Fall Photos and Cars.

I took a couple of pictures on and from our balcony which I am sharing with you today.

This is one of the many trees we can see from our windows and it is busy flaunting its fall colours. Once fall really gets into swing, we have lots of great colours right in our own ‘backyard’.
Much to our surprise our geraniums and basil was still alive and thriving when we got back from vacation. Well, OK there are a couple of brown leaves, but lots of flowers. The brown leaves will soon disappear.
Here again, there are a few dead leaves at the bottom but the top part is thriving and I am planning to make some more tomato soup to use up some of the leaves. Maybe some pesto as well. Considering these plants were not touched in two weeks we were somewhat impressed they were doing so well.

L. Diane Wolfe in her blog Spunk on a Stick discussed all the cars she has owned in her life so far, which, of course, made me think about the cars I have owned. Diane had pictures, I do not, but I do remember my first car was an old Ford and its license plate was RD9295. I called her Jemima (one of my mother’s favourite names, glad she didn’t choose it for me, Victoria was her other favourite and a cousin got lumbered with that, not as bad as Jemima though). I have never had a ‘thing’ about cars, to me there are purely and simply a means for getting from place to place, except – many years ago, in Paris, France, I saw a bright red Mercedes Sports Car and I always wanted that car. Now they would be collectibles I suppose. In fact we did see one on the road recently, although I can’t remember where, probably on our trip to NC and back.

Bowling today again. Keep everything crossed for me please.

These chicken crisps I found from Food and Wine sound delightful and probably very moreish. I am not sure where one would obtain 3 or 4 chicken skins mind you and I suspect their calorie content is NOT low. I love crackly pork rinds too – I bought a bag whilst in NC and I am sure these would be equally delicious.

Chicken Crisps

Contributed by Matthias Merges
SERVINGS: 4

Crispy chicken skins are even better than fried pork rinds. At Yusho in Chicago, chef Matthias Merges bakes them until crackly, then tops them with sweet-and-salty seasonings. The skins are an utterly addictive snack that's especially good with cocktails or beer.

1. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
2. 5 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
3. 3/4 pound chicken skin in large pieces (from 3 to 4 chickens), excess fat removed
4. Kosher salt, for seasoning
5. Togarashi (Japanese seasoning mix), for seasoning
6. Whole-grain mustard, for brushing
7. Honey, for drizzling
8. Finely grated lime zest, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 375° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small saucepan, combine the vegetable oil with the sliced garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring often, until the garlic is golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic chips to paper towels to drain.
2. Spread out the chicken skin in a flat single layer on the prepared baking sheets and season lightly with salt and togarashi. Top the chicken skin with another sheet of parchment paper and another baking sheet to weigh it down. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the skins are golden and crisp; rotate the baking sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking.
3. Transfer the crispy chicken skins to paper towels to drain. Lightly brush with whole-grain mustard and transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle lightly with honey, garnish with the garlic chips and lime zest and serve.

Make Ahead The crispy chicken skins and garlic chips can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 hours. Brush with mustard and drizzle with honey before serving.

Have a great day