermarkets and in Asian specialty markets.
• Tips: Refrigerate leftover coconut milk for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. It will appear separated when thawed; simply mix until smooth.
• To prevent wooden skewers from burning on the grill, wrap the exposed portion in foil before grilling. (Contrary to popular wisdom, soaking them in water doesn't prevent them from burning.)

Have a great day