Glucose Test, Ice Cream, CaneTip, Bowling Alley, Pickle Juice,

As I mentioned, Matt had to go for a glucose lab test which necessitated him sitting in the lab for two hours. I went with him but at least I was allowed to get up and go for a walk. I decided to go to Boba and Cream which I had been wondering about for some time. It was virtually next door. They serve Bubble Tea (not sure what that is) and soft serve ice cream with dozens of different topping. Only two flavours of ice cream though. Chocolate and Vanilla or Swirl. I had chocolate and M & Ms as a topping. Enjoyed it. I have been longing for an ice cream for a while now. I have just Googled Bubble Tea, of which I had never heard, and read this a cold, frothy drink made with iced tea, sweetened milk or other flavorings, and usually with sweet black balls or “pearls” made from tapioca. Tapioca is what we used to call frog spawn as kids. Not sure about that. They did serve coffee but not decaf. I will have to go again won't I?

Another thing I did whilst waiting, the foot of Matt's cane had split and then gone missing. It never

occurred to me that most pharmacies would have replacements. Turns out they do so I went almost next door to the lab and bought a replacement which she fitted for me. It came 2 in a packet so now we have a spare. Who'd a thunk it? Not me certainly. I don't know where Matt's cane came from in the first place. I bought mine and it is a general purpose one but Matt's, no idea. The handle came off it once when we went to the bowling alley and one of the owners fixed it for him. I guess when you do a lot of your own maintenance you become a Mr. Fixit.

Talking of the bowling alley, They have just had new double glazing put up  at the front of the building and it does make a heck of a difference as to how hot the area gets. There are windows on both sides here too. You could have grown hot house produce inside there sometimes. It was inside there that Matt fell down the stairs too. He is super careful these days of course. My only problem with the place is those same stairs which are a pain to climb. I hate them. I mentioned that to the older owner and he agreed with me but pointed out he has to climb them several times a day.

Isn't odd how you can learn something you had never heard of and then the same information pops up at you from all directions. Having been complaining about cramp a lot, Elizabeth Hartman Seckman suggested I should drink pickle juice. She has four ex footballing kids and apparently they always kept a jar of pickles on hand at the concession stand for when any of the players had a problem. Since then, I have read this information from all kinds of sources. What I have also read about pickle juice is don't throw it out when you finish te pickles themselves. This I have also learned from at least two sources, but save the juice, fill up the jar with something you want to pickle and gently heat up the saved juice and pour it into the jar to cover. Screw on the lid. This, of course, has to be kept in the fridge when cool, it is not like properly canned pickles, however, it does keep for a while. You can use either the juice from your own pickles or from pickles you have bought. So far, I have used the juice from some of my pickled asparagus for both cucumber and Bell peppers. Works well. Did another batch on Saturday which made me think of sharing.

I am not a big fan of burgers, but I thought these sounded interesting.

Mozzarella Mushroom Blended Burger with Caramelized Onions

200 g cremini mushrooms
400 g extra lean ground beef
½ tsp salt, dash of pepper
1 medium yellow onion, halved and sliced
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
4 brioche buns
4-8 slices  fresh mozzarella
Mayonnaise
BBQ sauce (optional)

1. Blend/pulse your mushrooms until fine in a food processor.

2. Cook the mushrooms on a griddle (or in a large frying pan) over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Set aside to cool.

3. Give the griddle a quick wipe-down, turn it down to low-medium, and toss on your sliced onions along with the butter. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden.

4. While the onions are cooking and once the mushrooms have cooled, combine the mushrooms together with your ground beef in a prep bowl. Stir until well-combined and form into four patties. Place the patties on a plate, cover, and place in the fridge.

5. Once the onions are the right texture and colour, add the balsamic vinegar and cook another two minutes, stirring often. Remove from the griddle and set aside.

6. Wipe down your griddle, turn it back up to medium, then add a small lug of oil and spread it around.

7. Combine together your salt and pepper in a small prep bowl, then sprinkle roughly half of your seasoning on the tops of your burgers. Place the burgers on the griddle with the seasoned side facing down.

8. After about 4 minutes, season the tops of the burgers with the other half of your salt/pepper mix, then flip. Cook an additional 3-5 minutes until no pink remains.

9. Construct your burgers by applying mayo to both sides of your buns, then adding the patties and topping with 1-2 slices of fresh mozzarella and your caramelized onions.

Author: James
Source: James to Jamie

Have a great day