Economics, Prescriptions, A to Z Challenge,

That’s not bad, our rent went up about $30 a month this year, our pensions have increased by a total of about $16 a month. Doesn’t there seem something wrong there? What about the cost of living? Food prices have definitely been going up. It doesn’t make sense to me. We are going backwards. Meanwhile it was announced that Canada were giving $13 million more to Mali.

I forgot to tell you, Saturday morning we left home at 10 a.m. to go to the doctor’s. Having obtained prescriptions we came home and headed for the drug store. By the time we finally had the prescriptions filled and got home it was around 12:15. So we wasted 2 1/4 hours and gas driving over an hour. This because of the doctor’s new policy of not allowing the drug store to fax for prescription renewals. I can sympathise with their problems, but I think something else needs to be done.

I enjoyed the Reintroduction Blog on Monday and, as L. Diane Wolfe commented, I lived in North Carolina for a number of years, 12 in fact. As we were close to the sea which meant lots of oysters, clams and shrimp among other seafood items, it was a great place to live. I never ate oysters until I had them steamed in NC although my parents used to devour them at any opportunity. I learned to eat them by the bushel though and when next I was offered raw oysters, I devoured those too. The oysters we used to get in England were bigger than those we got off the coast of North Carolina, but I would slurp them down just the same. Now I’m hungry.

I have now signed on for the 2013 A to Z Challenge which I took part in last year. There are a number of places where you can sign up, this is one of them. There are several hosts as described in their blogs and they are each carrying the Linky Link for someone to sign up. The actual challenge starts on April 1, which is a Monday. I must start looking for my alphabet recipes. The A to Z Hosts are founder Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out, Damyanti Biswas at Amlokiblogs, Alex J. Cavanaugh, Tina Downey at Life is Good, DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude 2.0, Jeremy Hawkins at Retro-Zombie,Shannon Lawrence at The Warrior Muse, Matthew MacNish at The QQQE,Konstanz Silverbow at No Thought 2 Small, Stephen Tremp at Breakthrough Blogs, Livia Peterson at Leave it to Livia, L. Diane Wolfe at Spunk on a Stick,and Nicole at The Madlab Post.

Tell you a secret, those cannoli we bought are sitting in the fridge calling my name, very loudly!!!
So many people are interested in gluten free recipes these days, never heard of them a few years ago. First time I ever heard of it was the sister of a woman with whom I worked had Celiac disease. Here is a gluten free cake recipe.

Flourless Honey-Almond Cake

Source: © EatingWell Magazine
10 servings

Honey and almonds flavour this simple (and gluten-free) cake. It’s lovely for afternoon tea or a spring holiday dessert. Be careful not to overbeat the egg whites—they should be white and very foamy, but not at all stiff or able to hold peaks. If you beat them too much, the cake may sink in the middle as it cools.
Make Ahead Tip: Store the cooled cake airtight at room temperature for up to 1 day. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with almonds just before serving.

Equipment: 9-inch springform pan, parchment paper
 
INGREDIENTS
For Cake:
1 1/2 cups whole almonds, toasted (see Tip)
4 large eggs, at room temperature (see Tip), separated
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

For Topping:
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted (see Tip)

To toast whole almonds, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring once, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes. To toast sliced almonds, cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
 
Note: Eggs must be at room temperature for the proteins to unwind enough to support the cake’s crumb. Either set the eggs out on the counter for 15 minutes or submerge them in their shells in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for 5 minutes before using.

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray the paper.

Process whole almonds in a food processor or blender until finely ground (you will have about 13/4 cups ground). Beat 4 egg yolks, 1/2 cup honey, vanilla, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer (or use a paddle attachment on a stand mixer) on medium speed until well combined. Add the ground almonds and beat on low until combined.

Beat 4 egg whites in another large bowl with the electric mixer (use clean beaters on a hand-held mixer or the whisk attachment on a stand mixer) on medium speed until very foamy, white and doubled in volume, but not stiff enough to hold peaks, 1 to 2 minutes (depending on the type of mixer). Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the nut mixture until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and gently remove the side ring. Let cool completely.

If desired, remove the cake from the pan bottom by gently sliding a large, wide spatula between the cake and the parchment paper. Carefully transfer the cake to a serving platter. To serve, drizzle the top of the cake with honey and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Have a great day