Stamps, Reindeer Clothes, Crêpes and Brisket.

Sorry no blog Monday, have been given some antibiotics and they made me feel terrible.  Waiting to hear back from doc. For one reason or another didn’t get much sleep Monday night. Mind you, I was fine earlier in the day and really bowled well again. Poor Matt did not.

Matt went to the post office for me this morning as I was out of International stamps, almost out of US ones too. Much to my surprise, the stamps he brought back for the International are celebrating the Chinese Year of the Horse and are, I think, most attractive. We needed them as both is daughters and one son-in-law celebrate their birthdays this month. That reminds me, I am still waiting for my free meal from the Mandarin Restaurants. Maybe I should remind them. I did so and they say that there was an error on my postal code. Amazing, the insurance reimbursing me for our tow said there was an error on our apartment number!!!

I found this an interesting Fast Fact from T + L Daily Transporter this morning. The traditional reindeer-hide clothes and boots worn by Russia’s Eveny tribe are stored outside at night—even at temperatures colder than -40°—to avoid the warmth and dampness that could stiffen or ruin them. Brrr, can you imagine getting dressed in the mornings. Mind you that picture looks cold, doesn’t it. Lonely too. But that’s rather how I think of that part of the world. We get lots of cold and snow in the winter, but round here it sure isn’t desolate or lonely looking. Well except at the airport I noticed when we passed it today.

Tuesday night I made crêpes for us, made some extra to freeze and then discovered I only had three, oh well. I ate mine with Nutella and Matt chose honey. Made a nice change. I could eat crêpes by the dozen mind you. Not sure why I love them so much, but I do. Think I have told you about the town in the South of France (don't remember which one) where there were crêpe sellers in the streets and Matt and I wandered around eating crêpes from one and then getting another at the next place. Delicious. Once did something similar in Sicily although with small pizzas.

In England my mother would cook this meat, but we called it just brisket or salt beef, it was never, to my knowledge, called corned beef. That name was reserved for the stuff we got in a can, particularly during the war years although many people developed a taste for it at that time. Spam too, I love it although NEVER eat it any more. This dish has become identified with New England. Some friends of ours from New Hampshire once cooked this for us when we lived in NC and they were staying there. They used to be our neighbours. New Englanders aren’t the only people who cook it, but they cook it more than most I believe. This is one for the crock pot. I found it at Food.com.

Corned Beef Dinner - Crock Pot

By Derf on November 19, 2001

By Parsley

• Servings: 4

About This Recipe

"Very nice aroma to come home to and a wonderful taste. Satisfying"

Ingredients

• 2 -2 1/2 lbs corned beef brisket
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, cut in 3
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
• 4 medium carrots, peeled cut in 3
• 1 cup beef bouillon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 4 small cabbage, cut into wedges
• 1 teaspoon caraway seed

Directions

1. Trim brisket of all visible fat, cut to fit 4 qt or larger crockpot, if necessary.
2. Place onion, celery, potatoes and carrots in bottom of crockpot, lay brisket on top.
3. Whisk together bouillon, bay leaf, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and dry mustard.
4. Pour over brisket, cover pot.
5. Cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours, adding cabbage wedges and caraway seed for the last hour of cooking.
6. To serve, discard cooking liquid, slice meat onto hot serving plates, accompany with the cooked potatoes, carrots, celery, cabbage wedges and your favourite mustard.

Have a great day