Thursday, August 28, 2014

DVDs, Bowling, Tina’s Blogfest.

My birthday present from Matt which I bought for him to give me, arrived on Tuesday and I started watching it on Tuesday evening. It The First Churchillswas three DVDs of the programme The First Churchill’s which was shown on BBC TV in 1969. I might add that I was a bit miffed to have to pay duty of $17 on the parcel, the DVDs were expensive enough as it was. I had forgotten just how good this series is, John Churchill is played by John Neville, a top English actor at the time and Sarah Churchill played by Susan Hampshire also very well known at the time. Both excellent actors. The whole cast is very good and I am particularly enjoying the actor playing Charles II. It is a very historical series as well as a love story of the Churchills. I need to do a bit of googling I think. One minute we (the English) are fighting Holland alongside France and the next we are fighting France alongside Holland. One of the English princesses was married to a Dutchman so I guess that made a difference. It really is an excellent show. Can’t recommend it highly enough. I know Amazon.com have it.

For the first time in I don’t know how many weeks, I had a really good day of bowling on Wednesday afternoon. Best scores I have had in I don’t know how long. Needless to say I was delighted although, of course, we are not playing in a league at the moment. Our winter league starts on September 8. I would like to think I will bowl well in the league. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Don’t forget the blogfest for Tina. If you haven’t signed up yet, click on the sunflower badge and it will take you to the linky list.

When we lived in North Carolina, around this time of the year people would tell you not to leave your car windows open or you would return to find it full of zucchini. Well, if you have an over abundance here is a good Kraft recipe for using them. I had never heard of arbol chiles so I looked them up and have provided a link.

Three-Cheese Stuffed Zucchini


Really, just one cheese would have sufficed to make our stuffed zucchini good. But we opted for zucchini greatness—with feta, mozzarella and Parmesan.
Three-Cheese Stuffed Zucchini recipe
6 servings


What You Need

6 zucchini (3-1/2 lb.)
1 cup  KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese with a TOUCH OF PHILADELPHIA
1 pkg.   (4 oz.) ATHENOS Traditional Crumbled Feta Cheese
2 tsp.  oil
1 onion, chopped
3 arbol chiles, stemmed
1 clove  garlic, minced
1 can   (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 Tbsp.  KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
3 cups  hot cooked long-grain brown rice

Make It

HEAT oven to 350ºF.
COOK zucchini in boiling water in large saucepan 5 to 7 min. or until tender; drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Cool zucchini.
CUT thin slice off stem end of each zucchini. Carefully scoop out centers, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Chop removed zucchini; combine with mozzarella and feta cheeses.
HEAT oil in medium skillet on medium heat. Add onions, chiles and garlic; cook and stir 3 min. or until onions are crisp-tender. Remove from heat. Add half the onion mixture to zucchini mixture; spoon into zucchini shells. Place in 13x9-inch baking dish.
BLEND reserved water, tomato sauce and remaining onion mixture in blender until smooth; pour over stuffed zucchini shells. Cover.
BAKE 25 to 30 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Serve with rice.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

How to Make the Zucchini Shells
Use an apple corer to scoop out the centers of the cooked zucchini to make the shells.
Cooking Know-How For even cooking, pick zucchini that are similar in shape and size.
Substitute Prepare using Mexican zucchini.

Have a great day
Jo_thumb[2]

10 comments:

  1. Hi Jo - glad you are enjoying your prezzie - sounds very interesting and I certainly didn't see the programme back then ... history is a muddle through those centuries ... who allies with whom and why...

    Glad the bowling was good .. and I love zucchini ... while Tina is on my list - such a sad thing to say ... but I'll remember her fondly for many a year ...

    Cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have remembered the programme all these years and wanted to see it again - it's really good and well acted. Lot of well know British actors in it. If you get a chance do see it. Your local library may have it. It was based on Churchill's history of Marlborough.

      I used to love marrow when I lived in the UK. Don't get it over here. A friend in NC used to grow big zucchini for me to stuff with a meat filling. Good but not the same.

      I think we will all remember Tina for a long time.

      Delete
  2. That's a hefty duty.
    Full of zucchini? Never heard that one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're telling me! I was not a happy camper.

      I'm surprised, maybe they don't grow as prolifically where you are, but people always seemed to have way too many around Bogue.

      Delete
  3. Hi, Jo. Glad you are enjoying your present. Sorry about the hefty duty fee. Glad you had a great day at bowling. I've never had anyone leave me any surprise zucchini. I could think of lots of yummy things to make with zucchini. Breads, pancakes, breaded & fried, added to soups, and stuffed. Yumm!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's OK if it doesn't happen too often.

      Delete
  4. There was once a joke, if you're buying zucchini in the grocery store, you have no friends. I think of that every time I buy it! LOL. (I like them small and everyone grows them large. Take the small ones and saute them in butter and they are so good!)

    I'll have to check out the Churchills.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Certainly when we lived in NC that would have been true, don't know anyone who grows them round here.

      Delete
  5. I want so much to like squash but I can only take it in soups or mixed up with lots of other veggies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I used to make a casserole with squash, onions, garlic and tomatoes. It was good.

      Delete