Friday, May 2, 2014

Bears, Butterflies and Bowling.

No, I’m not starting the A to Z again.
I have just been reading a National Gobi BearsGeographic article about a very rare animal, the Gobi Bear. Apparently there are only two to three dozen left in the Gobi Dessert and scraping out an existence in one of the harshest climates of the world. There is a long article and a video about the animals and talking about the area where they live. They are one of the oldest bears in existence and their lineage can be traced back to the earliest brown bears. They are quite small bears and research teams have been catching them and tagging them as well as placing GPS collars on them. There are also bear feeding stations because the area where they live, which is in Mongolia, has been overused and there is little for them to eat any more. I wish I could help financially, but I am unable to do so. Maybe some of you can.

Also, from theMonarch Butterflies World Wildlife Fund today I had a request for assistance for the Monarch Butterfly who’s numbers have been seriously reduced since 2003. The size of the butterflies indicates the serious reduction in numbers and the area they cover. They also included a packet of seeds to grow a butterfly bush in order to attract them. Needless to say, we have nowhere to plant these so I am giving them to a friend. If she doesn’t plant them at home, she will do so at her son’s farm. I don’t know how big these bushes grow and I gather she hasn’t got that much room. At least she has a yard/garden which is more than we do nowadays.


Thursday we did our usual bowling, just three of us, for a fun afternoon. At least they tell me it’s fun, looking at my scores, I am not so sure about that. On Thursdays there is a women’s  league and we bowl along side them. They had their ‘banquet’ today which they cater themselves, mostly snack type foods. They came and told us we were welcome to dig in. I wasn’t going to but then I saw a couple of chocolaty things, that was my undoing. So, two of us helped ourselves, Matt did not. He is the only one who can afford to eat what he likes, not that our friend is overweight exactly, but she says she wants to lose a few pouBanana Cream Piends. Monday we had our bowling banquet for the winter league. It was catered by a local company run by a woman who is also a bowler. The food was excellent. It was slices of beef in a casserole which she served with delicious looking mashed potatoes (didn’t have any, but Matt said they were good), mixed vegetables, spinach salad, a jellied salad for those who like that kind of thing (she told me it is very popular in some of the old folks’ homes she caters) and also buns and butter. Afterwards there was a large selection of delicious pies, I had banana cream pie. There was lots of food and many went back for seconds. We then bowled, with distended stomachs plus had a prize giving. Our team won for the highest team single. Only thing we did get. Our summer league gets going on May 14.

I am ashamed to say I had forgotten that one of our number went an absolute purler after Monday’s events. He tripped down some steps into the parking lot. He is an 83 yr. old and bruised himself very badly. I was still in the alley when it happened, but when I came out I could see a small crowd around our car and thought for a minute it was Matt who was in trouble. On checking in with him today, it turns out he is OK but very sore.

After all the goodies I ate at the bowling alley, I could use this fish recipe. Wish I had all the ingredients handy.

Crispy Fish with Lemon-Dill Sauce


Panko is the secret ingredient that makes these crispy, oven-fried fish fillets a family favorite. The lemon-dill sauce is the perfect compliment and great for dipping. For sustainability reasons, be sure to choose Alaskan cod, or substitute halibut or even tilapia.

Cooking Light OCTOBER 2013
  • Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and about 2 tablespoons sauce)
  • Hands-on:15 Minutes
  • Total:30 Minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 (6-ounce) skinless cod fillets
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3/8 teaspoon salt
  • Cooking spray
  • 1/4 cup canola mayonnaise (such as Hellmann's)
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickle
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
  • Lemon wedges
Preparation
1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Combine panko, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in a shallow dish. Sprinkle fish evenly with pepper and salt. Dip each fillet in egg white, then dredge in panko mixture; place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
3. Combine mayonnaise, pickle, lemon juice, and dill. Serve with fish and lemon wedges.

Have a great day
Jo (2)




22 comments:

  1. If my sister grows butterfly bushes they get ten feet tall. If I try to grow them they die. I am sure it has something to do with the soil. Went to Point Pelee one year to see the migration of the monarchs.

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    1. I know Point Pelee is famous for birds, didn't realise one could see butterflies too.

      Sounds like me and hydrangeas, when we lived in NC, everyone and their mother were growing them, but not me, they just would not grow at all.

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  2. That pie above looks really tasty. Congratulations that you won. So happy for your team. Monarchs arrive to Mexico every year and they are a part of the tourist attraction for the season they come. It is a pitty their numbers are decreasing. I fear eventually the world will run out of wild animals,except rats.

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    1. Thanks Al, that pie was great. Had rather a lot of calories though. Gotta be serious about what I eat for a day or two.

      I think you could be right. Not sure what they can do about the butterflies, but I hope something will be achieved.

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  3. Only a couple dozen? Will they even survive with so few left?

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    1. I really don't know Alex. I would have thought they would put some in a zoo and try captive breeding.

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  4. Congrats on your wins and how nice of the womens league to invite you to eat with them. :-)
    I've read about the Gobi bears. They ARE little in comparison to other bears. No fast answer for increasing their numbers. As for the butterflies--bees too--so much of their habitat is being destroyed. And it's sad.

    Love a good Banana Cream pie!

    Sia McKye Over Coffee

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    1. Thanks, and yes, it was nice of them.

      I admit I am most worried about the bees. There was a message on Facebook something to the effect if I (the bee) die so do you - unfortunately that is so true and not enough people realise or seem to care.

      It was a good pie.

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  5. The poor little guys. I'd think it's time to put them in a protective habitat and help them out.

    I'll have to try the fish. My kids are in training for sports and suddenly all my whining to them about eating healthier is cool. Been looking for a good way to cook fish for them. Not a huge fish fan myself.

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    1. They certainly do need some help with so few of them left.

      Haddock would also be a good fish to use, probably my first choice. With the lemon even you should enjoy it.

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  6. Now this is a fish recipe I can get on board with! I will definitely be making it. I'm so sad to hear about those bears though. Poor things. I had a butterfly bush out in Washington state...they are very hardy, but I noticed a marked decrease in butterflies over time. There is a butterfly garden near my house that I enjoy visiting.

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    1. We have a butterfly conservatory nearby, fascinating place. Lovely and warm place to go in winter too.

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  7. You crack me up with the "no, I'm not starting the A-Z again..." OMG that made me laugh ;-)
    I feel very sad for those bears. They look so cuddly...
    I have to laugh about the jello (or whatever you Brit/world traveler/turned Canadian foks call it because my Grandma Vivian was (in)famous for her jello...Glad to hear though that the man who fell is OK. Falls can cause serious injury. Falling off a chair is what began the process of my now fused wrist!
    Oh, thank you thank you for the fish recipe. I've been looking for something exactly of this type and it has DILL in it ;-) We have a lot of haddock and tilapia on hand, so this will work out great.
    Tina @ Life is Good

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    1. LOL, glad it did. I cannot imagine that small number surviving without our assistance. To me jello is a dessert not a salad. Falls are a lot worse for an 83 yr old. Bones break very easily. I was glad to hear he was doing OK.

      I know you breed fish, are they tilapia, I can't remember?

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  8. geez. I knew I shouldn't have come to your blog when I'm hungry. I want that fish for supper and I want the banana cream pie now! I'm not just hungry now, I'm starving. Headed to the kitchen (will start diet tomorrow.).Deb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com

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    1. I'm on a diet Debbie, I still eat things I shouldn't now and again. I just record everything I eat. I use FitDay.com

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  9. I'm a terrible bowler. I still have fun, but it baffles the people around me who are constantly trying to show me how do it better. I just don't care. I'm there to have fun—and I do—and I bowl maybe once a year, so improving just isn't on my agenda.

    I'm glad your friend wasn't hurt too badly with his fall!

    Oh, and that banana pie looked yummy! I'm inspired to make pudding today.

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    1. I assume you are talking 10 pin, we bowl 5 pin which nobody outside Canada knows anything about. We also bowl 2 days a week most of the time which makes us better. Mind you we do it for fun and not for competitions or tournaments any more.

      So am I glad. At 83 falling like that isn't funny. I only make desserts when I have guests otherwise most of it would end up on my hips.

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  10. Hi Jo - so much wildlife needs our help .. lots of organisations here offer different types of seeds .. so we can plant up wild plants for the birds and bees and butterflies - not bears here ...

    I think your butterfly tree is the Buddleia .. and they are very leggy, delight in rough soil and grow tall ... equally - chop them back and they'll flourish ... they really do attract butterflies and bees .... lots along the tube lines!

    Your dessert looks good .. but I'll wait til lunch and have some water in the meantime .. cheers and congratulations on finishing - Hilary

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    1. You are so right Hilary. Glad there are organisations helping with seeds. I think you are right about it being Buddleia. I personally am very worried about butterflies but more so about bees. That is getting very serious.

      The pie was good, a lot of calories though.

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  11. I am planting Bee plants in a few weeks (blue) we do get a few bees, but very few. I can only plant wild flowers and Iris. The deer and rabbits eat everything else. There is a great company in New Mexico, "High Country Gardens" that sells plants that are suitable for the mountains and they have the icons by each picture of the plant which says whether they are resistant to deer, rabbits, need water or not so much,
    and are good for bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, makes it easier to buy the right plant.

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    1. That sounds very useful - I hope you get lots of bees.

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