Bowling, Alleys, New Tricks, Supper.

Yesterday was our last bowling for the summer league, we then have our banquet next Tuesday (I do hope I will be eating normally by then) and then we don’t bowl again until the end of August. We start early because at the beginning of September there is Labour Day and the woman who runs the alley always takes that weekend off. All the other holiday weekends she is there, but never for that one. Personally, I have not bowled particularly well for the whole of the summer league. Matt hasn’t bowled until the last two and has done pretty well considering how long since he took part. Of course two of the September weeks we will be away in North Carolina.

In the area where we live there are three alleys, one I don’t know too much about, but the other two are sadly neglected. Nobody seems prepared to spend any money on refurbishing and repairing. If somebody came along and invested a bundle to bring one of the alleys up to scratch, they could make a killing. I am sure all the bowlers would want to go there instead of their own worn out alleys. I just wish I knew someone I could persuade to do such a thing. When I think of the place, MacDaddy’s in North Carolina where we 10 pin bowl during our holiday, I just wish they would come and invest in bowling up here.

I very much like an English TV programme called New Tricks which is about a group of ex coppers who work on unsolved crimes. I really like the show which appears, very often, on TVO or TV Ontario. Sometimes on the American PBS stations too. I discovered that I can see some of the older shows or ones I have missed on TVO’s website so that’s what I did last night. You should check it out if you like cop shows. I saw it described as a trio of grumpy ex cops, I wouldn’t really call them grumpy, but it can be funny.

Last night Matt cooked us up some stuffed portabella mushrooms which were pretty good so I will share the recipe tomorrow however, this recipe is from Becel margarine which, I believe, is only available here, in Canada. However, it can obviously made with any decent margarine or butter. I thought it sounded very simple and yet tasty, especially if you wilt the spinach a little as described at the bottom.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. (10 mL) sesame seeds
• 1 lb. (450 g) large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tbsp. (15 mL) Becel® Original margarine
• 6 cups (1.4 L) baby spinach leaves
• ½ large avocado, peeled and sliced
• 1 large orange, peeled and sectioned
• 6 radishes, sliced (optional)
• 2½ tbsp. (40 mL) fat-free Italian dressing

Preparation

Step 1

Toast sesame seeds in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, 1 minute or until golden. Remove sesame seeds and set aside.

Step 2

Season shrimp, if desired, with salt and black pepper. Melt Becel® Original margarine in same skillet over medium-high heat and cook shrimp, stirring frequently, 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.

Step 3

Arrange spinach on serving platter. Top with avocado, orange, radishes and shrimp. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Just before serving, drizzle with fat-free Italian dressing.

Note

Recipe can be halved.

Tip

If desired, toss hot shrimp with spinach to wilt the spinach slightly.

Have a great day