CCAC, Bowling, Busy Day,

Sunday night and Monday morning we had lots of snow. I half expected the Regional Care co-Ordinator to call and cancel but she didn't. She came and asked lots of questions. She is trying to arrange for Matt to go to a day group where she says they do all kinds of things to help stimulate the memory. When it comes down to it, he will probably refuse to go. CCAC are now called Local Health Care Integration Network!! LHINS I guess. They arrange a lot of assistance if required. Like help with showering or dressing etc. One thing she told us, I commented on the cost of Retirement living and she said one could get assistance.

When she finally left, I grabbed some food for our lunch and then went bowling. The roads weren't as bad as I expected. However, the bowling alley had not been ploughed. I bet they were a tad annoyed about that. Turned out that I was the only one in our team that showed up. The team we were playing against only had two people so I ended up bowling with them. From my calculations I think we beat them hands down and I managed to maintain my average. Not bad considering my second game was lousy. Matt had a bowl ahead and for my bad game he had a good one so that balanced us out team wise. I was surprised how few people seemed to notice that Matt wasn't there.

This morning, Tuesday, his physiotherapist comes to see him. I gather she is supposed to do 6 visits. Then I have a lunch date with a friend. She and hubby are heading to Florida at the weekend. Matt won't join us, he could, but he seems to not want to be seen with the aircast. Then if I am feeling up to it, grocery shopping. I don't find the shopping a problem, it's lugging the cart up to the apartment. We park in the farthest part of the garage so I find the walk quite a hassle. Then of course, putting all the stuff away.

At the time of writing this recipe I have just eaten breakfast but this picture makes me feel hungry. I hadn't heard of making this with crepes. If you have ever tried stuffing the pasta, you will know why this is so much easier plus it apparently freezes well.

Manicotti

There are two types of stuffed manicotti in the world. One is made with large tubular dried pasta, and the other uses a thin crepe (crespelle in Italian) instead. Both are filled before baking. This recipe is the second kind, and the delicate crepes deliver a lightness that you just don’t get from baked pasta. That said, it’s a process, so do what Brad does: “Double the recipe and freeze one of the trays. Trust

me.” And here's why he calls this manicotti the greatest recipe of all time!

Crepe Batter
6 large eggs
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp kosher salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Filling and Assembly
2 large egg yolks, beaten to blend
1 ½ lbs ricotta
8 oz mozzarella, grated
1 oz Parmesan, grated, plus more for serving
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
2 10-ounce frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained (optional)
3 cups marinara sauce, preferably homemade, divided

1. Crepe Batter

2. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat eggs in a large bowl until light, airy, pale in color, and can nearly hold peaks, 6–8 minutes.

3. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add flour and salt, beating well between additions, until no clumps of flour remain. With mixer speed on low, slowly pour in 1½ cups water and continue to beat until well incorporated. Cover and let dough rest at least 2 hours (this gives the flour time to hydrate and results in a smoother finished texture).

4. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium and spray with nonstick spray. Pour 2 Tbsp. batter into skillet and cook, swirling skillet constantly to encourage crepe to form a nice, round shape, until set, 15–20 seconds. Tap out crepe onto a clean towel; gently flatten any creases. Repeat with remaining batter; if possible, do not to stack crepes.

5. Do Ahead: Dough can be made 1 day ahead; keep covered and chill.

6. Filling and Assembly

7. Preheat oven to 350°. Mix egg yolks, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Squeeze out excess liquid from spinach, if using, and add to egg mixture; toss to coat.

8. Spread 1 cup sauce in a 13x9" baking pan. Working one at a time, spoon 2 Tbsp. filling in center of crepe. Spread filling all the way to the ends. Roll up crepe, then flatten slightly with your hands. Transfer seam side down to prepared dish. Working in batches if needed, repeat with remaining crepes and filling, leaving a small gap in between each. Top with sauce and cover with foil. Bake manicotti until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, 35–45 minutes. Let manicotti cool slightly in pan to set, about 15 minutes. Top with Parmesan and pepper before serving.

9. Do Ahead: Filling can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Manicotti can be made 1 month ahead; transfer to airtight containers or freezer bags and freeze.

Yield: Makes about 24

Author: Brad Leone
Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day