Android, Chinese Baby.

I have, surprise, surprise, been spending a lot of time with my new android. Doing quite well with it at the moment. It turned out that Worldstart, from whom I purchased the tablet, had sent me an email with a link to a pretty comprehensive manual so things are looking up. I managed to take two pictures which were lousy and to add one piece of music and one audio book. So, I’m getting there. I haven’t yet found out the capacity of this thing, and although I can get to the website I find entering my quite complicated bank password to be a pain in the neck, apart from which I am used to having Last Pass complete it for me, but if I have to, a proper keyboard is a lot easier to type it on. Its an excellent password, if I have trouble with it, can you imagine a crook having a go? When I go on vacation I will have to stop clicking the email comments on other people’s blogs, too many to deal with on the tablet.

Awful story on the news yesterday about a newborn in China being stuck in a toilet drainpipe Luckily people heard it crying and firefighters managed to cut the pipe and get the baby out. I can’t imagine a mother doing such a thing, she must have been mentally incompetent amongst other things – in fact I am surprised she could flush the baby down at all. Can’t imagine doing that with our toilets here. Lots of people want to adopt apparently but they are handing the baby boy to social services. Shame. If you look at the picture the head looks too big, shoulders too I guess.

When I saw this recipe, I immediately though, a touch of asparagus would be good here. Just steam or boil some, when just cooked rinse and refresh in cold water, drain and then chop and add to the salad.

Hearts of Palm and Avocado Salad

Contributed by Grace Parisi
Food and Wine

SERVINGS: 4

This Brazilian-style salad might taste a bit rich—with creamy avocado and a mayonnaise dressing—but it’s really quite healthy.

1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 small sweet onion, cut into thin slivers
Two 14-ounce cans hearts of palm, drained and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 Hass avocado, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

In a medium bowl, toss the halved cherry tomatoes with the onion slivers, hearts of palm, avocado and chopped parsley. In a small bowl, whisk the lime zest and lime juice with the mayonnaise and oil; season the dressing with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss gently and serve right away.

Have a great day